50 quid bloke

Many thanks to James at Hooverdust for steering me to Micah P Hanson’s And The Gospel Of Progress, which completely passed me by when it appeared - to much acclaim - at the end of last year.

How can I have missed it, you ask, when it was even in Manchester Online’s shortlist for Album of 2004.? How indeed.

It’s a very pleasantly dark bit of folk/ alt.county - produced by The Earlies (so it says here) - which chugs, growls and soars in all the right places. He’s only 22 - which is deeply depressing, but I’m getting used to that.

According to the sticker, someone from the Times gave it 5/5 and said it is ‘up there with Dylan’s Idiot Wind’. Oh, dear - yet more Dylan comparisons.

But don’t be put off by that…it’s all very wonderful in its own right.

There’s a couple of mp3s for download here.

PartyBen - the man behind the very fine Boulevard of Broken Tunes Mash Up (it’s mu08.mp3 on this index of mash ups…enjoy the rest) has also done ‘Somebody Rock Me’ a very clever mash up of Rock The Casbah and Somebody Told Me - for ageing post punkers everywhere. There’s a link to it on the front of his site.

Another of those Amazon moments today when a CD arrives that I have absolutely no recollection of ordering.

Who is Dave Mason, I ask? Why is he standing on a mountain in a top hat and tails? and what is this Alone Together album doing in my hands?

Now, yes, I know that the smart music types among you would have known instantly he was in Traffic and this was a solo album of his from 1970 and, you can pretty much guarantee that Paul Weller not only has a copy, but has listened to it about a million times.

I however, was completely baffled. My original thought was that he was some sort of retro-hipster that I’d been recommended on here and I rushed out to buy in fear of falling behind.

However, a quick listen to the gentle, lolloping folk-rock and a check on the date (1970) and it all came back to me: I’d heard a track by him on Jon Savage’s Meridian 1970 album and gone off to find out more. I’d ordered it on caiman.com - so it had taken a while..hence the fact that I’d completely forgotten about it.

What a pleasant surprise. Yes, it’s about as dadrock as it can gets (I heard the phrase ‘neckerchief rock’ the other day - and it fits that bill as well). It wreaks of real ale with a big frothy head, of real men with dynamic facial hair, of..yes, you get the picture. But I’m very glad it’s there in the collection - ready for when the folk rock revival kicks off so I can say I was there all along.

Ironically, the original review of the album in Rolling Stone says it’s very nice but it’s a bit too perfect and polished. By today’s standards it sounds as rough as old boots - although it’s also as charming and comfy as old boots as well.

I’ve said this before…but it’s been an excellent month for new releases. And pretty much everything I’ve bought has been at the least ‘very good’.

Having listened to the lot, I’m slightly embarrassed to say that the one I keep coming back to is still Ben Lee’s Awake is the New Sleep. I’m embarrassed because it’s by far the most mellow of this month’s purchases, and I’m slightly paranoid about my musical tastes sliding straight to easy listening. But, I’m a sucker for a good melody and a half decent lyric and he fits the bill nicely. A must buy, a veritable white trainers of an album - it goes with everything.

Not that I don’t like the Bravery, with their slight electro twist on the indie-pop thing (although I was convinced that Honest Mistake was the theme to the new Dr Who when I heard it on the radio) but there’s so much of this stuff around at the moment - all very good, admittedly - that I feel I can take or leave this one.

Beck’s, Guero, is the first thing from him that - imho - comes anything near Odelay and in any normal month would be something of a highlight, but a good new ‘un beats a good old ‘un in my book, so he’s relegated into the also rans in the face of so much other good stuff.

The album I most wanted to love was Brendan Benson’s The Alternative to Love. It had all the right ingredients - and again, in a normal month it would be there as something of a revelation. He’s good, but the album bounces about a bit and lacks a really winning track. I’m still tempted to go back and buy everything he’s ever done, and will probably do so the next time I tumble onto Amazon after a couple of glasses of wine. Despite my reservations, I sense he’s going to be quite huge though…read Laura Barton’s interview with him in today’s paper.

Ambulance Ltd is probably my number two album for the month. Interesting, catchy and just a little bit different from your standard indie fayre. Also plays to my penchant for lolloping sixties stuff. A New York take on British shoegazing? (says MTV) Well, let’s not kill ourselves in search of a new musical category cocktail, shall we?…it’s very good, buy it.

Brendan Benson’s The Alternative to Love; Ambulance Ltd’s Ambulance Ltd, and The Bravery’s The Bravery. Ambulance Ltd currently ahead…but it’s still all to play for…Full feedback tomorrow.

Also Roger mails me about the new Iron and Wine EP…apparently he’s ‘gone electric’. Well from this sample, it sounds quite interesting.

If you haven’t already seen it, Word’s free Word of Mouth Cd this month is excellent. Thanks to them for steering me towards (among other things) Ben Lee’s new album Awake is the New Sleep (yes, that is a crap title, but let’s move on).

Just when I thought there couldn’t possibly be another intelligent melodic acoustic balladeer out there, along comes Mr Lee. It’s definitely more at the pop end of acoustic-dom (as oposed to the folk end where you find Willy Mason etc hanging out).

Best track is probably ‘We’re All In This Together’ which was actually on the word CD…and will having you hugging the person you’re sitting next to on the bus.

I stumbled across BitCartel’s IRecordMusic software (which can schedule recordings of online audio streams) a while ago - and it’s very neat..although I never quite get round to using it.

