1. The Dears – Hate then love

Taken from their stunning second album, ‘Gang Of Losers’. This track is a prime example of the bands change of direction. Gone are the early nineties Brit Pop references. The mill stones that hung heavily of  Blur and Smiths comparisons have been cast aside. The Dears have made an intelligent indie rock album. ‘Hate Then Love’ crashes along, full of intensity with a lyrical growl and a finale that gives way to a delicately picked guitar riff that helps establish the bands wonderful contradiction of emotional softness and pent up aggression. A band who feel a LOT and will make you do too.

2. The Pipettes – Pull Shapes (the current single taken from the album ‘we are the pipettes’)

3. Aim – Walking Home Through The Park (taken from the forthcoming album ‘Flight 602’)

4. The Sleepy Jackson – You Needed More (taken from the album ‘Personality)

5. God Is An Astronaut – A Moment Of Stillness (from the ep of the same name)

6. Cherry Ghost – Mathematics (forthcoming Heavenly release)

7. Stuart A Staples – Goodbye To Old Friends (taken from the album ‘leaving songs’)

8. Tapes ‘n’ Tapes – Insister (taken from the album ‘the loon’)

9. Humanzi – Out On A Wire (taken from the album ‘tremors’)

10. She Wants Revenge – Tear You Apart (Ladytron mix of the new single)

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All bands in Dingwalls sound rubbish, you could get mid 70s era Led Zep, mid 60’s Beatles, The Smiths, whoever, they’d all suffer the same muggy sound all have suffered here, so when your forte is grimy 80s electronica influence drock-you know it’s going to go horribly wrong…but more of Longcut later.

Supporting are 5 guys going under the name Mumm-Ra, they are also due to be very huge. Hailing from Bexhill on Sea…Bexhill on Sea? Not even normal people come from there, let alone musicians. They tap into the rich history of British music and come up with their own quirky take on it, from the Kinks, to the La’s and long gone good era Oasis. Like a more discerning The Automatic, their jaggedy assed pop will be on every teenagers stereo by this time next Year.

The same can’t be said for The Longcut who must have found it difficult to be upstaged by their support. Like the album, the music is fine, gritty, almost proggy, similar to early Verve music but vocalist Stuart spoils it by yelping into the mic over it ending up sounding like Killing Joke covering LCD soundsystem or like a current Primal Scream trying to record ‘Swastika Eyes’…not nice is it? Much better is when he keeps quiet and attacks the drums like a banshee; the crowd disagrees though as they dance along like they’ve never heard a techno beat before.

Longcut – 5/10, Mumm-Ra 8/10

Chris Todd

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Brian! Brian! Brian!Wilson!Wilson!Wilson!Genius!Genius!Genius! Glad I got that out of the way.

Aussie oddball Luke Steele is not any of the above of course but it’s imperative to mention these words when reviewing the music of his Sleepy Jackson outfit…so there, I did it

Second album proper from Luke and co is more of the same but less adventurous, like Soundtrack of our lives with Warners, the major label gets sniff of money to be made and ensures their act irons out the rough edges and sterilizes the inventiveness which made them so attractive in the first place, but it’s not all bad, it doesn’t sound like the indie Ikea of the Kooks.

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1. Afx - pwsteal.Ldpinch.D (from Chosen Lords cd)

After happily releasing the occasional totally unlistenable dirge, Richard James came back last year with a series of highly sought after and even more collectable 12"s. This from recently released compilation of the finest tracks from that series is easily being the finest of them and the finest thing he’s done since his  1995s classic ‘I care because you do’ album.

Kicking off with a kick drum crass enough to be on a hard dance record,James multi layers luscious and warm synth lines very similar to mid 80’s New Order over them in his most melancholic and listenable moment in over 10 years.  

2. Sleepy Jackson - the devil was in my yard

3. Love is All - Turn the TV off

4. Mstrkrft - Paris

5. Kasabian - Empire

6. Muse - Starlight

7. Sleepy Jackson I understand what you want

8. Primal Scream - When the bomb drops

9. Captain - Glorious

10. Guillemots - Trains from Brazil

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With most of the beats on this album coming from the mouth of highly respected beat boxing maestro Killa Kela (second only to Rahzel), Kela’s second album finally properly shows the potential he has for a potent pop/hip hop artist in his own right.

‘Supergrass’ slinks along like an underground Justin Timberlake, ‘Submarines’ is an uneasy underground treat featuring Roots Manuva whose arrival on a track always involves thrills and Neneh Cherry’s long awaited slow return continues on the highlight track ‘Feminine’

Although slightly overlong and sometimes it sounds like Killa is suffering from chronic dyspepsia, ‘Elocution’ is mainly a satisfying and inventive listen. 7/10

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Released September 25th on Sanctuary Records

Lloyd Cole will release ‘antidepressant’, his first album in over three years, on September 25th on Sanctuary Records.

