King Khan & The Shrines

Holy Crap !!!! The new King Khan album is great.
I've been a fan of this guy for a while and he's kicking out the jams with this new record.

Check out these tracks:
Welfare Bread
No Regrets

The Zimmers

The other day i nipped into the local supermarket to buy a couple of apples before work, as i approached the checkout, there was a massive queue and this sweet old lady asked if i wanted to go in front of her. I declined her offer, but it made me think. I wonder what my generation will be like when i'm her age.

I hope to be definitely rockin when i'm an oap, but The Zimmers have set the standard for being the worlds oldest touring rock band, although the Rolling Stones aren't far off.

They're single came out on Monday, i got my copy today from Woolworths !!

I really hope this record goes to no.1, old people need to be recognised more for their contribution to society, they shouldn't be hidden away and ignored !!!

The Zimmers "My Generation"

The Zimmers

Wild Billy Childish

Major thanks goes out to Burning World for turning me on to the new Billy Childish record, 'Punk Rock at the British Legion Hall'. I’ve been listening to this album non stop since I got my filthy paws on it a few weeks back.

Those unfamiliar with Billy Childish should note that he’s been in about a billion bands and plays low fi rock n roll. Infact, every five years of so, he splits up his current band and forms another. His latest band are called ‘The Musicians of the British Empire’ and offer a similar type of noise to his previous bands. Except his latest effort seems to be more punk rock as far as lyrics go, it's rage against the system stuff.

Tracks like ’Joe Strummer's Grave’ and 'Snack Crack’ cuss down Rupert Murdoch, MTV, Big Brother, Richard Branson and all the crap people seem to be obsessed with in Modern British society.

'Bugger the Buffs' is my favourite track, the lyrics are so great. It's basically about how he's been making rock n roll for over 30 years and is still broke. Acknowledgements are given to the many bands (White Stripes, Nirvana) that have paid him homage.

He also tells a tale about how celebrity big brother asked him to appear on their show because his name appears on Tracy Emin's tent (Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963 - 1995)....oh dear.

Joe Strummer may have departed this earth, but his attitude rages on in Billy Childish, a true punk rocker !!!!

Buy this album

Lindsay Lohan’s Revenge – It Looks Like Baby Rat

I'm loving this little ditty from Pase Rock so much at the moment it's making me want to alliterate: funny, funky and filthy. There! Here it is being performed at the Coachella festival, it looked like a blast. Can you spot Har Mar Superstar dancing and pumping his fist in the background? Listen to the single on their MySpace page.

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Dog Day - Oh Dead Life (Tomlab)
Bombay Bicycle Club - Sixteen
Frances - Lighthouse
Velcro Stars - Distraction (Grand Palace)
Zom Zoms - Cigarette (Omega Point Records)
ABX - E-40 vs Jens Lenkman - Tell Me When To Leave
Man In Gray - Sleeping (Serious Business Records)
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground - Hey Momma
Underground Railroad - Headhache (One Little Indian)
Muggabears - We were priests (Night Choreography)
Battles - Ddiamondd (Warp)
Blitzen Trapper - Miss Spiritual Tramp (Lidkercow Records)
Wilco - On and On and On (Nonesuch Records)

Peter Doherty Queues for Oasis Album

The Mice

I’ve recently been listening to this really great 80’s power pop band called The Mice. They’re sound is somewhere between The Replacements, Guided by Voices and early REM, if you like your indie rock tuneful and janagaly then 'For Almost Ever Scooter' is an essential purchase.

This album combines their first two Ep’s 'For almost Ever' (1986) and 'Scooter' (1987). It’s amazing how fresh and relevant the songs still sound, considering it’s over 20 years old.

This record makes me wanna go back in time to when MTV was cool, it makes me wanna live in a small college town, it reminds me of the X Generation, it makes me wanna press record and play at the same time. It makes me wanna sit on the same roof The Replacements did, with a beer on a sunny day…

Highlights from this album include Not Proud of the USA / Felicia / Pharaoh / Downtown and Bye Bye Kitty Cat.

Infact they’re all great, so just take my word for it and GET this album.

Label - Scat Records
MP3 - The Mice - Not Proud of the USA

The Mice - A Legal Matter - WRUW 6/4/88

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Here's a little mix of some Americana and Acoustic Ditties

Adam Carroll - Alright (Blue Corn Music)
Alela Diane - The Rifle (Names Records)
Ane Brun - To Let Myself Go (DetErMine Records)
Black Joe Lewis - DC Killa (Shake Your Arse)
Airwaves - Shine On (Get Big)
Blair - Mona Lisa
Cara Luft - Black Water Side (Black Hen Music)
Electric Apricot - Burning Man (Ft. Les Claypool)
Cary Ann Hearst - Dust & Bones
Jill Barber - Hard Line (Baudelaire)
The Coydogs - Nothing on Me
Melissa McClelland - Passenger 24 (Orange)
Laura Gibson - Hands in Pockets (Hush)

Wilco - I Must Be High

Young Folks get mad pussy

Quite old now, but: edit of Peter, Bjorn and Jon's 'Young Folks'. I liked the original song, but there was something too perfect, too-clever-for-its-own-good, about it – like a pill that makes you orgasm, so no one ever has to have sex again. Listening to it conjured a strange world in my mind, as if Camden Town had been re-imagined via Wimbledon – still cool, but with any brashness or vulgarity removed. Anyway, this version really ups the vulgarity quite some way by laying 'Shake That Ass', by TAPP, over it. It's filthy, but I can't stop bobbing my head to it. The bit where it goes: 'Tap, tap, where the pussy at? I dunno, I dunno, I dunno, I dunno…' makes me grin like a village idiot.

