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Weekly Reviews For March 26, 2006

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The Little Willies - same

Basically, the Little Willies are a hony tonk bar band got lucky. I say lucky, but there's nowt lucky about having Norah Jones singing and playing in your band!
So, this bar band looks back to the days of Hank Williams and Wetern Swing, chucks in a couple of reasonable originals, bungs out an album which their mums and dads buy, and no-ones the wiser. Apart, of course, from the previousl mentioned Norah Jones factor, which means what should be an easy rolling ride becomes an object of massive media attention. Which puts a very unfair focus on what should be a easy ride. So, I may as well join in and critique the hell out of something which shouldn't be scrutinised to the nthe degree.

The Fred Rose number "Roly Poly" sets out their stall from the off, with a swinging little arrangement and co-vocals from Norah and Richard Julian. The Elvis classic "Love Me" is absolutely fabulous, especially with Norah taking the lead. "It's Not You It's Me" is one of the new tunes, but swings like it's 1933. Kris Kristoffersons song "'Best Of All Possible Worlds" suffers from not being Kris Kristofferson but then who is.

There's a couple of lesser numbers before Norah gets all playful on the Willie Nelson number "Gotta get Drunk" and it is a real blast to see her fooling around and having fun. Later on, they also have a go at "Night Life", but miss the mark that time. "Streets of Baltimore" is a stone cold Tompall Glaser classic and is the most 'country' song here, with Richard Julian taking the lead. To be fair, the album then tails off, bar the rollicking "Tennessee Stud", which is just plain funny. Although I'm sure Lou Reed will be delighted (*cough*) at the closing track, "Lou Reed", which has Richard Julian doing Lou doing country doing bad things to cattle.

"The biggest little bar band in New York" have been playing together since 2003, and this sounds just like it should. A group of friends having fun. Treat it like that rather than the Bible II and you'll have some fun. But someone should have warned them about the UK meanin gof Little Willies!

Alfie Kingston - I Will Wait


Blimey, that was a bit good! It's not often that a debut single grabs you by the cojones and commands attention, but this one certainly did.

Bristolian Alfie Kingston has come up with a string drenched, hard driving, melodic slice of classic rock, crossed with seventies pop that crosses too many boundaries for its own good, but still manages to command attention.

The other track on the double A side, "Regard Me 14 Days", is more introspective and intimate, if a wall of sound production can ever be truly intimate, but props to producer Paul Miro for a bang up job. And as for the spiralling Dave (sorry David) Gilmour like guitar lead, it's heart wrenching.

This may make me a big girl for liking it, but I'll take my chances. Well done to Whimsical Records for snaffling this one up.

Plans & Apologies - Spiderz In The Bar

I hate it when I end up liking something so wilfully 'indie'. So, damn you P&A for your Derbyshire We Are Scientists like jingle jangle. And why do you need so many people in your band? It's just plain self indulgence. Seven be too many, four be better, two be badder.

Allegedly comprising The Reverend Mustapha Clemence, Jabeen E Weeny, Kahlua Miikahlua, Severage Kyoto, Derek Coco-Pops, Fanangle Squeezely and Tony Sausage(s), they also claim to love shoes & meat. I suspect they may not be using their real names, as having been in a few Derby pubs in my time, they would have been subjected to regular kickings for such affectation.

However, despite freely admitting to plundering ideas from Pavement, The Wedding Present, Bob Dylan and Belle & Sebastian, they are actually good. I assume, therefore, they took the ideas, realised they were shite, then nipped off and came up with some good ones instead.

I was particularly taken with the bleeps and swooshes hiding behind the generic indie guitars and Wir(e) ripoffs. May I also suggest they stop shopping at Student Geeks 'R' Us and grow some facial hair.

A Million Billion - Volcano Season

Hmm, do I hear the sound of The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev off in the distance? Yes, its the fragile, spacey, dramatic and orchestral madness of such bands channeled through A Million Billion aka Bloc Party and Public Enemy remixer, Ryan Smith.

