After the Roses astonishing comeback there is talk of who could be next….

1. Oasis is always a possibility, afterall they are brothers and Liam did tell us that he still loved his brother when we interviewed him in January…Noel is about to go to number one in the album charts though so could be tricky…one of the Gallaghers has to blink first in the stand off.

2. Even more intriguing is Morrissey/Marr…could they reform the Smiths or come back as Morrissey/Marr, on paper this is tricky. Morrissey, despite what he says has got a very successful solo career-he may not have a record deal at the moment but that’s because he can’t get he one that he wants, his recent new songs on a radio session sounded good and he is a major international live draw. Johnny Marr can walk into any band in the world and had a number one album in America last year with Modest Mouse and has a great new band that we reviewed last week, so the Smiths wouldn’t be for the money.
We know they have been in touch over the years and there was talk in town of them meeting but what that was about could have been anything, afterall you have to meet to sort out old band business or could it have been a reunion? If that was the talk the Roses reunion would have kicked it into touch for some time…

Johnny Marr live at Manchester Deaf Institute Sept 2011

3. Hooky to rejoin New Order….mmm, will get back to you on this one.

Taken from this post:
Smiths to reform? and other reunion rumours…

Odd Future have caused plenty of controversy with their homophobic, sexist, violent lyrics and also plenty of love for their groundbreaking brilliant hip hop. Josh Nicol is as worried as anyone by their lyrical content which the band defend as ‘being like Tarantino’ and tries to make sense of it whilst praising their great music…

Genius or fools or both? Odd Future make the most groundbreaking hip hop since Wu Tang Clan

I’ve been wanting to write a piece on the revolutionary, yet controversial hip-hop collective, Odd Future for quite some time, but over the past few months I’ve found it incredibly difficult to conclude an opinion on what I really think of them. Being of a similar generation to those in the group, I can relate to both the praise and the criticisms of this game-changing collective, who seem to be one of the most exciting things to happen to hip-hop in a long time.

The group’s leader, producer and innovator, Tyler, The Creator has been both commended and scrutinised by the country’s media, and you’d have to be buried underground to have ignored the impact they have made so far. Presenting culture from urban Los Angeles, Tyler has changed the face of hip-hop in just a few short months. His lyrical content varies from heartbreaking stories of anger and depression vented towards the absence of his father, to crude and vulgar lyrics that some people believe to be glorifying rape, murder, homophobia and misogynistic attitudes towards women. Even legendary producer, Steve Albini who shared an airport shuttle with the group, pointed out his disgust after spending time with them saying he hasn’t “wanted to strangle anybody that much in a real long time”.

Along with the wave of hype surrounding Tyler’s material, he has been shot down by journalists across the nation. Some claim his attitudes disgusting, others just dismiss his music completely, degrading it to teenage immaturity and ignorance. Yes, his lyrics are disgusting, on his sophomore album, Goblin, the word ‘faggot’ is used hundreds of times in casual expressions. He even uses sexually violent phrases towards pregnant women and continuously mentions ‘punching bitches’. The question is, is this just attention seeking? Is this a clever marketing act? Or is it just fiction, a story?

In previous interviews, Tyler himself compares his process of making music to that of film directors portraying gore and violent content. “Have you seen Tarantino’s fucking movies? Why does everyone get their dick cut off or something?” The point he eventually makes, is that as soon as a young black adolescent steps out of the social norms of making music, they get criticised for their lyrical content. Having mentioned his homophobic slurs and violent language, in the album he fills it with disclaimers and lyrics mentioning that it is indeed fiction. He wills people to “listen deeper to the music before you put it in a box”. Perhaps from his point of view, he’s tackling a new approach to making music, presenting himself in his albums with a repulsive, vile persona out of his own imagination, much like a character in a Tarantino movie. The problem most people have is that on first listen, the music and lyrics are unacceptable in a world where most people are searching for equality.

