And so it comes to my top 25 albums of 2008. This was quite hard, as outside of the top half dozen or so there were a lot of good solid records that could have made up the numbers.

Also there were several albums that may well belong on the list but, I just have not given a good enough listen too to include, so, sorry: Elbow, Glasvegas, Kings of Leon, Amanda Palmer and others.

So, the question is, was there one album that stood out from the crowd? For me, yes, and for the second year running it came from Nick Cave. Dig Lazarus Dig continued a rich vein of form that Nick has been minning for the past few years, and so was the record I have returned to most often in 2008.

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig! Lazarus Dig!!: - From the opening bars of the title track this is a wonderful record.
2. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive : Some people have were not as keen on this album as they were with Boys & Girls in America. It was true that this album was less of a progression than they had made musically on previous records, but it worked for me, with the band delivering a handful of the best things they've written to date in the guise of: 'Slapped Actress', 'One for the Cutters', and 'Sequestered in Memphis'. [New stuff also sounded great live]
3. Todd Rundgren - Arena: Despite my better judgement this came very close to actually being my album of the year. It is like a mini greatest hits package, but without the need for the albums that the tracks needed to be on first.
4. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes: The US and UK critics have been falling all over themselves about the Fleet Foxes. If they weren't talking about MGMT (and most were) then they were talking about this folkie throw back harnessing Beach Boys harmonies moxed in with a Little CSNY and more. Hard after a few listens not to be pulled in.
5. Laura Marling - Alas I cannot Swim: Yes, is does sound like it was written by a young girl, and a bit twee in places, but that is actually part of the charm of this album. Duffy and Adele may have gotten most of the coverage, but Marling was the one that won me over. Potentially a huge talent.
6.Metallica - Death Magnetic: Oh yes indeed. Turn those guitars up to 10. A True monster of an album, and containing a host of great tracks, such as: Cyanide; The Day that Never Comes; Judas Kiss; and Unforgiven III. A true return to form.
7. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip: The best free album of the year. Not something that was ever going to convert you to the NIN cause, if you were not already a fan, but a pretty strong offering all the same.
8. Teddy Thompson - A Piece of What You Need: Third album from Teddy, and after time out for an album of country covers it was back to the kind of wonderful folk/country tinged pop that made his debut album such a delight. Like father Richard, the boy knows how to craft a catchy tune.
9.The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia: Idle Hands is possibiliy my favourite track of the year. Whilst the rest of the album cannot quite live up to that, it remains a very good rock record.
10. Sons & Daughters - This Gift: My favourite record out of Scotland this year. A very underated band, and album.
11. Gemma Hayes - The Hollow of Morning: Big fan of Gemma (and she was great at Union Chapel)This was an assured record, full of wonderful songs.
12. Thea Gilmore - Liejacker: Another fantastic songwriter. More stripped down than she had been for a while, but still great stuff, and a cracking cover of You Spin Me Right Round.
13. Motorhead - Motorizer : No, really, I am serious. I would not have expected to say so, but this is a really great album. There is no re-invention of the wheel going on or anything - it sounds exactly like a motorhead album, but tracks like Runaround Man, and English Rose, were there best in years.
14. Rick Springfield - Venus in Overdrive: Over produced to within an inch of its life, but I have always been a sucker for Rick. During the late eighties, early nineties this man was the definition of what pop/rock was. Anyway, this was a bit of a return to form.
15. Ingrid Michaelson - Be OK : This isn't really a proper album as such, but a collection of previously unreleased songs, demos, covers and live recordings (A portion of the proceeds go to Stand Up To Cancer) But it was still a great collection, and reminded me why she deserves to be better known that she is.
16. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago: Like Fleet Foxes, this came from nowhere and showed that folk-type music was still cool.
17. The Fireman - Electric Arguments : Paul McCartney released his best solo album in years last year, and followed it up with his third outing as The Fireman, and surprisingly good it was too.
18. Camille - Music Box: Ever so slightly mad, but with an outstanding voice and the ability to write a song that includes meowing that transends the stupid.
19. Duffy - Rockferry: I tried to resist the charms of Duffy, but eventually she wore me down, and I had to admit I really liked like record.
20. Bob Mould - District Line: A return to the kind of material that made Sugar such a great band - just check out soongs like: The Silence Between Us.
21. The Cure - 4:13 Dream : He's still not the happiest bunny, and still cannot apply make-up, but I was pleasantly surprised by what is the best Cure album in years. Although the Duran Duran impersonation on Bond Theme attempt, Sleep when I'm Dead, I could live without.
22. The Knees - Sexual Radio: It was a tosh up between this and the Be Your Own Pet album for a spot in the top 25, but The Knees get it, with an album that makes me smile when I listed to it. Can't say better than that really.
23. REM - Accelerate: Kept it short and it worked. Very much a back to basics album for REM and it reminded me what a fine band they are still capable of being.
24. Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke: Again, it was a bit of a toss up between this and The Killer's album. Both are snyth-pop records, and both did nothing for me on first listen. However both have slowly worked there way into my mind over the past month or so. I choose Ladyhawke in the end because, it sounds fresher, and because Sam's Town is still a better Killers album.
25. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals: Not vintage Adams by any stretch but still a strong record.

I'll end with a predictions bit. One's to watch in 2009:

Emmy the Great
Little Boots
Florence and the Machine
Black Mountain
Thomas Tantrum
The Knees

Top 10 Gigs of 2008

Unlike last year, where Gig of the year was an easy task - Prince at the 02 - this year was not so clear cut, but if I was pushed to choose a personal favourite it would have to have been The Weakerthans gig. They were on top form, the sound was great, the view was great. Magic stuff.

Close but no cigar would have to be Todd Rundgren and Shelby Lynne. Todd was in town to rock, and rock he surely did delivering a stellar performance, as did Lynne on her long awaited return to the UK's shores. A terrific voice and just a natural class performer. The rest were, well, the rest really.

1. The Weakerthans @ Scala 02/06/2008
2. Shelby Lynne @ Royal Festival Hall 19/10/2008
3. Todd Rundgren @ The Forum 23/11/2008
4. Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band @ Emirates Stadium 30/05/2008
5. Steve Earle @ Roundhouse 18/02/2008
6. CCamille @ Camden Roundhouse 19/10/2008
7. Thea Gilmore @ Bloomsbury Theatre 09/06/2008
8. Ryan Adams and the Cardinal @ Brixton Academy - 20/11/2007
9. Scorpions @ Hammersmith Appollo 18/10/2008
10. Jesse Malin @ ULU, London, 15/05/2008

Disappointment of the year?

My Bloody Valentine @ the Roundhouse 23/06/2008 I should have been great, but in the end whilst the wall of sound was impressive, and I did enjoy it, the inability to hear any vocals wasn't impressive or clever. If they don't want people hearing them sing live, start writing instrumentals instead, if they do get someone who knows how to work a mixing desk at live gigs.

Singles of the Year

I know they hardly exist at these days, but here at least are the 25 standout singles (that I can remember - which prob means overlooked something really obviously good) from 2008. So, in no order:

1. Teddy Thompson - In my Arms
2. Metallica - The Day that Never Comes
3. Christina Aquilera - Keeps Gettin' Better.
4. 3 Doors Down - It's Not My Time
5. Glasvegas - Daddy's Gone.
6. Laura Marling - Cross your Fingers.
7. Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire.
8. Gabriella Clili - Sweet about Me.
9. Ting Tings - That's Not my Name
10. Duffy - Warwick Avenue
11. Bon Iver - Skinny Love
12. Weezer - Pork and Beans
13. Amanda Palmer - Oasis.
14. Noah and the Whale - Five Years Time.
15.R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious
16. The Hold Steady - Sequestered in Memphis
17. Aimee Mann - Freeway
18. Nick Cave & Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig
19. Gutter Twins - Idle Hands
20. Sons & Daughters - Gilt Complex
21. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
22. The Wedding Present - Santa Ana Winds
23. Bob Mould - Stupid Now
24. Elbow - Grounds for Divorce
25. Sara Bareilles - Love Song

Todd Rundgren @ The Forum 23/11/2008

I think this was Todd's first appearance at the Forum since he recorded a live album there back in 1994 on the No World Order tour. He was all alone for that one.

