JULY 2004 PLAY LIST
1) So Long Angel
“Falling” Altar Records
With
their new album “Falling”, So Long Angel have brought
the full range of their musical experience to bear on an album that
sparkles with superb songs, great playing and first class production values.
“Falling”
is an album that features a delicate but thoroughly assertive vocal performance
by bassist Fran McGillivray, while band members
take it in turn to impress with cool solos and sophisticated arrangements.
Saxman Mike Paice for example leads
from the front on the late night sophistication of “Ecstasy”, a number beefed up with layered synth
accompaniment from Roland Kemp.
The crisp
tick-tock percussive pattern of drummer Roger Nunn
underpins another impressive Michael Burke/Fran McGillivray
composition, the funky “Hard Working Woman” .
Rarely can
an independent blues record have been as well thought out and produced as this.
And given the peerless playing and inspirational groove, the band impress
throughout whether on their jazzier output such as “Closer To Midnight” or the
closing Tony Joe White influenced swamp blues of “Go”, which finishes in a
lovely flurry of Michael Burke’s guitar dynamics.
This album
is one of the delights of the year. Let nothing stand in your way to purchasing
it!
Here is
a medley of audio clips from Falling: |
Broadband (CD quality) |
Dial-Up (AM radio) |
| Cell Phone Blues; Ecstasy; Hard Working Woman; Closer To Midnight |  |
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2) BLANCHE “If We Can’t Trust The
Doctors” Loose Music
How
to approach an album like this? Turn down the lights, imagine a road movie
yet to be made, and file under a gothic slice of fractured
More simply
Blanche are perhaps better understood as the latest alt.country
Americana Garage rockers from Detroit, with a David Lynch take on life,
previously similarly explored by the likes of Giant Sand and the Handsome
Family, and before that Camper Van Beethoven
The title
track in fact comes very close to Dead Can Dance, and in a sense mines a
musical territory that is far from new, but ultimately it’s just the clever
juxtaposition of styles that impresses.
The big
guitar intro and banjo of
“So Long Cruel World”” are as imposing as Dan John Miller’s
vocals which somehow manage to combine real presence with a paranoid edge. The
elements are beautifully wrapped up and resolved in a sweeping chorus. The same
insistent vocals work equally well on the caustic “Garbage Picker”, and there’s
a fine duet with Tracee Miller on “Another Lost
Summer”, a number that burst from its rustic beginnings to a climactic sweep
and before going back to its country roots.
Blanche
are a band full of contradictions, musical twists and turns
and dense but hugely interesting lyrics as on “Jack On Fire”. This is one
hell of an album, that gives you more with repeated
listening.
Here is
a complete track from If We Can't Trust The Doctors: |
Broadband (CD quality) |
Dial-Up (AM radio) |
| Summer | |
|
3) GRAHAM
FOSTER “The Best of Graham Foster” web site release
besonic.com/BeSonic/User/0,4675,g0r0l0t0o0i77900,FF.html
Long time
live music fans in the capital will recognise Graham Foster as the magnificent
guitarist who was a mainstay with Little Sister, one of the very best bands to
emerge from the late 80’s Club/Pub Rock scene.
And as this
“Best of” album suggests, it’s well over decade since Graham left these shores
for
In fact
this compilation is culled from three solo albums, the 1993 “Solid” album,
Graham Foster’s Night Train “Blue Rhythm”, recorded in ’95, and the relatively
speaking more recent “Bassman Tapes” (1999).
From the
self explanatory opener “Going To Valencia”, Fosters suggests his guitar chops
are still in good order, albeit in a Mavericks style context, while “Technology
Vs; People” is as close a he gets to Paul McCartney in terms of vocal phrasing
and use of vocal harmonies. Graham also rocks out on the previously unreleased
“Solid Ground”, complete with some steely guitar work.
The earlier
years tracks find Graham in tandem with British muso expats, drummer Geoff Briton and bass man Steve Emery, while by the
time of “Solid Ground”, and fellow rocker “Angeline”
he is backed by a fine rhythm section of Tony Moncho
(who later swaps to guitar for Brad Marriner to take
over on bass duties) and Juan Alandete on drums Once
on guitar Salvador Moncho joins in the guitar antics
to great effect.