As far as culture goes, Odd Future have captured that. The music made by each individual in the group sounds like it’s been taken straight from the centre of LA, and not only gives us an insight into the urban LA music scene, but also puts youth culture into perspective. As a person of a similar generation to those creating this music, it doesn’t surprise me that homophobic slurs are used in casual conversation. If it’s not being used by teenagers, it’s usually heard in schools and colleges, even on the streets. As far as Odd Future showing us their world through the medium of music is concerned, it seems like they have given us a rather accurate portrayal. The big issue for me and others is that if they mean what they say, it’s extremely hard to listen to and support a band who have such shocking attitudes. The ambiguity shown by Tyler especially, as people are not sure what his opinions really are, may be the aspect that attracts young fans to his music. I suspect they don’t really agree with the lyrics, as the group’s in house sound engineer and sometime producer, Syd Tha Kid is an open lesbian, and if they were truly homophobic, it would be a different story.

Despite all this, when you step away and look at the collective as a whole, Tyler has created a project to be proud of. The sub-group Mellowhype, featuring rapper Hodgy Beats and producer Left Brain are constantly pushing boundaries and generating new ideas, with their latest material sounding like the bizarre mix of Massive Attack or Unkle with Hodgy Beats providing his distinct raps to create this fusion of genres. Even, Domo Genesis, the group’s resident stoner is maturing into a successful rapper and hip-hop artist alone, with his latest mixtape, Under The Influence. Amongst those mentioned, none are as violent and controversial as Tyler, The Creator. The group have an aggression and a raw DIY ethic that has never really been associated with the genre. Their gigs are renowned for stage diving, mosh pits and chaos. They’re fuelled with teenage angst and they are the closest thing to punk that hip-hop has ever seen.

Overall, I still find this incredibly hard to base an opinion or even come to a conclusion. One thing that is for sure, is that they’re giving hip-hop what it needs. They’re giving it flair. They’ve burst through the underground, and as their budget grows, their material is sure to evolve. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is another story, but Odd Future are certainly making an impact.

Taken from this post:
Odd Future- genius hip hop crew or dodgy lyrics

This is a turn up for the books…

watch out behind you! Section 25 singer Beth surrounded by some burly blokes

A piece of classic pop from a band that has been around for 34 years making a variation of melancholic pop and dark underground psychodrama on the underground. Then their driving force and singer dies, they then get his daughter into sing full time and somehow regroup and come back with one of the best pop singles of the year and stand on the verge of having a proper hit with their single ‘Colour, Movement, Sex And Violence’

Section 25 has been part of my life for decades.

When I was growing up on the punk scene in Blackpool in the seventies they were the elders to our teenage scratching around. Their late singer Larry Cassidy had moved back to the ‘Pool from London where he had been to art college and seen the early punk scene first hand. That seemed amazing in a town as cut off as Blackpool. He was a made-man in punk rock terms. He had actually seen the Sex Pistols play!

Section 25 had a proper rehearsal room and they had a proper record deal. Signed to Factory Records they were arguably one of the first post punk bands and their debut ‘Always Now’ album, produced by Martin Hannett, is a classic of its time. Unfortunately they were over shadowed by Joy Division and when Section 25 went electro pop they were over shadowed by New Order which is tragic as they were equals with the legendary band.

Last year Larry died and it looked like it was all over for the Section 25. His brother Vin, the band’s drummer, mentioned to me that he thought the band was over but I remember telling him they should carry on as this was the story of the Cassidy family and more than just a band.

Fortunately Vin has elected to carry on and with Larry’s daughter, Beth, on vocals, the band have never sounded stronger. The debut single of the new line up should be a hit. It’s one of the best pop singles of the year.

LTW! Caught up with Beth in Manchester to discuss the strangest of band histories and her role in the rejuvenation of a great band who stand on the brink of crossing over.

Beth is a startling looking woman, on the band’s video she has the esoteric beauty of her late mother and the dark eyes of her late father. In interview she is both effervescent and down to earth in that great Blackpool way.

An art student, she was as surprised as anyone by joining her late parent’s band.

‘Joining the band was surprising to me as well to be honest! How it happened was that three years ago I met them when they were playing that tour with Peter Hook in Germany, where I was living at the time. I went to the gig and we got talking afterwards and it came up that they were looking for a female vocalist because they wanted a different vibe and obviously, because my mum used to be the singer, my name popped up.
They were looking for a different sound. They wanted a different influence and I agreed and forget about it and then they rang back a few months later and I was like, oh shit! I had never done anything like that before even if I had grown up with the band around me. I had never been in a studio and recorded before I did the ‘Nature and Degree’ album where I guest on two tracks and it went from there.’