Tonight, things could not have been more different as Todd brought the Arena tour to London.

What can I say. It rocked. Playing the same set that he has been doing for the whole tour - opening with Love in Action, Open my Eyes, Black Maria, I Saw the Light etc, before playing Arena in its entirety - this was guitar rock heaven (and let's face it, probably the last time you'll see Todd doing this kind of tour in the UK).

The band were tight, the backing vocals near perfection, and a few ropey moments aside, Todd's vocals strong and good. It was a real joy to see him playing so much lead guitar, after recent years of being more of the 'singer in the band'.

There were a few technically issues near the start, when Todd couldn't get the clean guitar sound he wanted, and one amusing moment when he managed to fall over, but these things did not distract from what was an excellent show. Todd was also a bit more chatty that he'd been on the Liars and Joe Jackson/Ethyl tours, which was good.

Highlights? Quite a few, but getting to hear 'Couldn't I just Tell You' (an old favourite and the song that converted me to Todd) was hard to top. Prize for loudest song on the night, was surprisingly the oldest, 'Open my Eyes'. New album sounded great, although one of my favourite tracks off it, 'Afraid' sounded the most 'muddy' of the evening, which was a shame.

Would be great if Todd could swing back through the UK again next year with a similar tour.

Oh, and Rachel does look rather cute in real life.

Todd to produce new Dolls album

According to NME Todd is about to head back into the studio with the New York Dolls to produce their new album.

"We're really excited to be working with Todd again," frontman Johansen said in a statement. "We're hoping to recapture the same magic on the forthcoming album [that was on the debut]."

Playgirl

Came across this interesting 2003 Playgirl interview with Todd.

Risotto

The Akron Beacon Journal nailed Todd down on his food and cooking likes to discover his love or risotto.

"Once you get into cooking risotto, it's simple. I live some of the year in San Francisco and this is my speciality recipe. Get yourself a crab - with nice firm meat, like a Dungeness type-crab - and clean the shell, 'cos you want to use it for stock. Simmer it with white wine for about an hour. Use arborio rice and toast it over a hob with garlic and onions before adding the stock, with a little cream to help it emulsify. Add the crab, and a small tin of crushed pineapple, and finish with a healthy squirt of Sriracha - a hot Indonesian/Thai sauce. This is great the next day too, when it has an especially thick texture."

Todd in Scotland

"There's a 60-year-old man on stage wearing regulation rock star shades and the tightest leather trousers this side of Iggy Pop" - So Begins the Glasgow Herald's, Four star, review of Todd's gig at the Edinburh Playhouse of Friday night. It goes onto say "It's Todd Rundgren's voice that really stands out, though. After 40 years of practice, Rundgren's vocal cords have matured into a guttural roar from Hades." Meanwhile the Scotsman's reviewer felt todd was worth the full 5 stars , also picking out the vocals claiming "his relentlessly screaming rock vocals outdid even the mighty Roger Daltry in his prime."

Edinburgh is a lovely place to go out exploring single malt whisky.

Good interview with Todd in The List (Scottish listing mag). Todd is in Edinburgh this evening - still annnoyed didn't manage to get tickets for this one, but have to wait until Sun 22nd here in London.

The Knees - Sexual Radio

Whilst I have been a member and a fan of the Aime Street site (just got a revamp) for a couple of years, I have to confess I had not bought anything for a while.

But, then, the other day when one of the weekly update emails hit my inbox I caught a glimpse of the names Weezer and Liz Phair. Hang on, I thought. I like Weezer, and I LOVE Liz Phair. The mentions were from a description of a new york band called The Knees

What the hell, I thought, let's give them a go -so I logged in and downloaded their album 'Sexual Radio'

What an enjoyable, fun, record. I'll go as far as to say that when it works - as it does on tracks such as 'The Kind of Girl' (a hit single in the making), 'Loser Girlfriend', Sick of being Stoned, and 'Can't Stop Now' it is Wonderful.

So, is the Weezer/Phair comparison fair? There are certainly elements. I can see why people might mention Wheatus, The Donnas, and a few others as well. Not that this should stop you from checking this band out, if you like good guitar based pop/rock music.

The best thing I can say, as I sit here in London (UK) is that, this is a more enjoyable record than a great deal of those records relased by 'named' artists this year, and I would already love to see the band live - so I really need some more people (esp in the UK) to buy the record so that they can afford to come over and play (you can all sleeep on my floor if can't afford the accomodation guys, really).

Criticisms? They may over do the whoa-oh's .

Old Rockers

I felt a brief post was needed on the latest albums by AC/DC and Motorhead.

The New album from AC/DC - 'Black Ice', which is currently giving them their first number one album in the UK in 18 years, is currently being hailed as a return to form - with some even claiming it to be their best work since Brian Johnson's first album as singer, the classic 'Back in Black'.

The last AC/DC album I bought, was 'Flick of the Switch', when I was about 14. I loved it. I then started to loose interest in Angus and Co, and when I returned to listen to the album around 5 years ago, I discovered that it is pretty piss poor. I sampled a few of their outings since then, and was equally underwhelmed. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the new record does actually contain their best work in 25 years or more.

Indeed, I would venture to sat that it could have been even better if they had edited a bit better. There are 15 tracks on this new record, and if I has been doing a Rick Rubin, I would have axed about 8 of them, and told them to come up with another 3 that were as strong as the other 7. As it is, this is just a good solid rock record, and not the great record it really could have been.

That said songs such as: 'Rock 'n' Roll Train', 'Skies of Fire', 'Anything Goes', 'War Machine', and 'Stormy May Day', all work very well. I never thought i'd say this, but worth checking out.

Meanwhile, Lemmy and Motorhead are also still banging the albums out. Here too, the quality has been patchy over recent years, but again, they seem to had suddenly got it right again. The new album, 'Motorizer', is one of my favourites of the second half of this year so far.

Don't get me wrong, there is no re-invention of wheel going on here - this still sounds exactly like a Motorhead album; but with the like of 'Runaround Man', 'English Rose', 'Teach you how to sing the blues', 'Heroes', and 'Thousand names of God', this along with the Metallica album in one of the few essential hard rock album of the year. Buy.

Rock Out Promo Video (not one of album's best tracks)

Camille @ Camden Roundhouse 19/10/2008

Take one slightly mad French woman, add a 50/50 anglo/french crowd, sit back and enjoy. Whilst I own both Camille's solo albums, I must confess, I was unsure as to whether the experience of seeing her live would be a good one or not. I need not have feared. Live, Camille is - in all senses of the word - quite extraordinary.

Backed by just a piano, four backing singers, and two guys doing human beat-box accompaniment for drums/bass/guitar - this was an enhanced acappella experience to savour and enjoy.

It was one of those odd nights when, her actual set was only one hour long, but she then managed to eek out another hour on stage in the encore - which features some good and some bad improv, featuring Jamie Cullum.

Camille's humour came through well on songs such as, the very silly (but great crowd participation song) 'Cats & Dogs'; and 'Money Note' (where she takes a dig at Mariah and co). Also, she is happy to throw in a Dead Kennedy's cover she originally performed with Nouvelle Vague - 'Too Drunk to Fuck'.

Hard to really describe, but whatever she does, it works and works very well. A truly original artist.

Scorpions @ Hammersmith Appollo 18/10/2008

Just over a year ago I went to see the Scorpions for the first time in 17 years, and surprised myself by having a fantastic time - not least because ex guitarist Uli Roth joined the band on stage to play a handful of their old songs. A year on, and the same tour is winding down but now Uli was coming over as alternating support act with Michael Schenker - who this time last year was so smacked out of his head most of the time, that even the basic ability to stand up whilst playing live was proving difficult.

