#28: Jimi Hendrix - Valleys Of Neptune

Stone Free
Valleys Of Neptune
Bleeding Heart
Hear My Train a Comin'
Mr. Bad Luck
Sunshine Of Your Love
Lover Man
Ships Passing Through The Night
Fire
Red House
Lullaby For The Summer
Crying Blue Rain

All tracks written by Jimi Hendrix, except 'Bleeding Heart', by Elmore James and 'Sunshine Of Your Love', by Brown, Bruce and Clapton

Jimi Hendrix - vocals, guitar
Noel Redding - bass (except 'Stone Free', 'Valleys Of Neptune', and 'Bleeding Heart'), backing vocals on 'Fire'
Mitch Mitchell - drums (except 'Bleeding Heart')
Billy Cox - bass on 'Stone Free', 'Valleys Of Neptune', and 'Bleeding Heart'
Rocky Dzidzornu - percussion on 'Sunshine Of Your Love', and 'Crying Blue Rain'
Roger Chapman - backing vocals on 'Stone Free'
Andy Fairweather Low - backing vocals on 'Stone Free'
Juma Sultan - percussion on 'Valleys Of Neptune'
Rocky Isaac - drums on 'Bleeding Heart'
Chris Grimes - tambourine on 'Bleeding Heart'
Al Marks - maracas on 'Bleeding Heart'
Produced by Jimi Hendrix, Chas Chandler, Janie Hendrix, Eddie Kramer and John McDermott

Label: Legacy

Mainly recorded in 1969, 'Valleys Of Neptune' is the other posthumous release that I spoke of in the entry about 'Michael'. Unlike that album, these recordings were actually intended to be used on the unfinished follow-up to the final Jimi Hendrix Experience album 'Electric Ladyland', rather than a collection of outtakes from previous records.

Looking through the tracklist, there are a number of tracks that you'll think that you've heard before. They aren't as you remember them, however, but rather alternative versions of tracks from previous albums. The versions on here of 'Stone Free', 'Fire', and 'Red House' don't replace the original versions in any way, but it's nice to hear another interpretation of the tracks, even if they are pretty unnecessary. The real gem of this album is the title track, that had remained unavailable for the 40 years following Jimi's death - I wasn't born at the time, and even I can't believe that it's been 40 years.

There's enough here to keep any Hendrix fan without the patience to sift through the numerous bootlegs available (like myself) happy.

Listen Here: Jimi Hendrix Experience – Valleys Of Neptune

#29: Pearl - Little Immaculate White Fox

Rock Child (Aday, Wilson, Blake)
Broken White (Aday, Wilson, Blake, Colt, Ian)
Nutbush City Limits (Turner)
Check Out Charlie (Aday, Wilson, Blake)
Mama (Aday, Wilson, Blake)
My Heart Isn't In It (Aday, Wilson, Blake)
Nobody (Aday, Wilson, Blake, Ian)
Worth Defending (Aday, Wilson, Blake)
Lovepyre (Aday, Wilson, Blake)
Whore (Mother Superior)
Anything (Colt, Aday)

Pearl Aday - vocals
Scott Ian - guitar, backing vocals
Nalle Colt - guitar
Marcus Blake - bass, backing vocals
Dominique Davalos - bass, backing vocals
Matt Tecu - drums
Eric Leiderman - drums
Ted Nugent - guest on 'Check Out Charlie'
Jerry Cantrell - guitar on 'Anything'
Produced by Joe Barresi

Label: Megarforce Records

The first time I heard of Pearl, the band featuring Meat Loaf's daughter Pearl Aday, Anthrax's Scott Ian and members of a band called Mother Superior was when I had the pleasure of seeing them play on Velvet Revolver's last UK tour. That was the tour in which I learned three things... firstly, if you want a badass rock show, sometimes chemistry is no match for the entire band being so pissed off with each other that they're taking it out on their instruments. Let's take a moment to thank Scott Weiland and co for a truly memorable show.
Secondly, I learned that the Dharma Initiative responsible for a lot of the shit that went down in Lost (and most of the characters supplies) also apparently makes guitars. (Just imagine that this statement was followed up by a picture of Scott Ian's custom guitar that I used to have, and seem to have lost, damnit!)

And thirdly I learnt that Scott Ian is married to Meat Loaf's adopted daughter, who has lungs that seems to call into question everything we know about genetics. Can it still be hereditary even though they don't share any actual DNA? Apparently so!

The debut album 'Little Immaculate White Fox' is one of the best pure hard rock albums in recent memory, with fantastic tracks like 'Whore', and a note perfect cover of Ike and Tina Turner's 'Nutbush City Limits'. It's the kind of fist-in-the-air stuff that is hardly ever made any more. Coincidentally, when it comes to music like this, I don't think there's been anything that's been this fun without just being shallow and ultimately disposable since Velvet Revolver's 'Contraband'. And if that isn't recommendation enough, I don't know what you need to hear. Give it a listen! If you don't like it, you probably don't like rock 'n' roll... that's all.

Listen Here: Pearl – Little Immaculate White Fox

#30: Serj Tankian - Imperfect Harmonies

Disowned, Inc.
Borders Are...
Deserving?
Beatus
Reconstructive Demonstrations
Electron
Gate 21
Yes, It's Genocide
Peace Be Revenged
Left Of Center
Wings Of Summer

All tracks written, performed, produced, engineered and orchestrated by Serj Tankian

Mario Pugliarulo - bass
Troy Zeigler - live drums
Vincent Pedulla - additional orchestrations
Dan Monti - additional guitars on 'Borders Are...', 'Electron', and 'Wings Of Summer'
Brain - live drums on 'Left Of Center'
Shana Halligan - additional vocals on 'Beatus' and 'Wings Of Summer'
Ani Maldjian - operatic vocals
David Alpay - solo violin on 'Wings Of Summer'

Label: Reprise/Serjical Strike

Inspired by a live collaboration with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra, Serj Tankian's follow-up to the brilliant 'Elect The Dead' features full orchestration on all tracks. Rather than being a classical album or what has become known as "symphonic metal", this still sounds like a Serj Tankian record.

System Of A Down are a great band, but Serj sounds far more comfortable singing his own songs than Daron Malakian's, and the result is a usually superior end product to his band. 'Imperfect Harmonies' never reaches the same heights musically as 'Elect The Dead' or SOAD's debut album, but it's always very good to listen to. Even if there is a bit of a failed experiment with electronics on 'Deserving?' which can be best described as "disco rock" and them promptly forgotten.

Lyrically nothing has changed. Serj is still singing about the same subjects he always had. So we have yet another song about the Armenian genocide, etc. It's not a huge problem, but I do wish he'd find something else to write about sometime.

'Imperfect Harmonies' isn't an easy listen, and sometimes it can be quite frustrating, but if you're in the right mood for it, it's oddly effective, and surprisingly mellow-sounding compared to his other output.

Listen Here: Serj Tankian – Imperfect Harmonies

#31: Die So Fluid - The World Is Too Big For One Lifetime

Figurine
Mercury
Storm
The World Is Too Big For One Lifetime
Hearts Are Hollow
Raven
Themis
How Vampires Kiss
If Wishes Were Bullets
What A Heart Is For
Sound In Colour

All songs written by Die So Fluid

Grog - vocals, bass
Drew Richards - guitar
Al Fletcher - drums, backing vocals
Produced by Mark Williams

Label: DR2/Global Music

Die So Fluid are an alternative metal band from London. Their music combines the crunchy riffs of most modern metal, combined with female vocals from Georgina "Grog" Lisee. Despite how that sounds, this isn't another band in the vain of Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, Evanescence, or Nightwish. The vocals are quite a bit rougher than that, but still just smoothe enough to be fun to listen to - none of the Arch Enemy style growling here. 'The World Is Too Big For One Lifetime' is the band's third and by far their best album.

