Heart on my sleeve

"Julia" by At any cost

2011-07-13T22:00:00.000+02:00

At any cost is a dark and moody band, that's for sure. But they know how to avoid the gothic cliches, they succeed in countering the hardrock cliches and they even try to bring a new approach of opera rock. You might have heard their first single "Julia" (about the famous cook Julia Child) but their new release "Large steps" might even be a bigger hit..

"Julia" by At any cost

"Blow up the planet" by Lilleshall Abbey

2011-06-28T22:55:00.003+02:00

They're young and angry. They have their first album out now. And they don't seem to care. Playing live gigs is all that they want. But they seem to have forgotten that they're part of an industry (or they're trying very hard to deny that).
And is this album any good? Not really. We've heard it all before. But Lilleshall Abbey doesn't care. All they're focused on is playing songs, although it's sometimes hard to recognize a song in all this noise.

"Blow up the planet" by Lilleshall Abbey

"If we can connect in some tiny way" by French Impressionist Cinema

2011-06-21T19:45:00.000+02:00

This is one of those bands that nobody will ever understand. They have nothing to do with French Cinema nor with impressionism. Their average age is 18, they don't have any experience, they don't know how to play an instrumentt, and they can't sing. But they're girls. And they sound sweet. Probably that is enough nowadays to sell millions of records worldwide.

"If we can connect in some tiny way" by French Impressionist Cinema

"What comes next" by Paul Bence

2011-05-15T22:00:00.000+02:00

It's been quiet some years ago that the the Principality of Andorra had an entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. They wanted to participate this year but their entry arrived too late at the EBU. The artist that should've gone to Dusseldorf would've been Paul Bence, an Australian born singer who was raised in Spain. Despite the fact that his song "What comes next" was turned down for the contest both the single and the album became a big hit in Spain and France, the neighbour countries.

"What comes next" by Paul Bence

"You do it" by Etna Green

2011-04-25T20:00:00.001+02:00

You're getting old when you actually can remember the eighties. For everyone who's younger than 30 there's the eighties revival band Etna Green. You can recognize a lot of influenes on their debut album "You do it", from New Order to Fad Gadget, from Heaven 17 to Tears for Fears, and from O.M.D. to A Flock of Seagulls. If you've never heard the names of these bands, enjoy Etna Green. If you do, stay away from this album... and listen to the originals.

"You do it" by Etna Green

"Meet a human being" by Carlingue

2011-04-13T20:20:00.000+02:00

We know Britain's got talent by now. But the hugely popular Simon Cowell show has travelled all over the world and found a very talented young lady in Portugal. Of course she's one of many singers that bring you modern soul, like Adele, Duffy, Rumer or Amy Winehouse. But I've never heard soul in Portugese. Open your mind and give the beautiful Carlingue a chance, and don't go comparing her with the forementioned ladies.

"Meet a human being" by Carlingue

"At least try to grow your own brain" by Current Events

2011-04-04T20:15:00.001+02:00

At least the Norwegian gothic-band Current Events understands that gothic music is dead (if that ain't a gothic subject!). So they slowly switch to less symphonic tunes and to more eighties-orientated rock. And it's not that bad after all. Leadsinger Joerg Smetlinck has a very powerful voice and makes me think of bands like Saxon and Uriah Heep. If they pull the trick and start a new hardrock revival, I'm a fan.

"At least try to grow your own brain" by Current Events

"I seek not to convince" by Cliff Pearce

2011-03-12T19:55:00.001+01:00

Cliff Pearce should never have used the word "convince" because that is what he never will achieve. He might have won the Danish edition of "X-factor" and he might be big in teen magazines but he'll never be considered a musician or a singer. The only thing he'll ever be is a poster boy or a modell. So I ask myself why the record company chose to put a flower on the record sleeve. The only convincing element on this release is the looks of the singer.
Soon to be forgotten.

"I seek not to convince" by Cliff Pearce

"Essentially a channel" by Spirit of the border

2011-03-02T22:00:00.000+01:00

Ambient and New Age is so last century, but Spirit of the Border manages to go on, and sell millions of albums. They broke through in 1997 and sold a mega amount of their debut single "Whisper". And they keep having succes all over Europe and Asia. Founding members Klaus Wambach and Christina Morgenstund never changed their sound and probably never will.
If you like listening to the same sound over and over again, you won't be dissapointed by the new album.

"Essentially a channel" by Spirit of the Border

"Abuse a man unjustly" by Taluba

2011-02-17T20:10:00.001+01:00

Americana and country music aren't really my cup of tea. So I didn't get captured by "Abuse a man unjustly" the new album by Taluba. Once again it's more of the same. The band from San Antonio (Texas) has been releasing the same album over and over again for the last years. At least you know what you're going get on a Taluba album. It's predictable. So if that tickles your fancy, buy "Abuse a man unjustly". If not, stay away from it.

"Abuse a man unjustly" by Taluba

"What you don't see with your eyes" by Emma de Caunes

2011-02-06T17:59:00.001+01:00

Emma de Caunes (London, 1981) has been living in Sweden for some years but she moved to France to record her debut album. "What you don't see with your eyes" is not a bad album but sounds like Baby Spice now and again, and that's a bit to far away from the quotes you read in the papers, where Emma states she wants to be the new Bjork. In some songs she sounds like Agnes Obel or Emiliana Torrini, but she'll never be considered as the new Icelandic ice queen...

"What you don't see with your eyes" by Emma de Caunes

"Capitalism is alcoholism" by Libel Act

2011-01-29T20:03:00.001+01:00

With all the things going on in Tunesia and Egypt nowadays, "Capitalism is alcoholism" by Libel Act might be a great introduction to non-Western thinking. Libel Act sings about authenticity and tradition, but in a modern way, and with an open mind. The most important message on this distintive album is about recognizing your own culture without denying evolution.
This edition is the international version in English. So for the whole world to understand.

"Capitalism is alcoholism" by Libel Act

"Knowing God" by Alex Nunez

2011-01-13T21:36:00.002+01:00

Alex Nunez broke through in the dance scene in 1998 with his millionseller *High hopes". It brought him fame, a huge fan base and loads of money. But many years have passed since. Nunez tried time after time to make an album as good as his debut, but he never succeeded. This new album nevertheless is much better than what he made in the past decade. A new Nunez album will never get close to his first one but "Knowing God" is a good try.

"Knowing God" by Alex Nunez

Covering Christmas Compilations

2010-12-24T18:00:00.001+01:00

Each Christmas I present seasonal compilations on my mp3 blog. Every sampler has a different cover but always designed in the same style with a similar typography.
Here's a couple of examples. Any favorites?