Pterodactyl

There seems to be a healthy amount of noisy bands around at the moment, which is no bad thing and Pterodactyl get my vote !!!

They sound like a cross between Erase Errata/Parts & Labor and the Liars at their noisier moments. Awquard rhythms, scratchy guitars, wailing feedback and adventurous song structures.

There's melody in there to, so don't worry, it's not completely unlistenable, infact far from it, cause i can't get enough of em...go buy this record, they rock !!!

Label - Cardboard Records
MP3 - Polio

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Vinyl vs Yarn

Taxi Taxi - Shoot the Dog, Chop the Tree
White Denim - Darksided Computer Mouth
Pterodactyl - Polio
Hot Gossip - Stab City
The Musicians Of The British Empire - Joe Strummers Grave
The Detroit Cobras - Nothing But A Heartache
Buffalo Tom - Three Easy Pieces
Junebug - Lost In The City
Anna Kramer - I Cant Take It
Bishop Allen - Rain
Magoo - Expansion Ride
Yuppie Pricks - Hummer in My Hummer
Black Lips - Fairy Stories
Treecreeper - Debris
Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs - Devil Don't

Street Drummer in New York Subway

No Age

No Age are one of the best new bands around at the moment. They manage to combine noise , hardcore and Squeeze-style pop, to make an ecstatic, percussive row that makes me grin like a gak-OD'd stiff.
'Everybody's Down' is the jam, hear it on their myspace page, buy it from the ever-reliable Upset The Rhythm. They've been playing shows in the US with The Virgins, who Mr.Rossy has been bigging up for ages. Those two bands playing together is the gig equivalent of a bacon-double cheese…

Madder Rose

Madder Rose has to be one of my favourite bands from the mid 90’s invasion of American indie Rock bands. They hailed from New York and played fuzzed out, dreamy indie rock, sounding like a cross between Mazzy Star fronting the Velvet Underground.

Their members were Mary Lorson (Vocals), Billy Cote (Guitar), Johnny Kick (Drums) and Matt Verta-Ray (Bass), although he left the group in 94 to form Speedball Baby.

In the year of 1993 I was 14 and it’s around this time that I really started getting into alternative music, I was constantly hunting for music (not much has changed), highlighting bands names in the music papers, listening to John Peel etc…and this band hit the spot !!!!

I first heard about them on the now legendary Mark Radcliffe show, which use to come on after the evening session (Steve Lamacq), about the time I’d be stressing, cause I hadn’t made any effort to do my homework or whatever.

I remember they done a live session for the show and played 4 songs off their classic Bring It Down album.

What hit me first about they’re sound was Mary Lorsons voice. It was sweet and smooth, but filled with a breathy melancholic tone. Somehow she managed to sing with sadness, joy and hope all at the same time. I still can’t put my finger on it, but I was hooked.

‘Swim’ was the first track I ever heard and I’m guessing that was their biggest UK hit (if I can call it that), but to me that song summed up the bands sound.

My two favourite albums are Bring it Down and Panic On; these to records take pride place in my collection.

Bring It Down is a pretty raw affair, switching between:

Up beat, jangaly indie pop: Beautiful John / Bring It Down / Twenty Foot Red / Lay Down Low / Living A Daydream

Whist full laid back ballads: While Away / Swim / Waiting For Engines

Shoe gazer / feedback guitar fuzz: Lights Go Down

Panic On is where Madder Rose really came into their own. There is more depth to the songs lyrically and musically. Mary’s heart-aching vocals are more prominent and the tunes are a lot more poppy. Every track on this album is mint !!!

It’s funny how people often associate certain songs or albums with moments in their life. This album reminds me of the time I broke my arm skateboarding and had to go into hospital for an operation. Sidetrack Story: After I had my operation I walked on down to the hospital shop and couldn’t believe my eyes, there was a Madder Rose t-shirt stuffed between a load of bedclothes, what the hell was it doing there? I picked it up and brought it to the counter, half expecting the attendant to say it was lost property or something, but they soled it to me for £2.50. If there is a God, then I’m convinced he or she is an indie rocker, cause that was divine intervention (or maybe not). But it did cheer me up and I was super stoked because the album wasn’t out yet.

Later that year (1994) I went to see them at the Astoria (London) and I also saw them in 1993 at the LA2 which was great. I remember Matt Verta-Ray was wearing a really skinny silver top, I think it was Mary’s, but it was very cool.

The band went on to record two more albums (Tragic Magic & Hello June Fool), which were pretty good and then disbanded in 1999. Mary Lorson went on to work with Saint Low and Billy Cote formed The Jazz Cannon. Mary Lorson also released a solo album called ‘Piano Creeps’ (2003) and 'Realistic' (2005) which I highly recommend. Johnny Kick runs the Madder Rose myspace page and still drums.

All in all, Madder Rose were a great band, slightly overlooked but never forgotten !!!

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Von Südenfed - The Rhinohead (Domino)
Parts and Labor - Fractured Skies (Jagjaguwar)
The Mary Timony Band - Sharpshooter (Kill Rock Stars)
Mussels - Dinner
Bondo Do Role - Marina Do Barro (Domino)
The Old Soul - Nectar Of The Nitwit (Hand of God)
Odawas - Love Is (The Only Weapon With Which I Got To Fight)
Peelander Z - Rocket Gold Star (Eat Rice Records)
Bjork - Declare Independence
Maps - Elouise (Mute)
Elk City - Totally Free (Friendly Fire)
The Clutters - 9999 Ways to Hate Us (Chicken Ranch Records)

Royal Trux - Balls To Pass