Squeeze just one more mince pie in before NYE.

Ok so maybe it's not a mince pie, but my review of Radioclit's new EP is now up on DMG and hopefully it'll be almost as satisfying (with guaranteed less calories).

Radioclit - Secousse All Stars (EP)

However you finish off the year, I hope it's a good one and I'll see you all again in 2010!

Strangeness can be a good thing...

So Christmas has come and gone for another year and I hope you're all enjoying your prezzies. My review of The Count & Sinden's new single is now up on DMG.

The Count & Sinden - Strange Things/Elephant 1234 (single)

That'll probably be my last review of 2009 unless my review of Radioclit's new EP gets published over the next few days. I can't wait to get stuck into some of the gems promised for 2010, including new albums from Massive Attack, Eels, Goldfrapp and the legendary Gil Scott Heron. Let me know what you think of the single and keep your eyes peeled for new material in the new year! Have a good one.

Cristmas Present idea...

Hope no one's got frostbite yet and you're all enjoying mulled wine and mince pies instead!
If you're still looking for a cheeky last minute present for someone, then you could do a lot worse than going onto iTunes and gifting them Foreign Beggars' album The United Colours of Beggattron. My review of their single 'Seven Figure Swagger' off the aforementioned album is now up on the DMG website so check it out for a sneak peek at what the rest of the album has in store.

Foreign Beggars - Seven Figure Swagger (single)

This has been a year of really amazing albums, from Mos Def to Seasick Steve via Tinariwen and countless others in between, there's no shortage of awesome stocking fillers out there for your loved ones so don't be stingy! If you're still looking for other ideas then have a look back over some of the reviews from the past year and see if anything takes your fancy either here or on the

Rougher Sounds MySpace

Whatever you get up to over the rest of the festive season, have a very merry xmas and a happy new year!

Calling all 'grungers'

Check out my review of Alice In Chains' new single!

Alice In Chains - Your Decision (single)

I swear, this will properly take you back to mid-90s bliss and keep you warm from the cold outside with nostalgic warmth in your belly.

Let me know what you think guys!

Tricky's come a long way from Blue Lines

And here is part of the results from South Rakkas Crew's remix of his album Knowle West Boy from 2008

Tricky Meets South Rakkas Crew - C'mon Baby (single)

Still no progress on the blog layout but this one seems ok for now. The Rougher Sounds MySpace is looking nice though.

Check it out out at http://www.myspace.com/roughersounds

Touareg chic blows Brighton apart

Check out my latest review on DMG.

Tinariwen live @ Concorde2, Brighton (28/10/2009)

They were such amazing live performers in a beautifully intimate space that really did them justice! Check out the review for more details.

You might have noticed that the blog looks a little different to usual. This is because I'm hating the blogger templates but don't have the knowledge to create a better one myself. So whilst I get my design mates on the case I've swapped it about for a bit of variety. Hope you all approve.

Let me kn0w what you think of the review and keep warm whilst the cold comes in.

Fix up look sharp!

Spent way too much money on Dizzee Rascal's back catalogue, a Roll Deep album and Anti-pop Consortium's new album last week which meant that I had no money for food. Oops! Music feeds me more than food but try telling my tummy that...

Interviewed the charming Aussies from teenagersintokyo last Wednesday and now it's up on DMG so check it out now!

Interview with teenagersintokyo on DMG

Let me know what you reckon and enjoy the read!

Finally I bring you what I promised!

The new DMG reviews are now up for your viewing pleasures.

Lethal Bizzle - Going Out Tonight (single)

Q-Tip - Kamaal The Abstract (album)

Should be going to see Tinariwen soon and the BBC Electric Proms after-party so will let you know when those live reviews are on their way. I also have an interview with Teenagersintokyo to get ready for this Wednesday.

I hope they turn out to be a nice bunch and in the meantime I can work on my laptop's keyboard not totally falling to pieces. I'm currently missing the number zero and the letter 'i'. Just thnk of the words I might be denying myself already!

The return of Skin!

You know it's a good day when Skunk Anansie are back in business. Check out my review of their new single on DMG.

Skunk Anansie - Because Of You (single)

That takes me back to the mid to late 90s in a far better way than that Trail song did. Speaking of which...I have returned to an old addiction lately, yes ladies and gents I speak of that old and forbidden opiate, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (specifically Series 3 & 4). Watching the love between Willow and Oz unfold all over again has been magical but Angel's heavy breathing tendencies are starting to bug me. Can vampires be asthmatic? Anyway, I digress. Despite my mild Buffy obsession, I've just managed to submit a review of Q-Tip's new album and Lethal Bizzle's new single so expect them to be up for your viewing pleasure in a few days.

