Luther Vandross (whose music figured heavily as I started out being a DJ in the late 80′s) has died at the tragically early age of 54. He never really recovered from the stroke he had last year, and died in his sleep in New Jersey yesterday. Today, when so many of our current bands are showing their worth, I’ll slip in a memory of Luther who was a great soul legend.
I wasn’t much of a Smashing Pumpkins fan, although a passing interest in a couple of their videos gave me some sort of trigger when I saw that the lead singer Billy Corgan was releasing a solo album – ‘The Future Embrace’, and I’m always one who will listen to anything once. Its a cool album, his voice is so distinctive that it tends to colour every track. There are a couple of really very good tracks – I like Mina Loy and A100 – and an excellent cover version of ‘To Love Somebody’ with Robert Smith on backing vocals. The album closer ‘Strayz’ is incredible – almost bluesy in sound and well produced to let the voice breathe. Theres a real quality to the lyrics and instrumentation on this – it’s well crafted enough to stand multiple listens. I’d recommend this, ESPECIALLY if you are a Pumpkins fan.
I’m unclean a libertine
And every time you vent your spleen
I seem to lose the power of speech
You’re slipping slowly from my reach
You grow me like an evergreen
You never see the lonely me at allI…
Take the plan, spin it sideways
I…
Fall
Without you, I’m Nothing
Without you, I’m nothing
Without you, I’m nothing
Take the plan, spin it sideways
Without you, I’m nothing at all
Without You – Placebo & David Bowie
and neither could I – as Shepherds Bush Empire was absolutely packed last night for Turin Brakes only date in London on their short UK tour. This was timed to coincide with their third album – Jackinabox – which was recently released – and reached number 5 in the charts.
Our seats weren’t superb – we were right up in the gods, in the most uncomfortable concert seats ever (like really narrow church pews)…but despite some technical difficulties, the sound was pretty good and the view was OK. Support was from Petra Jean Phillipson who played a dark bluesy set which never really got past the typically rude london crowd who just talked all the way through while she played. Then Turin Brakes – opening with tracks from the new album, they played a good one and three-quarter hour set, with a mixture of tracks from all three albums – all the crowd pleasers were in there: Feeling Oblivion, Underdog (Save Me) and Painkiller – all delivered with real feel and quality. So despite challenges from the venue seating, bad ticket planning, issues with sound and technology – Turin Brakes managed to deliver a top notch gig. Loved it death! Leave a comment if you went too and found this site!
This is an absolute beauty of an album – really a great example of how to take people on a musical journey. Sawnhey has long been regarded as one of the most creative of young asian artists in the UK, and this album is a superb snapshot of his talent. Opening with some gentle, relaxing tracks – almost in the Massive Attack camp, he starts to develop some more eastern references. Dead Man is a nicely dark, brooding track with an excellent vocal and Rag Doll is a very short track featuing Sawnheys mother. Later is my standout track ‘Noches en Vela’ – for which part one is a peaceful spanish sounding vocal with gentle flamencos – but the track picks up speed and intensity into an almost ‘Hybrid’ sounding breakbeat tune with dancefloor friendly squelchy bass – which has remix written all over it. I really enjoyed this CD, well worth tracking down and getting yourself familiar with a true british asian star. Lets hope Philtre is a launch pad for more british acts really experiment with world sounds, but not have them over commercialised and watered down. An excellent album.
I recently included a chilled out version of one of the tracks from Dualizm by Jori Hulkkonen on a mix cd (mail me for details) – the track was called ‘Lo Fiction’ and the more original version is included on this album. After using that track, I hunted down this album, and it was well worth the quest, and then the wait. This is a brilliant CD, moving from chilled almost ambient tracks which are very tranquil and relaxed. These are contrasted against some quite brilliant slabs of electronica, with guest vocalists are throughout, including the disco-chic of Tiga. The album sounds almost 80′s in some places (Lo-Fiction) even using one of my all time favourite voices – John Foxx – on the a really dark, almost industrial sounding ‘Dislocated’, which has more than a passing resembalance to the mighty Underpass by John Foxx from his Metamatic album in 1980. John Foxx was one of my earliest musical triggers (alongside Gary Numan), and his sound – in Ultravox was a major contributor to my love of electronica.
I have just discovered 6 music – a digital only radio station from the BBC…back-to-back this afternoon was Steve Wonders new single – What the Fuss, followed by classic Depeche Mode – People are People…I cannot think of another place where you might hear this. That was off the back of about 2 hours of excellent music from Vic McGlynn who covered the widest range imaginable. Its the home of an excellent DJ roster – including the brilliant Steve Lamacq whos’ playlist for today is phenomenal – if you can listen to radio online, then I can really recommend this station.
Just got my first listen to the new Coldplay album – X&Y, and seeing as they will be EVERYWHERE very soon, I thought I’d have my pre-emptive strike on a review of the long awaited (by some) third album from the quiet boys of rock and roll. There truly are no surprises on this album, from the opening notes – its chock full of hugely anthemic tunes that will wow every festival, stadium and small venue that they play in 2005. The single ‘Speed of Sound’ is just one of a whole raft of massively produced sing-along numbers, standout tracks from me are ‘White Shadows’ and ‘Fix you’. White Shadows has a great opening keyboard and the familiar Coldplay guitar sound, coupled with an awesome vocal melody, the lyrics are excellent too. Fix You is destined to be a single – nice vocals from solo to chorus, breathy rhodes style keys and a great guitar line, it builds into a true anthem which will please all the lighter wavers at the summer gigs. All in all, its an excellent album – really well produced and played, nicely written and built to hit all the right spots.
With one hand you calm me, with one hand I’m still,
With one hand you calm me, with one hand I’m still.
People are fragile things, you should know by now,
Be careful what you put them through.
People are fragile things, you should know by now,
You’ll speak when you’re spoken to.You’ll speak when you’re spoken to,
She’ll speak when she’s spoken to.
The Editors – Munich (2005)
Anyone who has spent much time with me, will tell you that about 2 years ago I predicted that a ringtone would get to number one in the charts inside the next three years. I am afraid to say that my prediction has come true, the hideous Crazy Frog has beaten Coldplay to the number one spot in the UK charts.
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