Todd is God

Billboard has a short piece on State "Todd Rundgren Researched Skrillex, Frank Ocean For New Album" http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1555290/todd-rundgren-researched-skrillex-frank-ocean-for-new-album Andy Gill gives State the first UK paper review I've seen – a 3 star review in the i ( i-Independent) today -   calling it's music range 'playlist-unfriendly' http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/album-review-todd-rundgren-state-esoteric-antenna-8560492.html

Music radar has a track by track break down of the new Todd album by the man himself. Only 4-5 days until release. 

With a week to go before the new Todd album hits the stores (digital and otherwise) Here are a couple of reviews: Something Else http://somethingelsereviews.com/2013/03/27/todd-rundgren-state-2013/   " As with the best of his music, State — Bon Iver meets the Nazz? Or maybe Nine Inch Nails meets the Buggles? — is neither fish nor fowl, at once diverse and of a piece." [This also includes link to the amazon site with 20 sec clips of the tracks] Halesowen News http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/newsxtra/music/10290086.Kevin_Bryan_s_Record_Reviews/     " maintains his reputation for eclecticism as it serves up a heady blend of rock,soul and electronica"

Pollstar has a good interview  with Todd on State and other things musically.

With the New Todd album upon us, he has been speaking about it and his thought process Todd Rundgren on His Frustration With the Music Industry: 'I'm Not a One-Hit Wonder As Some Suggest' Todd Rundgren On ‘Maximizing the Sonic Realm Available To Me’

So there is only just over a month to go before the new Todd studio album comes out (or 'drops' as I believe the kids like to say these days). As always with a new Toddd album I am looking forward to it, and at the same time wondering if he can pull another great record out of the bag, as following his last 2 (proper) studio albums Liars and Arena is not an easy task. The new album merges rock with electronica by all accounts, and some of the tracks have surfaced online, but I have resisted the temptation to seek them out and instead will wait for the official release. Even better news is that Todd will return to British shores again to promote the album, and I already have my tickets booked for that in June (in a week where i shall also get to see Rick Springfield live for the first time - his fist uk dates in over 25 years) Let there be Todd ...

The Paralympics are currently taking place in the UK [Off to see some athlectics, swiomming and equestrian events this weekend] but as this is a music blog, I'll say I was very happy to see Channel Four the broadcaster who is carrying over 500 hours of live coverage of the event has been using Public Enemy's - 'Harder than you Think', off their 2007 album How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul???, as it's theme music for all their coverage - including in trial like this one . The original video for the track I LOVE this song. It was the stand out track off the Soul album and one that I told anyone who'd listen to me deserved to be a hit. As a result of the Channel 4 usage it looks like being Top 10 in the UK singles charts this Sunday. PE also have a good new album out Most of my Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamps

YES! So I decided to try and write a Jazz ballad - as you do - and this is what I came up with. I got a lovely German girl called Anja to sing it, as my warbling wouldn't do it justice.

Tame Impala - Elephant (Todd Rundgren Remix) Available 26th Aug http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008XHNGY4/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_oKrlqb1GNYJD3

Childhood/Nightmare Sense Christening Lullaby

Sense

An album I am really enjoying at the moment is the second full album from Joe Pug - The Great Dispiser. Great songwriting, and certainly one of the hidden gems iof the year thus far.

A spot of Girl Rock was on the agenda last night. First up were a young band from Banbury called EVAROSE. These four young ladies have their musical feet firmly in the emo-metal field, in particular bands such as Flyleaf and Paramore (with vocalist Dannika sounding and singing very much in the style of Hayley Williams). They are certainly not lacking in energy of musicianship and singer Dannika knows how to own a stage – and I loved the harmony vocals/vocals provided by guitarist Imogen , but song-wise they are still not quite there yet (for me). Which is not to say they don't have some good tunes. Cough it Up and Best Left Alone are fine examples of their ability to write catchy songs in the genre. I'm just hoping that the next 18 months – 3 years will see the band find a bit more of their own identity (so that people's first thought in hearing them is no longer Paramore for example). On the evidence of last night they certainly have the potential to be a force to b...