Despite her father being the mainstay of the band and her uncle Vin being the drummer and her late mother being the band’s singer on the band’s best known moments like the classic ‘Looking From A Hilltop’ Beth had never thought about being in a band. After Larry died Vin emailed Beth, keeping it in the family.

‘I remember Vin came round to see me finally two months after the funeral. You could tell it had been playing on his mind. We got excited about what was going on just before dad had died and what we had been working on with songs. When we were together just before dad died I was getting to know him as an adult and we were making a great record and I was so gutted for that as well as my dad dying. I knew what my dad sounded like instinctively and me and Vin had a chat and decided to finish the album, put it out and do a few gigs- test the waters. It was always a bit of a test to see whether or not we could do it. I was so nervous about it, hoping people didn’t think I was trying to replace my dad. I thought people might say ‘what the fuck are you doing! But they were really receptive.’

What’s the writing process now?

‘We rehearse religiously every Thursday. I go over to Blackpool. It’s important to meet each other every week. We record everything and spend half the time jamming. Everyone has always got new ideas. Steve the guitarist has got mad ideas! and we all come together, I try to help write the lyrics and I help to write the synths. It’s all a learning curve for me and now I got more input in the recording studio as I am finding my feet .
My mum trained as pianist and was very good. I’m sure she used to tune my dad’s bass as well! (laughs). She had a good ear and was amazing on piano and keys and I have taught myself piano when I was growing up…’

When you joined was it weird to walk in with a musical idea?

‘For ages I would be dead nervous to voice an idea, it felt like preaching to the converted. They said ‘yeah, we will try it,’ it was quite organic, it works and we get everything and piece it together afterwards and turn it into separate tracks.’

Section 25 have turned into an unlikely pop band because of you!

‘Everyone has said the single could be a hit which is really nice of them. We played it live on Saturday and everyone went mad. It meant they liked the single the most which is a great feeling. Vin emailed me after the gig and said he had a really good night and that it had really inspired him. I guess it’s the same with every band when they play new stuff and people like it. It’s a massive relief, great it’s gone down well!’

Where does it go from here?

‘The reason we play hardly any gigs is that we want to play good places. Vin said he was sick of driving a transit van halfway up the country for the same old, same old. I’m up for playing interesting places. We want to play festivals.’

The band has a long and complex history, were you aware of it?

‘When I joined I got really interested in the band. I didn’t understand the band when I was younger . It had always just been there. My dad buzzed off me being part of it when I joined just before he died and had being interested in what he was doing. He wanted to keep it in the family. We developed a good relationship after I joined so that made it really worth it.’

Section 25 is the story of a family, an interesting family who had their roots in a Blackpool toy firm. They made the Casdon football game which I remember getting for Christmas in the sixties when I was a kid! The band themselves has already had a few Cassidy’s in it. It’s another sort of family business.

‘My auntie Angie was in the band. Bar a couple of people it had to be a Cassidy! We changed the names because we didn’t want to be like the Partridge Family!’

The single may be pure pop but it also retains a dark edge.

‘The second track on the single has got a dark techno underground sound to it and that’s important to me. The band always do alternative music and I love dance music and the European techno dark sound and we bring that in as well as the electronic pop. We wanted a mixture of the two. With ‘Retrofit’, the last album where we re-recorded old songs to make them different there was elements from the original tracks from 30 years ago but we kept bits in, it’s still got the memory and the vibe of the originals.’

Do you still play those early songs live now?

‘We play the 2011 versions. We play Dirty Disco, New Horizon- they are in the set but the 2011 versions.’

What do the old records sound like to you? afterall they were recorded years before you were born in a very different place- the time of post punk disillusionment and darkness.

‘I must say I always found the ‘From The Hip’ album a lot more acesessable than the first album when I was growing up. In our family life they would never play the music so I found it myself, ‘Always Now’ was difficult for me at that age. I never got to grips with it until recently. I grew up listening to commercial punk and I found Joy Division really scary and I still find it haunting. It was inaccessible for me when I was small but now I really get it.’

Growing up with band parents must be a bit odd!

