Micah P Hinson - Yard Of Blonde Girls (Full Time Hobby) 30/01/2006

The cult classic, once recorded and performed by the late-great Jeff Buckly, see's a reworking here by Tennessee son, Micah P Hinson. Listening to this, in the shadow of Jeff's recorded version found on "Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk", is a revelation. That this version, so far removed from Buckley's, recorded as tribute to the father and son for the album "Dream Brother..." is quite something, it's like listening off-set during the filming of "O Brother Where Art Thou". The number gathers a pace never before found on Buckley's working, but never having heard the original I reserve judgement on whether this is the closer. All in good fun. 7/10

Nick James

web site

Beth Orton - Conceived (EMI) 30/01/2006

Preceeding her anticpated 4th album, "Comfort Of Strangers", this new single is a tight number of rolling rhythms and simple lyrics and was produced by guitarist and bass player with Sonic Youth, Jim O'Rouke, as is the forthcoming album. Although I have to say that adding an instumental as second to the title track here makes all too clear the frequency and repeat of those rolling rhythms, somewhat empty. 5/10

Nick James

web site

Helen Boulding - I Don't Know What I Want (Main Spring Recordings) 30/01/2006

Fresh from a lengthy tour supporting Glenn Tilbrook throughout November and December, this release was produced by the legendary producer Youth, who has certainly added to this number that steak familiar to his other work, big production values and a wide sound stage. With those values in place I could almost hear Sharleen Spiteri behind the mike on this number. Something Helen would not be unfamiliar with, having previously worked with the likes of songs for Natalie Imbruglia, Annie Lennox and Shakespear's Sister, but do check out the second B-side here, the brouding number "I've Nothing Left To Give". 5/10

Nick James

web site

Stephanie Kirkham - Show Me What You're Made Of" (Hut) 30/01/2006

Stephanie Kirkham is out and out the oddest release I have come across recently. A Lancashire born chanteuse, whose silky vocal adds colour to this jazz/swing number is almost like meeting that Boddington's voice on a cold night when your breath hangs in the air as she pleads with you, "...show me what you're made of." Available as a download release, I would guess on iTunes and the likes, but is maybe a little too stilted for my liking. 4/10

Nick James

web site

Robyn G Shiels - We Are Of Evil (Label) 23/01/2006

A musician who could recently be caught playing support to the likes of Anthony and the Johnsons, Low, Evan Dando and Van Morrison among others, is an artist who appears to draw upon a lifetime raised in Northern Ireland and when he sings "...we are of evil, no matter what God says, collecting sin by the buckets in sarcasm, if God is of love, then the devil does hate." you know exactly where he's coming from.

This is a rich pool, filled with resentment and the mechanical quality of an industrial landscape. Maybe a purgatory awaiting atonement, whilst in contrast the somewhat lighter, musically at least, b-side "I'd Go To Funerals" still retains the theme of religion in another resentful romp, written from a scarily familiar perspective.

Taken from his recently released debut album, "A Lifetime Of Midnights" if nothing else this singers wild references are certainly worth exploring further. (Why is it that I get a kick out of these deeply somber affairs? Should I be seeking help - oh what the heck.) 8/10

Nick James

web site

Stereo MC's - Set It Off (Graffiti Recordings) 23/01/2006

It was the highlight of my musical callender a few years back, to see these guy's play the Summer Sundae festival in Leicester. Maybe it was that I instantly lost ten years off my age, or just that the euphoria the outfit created playing tried and tested tunes; "Step It Up", "Ground Level", "Creation" et 'al, were once again annoying the neighbours? Whatever it was, the band took the audience with them and proved that some things at least don't change.

Familiar beats head off this recent outing from the MC's and it's those beats that strike a pose in this laid back affair that once again explore the frontiers of BASS! As well as the radio edited version, this 4 track CD single features Remixes by Caveman and Deekline & Wizard, as well as the full album version. This is a retro slice of pre-21st Century dance, packing frantic beats and a familiar bounce into a truley independent outing. 7/10

Nick James

web site

!Forward. Russia! - Twelve (Dance To The Radio Records) 16/01/2006

We last heard these guys in a recent "Spotlight" review and both my deputy and I were somewhat disparaging of their musical refrain. Well in the meantime the band have picked up 'NME Single of the Week' and were featured in the magazine's "Cool List' as well as picking up such luminaries as The Editors - Tom Smith.

WHAT THE HELL WERE WE ON! Because this is great, yeah alright the Razorlight refrain may still be a staple of their sound, but with so much energy and urgency in both of the recordings available here, 'Twelve' and the flip - 'Four', I can see these guy's filling dance floors in every possible indie night across the country. Breathless? This leaves me exhausted, although I'm uncertain what it is they are supposed to be singing about, the general feel is totally exilarating and most certainly worth checking out. 8/10

Nick James

web site

Belle And Sebastian - Funny Little Frog (Rough Trade) 16/01/2006

Preceding the release of their new album 'The Life Pursuit'. its forerunner is this jaunty little number, filled with a sunny disposition and recorded with producer Tony Hoffer (famed for his work with Beck and Air) in Los Angeles. I think placed around the songs subject matter of a hopeless dreamer, consider this the hot toddy to see you through the remaining cold months, until better weather is upon us once again. 9/10

Nick James

web site

Arctic Monkeys – When the Sun Goes Down (Domino) 16/01/2006

Mixing razor sharp humour with remarkably astute observations, Arctic Monkeys follow up their number one smash “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” with another winner.

So, 2006 looks like being the year of the Monkey, despite what the Chinese may tell you, with the imminent release of the band’s debut album pretty much in time for my XXth birthday (that’s not roman numerals by the way – I wish!) and I have to say I’m champing at the bit to hear it, as I daresay the rest of the nation is too.