Listen Here: Die So Fluid – The World Is Too Big For One Lifetime

#32: Me First And The Gimme Gimmes - Go Down Under

Never Tear Us Apart (Farriss, Hutchence) - originally by INXS
All Out Of Love (Russell, Hitchcock) - originally by Air Supply
Friday On My Mind (The Easybeats) - originally by The Easybeats
Have You Never Been Mellow (Farrar) - originally by Olivia Newton-John
I've Done Everything For You (Hagar) - originally by Rick Springfield

Spike Slawson - vocals
Chris Shiflett - guitar
Joey Cape - guitar
Fat Mike - bass
Dave Raun - drums
Produced by Me First And The Gimme Gimmes

For those of you who don't know, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes are a pop-punk supergroup consisting of members of Swingin' Utters, NOFX, Foo Fighters and Lagwagon. With every release, the band perform pop-punk covers of songs based on a particular theme. The theme for this E.P., is Australia and was released within a couple of weeks of Amanda Palmer's similarly titled album.

I've got to admit, I've never heard the original versions of any of these songs, and based on the artists that did them I don't particularly care to. All that matters is that these songs are done in a light-hearted manner, and are above all fun to listen to. They've succeeded on both counts, and that's enough to please me in this regard - the band were never meant to be taken seriously, so judging it on anything more than that would just be silly. They've since released a similar E.P. titled 'Sing In Japanese' that I've yet to hear.

Listen Here: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – Go Down Under - EP

#33: Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You

Monarchy Of Roses
Factory Of Faith
Brendan's Death Song
Ethiopia
Annie Wants A Baby
Look Around
The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie
Did I Let You Know
Goodbye Hooray
Happiness Loves Company
Police Station
Even You Brutus?
Meet Me At The Corner
Dance, Dance, Dance

All songs written by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Anthony Kiedis - vocals
Josh Klinghoffer - guitars, keyboard, backing vocals
Flea - bass, backing vocals, trumpet, piano
Chad Smith - drums, percussion
Greg Kurstin - piano, keyboard
Money Mark - organ on 'Look Around'
Mauro Refrosco - percussion
Lenny Castro - percussion
Michael Bulger - trumpet on 'Did I Let You Know'
Produced by Rick Rubin

Label: Warner Bros.

After the departure of John Frusciante for the second time in 2009, the big question was whether the Red Hot Chili Peppers could come up with something worth listening to without him. This, I feel severely underestimated the influence of the other three members of the band. It's true that they never really got the kickstart they needed until John joined for 1999's 'Mother's Milk', but their one album without John between then and now - 'One Hot Minute' - was one of the band's very best. It's unfairly maligned by almost everyone in the world, but it really is a great album.

'I'm With You' doesn't really live up to that - though the sonics in the intro of 'Monarchy Of Roses' harkens back to that record - but it does manage to stand on its own. Replacement, Josh Klinghoffer doesn't really make his mark nearly as well as he should have, leaving Flea and Chad Smith to hold the fort musically. This is no bad thing, though, as it opens up an opportunity for one of the best rhythm sections in rock to stand in the spotlight for the first time. They've been overshadowed by the guitarist for the past 22 years, so it's a nice change of pace.

Not that they really do anything differently. Flea has always done the thing where the bass goes smoothly back and forth from lead instrument to rhythm, with the guitar doing vice-versa. But now with a fairly non-descript guitarist, he might actually get the recognition for it. Similarly, Chad Smith has always taken the 'whatever's needed' approach to his drums, never succumbing to the need to be flashy, whilst at the same time not being simple. Anthony Kiedis' vocals are, of course, forever dependable, and he doesn't really cover any new territory here, keeping very much in his post-'Californication' voice.

The songs are for the most part solid, with only 'Dance, Dance, Dance', really being a disappointment. They are however very much songs that sound like what they've been doing for the last 12 years, just without the distinctive guitar/backing vocal tones that has characterised that music. The exception being the fantastic, 'Even You Brutus?'. I hope this line-up of the band stays together long enough to record another album together once they've gotten more used to playing with each other, and maybe have Josh actually leave his mark on the album next time. The big fear being that John will return once again, and just as with 'One Hot Minute', this album gets completely discarded from memory and victimised for who it doesn't feature.

This album isn't available on Spotify.

Happy Belated Birthday, 'Use Your Illusion'

There were a lot of great albums that came out in 1991. It's probably one of the best year's for new music since I've been alive. But the constant stream of great music seemed to get completely insane in the months between August and October. In those few short weeks, the world was given Metallica's self-titled "Black" album, 'Ten' by Pearl Jam, 'Use Your Illusion I & II' by Guns N' Roses, Nirvana's game-changing 'Nevermind', 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' by Red Hot Chili Peppers, and 'Badmotorfinger' by Soundgarden... and that's only the most prominent selection.

I'm two days late, but Saturday was the 20th birthday for the 'Use Your Illusion' double set by Guns N' Roses. Two albums, filled to the brim with new music that still gets unfairly treated by music fans, and in some cases from members of the band. With a combined running time of over two and a half hours, they are definitely not for the faint-hearted, but for those who are able to brave it, there is an epic rollercoaster ride of emotions, with each song going into different directions, forcing you to question everything you've ever known about Guns N' Roses.

Before 1991, who would have imagined that Axl Rose could write songs as tender, heart-breaking and epic as 'Estranged'? That he would prove himself as a lyricist who can look into himself, pull out the deepest of emotions, and lay out his turmoil so succinctly in words? Somehow, the songs where he does that give the songs in which he expresses emotions of anger, etc. more effective. As if his honesty in those songs makes you take a look at previous tracks and realise he's being just as honest there, too. It's pretty scary when you force yourself to think about it. But it's also quite refreshing. The 80's in rock music (or more specifically, rock music in LA) was a time when the lyrics of songs were a series of boasts, grand statements and shamelessness that most modern hip-hop has since fallen victim to. Hearing someone actually mean what he was singing was a welcome relief. And whereas you got a sense that he meant every word before the release of 'Use Your Illusion', it wasn't until he proved that he wasn't afraid to show his vulnerable side that it was confirmed.

A lot of people criticise the albums for taking too many divergences from the sound the band established on 'Appetite For Destruction', but I've found that some of my least favourite songs on the albums ('Right Next Door To Hell', 'Perfect Crime', 'Back Off Bitch', etc) are the ones that sound most like the tracks on that album. My favourite ones, are the ones where they let their imaginations run wild and didn't limit their ambition. Some people may call it self-indulgent, but when you're writing music, I think self-indulgence is the key. If you're not making music that you yourself are happy with, how are you supposed to convince people when you're performing it? Even the greatest band can't convince when the material isn't what they'd make if they had the choice. The aforementioned 'Estranged', as well as 'November Rain', 'Breakdown', 'Coma' and 'Locomotive' were the sound of a band growing as songwriters in a way that nobody had imagined they could.

Overall, 'Use Your Illusion' when taken as one product is not perfect. There is a noticable difference in quality between 'I', and the more imaginitive 'II' - my favourite of the two. As an overall piece of work, 'Appetite For Destruction' is indeed the better album. But there are songs on 'Use Your Illusion' that blow anything from 'Appetite' out of the water. It's 20 years old now, but it has aged incredibly well. Some of my favourite music ever recorded is still on those records. Are they overblown? Yes... but that's what I find appealing about them.

Happy belated birthday, 'Use Your Illusion'



EDIT:
One of the things that people often say is that 'Use Your Illusion' should have only been one album. I don't think so, because there would have to be far too much left out, and you wouldn't get the insane rollercoaster ride effect you get from listening to the whole thing in one sit-through (something I don't think was done again until the Smashing Pumpkins released 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness'). But below is my playlist for the 'Best Of The Illusions' for anyone interested...