"Species of sea snail" by Hydronym

2010-12-16T22:05:00.002+01:00

Hydronym is a Croatian band and even in Croatia nobody has ever heard of them. But that will soon change. If you like weird voices, athmosferic music and strange sound effects this is your record of the year. There is surely no second band like this, and their debut album will not become a huge succes. Because it's so unique.
If you're in for a very original sound experience from a contraversal band that always keeps in mind that there always needs to be songs, do buy this album.
You won't regret it.

"Species of sea snail" by Hydronym

"Don't take away my heart" by Paul Cameron

2010-12-03T20:30:00.002+01:00

Paul Cameron has been singing for years but never broke through to a bigger audience. His new album "Don't take away my heart" is a lot poppier than his previous CDs. Maybe that's because he left the production to Roy Crombie (known from the likes of Journal, Polish Prams and Severe Society). The album sounds solid and powerful and talks about more mature subjects. I guess Cameron has grown up and is ready to confront a large fanbase.

"Don't take away my heart" by Paul Cameron

"By the hand of the father" by Dimtri Kortnev

2010-11-24T23:18:00.000+01:00

Dimtri Kortnev is one of the megasellers in Russia but he never succeeded in having a career in Europe. He tried though by releasing the album "By the hand of the father", a kind of Biggest Hits compilation of his Russian successes translated into English. I'm sorry to say that his English is very poor and his songs don't appeal to Western European listeners.
Maybe we're spoiled.

"By the hand of the father" by Dimtri Kortnev

"Reason should direct" by Francesco Lotoro

2010-11-09T22:01:00.000+01:00

The career move of Francesco Lotoro is a bit ackward. Just like James Blunt, he left his country (being Italy) after just one hit record ("Bugiardo") and went to live in the United States. He never made a decent songs since then. Obviously he must have made a lot of money with this huge success, I guess.
On this album there's no second "Bugiardo", so I'm afraid Lotoro will be forgotten before the end of the year.

"Reason should direct" by Francesco Lotoro

"See every problem as a nail" by Nabira

2010-11-02T20:33:00.001+01:00

Nabira Garmin al-Gun was born in Iran (Yezd, dec. 19th 1987) but moved with her parents to London when she was only 4. She started singing at the age of 17 and recorded a first demo at 19. After three minor hits ("Yesterday", "Is it over?" and "Get up") she recorded this album "See every problem as a nail" and all of a sudden she's all over the pop magazines. It seems a star is born without entering any TV-show. How long will she be everybody's darling? Maybe her new single "Within seconds" will prove she's here to stay.

"See every problem as a nail" by Nabira

"The least amount of effort" by Ogden Avenue

2010-10-26T21:59:00.001+02:00

Describing Ogden Avenue is simple: four times Jason Mraz. These four boys know how to write a song. "Angel eyes", their debut single that features as the opening track on this album, makes me spontaniously fall in love. The new single "Clouds" sounds as the first birds in spring and "Hidden" and "Solero" are true gems. They might be a bit too poppy but they sure know what craftmanship is.
"The least amount of effort" is an album to look out for. Highly recommended.

"The least amount of effort" by Ogden Avenue

"The white album" by No Use for a Name

2010-10-09T18:00:00.002+02:00

This little game is about designing an album cover with a random photo and some random text. But I wondered what would happen if I didn't use a photo. So I made up a title and a band name (mind you, the band name DOES exist).
So here's the result. Any comments?

"Within his own will" by Freemont Center

2010-10-02T20:18:00.000+02:00

The eighties are back. And not only in music but in cover design too. Only the depressed looking artist are gone. They have been replaced by nerds.
Freemont Center is one of those new bands that sound and look like Joy Division or Echo & the Bunnymen...
They may want to fool young listeners from this era. but music lovers from the eighties have heard it all before.
So there's actually nothing new on their debut album "Within his own will".

"Within his own will" by Freemont Center

"Contrary to general belief" by Ghosts in Spanish Culture

2010-09-19T17:40:00.002+02:00

Ghosts in Spanish Culture (a.k.a. GiSC) is a multiracial DJ/rap crew from Pamplona, Spain.
"Contrary to general belief" is their first album and it's entirely made with turntables. Of course they can't get all of the live energy onto a CD but their debut sounds nevertheless very hard and convincing. Although it's a bit weird to record an album completely made of ...album recordings. This a powerfull breakthrough of a very talented bunch of rap artists.
One of the best albums of this year. Not to be missed!

"Contrary to general belief" by Ghosts in Spanish Culture

"The world is my country" by The Indian Queen

2010-09-13T21:50:00.002+02:00

Don't get them wrong, The Indian Queen is a band. (Yes, that's what Debbie Harry from Blondie always stated too, about her band). Only in this case it's a one woman band. Carrie Gibson has been playing lo-fi for years and she plays about all the instruments on her debut album herself. But that will be a bit difficult on her first world tour. That's why she formed a band, called The Indian Queen.

I only hope she sounds as fresh, crisp and innocent as she does on "The world is my country".

"The world is my country" by The Indian Queen

"Many people would sooner die than think" by Matthew Cox

2010-09-05T19:00:00.000+02:00

The jury wasn't thrilled but the public went wild because of Matthew Cox on Australia got talent. What he does isn't breathtaking nor world shocking but the fans love him. As if they are looking for a new James Blunt. His debut single "You're the one" sold millions...

Now let's see who knows best, the record buying audience or the money making jury.

One thing is sure though: all contestants on talent shows lose, even the winners.

"Many people would sooner die than think" by Matthew Cox

"Only if you persist" by Eugene Russell Hendrix

2010-08-30T22:05:00.001+02:00

Folk is the new craze. Once again.
But Eugene Russell Hendrix released this album in 1979 and since then it's been a classic to all folk fans. It's been copied a lot but never equaled.
There were a lot of parodies of the album sleeve and there were a lot of mock up songs, but Eugene Russell Hendrix will always be considered as a true talent with a genuine feeling for folk songs.
Such a shame he only released this one album. Although he toured for some more years, he said goodbye to music in 1988. It's been said that he never touched a guitar since then.
Treasure this album .

"Only if you persist" by Eugene Russell Hendrix

"The first half" by Gimme

2010-08-23T22:35:00.002+02:00

She just turned seventeen and loves to write her own songs. And I must admitt that her sweet and simple songs on her debut album "The first half" have a certain charm to them. Only... 18 songs is a bit much with so few variation. All of the songs on this album sound a bit alike. Gimme is surely a talent, but she needs some direction.