Knowing that, I was pleased to find out that London was going to be an Uli gig. He played 5 songs - three from his new album, top and tailed with Scorpions classics: 'The Sails of Charon' and 'We'll burn the sky' - both off the, now 30 year old, 'Taken by Force' album. It was a great way to kick off the night and Uli's guitar playing was as excellent as you would expect it to be.

And then the Scorps came on, and once again a great hard rock sing-a-long commenced: 'The Zoo'; 'Coast to Coast'; 'Bad Boys Running Wild'; 'Holiday'; 'Big City Nights'; 'No one Like You', 'Dynamite', 'Another Piece of Meat', 'Loving You Sunday Morning', 'Lovedrive', 'Still Loving You' , and more.

Michael made it onto stage for a handful of these tunes to mostly play brother Rudolf's lead guitar parts. Whilst you still wouldn't say he was looking great and healthy, the fact he was sober enough to stand, and was looking much better than last year was great news. The band seemed glad to have him onstage too.

Perhaps the biggest highlight for me, however, was probably Uli once again back on stage, and the band doing another Taken by Force track - and my favourite as a child - 'He's a Woman, She's a Man'. Just brilliant.

All in all, another great gig.

Aimee Mann @ Indigo02 - 24/10/08

Another year, another Aimee Mann gig. 15 months after her last visit to the 02 Indigo, Mann was back to plug her latest album - '@#%&*! Smilers'.

Opening with set with 'Stranger into starman' and 'Looking for nothing', tonight's set-list was certainly new album heavy, but the new songs - on the whole sounded as good , if not better in the live environment. Thankfully there was also room in the set for some older numbers such as 'Red Vines', 'Deathly', 'How am I Different', 'Wise Up'

For someone who always used to say she didn't really do inbetween songs chit-chat very well, Mann now excels in doing it, and does so with wit and charm - no more so than when she was having some early technical issues and also during her attempts to remember how to play 'Mr Harris' (an audience suggestion) - a track off her debit solo album - 'Whatever'.

For me however, it was another song off that album that was my gig highlight, the always sublime '4th of July', with along with her version of Supertramp's 'One', made up the encores.

All in all, and despite not playing enough older stuff, this was - for me - a better gig than her appearance at the same venue in 2007.

A quick mention about the support act - The Submarines. Delightful band (remind me of earlier Aimee) with a cracking album 'Declare a New State'. Worth keeping an eye out for .

AC/DC back with song that doesn't suck, shock

Shelby Lynne @ Royal Festival Hall 19/10/2008

It had been a while since Shelby Lynne had last stood in stage in London - a fact she alluded to on a number of occasions during the evening's proceedings. When she was last here in 2001, she played Shepherd's Bush and was touring in support of the (now classic) I am Shelby Lynne album. I seem to recall standing next to David Hepworth and Mark Ellen for a while (or was that at Lucinda Williams?). Anyway, the gig remains one of the best I've ever seen. She just blew me away that night.
All these years on, could she do the same?? Not quite, but you know what, she gave it a good go.

The set was a near perfect blend of songs pulled mostly from I Am Shelby Lynne, and her new album of covers of songs made known by Dusty Springfield, with a few others from Love Shelby etc thrown if for good measure.

It was safe to say that from the moment the band launched into opening track 'Life is Bad' (a Sheryl Crow-esq country rocker from I am Shelby Lynne) the audience knew that this was going to be good. Like sister Alison, Lynne's strength is the fact that she has a tremendous voice, that works as well on tracks like this as it does on her stripped down versions of Dusty songs. Of these 'Just a Little Lovin', 'I Only Want To Be With You' (in which she fails to get us to sing along) and 'Breakfast in Bed' were certainly highlights, as were 'Jesus on a Greyhound', 'Gotta Get Back', and one of my all-time favourite live songs, 'Your Lies'.

I was slightly disappointed that 'Black Light Blue' was missing from the set, but then again, you can't please everyone.

Lynne was accompanied by a four-piece band, including - if I am not mistaken - a guy on guitar who I saw with Lucinda a few years back.

Lynne had me and the rest of the audience (mostly 40-60 age bracket - hello young people, where were you?) in the palm of her hand. Let's hope it is not another 7-8 yrs before Lynne re-appears on our shores ( Next Febs dates have already been cancelled).

Clip from Chicago gig

Tood Rundgren - Arena

I've been a bit quiet here for a few weeks, due to a combination of circumstances, but hopefully the next couple of weeks I will catch up with a few reviews and comments that I have been meaning to throw up here, a hand full of gigs and some album reviews/comment on the new metallica, jackson browne and ice cube albums amongst others. But, I really need to start with Todd and Arena.

Arena was waiting for me when I returned from Holiday in Crete, and my first listen -about 5 mins after getting home - was at 11pm after a long day. I was, quite frankly a bit unimpressed. However, the following day I spun the disc thrice more and transferred it to my iPod where it since fought with Metallica, Jem, and The Wedding Present for attention.

First things first. This is not an album that is a) going to set the music world alight b) suddenly make todd an arena rock star.

So, knowing that, what do we have? An enjoyable slice of retro rock I'd argue, that gives more than a passing nod to other artists including: ZZTop (Gun); AC/DC (Strike); Robin Trower (Bardo); Boston (Mercenary) - but does so in a playful manner. Todd isn't re-inventing the wheel here, indeed songs such as Weakness and Afraid are both songs that would sit quite happily on the Nearly Human or Second Wind albums. The first is a song, with its slightly blues/soul feel is for his wife, Michelle, and the later contains a really wonderful guitar break.

Elsewhere, we have tracks like 'Mad', 'Courage', and 'Manup' which are typical Todd AOR rockers; 'Mercenary' - probably as close to Heavy Metal as Todd has gotten (even with it's 'Boston' moment in the middle); the 'novelty track' 'Pissin', which to my mind isn't a novelty track at all, and is only be labelled as such due to the bloody silly line in it “and now your dick is in the mayonnaise"; 'Today', which would not have been that out of place on Liars; 'Mountaintop' - Todd's attempt at a crowd pleasing sing-a-long. It is really quite cheesy, but I challenge you to not be finding yourself saying 'higher higher' after a few spins; 'Bardo' - just a wonderful blues rocker; 'Strike' which does indeed feature Todd channelling Brain Johnson/Bon Scott (take your pick) on its Ac/Dc like chorus; 'Gun', a by numbers tush influenced rocker; which, I think just leaves 'Panic', which reminds me more and more of 80's Utopia songs like Itch in My Brain.

Favourites? At the moment, if you asked which three I think I'll be still wanting to hear in 5 years time, I'd say: Bardo, Mercenary, and Afraid. then again, ask me next week and my answer will probably be different.

The album does suffer from sounding a bit flat. This being a result of it being played and recorded by Todd an his laptop. Whilst this approach was well suited to Liars, here it does leave the album feeling a bit lifeless, whereas if it had been recorded with a band in an ol' fashioned studio, you get the feeling it would have lift the songs that extra notch - and may have lifted the sales an extra notch also.

Final verdict? Considering that I was hugely disappointed with the record after two listens, I have to admit it has continued to grow on me, more and more. Whilst I doubt it will trouble most Todd fan's top 5 todd album lists, it is a hugely enjoyable record, with a handful of songs that just creep up on you when your not expecting it.

Article mania

The TR Connection has a couple of good articles from the UK music press of todd talking about his albums and other stuff. Good reading.

High Society; The Dellas; and Flende Fatale @ Carling Bar Academy 04/09/2008

So it was of to the Carling Bar Academy in Islington in search of some rock last night. And rock is what we got, whether it was actually any good was a whole different matter. The bands on show were: High Society; The Dellas; and Flende Fatale.

