The eraser / Yorke, Thom
More depressing noodlings from Radiohead front man on the subjects of anxiety, paranoia, war, & the death of Dr. David Kelly in the spirit of the electronica of Kid A. Not as fleshed out as Radiohead tracks, leaving some of the tracks sounding like rough demos. Still it gives Yorke a chance to show how much of an instrument his voice can be. (Mark)

The trials of Van Occupanther / Midlake
The Texan band’s second album moves deeper into 1970s territory with this gorgeous collection of songs. Sweet harmonies, varied instrumentation and weird 19th century lyrics make it an exciting and rewarding listening. (Neil P.)

Highway companion / Petty, Tom
His first album since 2002’s patchy ‘The Last DJ’ and first solo album since 1994’s ‘Wildflowers’ sees a welcome return to form. Teaming with producer Jeff Lynne and Heartbreaker Mike Campbell he delivers a stripped down acoustic based set that is closer in style to 1989’s ‘Full Moon Fever’. Petty’s classic rock style was never groundbreaking, but on this effortless album he seems to know he’s no longer got anything left to prove, and the album is filled with the kind of melodic catchy guitar driven songs that no one seems to make anymore. (Mark)

Faust IV [2 CD] / Faust
The German band’s 1973 album is re-mastered and re-released with a bonus disc of Peel sessions and alternate takes. The sound is an improvement on the original release and the result is a collection of idiosyncratic pieces that make up what is truly one of the great albums of the seventies. (Neil P.)

 

Don’t you know who I think I was? : the best of The Replacements / Replacements
Anyone hearing The Replacements for the first time might just conclude that they sound like a lot of other bands, when the truth is that most other bands sound like The Replacements. For the first time a compilation gathers their work from indie & major labels, showcasing just how influential Paul Westerberg’s song-writing is. Their album ‘Let it be’ is regarded as one of the first grunge albums, & the song ‘Achin’ to be’ credited with heralding the whole Americana movement. An obvious influence on bands as diverse as Wilco, Nirvana, Green Day & Ryan Adams. Essential listening for any true ‘rock’ fan. (Mark)

When then is now / Chappell, Lisa
Accomplished New Zealand actor Lisa Chappell, best known for her role as Claire McLeod on the Australian TV show McLeod’s Daughters released her debut album last month titled ‘When Then is Now’. Influenced by strong storytellers such as Lucinda Williams, kd Lang and Bob Dylan, Lisa Chappell has a beautiful voice and is a wonderful storyteller. You will find that you can relate to some aspects of the tracks which carry a soft and gentle tone. (Kate M)

Under the covers vol. 1 / Sweet, Matthew
“Sid N’ Susie” are the MySpace monikers of Matthew Sweet & Bangle Susanna Hoffs, as they collaborate on the 15 cover versions of 60s pop & folk-rock songs that make up this album. Sweet always wore his 60s influences on his sleeve & Hoffs was a member of L.A’s ‘Paisley underground’ scene before finding success with the Bangles. They both seem to be having a huge amount of fun singing their favourite cult songs and obscure oldies. Standout tracks include the Zombies ‘Care of cell #44’, The Stone Poney’s ‘Different Drum’, & The Left Banke’s ‘She may call you up tonight’. (Mark)

Washing machine / Sonic Youth
If you like Sonic Youth but aren’t sure where to start, get this record out! You are surrounded by Kim Gordon’s hypnotic vocals, lots of dissonant guitar, long feedback and drum sequences and that fantastic Sonic Youth sound. This album has been described by inkblot magazine as the band’s finest single moment of the decade. It came out shortly after Sonic Youth headlined at Lollapalooza in 1995. My highlights were the haunting childlike sound of Little Trouble Girl featuring Kim Deal from the Breeders; the feedback, surf guitar, and angry vocals of No Queen Blues; and the last track, The Diamond Sea, which is just under twenty minutes long. Definitely recommended. (Cathy)

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman / Coltrane, John
Singer Johnny Hartman was one of the best, if not the best mellow jazz singers, yet he was virtually unremembered until Clint Eastwood resurrected one of his albums for the soundtrack of his ‘Bridges of Madison County’ movie. Hartman’s career lasted more than 40 years, yet he only recorded a dozen or so albums. For this 1963 session Coltrane approached Hartman, who hadn’t cut an album in 7 years, to record an album with his current quartet, resulting in one of the greatest match ups of a vocalist and instrumentalist in Jazz. Coltrane’s tenor is like a second voice as it weaves around Hartman’s deep baritone. Any singer would be pleased to record the definitive version of a song during his entire career, but this album has two definitive versions to its credit; ‘My One and only love’, and more impressively Billy Strayhorn’s ‘Lush Life’. Ostensibly a prose-poem peon to nihilism the notoriously difficult song had been previously attempted by everyone form Nat King Cole, to Ella Fitzgerald, to Sinatra (who eventually abandoned it unfinished) but Hartman glides through the song with apparent ease. An Esquire magazine essay in 1990 proclaimed it the greatest album of all time.