However, I think I overlooked their real gift to mankind: RadioLover - a piece of software that records internet radio streams and then cuts and tags all the songs and drops them into your iTunes library. Yes, just like those sunday afternoons you used to spend pressing the pause button on the top 40…

I think it’s a couple of years old, at least..(written about here in 2003) but I was back on PCs then.. still stunning. I showed it to a radio executive who had minor palpatations.

Genius..and only $15. Mac OS X only…if anyone knows a PC equivalent, do tell..

Let’s face it - the last few months haven’t seen much that’s decent in the way of new releases.

I suppose that everyone basically gives up over Xmas and doesn’t start putting anything good out until March. But suddenly, we’ve got a bumper crop of stuff - that seems to be getting uniformly good reviews all round. Here’s the CDs that have arrived so far.

Rufus Wainwright: Want Two. He does go on, doesn’t he? If you’re thinking: ‘I really loved Want One…so I must rush out and buy this’. Think again. It’s more a case of: if you really loved Want One, you have no reason to get this as it’s more of the same. Soupy strings, plaintive voice, bitter sweet lyrics wrapped in lovely memories. Yes, it’s lovely…but we’ve heard it before and listening to this actually makes you like Want One a little less. He sings two songs in French for chrissakes - and we all know that’s never a good idea. Even if you’re French.

Verdict: I’m assuming Rufus is OK for a few quid at the moment, so I think everyone should steer clear of this one…to give him a nice loud: ‘Must try harder’.

The Kaiser Chiefs, Employment. Another more than decent indie/pop album to file next to Kasabian, Razorlight, Franz Ferdinand, Killers etc. The single ‘Oh My God’ is one of those songs that you have to be brain dead not to love. Xfm have been treating them like deities for most of this year - which is a little over the top. It’s quite a long way off a masterpiece, but it’ll do for now.

Verdict: Whether or not you like it, is sort of irrelevant. You have to own it to prove your ‘I might be over 30 but I can still cut it with the kids’ credentials.

Antony and the Johnsons. I Am A Bird Now. Word magazine called it the most pretentious album of the year. The booklet inside the CD looks like something from a graphic design student’s end of year show. It’s all very ‘genderqueer’ (their word). It has roots in New York cabaret. Lou Reed is involved. You get the picture - and it doesn’t look good. Unless you’re a drama student. But ooh, yes, what a pleasant surprise. Definitely weird and a teeny bit twisted - but also very listenable. I can pretty much guarantee that Antony grew up with a David Sylvian poster on his wall, and there’s moments when he sounds not a little like Rufus W. Both of which are no bad thing. Deserves the general gushing that has greeted it. A more than pleasant surprise. Find out more here.

Verdict: Easy listening with a twist. Perfect dinner party stuff.

Matt Pond PA: Winter Songs. Yes, I know it came out a while ago…but like I said, I’ve been busy. A mini album, seven tracks, three covers (Neil Young, Richard Thompson, Linda Buckingham - you get the idea) and two instrumentals. They can be forgiven for this placeholder because they did two albums in 2004 and frankly deserve a break. Pleasant melodic indie stuff. Gentle but not bland. I like them a lot. I think bands should put out more mini-albums like this: ‘we’re quite busy at the moment working on our magnum opus…but in the meantime, here’s a few things to keep you happy.’

Verdict: Pre-dinner drinks. But if you really want the full MP PA experience better to start with Emblems.

Andy Votel: Folk Is Not A four letter word. A few tracks into this - and listening to a jazzed up version of Strawberry Fair (yes, you read that right) - I thought it was a 100% hippy-shit stinker: the first truly minging album I’d ordered in a long time (thanks to my patent-pending CD purchasing process..which I’ll reveal in a later post).

Then, a couple of tracks popped up while iTunes was on random and I thought: ‘oooh, that’s nice…’ and before you know it, I’m something of a fan. Even that version of Strawberry Fair has its attractions.

Jon Savage took the bit of the late 60’s/ early 70’s musical ven diagram where folk and rock crossed over for Meridan 70…Andy Votel’s got the bit where folk and jazz overlapped. He calls it acid folk, or something like that. And, I think we can safely assume that a lot of kaftans were worn during the making of this album.

Verdict: Worth playing at dinner parties after Antony and the Johnsons to show of just how completely ‘out there’ your music taste is.

Annie, Anniemal. When you grow up, there are two types of pop music - the type that those with sophisticated musical taste buds can knowingly say things like ‘that’s a great pop song’ about; and the other type that is called manufactured rubbish. The problem is: I’m never quite sure which is which - so I tend to steer well clear of the stuff in case I make a wrong call and end up doing the modern day equivalent of painting ‘Rick Astley’ on my rucksack. However, I have it on excellent authority (my friend Steve, who knows about these things, and good reviews in broadsheets etc) that this is the right kind of pop. It might have a sugary exterior, but it’s got real substance to it. And she’s Scandinavian.

Verdict: Worth playing at dinner parties after Antony and the Johnsons and Andy Votel to show that while you’re ‘out there’ you still know good pop when it slaps you in the face.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Shake the Sheets. I think I prefered him when he was a bit more of an American Billy Bragg, and a bit more pared down than this full-on new wave/ scratchy power pop. It’s ok. I suppose. And

Verdict Only if you have space in your life for ‘new wave’ moments

And meanwhile I’m waiting for. Ambulance Ltd, The Bravery, Ben Lee and Brendan Benson, not to mention Beck’s Guero - all of which sound excellent.