Author: Mike Rea Page 13
Paul Simon - Surprise
Paul SimonSurpriseAlbum ReviewWarner BrosThe news that Brian Eno was to produce a Paul Simon album led to all kinds of speculation about what we might hear. The surprise is that this is mostly just...
Review posted on 22nd May 2006
Gnarls Barkley - St Elsewhere
Artist - Gnarls BarkleyAlbum - St ElsewhereLabel - WeaIt is easy to see why someone might be interested in this disc, given how catchy the lead single, Crazy, is. But, give thanks to iTunes or...
Review posted on 15th May 2006
Neil Young - Living With War
Artist - Neil YoungAlbum - Living With WarLabel - RepriseStepping, with lumberjack boots, into the whole Iraq war debate, Living With War leaves the listener in no doubt whatsoever about Young's position. Whether it is...
Review posted on 15th May 2006
Archie Bronson Outfit - Derdang Derdang
Archie Bronson OutfitDerdang DerdangDomino Album ReviewDomino are doing an awful lot right at the moment, with bands like Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys managing to be wonderfully indie as well as breakthough popular. Domino is...
Review posted on 8th May 2006
Calla - Collisions
CallaCollisionsBeggars Banquet Album ReviewIf you are the kind of person who likes your chocolate as rich and dark as it comes, and your red wine full and tannic, Calla have your disc ready. This New...
Review posted on 8th May 2006
The Church - Uninvited Like The Clouds
The ChurchUninvited Like The Clouds17/04/2006 Cooking VinylAlbum ReviewThe hazy psychedelic antipodeans have been surfing that dreamy hover cloud again, and why not seeing that it has kept them consistently afloat for years? There is an...
Review posted on 8th May 2006
Godspeed You Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
Godspeed You Black EmperorLift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To HeavenRykodisc Album ReviewWith a barrage of pigeonholes and genres flying around, it is a little difficult to find an appropriate tag for a band who...
Review posted on 2nd May 2006
Elf Power - Back to The Web
Elf PowerBack to The WebRykodiscAlbum Review Styling themselves as a 'lo-fi indie pop band' goes no way to describing the whole state of mind that surrounds this band, or this excellent album. Formed in Athens,...
Review posted on 2nd May 2006
Black Keys - Chulahoma
The Black KeysChulahomaFat Possum Album ReviewThe Black Keys have had astonishing success as 'the rather cooler, rather dirtier and rather funkier White Stripes', and this album continues their evolution at pace. A duo, comprising singer-guitarist...
Review posted on 2nd May 2006
Liars - Drum's Not Dead
LiarsDrum's Not DeadMuteAlbum ReviewAn album that comes with a DVD containing 3 film versions of the album by different directors - essentially three separate videos of each of the 12 songs on the album! So,...
Review posted on 24th April 2006
Drive By Truckers - A Blessing And A Curse
Drive By TruckersA Blessing And A Curse New WestAlbum ReviewThe title of this album may refer to the run of form the band has enjoyed recently. Their last, Dirty South, was a critically-acclaimed and popular...
Review posted on 24th April 2006
Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
Bruce SpringsteenWe Shall Overcome: The Seeger SessionsColumbiaAlbum ReviewA year since Devils and Dust's release has seen Springsteen touring heavily, and then putting together this remarkable record. With music inspired by folk singer Pete Seeger, and...
Review posted on 24th April 2006
John Doe - Forever Hasn't Happened Yet
John DoeForever Hasn't Happened YetAlbum ReviewYep RocYou may not have heard of John Doe, but he is something of a musical legend, from his time in LA 'punk' band X. The reason that you should...
Review posted on 19th April 2006
Milton Mapes - The Blacklight Trap
Milton MapesThe Blacklight TrapAlbum ReviewUndertowMilton Mapes' shaggy rock/ Americana mix is hugely engaging, drawing at turns Uncle Tupelo, Nashville Skyline Dylan or inevitable Neil Young Harvest comparisons. The band is named after the singer/ guitarist's...
Review posted on 19th April 2006
Band Of Horses - Everything All the Time
Band of HorsesEverything All the TimeAlbum ReviewSub PopBand of Horses began life as indie favourites Carissa's Weird, but, to my mind, that band never achieved the kind of ragged glory that they do here. Into...
Review posted on 19th April 2006
The Vines - Vision Valley
The VinesVision ValleyHeavenly/ EMIAlbum ReviewDespite actually being a stopgap album for the Aussie band after lead singer Craig Nicholls' health problems, Vision Valley instead need make no excuses for itself whatsoever. The band's third album,...
Review posted on 10th April 2006
The Streets - The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
The StreetsThe Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living679Album ReviewOh dear. Oh dear, oh dear. It is hard to communicate just how hard this album sucks. Mike Skinner ably demonstrates why journalists should hold on...
Review posted on 10th April 2006
Michael Penn - Mr. Hollywood
Michael PennMr. Hollywood, Jr. 1947Spin ArtAlbum ReviewIt is rare that someone writes songs as well as Michael Penn does. It is a reasonably rare event when Michael Penn puts out a set of songs anyway,...
Review posted on 10th April 2006
Built To Spill - You In Reverse
Built To SpillYou In ReverseAlbum ReviewBuilt To Spill's reputation was huge, as a guitar hero-led alternative rock band, with fun in their edge. Then, they went and got all miserable, coinciding with a crisis of...