1) Civil War
2) You Could Be Mine
3) Pretty Tied Up
4) Don't Cry
5) November Rain
6) Breakdown
7) Locomotive
8) Dust N' Bones
9) 14 Years
10) Estranged
11) Yesterdays
12) Coma

That comes to just under 80 minutes. You'll completely fill up a CD with those twelve tracks..

#34: Manic Street Preachers - Postcards From A Young Man

(It's Not War) Just The End Of Love
Postcards From A Young Man
Some Kind Of Nothingness
The Descent (Pages 1 & 2)
Hazelton Avenue
Auto-Intoxication
Golden Platitudes
I Think I Found It
A Billion Balconies Facing The Sun
All We Make Is Entertainment
The Future Has Been Here 4 Ever
Don't Be Evil

All tracks written by Bradfield, Moore and Wire, except 'I Think I Found It', by Bradfield and Moore

James Dean Bradfield - vocals, guitar, mandola on 'I Think I Found It'
Nicky Wire - bass, vocals on 'The Futures Has Been Here 4 Ever', backing vocals
Sean Moore - drums, percussion, trumpet
Ian McCulloch - second lead vocals on 'Some Kind Of Nothingness'
John Cale - keyboards and noise on 'Auto-Intoxication'
Duff McKagan - bass on 'A Billion Balconies Facing The Sun'
Loz Williams - piano, Hammond organ, mellotron
Nick Naysmith - piano - Hammond organ
Catrin Wyn Southall - backing vocals
Melissa Henry - backing vocals
Osian Rowlands - backing vocals
Gareth Treseder - backing vocals
Fflur Rowlands - backing vocals
Roland George - backing vocals
Aled Powys Williams - backing vocals
Strings by Andy Walters, Joanna Walters, Carly Worsford, Bernard Kane, Simon Howes, Nathan Stone, Richard Phillips and Claudine Liddington
Produced by Dave Eringa, Loz Williams and Manic Street Preachers

Label: Columbia

After the release of 'Everything Must Go' in 1996, the Manic Street Preachers seemed to go onto a downward spiral of ill-advised directions, with every release losing some of the quality that had marked their work beforehand. Some people cited the still-unsolved disappearance of Richey Edwards, not taking into account that Richey's playing is only featured on the one track that had been completed on 'Everything Must Go' prior to his disappearance. I assume it was a case of feeling lost, and not knowing in which direction to go.

2007, however, saw the band return to some of their former glory on the album 'Send Away The Tigers'. Since then, the Manics have once again been on an upward curve, culminating in last years 'Postcards From A Young Man'. Returning unashamedly to the radio-friendly rock that made 'Everything Must Go' a hit, this album is undoubtedly the best the band has done ever since that album. First single '(It's Not War) Just The End Of The Love' hits all the same notes 'A Design For Life', and does it well.

With some bands such a step backwards would be something to bemoan, but in the case of the Manic Street Preachers, they are a band who by 'LifeBlood' had lost their way so much that I didn't hold any hope of them finding the road again. The step backwards they've taken since that album is what they needed in order to push further onwards.

Listen Here: Manic Street Preachers – Postcards From A Young Man

#35: Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer

The Lady Killer Theme Intro (Callaway)
Bright Lights Bigger City (Allen, Callaway, Reyes)
Fuck You (Brown, Callaway, Mars, Lawrence, Levine)
Wildflower (Callaway, Smith)
Bodies (Callaway, Remi)
Love Gun (Callaway, David, Livingston, Simpkins)
Satisfied (Callaway, Nowels)
I Want You (Callaway, Smith, Splash)
Cry Baby (Callaway, Nowels)
Fool For You (Callaway, Splash)
It's OK (Callaway, Ceon, Fisher, Ofstad)
Old Fashioned (Callaway, Kasirye)
No One's Gonna Love You (Barrett, Bridwell, Hampton)
The Lady Killer Theme Outro (Callway)

Lauren Bennett - guest on 'Love Gun'
Philip Bailey - guest on 'Fool For You'
Robin Finck - guitar on 'The Lady Killer Theme Outro'
Tommy Lee - drums
Pino Palladino - bass
Produced by Grey Area, Ben H. Allen, Graham Marsh, The Smeezingtons, Fraser T. Smith, Salaam Remi, Cee Lo Green, Jack Splash, Element, Paul Epworth and Alan Nglish.

Label: Elektra, Roadrunner

Time to make a confession here... when I first heard 'Fuck You' - or rather 'Forget You' - on the radio last year, my first thoughts were, "This guy sounds like Gnarls Barkley!" Imagine my surprise when I found out that Gnarls Barkley isn't actually a person, but a duo of which Cee Lo Green is the singer. This is how much I knew about this guy before this record came out.

Man, I wish that I'd known about him sooner, because his combination of classic soul with modern beats has resulted this album... one of the best non-rock albums out there. At a time when black music is considered to mainly be modern R&B and/or hip-hop, Cee Lo gives the world a reminder of a time when the likes of Stevie Wonder ruled the roost. There actually isn't a bad track on this album that I can find listening to it. Of course, some are better than others - 'Fuck You' and 'It's OK' are both far better than 'Cry Baby' for instance - but nothing ever goes below good. There are some records that I'm going to be talking about that although I find better albums overall, still don't accomplish that.

For a true example of what Cee Lo is capable of vocally, check out the pure 70's-style number, 'Old Fashioned'.

Listen Here: Cee Lo Green – The Lady Killer

#36: Michael Jackson - Michael

Hold My Hand (Thiam, Tuinfort, Kelly)
Hollywood Tonight (Jackson, Buxer, Riley)
Keep Your Head Up (Jackson, Cascio, Porte)
(I Like) The Way You Love Me (Jackson)
Monster (Jackson, Cascio, Porte, Curtis Jackson)
Best Of Joy (Jackson)
Breaking News (Jackson, Cascio, Porte)
(I Can't Make It) Another Day (Kravitz)
Behind The Mask (Jackson, Mosdell, Sakamoto)
Much Too Soon (Jackson)

Akon - guest on 'Hold My Hand'
Taryll Jackson - guest on 'Hollywood Tonight'
50 Cent - guest on 'Monster'
Lenny Kravitz - guest on '(I Can't Make It) Another Day'
Dave Grohl - guest on '(I Can't Make It) Another Day'
Shanice - guest on 'Behind The Mask'
Produced by Michael Jackson, Akon, Tuinfort, Teddy Riley, Theron "Neff-U" Feemster, C "Tricky" Stewart, Angelikson, Brad Buxer, Lenny Kravitz and John McClain

Label: Epic

The first of two posthumous releases that made it into this list, Michael digs up music recorded over around a 25-30 year period to give fans a taste of the Michael Jackson we'd never gotten to hear before now.
The first track, 'Hold My Hand' gives you a dark sense of foreboding. Is this really all they've got? Luckily, that track was originally intended as an Akon release with Michael guesting, before getting delayed indefinitely and then having it marketed as a Michael song with Akon guesting after his death. Therefore it's not at all representative of the rest of the tracks.
I didn't think I'd ever get to hear the up-beat, hip-hop styled tracks from MJ's 'Dangerous' and 'HIStory' eras again... he appeared to have changed his focus to increasingly sappy ballads that weren't worthy of his legacy by the time of 2001's 'Invincible', but 'Michael' showcases plenty of the type of thing that I was hoping for, beginning with 'Hollywood Tonight' and reaching its height in 'Monster', featuring a rap recorded after-the fact by 50 Cent. There are those balladic type tracks as well, but they work better than on 'Invincible' almost entirely because there is a bit of variety in the tracks, making 'Hold Your Head Up' and '(I Like) The Way You Love Me' genuinely interesting tracks to listen to rather than just more of the same.

