No gigs coming up for a while so it's given me a chance to have a round up of the some the music that is around at the moment. Quite a varied lot this time around so take a look and I hope you enjoy what you see.
Arctic Monkeys- Do I
Wanna Know: I have never been a huge fan of the Arctic Monkeys, which given
that they are one of the biggest bands to come from these shore in the last
decade is a bit surprising. I’ve liked a few of their singles, ‘Florescent
Adolescent’ being one of my favourites, but never got one of their albums. That
changed though after reading good things about their latest album ‘AM’ I
thought I would give it a go. I’m glad I did, it’s a fantastic album, with this
being one of my favourites. Their sound has matured greatly, something that is
shown in this track. It has a totally different sound to the brash sound of
their breakout hit ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor’; I had no idea it
was them when I heard it on the radio. Arctic Monkeys are already one of the
biggest bands of their generation and can only get better.
Elton John- Home
Again: ‘Home Again’ is the lead single off the Sir Elton’s latest album,
his first in seven years and his 31st in total. Speaking on the Graham Norton
Show, John said of the album, “It’s the most piano orientated record I’ve ever
made and it’s a very simple album and I don’t really see the point of making a
record if you try and make it better. I’ve made a lot of records and this is
one of my favourites. It’s a very relaxed album and I’m very happy with it.”
Admittedly I am not the world’s biggest Elton John fan, but this song can
easily sit among his many hits and not feel out of place.
Fleetwood Mac- Sad
Angel: As you may have heard, Fleetwood Mac are back. To be fair that’s old
news, and they have already toured the UK (didn’t get tickets which I was
gutted about) but new music by them is always a bonus. ‘Extended Play’ was
released back in April, but only in digital format and without any promotion,
meaning it flew under the radar a little bit. After finally getting round to
downloading it, I can finally review it. I wish I had done it sooner. ‘Sad
Angel’, the only single, is classic Fleetwood Mac and shows the band at their
best. With classic songs such as ‘Go Your Own Way’ and ‘Don’t Stop’ among many
other, ‘Sad Angel’ sounds as good as any previous work. Not bad considering
this is their first new material in a decade. You have to be a musical
philistine not to like Fleetwood Mac, so if you like music this is a definite
purchase.
Icon for Hire- Sugar
and Spice: 2013 sees American alt rock band Icon for Hire make a step in a
different direction with their self-titled second album. I really liked their
debut album ‘Scripted’, with songs such as ‘Get Well’ and ‘Make a Move’
particular favourites. I liked the rock sound tinged with electronic influences
which I thought gave the band an interesting sound. Well on their new album,
they’ve taken that idea and run with it, incorporating elements of hip-hop,
electronica and dubstep into their hard rock sound. Have to say it works
brilliantly. Ariel Bloomer’s rapping on ‘Sugar and Spice’ for example is a far
cry from anything on their debut, but sounds totally at home here. It’s nice to
see a band evolve and experiment and not be scared to change their sound. There
was a worry that the band would be labelled as Paramore wannabes given Ariel’s
image (hot girl with bright pink/purple hair), but this new sound enables them
to establish their own identity.
Kacey Musgraves-
Follow Your Arrow: She may not be a name that many will recognise here in
the UK, but it will worth taking note. With four albums to her name already and
still only 25, American Country singer Kacey Musgraves is starting to get
noticed over here in Blighty. Having heard ‘Follow Your Arrow’ on the radio
here, I am glad she is getting the airtime. It’s a catchy track that laments
the superficial nature of modern society. That’s not to say it’s a negative
track to listen to. It has a nice melody to it and Musgraves has a soothing
voice. She has already toured the UK supporting fellow American country act
Lady Antebellum in 2012 and will no doubt be headlining her own show here in
the future.
Katie Melua- Love is
a Silent Thief: It’s hard to believe it’s ten years since Katie Melua had
her debut album ‘Call Off the Search’ which included the huge hit single
‘Closest Thing to Crazy’ back in 2003.
