Todd is God

This week, Todd has been featured on Ken Bruce's show on BBC Radio 2. The show has a regular feature called Tracks of My Years where people come on and talk about songs that have made an impression on them over the years for whatever reason. Todd has been on this week talking about why he has chosen the following songs Monday Monday ~ Mamas And Papas Wrapped Around Your Finger ~ The Police Accidents Will Happen ~ Elvis Costello & The Attractions A House Is Not A Home ~ Dionne Warwick All The Young Dudes ~ Mott The Hoople Hyperactive ~ Thomas Dolby Wouldn’t It Be Nice ~ The Beach Boys Beds Are Burning ~ Midnight Oil Tired Of Waiting ~ The Kinks Itchycoo Park ~ The Small Faces

One on my favourite discoveries of last year were the band Tom McKean & the Emperors . Managed to catch them 4 or 5 times in 2008, and last night provided the first opportunity to catch them in 2009 - fresh from recording thier debut album in Texas. I was a little disappointed that they were not going to be out on their own, but would instead be supporting Nell Bryden , but figued I'd go along anyway. It was great to have the band back and once again they delivered at great set, including - what are now firm fan favourites: 'This is the Year'; 'A Little Something'; and the Jolie Holland Classic 'Old Fashioned Morphine', in addition to some newer songs, that were either getting their first outing or their first outling in a while. I'm looking forward to the album coming out. Should be a good one. Now, Di and I had gone along to this just to see Tom and the Boys, and only I had even bothered to check out Nell Bryden's work. I had listened to...

It's tempting to say that Bruce should have worked a bit harder on that dream, as his new album whilst perfectly fine, lacks - dare I say it - a certain 'magic'. The problem with the album is unfortunately highlighted by the decision to include a couple of bonus tracks - one of which 'The Wrestler' ( from the film of the same name) is so street ahead quality-wise of anything else on the album it is worrying. Now, I should clarify, that I think this song ranks up there with Springsteen's best, so I am not dismissing out of hand the quality of the rest of the record, some of which I like a great deal: "What Love can do", My Lucky Day”, “Working On a Dream”, and "Life Itself", for example; but it is hard to come away from this record not feeling slightly disappointed. I need to give a quick mention to the first track - Outlaw Pete. Now, it is perfectly ok, but every time it starts I have a blend of the Rolling Stone's - 'Paint it Black...

I was sitting earlier with a bit of time to kill so checked out a random selection of new releases/hits fron Virgin's music on demand. Here are my thoughts. Beck - 'Youthless' : - Not one of my favourite tracks off the latest album (a record that I have come to like a lot in the past few weeks - it should have been in my top 25 for 2008) but still a goood tune. Cancer Bats – ‘Hail Destroyer’ : - Here’s a band who have listened to too many Slipknot records. Sadly they came away learning nothing on the evidence of this dirge. Shouty vocals.Poor. Municipal Waste – ' Magician' : - Unlike Cancer Bats, this band not only know their old school thrash/speed metal, but they know that even in this genre a sense of melody is important. Not the greatest record ever, but it’s not bad. Prodigy – ‘Invaders Must Die’ : - A return to (mostly) instrumental dance rock by the band. They are not doing anything they have not done before, but this is still an enjoyable few minutes, ...

Yes, I know the year is ony a couple of weeks old, but I have spent it with one song continuously going through my head, and it is probably the last kind of thing I would have expected to just have fallen in love with. What is my January guilty pleasure? Taylor Swift - 'Love Story'. I think this came out in the states in October, but it has only just got a release in the UK. I keep sitting thinking that I should be finding the lyrics twee and so packed full of sugar that it makes me want to throw up - "Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run. You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.' - but every time I hear this song I end up grinning like and idiot and feel happy and uplifted. I may need help. The track is off Swift's second album - which I believe is perched atop the US album charts, and is set to outsell her debut album, which itself shifted quite...

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 ha...

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 ...

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 Lov e 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...

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 manag...

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]."

Came across this interesting 2003 Playgirl interview with Todd.

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."

"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."

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.

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 ch...

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...

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 original...

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-lo...

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 hig...