Ever since the release of 'Thriller' there was a tradition on Michael Jackson albums to have at least one track featuring some heavy rock guitar featuring the likes of Eddie Van Halen, Steve Stevens and Slash. Well, 'Michael' manages to uphold this tradition, with the guitar this time supplied by Lenny Kravitz, who also wrote, produced and sings backing vocals on '(I Can't Make It) Another Day'. Though nowhere near as impressive as 'Beat It', 'Dirty Diana' and 'Give In To Me', it's nice to hear a guitar solo on the record, as well as have Dave Grohl playing drums. It's not exactly as much of a rock track as I was expecting, but it's a very good song nonetheless.

The two stand-out tracks from the album were actually recorded during the 'Thriller' era. 'Much Too Soon' is heartbreaking, and 'Behind The Mask' - a reworking of a track by Japanese group The Yellow Magic Orchestra - features a melody that Michael brought to the song that showcases just how strong of a vocalist Michael was. In the end, this was never going to be a focused and cohesive album, and is not a great Michael Jackson album. However it is a good Michael Jackson album, which is a lot more than I was expecting. And that it's better than 'Invincible' is a very nice surprise to have.

There was a lot of talk before the albums release - from who I perceive to be self-serving members of his family - that the three tracks co-written and produced by Eddie Cascio were not in fact Michael singing the lead vocals, but soundalikes brought in to sing over barely audible backing vocals that he'd recorded before his death. Well, I was raised on this man's voice, and it's his throughout. Some people are just looking for publicity any way they can by exploiting their family name.
Listen Here: Michael Jackson – Michael

#37: The Jane Austen Argument - Plan Behind (The Beautiful Mess We Made)

Under The Rainbow
Made Your Mark
Staying Single
Silver Suit
Reunion Song
Plan Behind

All songs written by Tom Dickins and Jennifer Kingwell

Tom Dickins - vocals, ukulele
Jennifer Kingwell - vocals, piano
Produced by Lance

This is a live E.P. from a show at a venue called Revolt in Melbourne. Usually, I wouldn't include a live E.P., but in this case all 6 tracks are previously unreleased, so I'll let it off.
Earlier in the year, The Jane Austen Argument's Tom Dickins quit his day job in order to chase his dreams full-time. To celebrate this dramatic decision, Tom and Jen performed this one-off show under the name "Fuck Plan B". The moral of the night was that there is no time for a plan B, so don't have one. Take the risk and put yourself fully into what you want to be doing. It's advice that I wish I had the balls to take myself.
Anyway, the actual music ranges from the emotional melancholy previously seen on 'The Birthing Pyre', to the comedic 'Staying Single' which features a section in which Tom reads out messages from the crowd about their funny break-up stories, with answers like, "You left me for a midget, Nazi", and "I've never had a boyfriend, so fuck you". It's a nice change of pace, which I hope they will do more of.
Next up, The Jane Austen Argument will be recording their debut full length album, made possible thanks to donations from fans on the fund-raising website, Kickstarter.com

Listen And/Or Download Here: http://thejaneaustenargument.bandcamp.com/album/plan-behind-the-beautiful-mess-we-made

#38: Eminem - Recovery

Cold Wind Blows (Mathers, Smith, Byrne, Marsh, Perry, Synge)
Talkin' 2 Myself (Mathers, Rahman, Injeti, Honeycutt)
On Fire (Mathers, Porter, C. Wilson, L. Wilson, R. Wilson)
Won't Back Down (Mathers, Rahman, Alcock, Rodrigues, Smith)
W.T.P. (Mathers, Resto, Chin-Quee, Gilbert)
Going Through Changes (Mathers, Heynie, Osbourne, Iommi, Ward, Butler)
Not Afraid (Mathers, Resto, Samuels, Evans, Burnett)
Seduction (Mathers, Samuels, Burnett, Jordan)
No Love (Mathers, Carter, Jr., Smith, Halligan, Torello)
Space Bound (Mathers, Scheffer, McEwan)
Cinderella Man (Mathers)
25 To Life (Mathers, Rahman, Rodrigues, Tannenbaum)
So Bad (Mathers, Young, Batson, Parker, Lawrence, Cruse, Brongers)
Almost Famous (Mathers, Rahman, Rodrigues, Alcock, Injeti, Tannenbaum)
Love The Way You Lie (Mathers, Grant, Haffermann)
You're Never Over (Mathers, Smith, Mainieri Jr., McMahon)

Erik Alcock - guitar
Mark Batson - keyboards
Matthew Burnett - strings
Sean Cruse - guitar
Jordan Evans - strings
Nikki Grier - vocals
Chin Injeti - bass
Jim Jonsin - keyboards, programming
Sly Jordan - saxophone, vocals
Danny Keyz - keyboards
Trevor Lawrence - keyboards
Nick Low-Beer - drum programming
Steve McEwan - guitar, vocals on 'Space Bound'
Danny Morris - keyboards
Dawaun Paker - keyboards
Dwayne Chin-Quee - drums
Rahki - keyboards
Khalil Abdul Rahman - keyboards, drum programming
Luis Resto - keyboards
Liz Rodrigues - Vocals
Matthew Samuels - drums
Daniel Seeff - guitar
Mike Strange - guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, keyboards
Kobe - guest on 'Talkin' 2 Myself'
Pink - guest on 'Won't Back Down'
Lil Wayne - guest on 'No Love'
Rihanna - guest on 'Love The Way You Lie'
Produced by Just Blaze, DJ Khalil, Denaun Porter, Supa Dups, JG, Eminem, Emile, Boi-1da, Matthew Burnett, Jim Jonsin, Script Shepherd, Dr. Dre, Nick Brongers, Alex da Kid and Makeba Riddick

Label: Shady/Aftermath/Interscope

2009's 'Relapse' was supposed to be Eminem's triumphant return after a five year self-imposed exile. Instead it had all of the same problems as its predecessor, 'Encore'. There were a few strong tracks on both albums, but it mostly ranged from bad to okay.

Just a year later, this album came out and was everything that 'Relapse' should have been. There is nothing especially groundbreaking about any of the tracks, but it features some of Eminem's best music. For the first time, this album doesn't feature a novelty comedy track to be released as first single. The album features more of the confessional type tracks that has proven to be when he is at his strongest ever since the classic track 'Cleanin' Out My Closet', as well as the harder-edged tracks that he made his name with.

Of the former, a highlight is the track 'Talkin' 2 Myself' in which he admits that his last two albums weren't up to scratch, and that his self-esteem was so low because he couldn't write tracks that he was proud of. It seems to have gotten to the point where he stopped himself from writing lyrics insulting Lil' Wayne and Kanye West because "I'd have got my ass handed to me, and I knew it". And the latter is hands down the best track Eminem has put his name to in at least 8 years... 'Love The Way You Lie' featuring Rihanna is the kind of track that even non-fans could appreciate.

The result is the finest album Marshall Mathers has ever released. Yes, even better than 'The Eminem Show' (I actually find 'The Slim Shady LP' and 'Marshall Mathers LP' quite over-rated, though both good themselves).

Listen Here: Eminem – Recovery

#39: The Jane Austen Argument - The Birthing Pyre

Phoenix (Kingwell/Dickins)
Here In Melbourne (Dickins/Kingwell)
Bad Wine And Lemon Cake (Dickins/Kingwell)
It's Love (Kingwell/Dickins)
The Debt Collectors (Dickins/Kingwell)

Tom Dickins - vocals, 'Judith'* on 'Here In Melbourne' and 'The Debt Collectors'
Jen Kingwell - piano, vocals, 'Judith'* on 'Here In Melbourne' and 'The Debt Collectors'
Lyndon Chester - violin on 'Phoenix'
Cade Diehm - 'Judith'* on 'The Debt Collectors'
Twitter Choir on 'The Debt Collectors' - Ty ‘The Guy With The Headphones’ Carson, Ryan Tessier, Christoph Kummer, Jessica Allyn, Amber Stricklin, Meghan Dornbrock, Cass Dalgleish, Daniel Lee, Jesse Markham, Gerry Norton, Teralyn Tanner, Jhube V, Clay Robeson, Grace Frick, Nick Schultz, Aaron ‘Man with Hat’ Shay, Kim ‘AthenaMuze’ Butler
Produced by The Jane Austen Argument and Cade Diehm

*NOTE: I have no idea what a 'Judith' is...

Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, The Jane Austen Argument are what is known in the trade as an "indie cabaret-noir duo" comprised of Tom Dickins and best friend, Jennifer Kingwell. When it comes to live performances, the pair draw on the "cabaret" portion of that title by combining scripted dialogue and acted scenes, with their dark, emotional music. Five of these songs are featured on the debut EP, released whilst on tour with Amanda Palmer this January.

Tom and Jen's voices both sound angelic, and when the pair sing they intertwine perfectly, and Jen's piano-playing as - mostly - the only ever instrument involved, provides an even stronger emotional backbone. The highlights of the EP are 'Bad Wine And Lemon Cake' - a live version performed with Palmer is available on her '...Goes Down Under' album - and the closing track, 'The Debt Collectors', which features a choir of their fans on Twitter.

A little something about The Jane Austen Argument... they have embraced Amanda Palmer's "Ninja Gig" - a show at a random location announced on Twitter a little while before it starts - and have rechristened it the "Twitnic". I find this sort of thing a genius way of building a relationship with fans, using Twitter as a marketing tool, without having to rely on the corporate machine of record labels. Of course, not everyone would be able to do things this way, but for those up-and-coming musical groups? I strongly advise you to do something similar.
Listen And/Or Download Here: http://thejaneaustenargument.bandcamp.com/album/the-birthing-pyre

#40: Amanda Palmer - Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under

Makin' Whoopee (Donaldson/Kahn)
Australia (Palmer)
Vegemite (The Black Death) (Palmer)
Map Of Tasmania (feat. The Young Punx) (Palmer)
In My Mind (Palmer)
Bad Wine And Lemon Cake (with The Jane Austen Argument) (Dickins)
New Zealand (Palmer)
On An Unknown Beach (Bryce)
We're Happy Little Vegemites (Thompson)
Doctor Oz (Palmer)
A Formidable Marinade (with Mikaelangelo) (Mikaelangelo)
The Ship Song (Cave)

Amanda Palmer - vocals, piano, ukulele
Guthrie Govan - ukulele on 'Map Of Tasmania'
Hal Ritson and Michele Balduzzi - keyboards and programming on 'Map Of Tasmania'
Brian Viglione - percussion on 'In My Mind'
Tom Dickins - vocals on 'Bad Wine And Lemon Cake'
Jen Kingwell - piano on 'Bad Wine And Lemon Cake'
The Audience - vocals on 'We're Happy Little Vegemites'
Mikaelangelo - vocals and accordion on 'A Formidable Marinade'
Lance Horne - five instruments on 'A Formidable Marinade'
Produced by Amanda Palmer and Mick Wordley, except 'Map Of Tasmania' produced by Amanda Palmer, Hal Ritson and Michele Balduzzi

Label: 8ft Records

Another Amanda Palmer album, this really proves that this is a woman who is both making the most of her freedom, and her ability to market herself directly to her fanbase.

Made up of a combination of live recordings from a tour of Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania, as well as brand studio tracks, 'Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under' is a heartfelt tribute to the continent that has embraced her most fully. Six tracks are originals, including a baffling dance track about the decoration of her pubic hair', named 'Map Of Tasmania' (look one up, and think about it). This one track I didn't like at all when I first heard it, but has really grown on me as a fun tune. Other more serious works include the bittersweet 'In My Mind', and the comedic 'Vegemite (The Black Death)' show the many different sides of Amanda Palmer, all of them just as effective. There are also four covers on the album including an amazingly beautiful version of 'The Ship Song' by Nick Cave which Cave himself has said is the best version of the song he's ever heard.

The remaining two tracks are performances of songs by Amanda's bandmates on the tour much of the album was recorded on - Mikaelangelo and The Jane Austen Argument. Of the two, The Jane Austen Argument's 'Bad Wine And Lemon Cake' is a track that shows the duo as more than worthy of Amanda's most soul-baring and emotional side. Mikaelangelo's track - 'A Formidable Marinade' is a strange song that reminds me very much of Dracula: The Musical from the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Amanda is currently touring whilst working on her first "serious" solo album since 'Who Killed Amanda Palmer', but whilst we're waiting for that, this is more than a worthwhile listen. It's really less novelty than the theme of the record would have you believe.

Listen And/Or Download Here: http://music.amandapalmer.net/album/amanda-palmer-goes-down-under

#41: Bobot Adrenaline - Dumb Bomb

Dumb Bomb
East Of The Docks
Wasted Youth
My Mom's In Baghdad
Blast
14th Floor
Noah (from The Boy Who Saw To Forever And Back)
Viktor's Misery
Bombastic!
Untitled
Penalty Box
Life Seems Okay (Republican National Anthem)

Pepper Berry - vocals, guitar
Corey Mac - bass
Bryan Panzeri - drums
Justin Willits - background vocals on 'My Mom's In Baghdad'
Soda - vocals on 'Untitled'
Dave Phillips - pedal steel on 'Bombastic!'
Produced by Chuck Dietrich and Pepper Berry except 'Bombastic!', 'Untitled' and 'Life Seems Okay' produced by Tommy Stinson and Pepper Berry, and 'Viktor's Misery' and 'Penalty Box' produced by Bobot Adrenaline

Label: Basement Records

Bobot Adrenaline are a political punk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 2001. 'Dumb Bomb', from last year, is their debut full length album - though an EP produced by Tommy Stinson of The Replacements and Guns N' Roses was released in 2008, and they've had numerous tracks released on compilations and videogames in the Tony Hawk series from before then.

Stylistically, Bobot Adrenaline sound a bit like Green Day on their harder-edged material, and maybe some hint of The Offspring, but Pepper Berry's voice is all his own. His combination of sarcastic humour, biting commentary and political knowledge all wrapped up in one package really drives the record and makes it a valuable asset to any punk fan's record collection.

This being released 9 years after their formation, there is material that spans their entire career included here (and let's face it, the last decade has given bands of this kind plenty of material). The best tracks are some of the oldest, like 'Viktor's Misery' or their anti-death penalty anthem, 'Penalty Box'. There is one song that stands out from the crowd thanks to it being unlike any other track on the album though... the jolly-sounding, pop-rock number 'Life Seems Okay' (alternate title 'Republican National Anthem') ends the album on a high note, whilst also showcasing the aforementioned sarcasm better than all that has gone before it.

Unfortunately, the album doesn't appear to be on Spotify, and the band aren't on Bandcamp, but you can buy the album here

#42: Black Stone Cherry - Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea

White Trash Millionaire
Killing Floor
In My Blood
Such A Shame
Won't Let Go
Blame It On The Boom Boom
Like I Roll
Can't You See (Caldwell)
Let Me See You Shake
Stay
Change
All I'm Dreamin' Of

All tracks written by Black Stone Cherry, except 'Can't You See'

Chris Robertson - vocals, guitar
Ben Wells - guitar
John Lawhon - bass
John Fred Young - drums
Lzzy Hale - vocals on 'Such A Shame' and 'Won't Let Go'
Produced by Howard Benson

Label: Roadrunner

When compared to Black Stone Cherry's first two albums, 'Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea' is actually a disappointment. It's a testament to the strength of those two albums that it's also one of the best albums recently released. The first single, 'White Trash Millionaire' which opens the album is the only track that really matches the quality of those first two albums. Everything else is a little bit watered down, a little bit samey, and in the case of 'Blame It On The Boom Boom', a little bit ludicrous.
'Killing Floor' is another strong track, but their two collaborations with Halestorm's Lzzy Hale don't live up to their promise, and the cover of The Marshall Tucker Band's 'Can't You See' is pretty lacking in the passion that made the cover of 'Shapes Of Things' by The Yardbirds stand out so much on their debut album.
That said, it's still all good fun, despite the disappointments, which are for the most part only minor. It made the list entirely because of this, but based on past efforts, it really should have been higher.

