The Helster and I have booked tickets to the Broken Family Band in Cambridge in April, it's a Friday night and we'll stay for the weekend. It's not often that we both get excited about the same band, but we're really looking forward to this.
Monday sees a clutch of interesting new releases this year, for me anyway. There's the new Nick Cave, Billy Bragg, and Malcolm Middleton. The Cave record is getting raves everywhere, and I'm intrigued to see if he can improve on Abattoir Blues. have to say I wasn't immediately won over by the single.
The Middleton LP is a mini album of a few originals and three cover versions, including an old Madonna tune. It will be worth getting hold of just for Blue Plastic Bags, and Total Belief, two new songs which he was working on when I saw him last year. I know he's a miserable sod, but there's a deep vein of self deprecating humour in the lyrics, and he's a hugely under-rated guitarist. He's coming to Nottingham in April, solo I think, another gig to look forward to.
I've been delving into Malc's history and listening to some Arab Strap too. Those are some grubby records...
5 comments:
Gutter Twins and Duffy as well. It's going to be an expensive week. And then Hercules & Love Affair next.
And I bought Mad for Sadness on ebay last night for less than a fiver; rumoured to be the Arab Strap fans Arab Strap album.
yes - Gutter Twins sounds good, and they are playing in Birmingham in April, I need Andy to sort tickets...
dunno about Duffy - all this 'new Amy Winehouse' schtick doesn't make her appeal to me..
Package of Bragg, Middleton and Cave has just arrived from Mr Amazon. Downbeat shite indeed.
I've been a fan of Amy Winehouse since her first album - Fuck Me Pumps is a great song - it's the media driven freakshow that irritates me. But I think the new wave of British soul singers is a good thing (maybe I was wrong about Joss Stone, who unfortunately stayed way too conservative after a very promising first album), but Duffy seems to be the pick of the current crop. Bernard Butler's "wall of sound" approach works well.
I picked up the Middleton and the Gutter Twins on my way home, both sounding good, if not exactly toe-tapping...the Birmingham gig is a Weds night, which probably rules it out, same goes for Alabama 3 at Wolves the same month. Have you got any plans for their tour?
Keep up the good work.
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