With Chris Hughes (Tears For Fears) on board as executive producer and Mick Glossop on mixing duties, ‘antidepressant’ has already been rated as a "superb new album" by the Sunday Mail. The literate pop of ‘New York City Sunshine’ and ‘How Wrong Can You Be’ are certainly on a par with Cole’s previous hits such as ‘Perfect Skin’, ‘Brand New Friend’ and ‘Lost Weekend’.

Lloyd Cole plays drums, piano and guitar on the album and is joined by Clark (guitar), Peter Baldwin (bass), The Negatives (backing vocals and collaborators on Cole’s 2000 album of the same name) and The Establishment Ensemble (strings) were arranged by David Trenholm.

"It’s definitely a little bit perkier than the last few records I’ve done," he commented. "It’s not really a rock record, but it’s not as laidback as I would have expected. It has elements of when I was part of a band, and of pure folk. It’s very much my sound."

‘Rattlesnakes’ won widespread critical acclaim upon its initial release and was the first of three hugely successful albums from Lloyd Cole & The Commotions. Having opted to embark upon a solo career following ‘Mainstream’, Cole enjoyed further album success with releases including his self-titled 1990 debut, ‘Don’t Get Weird On Me, Babe’ (1991) and ‘Love Story’ (1995).

Cole’s solo albums have also included radical interpretations of tracks such as ‘People Ain’t No Good’ (Nick Cave) and ‘You’re a Big Girl Now’ (Bob Dylan).

Glasgow’s Camera Obscura recently issued the single ‘Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken’, an answer to the Cole/Clark composition ‘Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken’ that appeared on ‘Rattlesnakes’.

Lloyd Cole is poised to tour the UK and Europe in support of ‘antidepressant’ with dates tentatively planned for October.

www.lloydcole.com       www.myspace.com/lloydcole

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A: Let’s Get Out Of This Country
B: Lemon Juice And Paper Cuts / Return To Send Her (CD)
B: Modern Girl (7”)

Mojo: This is a killer record, Campbell’s soaring, clear voice is devastating in its sweetness, the mix of melancholy and joy is just heartstopping 4/5
NME: A hidden gem of a band.
The Sun: Camera Obscura reveal a glistening, summery Sixties sound all their own. It’s enchanting. 4/5
Uncut: Indiepop Scots triumph 4/5
Word: I never get the feeling that I’ve heard it all before – just that I’d love to hear even more.
Guardian: Campbell’s voice is gorgeously mellifluous
Q: A pop gem

Aug 11th         Belladrum Festival, Inverness-shire
Aug 13th         Summer Sundae, Leicester
Aug 18th         Belfast, Island Arts Centre
Sept 3rd         Indian Summer festival, Glasgow

 Currently wowing audiences in the US, Camera Obscura return to the UK for festivals etc in Aug/Sept:
Inspired by the music from ‘Whatever Happened To Baby Jane’, ‘Let’s Get Out Of This Country’ is the second single to be taken from their album of the same name. 3 and a half minutes of pop perfection. it follows the brilliantly received ‘Lloyd I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken’ .
The CD single of ‘Let’s Get Out Of This Country’ is backed by two new songs ‘Lemon Juice And Paper Cuts’ (a line from a Lester Bangs biography) and ‘Return To Send Her’. The 7” is backed by their version of the Sheena Easton classic, ‘Modern Girl’
 

In Autumn 2005, Camera Obscura travelled from Glasgow to Stockholm to begin work on a new album with acclaimed producer Jari Haapalainen (The Concretes, Ed Harcourt, International (Noise) Conspiracy). Influenced by a wide variety of heroes - from Jimmy Webb to Lloyd Cole, from Connie Francis to Skeeter Davis, from the Supremes to David Lynch - lead singer/songwriter Traceyanne Campell and crew have assembled a remarkable batch of new songs. Decidedly upbeat and catchy (‘If Looks Could Kill’, ‘Lloyd I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken’), while also beautifully romantic, quiet and reflective (‘Country Mile’, ‘Dory Previn’), the new album - Let’s Get Out Of This Country - is the sound of a wonderful young band just hitting their stride.

