Sea Sew

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and that you're gearing up to see the new year/new decade in tonight. Since my 2009 post just before Christmas, I've become quite addicted to the 'Sea Sew' album by Lisa Hannigan that I mentioned briefly. There's so much music out there that I need to listen to and when I stumble upon an album as good and as fresh as this, it fills me with happiness. Every little thing about the album makes me smile, especially the cover art (above) and this perfect video for 'I Don't Know', the first song I heard from the album and quite possibly my favorite.

That video was uploaded to Youtube on my Birthday this year, how I've managed to miss out on this album for so long, I don't know. I was never a huge follower of Damien Rice, who Lisa has worked with on two albums, despite having both those albums. So that may explain why I've been slightly out of the loop. Here's an awesome live cut of the same song, filmed in an Irish pub in a very small space next to the bar. I'm going to go and listen to this song on repeat for the rest of the year, see you on the other side. . .Happy New Year.

My Year In Music - 2009

Well, everyone seems to be doing either their 'best of 2009' or 'best of the decade' lists at the moment and I think I've got the bug a little. I've been thinking about posting a 2009 type thing on here since mid November, but have been finding it very hard. I did the same thing last year, but for one reason or another never got around to it.

I've heard so much good music this year, but I know there's a lot that I've not yet heard, which makes it hard to make a definitive list. For example I've only just discovered Sea Sew by Lisa Hannigan through the Fuel/Friends 'favorite things of 2009' list. I love blog surfing this time of year, because if you stumble across a list with some of your favourite albums of the year on, then the others on there are ones that should be checked out. Something that has helped me with this is Grooveshark, a place I stumbled upon a few months ago where you can listen to virtually any track you want, whenever you want and for free. Certainly helps the wallet, the ears and the soul.

So what has been enlightening me this year? Here goes. . .

Dead Man's Bones -Dead Man's Bones.


I think that I've probably listened to this album the most out of all the albums I've bought this year. There is something timeless about the music that draws you in and demands your attention. Ever since seeing the 'Name In Stone' video the band posted on the internet earlier in the year, I was hooked. Typically that's the one song that didn't wind up on the album, but I'm hoping for a special vinyl version to be released next year. Here's the video for 'Name In Stone'.

Fanfarlo - Reservoir.


The debut album from UK/Sweden band Fanfarlo is probably my second most listened to album of the year. I got a bit addicted to all the live videos that the band posted on the internet before the album came out, filmed in many different locations, but all showing a warmth and soul that you don't find in music everyday. As much as I love the album, it's still the live videos that I find myself going back to. I really hope to catch them on tour next year.

The band have done a series of 'laptop' sessions , including this awesome cover of 'In The Aeroplane Over The Sea' originally by Neutral Milk.

Brendan Benson - My Old Familiar Friend.

As great as it was to see Brendan Benson with Jack Black in The Raconteurs, I must admit that he was doing that and not releasing another solo album. Now that Jack White is concentrating on other projects (including The Dead Weather, who I saw live earlier this year and were amazing), Brendan has gone back to doing what he does best. This effort may be a little more polished than previous releases thanks to Gil Norton on production duties, but it's probably my favourite album by him.

His touring band consited of Cardinals drummer Brad Pemberton, who can be seen rocking along in this video for 'A Whole Lot Better'.

Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers.


This album reminded me how great the Manics once were and how much I loved their earlier stuff. The album was dedicated to Richey Edwards, their lyricist and guitarist who went missing in 1995, with all the lyrics having been left by him to the band a few weeks before he disappeared. The lyrics make the band seem fresh and relevant again and long for the days when Richey was still around.

The band released this video for 'Jackie Collins Existential Question Time', a fitting tribute to Richey who is till missed my many.

Best of the rest. . .

The Wildhearts - Chutzpah!

Coconut Records - Davy

Our Lady Peace - Burn Burn

Pearl Jam - Backspacer

The Dead Weather - Horehound

Scary Mansion - Make Me Cry

Stinkers of the year.

Chris Cornell - Scream

Rancid - Let The Dominoes Fall

The Return Of Foggy

Ryan Adams will digitally release two new, unreleased songs today via his website. I really can't wait! Ryan said he was taking a step back from the music business at the beginning of the year and disbanded his band 'The Cardinals'. It now looks like he's delving into his immense archives though and releasing music on his own Pax-AM record label for the fans.

I think this DIY approach will really benefit him as he can do what he wants, when he wants and not have to fight a record label to release anything. He has also re-launched his blog Foggy as a more video based affair, even calling it Foggy TV now. Hopefully we'll still get some of his poetry and random thoughts on there too at some point.