Things got off to an entertaining start with High Society. A band very much influenced by Guns 'n' Roses / Faster Pussycat and the like, they banged out a set that at times had moments of actually being very good, but which was - for the most part - average. Next up, The Dellas. This a band who probably think they are 'going somewhere', and to be fair there was potential in their performance and just enough quality in their songs to imagine them making the next step up the ladder. Given a couple of years they could be a decent band. This is more than can be said for the children who were on last. Flende Fatale, all look about 12 (guessing actually 16-18). Because they are so young, I wont be as harsh as their music deserves, but will just say I do not see them getting anywhere at the moment. There was half a good tune hiding in one of their songs, but the rest was pretty uninspiring.

Would I rush to see any of the bands again? probably not.

Music OMH review of Arena

Nic Oliver reviews Arena at music OMH and starts by stating "The question any reviewer must apply to a new Todd Rundgren album is simple: is this Good Todd or Bad Todd?" The answer in his 3 anh a half star review is GOOD, describing it as Todd continuing in "the rich vein of form that was evident on Liars". He comments on Todd's "best Bon Scott impression on the hard rocking Strike" - a track which can now be heard on the Todd Myspace site.

The Pipettes @ The Fly 01/09/2008

The girlfriend nabbed some tickets to this, the first of three free gigs by the girls (mon-weds this week). Who are the Pippettes? well they are a three piece vocal group with sixties influences mixing with a light pop sound. They have been around for a few years and two of the original three members left earlier this year - but the two new girls ani and anna seem sound (and indeed anna co-wrote the new Sugababes single 'Girls').

In a small cramped venue like the Fly the girls really came alive and produced a gig that was the kind that puts a smile on your face - never a bad thing, in my book.

"Your Kisses are Wasted on Me"; "Pull Shapes" and new single, "The Shoe That Fits" were among the musical highlights of the 60 minute set.

Rick Springfield - Venus in Overdrive.

With a month still to go before the Todd album, I needed a distraction, so have reached out to a 59 year old Australian called Springthorpe. Yes folks, Rick Springfield - pop/rock god - has a new album out, and thankfully it make up for the disappointment of his album of covers (inc a Todd cover) and the very average Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance.

Lead track and first single "What's Victoria's Secret?" is a return to Jessie's Girl - indeed he seems to nicked his own riff - but it is repackaged into just the kind of delightful pop/rock Springfield was known for in the 80's. This is quickly followed up by: some sly lyric word play on "I'll Miss that Someday" (which I keep singing at the moment); the title track, with its reggae riff and power chord bursts; the pop perfection of "One Passenger", and the film soundtrack end credit type tune, "Oblivious". All of it wonderful. Can he keep it going you start to wonder???

Sadly, no. But whilst the likes of "Warning Shots", "God Blinked" and "MrPc" make you reconsider your opinion, Beatles-influenced tunes like "She" and "Saint Sahara" come up to give the album a mellow floaty finish.

This is an album chock full on potential 'hits', and whilst it is no match for the man at his best: Living in Oz, Tao, Rock of Life, it does at least recapture memories of those and deliver an album every bit as good as 1999's Karma. [ The album has given Rick his highest chart debut position in more than 20 years in the US, cooming in at No. 28 on the Billboard chart ]

Into the Arena - the reviews begin

Retro blog has a review of Arena: "safe to say with these 13 songs on Arena, Rundgren delivers! It’s definitely the perfect follow up to his 2004 Liars album." They think the new songs will have a more immediate impact on a wider range of listeners - "Hopefully this new accessible version of Rundgren will allow him to reach a larger audience this time around."

The site also has an interview with Todd's current bass player - Rachel Haden finding out what it's been like working wit Todd and what other plans she has for the future.

Todd talks

Todd talks to Nick Horne about the new album on getreadytorock. The site also reviews the album, giving it 4 and a half stars.

Kasim on being back on the road with Todd

Kasim explains how he managed to get back into Todd's touring band "I just told him I'd have Phyllis do his laundry, mow his lawn, grocery shop, wash his dog AND his car, put up, decorate and then take down his Christmas Tree, clean his Infinity Pool, etc ... for the next 10 years. I also convinced Phyllis to carry a child to term for him if that was necessary."

Still 10 weeks til Todd album

Seems that after all the hype about the new album coming out 'in weeks', and maybe even this month, the New Todd album will not actually be released until 29th/30th September - that's 10 WEEKS away.

Todd on things

Houston Chronicle has a nice piece on Todd talking about the new album, making music (""Now I can lead a sort of normal life, get up in the morning and have breakfast and then go off to a room somewhere and work without me having to become the hermit of Mink Hollow, as it were."), 30 Rock and other things. He also gives some views on his productions:

Bat Out of Hell , Meat Loaf (1977): "I thought it was a parody of Bruce Springsteen...I was just chuckling the whole time, and I'm still chuckling. I can't believe the world took it seriously"
Skylarking , XTC (1986): "That's one that more people got to hear some than some of the others. Even though it was like pulling teeth, Skylarking is one of my favorite records"
Love Junk , Pursuit of Happiness (1988): "There are a lot of bands I thought should be huge, and everybody who's heard them thinks the same thing. Pursuit of Happiness put on a great show and wrote the greatest pop songs. They just didn't have the label that was able to break them or the management to come up with a strategy to get them the attention they deserved"

Skylarking and Love Junk remain big favourites of mine. As is now well known, whilst Todd and Moe Berg got on like a house on fire, Todd and Andy Partridge - er ... were a house on fire and did not hit it off at all, but even Partridge came to admit it was a fine record. “Musician and producer Todd Rundgren squeezed the XTC clay into its most complete/connected/cyclical record ever. Not an easy album to make for various ego reasons but time has humbled me into admitting that Todd conjured up some of the most magical production and arranging conceivable. A summer's day cooked into one cake.”


Meanwhile the Denver Post's reviewer give the Boulder Theatre gig a thumbs up

New Material

Just realised i had forgot to flag up the fact that 'Mad' the first track on the new Todd album is available to listen to over at the myspace site.

THS - Reviews

The Hold Steady - some of the UK reviews


The Guardian (4/5)
At times, the bloodlust in Craig Finn's growl gets too thirsty. But it's the album's closing lyric - "Man, we make our own movies" - that reveals the secret of this band's special powers. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,2289926,00.html

The Times (3/5) remain less convinced by THS - There is a truth that Finn and Co often hit the sauce but for me, the Scala gig last year was where the music suffered most not the Borderline, which was a fantastic gig.

"Everything about the way they play - especially on the rickety uplift of Yeah Sapphire, Magazines and Sequestered in Memphis - invites you to see them as the E Street Band to Finn's Springsteen, so much so that it would be obtuse to resist. As with the E Street Band, instruments are identifiable, but only as the chunks in their dense sonic tiffin. That's the best thing about the Hold Steady."

On Finn's talent "If he isn't careful, these songs will become consolation prizes doled out to recipients that he may, in time, come to despise."

NME (9/10) meanwhile proclaim "This is a record, and indeed a band, that doesn't simply want to entertain, but to make the lives of its listeners better" and stated that 'Stay Positive' not only confirms The Hold Steady's status as one of the best rock'n'roll bands in the world, but establishes them as one of its most important too. Frankly, album five can't come soon enough."Despite this, reviewer, James McMahon, says the albums low point where the band's "impeccable standards drop", is on what i think is one the album's best cuts - 'Sequestered In Memphis'

The Daily Mirror's reviewer (3/5) says that "Slashing guitars, air-punching choruses and lyrical piano passages are all familiar, but the dazed ballad Lord, I'm Discouraged stands out from the energetic, blustery whole."