"The first half" by Gimme

I've been cheating a bit on this sleeve: to get a more dramatic effect I turned the picture 45 degrees counter clockwise... now it looks like the girl is coming out of a waterfall... Any comments?

"Later in life" by Georg Suckow

2010-08-17T21:40:00.001+02:00

"Nostalgia" is the only word that sums up this melancholic collection of cover songs. It's all very tasteful and exquisitely done. But I miss a bit of energy. Georg Suckow is an excellent singer with a fantastic voice but sometimes he sounds a bit too sweet.

But for all fans of old songs from the American songbook this is a wonderfull collection.

"Later in life" by Georg Suckow

"The overcoming of it" by Waldeck Castle

2010-07-31T20:55:00.001+02:00

Waldeck Castle is one of those new country orientated rock bands that uses influences from the sixties and the seventies. Nothing new under the sun, all together. We've heard it all before.

But you have to consider that the average age of these boys is nineteen. So they sure know their classics. And they have a maturity that you've never seen before.

Listen to their debut album "The overcoming of it" and try to put your prejudice aside.

Waldeck Castle is worth listening to.

"The overcoming of it" by Waldeck Castle

"The Fame Monster" by Lady Gaga

2010-06-27T23:46:00.006+02:00

If there's one fraud, just one fake artist in showbiz' nowadays it must be Stefani Germanotta. You know her by the name of Lady Gaga.

The whole Gaga-act is just a rip off. She 's literaly designed by the company House of Gaga, which she seems to run. But her whole stage appearance is inspired by (stolen from, that is) Madonna, Kylie Minogue, David Bowie, Grace Jones and Janet Jackson.

Someone who's been put together with parts from other people is called a Frankenstein monster, isn't he (or she)? That would make her album cover look like the top one on the left.
Secondly, she's popular with young girls and kids. But isn't there already another monster that is loved by kids, that is even more popular? (second cover).
To me, she's just addicted to fame (third cover), without having any talent for singing or dancing. She only wants to be famous for being famous (I call it the Paris Hilton syndrome)
And what do you have to do when you can't sing nor dance? Wiggle your parts. Especially the private ones. All you achieve by doing that, is getting infamous (4th cover).

So that is apparently what she's up to: getting famous by showing her c**t. Or by being one...

"The Fame Monster" by Lady Gaga

"Doubts of today" by The Rhode Island Greening

2010-06-24T23:25:00.000+02:00

What has become of the once so popular sixties flower power band The Rhode Island Greening? They used to have numerous chart hits and very elevating albums. They sounded fresh and happy. And even after their comeback in the early eighties they still were worth listening to.
But it's a long time since then.
Where have they been? What happenend to them?
So bring back the joy and the love by listening to their hit album "Doubts of today" (1971)...

"Doubts of today" by The Rhode Island Greening

"Point of view" by George Burton

2010-06-15T21:57:00.004+02:00

"Tenderness" is about the only word that crosses my mind when I listen to "Point of view" by the new British singer/songwriter talent George Burton. The album is sweet and nice and smooth and enjoyable and can be discribed by all kinds of positive words, but it lacks bit of real feelings.

Where's the heart, the drive, the energy, the ambition?...

Twelve years old girls will love it, and it will sell really well but Burton needs to grow up.

"Point of view" by George Burton

"A promising life" by Chris Pancratz

2010-05-24T22:37:00.001+02:00

Chris Pancrats is very shy artist, it seems. He never gives interviews. There are no pictures of him (he's not the guy on the album sleeve) and he has only given a couple of showcases (but only for record company people and journalists).
"A promising life" is an album that has been released more than eight months ago and that is gaining success very slowly.
Is it meant to go that slow, but with a lot of coverage and a lot of mysterious stories in the media? Does Chris Pancratz even exist? Or is he/it a project, an act that's been made up by a record company?

"A promising life" by Chris Pancratz

"The forest that I carry inside" by Lightlife

2010-05-12T09:45:00.000+02:00

Now that is a weird combination: angelic voices of two front singers (think "Il Divo") with a soprano backing them up. Add that up to a band that sounds like Metallica but with the feel of Yes, and you have a highly original sound.
Lightlife is like nothing you've heard before. Their songs are short (between 3 and 4 minutes) and powerfull, and are not to be compared with what happens in the gothic scene.
A highly recommended debut!

"The forest that I carry inside" by Lightlife

"What you do when things go wrong" by Chesapeake

2010-05-05T22:41:00.003+02:00

Nobody ever expected that the second album by Cheaspeake would sell anyhow , because it is their debut "Door to the second floor" all over again. Same brutal rock, same cliches, same lack of subtlety, same screaming voices and same loud guitars.

But "What you do when things go wrong" sells a lot above expectation. And actually exactly that bluntness and that predictable approach might be the reason why this Canadians are conquering the world right now. Eighties hard rock is back!

"What you do when things go wrong" by Chesapeake

"Left is a compromise" by Furrer

2010-04-22T22:21:00.001+02:00

Elisabeth Furrer is one of those new British talents that seem to pop up in the slipstream of Kate Nash and Lily Allen. Last year's big names where La Roux and Little Boots, this year there's Ellie Goulding, but the next big name is surely Furrer. Her first album is loaded with happy poppy songs. Her voice is not really spectacular but she writes wonderfull positive songs with a twist. She uses humor, irony and her charming appearance at the same to win the hearts of her audience.

And it seems to work.

"Left is a compromise" by Furrer

"Right in front of us" by Sazomin

2010-04-14T22:30:00.001+02:00

The French rock band Sazomin released their first album. And I don't know exactly what went wrong, but I heard this all before... "Right in front of us" sounds like R.E.M., Oasis, U2, Green Day, but a lot weaker.

Their debut single "Rock away" kept a promise but I guess this album came too soon somehow...

"Right in front of us" by Sazomin

"Small Enough To Win" by Simon Thomas

2010-04-07T23:35:00.002+02:00

Simon Thomas has been performing for years but he never took the time to record an album.

And his huge experience pays of after all. His debut cd "Small Enough To Win" is a real gem. Thomas brings a marvellous blend of jazz, soul and hip hop. His warm voice and strong charisma garantee one of the best albums of the last couple of years. Critics have compared him with Marvin Gaye, Barry White, Seal and D'Angelo.
However, this is a truly classic album. Listen to his new up tempo single "Angel" and the soul ballad "Where were you'.
Highly recommended!