Here's What Ryan has to say about the new venture:

"Thanks for making Pax Am the number one Ryan Adams merch site online. We would hunt anyone else down though.
Did you have a rad summer? Good. If you said no, never worry, Pax Am is here. We are gonna fill your fall and winter up with vinyl, digital singles, and t shirts you don’t need.

Stay tuned for videos, free tracks, and our digi-singles. Subscribers get first dibs on rare vinyl.

Remember, purchasing the buck 49 singles is a way to keep FOGGY TV on the air, but it is not necessary to view the weekly content.

This is my label and my internet disco dream.
Make it real you jerks.
Worship me."

Loving the sound of the rare vinyl! He also has an old school video game blog at the Awl, where he has been showing us and reviewing titles from his retro games arcade consoles. Here's a video homage to Tron that was posted yesterday:

Long Player with D.R. Adams: TRON from The Awl on Vimeo

JA&TLA live at Bush Hall, London

A few weeks ago my girlfriend and I got to see Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts perform live at Bush Hall in London for the first time. We've wanted to see him live either solo or with his band for ages now, but could never make the gigs when he played in the UK before. The wait was well worth it.

We were staying in Shepherds Bush for the night at the K-West Hotel, an absolutely lovely place to stay with huge, comfortable rooms. It was our second time there, so we knew what to expect and the area. We hadn't been to Bush Hall before though as all the other gigs we've been to in that area have been at Shepherds Bush Empire.

So we set out early to find the venue and get in line for the show. We knew which direction to walk in, but didn't actually see the venue until we were right outside it, at the point where we were wondering to ourselves if we'd missed it. It's not a very obvious building for a music venue on the outside, nothing imposing like some of the bigger music venues we've been to.

We joined the queue and while we were waiting outside to go in, there was a man talking on his mobile phone, kind of pacing up and down on the pavement near us. We didn't pay him much attention, until he approached a taxi that had pulled up, that when we looked closely, we realised had Joseph Arthur and the band in it! This guy opened the door and the band walked past us, into the side entrance of the venue. We were both pretty shocked, with huge grins plastered on our faces.

Just as the heavens opened, the venue also opened it's doors and let us in, after scrutinizing our tickets from longer than necessary. Maybe it's because they were low numbers, maybe we looked a bit dodgy, who knows. They let us in though and we went to see what the venue was like inside.

The last thing we expected was to see a fairly large room, with tables and chairs in the middle! We checked our tickets again and they definitely said 'standing', maybe this was why they spent so long checking them? There was a small stage at the front, the mixing desk one side at the back and a covered piano on the other. The ceiling was gorgeous with lovely chandeliers.

We decided that it was a bit weird in there and to head to the bar and check out the merchandise stall. We picked up a couple of bargain t-shirts from the really friendly French guy who was setting up and went back into the venue with these and our drinks. There were a couple of chairs at the back, so we sat on them and waited for the magic to happen.

Joseph Arthur strolled out on stage soon after to play a solo set before the Lonely Astronauts joined him. He had a new loop station that he's been playing with this tour, so even though they were old songs, they seemed fresh and exciting. Any fears that when you look forward to something too much that you'll be disappointed were thrown straight out the window.

He played five songs, before the band joined him on stage to create an amazing sonic landscape. The stage was very small and for only four people, they made a huge noise. Throughout the gig, I couldn't decide whether I liked him best solo or with the band. I still can't, so I've come to the conclusion that I must love both equally. The band were so tight and happy on stage, which energized the crowd even more. They played classics from his and their records and some awesome new tunes, including the incredible 'Missy Baba', which I really hope makes it onto the next record.

After the band set had finished, Joseph came out for an encore and did a few more solo tunes, even taking requests from the audience to play 'Nuclear Daydream', which was amazing. He was then joined again by the band and finished the night with a second encore and 'You Are Free'.

And then it was all over. We hung around in the venue, while most people filed out, as we knew that the band recorded the gig and would be selling it at the merchandise stall after the gig, but it takes around 10/15 minutes for the cds to be ready. So we were just standing there and the band appear and start walking past us to the merchandise stall. It looked like they were going to be selling the cds themselves!

So we headed to the merchandise stall and a guitar was suddenly passed over to Joseph and we were treated to two amazing acoustic, unplugged songs right there. It was absolutely amazing and really magic. We bought the cd of the gig and got the whole band to sign it after the mini performance and also got Joseph to sign a poster. The whole band were so friendly and down to earth, you could really tell that they cared for their fans. We can't wait to see Joseph wit or without band again. And hopefully soon.