‘I thought it was really normal! my mum and dad made a point of keeping it normal apart from lots of parties and lots of hip friends!
I sort of knew something cool was going on I just didn’t get it at that age. I would see pictures of us whilst flicking through record covers on the floor when I was little. The ‘Love and Hate’ album cover has that picture of my mum and dad and me and my brother when were are little on it but apart from that it seemed like an extremely normal family life…’

We both come from Blackpool which is an endlessly misunderstood town. Most people think candyfloss and stag and hens and we think of a very different place…

‘I was thinking that. Blackpool is essentially a cabaret town and we always wanted to break out of that, break of the stigma of Blackpool and try and do something different. When I lived abroad and mentioned Blackpool some people knew of the place and would go on about donkey rides, every day I was trying to break those boundaries, my dad and my uncle started that boundary breaking and I carry on with what they think. They would never leave the town. They loved and hated it. They had so any chances to move to Manchester but on a personal level we have got a huge family here and they not moving away from that. Most of my family still live there.’

Section 25 music is the other side of Blackpool…

‘I love that though, I realise through my art and music that I’m attracted to dark and miserable things. I think what I been through with my mum and dad both dying gives me a melancholic point of view. We have all been through a lot, and from my experience that melancholy comes through.’

When we were growing up your Dad famously grumpy. We all thought his band was great but found him not the easiest person to deal with, in recent years, though, he seemed to become an affable old rogue and very likeable.

‘I remember the story of when a 17 year old Johnny Marr was approached by Tony Wilson to join Section 25 after the first guitar player had left and he said no. I thought that was hilarious and thought of course he was going to say no to a band that was far older and really grumpy. He wanted to be in a band of his own age.’

Section 25 never got the recognition they were due (so far).

‘I’m glad you said that. I was clearing out my dad’s house and found these printed typed out letters inviting journalists to gigs he was organising with Joy Division and they were doing the music at the same time as Ian Curtis and he was getting the important people there but somehow they were overlooked.

Was it frustrating for him?

‘Absolutely. No wonder he was grumpy! but he mellowed out and stopped taking himself so seriously. He always had lot of time for Ian (Curtis) and Joy Division and respected them, and respected Hooky for always supporting the band. It took a lot for my dad to say he respected a band so he must have meant it.’

Taken from this post:
Section 25 release brilliant new single- the interview

New Order
Brussels
Oct 16th 2011

New order return to the live scene without the Viking…

When Peter Hook announced that New Order has split it came as a shock, especially to the rest of the band and it seemed like the band had split forever. Hooky went off to his various projects including The Light- playing Joy Division songs whilst Bernard went off to do Bad Lieutenant and the Other Two went to ground.

The following months saw much acrimony and wrangling. Peter Hook continued touring the Joy Division back catalogue which was criticized in some quarters and yet was surprisingly effective live, Bad Lieutenant never seemed to really take off and at some point they seem to have made the decision to regroup as New Order adding Gillian back into the band and dusting down the back catalogue for a couple of charity gigs.

This, of course, increased the bad feeling with Peter Hook who has not been included in the line up and replaced by Bad Lieutenant bass player Tom Chapman.

So here we are in Brussels for what are rumored to be the only two gigs the band are playing but knowing in our heart of hearts that there is more to come. New Order 2011 is very much the Barney show and as the band arrive on stage it’s very noticeable that there is a large hole where the bass player used to be. There was something quite wonderful about Hooky’s rock star, legs splayed posturing that was the opposite of the New Order style and the differences between Hooky and Barney was very much the key to the band.

Tom Chapman does a great job covering the bass, afterall the beauty of the legendary bass lines is their simplicity to play but the tricky bit is making them up, Peter Hook may have not have been a virtuoso but he was one hell of a bass player and many of the classic melodies in the songs came from his bass runs and were a key part of the sound. On the other had the less interesting later releases of the band saw him slowly being moved away from the focus of the band’s sound but many of us miss his brooding presence in the band.

The New Order comeback has started with these two intimate gigs as benefits for their friend- the film producer Michael Shamberg, who is seriously ill. Shamberg produced the band’s videos during their glory years, including the key ‘True Faith’ video. It’s a nice touch but if the rumor mongers are to be believed this is a precursor to hitting the summer festival circuit and maybe a new album.