There's a million sounds going on in the build up to the crescendo, and although it's all rather splendid if a tad unoriginal, I was actually more taken with the teetering on the edge B-side, "Afraid Of Ghosts", which falters and stumbles towards a falling off the precipice madness. Not something you get in most piano ballads.

Hamfatter - Girls in Graz

I enjoyed Hamfatter's 'Fireworks' CD and am certainly not disappointed by 'Girls in Graz', especially the opening title track which is an absolute classic with its walking bass line, 'pub' piano, 'The Music Making Horns' and irrepressible chorus. Any song that can contain a phrase like 'sartorial lapse' in it is OK by me! The chemistry between vocalists Eoin and Emilie works well (despite the self deprecation by Emilie at the end of track 8!), particularly on the flighty 'Spring Summer' where Eoin's piano accompaniment is perfect and also on the 7 minute plus 'Django' whose bouncy rhythmic ambience reflects its title admirably. The change in tempo on 'Spring Summer' is also clever and the song ends up like a Russian dance! 'Sleepy John Wakes' is another of those songs you'll swear you've heard before but haven't. The swirling organ sound compliments the song well and one distinguishing feature of this CD is the quality of the sound and the arrangements. There's also another version of 'Fireworks' beginning believe it or not with a short drum solo, a whirlwind run through a powerful rendition of one of the best songs from the album of the same name. Some stirring folky guitar picking introduces 'The Breathing and the Lying' and the dreamy arrangement will captivate you. 'I know your mother well so does the whole darned town' begins 'Motherwell- so it's not about the football team then! Last CD it was a John Peel spoof this time it's Bill Wyman. The album ends perplexingly with an unlisted backwards reprise! That's a pity because it really should have ended with 'Django'. That's only a minor criticism as at its best Hamfatter truly are 'eine gute band'. Check them out- if the title track doesn't get you off your chair nothing will!

Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist

Anton Barbeau - Waterbugs and Beetles

In Ant's own words his forté is 'intelligent, fractured pop' with songs on just about anything. They could be about proper cups of tea or weekend delights like bacon (with apologies to you vegetarians out there!) The songs can also be less esoteric and more hard hitting like the menacingly heavy yet irresistibly infectious 'MTV Song' which deals with plagiarism- 'the song that should have made me millions' to be precise. The insidious 'Allyson 23' is a strong opener with an incredible number of words fitting perfectly within its bars and some mad guitar from Ant. Another favourite is 'Beautiful Bacon Dream' with its fabulous chorus and its musical theme is reprised (not entirely successfully) on a hidden track at the end in 'Beautiful Bacon Dub. Indeed Ant's music benefits from the full band treatment and the rhythm section kick up a storm. 'The Epic Ballad of Sarah & Zoe' gets the acoustic treatment and what seemed like a ménage a trois in the back of a Morris Minor includes wider references to espionage! 'Tad Song' is also 'up close and personal'- 'you could have been my girlfriend'. Still however voyeuristic you feel at times the music has enough charm and grace to let Anton Barbeau get away with anything lyrically! He even quotes 'Mrs Brown you've got a lovely daughter' within this- and there's a credit for the god and toilet noises! And he never steers away from controversy in his lyrics- check out 'Bible Beater' and 'Bed of Pain' for instance.

Ant's music is punctuated by tape loops of answering machines, 'a slimy cello' reprises of songs ('Come To Me') and sometimes even silences. There is also a brief Dylan pastiche 'Vomit Song'. I am aware that Ant has already done some editing since the first release of 'Waterbugs and Beetles' in 1995. However, I would say a little more judicious editing would have enhanced the impact of an album full of wonderful moments. Influences range from The Beatles, XTC and Dylan to Julian Cope and Eno. There's also a hint of Crowded House and They Might Be Giants in some of the songs. Recommended.

I also recommend Ant's website www.antonbarbeau.com as a very user friendly place to navigate around.

Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist