To celebrate the release of The Who's Quadrophenia Live In London, we're delighted to be able to offer two copies of the deluxe metal box set to give away.
Quadrophenia Live In London was recorded at Wembley Arena on July 8, 2013 - the closing night of the band's historic Quadrophenia 40th anniversary tour.
The deluxe metal box set contains:
* 10-inch Round Metal Mod Headlight Container
* 1 Blu-Ray Disc™: Concert Film
* 1 Standard DVD: Concert Film
* 1 Blu-ray Audio Disc™ Format: Quadrophenia (1973) 5.1 Album Mix – First Time Ever
* 2-CD Soundtrack: Concert Audio
* Mod Headlight Button
* 6” Mod Headlight Sticker
* Booklet with photos and liner notes
To be in with a chance of winning, just tell us the correct answer to this question:
What was the first single to be released from Quadrophenia in 1973?
Send your entries to UncutComp@ipcmedia.com by noon, Friday, June 20. A winner will be chosen by the Uncut team from the correct entries. The editor's decision is final.
To celebrate the release of The Who’s Quadrophenia Live In London, we’re delighted to be able to offer two copies of the deluxe metal box set to give away.
Quadrophenia Live In London was recorded at Wembley Arena on July 8, 2013 – the closing night of the band’s historic Quadrophenia 40th anniversary tour.
The deluxe metal box set contains:
* 10-inch Round Metal Mod Headlight Container
* 1 Blu-Ray Disc™: Concert Film
* 1 Standard DVD: Concert Film
* 1 Blu-ray Audio Disc™ Format: Quadrophenia (1973) 5.1 Album Mix – First Time Ever
* 2-CD Soundtrack: Concert Audio
* Mod Headlight Button
* 6” Mod Headlight Sticker
* Booklet with photos and liner notes
To be in with a chance of winning, just tell us the correct answer to this question:
What was the first single to be released from Quadrophenia in 1973?
Send your entries to UncutComp@ipcmedia.com by noon, Friday, June 20. A winner will be chosen by the Uncut team from the correct entries. The editor’s decision is final.
Some of the special guests working on Brian Wilson's new album have been revealed.
Wilson previously disclosed that he has also been working with Jeff Beck, former Beach Boys bandmates Al Jardine and David Marks, Joe Thomas, and Blondie Chaplin on the album.
Now, Rolling Stone via Pitchfork reports Lana Del Ray, Frank Ocean, Zooey Deschanel and country singer Kacey Musgraves also said to be involved.
"This project blows my mind," Wilson is quoted as saying. "I had no idea we could pull this off!" Ocean is believed to appear on a song titled "Special Love", while Del Rey track "Last Song" is described as "haunting". Meanwhile, Deschanel's "On The Island" is a "space-age bossa nova" and country singer Musgraves song is titled "Sharing A New Day".
However, early reaction to the record from within Wilson's fan base has been less positive, to the extend that Wilson has responded and spoken directly to fans via Facebook.
Posting on his official account, Wilson wrote: "To my fans: it kind of bums me out to see some of the negativity here about the album I’ve been working so hard on. In my life in music, I’ve been told too many times not to fuck with the formula, but as an artist it’s my job to do that – and I think I’ve earned that right.
"I’m really proud of these new songs and to hear these great artists sing on them just blows me away. I love what we’ve done. I would think that after making music for more than 50 years, my fans would understand that I’ll always do what’s in my heart – and I think that’s why you are my fans. So let’s just wait until the album comes out because I think you just might dig it as much as I do."
Some of the special guests working on Brian Wilson‘s new album have been revealed.
Wilson previously disclosed that he has also been working with Jeff Beck, former Beach Boys bandmates Al Jardine and David Marks, Joe Thomas, and Blondie Chaplin on the album.
Now, Rolling Stone via Pitchfork reports Lana Del Ray, Frank Ocean, Zooey Deschanel and country singer Kacey Musgraves also said to be involved.
“This project blows my mind,” Wilson is quoted as saying. “I had no idea we could pull this off!” Ocean is believed to appear on a song titled “Special Love”, while Del Rey track “Last Song” is described as “haunting”. Meanwhile, Deschanel’s “On The Island” is a “space-age bossa nova” and country singer Musgraves song is titled “Sharing A New Day”.
However, early reaction to the record from within Wilson’s fan base has been less positive, to the extend that Wilson has responded and spoken directly to fans via Facebook.
Posting on his official account, Wilson wrote: “To my fans: it kind of bums me out to see some of the negativity here about the album I’ve been working so hard on. In my life in music, I’ve been told too many times not to fuck with the formula, but as an artist it’s my job to do that – and I think I’ve earned that right.
“I’m really proud of these new songs and to hear these great artists sing on them just blows me away. I love what we’ve done. I would think that after making music for more than 50 years, my fans would understand that I’ll always do what’s in my heart – and I think that’s why you are my fans. So let’s just wait until the album comes out because I think you just might dig it as much as I do.”
The Allah-Las have announced details of their new album, Worship The Sun.
We're delighted to premier one of the album's tracks, "501-415", which you can scroll down to hear.
The album, the follow-up to their self-titled 2012 debut, is released on September 15, 2014 by Innovative Leisure.
The album was recorded in Los Angeles with Dan Horne, Nick Waterhouse and the band themselves on production duties. Speaking about the album, the band said: ""We approached Worship The Sun more as an album, with the songs all built out of the same material and feelings. More of the songs on this record were written individually and then arranged collectively."
The tracklisting for Worship The Sun is:
De Vida Voz
Had It All
Artifact
Ferus Gallery
Recurring
Nothing To Hide
Buffalo Nickel
Follow You Down
501-415
Yemeni Jade
Worship The Sun
Better Than Mine
No Werewolf*
Every Girl*
* CD and digital bonus tracks, not included on the vinyl edition
Photo credit: Nolan Hall
The Allah-Las have announced details of their new album, Worship The Sun.
We’re delighted to premier one of the album’s tracks, “501-415“, which you can scroll down to hear.
The album, the follow-up to their self-titled 2012 debut, is released on September 15, 2014 by Innovative Leisure.
The album was recorded in Los Angeles with Dan Horne, Nick Waterhouse and the band themselves on production duties. Speaking about the album, the band said: “”We approached Worship The Sun more as an album, with the songs all built out of the same material and feelings. More of the songs on this record were written individually and then arranged collectively.”
The tracklisting for Worship The Sun is:
De Vida Voz
Had It All
Artifact
Ferus Gallery
Recurring
Nothing To Hide
Buffalo Nickel
Follow You Down
501-415
Yemeni Jade
Worship The Sun
Better Than Mine
No Werewolf*
Every Girl*
* CD and digital bonus tracks, not included on the vinyl edition
As he prepares to release his new album Band Of Brothers, Willie Nelson is set to answer your questions in Uncut as part of our regular Audience With… feature.
So is there anything you’ve always wanted to ask the legendary outlaw?
How did he get interested in the martial art of Gong Kwon Yu Sul?
Is it true he used to bumble bees as a kid in Abbott, Texas?
What is his favourite cover version of one of his songs?
Send up your questions by noon, Monday, June 16 to uncutaudiencewith@ipcmedia.com. The best questions, and Willie's answers, will be published in a future edition of Uncut magazine. Please include your name and location with your question.
As he prepares to release his new album Band Of Brothers, Willie Nelson is set to answer your questions in Uncut as part of our regular Audience With… feature.
So is there anything you’ve always wanted to ask the legendary outlaw?
How did he get interested in the martial art of Gong Kwon Yu Sul?
Is it true he used to bumble bees as a kid in Abbott, Texas?
What is his favourite cover version of one of his songs?
Send up your questions by noon, Monday, June 16 to uncutaudiencewith@ipcmedia.com. The best questions, and Willie’s answers, will be published in a future edition of Uncut magazine. Please include your name and location with your question.
Morrissey has cancelled all dates on his US tour due to illness.
The singer was recently forced to postpone live dates in Atlanta, Baltimore and Washington, and has now cancelled his entire tour to give him time to recover from his bout of ill health.
A note on the singer's Facebook page explain...
Morrissey has cancelled all dates on his US tour due to illness.
The singer was recently forced to postpone live dates in Atlanta, Baltimore and Washington, and has now cancelled his entire tour to give him time to recover from his bout of ill health.
A note on the singer’s Facebook page explains that the singer is suffering from a respiratory infection he caught in Miami, and his symptoms have now worsened.
“It is with great sadness that the remainder of the US Tour has been cancelled. The respiratory infection Morrissey contracted in Miami has worsened, and in the interest of making a full recovery, all further touring plans have been halted. Morrissey thanks his fans for their compassion, understanding, and well-wishes during this difficult period as he recuperates,” the post reads.
Morrissey fansite True To You has reported that the singer contracted his illness from his longtime support act Kristeen Young. “Difficulties had arisen on May 31st following Kristeen Young’s opening set at the Miami Knight Concert Hall, after which Kristeen confessed to “a horrendous cold”, the symptoms of which were passed on to Morrissey resulting in the cancellation of the next show in Atlanta,” the site claims. The post also alleges that the singer was asked not to play the immediate planned subsequent shows, but she decided to pull out of the entire tour.
However, Young has denied this in a subsequent Facebook post, writing: “I did not ‘confess to a horrendous cold’. On Monday, June 2nd, I had an allergy attack that was over within 16 hours. I went to a doctor (on Monday, June 2nd), an allergy specialist, who gave me drugs for allergies…and they worked. I explained this (early on Tuesday, June 3rd) and offered this doctor’s phone number to Morrissey personally, via email, and the tour manager.”
She added: “I am very sorry that Morrissey is not feeling well. But I will not tolerate these lies….particularly about my health. This is really too much and bizarre.”
Damon Albarn has played "Song 2" live for the first time without his Blur bandmates – watch footage of it below.
The singer is currently touring the US supporting his solo album, Everyday Robots.
While Albarn has been playing Blur material on the tour, with tracks including "Out Of Time" and "T...
Damon Albarn has played “Song 2” live for the first time without his Blur bandmates – watch footage of it below.
The singer is currently touring the US supporting his solo album, Everyday Robots.
While Albarn has been playing Blur material on the tour, with tracks including “Out Of Time” and “This Is A Low”, last night’s gig at Royale, Boston, was the first time he has played “Song 2” and the first time ever without his Blur bandmates.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ1vGHyMqOc
Next month, Albarn will headline the Latitude festival in Suffolk alongside The Black Keys.
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are streaming two new songs from their forthcoming album, Hypnotic Eye.
You can hear "U Get Me High" and "Red River" below.
Hypnotic Eye will be released on July 29. The band will begin a North American tour on August 3.
Petty has also announced that every ticket p...
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are streaming two new songs from their forthcoming album, Hypnotic Eye.
You can hear “U Get Me High” and “Red River” below.
Hypnotic Eye will be released on July 29. The band will begin a North American tour on August 3.
Petty has also announced that every ticket purchased for the upcoming tour will include a copy of Hypnotic Eye.
The album will also be available on high-resolution Blu-ray audio and also on vinyl formats: a single LP or a double-album containing a track unavailable elsewhere.
Fan club members will also release a digital album, Live 2013, when they purchase Hypnotic Eye.