Todd explains why the new tour is not just a greatest 'hits' package: "I pick up the paper and see a lot of my peers still fairly successful, but playing the equivalent of Las Vegas in the '60s. You know exactly what it's going to be like if you go to the show. That's the product they're selling. It's music for escapists. That's fine. It's just not what I make. I make polemical music that sometimes aggravates, but it's not designed to make you forget. It's designed to make you remember"

From: St Louis Today http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertainment/stories.nsf/music/story/B4D00A799D70227F862574870073EAC3?OpenDocument

Todd does the Beatles

It Was Forty Years Ago Today. A Tribute to the Greatest Album of All Time: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band starring Todd Rundgren, Denny Laine, Bo Bice, Lou Gramm and Christopher Cross

Sunday, August 17, 2008
The Capital One Bank Theatre at Westbury
Doors: 6:00 pm Show: 7:00 pm

960 Brush Hollow Road
Westbury, NY 11590

http://www.livenation.com/event/getEvent/eventId/330256/

Can TR hit the rock vocal notes?

Daily Variety review todd live and give a general thumbs up. Commenting on the new material they say:

"Weakness," a love song where Achilles' heel and Kryptonite are among the terms of endearment, stands out. And the spiritually themed "Bardo" sounds like Robin Trower's "Bridge of Sighs" revisited. But "Strike" and the aforementioned "Mercenary," both approaching metal, put quite a strain on Rundgren's vocal cords"

They also comment that "Courage" (YouTube clip in earlier post) is rather Utopia like, and suggests the number of Utopia-like moments throughout the night suggest a reunion might be in order (I would not count on it).

Todd and Kasim

Todd talks about the new album, being on the road and music in general to the Ventura County Star

Meanwhile, Kasim is playing an acoustic solo date in London next Tuesday (8th July). He is playing the 12 Bar Club, London. Sadly I cannot make it. Hope he comes back and plays again soon.

Arena lyrics

The Lyrics to the tracks on the new album are now on the myspace site

Albums of the Year - the early runners

Hard to believe that we are half way through the year. However, as it is, it looks like it is time to throw out a few records that have made an impression in these first six months, and that may be in the running in another six months for the album of the year.

1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig!!![Dig, Lazarus, Digg!!! Video YouTube]
2. The Hold Steady - Say Positive [ Navy Sheets 'live' YouTube]
3. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip [ Discipline Video - YouTube]
4. The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia [ Idle Hands on YouTube]
5. Sons & Daughters - This Gift [Gilt Complex Video - YouTube]
6. Gemma Hayes - The Hollow of Morning [Out of our Hands live - YouTube]
7. Laura Marling - Alas I cannot Swim [My Manic & I Video - YouTube]
8. Thea Gilmore - Liejacker [Steam album on LastFM]
9. Bob Mould - District Line [Very Temporary - YouTube]
10. REM - Accelerate [Supernatural Superserious video - YouTube]
11. Neil Diamond - Home Before Dark [Pretty Amazing Grace live - YouTube]
12. The Dresden Dolls - No, Virginia [Night Reconnaissance video - YouTube]
13. The Wedding Present - [Santa Ana Winds live - YouTube]
14. Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward [The Kelly Affair Video - YouTube]
15. The Smithereens - Live in Concert, The Greatest Hits and More [ Behind the Wall of Sleep live - YouTube]
16. Camille - Music Box [Cats & Dogs live - YouTube]
17. Duffy - Rockferry [Warwick Avenue live - YouTube]
18. Shelby Lynne -Just a Little Loving [Anyone who Had a Heart Video - YouTube]
19. Flyleaf - Flyleaf [I'm so Sick video - YouTube]
20. Sara Bareilles - Little Voice [Love Song video - YouTube]

Random Toddness

Forgot to say the other day that Todd now has an official myspace page. First postings of a couple of new tracks may happen here before the album come out, which by reading the blog posts (on behalf of Todd) seem to indicate it may not be out this month, but will be soon-ish (currently being mastered)

Meanwhile, Pharrell Williams mentioned Todd when asked about a track on the new N*E*R*D album. Speaking about the track 'Crashing Down' he said
Yeah, I was trying to capture a little Todd Rundgren, a little Beatles."

Meanwhile, 'Courage' from the new album live at House of Blues

New Todd album 'Arena' out next month

The wait is almost over folks. According to this article on Vindy.com, Todd's new album, entitled, 'Arena' is out next month.

Part inspired by the New Cars tour Todd says: "I found myself just going out and doing this sort of guerilla guitar quartet thing around the country and around Canada, So when it came time to make a record, I thought maybe I’ll just continue in that vein and write something that is appropriate to the guitar, since the fans seems to be enjoying it so much"

Track listing and cover pic here

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

I have had a few days to get my ears around the new album and it is one that should be added to your collection.

Track by Track

1. Constructive Summer - A piano tinged Rocker that gets things off to a cracking start. It also features the great couplet of 'raise a toast to saint joe strummer / I think he might of been our only decent teacher'

2. Sequestered in Memphis - This album's 'Stuck Between Stations'. Hear that Bruce, hear those HORNS, and just tell me those hand claps are not aimed at the live shows! This is a cracking track, posibibly he album's best.

3. One for the Cutters - I was not really sold on this one the first few listens, but it has grown on me more than any other track. It's a song about a murder and a rich girl that partied with townies: 'when one towney falls in the forest does anyone hear it'. Going to end up a one of the best tracks the band have ever writen.

4. Navy Sheets - Another song that was not grabbing me, and still isn't. Has a bit of a feeder fell to it.

5. Lord, I'm discouraged - Already being called their 'November Rain' (that's Guns n Roses). Not sure it reminds me of that, but it does pick at another musical memory that I can not recall. Nice guitar solo.

6. Yeah Sapphire - Can see this being a popular one, but it seems to one of the blander tunes to me.

7. Both Crosses - Shimmering acoustic number with some great religious lyrics. It is hard to avoid the feeling that it is about to break iinto Bon Jovi's 'Wanted Dead or Alive' though

8. Stay Positive - Another classic sing-a-long. You just know you'll have a big smile at the shows singing 'woah oh oh' in this one, and it also has another great couplet: 'and the kids at the shows will have kids of their own ' and the sing-a-long songs will be our scriptures'. It is short, sweet, and joyful.

9. Magazines - This is a bit THS by numbers, but does have some more brass to lift it.

10. Joke about Jamaica - The use of a bit of vocodar (more Scorpions than Bon Jovi) aside, I like the feel of this track.

11. Slapped Actress - THS finish with a Weezer impersonation. Seriously, the guitar sound here is just so Weezer. It is a cracking track though and one I could see them ending shows with, especially as it ends with a fine chorus of 'woahs'.


I'm still stopping short of a five star review, but it isn't a long way off. The production is the best they have had, and musically and lyrically there is some progression. I can not wait to hear some of this live. Will it be the album that really breaks them here or in the US? Release Slapped Actress as a single and Maybe ...

My Bloody Valentine @ the Roundhouse 23/06/2008

The return of My Bloody Valentine was one of the things I was looking forward to and dreading with equal measure. MBV were one of those bands for whom the word seminal is often used, and suddenly after 16 years away, Kevin Shields and co decided that 'Loveless' was not meant to be their last album, so they needed to get back together. The new album is still a way off, but the band decided first to get back on the road.

This was the 4th night of a 5 night stint at the Roundhouse, and by Monday reports were already going around aboout just how loud MBV were - and still are. Giving out earplugs to your audience? Not very rock 'n' roll.

So were they loud? Of course they were, but it wasn't half as bad as some people would have had you believe- maybe all those maiden, scorpions, priest gigs in my youth had accustomed me to all this. Anyway, yes loud, noisey, and ... very good, but still just missing something.

If you eschew the earplugs you could hear the music, and you could see Kevin and Bilinda standing at their mics with their mouths opening ... not having any idea if any sound was coming out. Stick in the earplugs, and - as they should they filter out the top end and bottom end frequencies 'cleaning up the sound'. Yes, they are singing, but still not in anyway that you could really say was audible above the music.

