Album Review: Toots and the Maytals – Got to Be Tough (Trojan Jamaica)
Frederick “Toots” Hibberts is one of the world’s all-time greatest singers. Passionate people still like to duke it out as to who was greater Soul singer, Otis Redding or James Carr. Toots is a blend of both.
Album Review: Molly Tuttle – …but I’d rather be with you ( Molly Tuttle)
Molly Tuttle is a musical prodigy who has a growing cult following among aficionados of American Roots music.
Album Review: Katy Perry, Smile (Capitol Records)
That’s what makes a woman. There it is! Katheryn. So says Katy Perry at the end of Smile. And you can go dance all over again to this great Pop album. Tooled to perfection, shiny and new, runs like a Tesla and feels expensive. Party like it’s only a bad dream out there.
Album Review: L.A. Witch, Play with Fire (Suicide Squeeze Records)
Play with Fire is the second offering from the garage band L.A. Witch. Founded by L.A natives Sade Sanchez (vocals, guitar), Irita Pai (bass), and Ellie English (drums), the band’s sound can be been described as lethargic, stoner rock reverb steeped with a riot grrrl attitude.
Album Review: The Blind Boys Of Alabama, Almost Home (Single Lock Records)
Spanning eight decades as professional performers, The Blind Boys of Alabama are America. Founder and magnificent inspirational lead singer Clarence Fountain is here. He died a year after Almost Home’s original release in 2017. Jimmy Carter is here. A little younger than Clarence, he joined the Blind Boys in the early eighties, after serving time […]
Album Review: Biffy Clyro – A Celebration Of Endings (14th Floor Records)
At the core of this album, Biffy Clyro is a great Power-Pop trio. Relentlessly upbeat in mood even if a lot of the lyrics are dark, dystopian and desperate.
EP Review: Aro – He Manu Ano (Aro)
Aro are Charles and Emily Looker, a married couple who are developing a distinctive sound of Aotearoa New Zealand from familiar musical traditions.
EP Review: K M T P – P.S. C U Soon (Sunreturn)
On this debut EP, K M T P delivers simple songs as comfort food for the soul. Of a young person raised in the rural heartland, and wondering how to fit into a city. A coming of age.
Album Review: Fontaines DC – A Hero’s Death (Partisan Records)
The young Irish band, Fontaines DC, performs an exorcism of music and travel through dark shadows to emerge to the peace in the valley.
Album Review: Fantastic Negrito – Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? (Cooking Vinyl)
Drawing in as many diverse elements of African-American music as you could care to name, Fantastic Negrito has presented a heady gumbo of an album which will surely garner a further Grammy nomination, to go with the two previous awards.
Album Review: The Killers – Imploding The Mirage (Island)
When is a band not a band? When you’re The Killers and your guitarist seems to have gone AWOL and your bass player is a part-timer.
Album Review: Billy Nomates – No (Invada)
A fresh and feisty young artist, Billy Nomates steps up to the world with a debut album of Stand-Up Rap Beat Poetry. This is the sound of the suburbs, streets and supermarkets.
Album Review: DMA’s – The Glow (I OH YOU)
The Glow is the 3rd studio album from Australian trio DMA’s is a shiny fast-moving brand new airmobile of Indie Rock and Britpop, fronted by a gifted singer.
Album Review: Psychedelic Furs – Made Of Rain (CookingVinyl)
Punk-era Art Rockers Psychedelic Furs let loose a stunning album of new material, 29 years after the last one. The brothers Richard Butler and Tim Butler are Voice and bass guitar, Poet and the Rhythm. The album is Made of Rain.
Album Review: The Stooges – Live at Goose Lake: August 8, 1970 (Third Man Records)
A legendary set from a Michigan Music Festival is unearthed, and we get to hear some of the primal raw power of the original Punks, The Stooges, in their classic line-up.
Album Review: Milly Tabak and The Miltones, Honest Woman (Milly Tabak Records)
The second album from Milly Tabak and the Miltones is Heartland Americana, where Milly stands out with a magnificent voice and the band comes on like the modern Muscle Shoals house band.
Album Review: Glass Animals – Dreamland (Polydor)
Dreamland is the third LP from Glass Animals and is reported to be an autobiographical tour of frontman Dave Bayley’s life.
Album Review: Hockey Dad – Brain Candy (BMG)
The third album from Australian duo, Hockey Dad, and they lay down their indisputable credentials as a life-affirming Power Pop force to be reckoned with.
Album Review: The Bobby Lees – Skin Suit (Alive Naturalsound)
Young four-piece band from Woodstock New York throw out a grenade of an album coming from the spiritual heart of the Los Angeles Punk scene of the Eighties.
Album Review: Sparks – A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip (BMG)
At the 50-plus year mark of making parallel world Pop Art Prog Rock, the brothers Ron Mael and Russell Mael take us on a theatrical journey of music packed with humour and philosophy, most of which you can dance to and feel moved.