Avatar / Comets on Fire
The fourth album by this visionary Californian band, it continues their tradition of crazed acid heaviness, and everything’s still going off in different directions at the same time, but it starts to focus their sound a little. As All Music Guide puts it, “Avatar is stunningly beautiful, even if the definition of that word needs to expand a bit to embrace it.” (Neil P.)

 

 

Koln concert featuring Dick Twardzik / Baker, Chet
Jazz trumpeter Baker was just off a successful run with Gerry Mulligan and his own quartet when he embarked on a European tour in 1955. With him was a relatively unknown pianist called Dick Twardzik, whose nascent avante garde style was unlike anything the European audience was expecting. Unfortunately Twardzik was also a notorious heroin addict, and his overdose in a Paris hotel room shed a pall over the tour and Baker himself. Nevertheless this concert, which was never previously released, is a fitting tribute to the heat that lay beneath peoples image of Baker’s playing and the lost talent of Twardzik. (Mark)

Live at the BBC / Isotope
This relatively unknown jazz-rock fusion group existed for just a few years in the early seventies and released just three albums, but in their day they were a stunning instrumental combo, combining intricate beauty and full-on power. These sessions were recorded live in London and are supplemented by some later solo material by guitarist Gary Boyle. (Neil P.)

 

‘Round about midnight / Davis, Miles
If you look up the definition of cool in the dictionary, chances are you’ll find a picture of Miles Davis and John Coltrane wearing Armani suits and sunglasses while playing ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’. Originally cut in 1955, 50 years on still finds Miles, Coltrane and rhythm section Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, as the definitive modern jazz ensemble. Along with the iconic original album, this 2005 re-issue contains 4 bonus tracks from the same sessions; while the second disc contains an undiscovered live concert from 1956, as well as Miles’ 1955 version of ‘Round Midnight’ from the Newport Jazz Festival, a stunning solo that signalled his return to the Jazz world after kicking his debilitating addiction to heroin. (Mark)

The record shop : 30 years of Rough Trade shops
30 tracks spanning three decades to celebrate the famous independent record shop in North London. Each track is introduced in the booklet by a (usually famous) customer, and there are stunning songs by everyone from The Modern Lovers to Bjork, from Afrika Bambaata and the Carter Family, to Stereolab and Nurse With Wound. (Neil P.)

 

Getting somewhere / Moorer, Allison
Moorer is one of the best country singers of her generation, yet the commercial breakthrough of others has eluded her. An Alabama native, Moorer suffered tragedy at an early age when she & her sister witnessed their father shoot their mother, then take his own life. Her sister Shelby took charge of raising her & moved to Nashville (where she began recording country music under the name Shelby Lynne). After college Moorer headed back to Nashville with hopes of being a backup singer, and soon landed a deal with MCA. Her first three albums all showcase her amazingly husky voice and are a blend of traditional country and Americana influences, the best of which is ‘Miss Fortune’, with its epic ballads and peons to bars & drinking. Achieving critical success but not sales, she moved from MCA to an independent label for ‘The Duel’ which featured a harder sound. Moorer’s 2nd album on her new label is a further departure from her roots. Divorced from her long term husband & songwriting partner (and remarried to Steve Earle, who produces this album) she writes nearly all the material on the album which, while still ostensibly a country album, includes more upbeat tracks complete with backing vocals, double tracked leads, horns, strings & other flourishes. And while the sound is more diverse & polished she still centres the songs around personal lyrics, and shows how artists can evolve without selling out. (Mark)

The melody at night, with you / Jarrett, Keith
In the late 90s, pianist Keith Jarrett was afflicted with what would turn out to be chronic fatigue syndrome. Unable to sustain the rigours of touring and performing it seemed for a while that his career might tragically be over. Originally conceived as a Christmas present to his wife, this album was recorded at his home studio when he had the necessary energy. The results were so special and poignant that he was persuaded to release it to a wider audience. Consisting of classic ballads the album shows a side of Jarrett which is more fragile than usual but it is a testament to the power of the human spirit to overcome debilitating odds. Fortunately Jarrett made a recovery of sorts as his output since this album more than demonstrates. Probably not a record to listen to alone in a dark room though. (Robert)