This to me is the thing that lets the gig doown for me and stopped my connecting with it in a way i hoped. It is true thaq even on the albums the vocals are not exactly crystal clear, and low in the mix but they are STILL there and add the mellody that help the tunes form into the mini masterpieces many of the songs are.

So, all doom and gloom? No. Like I say, if you pretended they were an instrumental band, then it was pretty good. Very tight, spot on rendidtions of some great tunes. It was great to hear my personal favourite track, When You Sleep performed live (second track of the night). Also whilst most people would not believe it, the 15 mins of playing the same chord in You Made Me Realise is actually quite effective and musical.

I loved it, I was frustrated by it, but I didn't feel it. Sorry guys I need to hear the vocals.

Stay positive - 1

Next month before it is meant to be out, but already on eMusic. First opinion, good start, a lull, and a strong finish 4/5. Better review in a couple of days.

Thea Gilmore @ Bloomsbury Theatre 09/06/2008

Thea Gilmore is still only 29. Hard to believe, but when you record your debut album at 16, the 13 years just zip by. Gilmore took to the stage at Bloomsbury flanked by Husband/Producer/Occasional Co-writer Nigel Stonier on guitar/piano, and 'Fluff' on Guitar, Chello, and Violin and iinformed us that she wanted to play us quite a few songs from her new album Liejacker.

She kicked off the set with Old Soul, followed by Seen it all Before (from Rules for Jokers), Rosie, and Dance in New York (for which Gilmore aplogised that it was nearly 7 minutes long, and hoped we'd not be bored by the end)

The rest of the set was indeed based around the new album, but still included space for the likes of 'This Girl is Taking Bets'; 'Avalanche'; 'Call me Your Darling'; 'December in New York'...

If that wasn't enough we also got an all new tune: 'God’s Got Nothing On You', which was played by just Thea on guitar, and sounded like another winner.

Several times, Gilmore commented on how quiet the crowd was and said that maybe it was the venue or the temperature - is was hot in the theatre.

Attempts to get us to sing-a-long almost had her threatening to come down into the audience - as it took her 4 attempts for her to be happy with our singing performance. We were redeemed slightly by the appearance of around 9 people on stage, when we were invited up for 'When I get Back to Shore' [Beating the 2 in Manchester and the 1 in Glasgow].

The evening ended with 'The Lower Road' (sadly Joan Baez had not flown in to reprise her album appearance)

Highlights? Dance in New York, Call me Your Darling, You Spin me Round, Saviours and All, and a sublime versions of Icarus Road and Black Letter (both off the new album).

Gilmore's vocal performance the whole night was a treat and highlighted just how good a vocalist she is (much underated) and how fine her new album really is. If that was not enough, she looked like she was having fun too! If you get the chance, get along and see her.

A mention should also go out to Pete Du Pon, who was the support act. A bit Damien Rice vocally, he delivered a nice set that showed promise, and which culminated with a wonderful folk version of Green Day's excellent, 'Basketcase'.

The Weakerthans @ Scala 02/06/2008

Another year, another Weakerthans gig. After two trips to the Mean Fiddler and one to the Borderline, this year is was a trip over to the Scala. Fellow Winipeger, Christine Fellows opens up the show with some quirky keyboard based songs, followed by some folk from Dawn Landes - who also provided some added comedy value when her guitar fell off mid song. She handled it all very well and with a laugh. And so to the main act.

Regular readers will be aware that the Weakerthans are one of my favourite bands. They are one of the best to come on the scene in the last decade, and in John K Samson they have one of the most interesting lyricists. I have loved all three previous gigs, but this may have been the best yet - certainly the best since the first time I saw them. This was down to a mixture of the band being on form, John's vocals being on form, and the guy at the mixing desk 'getting' the venue and delivering a sound that allowed guitar solos and vocals all to be heard as they should be.

The set was a nice blend of the old and the new: The Reasons, Aside, Plea from a Cat Named Vittute; Pamphleteer, My Favourite Chords, Elegy for Elsabet, Virtute the Cat Explains her Departure, Night windows, Sun in an empty Room, Civil Twilight, Benediction, Tournament of Hearts, Left & Leaving, One Great City, Our Retired Explorer (Dines With Michel Foucault in Paris, 1961), Confessions of a Futon Revolutionist and a couple of others too.

Highlights? Pretty much all of it to be honest. Gig of the year so far.

There are some Photos by iheartmuseums on Flickr of the gig.(hope you enjoyed the gig too!!)

Good Hold Steady Clips

Was looking for something unrelated and came across these excellent clips of the Hold Steady from 2006.

Bob Mould Band @ Koko 27/05/2008

'Could you be the one'

Yes indeed. Bob Mould is one of those artists I have kept saying I'd go and see without actually doing so. I did consider it a couple of years back but he was doing an acoustic gig and I wanted to see Bob loud and rocking. His latest album, District Line, seem to indicate that he was back in rocking mode, so I decided to go. Hearing that he was playing some Sugar and Husker Du songs in the set only made the prospect sound even better.

Bob did not disappoint. This was a loud ear tingling gig, the kind you need ever now and again to remind yourself you're alive. Mould himself looked happy to be on stage and whilst keeping the chatter to a couple of random 'thanks' he was full of energy and giving it alll 100%.

As most of my friiends were more interested in the Husker Du and Sugar tracks, I'll say he played Hoover Dam, My Favorite Thing, A Good Idea and If I can't change your mind from the Sugar days, and Makes no sense at all; Divide and Conquer; New day Rising; I Apologise; Chartered Trips and i think at least one other i only half recognised (shame on me) from Husker Du.

Anyway, the set kicked off with the A Good Idea and then we had a set that mixed material from the new album with select classics. Of the new stuff, The silence between us, Stupid now, and Again and Again sounded good.

Highlights: A Good Idea, My Favourite Thing; I Apologise; My Favourite thing; if I can't change my mind and Chartered trips.

Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band @ Emirates Stadium 30/05/2008

Had always liked the idea of seeing Bruce and co live, but had never manged it until tonight (last night). As is the way of the world to see the band required a stadium gig, with this one being at the home of Arsenal football club.

I'm not a big fan of stadium gigs, and this didn't change my mind. However, this is not to say it wasn't bloody good. These guys know what they are doing and Bruce knows how to play these size of venues. The sound was a bit hit and miss - or at least the mixing was, with if often hard to make out guitar solos from background and other band noise.

But this sounds like I am moaning. They played a great set, kicking off with Tenth Ave Freeze-Out and Radio Nowhere, with some classics, old and new along the way before Dancing in the Dark, and American Land tied things up two hours and fifty minutes later.

Bruce sem to be enjoying himself, and Little Steven always looks like he is having a ball. Lots of jumping about, audience touching, and a happy smile on the Boss' face helped eventually create an atmosphere worthy of the gig and Springsteen himself.

Highlights? - Quite a few actually: Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, Atlantic City, Because the Night, Working on the Highway, Point Blank, Last to Die, and of course, Born to Run.

It would have been nice to have gotten, 'Night' and 'Jungleland', but all in all (and bar the odd bum note - esp vocally) this is what rock n roll is all about. Wish I was going to Saturday's gig now. Just hope the girlfriend (who is going) doesn't have 'too' good a time!