"Small Enough To Win" by SimonThomas

"Better to change the locks" by Uss Gemimi

2010-04-01T19:53:00.006+02:00

Uss Gemini is a five piece girls band and -"really, really" their biographie states- they play their own instruments. They sing themselves and made their own clothes and dance moves...

Yeah. Right. But then again, who gives a f**k. It sounds good, they look nice and I can't get their songs out of my head.
Their success will last as long as it lasts, and then there will be another interchangeable girl group.
That's the way it goes.

So as long as they're around I'll enjoy their singles "Get it, get it" and "One foot before the other".

"Better to change the locks" by Uss Gemimi

"Unrealistic" by Clobbering

2010-03-07T17:35:00.001+01:00

The previous album of the Irish band Clobbering consisted of a lot of ambient dreamscapes. On this new album they decided to concentrate on songs. The longest track is 'only' six minutes and some of the songs have lyrics. Everything is still very dreamy but the songs tell a story and the voice of the new lead vocalist Helen Combridge gives an extra depth to this CD.

Releasing it in spring is a bit akward because "Unrealistic" really feels like autumn, but it's still a great album with a great strength.

"Unrealistic" by Clobbering

"You would never do anything" by Barbara Jelic

2010-02-28T22:30:00.000+01:00

Barbara Jelic is a child from a famous musical family. Her father is the wellknown Polish conductor Vladisav Jelic, and her mother the Welsh Tania Burroughs has been recording vocal albums for some years now.
So it's not really a surprise to anyone that Barbara would turn up with an album too. And it's a good one as well. It is to be situated somewhere between Kati Melua and Sarah Brightman, although her voice still sounds a bit young and insecure. But what can one expect from a seventeen years old girl?

"You would never do anything" by Barbara Jelic

"Nobody wants to read" by Douglas Marsden-Jones

2010-02-21T15:14:00.003+01:00

Douglas Marsden-Jones is one of those new singer/songwriters but he has something special about him. His voice has got soul, his songs have a certain joie-de-vivre and his music sounds positive. So no broken hearts, desolate landscapes, distant highways or political issues on his debut album "Nobody wants to read". Therefor he talks about himself and his will to achieve something. (Listen to "Labelled scooter" and "Automatically".
And most important: he's not naive and not too romantic. His fanbase will not entirely consist of young girls (and their mothers)...
If that doesn't deserve succes, what does?

"Nobody wants to read" by Douglas Marsden-Jones

"Nothing's wrong with being alone" by The Kuleshov Effect

2010-02-07T21:32:00.001+01:00

The Kuleshov Effect is a funny band. They combine the hilarious Madness act with the power of Rammstein. The result is a stunning mix of powerfull and raw music with a refreshing feeling for irony and ...er, madness.

This debut album is a party cd from the opening song till the last track.And that s 24 (!) songs in a row.

Play this album hard, over and over again. It'll brighten your day.

"Nothing's wrong with being alone" by The Kuleshov Effect

"The cruelest words" by Jorma Panula

2010-01-30T21:15:00.001+01:00

This is definitely techno! And it's hard. You sure need strong nerves and strong eardrums. The cruelty of "The cruelest words" is not in the music or in the occasional lyrics, it's in the volume.

In this case I'ld use the Jackass advice "Do not try this at home" because this is strictly meant for dance events.

So just go crazy with Jorma Panula but do protect your ears.

"The cruelest words" by Jorma Panula

"We were never going to die" by Blotched Fantail Ray

2010-01-10T22:45:00.000+01:00

I have to admit that Blotched Fantail Ray is not really my cup of tea but their debut album "We were never going to die" sure does sound very solid. I was even a bit overwhelmed...

The feel is very heavy. Think of Saxon, Iron Maiden, even Motorhead... Very British indeed.

But influences of American hard rock heroes like Alice Cooper, Kiss and Aerosmith are present too. This album brings back memories but is not to be taken too serious. It's fun. Sure it is. But that's about all.

"We were never going to die" by Blotched Fantail Ray

"As a nail" by The Denham Tracts

2010-01-06T22:45:00.000+01:00

The Eighties are back. And in case you haven't noticed, there's The Denham Tracts. They sound like the Human League, A flock of Seagulls, Blancmange... you name them.

But: they sound good! Sure it sounds like a copy from years ago, sure it smells like easy money, sure it's just a revival band. But they have a teriffic powerfull sound, a great attitude, great looks... But what they also have is talent. Something that's not always obvious for a regular pop band nowadays.

Give them a spin...

"As a nail" by The Denham Tracts

"Diligence and labor" by Blanco y Negro

2009-12-28T20:22:00.001+01:00

Blanco y Negro is a classical chamber ensemble, but with a pop attitude. They like to play popular music like The Doors, Coldplay and Wings on classical instruments but they love to shock their audiences (in their own gentle way) by using electrified instruments like guitars and keyboards. But then again this amplified music is a modern version of classical music by Bach, Haydn and Rossini.

This way Blanco y Negro makes a summary of so called "pop" music from different centuries.

To me it's too soft and too mellow, but thousands and thousands of fans bought their first album "Across the world", so this follow up album "Diligence and labor" will find his way to all these people too, I guess...

"Diligence and labor" by Blanco y Negro

"The art of knowing what not to say" by L. Nichols Buttons

2009-12-21T22:45:00.000+01:00

L. Nichols Buttons is very shy Canadian singer/songwriter who wrote an entire album in his kitchen. He doesn't even like to become famous and "The art of knowing what not to say" -his debut- keeps selling. Nichols doesn't like the fuzz about album releases and he already statedin a music magazine that he's not going to write any other song before this "commercial storm" (as he calls it) is over.

So what should I advise you? Not to buy this album?

"The art of knowing what not to say" by L. Nichols Buttons

"Do most things" by Deadman

2009-12-07T20:05:00.001+01:00

Deadman is a Mediterranian collective of musicians with a lot of different influences, being French/Spanish mestize, Roumanian gypsy jazz, French urban hiphop, Italian latin jazz, and some black influences from different Maghreb countries. If this album by the name of "Do most things" doesn't sound lively and joyful, nothing does. The band itself is not a well defined group, but a bunch of ever changing musicians. So the flavour of the music changes constantly, depending on the roots of the members, and sounds like nothing else i've heard before.

A wonderfull experience.

"Do most things" by Deadman

"Life will love you back" by Love Phobia

2009-11-30T20:32:00.002+01:00

She was born in Algeria but moved to France at the age of five. After her parents divorced she went to live with her father in New York City, and developed the ever so charming French accent in combination with her exotic look.