Still, it’s nice to see a band hitting the big time that’s actually WORTHY of the acclaim they get! 8/10

Tone E

web site

Mark Owen - Hail Mary (Sedna) 09/01/2006

With Mark's place in his former outfit Take That, still very much alive as their recent activities have shown, he still finds time to work on his own solo career, stepping out from behind this cocoon of manufactured pop to realise the artist. "Hail Mary" is the latest of this work to be released and is a folky number with more than a 'nod and wink' tipped to what I assume is one of the artists mentors, Steven Patrick Morrissey no less, with vocal phrasing and musical accompaniment being very derivative of this giant of modern pop.

A nice pop song that has no doubt been helped to find its realese by Mark's former involvement, but however the vultures care to paint it, this boy can sing and writing a strong lyric seems to prove no problem. Athough some may be led to serve caution when it comes to any release by a former member of Take That, Mark Owen has proved in my mind a credibity that is deserving. 7/10

Nick James

web site

Richard Ashcroft - Break The Night With Colour (Parlophone) 09/01/2006

With his forthcoming album, 'Keys Of The World' set for release on the 23rd of January and fresh from supporting Colplay on recent UK dates throughout December, "Break The Night With Colour" will be the first fruits released in anticipation of the album. This is a deliciously smooth slice of Ashcroft-magic, the latest in a long line of hits that have made Richard Ashcroft one of the UK's premier singer/song writers. If this is what we have to expect from his album, then we are promised a very strong balance of work. 9/10

Nick James

web site

The Crimea – Lottery Winners on Acid (Warner Bros) 09/01/2006

You’ll already know, if you were paying attention to us lately, that The Crimea released one of the best albums of the 21st century at the tail end of last year.
It goes without saying then, that this brilliantly constructed single, with its drunken swagger and Flaming Lips texture, is already on the shortlist for “Best single of 2006”.

There are admittedly other tracks superior to this one on the album, but don’t let that put you off – it still ROCKS! 9/10

Tone E

web site

Wrath Supersevens Singles Club #11 and #12 (Wrath) 05/12/2005

I’m beginning to wonder whether the folk at Wrath Records invented a time machine at some stage, and then went around zapping up all the best musical talent there was to offer, in order to use it to their own personal advantage. Once again, we are confronted with an Anne Boleyn’s handful of superb tracks.

You’ll already be well aware of our fondness here at AD for the remarkable Scaramanga Six, and it is this incredible band who kick off proceedings with the blistering “I Wear My Heart on My Sleeve”. Following this is the 200mph Vines-meets-the-Strokes romp of Me Against Them’s “Bad Judgement”, and then come The Playmates with a great shoutalong tune that is so reminiscent of The Buzzcocks, what with its killer hook and fuzzed up guitars, that you have to check the sleeve to make sure there’s no mention of Pete Shelley.

Probably the pick of the bunch though is Instant Species’ thumping “Hombrecide”, which seems to borrow heavily from Blur’s “Girls and Boys” for its intro but still manages to sound fresh and exciting, especially with its Hispanic sounding chorus.

Farming Incident’s “The Terrorist You Seek is in the Mirror” tells it like it is in no uncertain terms, in the style of John Cooper Clarke jamming with The Fall.

The Terminals complete proceedings with a track that sounds like The Ramones performing Doo-wop with Green Day, if you can imagine such a thing!

All in all then, another fucking great release. I want Wrath Records to have my babies… 9/10

Tone E

[Click the graphic in the margin to order this record direct from Wrath]

web site

Reggie and the Full Effect – Take Me Home, Please (Vagrant) 05/12/2005

What begins as though it’s going to turn into a tremendously cheesy techno house track actually transcends itself into a fairly infectious electropop number that is a worthwhile listen after all.

The rock version that’s included here though pulls the pants down of the electronic one and gives it a good hard smack on the rump. 7/10

Tone E

web site

The Cribs – You’re Gonna Lose Us / The Wrong Way To Be (Wichita Recordings) 05/12/2005

Right then, we’ve been giving WAY too many ten out of ten marks just lately, so here it is – no more Mr. Nice Guy. What’s this then? A new Cribs single? Ha! Well, I might have given the album top marks, but they can’t POSSIBLY have put out a record as good as THAT was. Right, I’m ready to stick my claws in for the backlash. I’m sticking the needle on the vinyl now (or whatever the CD equivalent is)…

Oh…er…they’ve actually managed to BETTER their long player “The New Fellas”. Ah, but maybe I can knock it down a notch because this only contains one new song – the other track on this double A-side being taken from the aforementioned album. Oh but I CAN’T bring myself to do that because it’s my favourite track on the damn thing! Oh, bollocks to it then, they’ve just put out two of the best tracks of the year on one single – looks like I’ve got no option really! 10/10

Tone E

web site

The Bled – My Assassin (Vagrant) 05/12/2005

Ah, NOW is my chance to play the villain, as this, despite having balls the size of a prize watermelon, is otherwise a pukefest of the highest order.

This single is how I would sound if someone kept playing Westlife records to me continuosly whilst flicking my ear with a sharp pencil. Not pleasant. 4/10

Tone E

web site

Magnet – Fall At Your Feet (Atlantic) 05/12/2005

No, it’s not a cover of the old Crowded House standard; this is Magnet’s own romantic vision of love, not a million miles from the musical offerings of Athlete and, if we’re being totally honest, the Finn brothers from the aforementioned Kiwi band. But hey, when it’s done well, I’m not completely averse to a decent love song, which is, in a nutshell, just what this is. 7/10

Tone E

web site