Camera Obscura is: Tracyanne Campbell/guitar & vocals, Carey Lander/piano, organ & vocals, Kenny McKeeve/guitar, mandolin, harmonica & vocals, Gavin Dunbar/bass, Lee Thomson/drums, Nigel Baillie/trumpet & percussion 
 
 www.camera-obscura.net

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"The music is as inventive as ever, huge multi-layered productions retaining the pop heart that has resulted in The Lips’ belated appeal. It is every bit as good as its big-selling predecessor" - Evening Standard

"A peerless smorgasbord of brain-bending sonic delicacies, food for thought and spiritual succour" - Mojo

"The Flaming Lips are the first big band to make emotional and intelligent technoid pop - the first big band to be, you know, good - since New Order… they’ve done it: three astonishing records in a row" - Uncut

The Flaming Lips bring their hugely entertaining live show to these shows for a tour in November that includes two dates at London’s Hammersmith Apollo.

Having recently impressed UK audiences with a memorable show at the Royal Albert Hall and a show stealing set at the Wireless Festival, The Flaming Lips will return to play the following venues:

November

4th - Brighton, Centre                          0870 900 9100
5th - Bournemouth, BIC                          0870 111 3000
6th - Manchester, Apollo                                0870 401 8000
8th - Blackpool, Empress Ballroom                       01253 292 029
9th - Birmingham, NIA                           0870 909 4144
10th - Glasgow, SECC                            0870 040 4000
13th - London, Hammersmith Apollo               0870 606 3400
14th - London, Hammersmith Apollo               0870 606 3400 (added date)

Tickets are available now from www.livenation.com, www.gigsandtours.com or the credit card hotlines on 0870 400 0688/0871 2200 260 at a price of £22.50 for London and £20 for all regional dates.

Fresh from achieving their biggest hit to date with the #16 single ‘The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song’, The Flaming Lips will release ‘The W.A.N.D.’ on July 17th as the second single to be taken from their widely praised album ‘At War With The Mystics’ that debuted at #6 on the album charts. One of the heavier and more vehement moments of the ‘At War With The Mystics’ set, ‘The W.A.N.D’ was described by the band’s charismatic vocalist Wayne Coyne as being, "like Black Sabbath getting mashed up with Sly and the Family Stone or Stevie Wonder".

www.flaminglips.com

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Following the rapid sell-out of Cerys Matthews’ first UK tour in three years - which starts this week in Portsmouth - Cerys has quickly confirmed a major round of shows this autumn. The dates will follow the much-anticipated release of her new album ‘Never Said Goodbye’ on August 21st on Rough Trade.

The tour dates run as follows:

July
26th - London, Scala

September
25th - Leeds, Cockpit
26th - Manchester, Academy
28th - Liverpool, Stanley Theatre
29th - Glasgow, Oran Mor

October
1st - Sheffield, Leadmill
2nd - Norwich, Waterfront
4th - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
5th - Oxford, Zodiac
6th - Treorchy, Park & Dare Theatre
8th - Bristol, Fiddlers
9th - Birmingham, Glee Club
10th - Brighton, Concorde 2
11th - London, Koko

Produced by Stuart Sikes (The White Stripes, The Walkmen), Ben Elkins (Heypenny) and Cerys Matthews and mixed by Jeremy Ferguson (Josh Rouse, Be Your Own Pet),  ‘Never Said Goodbye’ will be preceded by the release of a single - ‘Open Roads’ - on August 7th.

Previously vocalist for Catatonia, one of the most successful bands to have ever emerged from Wales, Cerys Matthews has recently returned to the UK with her husband and two young children, having spent the last 3 years in Nashville Tennessee..

Cerys’s post-Catatonia solo career has gone from strength to strength; ‘Cockahoop’ was met with widespread acclaim, The Times describing the album as, "one of those unexpected triumphs of literal thinking in pop… certainly an album worth cheering about", whilst The Independent declared, "the instant you hear ‘Cockahoop’, you wonder why she never made it before".

www.cerysmatthews.co.uk

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Since the collapse of Slowdive, in the mid 90’s singer Neil Halstead hasn’t looked back. Forming Mojave three with his wife and also former band member Rachel Goswell, they traded in shogazey indie for alternative country folk. It was some leap but finally gave Halstead the critical praise he had always deserved.
    
Puzzles like you, is Mojave 3’s fourth and most commercially accessible album to date. Twelve straight forward but brilliant pop songs. The country roots are still bubbling under but they by no means dominate proceedings as previous releases have. Halstead’s lazy Dylan-esque vocals are wrapped in lush melody from the outset.

Album opener ‘Truck Driving Man’ is a 3 minute honky tonk  pop gem and sets the pace, just one of many highlights. The Doors, light my fire keyboards of ‘Kill The Lights’ and the stomping indie anthem, ‘You Said it before’, all prove that Mojave 3 are most definitely in their prime.

9/10

James Heward 

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