We will probably never know if her name really is Love Phobia, although she keeps confirming it. But what I sure know is that "Life will love you back" is a hell of a debut. It sounds like Sade and Simply Red, but combines Raphael Saadiq with Diana Ross as well. And Love Phobia is surely influenced by Billie Holliday and Natacha Atlas too.

There are worse names to be compared too...

"Life will love you back" by Love Phobia

"The Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd

2009-11-15T19:35:00.004+01:00

This is what Wikipedia writes about Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon": ... is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released in March 1973, the concept built on the ideas that the band had explored in their live shows and previous recordings. (...)

"The Dark Side of the Moon" was an immediate success, topping the Billboard 200 for one week. It subsequently remained on the charts for 741 weeks (fourteen years), the longest duration of any album in history. With an estimated 45 million units sold, it is Pink Floyd's most commercially successful album and one of the best-selling albums worldwide.
It spawned two singles, "Money" and "Us and Them".

This week, scientists discovered water on the moon. A bit strange though...
But if there's water, there might be fish. And if there are fish, some might be sharks.
Time to re-title the bestselling album by Pink Floyd.

"The Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd

"Ask" by Golias

2009-11-03T22:58:00.001+01:00

I will probably never know if this Finnish band wanted to referr to Goliath, with their name.

But that's not important. Their second album "Ask" is once again an impressive album. It's one of those typical autumn albums: a bit melancholic, dramatic and with a bit of tristesse.
A lot of violins and soundscapes bring a recognizable mood and make that the entire album feels like one ongoing mood. There are only six songs on the CD but "Ask" sounds like a solid entity. Let it come over you...

"Ask" by Golias

"Cellar door" by Your Superiors

2009-10-30T16:50:00.001+01:00

Your Superiors play the kind music Nirvana used to play. In the passed years they were overtaken by bands like The Foo Fighters, The Goo Goo Dolls, and nowadays by Kings of Leon. I'm afraid Your Superiors will always stay in the second league of rock. But that doesn't mean they don't play nice music.
"Cellar door" is their sixth album, and opens very strong with the first single "Lisa likes me for that". When they come over for a promo tour they will without any doubt sell out a lot of big arenas.

"Cellar door" by Your Superiors

"Toiling upward in the night" by Dorothy Marion Campbell

2009-10-27T21:25:00.002+01:00

"Toiling upward in the night" by Dorothy Marion Campbell seems to be a nice and sophisticated album. But don't be misled by her gorgious looks and her sweet voice. Campbell has a rude way of saying things and has been banned several times from British radio. Although she talks and behaves well, her lyrics are full of sarcasm and poison.
I wonder what's eating this very talented singer? The fact that there is such a gap between what she does and what she says is a good reason to give this album a closer look.

"Toiling upward in the night" by Dorothy Marion Campbell

"Things that can happen to a man" by Marlon Aguirre

2009-10-20T20:42:00.000+02:00

The mix Marlon Aguirre makes is a strange one. On one hand he sounds very eighties and is moving in the direction of The Style Council and Sade. On the other hand he wants to be the new Jazzanova, but sounds like Michael Buble. Although I have to admit that his first album "Things that can happen to a man" sounds very stylish. He uses a lot of electronica and even more guest vocalists, but he treats jazz with respect. He only needs to make up his mind whether he wants to be the next Harry Connick, the next Dimitri from Paris, or the one and only Marlon Aguirre...

"Things that can happen to a man" by Marlon Aguirre

"The termites of relationships" by Roussoellopsis

2009-10-14T22:00:00.001+02:00

Chosing a name like "Roussoellopsis" is commercial suicide, I would think. And as I expected, this band never managed to get any commercial success. But that can be because they made the wrong music in the wrong era. In the mid-seventies they made symphonic rock where all bands drove safety pins through their ears and played punk rock. Roussoellopsi was exactly that kind of band that punks hated.
But nowadays there seems to be a symphonic rock revival and the record company re-released"The termites of relationships". I wonder what will happen now to this music, because the band split up more than 15 years ago. None of the members is working in the music business anymore...

"The termites of relationships" by Roussoellopsis

"His life by conscious endeavor" by James Pryde

2009-10-11T21:50:00.000+02:00

Where most DJ's make the mistake to release an album of their own, James Pryde waited for years. Most DJ's think they're composers who know how to write a song. Bummer. Most of them only know how to play a record (and sometimes not even that!).
James Pryde however learned from listening. On his debut album "His life by conscious endeavor" he proves he knows how to make a convincing dance tracks. A bit of variation wouldn't hurt though. But these songs are cetainly going to get a crowd dancing. None of the songs are under 8 minutes and make the album quiet a long one (117 minutes) but please listen to it to the end. It's worth it.

"His life by conscious endeavor" by James Pryde

"More men than Neptune" by Hazel Crest

2009-10-04T22:45:00.000+02:00

She started as a backing singer in a bluesrock band, but wanted do do her own thing. She attended singing and dancing classes and finally she released her first album "More men than Neptune". It's a collection of Broadway tunes and jazz standards. But where mediocre singers stick to the (too) often covered classics Hazel Crest made a very extraordinary choice. She treats the songs in her typical way and makes the songs her own.
This is a fabulous debut of a very talented singer.

Get that album now!

"More men than Neptune" by Hazel Crest

"Come back from it" by Central Wings

2009-10-01T21:48:00.001+02:00

Claire Wings made several pop singles but only two of them got into the charts. After the success of "Army of three" and "That house" miss Wings decided to change her name and her style, and her first album
"Come back from it" is no longer poppy.
Wings changed to a danceable kind of punk rock. The only problem is: so many young and attractive singers have done this before her. This album isn't bad -not at all- but it's a bit as if she recycled the best tunes by Avril Lavigne and Pink. And she doesn't want you to call her music "pop music".
Get real Claire.

"Come back from it" by Central Wings

"The world owes you nothing" by Amber Air

2009-09-28T22:58:00.000+02:00

Amber Air is a British folk band from the south of Kent, with a traditional repertoire. You might compare them with Steeleye Span or even Renaissance. Their debut album "The world owes you nothing" is not spectacular or original, but doesn't disappoint either. This album brings nothing new, but is a solid (and a bit predictable) album for fans of seventies folk. Nothing more, nothing less.

"The world owes you nothing" by Amber Air

"Ultimate Expression" by Galusha Anderson

2009-09-24T21:00:00.000+02:00

Galusha Anderson used to have a band called "Expression", but they never got to get an record deal. So he changed his style, his attitude and his band. Now he sings friendly popsongs, but with a certain bite.
This is not the regular music for young girls. It's more of an adult approach of being young. Think Robbie Williams, think George Michael, or even Rod Stewart, when they were young.