Radiodread / Easy Star All-Stars
From the group that brought you Dub side of the moon: A reggae tribute to dark side of the moon, comes this bizarre juxtaposition of Radiohead’s insular ode to technology, paranoia, and dehumanization, and the mellow vibe of reggae. It all sounds so wrong, but after hearing ‘Let Down’ featuring Toots & the Maytals, and the frenzied guitar solo in ‘Paranoid Android’ played on the tuba, you’ll swear it’s a work of genius. Or a work of something, anyway. (Mark)

Taking the long way / Dixie Chicks
In 2003 during a concert one of the Dixie Chicks said that they were ashamed the President of the United States was a fellow Texan. It caused a huge uproar leading to death threats and the banning of their music from country music radio stations. With the swing in American politics and the increasing uneasiness about the Iraq War they have to a degree been welcomed back into the fold (although not by all). Most of the songs have an autobiographical basis and range from haunting melodies to more “rocky” numbers. The violin playing is magical. Every time of listening brings a better understanding of the lyrics. Two favourites – “Not Ready To Make Nice” (I’m not ready to make nice, I’m not ready to back down, I’m still mad as hell) and “Lullaby” (How much do you want to be loved – is forever enough?). Great CD that can be playing quietly in the background, or turned up a lot louder to suit your mood. (Liz)

Written in the stars / Charlap, Bill
Charlap is the best jazz pianist around at the moment, but receives little attention because he’s not particularly hip, doesn’t veer from what’s defined as ‘mainstream’ (therefore less worthy of attention), play 20 minute versions of Radiohead tunes, or dazzle listeners with how clever his playing is. He could do these things if he wanted to, but what he wants to do is to play obscure standards in a self-effacing style, where less notes are more – in the tradition of such greats as Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones and Bill Evans. He had been around a while on small & European labels before signing to US Blue Note label. But as is the trend with major labels they tried to sell his playing around theme albums that tend to dilute his individuality. The best of his Blue Note albums is this one, his first, in which he plays a mix of obscure and better known standards with a reverence for the songs lyric and meaning, shifting tempos and chords to reinvent familiar songs with an added depth, aided admirably by bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. (Mark)

Orphans : brawlers, bawlers & bastards / Waits, Tom
It is difficult to criticise Tom Waits. He does what no one else does, in a voice unlike anyone else’s, in a style (the circus-blues-gravel-chug orchestra) un-reproducible. Tom Waits deserves respect and the three CD’s ‘Brawlers, ‘Bastards’ and ‘Orphans’ contain songs with which one might feel that respect justifiable. ‘Lie To me,’ with its plea for contented ignorance, ‘The Road To Peace’ starts with the commonplace, nods to George Bush and then winks at God, almost all the ‘Bawlers’ resonate, have their own feel, but, as with the cover – Waits with hand on knee, foot on chair, looking out as a shady, brown-toned crew of misfits and ghosts lurk behind- one get the impression that this is Waits for Good or Bad. His past looms just over his shoulder and maybe it’s enough that half of the forty odd songs are something close to brilliant. Maybe, a compilation of the compilation? (Monty, Richard)

Continuum / Mayer, John
Mayer tends to be regarded as a bit of a lightweight, a Dave Matthews clone, a strictly ‘for the chicks’ kind of singer. However this seamed something Mayer himself was aware of and so he decided to do what few major artists do: make some changes to an established 3 album career. Following the release of his second major label album Mayer began a monthly music column in Esquire magazine that showed a broad knowledge of a diverse range of music styles, and began appearing on the albums of predominantly Blues based artists such as Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and B.B King. He then further surprised critics by forming a power Blues trio with Steve Jordan & Pino Palladino – pros who had played with everyone from The Who to Keith Richards – hit the road, then released a live album of mostly new original material that, in the final surprise, was actually good. Mayer has then taken all that and applied it to his latest pop release, and delivered an album that will probably surprise a lot of people who dismissed his earlier work. He addresses things that few artists of his generation seem to; with songs on everything from the Iraq war and politics to apathy and relationships. The music is equally diverse, with elements of funk, blues, rock, R&B, folk, and pop, incorporating Memphis style horns, Mayer’s new falsetto vocal style, and guest appearances from Ben Harper and Roy Hargrove. The fact that it is such a definite stab at a ‘mature’ album means some might find it a little too sincere, and the musicianship a little too slick and perfect, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you never gave him much credit. (Mark)

Fox confessor brings the flood / Case, Neko
Quirky and folky, something that really grows on you. (Fiona)