I've also been busy buying a bit of music over the last few days so you'll be hearing lots about Lowkey and Immortal Technique's collaboration and the new Jay-Z album The Blueprint 3. I'm sure you can't wait!

As usual please leave and questions or comments about the review and let me know what you think.

Misspent youth

Another busy week, another review for your perusal. As promised, my latest effort is up now on DMG.

Trail - Prism (single)

See if Trail take you back to the bad old days of hormonal rampage, cheap booze and horrendous clothing...last Tuesday in my case then.

Let me know what you think (of the review, not last Tuesday)

Cheers!

Red Haired Country Vixens will seduce you every time...

My review of Piney Gir's new album is up on DMG now!

Piney Gir - The Yearling (album)

She's an odd little lady (so obviously I relate to her a great deal!).
If you're into bizarrely sugary tenderness I suggest you check out the review and then the album itself.

My review of Trail's new single 'Prism' should be up soon and I'm just starting to work on reviews of Q Tip's new album and singles by Skunk Anansie and Lethal Bizzle so stay tuned for that. It's going to be a very busy week!

As usual, let me know what you think of the Piney Gir review and enjoy conkers and hot water bottles in the meantime (oh the joys of autumn).

The best debut album in years

Ladies, gents and non gender specifics, open up your eyes and your ears to Stardeath and White Dwarfs! It's very hard to believe this is only their first album.

Stardeath and White Dwarfs - The Birth (album)

Seriously worth getting tickets for the UK tour this winter as I'm sure they'll be snapped up quickly. Hope everyone's enjoying the fact that we're finally getting something vaguely resembling summer. Make the most of it and get out there in the sunshine to some open air gigs and report back. Enjoy the review and, as always, any feedback is warmly received.

Koko Von Napoo's new EP

It's been a busy few weeks of mainly work, activism and very little play but here is my newest review from DMG to brighten up your day.

Koko Von Napoo - June (EP)

They're an odd bunch of Parisians (but then all of us Frenchies can be pretty weird when we want to be!)

Expect more published reviews very soon, but in the meantime enjoy this and, as always, let me know what you think!

Afrobeat and dubstep choons

Afrobeat and dubstep make a fine selection for this week's reviews.

Amadou and Mariam - Masiteladi (single)

Pantyraid - Beba (single)

If you're wondering where the summer went like me they might even have the power to wipe away your rainy day blues. Let me know your thoughts and try to keep dry people!

Sean Kingston and Glide and Swerve.

New reviews up on DMG! Check them out and, as always, let me know what you think.

Sean Kingston - Fire Burning (single)

Glide and Swerve - Bring Back Love (album)

Greetings from California!

Wow! What a week it's been. Travelled halfway across the world to get to the beautiful sunny state of California and the even more beautiful sunny lady Lauren. Been to see 'Rent' for the first time in almost a decade (and yes I cried, lots). And of course the Prince of Pop, old MJ, finally kicked the bucket. Before I left the charms of London I got a couple more reviews published on DMG and I hope you enjoy reading them (it'll give you something to do as you watch the rain and look forward to going to work - muhahahaha!)

Nouvelle Vague - NV3 (album)

The Voluntary Butler Scheme - Tabasco Sole (single)

As always, let me know what you think, and if you want a postcard from California then tweet or myspace me with your address!

Long week...

It's been a very long week with lots of boring work and exciting activism, neither of which are conducive to getting much writing done! However, my review of Gallows' new single 'London is the Reason' is now up on the site. Hope you enjoy the read and as always please let me know what you think!

Gallows - London is the Reason (single)

Cuban Music

Check out my DMG blog post on Cuban Music here.

New review up!

Loving this cover of the Inspiral Carpets tune by Nigel of Bermondsey...

Nigel of Bermondsey - This Is How It Feels (single)

Let me know what you think and don't forget the LMHR gig's coming up this Thursday!!

Love Music Hate Racism gig

Check out the facebook event for the Love Music Hate Racism gig in West London.

Should be an awesome night of fun-filled aural delights so I hope I catch you down there!

Metric review finally up

Came home from Cuba to the lovely news that the review of Metric - Sick Muse is now published. Check it out on here.

Annie Mac Presents... and the Howling Bells

Here are the 2 reviews that have been published (for some reason the review of Metric's new single 'Sick Muse' hasn't made it up yet).

Annie Mac Presents... Koko, London (30/04/2009)

Howling Bells - Digital Hearts (single)

The Love Music Hate Racism gig is starting to come together and will now be on the 28th May in the King's Head Pub in Acton. Entry £3. If you'd like to get involved then please contact me asap.

Cheers m'dears!

Upcoming reviews...

