A Life In Music

I caught two fish and got two bites that I didn't hit. I caught a small bass and........... a smaller bass! Lol

Not bad for a first time (basically) fly fisherman!

And whilst I feel really really really hot it doesn't appear as if I have got burnt (certainly nothing too serious!)

TMM

Ok so I'm covered in mosquito bites this morning - I guess that's what I get for boasting about it being super hot over here! Lol

Today I am going fly fishing so I expect plenty more bites - but for now I'm off for coffee!

I have the new 'Against Me' album to finish listening to today so if I get a chance I will write a little something about that as soon as possible - So far it sound pretty good!

Cheers

TMM

I wasn't born in the USA, but I am currently in the USA and it's quite late so that will have to do.

As for how it's going - great! I've been and done New York - or scratched the surface at least... Went to a broadway musical (Curtains with David Hyde-Pearce), went to the Comic Strip and saw a bunch of hilarious but little-known stand ups. Also went to a bunch of shops and museums and galleries, because other people wanted to. lol

I am now in Central Massachusetts in a place called 'Stockbridge', part of the Berkshires or 'Birkshyres' if you live here! Very picturesque, got the chance to do some fishing but that's about all. Oh and they sell guinness here..

Tomorrow I'm doing something or other then the next day am off north to Vermont, which should be nice.

Back in about 11 days or something so will be back to proper blogging and will have holiday reviews up thenabouts.

It's hot as shit here so be jealous!

Cheers!

TMM

Good Morning!

So I'm going to America today - that's about all I really have to say right now. I'd better go pack! Teehee!

Cheers

TMM

Ok so with packing for my holiday and all that jazz I've not had time to prepare a proper review of the Bad Religion record. So..... I am compiling my own list of 'songs that will change your life' or 'songs to hear before you die' or whatever these lists are called; either way this is a list of tunes you definitely need to hear! I will then include a 'further listening' list which will give you a further insight into the artists for further research if you like any or all of the tracks. If you do choose to download any of these songs, please do pay!

And in no particular order:

Another Girl, Another Planet - The Only Ones
New Slang - The Shins
Samson - Regina Spektor
Coppers - Rancid
The Devil In Miss Jones - Mike Ness
Diner - Martin Sexton
Closer - Joshua Radin
Sad Eyes - Josh Rouse
Solitary Man - Johnny Cash
Air Tap - Eric Mongrain
I've Lost Track of the World - Gustav Mahler (this is actually called: Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanded Gekommen but you should be able to find it)
Down to the River to Pray - Alison Krauss
Dancing Barefoot - Patti Smith
Poor Little Fool - Rick Nelson
Waiting For My Real Life to Begin - Colin Hay
Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Do You Wanna Dance - Beach Boys
Tom Traubert's Blues - Tom Waits
We Can Be Strong - Willie Mason
Hide & Seek - Imogen Heap
Lean on Me - Bill Withers
Runaway - Del Shannon
Train in Vain - The Clash
Alison - Elvis Costello
Many Rivers to Cross - Jimmy Cliff
Louie Louie - The Kingsmen
Stand By Me - Ben E. King
The Leaving Song Part 2 - AFI
Burning For You - Blue Oyster Cult

That's all for now, I don't want to use up all my ammo - what will I do next time I don't have time for a review?!?!?!

Now for the 'Further Listening'.....

Red Rabbits - The Shins
Oedipus - Regina Spektor
Right Now - Rancid
Big Iron - Mike Ness
Winter - Joshua Radin
Sparrows Over Birmingham - Josh Rouse
If You Could Read My Mind - Johnny Cash
Lonesome Town - Rick Nelson
Maggie - Colin Hay
Anything by the Beach Boys will do really! Lol
Martha - Tom Waits
What Humans Eats - Willie Mason
Candlelight - Imogen Heap
Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
Whiet Man In Hammersmith Palais - The Clash
Layla - Elvis Costello
Wonderful World, Beautiful People - Jimmy Cliff
Affliction - AFI
Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

This list is by no means definitive and not every song is going to be to everybody's taste but I hope you will all find something in here you like, there's some really great music to enjoy!