SET LIST

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out { lyrics }
Radio Nowhere { lyrics }
The Ties That Bind { lyrics }
Lonesome Day { lyrics }
The Promised Land { lyrics }
Magic { lyrics }
Atlantic City { lyrics }
Reason To Believe { lyrics }
Candy's Room { lyrics }
Prove It All Night { lyrics }
Because The Night { lyrics }
Working On The Highway { lyrics }
Cadillac Ranch { lyrics }
Livin' In The Future { lyrics }
Mary's Place { lyrics }
Waitin' On A Sunny Day { lyrics }
Point Blank { lyrics }
Devil's Arcade { lyrics }
The Rising { lyrics }
Last To Die { lyrics }
Long Walk Home { lyrics }
Badlands { lyrics }

Thunder Road { lyrics }
Born To Run { lyrics }
Glory Days { lyrics }
Rosalita { lyrics }
Dancing In The Dark { lyrics }
American Land { lyrics }

Jesse Malin @ ULU, London, 15/05/2008

Jesse Malin is one of these artists I have been meaning to see for a while, and have just missed getting tickets a couple of times. There was an additional attraction this time, the appearance of Holly Brook as support act. Sadly, Brook had to pull out of the dates and was replaced by Dave Bielanko and Christine Smith of the band Marah (Smith is only a recent joiner)

Bielanko and Smith turned out to be a real treat. Bielanko's gritty, dirty, alt rock/country/springteen tinged sounds, sounding great banged out on an acoustic with Smith's fine piano playing and backing vocals adding a nice depth to the songs. Two performers to check out.

Indeed, Smith was in for an all-nighter, as she was also providing the same backing vocals and piano accompaniment for Malin himself.

Malin is an energetic, funny and engaging performer (if not the greatest singer) - as happy and comfortable, chewing the fat between songs as he is playing them (something you could not say for his friend Ryan Adams). Playing a mix of material from his first two records interspersed with tracks from his new album of covers, this was 95 minutes of pure joy. At one point, Malin decided he needed to get closer to us and jumped down off the stage, and got all assembled to sit down, as he walked through us, reeling off a couple of jokes, as a sort of digression in his cover of Neil Young's 'Helpless'.

Other covers (also on the album), that may interest readers of the site included a cover of The Hold Steady's - 'You Can Make Him Like You' (Malin is a big fan), and perhaps even more in fitting with the title of this blog, he also played The Lords of the New Church's - 'Russian Roulette' [Todd produced their second album]. This was nice as Jesse was also joined on stage by guitarist Brian James (who was also in the Damned).

Highlights? It was all pretty good fun. Thanks to the person who has already posted several tunes of Youtube.

New NIN album - free

Click HERE to get the new full-length nine inch nails record: the slip

The message from Trent Reznor is " thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years - this one's on me"

Stay Positive

The Hold Steady have confirmed the tracklist for their forthcoming LP Stay Positive due out July 15 on Vagrant.

The band plans to launch a tour following the record's release.

Stay Positive Track List:
1. Constructive Summer
2. Sequestered In Memphis
3. One For The Cutters
4. Navy Sheets
5. Lord, I'm Discouraged
6. Yeah Sapphire
7. Both Crosses
8. Stay Positive
9. Magazines
10. Joke About Jamaica
11. Slapped Actress

Odds & Sods

Buffallo News' Jeff Miers can't connect with Fee Waybill, so interviews himself playing waybill instead

Meanwhile John Hood in the Maimi New Times explains why you should get yourself alkong to the Todd Gig.

Hilary McRae, who has just put out her debut record, finds herself opening for Fergie, Natasha Beddingfield, Huey Lewis & The News And Todd Rundgren. A mixed bunch indeed, but after a quick listen, I think the Todd tie-up is a good one.

Hot Chip want to work with Todd

Chart Attack talk to the Al Doyle of HotChip about the new album and Todd Rundgren

I read that you were the Todd Rundgren fan who introduced the band to the Rundgren spoken-word sample that appears on "Shake A Fist?" Alexis was a fan of that album, Something/Anything? too. We didn't know we were both fans until later. When we were soundchecking, I would go to the mic and do that sample and annoy the crap out of everybody in the room. You know, we're planning to go see Todd Rundgren in concert this year.

Really?
He lives in Hawaii. The label is trying to get us to go and do something with him. I'd love to. He sounds like a totally crazy dude.

Screaming

Anthony Quinn is today's Independent has an article about screams in songs. "When I think of my favourite moments in pop and rock, it's surprising quite how many of them can be distilled to a singer throwing his or her head back and letting rip a lung-bursting scream". His list of his top 10 includes Todd:

'LOVE IS THE ANSWER'

Todd Rundgren

I owe a debt here to Giles Smith, whose magisterial essay on Rundgren in his memoir Lost in Music first alerted me to this formative moment. This pop hymn originates from his experimental sideline outfit Utopia, on their 1977 album Oops! Wrong Planet, and features one of those gospel clap-along endings that would usually make me duck for cover. This being Todd, however, he sings over the crescendo like a man possessed, and on the line "If you need a friend" his voice cracks into an impassioned scream (time 3:02) the likes of which could probably never be repeated: believe me, I've tried

Four Star Mary @ Bull & Gate, Kentiosh Town, 15/03/08

Funny how you can almost forget about bands. I saw FSM a couple of times back at the start of the naughties. It was the Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack that introduced me to them and a few others - Bik Naked, Splendid, Rasputina. Those first two gigs were both at the Garage in Islington, and I remember James Marsters (Spike from Buffy) joining the band on stage that first time.

No TV guests this time around, and the band are now relegated to a much smaller venue. With a 4th album out last year, showing that they still knew how to craft catchy pop/rock tunes, this was the first chance in around three and a half years fro UK fans to see the band. The set mostly comprised new material from @Hello it's Me'  and songs from their classic ' Thrown to the Wolves'. Also nice to see that their cover of the Cars' 'Just what I needed' is still in the set too.

Highlights for me were 'Dilate', 'Pain' and 'Long Way Down'.

Good solid support was added by Fatally Yours, a young Oxford band, who play a similar style of rock as FSM, and who have a few pretty decent tunes '"That 'status symbol' we spoke of' ; "The Consequence of greed"; and "What Have I Gone & Done" were all enjoyable (although having picked up a copy of their  self recorded album, it was apparent that they have yet to capture their live sound on record - but still worth keeping an eye on)

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New CDs and Downloads

It's been a while since I listed the latest purchases on the music front, so here's a few things I have bought so far in 2008:

Johnny Flynn and The Sussex Wit - Tickle me Pink (EP)
Fatally Yours - An Almost Sacred Triumph
Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim (Songbox edition)
Dolly Parton - Backwoods Barbie
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Aretha Franklin - The Best of Aretha Franklin
Adele - 19
New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom
Ingrid Michaelson - Girls & Boys
Laura Barrett - Earth Sciences (EP)
Alison Moorer - Mockingbird
Shelby Lynne -
Bob Mould - District Line
Motley Crue - Dr Feelgood
SaraBeth Tucek - Sarabeth Tucek
Sia - Some People Have Real Problems
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig

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Like father, like son

Jamebase reviews the debut album from Liam Finn, son of Crowded House's Neil Finn, as says

Forget that his dad is Neil Finn and just listen. This is the whole panoply of pop displayed with peacock flair. Liam Finn's debut, I'll Be Lightning (Yep Roc), has the mix of unbridled imagination and tasteful restraint one associates with debuts like Todd Rundgren's Runt and Nick Lowe's Jesus of Cool. But unlike those artists, Finn doesn't have a Nazz or Brinsley Schwarz under his belt to help him with the fundamentals. Apparently, this youngster just gets hooks and heart-strong verses in the way most of us understand breathing or walking - a natural, largely unconscious rightness that keeps things moving along nicely.

Hall of fame

Tim Cain at the Illinois Herald & Review joins those who think Todd should be in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

"The biggest problem with Rundgren’s career? He’s too talented ... Rundgren could have kept mining the “I Saw the Light”/”Hello It’s Me” style of song, and potentially been an American rival to Elton John on the pop charts for the rest of the 1970s. But he decided to go in other directions. Thus, he created an odd fan base - some loved his pop music, some loved the progressive rock direction he took, and a select few loved it all. (And if you get around any of those people - I know a couple of them - you’ll learn quickly that they love a lot of different kinds of music, and they’re extremely passionate about it.)"

