Zeitgeist Reviews -LYNSEY HUTCHINSON, ROUGH DIAMONDS, LORD LITTER, BARTLES

CD OF THE WEEK

LYNSEY HUTCHINSON - Strange Armour

It's nice to see that the thousands of pounds per year that the Post Office and Royal Mail gouges out of me every year isn't all going towards mislaying parcels, taking weeks to deliver 1st class letters and filing my incoming mail in the wrong rack. For their Post Office Young Scot Action Fund have, apparently dished out some cash to help cover the cost of all the CDs, packing and covers for this debut release from Scottish singer songwriter Lynsey Hutchinson.

And I'm delighted to report that it hasn't gone to waste, for this is very good indeed. Lynsey has been performing on the Edinburgh acoustic scene for a few years now, both solo and as bass player with Norman Lamont and the Innocents.

Instead of heading down the 'how bad is my period' approach of many Lilith Fair oriented troubadours, she looks externally as well as internally for source material, albeit some of it from the full on geek material of The League Of Gentlemen and the fanboy world of comic books. This is something which would, in less capable hands, have me reaching for the plank and rusty nail, but her self described `Victorian blues' is too compelling for my petty prejudices to slap down. If you were looking for a male reference point, my beloved Nick Harper would be as good a reference point as any.

There are some divine arrangements to go with the songwriting quality with "Woodcut" and " Benjamin Denton Blues" being particular highlights. Live, Ms Hutchinson, I am advised, goes for a full on, balls-out (eh?) approach, rising and falling with the flow of the material. A name to watch out for and a CD to grab. No webby thing but you can e-mail.
brundlefly23@yahoo.co.uk

LYNSEY HUTCHINSON

Strange Armour

ROUGH DIAMONDS

Ross Nicoll

LORD LITTER

Lord Litter

BARTLES

Bartles

Various Artists - Rough Diamonds: Rockin' Solidarity

Featuring 2 tracks each from;
The Paddlers, Iain Thomson, Twelve Inch Ninja, Ross Nicoll, Subroc, Satya Graha, Northern Remedy, Disciple.

Rough Diamonds is a music group working out of Lochaber in the wilds of Inverness-shire. Too countryside for me, but big props for trying to nurture a scene. This sampler is designed to try and build a profile for some of the artists involved.

The Paddlers kick things of in fine funk and soul style with "Love Machine" in particular being an absolute blast. Iain Thomson is a bit too heeedurum hodurum for me, although his second track is more traditional singer / songwriter material and all the better for it. Although a tad David Gray:-) Twelve Inch Ninja have a cool name but need to work on their arrangements. Post punk with metallic riffs. Promising. Ross Nicoll, however, already has it. Another exemplary singer / songwriter, both tracks on offer here are absolute gems and you should check him out immediately*.

Glasgow band Subroc has won this year's U.K. Songwriting Contest in the rock/alternative category with their entry `Not in my Name`. This explains why they sound so professional. A bit U2 for me, but the performance can't be faulted. With their Coldplay-isms they have what it takes. A name to watch for in modern indie rock circles**.

Satya Graha, as I'm sure you all know, is sanskrit for: "a force of truth and love." And if this is the Chicago band I heard on an internet radio station they their classic, no timeless, rock is extremely good. Quality songs and performance, and nice male/female vocal interplay. Download some stuff and admire**.

And what a good double header it would make with young Scots band Northern Remedy who peddle their wares in a similar 70s melodic rock manner, complete with similar male / female vox mix. God, I'm depressed. So young and so good.

Disciple are a Christian rock band. But not in an insufferable Stryper way. More of a Live / Creed vibe than anything else. Their guitarist has been around the block, with session work alongside stints with the Groundhogs and Steve Gibbons Band, so there's no doubt about any technical ability. I'm sure they'll clean up at the Greenbelts of this world with strong songs and performances like these****. And anyone brave enough to have a crack at the Bad Company classic "Can't Get Enough" merits respect.

* http://www.rossnicoll.co.uk/ ** http://www.subroc.co.uk *** http://www.satyagraha.com/
**** http://www.disciple888.freeserve.co.uk/

LORD LITTER - Let’s Face It

A lot of kind words have been said about Lord Litter’s radio shows (‘an elegant demonstration of critical mass’ said Indieport.com) and his music (The phrase ‘a sonic surprise package’ in Muledog Magazine just about sums it up for me!)

The man was kind enough to send me his ‘Let’s Face It’ CD from 2002, another stage in the artist’s aspiration towards that ‘big production’.

I was delighted to find an unashamed cover of an Equals song on there (‘Oh boy how I loved this band’ he says) and was equally amazed to find myself thinking ‘Johnny Cash’ on ‘Grasshopper’. Then it all changed again at the conclusion of this 6 song extended EP as I noted a Reed/ Beefheart/ Waits inclination on a track dedicated to Don Campau, a man who changed Lord Litter’s life.

I really enjoyed the intriguingly individualistic approach to music employed on ‘Let’s Face It’ and hope more of the same will be arriving my way soon. Oh, and Lord Litter also has a great interpretation of the Tim Jones song ‘The Moon’ on ‘The Moon Orion Project’ about to be released by Stone Premonitions.

Contact: www.LordLitter.de (Trash Tone Records)
(reviewed by Phil Jackson)

BARTLES x 3

Life is difficult enough without 3 CDs worth of Bartles music lying here tormenting me, goading me, compelling me to tarnish yet another CD player with them.

There's Bartles And Arpad - The Republic Of Pluto - this concerns me, Bartles having found a cohort and / or co-conspirator. This is not right. It should not be allowed. Beefheart and Casio, a mix that should be forbidden. Even if I do play the "Leviathon Lullaby" far too often.
There's two Bartless compendiums as well - "Dogtown Road" an all dog song musical review, the likes of which had pooches for miles around howling with dismay. Although "Dogs, Brads And Beer" is a classic. And how can you not weep after hearing "My Human Don't Love Me No Mo".
And let's not forget the Halloween horror of "Horrible Stories", resplendent in the glory that is "Big Long Hairy Scarey Thing" and "Lucky Son Of A Witch".

See, this is what happens when you operate a policy of care in the community. And now he's even discovered the interweb thing and has an electronic mail address. I'll be shutting the door behind me.

bartlesandarpad@hotmail.com