Let me know what you think and what you agree/disagree with!

Cheers

TMM

I will be upping a review later today on one of three albums - this is howcome you guys get to choose what it's about!

Respond ASAP please so I know which one I need to listen to...

1. Social Distortion - Out of the Gutter (a collection of rarities)
2. Bad Religion - New Maps Of Hell (new record)
3. Social Distortion - Greatest Hits (you guessed it...)

Lets have it!

I actually do like Mondays but then I wouldn't have been able to use that cliched title...

Erm so happy monday (excuse the pun) how was everyone's weekend? I went fishing for the first time in ages and then played about two hours of american football and only slightly ruined my ankle! So an all around decent weekend...

It's now 2 days until I go on holiday and I couldn't really get too much more excited! - I will do my best to update this blog while I'm away but don't expect much more than an entry every few days at best because I don't reckon I will have much access to the internet, although - I'm sure whatever I do manage to enter will be fantastic as is the case with all entries thus far!

Have a great monday and I will get a review up later today for y'all!

Cheers

TMM

No that isn't my way of saying that this post will be a review of a U2 song or indeed album. Just that I am having a mildly boring sunday.... I'll listen to something later and write a review tomorrow when I'm packing for my holidays!

How are your weekends going?!

Cheers

TMM

Messenger are a reasonably new and very good fun band hailing from Norway and the UK. They have a sound that harks back to the heyday of hair metal of the 1970s & 80s - well worth a listen if you like anything by Bon Jovi, Def Leppard or Van Halen.

Definitely one to attribute to a guilty pleasure and a favourite of British lad mags due to rumours that Ole, the front man had slept with all the women in Norway - hence his arrival over here!

The band are great fun and seemingly have a great sense of humour - embracing their hair-metal roots at every opportunity!

I have heard a sampler of their upcoming album but I will review the tracks available to the listening public via their Myspace page.

Angel Eyes is a slice of classic rock that smacks of Bon Jovi and Van Halen, well worth a listen - turn it up loud and punch the air.

The song 'Amazing' has a bouncy rhythm and flows nicely into an uplifting chorus. THe site also features a nice video for the song which is available further down the page.

Head For Glory starts with a great electronic intro which made me feel something huge was about to leap out of my speakers... however, the song descended into power balladry (which I was a little disappointed by) but then, the chorus jumped in with an awesome 'NA NA NA.....' and I was happy again! I would like to stress that this sense of anti-climax was only present on the first listen!

Hollywood Smile shows a more sensible sound, beginning as an acoustic ballad before moving on to better things.

Take a peek at their myspace and see for yourselves.
http://www.myspace.com/messengernorway

As is always the case with Fridays I'm very busy this morning and will do my best to set aside some time for a review this afternoon. I have a couple of things I've been listening to so there's definitely something to come! On a different note, holidays in 5 days! Go Rob!!

Have a good afternoon!

Cheers

TMM

A balls to the wall indie-punk affair with vibes of Patti Smith, The Pixies and P J Harvey throughout, the album impressed me right away although in all honesty it's not an album I expected to particuarly appeal to me. A strong vocal performance from front-woman Karen Reilly, who has been described as, 'having the power of a bulgarian choir in one throat', is present on tracks 'Girlfriend Got a Gun', 'Sharkbait' and 'Mother's Mother Tongue' (which sounds like Courtney Love wishes she did!) and arty guitar noise makes for a unique sound that cannot be attributed to one genre or influence.

In the middle of the album comes the track, 'Horsepills', which, as well as having a great title, has a great sound and the haunting repetition of 'Horsepills and Dogmeat' stays with you long after the album has finished, a spooky ballad with impressive guitar work and cleverly muffled drums; this is a standout track.

The band have sparked interest across the pond and the band have recently been a part of the NXNE festival in Canada as the only British act on the bill. Their myspace blog gives details of their first (clearly moving) encounter with a raccoon whilst they were there - nice to see a band who are still down to earth!