Listen Here: Black Stone Cherry – Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea

#43: Evelyn Evelyn - Evelyn Evelyn

Evelyn Evelyn
A Campaign Of Shock And Awe
The Tragic Events Of September Part I
Have You Seen My Sister, Evelyn?
Chicken Man
Tragic Events Part II
Sandy Fishnets
Elephant Elephant
You Only Want Me 'Cause You Want My Sister
Tragic Events Part III
My Space
Love Will Tear Us Apart (Curtis, Hook, Morris, Sumner)

All songs written by Neville and Neville, except 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'

Evelyn and Evelyn Neville - vocals, accordion, guitar, piano, ukulele
Samantha Boshnack - trumpet
Alex Guy - viola, violin
Timb Harris - violin
Fred Hawkinson - trombone
Kevin Hinshaw - clarinet
Jeremy Lightfoot - drums
Luke Kirley - tuba
Izaak Mills - bass, clarinet, flute
Amanda Palmer - piano, wurlitzer
Kristian Rosentrater - drums
Jason Schimmel - banjo, bass, guitar, slide guitar
Aaron Seeman - Hammond organ
Lee Smith - drums
Tim Smolens - cello, contrabass
Serena Tideman - cello
Jason Webley - accordion

'My Space' features backing vocals from Andrew W.K., Kim Boekbinder, Zoe Boekbinder, Margaret Cho, Chantal Claret, Frances Bean Cobain, Neil Gaiman, Ari Gold, Ethan Gold, Eugene Mirman, Corn Mo, Franz Nicolay, Reverand Peytyon, Sara Quin, Tegan Quin, Jimmy Urine, Kirsten Vangsness, Gerard Way and Weird Al Yankovic
Additional Voices by Kim Boekbinder, Adam Ende, Maria Glanz, Kaleb Hagen-Kerr, Oliver Orion, Amanda Palmer, Caitlin Rippey, Jay Thompson and Jason Webley
Produced by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley

Label: Eleven Records/8ft. Records

Dresden Dolls mastermind Amanda Palmer and Seattle folk musician Jason Webley are Evelyn and Evelyn Neville - conjoined twin sisters with a tragic history that has led to them travelling the world as a cabaret act. Their history is told in the three extended, eerie spoken-word segments entitled 'Tragic Events'. The majority of the actual music is actually up-beat sounding, creating a stark contrast to the subject matter. For example, 'A Campaign Of Shock And Awe' is mainly sung by the owners of a brothel that specialises in "alternative" tastes, contemplating just how much they can exploit these two young girls.
There is a bit of actual comic relief, such as 'Have You Seen My Sister, Evelyn?', which only really makes sense when you know that they are conjoined, and 'Elephant Elephant', the sisters' ode to their only true friend during their time in the circus - conjoined twin elephants. But for the most part this album is bleak stuff, which sees Amanda Palmer for the first time fully embrace her cabaret leanings on record - her previous work being "punk cabaret". With that in mind, this album is definitely not for everyone. You have to both enjoy an old-fashioned, theatrical record as well as not mind getting incredibly depressed at the same time.

For those of you who looked over the list of guest vocalists in the song 'My Space' and saw someone you like, don't expect to be actually able to hear them. Despite it being advertised in some quarters as 'the singing debut of Frances Bean Cobain' for instance, all of those guest vocals were recorded for just one line.

There's also a graphic novel based on this record, also written by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley, with artwork by Cynthia von Buhler and an afterward by Neil Gaiman being released next month. And apparently there have been talks to turn the story into a live action movie using the album as a soundtrack, too. This might not be Amanda and Jason's most profitable work, but it's evidently one where they get to let their imaginations run wild and create something beyond just music. Hopefully at some point they'll see fit to bring us up to date with what the twins are doing now... that one should be a much happier album now they're under the wing of two great talents, with such a strong supporting cast.

Listen And/Or Download Here: http://evelynevelyn.bandcamp.com/album/evelyn-evelyn

#44: We Are The Fallen - Tear The World Down

Bury Me Alive
Burn
Paradigm
Don't Leave Me Behind
Sleep Well, My Angel
Through Hell
I Will Stay
Without You
St. John
I Am The Only One
Tear The World Down

All tracks wirtten by We Are The Fallen

Carly Smithson - vocals
Ben Moody - guitar, programming, piano, percussion
John LeCompt - guitar, mandolin, programming
Marty O'Brien - bass
Rocky Gray - drums
Jeremiah Gray - percussion
Daniel Moody - piano, B3
David Hodges - piano
Phillip Peterson - cello, strings on 'I Am The Only One'
Bethanie and John LeCompt II - choir vocals on 'Burn'
David Campbell - string and choir arrangement
Produced by We Are The Fallen and Dan Certa

Label: Universal Republic

Debuting in June 2009, We Are The Fallen is made up of former Evanescence members Ben Moody, John LeCompt and Rocky Gray, session musician Marty O'Brien, and former American Idol contestant Carly Smithson. Not only did Carly sing a note-perfect version of Evanescence's 'Bring Me To Life' whilst on American Idol, she also bears a striking resemblance to that band's Amy Lee. This should tell you all you need to know about this band's motivations.
It's no secret that part of the reason for the dissolution of Amy's friendship with Ben was because of her efforts to grow as a musician and produce more ambitious music conflicting with his insistence on only releasing radio-friendly material and staying firmly in one place musically. If Moody's taking on songwriting gigs for the likes of Avril Lavigne and Anastacia immediately after his departure from Evanescence didn't confirm Lee's claims in this regard to people, We Are The Fallen can't fail to. Not only are the band essentially a copy and paste of 'Fallen' era Evanescence - with a name that seems to controversially imply that it was their input into that album that made it so successful - but the album retreads the exact same ground.
This sounds pretty negative so far, but it works. If they plan to carry on long-term, releasing essentially the same album all the time will get very old, very fast, but for now this is very enjoyable. I don't think much of Carly's attempts to carve herself out as a 'rock chick' when she was a participant in pretty much the least rock n' roll show in television history (Glee may have just taken this title from them now)... but she does have a fantastic voice - in some ways even better than the woman whose boots she's filling. I'm yet to be convinced by her songwriting ability... they don't say who wrote what in the credits, and I have a suspicion that everything was written before the band started looking for a singer. Probably because the band's debut single - 'Bury Me Alive' - is so blatantly aimed by Ben at his former bandmate that they might as well have called it 'Fuck Amy!'.
The main question, however, is... how does it stand up against Evanescence's material? Does it match up to 'The Open Door', in which Amy got to call the shots and created an album equally ambitious and commercial that I get the impression was what she intended 'Fallen' to sound like in the first place? The simple answer is no... but only just. This is a very strong effort, and easily outclasses the album that provided them with their name. They might be retreading old ground, but they've treading it a lot more confidently now. Let's hope if they ever release a follow-up they try to do something different, though.

Listen Here: We Are The Fallen – Tear The World Down

13 Assassins - The Movie Of The Year!


When it comes to the end of 2011, and people ask what their favourite movies of the year are, a lot of people will say things like the brilliant The Fighter, or X-Men: First Class. Maybe Captain America will get a mention from people, too. As for me? I'm almost certain that my reply will be 13 Assassins.