Yesterday, after I posted this list of my favourite albums of 2014, I received a few messages complaining that there were too many Youtube and Soundcloud clips embedded here, preventing the page from loading properly. Forgive the repetition, then, but I thought it worth reposting the list as three separate blogs; hopefully it’ll work better this time…
Previously: The Best Albums Of 2014: Halftime Report Part One Previously: The Best Albums Of 2014: Halftime Report Part Two
41. Dylan Shearer – Garagearray (Castleface/Empty Cellar)
42. Jesse Sparhawk & Eric Carbonara – Tributes & Diatribes (VHF)
43. D Charles Speer & The Helix – Doubled Exposure (Thrill Jockey)
44. Håkon Stene - Lush Laments for Lazy Mammal (Hubro)
45. Suarasama – Timeline (Space)
46. Sun Kil Moon – Benji (Caldo Verde)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgaquGird4w
Read my review here
47. Todd Terje – It’s Album Time (Olsen)
48. Tinariwen – Emmaar (PIAS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PduOJidnB_M
49. Alexander Turnquist – Wildflower (Western Vinyl)
50. Sharon Van Etten – Are We There (Jagjaguwar)
51. Wolfgang Voigt – Rückverzauberung 9/Musik für Kulturinstitutionen (Kompkakt)
52. Terry Waldo – The Soul Of Ragtime (Tompkins Square)
53. Ryley Walker – All Kinds Of You (Tompkins Square)
54. The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream (Secretly Canadian)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ9IXScip68
55. Watter – This World (Temporary Residence)
56. Jack White – Lazaretto (Third Man/XL)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYF0LtfUvJs
57. Woo – When The Past Arrives (Drag City)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvBTyNKm5-Q
58. Wooden Wand – Farmer's Corner (Fire)
59. Woods – With Light And With Love (Woodsist)
60. Girma Yifrashewa – Love And Peace (Unseen Worlds)
61. You Are Wolf – Hawk To The Hunting Gone (Stone Tape)
62. Neil Young – A Letter Home (Third Man/Reprise)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H47jI6xanA
Read my review hereFollow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey
Yesterday, after I posted this list of my favourite albums of 2014, I received a few messages complaining that there were too many Youtube and Soundcloud clips embedded here, preventing the page from loading properly. Forgive the repetition, then, but I thought it worth reposting the list as three separate blogs; hopefully it’ll work better this time…
Yesterday, after I posted this list of my favourite albums of 2014, I received a few messages complaining that there were too many Youtube and Soundcloud clips embedded here, preventing the page from loading properly. Forgive the repetition, then, but I thought it worth reposting the list as three separate blogs; hopefully it’ll work better this time…
Previously: The Best Albums Of 2014: Halftime Report Part One
21. Hurray For The Riff-Raff – Small Town Heroes (ATO)
Read my review here
22. Kasai All Stars – Beware The Fetish (Crammed Discs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rod0kSInlgo
23. Kelis – Food (Ninjatune)
24. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Wig Out At Jagbags (Domino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYC5JASqWnI
25. Mark McGuire – Along The Way (Dead Oceans)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGxosUuBg0A
26. The Men – Tomorrow’s Hits (Sacred Bones)
27. Metronomy – Love Letters (Because)
28. Mogwai – Rave Tapes (Rock Action)
29. New Bums – Voices In A Rented Room (Drag City)
30. Thee Oh Sees – Drop (Castleface)
31. Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness (Jagjaguwar)
32. Doug Paisley – Strong Feelings (No Quarter)
33. Linda Perhacs – The Soul Of All Natural Things (Asthmatic Kitty)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n-nWy6fB00
34. Plaid – Reachy Prints (Warp)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ6I6J0yrHQ
35. Pye Corner Audio – Black Mill Tapes 3&4 (Type)
Read my review here
36. Pye Corner Audio/Not Waving - Intercepts (Ecstatic)
37. Real Estate – Atlas (Domino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNvj_VLkEBg
Read my review here
38. Gruff Rhys – American Interior (Turnstile)
39. Chris Robinson Brotherhood – Phosphorescent Harvest (Silver Arrow)
40. Noura Mint Seymali – Tzenni (Glitterbeat)
Continue to the Best Albums Of 2014: Halftime Report Part ThreeFollow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey
Yesterday, after I posted this list of my favourite albums of 2014, I received a few messages complaining that there were too many Youtube and Soundcloud clips embedded here, preventing the page from loading properly. Forgive the repetition, then, but I thought it worth reposting the list as three separate blogs; hopefully it’ll work better this time…
Yesterday, after I posted this list of my favourite albums of 2014, I received a few messages complaining that there were too many Youtube and Soundcloud clips embedded here, preventing the page from loading properly. Forgive the repetition, then, but I thought it worth reposting the list as three separate blogs; hopefully it’ll work better this time…
Always a bit of a gamble doing this, to be honest but, since it’s June, I’ve tried to put together a list of my favourite albums of 2014 thus far. Many caveats forthcoming, not least that my slightly ad hoc way of trying to remember what I’ve liked means I’ve almost certainly missed a few things.
In theory, these are all records released between January and June of this year. I should also point out that this is a very personal selection, and in no way representative of what my 40-odd colleagues at Uncut might choose if we were running this as a proper poll. It’s also not exactly a Top 62, as I’ve organised them in alphabetical order rather than attempting any ranking at this early stage (ie don’t get too overexcited, Luke Abbott fans…).
Still, now that I’ve all my excuses out of the way, I hope you’ll find plenty to dig into here. I’ve included links to music and extended reviews about many of these albums, so please let me know what you think. Your own charts and thoughts are as welcome as ever: besides the comments boxes at the bottom, letters to the magazine can be sent to me at uncut_feedback@ipcmedia.com.