The band clearly have a handle on what words grab attention with 'Eat my Hole' which begins with a pounding bass drum beat and moves onto opening lyrics 'Eat my hole mother-f**k*r!' setting the tone. A sound reminiscent of early work by 'the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' follows for the rest of the track. Also 'lyrically sound' are tracks 'Donkeywork' (which features a fantastic beach-boys surfer vibe as well as a great punk rock thrasing guitar!) and 'Corpse'.

Overall a sound offering from a band clearly prepared to work hard for their audience.

'The Neutrinos - One Way Kiss' is out on the 6th of August on Wet Nurse Records.

You can listen to and download tracks including the single 'One Way Kiss' (not available for download) at the band's myspace page - http://www.myspace.com/theneutrinosinspace

As always, let me know what you think!

Cheers

TMM

Currently on the stereos I have One Way Kiss by the Neutrinos and as soon as it's done I will fire up the old keyboard and sort out a review for later this afternoon!

Cheers

TMM

I'll give you a quick heads up now, this is one of my all time favourite albums, certainly top 5, if not top 3 or even higher?!?! It's hard to call! The moral of this story being that you will have to forgive any and all unashamed plugging of how brilliant this album is!

The whole album is jazzy and acoustic, lead by Waits and his piano and a band back him up on most tracks. Waits has an unforgettable voice and you will most likely love it or hate it. The album was released in 1973, twelves years before I was born and I have my dad to thank for first playing me a Tom Waits track. And so on to the album:

Track One: Ol '55 - This song is a fantastic opener, a gorgeous melody with one of the most catchy choruses of all time. The song was covered by the Eagles and as such mosr people have never heard the original - a crying shame as it's one of the most moving songs of all time.

Track Two: I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You - A lone acoustic guitar plays through most of this track as Waits croons along, with lyrics that are unforgettable.

Track Three: Virginia Avenue - Classic old school jazz makes up most of this track, a double bass and a brushed snare drum make up most of the rhythm section and muted trumpets create a gorgeously rich sound, something even a jazz-hater couldn't fail to appreciate.

Track Four: Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards) - An acoustic ballad with an impressive piano part that any modern rocker would be seriously proud of and with good reason, yet another great song!

Track Five: Midnight Lullaby - Whilst my favourite recording of this song features on Waits' compilation 'The Early Years: Volume One' This version is truly wonderful and the closing use of the classic 'lullaby' on Waits' piano and jazz backing make for a beautiful song. If you never hear the version on 'The Early Years' you will die happy with this version but I do urge you to try and track down the early version which is mainly acoustic and the closing rendition on 'lullaby' is even more heart-wrenching on a solo piano.

Track Six: Martha - I have never played this song to anybody who didn't immediately love it, it's deeply affecting and most people have, at least afterwards, admitted the song almost moved them to tears. I'll leave you to make up your own mind but it's a classic love song and lyrically wouldn't be out of place in any poetry book or blues singer's repertoire a stand out track and quite possibly my favourite song of all time!

Track Seven: Rosie - On any other album this song would stand out a mile but it fits perfectly here, beginning with an acoustic guitar before a wonderful piano melody brings up the rear and it closes again with the same guitar. Brilliantly melancholy lyrics add to the mix and you have yet another fantastic song!

Track Eight: Lonely - If I had to pick a low point on the album I would have to put it here. Now that is not to say that this is a bad song, the only problem is that it's possibly a little repetitive? But it is slightly less good than the rest of this outstanding album.

Track Nine: Ice Cream Man - This song was my morning alarm song for around three months and I didn't get tired of waking up to it in the slightest. Beginning with a ice-cream-van-esque solo piano melody a drum roll brings in some serious jazz and the song progresses brilliantly, lyrically ironic and hilarious the song is a great way to turn someone on to jazz! Another version of this song features on 'The Early Years - Volume One' which is more or less the same although less polished and slightly more acoustic although it is definitely worth checking out if you like this song.

Track Ten: Little Trip To Heaven (On The Wings Of Your Love) - Straight up classic jazz, rasping muted trumpets and another brushed snare make a slow yet funky sound that flows through the speakers effortlessly, this song will be over before you realise almost four minutes have passed.