2013 sees the British/Georgian singer release her 6th studio
album ‘Ketevan’, a follow up on 2012’s ‘Secret Symphony’. ‘Love is a Silent
Thief’ is the second single from the album after ‘I Will Be There’ and has a
typical Katie Melua sound running throughout. Her distinctive vocals are gentle
and soothing while the musical accompliment makes it sound like a toned down
Bond theme song. ‘Ketevan’, the name Melua was given at birth before adopting
the name Katie, reached #6 in the UK charts upon its release in September.
James Blunt- Bonfire
Heart: There is a stigma around liking James Blunt. He’s one of those
artists that you don’t openly admit to liking. For whatever reason people find
his music annoying. However after 3 successful albums, world tours and with
huge songs such as ‘1973’, ‘Goodbye My Lover’ and ‘You’re Beautiful’ in his
locker it’s fair to say there are plenty of fans out there. I’m happy to admit
I’m one of them. Ever since his debut ‘Back to Bedlam’ I’ve liked the catchy
acoustic hooks in his songs. ‘Bonfire Heart’ is no different. It’s a catchy
upbeat acoustic track with a good video and catchy chorus. The song debuted at
#6 in the UK charts, eventually reaching #4 after extensive airplay on BBC
Radio 2. There were rumours that Blunt had quit music, but he has returned
better than ever.
Orianthi feat. Steven
Tyler- Sex E Bizarre: Australian guitarist has worked with some pretty big
names in her career to date. Not only is she currently part of Alice Cooper’s
band, but she has also collaborated with Steve Vai and Carlos Santana and was
named as Michael Jackson’s guitarist for his ill-fated stint at the O2. Alongside
her gig with Alice Cooper, she also has a solo career on the go and this year
released her third album ‘Heaven in this Hell’. It’s a hard and heavier album
than her last album ‘Believe’ and includes songs such as ‘Fire’. However there
has since been a Deluxe edition of the album released, which includes a new
single and another collaboration. ‘Sex E Bizarre’ sees Orianthi team up with
legendary Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler with awesome consequences. It has
everything a good rock needs; big chorus, a dirty riff and a guitar shredding
solo. Their voices also complement each other perfectly, with Tyler sounding as
good as ever. It’s a real party song and one that is best enjoyed turned up to
eleven.
Paul McCartney- New:
‘New’ sees the Beatles legend return with his sixteenth studio album, his first
for six years. The album debuted at number 3 in the UK charts. The title track
off the new album, ‘New’ is classic McCartney and shows that there is still
life in the old dog yet. It’s a typically light hearted, catchy pop song that
is pleasant to listen to and makes a welcome change from the more contemporary
music in the charts at the moment. It sounds very Beatles-esque, but that is
hardly a surprise. It shows the man’s talent that he can release a new album
and it sounds as timeless as ever.
Plain White T’s- The
Giving Tree: Plain White T’s are one of those bands who have a catchy song
that you hear all the time then you don’t hear from them for a while until they
pop up a couple of years later with another catchy, well written pop song. They
had the mega hit ‘Hey There Delilah’ in 2007, before returning with ‘1,2,3,4’
and then ‘Rhythm of Love’ a couple of years after that. All very good songs,
and show a band that are very good at what they do. 2013 sees them return with
new material from their EP ‘Should’ve gone to Bed’. If you are familiar with
Plain White T’s music, you will know what to expect and there are no real
surprises. It’s good to see them back.
Robbie Williams- Go
Gentle: After the huge success of last year’s album ‘Take the Crown’ and
it’s smash hit single ‘Candy’, Robbie returns again this year with another new
album. A follow up from 2001’s ‘Swing When Your Winning’, Williams collaborates
with varying artists including Michael Buble, Rufus Wainwright and Kelly
Clarkson. ‘Go Gentle’, a solo Robbie song, is the lead single from the album
and it is typical Robbie Willliams. Having grown up with him at the peak of his
powers in the late 90s/early 00s it’s good to hear him back at his best.
Whereas ‘Candy’ was great, catchy pop song, ‘Go Gentle’ is softer; more along
the lines of ‘Millennium’ or ‘She’s the One’.