They too knew how to write a good pop song.

"Ultimate Expression" by Galusha Anderson

"Origin of symmetry" by Muse

2009-09-20T18:50:00.001+02:00

This is what Wikipedia writes about "Origin of symmetry": ... is the second studio album by English alternative rock band Muse, released on 17 June 2001. ( ... ) Origin of Symmetry was produced by David Bottrill, John Leckie (who previously worked on the band's first album, Showbiz) and the band themselves. In the UK it reached #3 and was certified platinum. The title for the album comes from a concept put forward by Michio Kaku in his book Hyperspace.
The album is seen as a departure from the alternative rock sound of Showbiz, as the band experimented instrumentally throughout the album. Matthew Bellamy used a pipe organ on "Megalomania". Due to the requirement of a pipe organ, this song is rarely played live by Muse...
Nestlé tried to use the song "Feeling Good" in a coffee commercial, though the band refused to give the company permission to do so. After using the song anyway, the band successfully sued Nestlé for £500,000, which the band donated to the charity Oxfam. Fragments of the song "New Born" have been used in an advertisement for Oxfam designed by Tim Burton. The advertisement uses part of the piano intro and the first driving guitar riff...

So Muse seems to have something with food, and maybe even with cutlery, or even gastronomy. So you might see the objects on the original record sleeve as forks...

"Origin of symmetry" by Muse

"The inadequate life" by Balezza

2009-09-16T13:15:00.000+02:00

Balezza is an Italian gothic band but with less grunting and more classical instruments. Their singer Sophia Permessa studied on the Academy of Classical Music in Rome, and then moved to New York. But she and her band only got succesfull after recording this album "The inadequate life". It's an impressive showcase of the talent of this band. The first single "All ways" is about to break through worldwide, and holds a wonderful promise for the future.

"The inadequate life" by Balezza

"Good in the first place" by Wootton Basset

2009-09-12T20:12:00.002+02:00

There's a lot of angry young girls in the world, and there's a lot of them that are trying to get rid of their anger to sing about it. Wootton Basset is surely one of them. But there's more.
Basset knows how to write a typical song. She has something to tell, in an intelligent way, with an original use of words and within three miutes. Real craftmanship.
"Good in the first place" is a brilliant statement by a young woman with a clear voice and a clear mind. I can't wait for the second album, due to be released in december already.
Get your hands on it.

"Good in the first place" by Wootton Basset

"Those I do understand" by Recca

2009-09-09T23:25:00.000+02:00

The career of Recca was a short one. In 1984 they released their album "Those I do understand", but after one world tour and three hitsingles (with "Past age" as a million seller) the band called it a day. With strong drug abuse and constant disagreements a split was inevitable.

But after all this years the record company decided to re-release the album. And it has lost nothing of his original power.

Fans should be glad there's finally a cd release.

"Those I do understand" by Recca

"The Historic Collection" by Neil Young

2009-09-05T13:12:00.004+02:00

Neil Young is one of these artists I strongly dislike (and I'm being polite). But somehow he must be interesting enough to take care of. I did a funny makeover by choosing pictures in different styles from Google (if you disapprove, tell me), and by creating a completely different style...
Like, for example, how would a Neil Young cover look like if he played different styles of music - different from the boring, wining what-do-you-call-it he played in the past years?

If he were young in the eighties, and he would've played britpop, his record sleeves could've looked like the first one. But if he were a jazz gitarist his record sleeve might look like the second one. And if he were a kind of a Mark Knopfler in the eigties his CD booklet would contain pink. But if he would know what went on in New York nowadays he might look like the guys from Fleet Foxes (including beard and shabby clothes).

Which one do you prefer?

"Body and soul together" by Carina Tracheae

2009-09-02T20:42:00.001+02:00

To emphasize the fact that she makes underground music, Carina Tracheae used a picture of a subway on her album sleeve. I'm sorry to say so, but it's not convincing.

She's too much Lily Allen, too much girlie, too much poppy, too much preppy...

So I'ld say, go home, come back with much more mature album and surprise your audience.

Because all this albums lacks is exactly what is mentioned on the sleeve: body and soul!

"Body and soul together" by Carina Tracheae

"Still Kicking" by Hard Arguments

2009-08-28T18:25:00.001+02:00

Ashley Cumbert made a succesfull single when she was only sixteen and scored a national hit in the UK with her "Lady in gold". And then she vanished, it seemed.
But in the last six years she's been writing songs. She made a selection of here huge collection and "Still Kicking" is the delightfull result.
Cumbert formed a band to play her official debut live, and named it Hard Arguments. They sure know how to give a funky feel to these honest and tender songs. Listen to this gems. Highly recommended.

"Still Kicking" by Hard Arguments

"Never give advice unless asked" by Convex Body

2009-08-23T22:20:00.000+02:00

Convex Body used to be huge in the eighties. They were masters of sympho rock, but their popularity went downhill in the nineties.
But now - much to my surprise- they're back with this album "Never give advice unless asked". Convex Body hasn't changed. The band members are older of course but the power and the vocal reach are even more inspired then they used to be. For fans, this is good news. Critics though might ask themselves if it weren't better if this British darlings would've have taken their music a step further forwards. And why they didn't...

"Never give advice unless asked" by Convex Body

"Absence of body is better" by Xanten

2009-08-21T20:10:00.000+02:00

Xanten is not exactly original. They sound a bit like Blond or Yanni, sometimes they make you think of Vanessa Mae or the Dutch band Flairck. But that doesn't mean they don't make nice music. The violins and other string instruments (some out of a box) sound soothing and romantic. They might have skipped obvious covers like "Who pays the ferryman" or "Fly me to the moon", but all in all "Absence of body is better" is warm and tender album for a sunny evening a glass of white wine (or more).

"Absence of body is better" by Xanten

"The prepared mind" by The Rhode Island Bar Association

2009-08-17T21:22:00.001+02:00

The Icelandic collective The Rhode Island Bar Association is to be situated somewhere between The Pinguin Cafe Orchestra and Laurie Anderson. It's an everchanging eight piece band with references to Oi Va Voi and the Kronos Quartet. Their second album "The prepared mind" will probably do better than their debut CD "14U".
I'm glad they left the cheesy titles behind (14U - One for you, and their first and only single release "URNNME" - You are an enemy").
The best and most adventurous fragments are the title track and the 11 minutes long "Land".