The setlist for the night was:

--- Solo
01 - Leave Us Alone
02 - A Smile That Explodes
03 - Echo Park
04 - Vacancy
05 - All The Old Heroes
--- Band
06 - Spacemen
07 - Even When Yer Blue
08 - Too Much To Hide
09 - In The Sun
10 - When I Was Running Out Of Time
11 - She Says You Lack Imagination
12 - Missy Baba
13 - Famous Friends Along The Coast
--- Solo
14 - Honey And The Moon
15 - Nuclear Daydream
16 - Speed Of Light
--- Band
17 - I Donated Myself To The Mexican Army
18 - Iran
19 - You Are Free
--- Solo (with band joining in)
20 - Slide Away (merch stall)
21 - Black Lexus (merch stall)

I also managed to capture 'Black Lexus' at the merchandise stall, which the band's record label have shared on their Twitter page:

New Turntable :-)

Let me introduce you to my new Sony PSLX300USB turntable I got from Richer Sounds today. I've been looking around for a new turntable for a while now and finally stumbled across this one last week, which fits into my price range and had great reviews everywhere I looked. My old Aiwa turntable has lasted me for years and years, but it needed to be replaced.

So far I've played 'Heartbreaker' by Ryan Adams and 'Our Shadows Will Remain' by Joseph Arthur on the new turntable and both sound lovely, warm and rich. Just like records should. I'm extremely pleased with the purchase and look forward to trying the USB feature out at some point in the future on some of my rarer LPs.

Now what should I spin next. . .

Dead Man's Bones

The self titled debut record from Dead Man's Bones will be released on Anti on October 6th in the US. The track listing for the album has recently been confirmed as:

01 Intro
02 Dead Hearts
03 In the Room Where You Sleep
04 Buried in Water
05 My Body's a Zombie for You
06 Pa Pa Power
07 Young & Tragic
08 Paper Ships
09 Lose Your Soul
10 Werewolf Heart
11 Dead Man's Bones
12 Flowers Grow Out of My Grave

But where's 'Name In Stone'? The awesome song that I blogged about when I first heard of the band back in April. So far the band have only released two live cuts, one for 'In The Room Where You Sleep' and the other for 'Name In Stone', both of which were accompanied by pretty awesome videos. Here's the one for 'Name In Stone':

I really hope that the studio cut for 'Name In Stone' surfaces at some point as that song is so hauntingly beautiful.

Transitions

"There's a million chances and every single one of them is called hope."

I wish I could create something this real and beautiful. So many truths, told with such grace and humour, with imagery to stir the soul. Ryan Adams at his most poignant.

Over It

This song makes me happy:

Great White Monkey TV

Ginger (of the Wildhearts) and Laika Dog (featuring Tony of Terrorvision) are currently touring the UK. I'd love to go and see these two awesome bands playing on the same bill, but I'll be in Vassilikos when the tour rolls around my way. Oh, it's a hard life ;-)

Thankfully, to make me feel better, Ginger has started the GWMTV channel on You Tube, documenting the tour each step of the way. You can watch the first installment below and be sure to subscribe to the channel for more shenanigans.

Ginger was in Denmark, recording the new Wildhearts album, 'Chutzpah'. The band blogged about the recording of the album that should hit stores in August daily, in a very entertaining and enlightening way.

He certainly seems to like the internet at the moment as he's also a guest blogger over at the Classic Rock website, where he writes about some of his favorite overlooked bands. It's great to be seeing more of an online presence from him as his Ask Ginger and Ginger Says sections of the Wildhearts website were great back in the day.

I Dumped My Mind

Scary Mansion are set to release their sophomore album later this year. No details on the album yet, but a couple of tracks have crept onto the internet.

The first is 'I Dumped My Mind', a kind of semi-official release, seeing as it's featured on the Scary Mansion You Tube page:

The second is a demo/alternate version of the song 'No Law'. The video is directed by Andrew Hoepfner of Creaky Boards, who says that the album version will be more punky in feel:

I was completely addicted to the debut album by Scary Mansion and am very much looking forward to the new tunage heading our way.

Let The Dominoes Fall

Summer officially starts on June 2nd, with the release of 'Let The Dominoes Fall', the seventh studio album from Rancid.

They are a band that I've pretty much always associated with lazy, hot summer days and I'm pretty sure this album will be part of the soundtrack to my summer.

In the lead up to the album, you can view Webisodes here on the making of the album. They will be posted Monday through Thursday, until the release of the record. The first few are just a brief history of the band, the rest should be very tasty indeed.

Use the widget thingie below to listen to and download a free copy of 'Last One To Die', the first single from the new album. . .

Mayo On The Side

Since Ryan Adams disbanded the Cardinals and married a certain Mandy Moore earlier this year, things have been quiet on the music front.