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey
1. Luke Abbott – Wysing Forest (Border Community)
2. Afghan Whigs – Do To The Beast (Sub Pop)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovhzeqIaggY
3. Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots (Parlophone)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjbiUj-FD-o
4. Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires - Dereconstructed (Sub Pop)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YucWOXSCa4U
)
Read my review here
5. Olga Bell – Krai (One Little Indian)
6. Black Bananas – Electric Brick Wall (Drag City)
7. Black Dirt Oak – Wawayanda Patient (MIE Music)
Read my review here
8. Bohren & Der Club Of Gore – Piano Nights (PIAS)
Read my review here
9. Bill Callahan – Have Fun With God (Drag City)
Read my review here
10. Hans Chew – Life And Love (At The Helm)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoelJhhIKcM
11. Morgan Delt – Morgan Delt (Trouble In Mind)
12. Toumani Diabaté & Sidiki Diabaté - Toumani & Sidiki (World Circuit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCEeaERMfNo
13. Drive-By Truckers – English Oceans (ATO)
14. East India Youth – Total Strife Forever (Stolen)
15. Fennesz – Bécs (Editions Mego)
16. Grandma Sparrow - Grandma Sparrow & his Piddletractor Orchestra (Spacebomb)
17. Steve Gunn & Mike Cooper – FRKWYS VOL 11: Cantos De Lisboa (RVNG INTL)
18. The Hold Steady – Teeth Dreams (Washington Square)
19. Dylan Howe – Subterranean: New Designs On Bowie's Berlin (Motorik)
20. Howlin Rain – Live Rain (Agitated)
Continue to the Best Albums Of 2014: Halftime Report Part Two Continue to the Best Albums Of 2014: Halftime Report Part Three
Yesterday, after I posted this list of my favourite albums of 2014, I received a few messages complaining that there were too many Youtube and Soundcloud clips embedded here, preventing the page from loading properly. Forgive the repetition, then, but I thought it worth reposting the list as three separate blogs; hopefully it’ll work better this time…
Always a bit of a gamble doing this, to be honest but, since it’s June, I’ve tried to put together a list of my favourite albums of 2014 thus far. Many caveats forthcoming, not least that my slightly ad hoc way of trying to remember what I’ve liked means I’ve almost certainly missed a few things.
In theory, these are all records released between January and June of this year. I should also point out that this is a very personal selection, and in no way representative of what my 40-odd colleagues at Uncut might choose if we were running this as a proper poll. It’s also not exactly a Top 62, as I’ve organised them in alphabetical order rather than attempting any ranking at this early stage (ie don’t get too overexcited, Luke Abbott fans…).
Still, now that I’ve all my excuses out of the way, I hope you’ll find plenty to dig into here. I’ve included links to music and extended reviews about many of these albums, so please let me know what you think. Your own charts and thoughts are as welcome as ever: besides the comments boxes at the bottom, letters to the magazine can be sent to me at uncut_feedback@ipcmedia.com.
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey
1. Luke Abbott – Wysing Forest (Border Community)
2. Afghan Whigs – Do To The Beast (Sub Pop)
3. Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots (Parlophone)
4. Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires – Dereconstructed (Sub Pop)
As he prepares to release his new solo album Tied To A Star, J Mascis is set to answer your questions in Uncut as part of our regular Audience With… feature.
So is there anything you’ve always wanted to ask the legendary frontman?
Who are his guitar heroes?
Why did he turn down Kurt Cobain's invitation to join Nirvana?
What's his favourite Dinosaur Jr album?
Send up your questions by noon, Monday, June 16 to uncutaudiencewith@ipcmedia.com. The best questions, and J's answers, will be published in a future edition of Uncut magazine. Please include your name and location with your question.
As he prepares to release his new solo album Tied To A Star, J Mascis is set to answer your questions in Uncut as part of our regular Audience With… feature.
So is there anything you’ve always wanted to ask the legendary frontman?
Who are his guitar heroes?
Why did he turn down Kurt Cobain’s invitation to join Nirvana?
What’s his favourite Dinosaur Jr album?
Send up your questions by noon, Monday, June 16 to uncutaudiencewith@ipcmedia.com. The best questions, and J’s answers, will be published in a future edition of Uncut magazine. Please include your name and location with your question.
The Aztec Camera-man relives his early-'80s glories - slap bass and all...
It’s been eight years since Roddy Frame’s last album, Western Skies, and over 30 since his arrival as a precocious prodigy from East Kilbride, the boy wonder whose remarkably worldly songs put Aztec Camera at the vanguard of the Sound of Young Scotland alongside Postcard labelmates Orange Juice and Josef K.
Though their 1983 debut, High Land, Hard Rain, remains arguably the crowning achievement of that vibrant cultural moment, Frame swiftly ditched the arch aesthetic and Cali-donian jangle to indulge what seemed at times a wilful contrarian streak. He outraged indier-than-thou sensibilities by working with Mark Knopfler on Aztec Camera’s second album Knife, while Love – with its pop hit “Somewhere In My Heart” – was a slick pop-soul confection employing veteran US sessioneers Steve Gadd and Steve Jordan. Later releases bounced from Mick Jones to Ryuichi Sakamoto, before Frame ditched the band brand and went solo with 1998’s North Star.
It’s been slow work since. Seven Dials is Frame’s fourth solo album in 16 years, evidence not just of a perfectionist streak, but also of someone who has occasionally seemed burdened by the expectations wrought by his exceptional early promise. On “English Garden”, a ballad of heartbreaking fragility and one of several stand-outs here, he contemplates swans on the Thames while paraphrasing L.P. Hartley: “The past is like another place, it’s a foreign land”. Yet at 50 Frame seems more at ease with returning there. He marked High Land, Hard Rain’s thirtieth birthday last year with a handful of gloriously nostalgic shows, and there are moments on Seven Dials which directly confront former glories. “Once, like the kid I reigned / King of all I surveyed,” he reflects on “The Other Side”, while “Postcard” – a knowing title – features a twanging one-note acoustic guitar solo which plants its tongue firmly in the cheek of “Oblivious”.
Seven Dials seamlessly weaves many of the best elements of Frame’s past into a work of consummate craftsmanship which also references the likes of Steely Dan, The Cure, The Beatles, Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. Within an orthodox pop/rock axis it exhibits admirably egalitarian and sometimes eccentric tastes. In “On The Waves”, the syncopated 80s rhythm track features slap-bass. At the end of ”The Other Side”, a soulful, slow-rolling showstopper with rippling piano arpeggios a la Hunky Dory, Frame’s unabashed guitar solo pays explicit homage to Brian May. “Rear View Mirror”, a seductively swaying bossa nova with a tough lyrical edge, finds him channelling his inner João Gilberto, while the sparkling west coast radio pop of “Postcard”, with its glistening guitar line and sun-ripened backing vocals, makes a neat meta-textual nod to the source of its inspiration as it travels “from San Francisco to Sausalito, where they started Rumours”.