Review posted on 5th April 2006
Nightmare Of You - Nightmare of You
Artist - Nightmare of YouAlbum - Nightmare of YouLabel - Full Time HobbyAn album in which a group of Green Day look-alikes from the US mix some Smiths cynicism with some Bluetones bounciness to produce...
Review posted on 3rd April 2006
Eleventh Dream Day - Zeroes and Ones
Artist - Eleventh Dream DayAlbum - Zeroes and OnesLabel - Thrill JockeyEleventh Dream Day have been around since 1983, when their alternative rock spirit and energy sounded as underground as the Ramones but with a...
Review posted on 3rd April 2006
Josh Ritter - The Animal Years
Artist - Josh RitterAlbum - The Animal YearsLabel - V2Josh Ritter is an almost criminally-underexposed singer-songwriter, one who combines wonderful Dylan-Van Morrison melodic feel and reach, but whose accessibility would make him a shoo-in for...
Review posted on 3rd April 2006
Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now
Taking Back SundayLouder NowWarner BrosAlbum ReviewAfter a great summer supporting Green Day in the UK, and a load of success for their emo-punk skater-boy rock, Louder Now moves on the trademark intertwining vocal/ multiple lead...
Review posted on 27th March 2006
Donald Fagen - Morph The Cat
Donald FagenMorph The CatRepriseAlbum ReviewHow much more cred does any one man need than to be Donald 'Steely Dan' Fagen - all arch coolness and enough muso-genius to be able to get away with challenging,...
Review posted on 27th March 2006
The Storys - Storys
The StorysStorysAbsoluteAlbum ReviewWhat a contrast there is within this one disc. A band chosen to be 'special guests' on Elton John's forthcoming tour (blame him for James Blunt too), and the recipients of some great...
Review posted on 27th March 2006
Kevin Brown - Tin Church
Kevin BrownTin ChurchDoodahAlbum ReviewWhen you can count Mark Knopfler among your admirers, you're clearly doing something right. But when you're an English slide guitar blues player who can produce an album of this kind of...
Review posted on 27th March 2006
The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics
The Flaming LipsAt War With The MysticsWarner BrosAlbum ReviewThe release of a new Flaming Lips album is A Very Big Event in the world of adult alternative music. As one of the bands that has...
Review posted on 27th March 2006
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood Epitaph Album Review Neko Case is something of a cult artist, with stints in The New Pornographers alongside her somewhat patchy solo work. Here she gives vent to...
Review posted on 20th March 2006
St Thomas - I'm Coming Home
St Thomas I'm Coming Home City Slang Album Review Continuing a European theme, this is the first release for Norwegian Thomas Hansen outside his home country, and it's about time too. Like a long lost...
Review posted on 20th March 2006
The Minus 5 - The Gun Album
The Minus 5 The Minus 5 aka The Gun Album Cooking Vinyl Album Review The Minus 5 are something of a ragbag of artists having a real go at Scott (ex-REM) McCaughey's songs. Here joined...
Review posted on 20th March 2006
Suggested
Leisure Festival - Dreamland in Margate
On the same day that Glastonbury welcomed back Margate's adopted sons, The Libertines, Margate itself put on it's very own Leisure Festival as it...
Pretty Fierce talk to us about collaborating with Doja Cat, emetophobia, arena tours and staying "true to yourself" [EXCLUSIVE]
Sheffield's very own all girl group Pretty Fierce are still on a high after the recent release of their debut single - 'Ready For Me'.
Will Varley & Jack Valero - The Astor Theatre Deal Live Review
Three nights before the end of his current tour Will Varley returned to his home town of Deal to delight a sold out crowd in The Astor Theatre.
WYSE talks to us about her "form of synaesthesia", collaborating with Radiohead's Thom York and the prospect of touring with a band [EXCLUSIVE]
With only a few days to go before Portsmouth based songstress and producer WYSE releases her new single, 'Belladonna', we caught up with her to find...
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Bay Bryan talks to us about being a "wee queer ginger", singing with Laura Marling and being inspired by Matilda [EXCLUSIVE]
Colorado raised, Glasgow educated and Manchester based Bay Bryan is nothing if not a multi-talented, multi-faceted artist performing as both...
Keelan X talks to us about staying true to "your creative vision", collaborating with Giorgio Moroder and being "a yoga nut" [EXCLUSIVE]
Former Marigolds band member Keelan Cunningham has rediscovered his love of music with his new solo project Keelan X.
![Luke De-Sciscio talks to us about having the courage to be yourself, forgiving that which is outside of one's control and following whims [EXCLUSIVE]](https://images.contactmusic.com/images/home/homepage/luke-de-sciscio-abof-a.jpg "Luke De-Sciscio talks to us about having the courage to be yourself, forgiving that which is outside of one's control and following whims [EXCLUSIVE]")
Luke De-Sciscio talks to us about having the courage to be yourself, forgiving that which is outside of one's control and following whims [EXCLUSIVE]
Wiltshire singer-songwriter Luke De Sciscio, formally known as Folk Boy, is set to release is latest album - 'The Banquet' via AntiFragile Music on...
Annie Elise talks to us about the challenges a female producer has to face and "going through a year of grief and sickness" [EXCLUSIVE]
Electronic music pioneer and producer Annie Elise says that the release of her first EP - 'Breathe In, Breathe Out' feels "both vulnerable and...
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