The first gig seems to be packed with people from the UK who have made the short trip over the sea to see the return of the band that many have credited as being one of the most influential in the post punk years. Barney looks sleaker than in the recent Bad Lieutenant days and bosses the show, without his Viking foil it’s very much his ship now as they launch into ‘Crystal’. The band sounds well rehearsed and tight and ‘Ceremony’- the key song that saw them emerge from the wreckage of late period Joy Division sees the band hit a top gear before they play cascade of hits and classics which are uproariously received.

Songs like ’1963′, ‘True Faith’ , ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ pour out and like Hooky’s similar working of the back catalogue with his projects prove that there is plenty of pop history to be mined here. They end the set with ‘Temptation’ and t he crowd is relieved that it all works and are quite ecstatic to see the return of the band, yet more returning Manchester heroes, patched up again out on the circuit. They say that every band eventually turns into a tribute act but if they do it as well as this, what’s the problem? many of us would like to see the proper line up of course, but that’s not looking that likley at the moment but then if the Stone Roses can do it…

They encore with ‘Blue Monday’, which even manages to incorporate the traditional sound problems and then a version of Joy Divison’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ before leaving the stage.
By the time they take this greatest hits set out on the festivals this summer as the rumour mill predicts they could be in triumphant form, lets hope they are not booked on the same day as Peter Hook’s similar greatest hits escapades!

Taken from this post:
New Order – comeback gig reviewed

When Reni from the Stone Roses mentioned Dirty North
at the famous press conference it seemed amazing, now it seems logical- what better bands to support the resurgent Roses than Dirty North and Frazer King- over to you Stone Roses...but just who are Dirty North?

Reni from Stone Roses bigged up Dirty North at the press conference, we tell you who they are…

Two years ago I was thrust a demo with 20 songs on it from this three piece from Europe’s biggest council estate, Wythenshawe- near manchester.. Normally this is crazy. Who has the time to get through twenty songs? but this Dirty North had something, every song was killer. Like a scruffy Artic Monkeys they were lyrically sharp, their songs were short and to the point and the tunes were great, they also crossed their indie guitar rickety racket with dub and Bob Marley.

They were somehow unique and quite brilliantly talented. john peel would have loved them if he was still with us.

I got them a support with Cornershop at Moho in Manchester and the bouncer would not let them into the gig because they were too scruffy. he didn’t think they were a band, just a bunch of herberts out on the razz. He should have seen them play. They were sharp, razor sharp, those words were like ruffian street poetry from the charismatic Johnny Gregory whose the guitar was like a razor blade and the rhythm section was pure elastic. the reggae undertow was excagerated live adding to their off the wall genius.

There was talk of signing them to the label I was part involved with at the time, Modern English but the band elected to go their own way and release their own album which is finally about to come out.

It’s their finest moment and released on their own Corporate Records. It’s hard to see if they give a fuck about making it or not, they seem wilfuly definat but they could and should be soundtracking a generation of teenagers along with fellow Wythenshawe off the wall brilliance of Frazer King

Taken from this post:
Dirty North: great new Manchester band

It’s a big day. We are in Soho stuffing our faces with vegan food when we spot Ian Brown walking down the street. He pops into the cafe and we hug like husky voiced veterans of the north. Ian is bouncing, proper bouncing, this is actually all rather exciting.

Me and the Roses have lots of history, we used to rehearse together before they had played a gig, my band The Membranes were noisy fuck you bass driven lunatics and the Roses were in their early phase. I borrowed some guitar strings off them thinking they were mutters and found out they thought the same about us. At the time we were a big noise with top five indie singles and albums, and they were a struggling local band, odd to think now but I was the big shot with my mug in the music papers and they were the fresh faced hopefuls… we got on and they would give us a lifts back to where we lived, Reni once admired our Black Flag/Crass style graffiti campaign…

Their bass player was the legendary Pete Garner, the coolest man in Manchester, who I already knew from his Paperchase shop. He would buy copies of my Rox fanzine from me and loved the Stooges and the Dolls, Pete is still he ultimate dude in this story…

Anyhow over the years I saw the band grow, I was at all the moments, Mani’s first gigs, International gigs, I interviewed them in 1986/7 my first feature for Sounds, my mate from when he was five; Ian Tilton took the photos… the Roses were, in a weird way, like family. I would bump into Ian in West Didsbury carrying keyboards, talking about writing songs with John; Ian lived next door to my guitar player Mark Tilton (Ian’s brother)…

I saw them storm Blackpool, I saw the legendary Ally Pally soundcheck and watched Granada TV film it all, the whole day – where is that footage now? I was at Spike Island, and I saw Glasgow Green, the greatest ever Roses gig so far…

I saw them around in the wilderness years, even bought Reni a drink because he was skint! The ‘Second Coming’ came and went, underrated to this day and the last gigs, even Reading and beyond….