"The prepared mind" by The Rhode Island Bar Association

"Country Life" by Roxy Music

2009-08-02T11:00:00.001+02:00

Wikipedia writes this about "Country Life" by Roxy Music: ...the fourth album by British rock band Roxy Music, released in 1974 and reaching #3 in the UK charts. The album is considered by many critics to be among the band's most sophisticated and consistent.
The cover features two scantily-clad models, Constanze Karoli and Eveline Grunwald. Bryan Ferry met them in Portugal and persuaded them to do the photo shoot (...) The cover image was considered controversial in some countries such as the United States, Spain, and The Netherlands, where it was censored for release. As a result, a later American LP release featured a different cover shot from the album's back cover that featured only the trees.

Nowadays nobody is shocked anymore by nudity. Not even if they're cartoon heroes. What if the cover models wouldn't have been live ones in 1974?

"The secrets that everybody guesses" by Joan Vickers

2009-07-29T19:50:00.001+02:00

Beverly Craven did it once and Katie Melua pulled the same trick... Being succesfull without having a noticable talent, I mean. Looking sweet is apparently enough to sell records.
With that in mind someone tries to launch the innocent Joan Vickers and with a bit of dumb luck (literally!) that might even work. "The secrets that everybody guesses" is a collection of harmless songs without taste nor smell.
And looking at the number of sold copies of her debut single "See me" I'ld rather look in the other direction. (That is, if Vickers wouldn't look that good. ;-) ).

"The secrets that everybody guesses" by Joan Vickers

"Situation Comedy" by Chotia Weedhopper

2009-07-24T23:00:00.001+02:00

They are loud like Metallica, they're blunt like Status Quo, they're hilarious like Iron Maiden, but first of all Chotia Weedhopper is simply Chotia Weedhopper. And most important of all, they have something most other hardrock bands lack: a sence of humour.
Although all their albums all sound alike, this fourth CD by the name of Situation Comedy tells exactly what it is. It's about enjoying yourself without taking yourself too serious.
And if that makes a lot of noise, that's too bad...

"Situation Comedy" by Chotia Weedhopper

"No Hables Ingles" by Vouillé 2 Sèvres

2009-07-21T20:10:00.001+02:00

You have to go a long way back to remember the Australian band Flash & the Pan, the American collective by the name of Deaf School or the Belgian project called The honeymoon Killers...

They all had in common that the musical genre they played never really mattered and that they had a lovely tongue-in-cheek tone in their lyrics.
The French quintet Vouillé 2 Sèvre has the same attitude and their debut album is hilarious. They sing in French, Algerian, Turkish and German. They don't speak Spanish (as mentioned in the title) but for that matter they don't speak Russian, Indonesian or Servo-Croatian either. Do listen to the single "Manche Maenner moegen Maedchen" and the title track. But equally good are "Bonjour concours" (a vivid song about Idols-like talent shows) and "Vaya" (a ironical song about welcoming strange cultures)...

"No Hables Ingles" by Vouillé 2 Sèvres

"Our worst enemy" by Klump

2009-07-18T18:25:00.000+02:00

Klump started of as a one-man-project. Jonathan Strikers wrote fragile songs and recorded them (Oh my god, here we go again!) in his bedroom. But he became so succesfull with his debut album that he had to tour. Therefor he formed a band, and since then they've been on the road.
Meanwhile the five piece band has been writing new songs and "Our worst enemy" is the result. The CD became a convincing continuation of the millionselling "At first".
This collection is still stuffed with very charming songs, but I hear more instruments, I hear more voices, I hear more arrangements but above all I hear an inspired band playing with a lot of joy.
Get this album!

"Our worst enemy" by Klump

"A promising life" by Anisoara Cusmir

2009-07-15T23:02:00.001+02:00

Anisoara Cusmir is angry. She's very angry. And she's got good reasons to be angry. She was born in East-Germany behind the Iron Curtain. Although she's originally from Çekoslovakya.
She knows what poverty is and what it does to you. Her parents divorced when she was only a child and she is constantly thorn between two parents. So her debut album with the cynical title "A promising life" is filled with anger. It's rather a depressing album but if you keep listening to it you'll discover that there's a warm heart beating somewhere under all this negativity.

"A promising life" by Anisoara Cusmir

"Find the truth" by Jackson Bird

2009-07-13T19:45:00.001+02:00

I don't think there's a need for another Amy Winehouse, another Adele or another Duffy, but obviously I'm mistaken because here yet another soul vocalist, by the name of Jackson Bird (it seems she gets really pissed of when you call here a bird). Her debut album "Find the truth" sounds like -well, I'm sorry but she does sound like Amy and Duffy.

It's a reasonable good album, not really original, but she's got a good voice, good songs and -equally important- good looks. But this record might be forgotten after a couple of spins. A shame...

"Find the truth" by Jackson Bird

"The Velvet Underground & Nico" by The Velvet Underground & Nico

2009-07-10T20:15:00.002+02:00

About the first album by The Velvet Underground Wikipedia says: "...was originally released in March 1967. Recorded in 1966 during Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable Multimedia Event Tour, The Velvet Underground & Nico would gain notoriety for its experimentalist performance sensibilities, as well as its focus on controversial subject matter expressed in many of their songs."

Talking about inevitable multimedia, ...I've seen animated Stone Age families use a banana for a telephone conversation but I have the slight impression that a mobile phone is a lot more effective.

"The Velvet Underground & Nico" by The Velvet Underground & Nico

"What can't be done" by The Utah Transit Authority

2009-07-07T21:21:00.004+02:00

Utah Transit Authority has a huge following for such a young band. They're not fashionable (those beards!), they have a dozen of oldfashioned songs and they sound as if they were born in the sixties.

But maybe that's exactly the reason why they are so popular. I wonder how long this hype and success will last.

I have to admit though that they sound cheerfull and happy. If that ain't positive...

"What can't be done" by The Utah Transit Authority

"Nothing in the world is permanent" by Cimmeria

2009-07-02T21:02:00.000+02:00

Cimmeria resides somewhere between the urban rock of Vampire Weekend and the urban pop of the Kaiser Chiefs. "Nothing in the world is permanent" is frivolous, is funny, is bouncy and is powerfull. This album bursts of energy. And yes... Mick Rowend's singing isn't always stable, and the guitars aren't always ...euh, "in tune" but thje songs are saved by the energetic drummimg of Kevin Moore.
Hit it, Kev'.