There are 3 submitted reviews that I'm just waiting to be published so keep your eyes peeled for them. I'm off to Cuba on Sunday so will return full of Carribean gyrations and rhythmic purity to write about. Cannot wait! Will try and bust out at least 1 more review before I go (fingers crossed).

There is also a West London Love Music Hate Racism gig being organised but I'll let you know more details of that as and when they crop up. For the meantime, just keep Friday 29th May free in your diaries...

Island Records' 50th Birthday Party

After 50 years of producing great music, do Island Records still have what it takes?

Find out by reading my review of their 50th Birthday Party at the Camden Crawl here.

As usual, all opinions, comments, criticisms, praise and general banter is very welcome!

More new single reviews!

They're spewing forth like untold mayhem at the moment.

Neither of the songs blew my socks off entirely but they weren't awful either. Check out my reviews and then make up your own mind by listening on their mypace pages.

Son Of Dave - Ain't Going To Niketown (single)

Buck Brothers - When I Look At You All I Think About Is Sex (single)

There's a newly submitted review of Island Records' 50th Birthday Party that should be published soon so keep checking the blog for updates.

Ice Cream Man and such

Tom Waits and I have an odd kind of relationship. He seems to flit in and out of my life at times of great joy and depression (and on occasion when I least expect him to). Our first encounter, of sorts, was via my best friend Oscar squealing and grunting at me in the street "The piaaaaaaaano has beenn dah-rinkin not meeeeeeeee" no doubt breathing beer scented air in my face and perhaps belching. So where did we go from here? Well right now we're up to feeling melancholic and listening to 'I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You' from Closing Time but there was stuff that happened in between too.

From drunken, intoxicated teenage nights in Oscar's attic bedroom taking my first steps down the road of both Waits and Jeff Buckley (because they make an indisputably excellent team) me and Tom had some down time. We chilled out, did our things and enjoyed each other's presence sporadically until University. Not that we ignored one another but it was like that great friend you hardly ever see but when you do you have the greatest adventures imaginable and always mean to hang out more. The Beautiful South song 'Liar's Bar' always reminded me of Waits and it made me smile to see the odd drunken moment that reminded me of his influence stretching across drinking holes throughout the world.

Spending far too much time around disgruntled cantankerous men at University is a good way to really get into Waits. My friend George was one such and drinking triple dark rum from a pint glass lends itself well to growling at each other and discussing Real Gone's merits and downfalls whilst unable to stand. There's nothing like Theatre students discussing the influence of dadaism on the work of Waits and feeling far too profound for their own good.

On a balmy night in Glasgow with a madman on the roof and tinsle in your hair, drinking dead russians, you can do worse than listening to Ice Cream Man. When the madman quits the roof and hollars that song at you from his slumped position on the floor with a toy gun, you can't tell that he won't use his voodoo magic to twist your mind worse than a bullet. But you need to trust the sound, howl along, chug booze out of a chalice and engage in sword fights.

It's just a shame there's none of his songs on the jukebox...

New reviews!

Here, as promised are my 2 new single reviews

Poppy & the Jezebels - Rhubarb & Custard (single)

Sparrow and the Workshop - Devil Song (single)

Find out which one I loved and which one I hated and, as always, all comments are very welcome!

The joys of submission

Before you ask, no I'm not declaring my BDSM tendencies to the world, but instead glorying in the fact that I've just submitted my latest 2 reviews to my editor. As soon as they get published I'll post the links but in the meantime you can check out the songs for yourself on Myspace.

Poppy & the Jezebels - Rhubarb & Custard

Sparrow and the Workshop - Devil Song

And don't forget the Rougher Sounds Myspace whilst you're at it!

Listening to...

2pac at the moment on Spotify. I forgot how much I loved 2pac and biggie until I bought Best Of Notorious BIG recently. I remember the first time I heard 'Hypnotize' in year 6 at school. One of the guys in my class had brought it into school on tape and I'd never heard anything quite like it.

I was 10 and had more or less relied on my parents' taste to guide my music choices so far in life. Now, my dad was always into Grandmaster Flash and Sugarhill Gang, plus my French family all listened to MCSolaar religiously but this was something different. Something outside of my barriers coming into my mind and changing my whole approach to music.

The year before the 2 big tunes of the year as far as I was concerned had been 'Missing You' by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans and 'Breathe' by Prodigy. Fat of the Land was an album that had a similar effect to 'Hypnotize' on me. I'd always been into punk from a very young age but 70s classic punk and the line that Prodigy walked between industrialized dance music and punk took it to a new level.

That is what changed at that pre-teen age of discovery. There was a distinct break away from the parentally accepted forms of music and a conscious seeking out of music that challenged those safe boundaries. Anything that might shock or disturb my parents' sensibilities was decadent, forbidden, indulgent and I was irresistably drawn to. Heavy Metal and Ganster Rap offended my family's ears immeasurably and yet this is still some of the music I come back to again and again because it formed an integeral part of not just my musical but adolescent development.