Ultimately
Graham Foster was always a mix of fine song writing sensibilities and fiery
guitar, no better exemplified than on “Night Train”, while his anthemic song writing is at its best on the post Springsteen “Don’t Give Up”.
In short,
this compilation is everything a long time fan would have hoped for, and the
set closes with a trademark guitar led blues “One More Shot of the Blues”,
a fine finish to a cracking set of 17 examples of the “Best of” Graham Foster.
Here are
some audio clips from Graham Foster: |
Broadband (CD quality) |
Dial-Up (AM radio) |
| Night Train | |
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| Restless Age | |
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| Solid Ground | |
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4) ROADHOUSE “
I’m
delighted to report that since this album burst on to my playlist, it has
been heard on over 30 radio stations world wide (see news update on the web
site). Delighted, because there is real quality in the song writing department,
and some searing guitar work, and fine vocals to boot.
The title
track sets the standard with a riff driven momentum, full of great harmonies
and a killer hook, while the following lyrically doomy
“Slip Away” employs an awesome toned guitar refrain to push things along. “Lost
Along The Way” offers a slice of
There’s so
much to admire from the swampy “Blue Bayou” to the very west coast sounding
“Couldn’t Get To Sleep Last Night”.
Roadhouse have been going for about a dozen years, and have recorded roughly half a dozen
albums or more, but this surpasses all before it, and fully deserved its international
radio airplay.
Here are
some audio clips from No Place To Hide: |
Broadband (CD quality) |
Dial-Up (AM radio) |
| Lost Along The Way | |
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| Couldn't Get To Sleep | |
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5) LIGHTNIN
WILLIE & The POORBOYS
“Got Live If You Want It”
movinmusic.co.uk/lightnin_willie_poorboys
Essentially
this is a live album released in the memory of Lightnin
Willie’s late harmonica player, and great friend, Shakey
Jake. So in a sense it is not a new album. That said, this live album,
apparently recorded on a recent New Years Eve in Greenville, South Carolina,
gives you a realistic idea of both how good the band was, how irreplaceable
Jake is, (albeit Willie’s current tour
band takes some beating) and above all just how much Lightnin’
and the boys can swing.
While “Take
A Little Walk” and “Don’t Let Go” and “Eyes In The Back of Your Head” remain at
the core of the current band, there are a handful of reworked covers like the shuffled up SRV “Pride & Joy”
and the harp led “Turn On Your Love Light” that delight the packed club. Jake
also busily works the crowd on the mambo style “Loved Another
Woman, as Willie fires off some tough licks
If you
catch Willie’s current extensive
6) DOC
FINGERS BLUES BAND “In
The Pocket” Radiatin’
88’s Productions
exposureentertainment.com/dcfingr.html
Doc
Fingers hails from Vancouver, Canada, plays piano, organ, sings, fools around and fronts a cool, cool blues band who are happiest
exploring a mix of shuffles, boogie, New Orleans blues, and funk.
In short,
Doc Fingers fronts a classy outfit, with guitarist Lindsay Mitchell also impressive
on both rhythm and lead. Doc himself leans into his blues with a smoky voice
and fine sense of dynamics when it comes to soloing.
For a
pianist of such standing it’s surprising that he doesn’t really feature on his
own until the barrel house piece that is “Sid’s Stomp”.
The band
swing with abandon on both “Can’t Stop Loving You”, and the impressive
“Reighty-8” on which drummer Chris Nordquist pound his
skins with the best of them, and Doc takes a lovely solo. There a slice of old
Here are
some audio clips from In The Pocket : |
Broadband (CD quality) |
Dial-Up (AM radio) |
| Reighty-8 | |
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| Can't Take It No More | |
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7) THE NEUTRONS “Blackhole Star”/ “Tales from The Blue Cocoon” BGO Records
A superb
double re-issue album by one of the most impressive Man spin off bands of the
70’s.
Anyone
familiar with legendary Welsh rockers Man, will be aware that keyboard player Phl Ryan and bass player Will Youatt
were involved in arguably the two most impressive Man related bands, the one
album, Alcatraz and the two album career that was the Neutrons.
It’s an
unbelievable 25 years or more since I heard either of these albums, yet the use
of synths apart, the music remains as compelling now
as at the time.
