Friday, September 05, 2008

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.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

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.


Tuesday, September 02, 2008

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 ]