Yep...and I'm in that 'select few' group of people who have loved it all, and does - as those looking deeper into this blog would find - have very varied taste in music.

It's official - I'm not a spam blogger

Hello,

Your blog has been reviewed, verified, and cleared for regular use so that
it will no longer appear as potential spam. If you sign out of Blogger and
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Spam Blog

That's what Google/Blogger thinks this site is apparently. Love to know how that works.

The Bastard Fairies-We're All Going To Hell

I love this album - still available free on their website a year after I bought it. But to be honest, it is worth buying.

Laura Marling @ Union Chapel 09/03/2008

She may only be 18 but Laura Marling hit upon an interesting idea for the release of her debut album, Alas I can Swim. Why not offer a version that contained a free exclusive gig ticket, the cd and other goodies. Tonight's gig was the second London show to allow those in the south of the country redeem their free ticket, and on tonight's form I don't think she'll have much trouble selling tickets in the old fashioned way, even if her stage presence could do with a little work - she does seem to be staring intensely at a spot on the floor for most of her short set (surely not her lyrics?).

But what matters most is the music, and as she reels off the tunes form her debut album one by one, it is hard not to reach the conclusion that you are witnessing someone with a lot of talent and frightening potential. Whilst her voice may lack some variety of emotion perhaps that it may find in a few years, it is still quietly powerful. The likes of Adele and Duffy may be taking more of the headlines, and getting all the 'big thing of 2008' talk in the UK, but neither of their debut outings is as strong as Marlings.

Some able support was provided by Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit. Once again ridiculously young muti-instrumentalists playing some good old fashioned English Folk music.

Was less impressed by the other support turn. Did not catch his name, but his voice was not to my liking. In fact I thought it was joke voice for the first song. Probably just as well I don't recall his name.

When Cher met Gene (again)

I thought this was kind of nice.

Steve Earle @ Roundhouse 18/02/2008

First gig of 2008, and it is hard to imagine a more enjoyable one than spending a few hours with Mr & Mrs Earle, some guitars, and a guy with a set of decks.

Alison Moorer (Mrs E) kicks off things with a shortish, but wonderful set consisting of a couple of old songs, and a few numbers from her latest album of covers, including good versions of Joni Michell's, 'Both Sides Now' and Patti Smith's, 'Dancing Barefoot' (as originally produced by Todd on the album, Wave). I like Moorer's voive. Like that of her sister Shelby - whose new album is also due in the next couple of months - it has a clean soulful quality. This is particularly highlighted by her choice of finishing song, Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come'. That she does it justice and then some with just voice and guitar sets the bar high for husband Steve.

This is the third time, I have seen Earle, but the first time without the Dukes. Can he hold his own just acoustically? Hell yes. We got Devils right Hand, Copperhead Road, Transcendental Blues, Someday, My Ol' Friend the Blues, Jerusalem, Galway Girl and others plus I think just about all of the last album. We also got a rare performance of Little rock 'n' roller, dedicated to his kids, his brother's kids and his Dad, who died over Christmas.

But the highlight for me had to be hearing Billy Austin live (one of best anti death penalty songs ever written, if you ask me). It is one of those songs that almost brings me to tears when I hear it. It is in moments like this, as well as on songs such as on Jerusalem and on Sparkle and Shine (written for Moorer) that you realise just how good Earle is, and how crap most other people are. We are not worthy. Party on.

Oh, just realised hadn't explained the decks. Well, as Earle recorded most of his last album on his PC, there is a lot of drum machine and a few bits of scratching, so he brought someone along to do those bits, so that the new album bits were as heard - sort of - as on the album. It worked.

Todd not down with Justin

Another good interview with Todd, this time from Jam

He talks more about the problem with The New Cars

"We had an essential problem and that was the member of The Cars who opted not to go on the road also opted not to use the name The Cars," he says. "If we were called The Cars, people would've said, 'Oh, we know who they are. But who the hell are The New Cars?' It just didn't make any sense. It didn't make sense to go to a place and sell fewer tickets than if I was there by myself."

About how he is not a big fan of justin timberlake

"Nowadays, the price of admission for a new artist is so huge and spent on such stupid things like dance lessons and hiring six keyboard players," he says. "And it's kind of pitiful because the music is awful. I mean Justin Timberlake? Give me a break. He writes a verse, that's it. He writes a verse and the verse becomes the chorus and it just goes on forever."

And in still firmly believing the way to make money as an artist is to tour due to the high margins to be made on tickets his advice to bands/musicians is

"If you have a hit record you can play for audiences. If you have to give it away to get a hit record, do it."

Sarabeth Tucek @ the Fly, London 23/01/08

Just after Christmas I heard about Sarabeth Tucek, and how Bob Dylan liked her etc, so I thought I'd check out her debut album co-produced by Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon/Ryan Adams) and Luther Russell. I was impressed. Impressed enough to take this opportunity to catch her in one of a number of small venue gigs in the uk this month.

For my £6, I also got two support acts, who are also worthy of a mention. First up was Helen Boulding - a piano based singer songwriter, who actually reminded me at times of Jill Sobule. Youth produced her debut album - New Red Dress - which comes out on 11th February



Next up was Tom McKean And The Emperors. Tom is a Scotish cross between Nick Cave and Tom Waits, with a fine collection of Folk tinged tunes, and is another artist who will be one to watch over the next few years.



And so to Sarabeth. When she was good - Holy Smoke, Come Back Baloon, Blowing Kisses, Nobody Cares, Hot Tears, and Something for You, she was very good. BUT, she is quiet - too quiet actually, and she remains a bit too detached between songs to really bring home to power of much of her material. I would still love to see her again though, and were it not for a Burns Night celebration this evening, I would be.

I think she's only going to get bigger, so I would expect to be seeing her in larger venues over the next 18 months.

Todd tells Billboard about plans for the new album and why the New Cars are parked.

Billboard talks to Todd about the new album and the New Cars:

On the new 'arena rock' album:

Rundgren says he's got "a few" songs already written for the project, and he plans to start working in earnest on it in early February, after he finishes his current North American concert tour. "I write in a very strange way," he explains. "Things are very fragmentary for a very long time, and then they come together very quickly near the end of the process. I don't even write the lyrics to the songs until immediately before I (record) them."

On the New Cars:

"We couldn't get the rights to use the name the Cars, and the New Cars just confused everybody," Rundgren explains. "We didn't want to have to start all over again. And I've got my own music and my own audience; I had no reason to start trying to begin a new career with another band."

Todd for Hilary '08?

My regular reader - yes, that's you Mr Marquis - will be interested in this one from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Rundgren's voting Hillary Clinton, because Barack Obama's brand of hope "can't get us out of this mess.

"I look at politics as a subset of sociology," he says. "It's about this aspect of people's behavior that involves empowerment, where people are essentially motivated by things that all human beings possess inside them, and is moderated by the social contract." In other words, if our behavior is wired to allow for the Gordon Gecko credo of "greed is good," as the 1987 film Wall Street famously illustrated, "then people will be greedy," Rundgren says. "You can see it in the chipmunk who seems about to make its head explode with the number of acorns in its mouth, and still it's trying to get another one in.

"If you are on the right side of the capitalistic equation, you can talk a lot of people into investing in your company. Then you run your company into the ground and take your golden parachute. Enron cannot be the first time that happened, just the biggest time."

Todd is God

Sam Richards in yesterday's Guardian Guide put out a call to 'Rescue Todd Rundgren from AOR purgatory'

"1973's A Wizard, A True Star: an astonishing Technicolor carnival that touched on psych rock, bubblegum pop, prog, Broadway show tunes and Philly soul. It was harmonically richer and more ambitiously deranged than The White Album and prefigured Prince's Purple Rain by a decade, but Rolling Stone called it a "campy catastrophe" and Rundgren was branded a pasticheur"

Todd is God