We go back a long way and I understand why this return really matters… because the Roses really matter, they matter a long way away from Soho and press conferences and anonymous media hipsters and Internet bitching. They matter like the great old punk band’s did, a great sound track and a sense of community and a fuck you empowerment, an empowerment that made people walk tall for for some of their lives, an empowerment that made a generation of kids like the Gallaghers or Verve or any british band in the nineties say fuck you, I’m not a nobody I’m going to make my own art and thats why we are all here at this press conference…

Press conferences are normally stale things.

Bands reading out answers like robots from some kind of auto cue…

The Stone Roses, though, do things differently.

It’s held in Soho House, which is a posh London drinking club full of suits and non famous celebrities, the northern contingent look out of place but in control. The conference room is packed and the band mooch in to a big cheer, this is not like the famous Spike Island press conference where there was a massive cynicism. If there is one thing we all love it’s an unlikely comeback…

The band sit back and I get to ask the first question.

This is very off the cuff, very northern, very straight answers, bits of piss taking… but what we did learn (by the way the whole thing is streamed on YouTube and filmed by film director Shane Meadows and is also being run by our friends at the NME) is listed below, most of this stuff is out on the Internet and we tweeted everything you need to know this afternoon, and the whole press conference is everywhere on the net but we got some extra info, because that’s the kind of people we are…

Ian and john, after meeting at Mani’s mother’s funeral, became friends and started writing songs, they remembered the magic – that chemistry that only a lucky few get – like The Doors ‘communal mind’ that unsaid knowing…. They took the songs round to Reni after getting back in touch, the best drummer from his generation and the rhythm section was back on board.

2. After the conference Ian looked genuinely thrilled by how good the band is sounding in rehearsals, saying that, as the singer, he watches and buzzes on them playing (he also extended an invitation to come down and check the Roses rehearse in the next few weeks).

3. There are new songs… ‘pure psychedelic pop’ according to Ian after the conference, Ian also said that Reni’s drumming was amazing ‘like the kid has got 8 arms!’.

4. Reni also told us that he had not been playing drums for six years but everyone else Tolstoy us that his drumming was that good that he must have been… he also had a ’90′ badge on referencing his cryptic ‘not until 9T’ quote… Reni was on great form and chatted at length after the press conference, it’s good to have him back. He mentioned that there was lots of musical ideas, John’s stuff sounded great and he had some things of his own… remember those never released jams of him and Mani from ‘Second Coming’ period…

5. Ian said the band wanted to announce the reformation the day after the riots…

6. Reni bigged up great Manchester young band Dirty North… check them out they a great…. I shouted out Fraser King at them during the conference…. the pair of bands would be the ideal support for the Roses…. check them out they are on this site.

7. Liam Gallagher has been in touch with them saying he’s going to every date on the tour and Noel Gallagher told us he had been sworn to secrecy for months but … ‘holy shit balls!’

8. Tickets for the 2 Heaton Park gigs go on sale at 9.30am this Friday (October 21). For further information go to their newly launched The Stone Roses official website Thestoneroses.org

Verdict?
The ten minutes before the Roses come on stage at their first comeback show at Heaton Park will have an atmosphere like you have never felt before (remember the atmosphere in the old days, fuck).

The new songs will be good… my guess? Somewhere between the amazing guitar melodies of the first album, maybe revisit some of the grooves of Fools Gold period, the should have been second album period and also some of the guitar prowess of the Second Coming (time to listen to it again, some great stuff on there). Ian’s voice is huskier and more lived in, good. We want singers that sound like people not pitched up robots, we what singers who sound real, that’s soul power northern style- gimme Mark Sm

Husk voiced northerners in Soho takeover…

ith, Sean Ryder, Ian Curtis, Nathan from Fraser King – Ian Brown; people who communicate with their own voices, in their own accents…