He's been rubbing mayonnaise on his poorly knee and considered braiding his chest hair (well, according to his Tweets he has).

But, now two of his crazy side projects have re-surfaced with new tunes and new sites. Don't expect your usual Ryan material here, if you're familiar with his other side projects The Shits or DJ Reggie, you'll know what to expect. Let the madness commence. . .



Werewolph

The satanic pizza eating band. All pretty good tunes, with 'Mega Wizards' even sounding like it's Ryan singing it.

Tracklisting:

1. Dead People Unite
2. Evil Weekend
3. Mega Wizards

Head on over to the Werewolph website to hear the tunes.

Sleazy Handshake

The band with the cat with pizza eyes as their mascot. Loving the Egyptian theme of the picture. Tunes sound as sleazy as you'd expect.

Tracklisting:

1. Brain Fart Wind Tunnel
2. Lick Me
3. Mr Smartypants
4. Oops Who Farted
5. Yes

Head on over to the Sleazy Handshake website to hear the tunes.

It's good to hear Ryan kicking back and writing some crazy jams again. Catch up with him at his new website Ryanada.ms.

Name In Stone

Do actors make good musicians? It certainly seems to have worked for Jason Schwartzman and Zooey Deschanel, but not so well for Scarlett Johansson and Keanu Reeves. Ryan Gosling is the latest actor who it seems to be working well for.

He and Zach Shields make up Dead Man's Bones, who will be releasing their debut album, 'Never Let a Lack of Talent Get You Down', later this year on their own Werewolf Heart label.

This 'live in a cemetery' video for 'Name In Stone' recently surfaced on the internet. It features the duo, as well as the L.A. Inner Mass Choir and The Silverlake Conservatory of Music Children's Choir. The song sounds lovely and haunting, with the video adding an extra dimension to the 'feel' of the music.

You can download a free live mp3 of 'In The Room Where You Sleep' here.

All You Did Was Save My Life

Our Lady Peace will be releasing their seventh studio album in the near future. Our Lady Peace.net has been teasing and taunting us for the past month or so with the album cover and recently lyrics for 'All You Did' as well as a small in studio video.

The album, entitled 'Burn Burn', is produced by singer Raine Maida and is said to go back to the sound of their first release, 'Naveed'. I really can't wait to hear the new tunes. This band has played a BIG part in my life over the years and are one of those few bands that can speak to your heart and soul.

I found this video on YouTube tonight. It's from a show the band played in March and is one of the first airings of this song.

One by One

I'm loving this song by Joseph Arthur so much at the moment. I wanted to post some of the lyrics on here, but couldn't choose just one part, so have posted the whole song.

I first heard the song when it was first streamed on his blog last year and loved it from the first listen. The live versions are absolutely spell binding, here's one that was performed in France last year. Check out audience interaction (it'll raise the hairs on the back of your neck). Really hope he tours the UK soon.

'One by One'

Nights like this get twisted
When the light hits the frame
If you don't wanna be resisted
It's good to feel your pain

Smile when the camera holds you
With its evil knife
Burn your edges and make your mark
With the gift of your life

You always look at me
And then you look away
As I pretend to stay

Mannequins drinking bourbon
On a street with the same name
Little kids singing songs
Before they find out about the flame

One by one they tear stars out of the sky
And one by one throw them back
'cept for now there's a wish behind each
As one by one they turn black

You always look at me
And then you look away
As I pretend to stay

[One by one they turn black]
We are too late
[One by one they turn black]
We are too late
[One by one they turn black]
To go back there now
[One by one they turn black]

I can't hear you darling
Underneath your strange cough
Wearing your skin-tight outfit
Only you could pull off

It's hard to know where you're going
Or even where you stand
When you're running or you're burning out
In the promised land

Roses fill up dusty glasses
Drunk in the lungs of your dreams
Blooming inside cadavers dancing
And zombies coming clean

[One by one they turn black]
We are too late
[One by one they turn black]
We are too late
[One by one they turn black]
To go back there now
[One by one they turn black]

One by one they turn black
One by one they turn black
One by one they turn black
One by one they turn black

(C) Joseph Arthur.

Moon On A Stick. . .

Since the return of a certain Stewart Lee to our television screens recently, I've been looking around the web at old Lee & Herring clips from the likes of Fist Of Fun and This Morning With Richard Not Judy. Both classic comedy shows that I grew up with, which are probably partly responsible for my warped sense of humour today.

Richard Herring is currently on tour in the UK and while looking around on You Tube, I came across this hilarious clip of him dealing with a heckler at one of his stand up gigs. It truly is priceless, enjoy. . .