Elsewhere, the words hint at confession while remaining essentially impressionistic studies of time, place, memory and love. “From A Train”, the latest in a line of nimble finger-picking songs running from “Down The Dip” to 2002’s magnificent voice-and-acoustic album Surf, concludes, “Here’s the view: love is pain, rushing through.” There’s also much spiritual contemplation on the record, with its talk of Jesus’ children, the washing of hands, faith tested and often found wanting. “Forty Days Of Rain” pits the album’s most jaunty musical setting – a Dylanesque folk-rock rush of harmonica, organ and accordion – against its most explicitly racked lyric. Drenched in the quasi-biblical imagery of floods, ancient kings and swords, it depicts Frame as a “wretch”, broken by a period of extreme crisis, stumbling into salvation: “I fall and I pray, I was lost but I’m found.”
A triumph of economy at ten songs and 38 minutes, Seven Dials succeeds in being both instantly accessible yet full of detail and depth. The apparently nourishing life/work balance Frame outlines in its hook-laden opener, “White Pony” – “Sometimes you’ve got to stop and look around” – may lead to increasingly lengthy pauses between releases, but smelling the flowers along the way has clearly done him the power of good.
Graeme Thomson
Q&A
RODDY FRAME
Eight years. Explain yourself.
I’ve always been like that! I remember being a kid at school and the teacher saying, “When you start work you’re not going to be able to look out the window all day.” I was 12, and I said to her, “I’m not going to be working, I’m going to be a pop star.” Now people are asking why I’ve got gaps in my CV, but I didn’t think making music was ever about working to a schedule. Frankly, with some of the people I love, I wish they’d take more time and not make so many records.
You’ve signed to Edwyn Collins’s label, AED.
Yeah, Analogue Enhanced Digital – his little in-joke. I was wary at first. We’ve known each other since we were teenagers and we’re so close, but this is his turf. I was wondering if it would work, but [Edwyn’s wife] Grace said, “Look, I’ll never ask you to do anything you don’t want to do. You say no and that’s it.” I thought that sounded amazing, and I said, “Well, I promise I’ll never ring up and ask you why the record isn’t on the radio.” It’s a sensible arrangement. We’re old enough to know that the most important thing is that we stay friends.
INTERVIEW: GRAEME THOMSON
The Aztec Camera-man relives his early-’80s glories – slap bass and all…
It’s been eight years since Roddy Frame’s last album, Western Skies, and over 30 since his arrival as a precocious prodigy from East Kilbride, the boy wonder whose remarkably worldly songs put Aztec Camera at the vanguard of the Sound of Young Scotland alongside Postcard labelmates Orange Juice and Josef K.
Though their 1983 debut, High Land, Hard Rain, remains arguably the crowning achievement of that vibrant cultural moment, Frame swiftly ditched the arch aesthetic and Cali-donian jangle to indulge what seemed at times a wilful contrarian streak. He outraged indier-than-thou sensibilities by working with Mark Knopfler on Aztec Camera’s second album Knife, while Love – with its pop hit “Somewhere In My Heart” – was a slick pop-soul confection employing veteran US sessioneers Steve Gadd and Steve Jordan. Later releases bounced from Mick Jones to Ryuichi Sakamoto, before Frame ditched the band brand and went solo with 1998’s North Star.
It’s been slow work since. Seven Dials is Frame’s fourth solo album in 16 years, evidence not just of a perfectionist streak, but also of someone who has occasionally seemed burdened by the expectations wrought by his exceptional early promise. On “English Garden”, a ballad of heartbreaking fragility and one of several stand-outs here, he contemplates swans on the Thames while paraphrasing L.P. Hartley: “The past is like another place, it’s a foreign land”. Yet at 50 Frame seems more at ease with returning there. He marked High Land, Hard Rain’s thirtieth birthday last year with a handful of gloriously nostalgic shows, and there are moments on Seven Dials which directly confront former glories. “Once, like the kid I reigned / King of all I surveyed,” he reflects on “The Other Side”, while “Postcard” – a knowing title – features a twanging one-note acoustic guitar solo which plants its tongue firmly in the cheek of “Oblivious”.
Seven Dials seamlessly weaves many of the best elements of Frame’s past into a work of consummate craftsmanship which also references the likes of Steely Dan, The Cure, The Beatles, Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. Within an orthodox pop/rock axis it exhibits admirably egalitarian and sometimes eccentric tastes. In “On The Waves”, the syncopated 80s rhythm track features slap-bass. At the end of ”The Other Side”, a soulful, slow-rolling showstopper with rippling piano arpeggios a la Hunky Dory, Frame’s unabashed guitar solo pays explicit homage to Brian May. “Rear View Mirror”, a seductively swaying bossa nova with a tough lyrical edge, finds him channelling his inner João Gilberto, while the sparkling west coast radio pop of “Postcard”, with its glistening guitar line and sun-ripened backing vocals, makes a neat meta-textual nod to the source of its inspiration as it travels “from San Francisco to Sausalito, where they started Rumours”.
Elsewhere, the words hint at confession while remaining essentially impressionistic studies of time, place, memory and love. “From A Train”, the latest in a line of nimble finger-picking songs running from “Down The Dip” to 2002’s magnificent voice-and-acoustic album Surf, concludes, “Here’s the view: love is pain, rushing through.” There’s also much spiritual contemplation on the record, with its talk of Jesus’ children, the washing of hands, faith tested and often found wanting. “Forty Days Of Rain” pits the album’s most jaunty musical setting – a Dylanesque folk-rock rush of harmonica, organ and accordion – against its most explicitly racked lyric. Drenched in the quasi-biblical imagery of floods, ancient kings and swords, it depicts Frame as a “wretch”, broken by a period of extreme crisis, stumbling into salvation: “I fall and I pray, I was lost but I’m found.”