The musicianship will be stunning, loose grooves (no drum loops this time Reni assured us – perfect you can’t synthesise a drummer this good, John Squire’s melodic guitar will be to the fore – virtuoso yes but don’t forget John comes from the Clash generation – so no wasted notes, no bullshit and Mani will be nailing the bass, he didn’t get rusty in Primal Scream did he…) producers? Maybe give John Leckie a call or perhaps go out on a limb and get Steve Albini to record it at his amazing Chicago studio…

Oh and finally…

Reni playing drums again, live…

Taken from this post:
Notes on the Stone Roses press conference and some extra stuff

Karima Francis is on of the UK’s most talented singer-songwriter’s. She’s been working hard since the beginning of September to get people interested in her work

Taken from this post:
Karima Francis – live review

Radiohead ‘TKOL RMX1234567’ (XL Recordings)
CD/Ltd Dbl CD/DL
Available now

Here’s a quandary for you: when reviewing a record, should the music critic view the album as a standalone work and assess its merits compared to its contemporary peers, or should it be viewed in the wider context of an artists’ back catalogue? Should I be praising this new offering from Radiohead as a decent album with some good songs on, or should I really take into account just how much better they can be and, moreover, have been?

Not that the catchy-titled ‘TKOL RMX1234567’ is really an album, as such. Instead we have a collection of remixes of the band’s last full-length release ‘The King of Limbs’, which was a nice little foray into new territory if perhaps not quite worth the four year wait, from a number of artists whose work the band – and Thom Yorke in particular – have earnestly advocated over recent years.
Most of the remixes here are, if not pleasant, then certainly enjoyable: Caribou’s reworking of ‘Little By Little’, Four Tet’s ‘Separator’ and Jamie XX’s ‘Bloom’ are all interesting takes, whilst Altrice’s ‘TKOL’ nicely condenses the whole album into a six-minute stretch.

As is to be expected from Radiohead, the quality of the music is rarely an issue. The biggest question that will be asked however is “why does this record exist?” ‘The King of Limbs’ was an album that already sounded like it had been remixed (a “premix”?) with its series of loops, beats and weird Jonny Greenwood noises; it sounded like a record by Caribou or Modeselektor. So why do we now have a record featuring remixes from Caribou and Modeselektor? You could comfortably take any track from ‘TKOL RMX1234567’(fed up of typing that now) and slot it on to ‘The King of Limbs’ without upsetting the continuity of the original record.

In fact, it’s telling that the most interesting songs on here are the re-workings of those that didn’t sound a bit “dubsteppy” to begin with. The two versions of ‘Give Up the Ghost’ are practically unrecognisable from the original’s acoustic sparseness, and Jacques Green somehow leaves ‘Lotus Flower’ even more minimalist than before. The album’s highlight though is Illum Sphere’s remix of ‘Codex’, with the gorgeous piano and brass eschewed in favour of a throbbing, threatening synth. It is a real shame that ‘Codex’ only gets one going over, whilst we are “treated” to five – FIVE – versions of ‘Bloom’; a percussion-led, loopy and beat-infused song that we already knew sounds better live with a brass section anyway.

Perhaps I am being a little down on this album because we know what Radiohead can do. We’ve seen them help to change the music industry, to dare to venture into un-chartered territories, to bring sidelined genres to a mainstream audience, to challenge themselves and at times the listener, and most of all to steadfastly show innovation and imagination. ‘TKOL RMX1234567’ therefore feels a little bit lazy, a charge I would never previously have dreamed of laying at this band’s feet. It’s a feeling that’s embodied by those five versions of ‘Bloom’, and also by Anstam’s take on ‘Separator’: less of a remix, it’s just lazily chopped and hashed into a mess with the drums at the forefront, and as such an apt metaphor for this disappointing album.

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Radiohead ‘TKOL RMX1234567’ – album review

Louder Than War head honcho John Robb is in London for the Stone Roses press conference. We grabbed a picture with Ian Brown ahead of the official announcement. Follow us on twitter as the story unfolds !!

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John Robb meets Ian Brown ahead of Stone Roses press conference

Tom Waits new album is streaming online…

you can request and invite to hear it on it’s own special website…

Mr. Waits awaits his driver….in the meanwhile listen to Tom Waits new album 'Bad As Me'

Louder Than War review of Tom Waits album

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Listen to new Tom Waits album here…