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Weekly Reviews For December 20, 2005

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I am Managing Editor at Metal4Life

I also contribute reviews to getreadytorock

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Roine Stolt - Wall Street Voodoo

It's been a while since the last Roine Stolt solo album. He must have been
sitting around twiddling his thumbs in between albums and tours with The
Flower Kings, Transatlantic, The Tangent and Kaipa. So, the workshy
layabout has finally got the finger out and released a new (double) solo
record. In old money that would have been 4 albums! But it's a good one.

And a different one. Fans of his progtastic twiddlings elsewhere might be
surprised at the seventies blues rock / borderline stoner approach he's
taken. It's more Grand Funk Railroad than Genesis. Although to be fair,
the overall mood is very much Robin Trower circa "Bridge Of Sighs" -
textures, shapes and colours.

Opening number "The Observer" sets the tone for the rest of the album, with
the other highlights including the acoustic tinged "Dirt", the Grateful Dead
like "Spirit Of The Rebel" which sees Roine heading off into jam band
territory and the hit single that will never be, "Sex Kills". I'm not
kidding by the way, it's incredibly commercial.

Things get a little funky on "Everybody Is Trying To Sell You Something" and
the final track "People That Have The Power To Shape The Future" is a superb
summation of everything that has gone before, being a total tribute ot the
seventies including a neat Peter Frampton touch.

He is aided and abetted by Gonzo Geffen, Slim Pothead and Victor Woof, which
internet rumours claim to be Daniel Gildenlöw, Tomas Bodin and Jonas
Reingold from the Flower Kings. It also has Neal Morse guesting as lead
vocalist, which is a very good thing!

Antony & The Johnsons feat Boy George - You Are My Sister


You mean it's not a joke? Are you sure? An androgynous Leonard Cohen impersonator singing bad Jeff Buckley songs! It has to be. There's no way all those so called serious music critics could really think this is good, in any way, shape or form. They must be ganging up on the great record buying public, taking out their frustrated dreams of being real writers on the poor punters who actually believe them.

And just when you think it couldn't actually get any worse, Boy George arrives! It's like French & Saunders doing a Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue spoof. The words, Emperor, new and clothes spring to mind.

Oh, God there's more - the promo only listed one song, but there's more. I don't know if the sixty foot drop will kill me, but I'll give it a bash - oh, right, the off button - click. Aah!

Leya - The Dream The Money Bought

One of those pesky download only singles, praise be to the delightful record company bods who sent me a CD copy, for otherwise I would have missed out on this gem.

Proper music with big choruses, big guitars and big subjects. But not done in a dull as ditchwater Coldplay manner, rather in a scraping the sky Muse type manner. There's nothing wrong with histrionics when the songs strong enough to take the pain, and this most certainly is. A gem, and one of those unexpected surprises that makes reviewing a worthwhile, if underpaid profession.

There website was down at the last time of checking, so you'll probably need to go to one of those download site thingys or try their record company site at http://www.rubyworks.com

Kano - Nite Nite

No it's not 'legendary' ex Hibs midfielder, Kano, Kano, Kano!

But why oh why did someone think that resurrecting the Chipmunks was a good idea? It's all that bloody Akons fault, because here it is again, ruining a perfectly good single.

Mike Skinner co-wrote and produced it, as well as contributing a few Streets like lines, which are amusing and entertaining in his usual manner. The main part of the song would be a rather warm and sweet ballad, if it weren't for Alvin twittering away in the background.

The B-side (on the promo) is "Reload It", a Skinnerless track is back to his grime roots and is, frankly, pants, and he really should try and do more with Mike Skinner.

Dogs - Tarred & Feathered

I normally hate this kind of thing, all swelling guitars and pretend anthemic choruses, but there's a raw edge to Dogs that makes it eminently listenable.

Singer Johnny Cooke has a rasp of a voice, which coupled with the teetering on the edge guitar lines makes for a splendid single. Paul Weller likes them but I shan;t hold that against them.

The B-side is a bit disappointing, so hopefully they've got more than one good song ticked away in their armoury. Otherwise they'll be the Kaiser Chiefs for 2006. And that would not be cool.

The Long Blondes - Separated By Motorways

Good grief, I thought I'd killed this kind of guff off during the great Britpop cull of '96. But apparently this lot managed to sneak through, sounding like the devilish offspring of Elastica.

The B-side goes even further back in time, part Go-Go's, aprt Bow Wow Wow - and these are not good things, merely better things. At least it has the good sense only to be out on 7" vinyl, which means most of you will be spared.