The band’s
psychedelic sweep took in elements of funk, guitar led
aural landscapes and a set of songs that owed much to early 70’s hippy idealism.
But the music on its own sways things
favourably. Listen to the keyboard
guitar interplay over the funky back beat of “Living in The World Today”, and
the similar subtleties of the instrumental “Dangerous Decisions”, or the epic
feel of “Come Into My Cave” as well as the extended outing “Welsh R Blunt or
The Dexedrine Dormouse” – both from the second “Cocoons” album - to catch the
best of a quality band.
In between
the virtuoso playing there are several acoustic outings including the beautiful
Martin Wallace penned “Feel” and delicate Will Youatt
effort “L’Hippie Nationale”.
The
Neutrons were indeed a hippy band, and of their time, but as this double pack
with a fine bonus track suggests, they are a forgotten treasure, ready to be re-discovered.
8) ETHAN
DANIEL DAVIDSON “Don
Quixote De Suburbia”
Passion
goes along way in the world of song writers and Roots Rock. So it is with Ethan
Daniel Davidson, who appears to hail from
While Ethan
has been accurately described as a contemporary version of Woody Guthrie,
offering a compelling mix of politico post George Bush protest songs with some
heartfelt love songs, he can also rock out in a ragged way as on the caustic
“Kill All Pop Songs”. He’s also not averse to using contemporary trickery to
put across his politics on the funky rap, the hugely impressive “Ghosts of Mississipi” and the Lou Reed sounding “Only One World
Blues” – a number that warrants listening to just to cacth
so,e great half rhymes.
For the stripped down emotive folk song “The
World Turned Upside Down”, Ethan has printed the lyrics on the inside of the CD
cover, a smart move given the thoughtful lyrics to a powerful song, that is
given added pith by a Neil Young style harp.
The contemporary
troubadour is still alive , and in the case of Ethan
Daniel Davidson he comes armed with biting lyrics concerning the world we
live in, a case of making the unfashionable, fashionable again!
Here
are some audio clips from Don Quixote de Suburbia: |
Broadband (CD quality) |
Dial-Up (AM radio) |
|
 |
Kaldonia | |
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| Only One World Blues | |
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| World Turned Upside-Down | |
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9) BOBBY
STRANGE “Reach Deeper” 4 track CD EP Rising Records
Well
worthy of a second month on the play list. Bobby’s songs go right to the core,
with their raw gut honesty, and real feel. This man has the the
words to express what thousands feel.
The title says it all really. Rarely
has an album been so imbued with naked emotion as Bobby’s 4 track debut CD.
“Find It Yourself” is the kind of plaintive
love song that given enough airplay could launch this
The following “Without it Within”
is a more muscular band arrangement, complete with up in the mix, back up
singers and a killer hook. But as with all Bobby’s work, it’s the lyrics that
are crucial. He offers simple philosophy of “Life on the road, without a map of
where to go’ etc., but his unique mix of croaking voice, effective phrasing and
ironic humour as on “Shut Up & Sing” all hit base.
In a world or formulaic radio airplay, and
vacuous singer song writers with little or no gravitas, Bobby Strange is a self
deprecating performer whose, awkward style is nearly a brilliant as Randy
Newman. He has the songs, the voice, the off kilter style, and this wonderful 4
track intro. The closing opus “You’d Better Think
Again", sits nicely on a John Lennon style piano line, topped by some
biting lyrics every bit as sharp as the late great Liverpudlian.
Bobby Strange: a strange name, a rare talent,
and one to watch.
Here are
some audio clips from Reach Deeper: |
Broadband (CD quality) |
Dial-Up (AM radio) |
| Find It Yourself | |
|
| Without It Within | |
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| You'd Better Think Again | |
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10) “Super
70’s Rock” Compilation Virgin Records
As
advertised this is “3 CD’s of original songs by original artists”. Suffice it
to say that the early 70’s is represented by the likes of Family, Deep Purple,
Mott The Hoople, Free, Golden Earing,
Jethro Tull and Focus,
while ELO, and Fleetwood Mac feature as you move
through the 70’s, into the era of Patti Smith, Elvis Costello and several loveable
forgotten gems from the likes of Motors, Chris Spedding
and even Can. Of course there are opportunities lost, probably due to licensing
squabbles, but on balance this is a great 3 CD set.