It has the signature Robbie sound and could well be yet another #1 hit.
Seasick Steve- Home: Steven
Gene Wold, aka Seasick Steve, has been around for a few years now, with his
latest release ‘Hubcap Music’ being his 6th album since his debut in
2004. The title of the album derives from the guitar that appears on the album
and on live performances; namely a guitar that is made out of two Morris Minor
hubcaps. Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson once called it “the best ever use of a
Morris Minor.” He has a point. It is used to great effect on ‘Home’ which is
taken from the Hubcap album. I became a big fan of this song when I heard it on
the radio wasn’t surprised when I found out it was by Seasick Steve. It has
that great old American Country sound that he has made popular, particularly
over here in the UK; the album reached number 14 here. Not as high as some of
his other albums, but still a respectable position for a guy who uses a Morris
Minor to make music.
The Pretty Reckless-
Going to Hell: I was a big fan of The Pretty Reckless’ first album ‘Light
Me Up’. With songs such as ‘Make Me Wanna Die’ and ‘Miss Nothing’, it’s a
fantastic example of a modern rock album, something they would have to work hard
to out-do on their follow up. We were given a snippet of what to expect with
the ‘Hit Me like a Man’ EP last year, but the band has returned in full force
this year with their full length second album ‘Going to Hell’. The title track
from the album has recently been released as a single and it’s safe to say they
have a monster song on their hands. No longer seen as ‘that girl from Gossip
Girl’, this cements Momson’s place amongst the best front women around. She has
great presence and fantastic voice to go with it. It’s not all about her though
as she’s part of a very talented band, including lead guitarist Ben Phillips
who has the riffs and solos to match anyone in the business. The Pretty
Reckless are a band on the way to becoming huge.
The Royal Concept-On Our Way: Like quite a few people I have EA Sports to thank for finding this
song/band. The song appears on the FIFA 14 soundtrack, which is where I heard
it. I liked it, found out who it was, listened to it properly and loved it. And
here I am telling you to do the same. Just without missing out the football
game middle man. It’s not reinventing the wheel but who cares?? It’s a
fantastic, fun and catchy song that brightens your day. What more could you
want?
The Temperance Movement- Ain’t No Telling: Consisting of ex members of Ben’s Brother,
Jamiroquai and Feeder, you wouldn’t necessarily expect The Temperance Movement
to be a band that critics have lauded as the one of the next best British rock
bands. One listen to their blues rock however and you understand where all the
hype is coming from. Named as ‘Best New Band’ of 2013 by Classic Rock Magazine,
a publication that has championed the band for a while, The Temperance Movement
are making a name for themselves and making a lot of fans along the way.
Recorded in just four days, their self-titled debut album went to #12 in the UK
charts. Not bad for a newbie rock band. ‘Ain’t No Telling’ is a perfect example
of what they are about; a good band with a tight sound. If you haven’t heard of
them, now’s a good time to start.
Toseland- Renegade: You
probably haven’t heard of Toseland. Neither had I until recently. But those
motor racing fans amongst you may recognise the name in relation to bike
racing. Well it may come as a surprise that it is the same person you are
thinking. Yes James Toseland, former Moto GP rider and double World Superbike
world champion, is now fronting his own band. After a wrist injury suffered
whilst testing in March 2011 forced him to retire from racing, it has since
opened up an avenue for him to divulge his appetite for music. Working with
producer and ex-Little Angels frontman Toby Jepson, they have been working on
tracks and been co-writing Toseland’s debut album. With cracking songs such as ‘Renegade’
and ‘Life Is Beautiful’ already under his belt it will be one to look out for
in the new year.
Wayward Daughter- All
I Want: I’ve followed Wayward Daughter for quite a while now and really like
the numerous covers that they have done. Their own material isn’t bad either.
However they posted this recently, a cover of Kodaline’s ‘All I Want’ and they
get it absolutely spot on perfect. I love the original and this is as good as
that. Give it a listen and check out their other stuff. Well worth following on
Twitter and Facebook for regular updates.