A triumph of economy at ten songs and 38 minutes, Seven Dials succeeds in being both instantly accessible yet full of detail and depth. The apparently nourishing life/work balance Frame outlines in its hook-laden opener, “White Pony” – “Sometimes you’ve got to stop and look around” – may lead to increasingly lengthy pauses between releases, but smelling the flowers along the way has clearly done him the power of good.
Graeme Thomson
Q&A
RODDY FRAME
Eight years. Explain yourself.
I’ve always been like that! I remember being a kid at school and the teacher saying, “When you start work you’re not going to be able to look out the window all day.” I was 12, and I said to her, “I’m not going to be working, I’m going to be a pop star.” Now people are asking why I’ve got gaps in my CV, but I didn’t think making music was ever about working to a schedule. Frankly, with some of the people I love, I wish they’d take more time and not make so many records.
You’ve signed to Edwyn Collins’s label, AED.
Yeah, Analogue Enhanced Digital – his little in-joke. I was wary at first. We’ve known each other since we were teenagers and we’re so close, but this is his turf. I was wondering if it would work, but [Edwyn’s wife] Grace said, “Look, I’ll never ask you to do anything you don’t want to do. You say no and that’s it.” I thought that sounded amazing, and I said, “Well, I promise I’ll never ring up and ask you why the record isn’t on the radio.” It’s a sensible arrangement. We’re old enough to know that the most important thing is that we stay friends.
Paul McCartney has postponed a number of US tour dates, as he continues to recover a virus which saw him hospitalised in Tokyo, Japan last month.
Writing on his official website, McCartney said: "I'm sorry but it’s going to be a few more weeks before we get rocking in America again. I’m feelin...
Paul McCartney has postponed a number of US tour dates, as he continues to recover a virus which saw him hospitalised in Tokyo, Japan last month.
Writing on his official website, McCartney said: “I’m sorry but it’s going to be a few more weeks before we get rocking in America again. I’m feeling great but taking my docs’ advice to take it easy for just a few more days. Look forward to seeing you all soon.”
Concerts in Lubbock, Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Nashville and Louisville on his Out There tour have now been pushed back until October.
The tour will resume in Albany on July 5.
The shows continue through to mid-August, before picking up again in October.
Morrissey debuted a new album song "Kick The Bride Down The Aisle" onstage in Boston on Saturday night [June 7].
Click below to watch fan-shot footage of the live unveiling of the song at the Boston Opera House. The studio version of the track will feature on Morrissey's new album World Peace Is No...
Morrissey debuted a new album song “Kick The Bride Down The Aisle” onstage in Boston on Saturday night [June 7].
Click below to watch fan-shot footage of the live unveiling of the song at the Boston Opera House. The studio version of the track will feature on Morrissey’s new album World Peace Is None of Your Business, which is set for release on July 14.
Earlier this month Morrissey streamed another new song, entitled “Earth Is The Loneliest Planet“, which was trailed with a Pamela Anderson starring spoken word video.
Morrissey was recently forced to cancel a gig in Atlanta, Georgia through ill health as well as postpone a show at the Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The World Peace Is None Of Your Business tracklisting is:
Jack White has announced plans for three UK arena tours set to take place this November.
While play Leeds First Direct Arena on November 17, Glasgow SSE Hydro on November 18 and London O2 Arena on November 19. Tickets go on general sale on June 13 at 9am. The shows will follow White's sold-out gig ...
Jack White has announced plans for three UK arena tours set to take place this November.
While play Leeds First Direct Arena on November 17, Glasgow SSE Hydro on November 18 and London O2 Arena on November 19. Tickets go on general sale on June 13 at 9am. The shows will follow White’s sold-out gig at London’s Eventim Apollo on July 5 and his performance later this month at Glastonbury.
White’s second solo album Lazaretto is available now.
The Ramones self-titled debut album has been certified gold - 38 years after it was first released.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade organization that represents the recording industry in the United States, the album was certified gold on April 30, 2014.
The al...
The Ramones self-titled debut album has been certified gold – 38 years after it was first released.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade organization that represents the recording industry in the United States, the album was certified gold on April 30, 2014.
The album was originally released on April 23, 1976.
According to the RIAA, an album is required to have sold 500,000 copies to qualify for gold status.
King Crimson have released images and a video clip taken from rehearsals for their forthcoming live dates.
Nine photographs have appeared this morning [July 10] on Robert Fripp's DGMLive site. You can see them here.
Meanwhile, Fripp has also posted a 5 second clip of the band rehearsing on his Fac...
King Crimson have released images and a video clip taken from rehearsals for their forthcoming live dates.
Nine photographs have appeared this morning [July 10] on Robert Fripp‘s DGMLive site. You can see them here.
Meanwhile, Fripp has also posted a 5 second clip of the band rehearsing on his Facebook page of drummers Gavin Harrison, Pat Mastelotto and Bill Rieflin which you can watch here. The clip is tagged “Elstree Studios Sunday 8th. June, 2014”.
This line-up – the 8th in the band’s history – is Fripp, Harrison, Rieflin, Mastelotto, bassist Tony Levin, saxophonist Mel Collins and guitarist Jakko Jakszyk.
They are all former Crimson members, except Rieflin and Jakszyk who have been involved on the fringes of Crimson for a few years. Rieflin collaborated with Chris Wong, Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox in a project called The Humans, while Jakszyk played in Jakszyk Fripp & Collins, alongside Robert Fripp and Mel Collins.
On Saturday [June 7], Tony Levin posted on his blog: “We moved to a bigger rehearsal room, and combined the two parts of the band that had been rehearsing separately. Since February, the three drummers have been getting together, and this past week marked the second time I’d come to Jakko’s home studio to rehearse with him — this time joined by Robert and Mel.”