Track Eleven: Grapefruit Moon - An entirely piano-led ballad with deep meaning, beautifully engineered and deeply moving.

Track Twelve: Closing Time - If you havn't already been lulled into a peaceful sleep this track's sure to do it! Beautifully constructed and very affecting, the perfect way to end a beautiful album.

The whole album has a melancholy roughness that only serves to improve the appeal of the album. I have almost worn out my copy and could happily listen to it every day. I urge you to track down a copy of this album; I know for a fact you can get it on itunes, and I would advise getting a CD so you can take it everywhere and convert all your friends and even random passers by.

I'm currently looking to get a copy of this album of vinyl so any leads... let me know!

Sorry to go on about something I love but if you give it half a chance, you will too!

Cheers

TMM

P.S. Here's a clip from British 1970s music programme 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' of Tom performing 'Tom Traubert's Blues' the song doesn't feature on closing time but it will give you a clue of what to expect! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZmqbcBsTAw

Sorry about the delay guys I've been super-busy the past 24 hours. I will be writing a review later on an album I really love - Closing Time by Tom Waits, stay tuned....

Cheers

TMM

Hi guys,

I have been very busy this morning but I should have time to squeeze out a review for y'all this afternoon so keep your eyes peeled!

Hope you're all having a good day - I'm off for some lunch!

Cheers

TMM

I can finally show off my 'connections' as I am going to review something that is upcoming! (Well it comes out today...)

I got my hands on a copy of the band's sampler which includes the single 'Don't Cry Michael' as well as two other tracks one of which you less exclusive people can get your hands on at the band's myspace page. The band supported Ed Harcourt on recent gigs across Yorkshire and have been gigging themselves across the country and have a couple more gigs scheduled on their myspace profile.

The single was written by front-woman Jenny Bailey to help the bassist Michael through an unspecified tough point in his life and I've no doubt If I were Michael it would have helped me through a tough time in my life, the song is very moving, deep vocals with a vibe of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac flow through the song which has an uncanny suitability to whistlability (as a journalist I reserve the right to make up words!) The track is captivating and I listened three or four times before I began to notice specific lyrics and the melodies the flow behind the instantly memorable piano tinkering. A steadily building chorus highlights the band's understanding of the importance of a powerful chorus within a ballad.

Hey Now, the track abvailable via myspace, is another example of impressive balladry, strong vocals and a pleasing melody flow through the song which has a vibe similar to how an indie band covering a Corrs song might sound! Interesting as the lead singer is apparently a Yorkshire lass born and bred!

The final song of the sampler, Last Statement sounds like a female fronted Snow Patrol and is a great sign off to the sampler, the band have a gorgeous sound which I can only hope follows them to a full length release sometime soon and I wish them much success (and this is coming from a punk-rocker).

I would urge any fans of Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac, Snow Patrol, Frou Frou/Imogen Heap or almost any other talented female vocalist you can think of, to check them out and let me know what you think!

www.myspace.com/siverfallmusic

Cheers

TheMusicMan

Merry Monday!

I am back after a pleasant weekend, if a little shabby weather-wise...

Anyhow, I'll have a review up later today, just rifling through the new stuff I have to decide what's worth listening too on a monday morning!

Prepare yourselves!

TMM

Good evening!

I just got back from the 'Rhythms of the World' festival near me which was a great excuse to drink beers outside on a hot day in the middle of a town! Lol! I saw a few cool bands but can't remember any specific song names, there was one ska/reggae band (who were all white) that had a cool sound and an organ (always a bonus!) called 'Bowfinger' - also a pretty film with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy - I also watched a guy who sounded like a cross between Jack Johnson and Imogen Heap as he had a funky acoustic sound but it was produced entirely with electronic layering by one guitar! He started tapping the guitar to make a rhythm which repeated underneath before layering up repeated riffs and sounds on the guitar and singing along - Very impressive! I forget his name though, I will look for the website later or tomorrow to find the name from the line up. Anyone who lives anywhere in Hertforshire should go and check the festival out, it's in Hitchin and runs until midnight tonight and then from 12-12 tomorrow as well. It's a good day out both for the festival-goer in all of us and also the family-orientated person in all of us! Lol!

