Midnight at the Movies

I've been listening to this a lot on my recent travels. It's a fine second album from Steve Earle's son and, yes, you can hear his old man's influence (and voice) at times, but there's a wider set of influences too - the Pogues, the Replacements (there's a great mandolin-led cover of 'Can't Hardly Wait') and Ryan Adams (of Jacksonville City Nights-era). The title track is superb, but it perhaps lacks a couple more songs as strong as this, and the cover mentioned above, to make it a great album. Good though, nicely played and sung throughout, strong lyrics and a nice old-time feel to it.

If you go down to the woods...

here's the video to the aforementioned Richmond Fontaine single, 'You can Move Back Here'

Blimey... not what you'd call a vintage year

MERCURY shortlist, plus current odds:

Florence and the Machine – Lungs 5/1
Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum 5/1
Bat for Lashes – Two Suns 6/1
La Roux – La Roux 6/1
Glasvegas – Glasvegas 6/1
Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy 8/1
Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires 8/11
The Horrors – Primary Colours 8/1
Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew 8/1
The Invisible – The Invisible 10/1
Led Bib – Sensible Shoes 10/1
Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men 10/1

You Can Move Back Here

Ahead of the September release of their superb new album 'We Used to Think the Freeway Sounded like a River', Richmond Fontaine have teamed up with Trash Aestehtics for a great limited ed. 7" single, you can buy it here

'Music is my saviour / I was maimed by rock'n'roll'

good Wilco related story over at Aquarium Drunkard

Tarantino's Jukebox!

A two part radio 4 documentary starts tomorrow at 10.30am. QT and his use of music was definitely one of the inspirations for Hang the DJ, so i'll be tuning in for sure.

The Best Festival in the world!

I'm off to see The Duke & the King at the Borderline tonight, and i just noticed that they've been added to the bill for this year's End of the Road Festival, at Larmer Tree Gardens in Dorset. I went two years ago, and trust me when i say it's the most brilliant and beautifully run festival you can imagine - 5000 people capacity, gorgeous surroundings, great bands and no corporate sponsorship. And it's almost a dream line up this year, including Steve Earle, Richmond Fontaine, Vetiver, Neko Case, Fleet Foxes and others, see the official website for more
(If i hadn't just had a baby girl i'd be there this year too!)

Wilco (the response)

there's a great, strident, response to the album over at Aquarium Drunkard here that's well worth a read

While I may not be quite as glowing, yet, i'm enjoying the album (after a couple of shrugged shoulder listens). Unlike most reviewers though i find Nels Cline a problem, and it's particularly striking on this album, coming in late and over-filling songs with his j**z-like guitar (and he often sounds like Mike Oldfield for god's sake!). That said, there are some great songs on here, 'I'll Fight', 'You & I' (with Feist), 'Solitaire' and 'Sonny Feeling' (the latter two of which would have comfortably fit on Summerteeth - their most underrated album)

Anyway, Tweedy's voice and melodies are, as ever, great and it's a marked step-up lyrically from Sky Blue Sky, so definitely recommended.

Nick & Norah's Infinite playlist

This got a pretty hard time, but hell, i liked it



other indie/music based films that get a hard time (but i like):

Singles
Reality Bites
Heavy
Dazed & Confused
School of Rock
All the Real Girls
Garden State
Death Proof
Juno