Metallica's 'One' remains my favourite song of all time because it tapped into an anguish that I could neither realise nor express that was building up inside my body as I began the transition into adulthood. It meant nothing that I could in no way relate to the experience of the mutilated Vietnam soldier. The first time I heard the song I didn't even know the subject matter but the force of the music made me cry like a baby in my best friend's bedroom.

Music transforms and changes who we are as well as expressing everything that we can't find the words to say. Language has so many limits that music manages to overcome. At that integral coming of age moment when we develop and sculpt our own musical pallets for the first time we take on influences that will stay with us throughout our lives because they form the bedrock of everything we will ever love and care about listening to. Or at least, that's my view of the thing. Your opinion?

Mr. Oizo - Pourriture (Ed Banger) EP on DMG

After many struggles, blood, sweat and tears, my review of Mr. Oizo's new EP 'Pourriture' has been published.

As usual check it out here and let me know your thoughts.

It's not my best work but I think the 2 single reviews that I'm working on now are going to be corkers so keep your eyes peeled over the next week. One of the singles I love, one of the singles I hate, stay tuned to find out which is which.

CASPA - Everybody's Talking, Nobody's Listening (Subsoldiers / Fabric) album on DMG

My review of Caspa's new album has now been published!

Check it out here and tell me your thoughts.

Spent a lot of time on it but didn't have as big a frame as reference for dubstep so was very nervous. Some people have been hating the album already but I enjoyed it (though it took a few listens to get there). If you have any opinions on the review or the album itself then let me know.

Les Corps Mince de Francoise - Bitch of the Bitches (Single) on DMG

My first review for The Daily Music Guide has been published!

Check it out here and tell me what you think.

More reviews specifically for the blog are on their way and some new DMG ones will be in the pipeline soon so keep your eyes peeled...

Deep Funk at Madame Jojo's (Soho) 30/1/09

This was my first visit to the famous Madame Jojo's, though I wandered in riding the crest of a wave of hype. With Ronnie Wood behind the bar and a pit of heaving, sweating, jiving people in front of you it's hard not to be swept away. The decor is 1920s and the feel is remarkably relaxed. Despite acting as an electromagnetic pull for the hipsters it lacks pretension. An undeniable feat in a world pandering to those following the subculture without a backbone. This is the low-ceilinged sort of club that makes you pray they would revoke the smoking ban. The only thing really missing was a faint cloud of cigar smoke floating near the rafters. And so we descended into the bowels of soho expecting perhaps a scene from Dante's inferno but instead getting a somewhat odd mix of 1920s glamour, deep funk grooves and 1980s hiphop, breakdance culture. The night is well established having been running for 14 years with a great wealth of pedigree behind the decks. Tonight the headlining dj was Maestro Keb Darge, playing a mix of 60's and 70s funk alongside what was described to me by my friend as modern soul (think 70s/80s but not Luther Vandross). The warm up dj was getting an enthusiastic reception upon our arrival playing a mix of eclectic favourites that the funk buffs amongst us had no problems recognising. Keb's tunes might have been rarer but they weren't the ones getting the best reaction from the crowd. The feel of the previous set had turned the crowded space into a heaving mass of sweaty bodies all bodypopping, swinging and twirling together like a vast, singular, dance-obsessed organism. When the djs switched there was a period of more subdued head nodding and foot tapping until Keb brought the rythms up a notch to a more lively beat. His being more vocal between songs also interrupted the flow and discouraged the straight up, uninterrupted madness of the dancefloor. Sadly, we didn't stay long into his set but I think it would have been worth it to see the shape progress. His style seemed to be similar to Mr. Scruff's in that you have to stay for the duration to see the true nature of the beast. Like a magic eye picture. Having said that, we left at a peak in the night, leaving nothing but happy memories and feverish dreams rather than stagnating tiredness and disappointed comedowns. Altogether, a good night.

Here is a selection of my reviews from the last year.
These were written for Subcity Radio based in Glasgow, UK broadcasting from www.subcity.org.


Sziget Festival 2008

Glasvegas - ABC2 - 20/6/08

Janet Jackson - Feedback [single]

Roxbury/New Adventures/32 Miles to Breakfast - Beat Club

Siouxie - About to Happen [single]

The Futureheads - The Beginning of the Twist [single]

Late of the Pier - The Bears are Coming [single]

Turin Brakes - Something in the Eye [single]

Powderfinger - Lost and Running [single]

The Feeling - I Thought it Was Over [single]

One Night Only - Album Sampler