Tomorrow I'm off to watch a BAFL (British American Football League) game in Cambridge so I'm not sure there'll be much to write about that but you can be ready for more reviews starting monday!

Cheers to all who are starting to take notice!

TMM

G'day!

I have officially recieved confirmation of booking for tickets to the Warped Tour at the Tweeter Center Boston in August (This is a big deal as I live in the UK! lol!) There will be a big review coming up of that upon my return and I should have another 8-10 entries before I leave on the 25th, as for after that I will see what I can do internet-wise but the review upon my return will have been well worth the wait! Lol!

Cheers

TMM

I'm out of town this weekend so to all of my loyal reader () I offer you my deepest congratulations on making it through another week of life....

I have a lot to listen to over the weekend so I'll bring you something cool before you know it!

Cheers

TMM

As promised this morning I have a bit of a review for you, I got my hands on a promo cd for 'Bring it On' the new single which has been out almost two weeks now. I'll be honest in that the Skies don't produce a sound we havn't heard before, but then again, who does? And isn't that the point of a genre? The Skies have succeeded in making a sound of their own amongst a host of bands who fall into a void of what amounts to... normality. The sampler I got hold of features only the one track so this review should be short and sweet. NO exaggeration either as the review will be sweet!

I enjoyed the track, if you have any inkling of a 'rock-gene' so wil you, they have a frenetic style reminiscent of the Subways, their urgency, which you can clearly hear from the pounding drums, is something I havn't heard so clearly since early tracks by The Who and more recently Jet, something I find admirable in a world of often highly over-produced 'alternative' Indie rock!

You can hear the band's influences in the song and they are firmly rooted in good old fashioned blues and rock n roll but the sound is brought bang up to date with funky guitars and a refreshingly unpolished voice that lends a real appeal to the band.

The track itself has a catchy chorus that demands yelling (Not singing!) along to as well as some great guitarwork I can apreciate more due to a background on guitar and the growling yet warm lyrics provide a certain depth, overall the track is definitely worth the 99 or so pennies it costs to download something nowadays!

There are a few further tracks on their myspace page where I am also informed that the single is currently number 89 in the HMV top downloads chart which again is impressive, there are a number of gigs listed on the page and as soon as they make their way in this direction I'll take a peek at, if the urgency of their sound is anything to go by, what will be a very energetic live show, so you won't be the only person checking them out!

Let me know what you think

Cheers

TheMusicMan

Hey guys,

I'm back with avengeance and as such I should have a review up later today! I hope you're excited, I have a few things I've been listening to so I will definately have something to write about for you!

Cheers

TheMusicMan

I'm away from my computer for most of today so I will get a chance to listen to something but chances are I won't have a chance to write anything about it until tomorrow!

Cheers

TheMusicMan

OK, time for another one, this time it's a controversial choice, especially in 'good music' circles:

Good Charlotte - Good Morning Revival

Now I know what you're thinking, 'why?' and the answer is that there's a time and a place as well as a market so why not? I myself didn't hate the young 'punk's' first album, back when I was a little skater punk listening to Blink 182, New Found Glory and Sum 41, I even bought the next one and 'The Young and the Hopeless' wasn't hopeless, especially if you liked your guitars clearly defined and your vocals harmonised... The last album but one, 'The Chronicles of Life and Death', I was never really exposed to as I had moved onto more 'grown-up' punk rock (If you consider NoFx grown up, even if they are 40...) and as such I am unqualified to comment on it. Now I'm not saying Good Charlotte are bad, especially considering that every now and then I'll throw on an old Good Charlotte record and sing along, it's a guilty pleasure I share with everybody out there who pretends not to enjoy a bit of GC, and it's just that, to me, that's the appeal of Good Charlotte.