UK singer-songwriter Rumer http://www.rumer.co.uk/ ( Sarah Joyce) releases her second album next month – a set of covers of less-obvious songs by male artists. Rumer said: ‘this project is about passion, and paying respect to other people’s work. I went on a journey and this music tells that story.’ Included is a version of Todd's Be Nice to Me, off the Runt album. Boys Don’t Cry tracklisting 1. P.F. Sloan (Jimmy Webb) 2. Be Nice To Me (Todd Rundgren) 3. It Could Be The First Day (Richie Havens) 4. Travelin’ Boy (Paul Williams) 5. A Man Needs A Maid (Neil Young) 6. Soulsville (Issaac Hayes) 7. The Same Old Tears On A New Background (Stephen Bishop) 8. Soul Rebel (Bob Marley) 9. Flyin’ Shoes (Townes Van Zandt) 10. Home Thoughts From Abroad (Clifford T Ward) 11. We Will (Gilbert O Sullivan) 12. My Cricket (Leon Russell)

Cherry Red Records’ frontline label Esoteric Antenna confirms it will release Todd's next sudio album, due for release early 2013.

I realised that I haven't really posted anything Todd or otherwise here lately so let's change that right now. We have had two complete months so what albums have tickled my fancy thus far in 2012. Craig Finn - Clear Heart Full Eyes. The Hold Steady's front man delivers a debut solo record that unsurprisingly is reminiscent of THS, but is most a much more stripped down and folky/country vibed record. Takes a coule of listens, but it is a solid record that will certainly tide me over until the next THS album gets made. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas I doubt there will be a better album released by a 77 year old this year. Actually I doubt there will be that many albums by anyone of any other age that will release a better record either. A fuller sounding record than he has recorded in a while and also one that most reconnects with his earlier folk roots. Show me the Place, Come Healing, Darkness ... and more. All classic Cohen. Van Halen - A different Kind of Truth A pleasant su...

TOP 15 Albums 2011 Album of the Year Bon Iver – Bon Iver - There really wasn't an album I returned to more in 2012 than this one. Not a dud track on the whole album (although the Bruce Hornsby impersonation was a bit odd) Here's Bon Iver performing Perth on Later with Jools Holland And the Rest: - Ryan Adams Ashes & Fire. One of my favourite songwriters, and this was his best collection in a few years. Mostly stripped down. Great stuff. Lucky Now video The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow . Not on the album, but they do a good range of covers in addition to their own stuff. Here is them doing Billy Jean on Later with Jools Holland The Leisure Society – Into the Murky Waters : Pastoral English folk/pop music at its finest. A delightful discovery. Well crafted tunes, and great delivery. Dust on the Dancefloor video Scoobuis Pip – Distraction Pieces … Video for Let em Come Abigail Washburn - City of Refuge: Abigail Washburn performing " Chains " live at Musi...

Todd played 3 nights at London's Jazz Cafe this week. I went along to Monday and Wednesday's gigs. It is a venue that holds around 300 people, so is pretty 'cozy' as far as viewing experiences go. A continuation of the dates he'd been doing in the US recently it was billed as “The greatest hits tour his fans have been waiting to see for years.” On Monday night he joked about this, adding if this were really the case the gig would be over after 15 minutes, although he did add that these were the songs he thought fans 'might' like to hear. He certainly cast his net wide album-wise, with 15 Todd and 1 Utopia album covered in the set list. He may have not been playing every fan's favourite songs, but he was certainly trying to cover most of his albums. As a result it covered a wide variety of his career and allowed him to dip in and out of some of the different styles he's used over it – power pop, rock, blues, soul, bosa nova etc. For me, when I see ...