Todd is God

News and US tour dates here Blogged with Flock

My girlfriend's favourite song at the moment, and I have to admit it rocks.

I had Diane to thank for spotting this one. It was the final night of 4 multiband nights at the International Student's Union or 299/Club Fandango. Six band divided over 2 stages in the small linked venue. Room One Stage: Electric Soft Parade Misty's Big Adventure The Kissaway Trail Room Two Stage Absentee Eugene McGuiness Tim Ten Yen We missed Tim Ten Yen, but arrived about a third of the way through The Kissaway Trial 's set. And very entertaining they were too. Must confess this bunch of Danes were new to me. Having now listened to some of their recorded stuff, they rock a bit more as a live act, but if Bloc Party and  the Wannadies work for you then worth checking out. The same cannot be said for Eugene McGuinness , a singer songwriter with a nice turn of lyrics but still a set of weak songs. Back in Room One, we had a band that are sort of one part Beafheart, one part Blockheads, with a sprinkling of Arthur Brown. Yes folks, Misty's Big Adventure are are strange e...

What is avant pop? Paul Grimstad takes a look and finds a space for a Mr R   Blogged with Flock

Bebe Buell and Todd Rundgren    Britney's comeback single   Blogged with Flock

Another Hold Steady gig, another venue, another great night (although perhaps Craig and I should have drank a bit less - it effected him less on stage mind you!). Anyway. Things were different this time around, with the band moving away from the 'ok, let's just play all of BAGIA and a few other songs' approach that they took with the Borderline and Sheps Bush gigs earlier in the year - although I think opening with Hot Soft Light instead of Stuck Between Stations was a mistake (for me anyway). Having spoke to a few people the set list seemed to be something like this: - Hot Soft Light Banging Camp Chips Ahoy Stuck Between Stations Cattle and the Creeping Things Massive Nights Party Pit You Can Make Him Like You Stevie Nix I kind of get hazzy around this point and came back to reality with Your Little Hoodrat Friend Southtown Girls How A Resurrection Really Feels [I think Chill out Tent got another airing in my 'blind' patch] The Encore consited of ? another failing ...

Camden Electric Ballroom tomorrow night ... we had some massive nights ....

Whilst it is not officially out until 25 September, the new Weakerthans album is out there and yes I did go get it (although I do also have it on pre-order in hard-copy CD from Amazon). Four years since the band's third - and best album - Reconstruction Site , so the new album has been a long time coming. Thankfully, I can tell you, it is worth the wait. True, it is not as good a RS, but it is still pretty damn good, and John Samson's lyrics continue to amuse and challenge - not many albums where Curling (one of the few sports us Scots are any good at) and Ice Hockey both get songs ( Tournament of Hearts , and Elegy for Gump Worsley ); that you get songs from the perspective of a Bus Driver ( Civil Twilight ) and a Cat ( Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure ). The latter a fine companion piece to Plea From A Cat Named Virtute from the RS album. What's more Civil Twilight, Sun in an Empty Room and (current single) Night Windows could all be hits [ok, so not likely in t...

The Guardian has a link to a free download of 'Radio Nowhere' a track off the new Bruce Springsteen album Magic due out in October. I agree with one review that describes it as a Zevon-esq guitar based rocker. Quality. Now, to try and get tickets for Dec19th gig in London ... Blogged with Flock

Interview with Robert Schwartzman from the band Rooney in Filter Magazine There are a whole bunch of reunion tours going on right now…do you have a favorite? I love Duran Duran. I don’t know if they’re out right now, but I know they were out a year ago. I’d love to see The New Cars. Oh yeah…with Todd Rundgren. Yeah, Todd Rundgren singing. Awesome. He’s one of my favorite fucking artists. John Fields, who made our record, is the hugest Todd Rundgren fan. I mean SCARY huge. Knows everything.

You know that feeling when everyone is talking about the new hot thing and how great it is, and you hear it and go ...er, nope, don't get it? (any band Pete Doherty's ever been in for example). I have been having that feeling again these past few weeks about Kate Nash . Some clever lyrics but the whole mockney singing/talking thing is just annoying. Also, I hate anyone on principle who can make me start warming to Lily Allen. It's just not right, so stop it.

Didn't know until read this today that Todd covered Thelonious Monk's Four in One back in 1984 on the album "That's the Way I Feel Now: A Tribute to Thelonious Monk"

As usual I thought it was time to pick the 10 albums that have tickled my fancy most thus far in 2007. How many have the staying power to still be there come the end of the year? - Who knows. The following are in no order, but I must confess that The Grinderman and NIN albums are probably the two that have most impressed me thus far. 1. Grinderman - Grinderman: This really shouldn't be this good, and this enjoyable 2. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero: Bit flat for me live, but this may just be Trent's best outing. 3. Mary Chapin Carpenter - The Calling: I had believed that MCC's best days were well and truly behind her, but this album has pleasingly proved me wrong. 4. Ryan Adams -  Lost Highway: Not his best, but his second best is better than most people's best. 5. Queens of the Stoneage - Era Vulgaris: I Just like it. 6. Jesse Malin - Glitter in the Gutter 7. Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full: Obviously drinking Starbuck's Coffee has done the trick. 8. McQueen ...

The excellent Jill Sobule via Mydamnchannel (which has some nice stuff with Slash and Duff too). Downnload MP3 of the track and another track called 'Mom' here

This was the 4th time I have seen Aimee live, and whilst she was great once again, she has never been better than the first two times I saw her (esp the first time in 2000 with husband Michael Penn and comedian Patton Oswalt). Still, let's not look backwards. The gig started off with a nice little set by Jenny Owen Youngs (she remembered to tell us who she was just before she left the stage!). Her debut album is a mostly average singer-songwriter offering; but live she has a humour and a sense of fun that help raise some of the weaker songs above their recorded status. This is not to say she doesn't have a few great tunes: 'Drinking Song'; 'From Here' and 'Fuck I was' are all top draw. Add to this a very entertaining cover of Nelly's 'Hot in Herre' (to the tune of Oasis' Wonderwall) and I think it safe to say she made a number of new fans. She is a star in the making. Aimee was in a fun mood too - even if she wasn't sure whether or n...

The last time I saw the Scorpions live was 17 years ago. They were very good. Why the gap to seeing them again? I'm not sure: a general indifference to most of the material they have released since Savage Amusement most likely. Anyway, a few weeks ago on the spur of the moment I decided I needed a 'Heavy Metal' night out, so the Scorps fitted the bill. Things got more interesting when I read that Michael Schenker would also be on the bill as support with MSG. Cool. I little research this afternoon revealed that young Micky has been back to his getting smashed ways and this had even lead to a fight with older brother Rudy just a few days ago. I also learned that Uli Roth was on the road with the boys and joining them for a few classics in the middle of the set. An interesting night beckoned. And so to the gig. I arrived a bit late so had missed half the MSG set. This turned out to be a blessing. Michael Schenker was having enough problems standing up, never mind playing gu...

Omaha World Herald has a nice interview with the always entertaining Henry Rollins Blogged with Flock

Todays' Guide  in the Guardian has a piece on Simian Mobile Disco (Jas Shaw and James Ford) - Ford produced the last Artic Monkey's album, an the Klaxons album - where they talk about their secret DJ-ing tunes guaranteed to revive flagging house parties. One of them, 'International Feel' by Todd. According to James "He's one of those maverick 1970s producers who went well OTT on his records, but A Wizard a True Star is one of my favourite albums. I suppose this is the tune-after-the-last-tune, the lights up fuck off home tune. Although it could be more 'wow, I've never heard that on a big system, it sounds amazing, what is it?'" Blogged with Flock

Nashville Scene reviews a New Cars Gig and concludes "What could have been a wham-bam retro snoozefest was elevated to a thoroughly respectable performance by little touches such as Elliot Easton’s stellar guitar work and Rundgren’s undeniable stage presence. (No more jokes, though, Todd.)". They also have this

Since I reviewed the latest avril Lavigne album not too long ago, I thought it only fair to also cover some of the competition. Kelly (American Idol) Clarkson, Paramore and McQueen, this is your time! It seems strange listening to the Kelly Clarkson album, as I am hit with the feeling that whilst Lavigne seems to be slowly getting worse as each album goes by, that Clarkson is going the other way and slowly getting better. 'Since you been gone' was a great pop tune off her last album and this new one throws some more decent tunes our way in a performance that reminds me a bit of Pat Benatar - and when I say this , believe me it is praise indeed, as was - and remain - a fan a Pat, the original queen of female based pop/rock. Kicking off with the excellent, 'Never Again', there is also a number of other tracks worthy of attention including: 'Hole', 'Don't waste your time', and 'How I feel' - this really isn't all that bad. And in a time wher...