Good Morning revivial, may be a revival of something but it is not a revival of anything to do with Good Charlotte, nor is it a revival anybody ever asked for! It's an unfortunate foray into electronica that wouldn't have been out of place on a 1980s Talking Heads record and that would be fine, if Good Charlotte had anything close to the talent of the notorioua 'Psycho Killers'.

The whole album is a jumbled and misguided affair, poppy choruses with sing-along lyrics are thrown into the middle of electronic keyboards and heavy dischordant guitars. There are some fundamentally sound elements but the band have tried to undertake too many styles and in some cases, all at once!

The album does have its moments, the second single, 'The River', proves they still have the ability to make a catchy tune, one that still could be somewhat of a guilty pleasure with a catchy chorus that you may, irritatingly, find yourself humming over and over again. I was also pleased to hear attempts throughout at recreating the mood created in Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt' with a untuned piano pounding single notes throughout the chorus of 'Where We Would Be Now' as well as a few other instances on the record; admirable but sadly not good enough to save the album.

It would appear that Good Charlotte are attempting to manoeuvre their poppy US punk rock in a new direction, seemingly in order to fit in with the alternative indie sound prevalent nowadays. I'm not saying punk is dead but I would suggest that the whole ehtos of punk is to be different and to make a statement, not to try and fit in at any cost, especially if that cost is your appeal.

Hello out there folks in internet land!

I thought I would start out by talking about a new band who fall into the category of 'things I like'!

I recently heard about this band from a friend, they're called 'Van Tramp'. He heard their track 'New England' on BBC 1's 'Grandstand' here in the UK and after a few weeks he researched the band and liked what he found out. After some quick internet research of my own I found they are a British outfit fronted by an American and an acoustic guitar

Their most recent outing, an acoustic promo album, beat out new releases from Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Bob Dylan to the top spot in Florida internet-radio show 'The Acoustic Record's' Album of the year, so it's safe to say they have talent! (http://www.theacousticrecord.com/)

I am basing my review on 4 tracks from the upcoming release 'Ultraviolet EP' available via the band's myspace page at www.myspace.com/vantramp.

The first track I heard; 'Hope & Pray' starts with a melodic piano battling with frontman Tim Howar's vocals before a buzzing guitar riff sets the tone and the song takes off. Fluid rhythm leads the song into a sing-along chorus and fades out just as pleasingly leaving me wondering what happened to the 4 minutes that just flew by.

Next up was 'Something' which I can only assume is a past single as there's a hosted video on the site, the track would be at home on a Goo Goo Dolls album or even an Oasis album if you concentrate hard! Another slice of impressive classic guitar rock that succesfully builds on the sound of the first track.

My favourite of the songs on their site is 'The Garden', an acoustic guitar-led anthem that I can imagine swaying along to during a sunny, summer stadium tour, the song provides a deep sound with many levels to enjoy and a melody you won't soon forget.

With 'Help Me To Make It', a trembling acoustic melody undercuts a slide guitar and soft vocals to create a song that any number of established recording artists would be happy to have written!

However you look at it, a band with a singer who sounds like a cross between Bono and Springsteen and a hook-laden, anthemic, stadium-filling sound, deserve to soon fill stadiums and I encourage you all to see what you think yourselves. According to their myspace page there's an EP out soon and a live show scheduled for August in London and I for one intend to attend!

Cheers for reading!

The Music Man

P.S. Tomorrow's blog will probably be either something 'I don't like' or something 'CLASSIC!' feel free to let me know which you would prefer.

Hello, Hi, Howdi, Bonjour, Auf Wiedersehn and Hola,

I have pretensions to becoming a music journalist (world famous, of course) and I need to start somewhere, as such I have decided to post some reviews and news as and when I get the chance of new bands, new music and old music. I have some useful contacts and often get my hands on exclusive music so withany luck I can give you guys the scoop on a few cool up and coming artists!

Also, for anybody who's in a band or wants me to review any of their stuff, (especially if you have mp3 links!!!) please let me know.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the blog and I hope that I enjoy writing it!

Cheers!

The Music Man