Takashi Miike is best known as a director who seems intent on making the most fucked-up movies ever - Visitor Q and Ichi The Killer feature some of the most shocking moments in cinema. Thankfully, for his take on the samurai genre, he has reined himself in. There is still a fair bit of violence, and at least one disturbing scene, but it is actually there as part of the story-telling and not just there for the sake of being there.

The movie takes place in the 1830's, when Japan was still ruled by the Shogun. The Emperor was still the official head of state, but he was merely a figurehead, with the Tokugawa Shogunate being the real power in the country. It's been over 200 years since Japan was in a state of constant warfare, and as a result the samurai are more politicians than the warriors they were before. In fact, one of the characters goes as far as to say that in these times "swords are only good for cutting radishes". These are things that it pays to know in order to be able to understand the movie's plot.

Lord Naritsugu is the brother of the current Shogun, and officially the heir to the Shogunate. A sadistic and vile man, his status as the second most powerful man in the country has allowed him to do as he pleases. His first appearance in the movie sees him rape his hosts daughter-in-law before brutally murdering his son. And his deeds only get worse from there... including one so shocking that I won't mention what it is, as it's best to not know about it going in. Obviously, something has to be done.

After a victim of Naritsugu publicly commits suicide in protest, the Shogun's chief advisor - who can't be seen to actively work against his master - is forced to take action by hiring Shimada Shinzaemon, who is one of the few samurai left to have kept up his skills in battle to dispose of the problem.

The first hour of the movie follows Shinzaemon as he gathers a small group of other samurai in a manner similar to Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, with the following half an hour being dedicated to planning their attack. People may be turned off by this first 90 minutes, as there is very little of the action you'd expect from a movie in this genre. But bear with it, as part of what makes this movie so great is the slow-burn as our heroes come together and make preparations for the final battle. And when the final battle arrives, you're rewarded for your patience in spades.

The 12 samurai/ronin and 1 peasant that make up the group stage an ambush inside a city that features some of the finest action scenes ever filmed. All in all, this battle between the 13 assassins and Naritsugu's entire guard lasts around 45 minutes, rarely letting up.

The performances are brilliant all-round, from Koji Yakusho's honourable Shinzaemon, to the evil Naritsugu played by Goro Inagaki, to Yusuke Iseya playing a character very similar to Toshiro Mifune's in Seven Samurai.

One of the best performances in the movie however is by Masachika Ichimura. He plays Kitou Hanbei, Naritsugu's head samurai. Hanbei is a man who obviously hates his master. This is possibly best illustrated when in the heat of battle Naritsugu declares his intentions to return Japan to a state of feudalism when he becomes Shogun. By contrast, he also obviously has a great respect for his old friend Shinzaemon, but is bound by his honour to protect his master no matter the circumstances. When the two finally inevitably clash, it is a tragic moment even following on from the bloodshed that had preceded it.

Despite the violence, though, it's not all doom and gloom. There is actually a bit of humour in there, mainly provided by Yusuke Iseya's character, but also taking place during the training scenes, etc. It isn't ill-judged slapstick humour that is so common in Asian action movies (ie: Once Upon A Time In China), either. With so much darkness in the movie, it's a welcome relief when you are able to laugh at something every now and then. In short, you must see this movie. It's a brilliant piece of work, and I now can't wait to see Takashi Miike's next project... a remake of the 1962 movie, Hara-Kiri. My only criticism is that the majority of the assassins are pretty much just there to make up the numbers. There are around 5 that get some screentime dedicated to them. But the version available to us in the West is around 20 minutes shorter than the version released in Japan, so it might not be a problem that occurs in the full version of the movie.

View Trailer Here: http://youtu.be/NgPC74-Tde8

#45: The Dead Weather - Sea Of Cowards

Blue Blood Blues (Fertita, Lawrence, White)
Hustle And Cuss (Lawrence, Mosshart)
The Difference Between Us (Mosshart, White)
I'm Mad (Fertita, Lawrence, Mosshart, White)
Die By The Drop (Fertita, Lawrence, Mosshart)
I Can't Hear You (Fertita, Lawrence, Mosshart, White)
Gasoline (Fertita, Lawrence, Mosshart White)
No Horse (Fertita, Lawrence, Mosshart, White)
Looking At The Invisible Man (Fertita, White)
Jawbreaker (Fertita, Lawrence, Mosshart)
Old Mary (White)

Alison Mosshart - vocals, maracas, guitar, synthesizer
Jack White - drums, vocals, guitar
Dean Fertita - organ, piano, synthesizer, guitar
Jack Lawrence - bass, drums
Produced by Jack White

Label: Warner Bros./Third Man

Whereas 'Horehound', the 2009 debut album from blues-rock supergroup, The Dead Weather had some good music and showed some promise, it ultimately sounded a bit rushed without much in the way of decent production. This release from the following year, however, sees the band accomplishing some of that promise that they showed in the past.
When the band first formed, Jack White was without a doubt the big draw that got most people interested. The rest of the band featured a member of Queens Of The Stone Age and another member of White's other not-White Stripes band, The Raconteurs, but neither of those were as easily recognisable to the world at large as he was. One thing this album does particularly well is take the spotlight off of White, and placing it squarely onto the extremely talented shoulders of The Kills vocalist, Alison Mosshart. The Kills are a very popular band, but Alison's most famous recording in the UK before the formation of The Dead Weather was backing vocals for the Placebo track, 'Meds'. It's great that she's gotten her chance to show her stuff in this band, as she is proving herself to be a frontwoman to contend with.
Musically, this is probably some of the strongest stuff each of the members have ever created - Dean Fertita may be a member of QOTSA, but he's only ever made appearances on bonus tracks and B-sides so far. It's like The White Stripes with added balls, with fantastic vocal interplay between Alison and Jack which suggests that these two singers were made to perform together.

Listen Here: The Dead Weather – Sea Of Cowards

#46: Amanda Palmer - Amanda Palmer Performs The Popular Hits Of Radiohead On Her Magical Ukulele

Fake Plastic Trees
High And Dry
No Surprises
Idioteque
Creep
Exit Music (For A Film)

All songs written and originally performed by Radiohead

Produced by Amanda Palmer and Mick Wordley

Label: 8ft. Records

Last year, Amanda Palmer was finally released from her contract with Roadrunner Records (a label that really wasn't suited to her music). To celebrate the fact that she could now do whatever she wanted however she wanted, she released this novelty covers EP. Despite the novelty aspect of the record though, these are some truly great renditions of classic tracks from Radiohead. With absolutely nothing but Amanda's voice, ukulele and a little bit of piano hidden in the background, she manages to recreate the songs faithfully.
Most impressive is her take on 'Idioteque'... originally a heavily electronic take from 'Kid A', this takes the song down to its bare bones and is perhaps even more effective because of it.

As much as I recommend this EP though, your enjoyment of it will depend on your tolerance of two things - the ukulele as an instrument, and the naturally opinion-splitting Amanda Palmer. If neither of those things were to your taste before, this certainly won't change your mind. If they are, however, you should definitely give it a go.