The band have also now announced the entire 17-show run of dates:
September 9 & 10 @ The Egg – Albany, NY
September 12 & 13 @ Kimmel Center – Philadelphia, PA
September 15 & 16 @ Colonial Theatre – Boston, MA
September 18, 19 & 20 @ Best Buy Theater – New York, NY
September 23 @ Barrymore Theatre – Madison, WI
September 25 & 26 @ The Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL
September 30 & October 1 @ Orpheum Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
October 3 & 4 @ Warfield Theater – San Francisco, CA
October 6 @ Moore Theatre – Seattle, WA
Announcing his plans to reform the band last year in Uncut, Robert Fripp said, “King Crimson is returning to active service. We are on-call to be ready for a live performance on September 1, 2014. Seven members. Four English, three American. Three drummers. It’s a different configuration of King Crimson than before. Some are familiar names, maybe more than others.”
Fripp went on to say, “The first performance will take place in either North or South America,” Fripp told Uncut. “There will be rehearsals primarily in England, and the final batch of rehearsals will most likely be in America in August or September 2014. There is a plan to include the UK in the tour dates, but it depends on a number of circumstances. Right now the primary geographical focus is the United States.”
Always a bit of a gamble doing this, to be honest but, since it’s June, I’ve tried to put together a list of my favourite albums of 2014 thus far. Many caveats forthcoming, not least that my slightly ad hoc way of trying to remember what I’ve liked means I’ve almost certainly missed a few things.
In theory, these are all records released between January and June of this year. I should also point out that this is a very personal selection, and in no way representative of what my 40-odd colleagues at Uncut might choose if we were running this as a proper poll. It’s also not exactly a Top 62, as I’ve organised them in alphabetical order rather than attempting any ranking at this early stage (ie don’t get too overexcited, Luke Abbott fans…).
Still, now that I’ve all my excuses out of the way, I hope you’ll find plenty to dig into here. I’ve included links to music and extended reviews about many of these albums, so please let me know what you think. Your own charts and thoughts are as welcome as ever: besides the comments boxes at the bottom, letters to the magazine can be sent to me at uncut_feedback@ipcmedia.com.
Click here to see the list in three easier-to-load chunks.Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey
1. Luke Abbott – Wysing Forest (Border Community)
2. Afghan Whigs – Do To The Beast (Sub Pop)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovhzeqIaggY
3. Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots (Parlophone)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjbiUj-FD-o
4. Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires - Dereconstructed (Sub Pop)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YucWOXSCa4U
)
Read my review here
5. Olga Bell – Krai (One Little Indian)
6. Black Bananas – Electric Brick Wall (Drag City)
7. Black Dirt Oak – Wawayanda Patient (MIE Music)
Read my review here
8. Bohren & Der Club Of Gore – Piano Nights (PIAS)
Read my review here
9. Bill Callahan – Have Fun With God (Drag City)
Read my review here
10. Hans Chew – Life And Love (At The Helm)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoelJhhIKcM
11. Morgan Delt – Morgan Delt (Trouble In Mind)
12. Toumani Diabaté & Sidiki Diabaté - Toumani & Sidiki (World Circuit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCEeaERMfNo
13. Drive-By Truckers – English Oceans (ATO)
14. East India Youth – Total Strife Forever (Stolen)
15. Fennesz – Bécs (Editions Mego)
16. Grandma Sparrow - Grandma Sparrow & his Piddletractor Orchestra (Spacebomb)
17. Steve Gunn & Mike Cooper – FRKWYS VOL 11: Cantos De Lisboa (RVNG INTL)
18. The Hold Steady – Teeth Dreams (Washington Square)
19. Dylan Howe – Subterranean: New Designs On Bowie's Berlin (Motorik)
20. Howlin Rain – Live Rain (Agitated)
21. Hurray For The Riff-Raff – Small Town Heroes (ATO)
Read my review here
22. Kasai All Stars – Beware The Fetish (Crammed Discs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rod0kSInlgo
23. Kelis – Food (Ninjatune)
24. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Wig Out At Jagbags (Domino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYC5JASqWnI
25. Mark McGuire – Along The Way (Dead Oceans)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGxosUuBg0A
26. The Men – Tomorrow’s Hits (Sacred Bones)
27. Metronomy – Love Letters (Because)
28. Mogwai – Rave Tapes (Rock Action)
29. New Bums – Voices In A Rented Room (Drag City)
30. Thee Oh Sees – Drop (Castleface)
31. Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness (Jagjaguwar)
32. Doug Paisley – Strong Feelings (No Quarter)
33. Linda Perhacs – The Soul Of All Natural Things (Asthmatic Kitty)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n-nWy6fB00
34. Plaid – Reachy Prints (Warp)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ6I6J0yrHQ
35. Pye Corner Audio – Black Mill Tapes 3&4 (Type)
Read my review here
36. Pye Corner Audio/Not Waving - Intercepts (Ecstatic)
37. Real Estate – Atlas (Domino)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNvj_VLkEBg
Read my review here
38. Gruff Rhys – American Interior (Turnstile)
39. Chris Robinson Brotherhood – Phosphorescent Harvest (Silver Arrow)
40. Noura Mint Seymali – Tzenni (Glitterbeat)
41. Dylan Shearer – Garagearray (Castleface/Empty Cellar)
42. Jesse Sparhawk & Eric Carbonara – Tributes & Diatribes (VHF)
43. D Charles Speer & The Helix – Doubled Exposure (Thrill Jockey)
44. Håkon Stene - Lush Laments for Lazy Mammal (Hubro)
45. Suarasama – Timeline (Space)
46. Sun Kil Moon – Benji (Caldo Verde)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgaquGird4w
Read my review here
47. Todd Terje – It’s Album Time (Olsen)
48. Tinariwen – Emmaar (PIAS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PduOJidnB_M
49. Alexander Turnquist – Wildflower (Western Vinyl)
50. Sharon Van Etten – Are We There (Jagjaguwar)
51. Wolfgang Voigt – Rückverzauberung 9/Musik für Kulturinstitutionen (Kompkakt)
52. Terry Waldo – The Soul Of Ragtime (Tompkins Square)
53. Ryley Walker – All Kinds Of You (Tompkins Square)
54. The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream (Secretly Canadian)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ9IXScip68
55. Watter – This World (Temporary Residence)
56. Jack White – Lazaretto (Third Man/XL)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYF0LtfUvJs
57. Woo – When The Past Arrives (Drag City)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvBTyNKm5-Q
58. Wooden Wand – Farmer's Corner (Fire)
59. Woods – With Light And With Love (Woodsist)
60. Girma Yifrashewa – Love And Peace (Unseen Worlds)
61. You Are Wolf – Hawk To The Hunting Gone (Stone Tape)
62. Neil Young – A Letter Home (Third Man/Reprise)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H47jI6xanA
Read my review here
Always a bit of a gamble doing this, to be honest but, since it’s June, I’ve tried to put together a list of my favourite albums of 2014 thus far. Many caveats forthcoming, not least that my slightly ad hoc way of trying to remember what I’ve liked means I’ve almost certainly missed a few things.
In theory, these are all records released between January and June of this year. I should also point out that this is a very personal selection, and in no way representative of what my 40-odd colleagues at Uncut might choose if we were running this as a proper poll. It’s also not exactly a Top 62, as I’ve organised them in alphabetical order rather than attempting any ranking at this early stage (ie don’t get too overexcited, Luke Abbott fans…).
Still, now that I’ve all my excuses out of the way, I hope you’ll find plenty to dig into here. I’ve included links to music and extended reviews about many of these albums, so please let me know what you think. Your own charts and thoughts are as welcome as ever: besides the comments boxes at the bottom, letters to the magazine can be sent to me at uncut_feedback@ipcmedia.com.
Hiss Golden Messenger has announced details of a new album, Lateness Of Dancers.
Lateness Of Dancers is the fifth by Hiss Golden Messenger - the alias of songwriter and singer M.C. Taylor.
It is due for release on September 15 on Merge Records. Scroll down to watch a trailer for the album.
The al...
Hiss Golden Messenger has announced details of a new album, Lateness Of Dancers.
Lateness Of Dancers is the fifth by Hiss Golden Messenger – the alias of songwriter and singer M.C. Taylor.
It is due for release on September 15 on Merge Records. Scroll down to watch a trailer for the album.
The album was recorded in Taylor’s home state of North Carolina, and includes many of his longtime collaborators including Phil and Brad Cook, William Tyler, Terry Lonergan, Matt McCaughan, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and longtime recording partner and collaborator Scott Hirsch.
Meanwhile, Hiss Golden Messenger will play the following shows in the UK:
Friday, July 18 – Latitude Festival, Suffolk
Saturday, July 19 – Bush Hall, London
Sunday, July 20 – Somersault Festival, Devon
The tracklisting for Lateness Of Dancers is:
Lucia
Saturday’s Song
Mahogany Dread
Day O Day (A Love So Free)
Lateness of Dancers
I’m A Raven (Shake Children)
Black Dog Wind (Rose Of Roses)
Southern Grammar
Chapter & Verse (Ione’s Song)
Drum
You can hear another Hiss Golden Messenger track, “Brother, Do You Know The Road?”, which isn’t included on Lateness Of Dancers, here.
Jarvis and co shoot for a happy ending...
As anyone who has seen Svengali, 20 Feet From Stardom or Frank will have surely realised, we are not exactly living in a golden age of music films right now. Much of my problem with these films lies in the reductive treatment of their subjects – the Sto...
Jarvis and co shoot for a happy ending…
As anyone who has seen Svengali, 20 Feet From Stardom or Frank will have surely realised, we are not exactly living in a golden age of music films right now. Much of my problem with these films lies in the reductive treatment of their subjects – the Stone Roses, a clutch of (mostly) interesting backing singers, the life of Frank Sidebottom. That Pulp (subtitled A Film About Life, Death And Supermarkets) manages to drag the genre out of its slump is quite an achievement. As much as I like Pulp, it’s still hard to muster much enthusiasm for a band who – some spry reunion shows in 2011/12 aside – haven’t released any new music for over a decade and whose story has been rigorously documented elsewhere. arvis Cocker seems to implicitly understand the shortcomings of the proposal: “It didn’t feel like a good ending,” he admits. “I know that ‘tidying up’ isn’t the greatest rock’n’roll motivation but I did want to give the story a happy ending.” To reinforce how underwhelming all this might be, we then get some footage of Jarvis changing a flat tyre, feeding some ducks, riding a bicycle.
As it turns out, Jarvis is arguably the least interesting thing about this film from New Zealand based director Florian Habicht. The events in Pulp take place in Sheffield, on December 8, 2012, the day of the band’s last UK concert. It follows the individual band members, their fans and a handful of the city’s more colourful inhabitants as they prepare for this momentous event. The band themselves prove to be amiable, self-deprecating souls – in particular drummer Nick Banks, who we first meet coaching his daughter Jeannie’s football team, the Sheffield FC U14 Ladies, who are sponsored by Pulp. Elsewhere, interviewed in a local record shop, sometime member Richard Hawley notes of the 12 year gap between Pulp’s debut It and their creative peak Different Class, “marriages don’t last that long, governments don’t last that long.”
But the real stars are the good folks of Sheffield (“a medium sized city in the north of England,” says Jarvis helpfully): knife makers, fishmongers, school children, newspaper sellers, all of whom gamely offer their thoughts on Jarvis and Pulp. “When they first started out, I listened to their music with Blur,” says Josephine, a white-haired fan of uncertain age. “And of the two, I prefer Pulp.” Habicht also interviews the workers in the city’s Castle Market, where the teenage Cocker held down a Saturday job. Meanwhile, a dance troupe, U-nique, treat Habicht’s cameras to their routine for “Disco 2000” and the Sheffield Harmony vocal group deliver a fruity a cappella version of “Common People”. We also meet a nurse who’s travelled from Georgia for the show, and a local musician who found solace in Pulp’s music during an especially turbulent period in his life. “I thin the concert was OK,” reflects Cocker at the film’s close. ”It was important to do it, and I think it was good that we left Sheffield to the last thing. Life is a random process, I think, but you can add a narrative to it. And so by doing that, it just seemed logical that you would do this thing and finish in the place where it all started.”
Michael Bonner