Listen And/Or Download Here: http://music.amandapalmer.net/album/amanda-palmer-performs-the-popular-hits-of-radiohead-on-her-magical-ukulele

#47: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Dark Fantasy (West, Diggs, Wilson, Bhasker, Dean, Jones)
Gorgeous (West, Wilson, Dean, Jones, Smith, Woods, Mescudi)
Power (West, Griffin Jr., Dean, Bhasker, Gardner, Lewis)
All Of The Lights (interlude)
All Of The Lights (West, Bhasker, Jones, Trotter)
Monster (West, Carter, Reynolds, Roberts, Maraj, Vernon, Bhasker)
So Appalled (West, Wilson, Dean, Carter, Thornton, Young, Kasseem Dean, Diggs)
Devil In A New Dress (West, Harrell, Dean, Roberts, Jones)
Runaway (West, Haynie, Thornton, Bhasker, Dean, Jones)
Hell Of A Life (West, Caren, Wilson, Dean)
Blame Game (West, Franks, Mitchell, Dean, Stephens)
Lost In The World (West, Bhasker, Vernon)
Who Will Survive In America (West, Bhasker, Scott-Heron)

Produced by Kanye West, The RZA, No I.D., Jeff Bhasker, Mike Dean, S1, Andrew Dawson, Plain Pat, Bink!, Emile, Mike Caren and DJ Frank E.

Kid Cudi - guest on 'Gorgeous'
Raekwon - guest on 'Gorgeous'
Jay-Z - guest on 'Monster' and 'So Appalled'
Rick Ross - guest on 'Monster' and 'Devil In A New Dress'
Nicki Manaj - guest on 'Monster'
Bon Iver - guest on 'Monster' and 'Lost In The World'
Pusha T. - guest on 'So Appalled' and 'Runaway'
Prince Cy Hi - guest on 'So Appalled'
Swizz Beatz - guest on 'So Appalled'
The RZA - guest on 'So Appalled'
John Legend - guest on 'Blame Game'

Label - Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam

Prior to the release of this album, Kanye West had released the awful auto-tuned to the point of being completely unlistenable '808s & Heartbreak' (that it charted above 'Chinese Democracy' by Guns N' Roses is still a crime), and several controversy-courting incidents had threatened to destroy his career in a simultaneously fascinating and embarrassing explosion of self-parody. Mr. West needed to remind the world why it was everyone cared about his antics in the first place. Luckily, 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' is a true return to form for one of hip hop's current shining lights. It doesn't quite reach the heights of 'The College Dropout' and 'Late Registration', but it blows his previous two albums out of the water.

This is not your average hip hop album. Kanye is one of the few people working in the genre today who is willing to experiment with the formula that was established by N.W.A. over 20 years ago. It's as big and overblown as a 70's rock n' roll album, complete with a 9 minute track with an extended instrumental section that no one but Kanye would ever attempt. A reminder that before he was the superstar he is today, he was one of the most original producers in the genre. His willingness to experiment is probably the only redeeming factor of his previous album, and is really what sets this one apart from the competition.

I obviously do listen to hip hop, otherwise this record wouldn't be included by me, but as most people should know it's rock music that is my main passion. A hip hop artist has to have some serious crossover appeal to be able to impress me, and at this time Kanye is one of the few able to do that for me - along with Jay-Z, Eminem and Saul Williams.

As for the aforementioned antics, and ego? I choose to believe it's all deliberate and tongue-in-cheek. But this is probably because I don't want to believe anyone can be as deluded as he acts.

Listen Here: Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

#48: Imicus - Animal Factory

 

Animal Factory

Visceral

Inveigle

An Isolation Dawn

The Butterfly Effect

Wither

Killer Lies

Veiled Oedema

Keep Your Halo

Icarus Principle

All songs written by Imicus

 

Miller - vocals

Dale Chapman - guitar

Dan Baker - guitar

Steve Parker - bass

Mark Weatherley - drums

 

This is a band that you probably wouldn't have heard of. I caught them at Download Festival in 2010, where they played the Red Bull Tent just before the band I was in there to see - Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders. They impressed me with their performance, though they'd probably have gotten a lot more attention from people if they'd been around in the mid-to-late 90's than now. I was surprised to find that not only are they from Luton (the city closest to where I live, yet strangely also the city I find hardest to get to), but one of the guitarists is actually the boyfriend of one of my wives roommates from university. She'd asked her to go and see them, and completely forgot about it until they saw each other there by coincidence. I was relieved to be able to truthfully say that I enjoyed their performance when we were asked. The album is along the lines of Deftones, Korn, etc. Definitely worth a listen.

 

I realised that I should have been putting links on where to listen to the albums I talk about here, so the first two posts in this series have been edited with Spotify links.

 

Listen Here: Imicus – Animal Factory

#49: Alter Bridge - AB III

Slip To The Void
Isolation
Ghost Of Days Gone By
All Hope Is Gone
Still Remains
Make It Right
Wonderful Life
I Know It Hurts
Show Me A Sign
Fallout
Breathe Again
Coeur d'Alene
Life Must Go On
Words Darker Than Their Wings

All Songs Written By Alter Bridge

Myles Kennedy - vocals, guitar, keyboards
Mark Tremonti - guitar, backing vocals, bass
Brian Marshall - bass
Scott Phillips - drums, percussion
String arrangements by Michael Baskette and Dave Holdredge
Produced by Michael Baskette

Label - Roadrunner Records

I'd never really listened to Alter Bridge properly until the release of this album. After hearing Myles Kennedy's vocals on Slash's solo album, and not being impressed I didn't really see much need for listening to them either. Especially not with the only other thing I knew about them being the rest of the band are all members of Creed (hardly a positive).
It turns out that free of Scott Stapp, Alter Bridge are a bona fide sensation of a hard rock band. And that on this album at least, Myles sings what is appropriate for the songs, instead of his seeming to compete with the guitar like he seemed to on Slash's album. When Myles goes high, it's because he needs to go high.
As album openers go, 'Slip To The Void' is one of the best in recent memory, and they hardly let up from there.

I immediately listened to their first two albums and found that those are equally as strong, so it wasn't just a one-off. I'm not going to call myself a convert to being a big Alter Bridge fan, but they're definitely great to listen to.

Listen Here: Alter Bridge – AB III

50 Best Records Of The Decade So Far: #50 Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - III/IV

The last 20 months has seen the release of a lot of good music. So much so in fact, that I've already got 50 favourites from this decade so far... I thought I'd write a little bit about each over the coming days.



Disc One
Breakdown Into The Resolve
Dear Candy
Wasteland
Ultraviolet Light
Stop Playing With My Heart
Lovely And Blue
Happy Birthday
Kisses Start Wars
The Crystal Skull
Users

Disc Two
No
Numbers
Gracie
Icebreaker
Sewers At The Bottom Of The Wishing Well
Typecast
Star Wars
My Favourite Song
P.S.
Death And Rats
Kill The Lights

All Songs Written By Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams - vocals, guitars, piano, bass, synth
Neal Casal - guitars, background vocals
Jon Graboff - pedal steel, 12 string guitar
Brad Pemberton - drums, percussion
Catherine Popper - bass, background vocals
Jamie Candiloro - piano, organ, synth, drums, percussion, keys
Norah Jones - background vocals on 'Typecast'
Produced by Jamie Candiloro
Label - PAX AM

I'm not a fan of Ryan Adams. In fact, the majority of music I've heard from him has ranged from boring mediocrity to flat-out awful. I admittedly haven't heard everything he's put out, but I had no reason for thinking that this album would be any different. It's a pleasant surprise then, that 'III/IV' (named on the basis that the band's debut album was volumes I/II) is just over an hour of laid-back rock 'n' roll that's actually fun to listen to. Instead of the dreary country-tinged music Adams is accustomed to, this actually has more in common with mid-to-late The Replacements and early Soul Asylum.
I find that Ryan's voice is far better suited to songs like this to the countrified ones he put out earlier (and his frankly bizarre attempt at metal that also came out last year... avoid that at all costs). Highlights include 'Breakdown Into The Resolve', 'Wasteland' and 'Kisses Start Wars'. None of the 21 tracks break or rewrite any of the rules, but they are all very enjoyable.

Ryan isn't the only person I'm not a fan of to impress me despite the odds recently... more on some of the  rest at a later date.

Listen Here: Ryan Adams – III/IV