"Nothing in the world is permanent" by Cimmeria

"An undeniable good book" by Nicola Trentin

2009-06-28T21:45:00.001+02:00

"An undeniable good book" by Nicola Trentin reads like a ...good book. I mean: she tells wonderful stories in pretty little songs. Just a little girl with a piano, and a little voice. She sings with a bright voice and has brilliant ideas. Her lyrics are autobiographical and tell about young girls' adventures: boys, girls, kissing in the park, skinny dipping, naiv dreams and shortsighted ambitions but honest feelings. Nicola's first album is a sweet trip through a young girls heart ...it's like going through a diary. (You shouldn't read it! But do listen to this album...)

"An undeniable good book" by Nicola Trentin

"A light and a power" by Minuscule 56

2009-06-24T21:30:00.000+02:00

There's not much to tell about "A light and a power" by Minuscule 56. This is the first album by this Skandinavian dance project. They're rather obscure and released this debut on their own Minuscule Records label.
Without any doubt they're influenced by Dead Can Dance but their biggest hero is the Dutch DJ/producer Armin van Buuren. And they did their own production. Brave, and absolutely worth listening to to!
Works on dance floors, but in your own living room too.

"A light and a power" by Minuscule 56

" A tableau of crimes and misfortunes" by Alexander Nuno Alvaro

2009-06-23T22:02:00.000+02:00

Alexander Nuno Alvaro could be discribed as the new Holly Johnson but without a band. He is obviously influenced by Jack Shears (of the Scissor Sisters) and he sure has a kinky image.
Very gay, very trendy and very explicit. But that makes " A tableau of crimes and misfortunes" such a fun album. You already know the single "You R me" but the CD is stuffed with very danceable and hilarious songs.
This is humor you can dance to.

" A tableau of crimes and misfortunes" by Alexander Nuno Alvaro

"Jailbreak" by Thin Lizzy

2009-06-19T21:50:00.000+02:00

One of the best rock LPs of 1976 was "Jailbreak" by Thin Lizzy. Wikipedia says: "The album proved to be Thin Lizzy's commercial breakthrough in the U.S. The singles include "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town", the latter being Thin Lizzy's biggest hit. The band originally wanted to release the more pop-oriented "Running Back" as the first single, which may account for the song's accessible arrangement and production."
One of the best TV shows of 2005 was "Prison Break". Wikipedia says: "Prison Break is an American serial drama television series created by Paul Scheuring (...) The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other, a genius, devises an elaborate plan to help his brother escape prison."

But what's in a name. And imagine if Thin Lizzy would've made the soundtrack...

"Jailbreak" by Thin Lizzy

"A succession of ordinary days" by Johnson Diversey

2009-06-16T22:44:00.000+02:00

Johnson Diversey was one of the original bass players in the first line-up of Oasis. We all know what Oasis did, but Diversey never got over the fact that he missed this succesfull boat. Since the eighties he tried a couple of times to break through with his own albums, but none of them really made it to the album charts.

"A succession of ordinary days" is Diversey's third album in 15 years and it is still an attempt to bring britpop to a wider audience.

But isn't that exactly what Oasis is doing?
This could well be his last album with his current record company.

"A succession of ordinary days" by Johnson Diversey

"Out of focus" by Goldplating

2009-06-15T20:36:00.000+02:00

This is the era of ecclectism. There are no boundaries, no restrictions, or no clear rules or fashions. Goldplating is one of those bands that use multiple influences. Be it sympho rock or hard rock from the legendary dinosaur bands from the seventies or be it the furious rock from punk bands in the eighties...
The album "Out of focus" bares Nirvana-like echoes from the nineties and Green Day-samples from this century too.

The result is a heavy CD with no real original profile, but it's a fun game to find out how many typical influences you can recognize...

"Out of focus" by Goldplating

"Eat anything" by J.Hutchinson

2009-06-14T11:58:00.000+02:00

J.Hutchinson was huge in the nineties. But she only made one album. After some years it couldn't be bought anywhere, but true fans were willing to pay ridiculous prices for the album. That's over now, because her record company decides to re-issue "Eat anything".

On one hand that's a pity for collectors because that will bring down the price of this rare album, on the other hand the whole world can witness that this exceptional powerfull punk/rap phenomena is still as urgent and convincing as she used to be.

"Eat anything" by J.Hutchinson

"Never dry up" by Sheryl Plouffe

2009-06-10T21:25:00.001+02:00

Sheryl Plouffe has a classical education. She started off with opera, then turned to musicals but now decided to follow the pop path. Her first commercial album is full of covers but she made tastefull adaptations. It's very brave to make a new version of Kate Bush's "The Man with the Child in his Eyes", and not everyone would dare to cover Rickie Lee Jones' "Chuck E's in Love". Plouffe treated even Tori Amos and Tony Braxton with respect.

Give her a chance and listen to this wonderfull debut.

"Never dry up" by Sheryl Plouffe

"I've got so much to give" by Jack Black

2009-06-05T20:15:00.001+02:00

If colour is an issue to you, we can always swap them. White becomes black. Black becomes white...

Barry White would become "an American actor, comedian, and musician. With his friend Kyle Gass, he makes up one half of the comedy and heavy metal music duo Tenacious D. The group has two albums and a full-length film. His acting career is extensive, starring primarily as bumbling, cocky, but internally self-conscious outsiders in comedy films" (...) like "School of Rock"...

"Jack" Black would be known "as an American record producer and singer-songwriter. A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his rich bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring hit soul, funk, and disco songs. Worldwide, White had many gold and platinum albums and singles, with combined sales of over 100 million"...

"I've got so much to give" by Jack Black

"Some people never go crazy" by Beta Israel

2009-06-04T23:45:00.000+02:00

Let the summer begin!

The album "Some people never go crazy" by the Spanish singer/dancer Beta Israel is an incredible energy boost. Okay, she can't sing and her accent is horrible, but this dance project is just about looks and rhythm. Indeed Beta Israel is gorgious to look at. And althought her success won't last longer than one summer, the music is so energetic that I could listen to it for hours and hours. Day after day.

Baile, baile!

"Some people never go crazy" by Beta Israel

"Opinions" by Viktor Tikhonov

2009-06-03T20:28:00.000+02:00

The band Viktor Tikhonov looks like a trendy industrial rock band that plays electronic body music...

But actually they're a clever concept with a big marketing plan. Everything has been thought of in advance, and managers have made decisions: what to wear, how to look, what kind of music they're going to play, what the stage act is going to be...

So this is one big money machine. The album "Opinions" is ironically just the opinions of a bunch of big shots from the music industry. The musicians are nothing more than actors...

There are better ways to spend your money.

"Opinions" by Viktor Tikhonov

"Isn't it?" by Isabel Province

2009-06-02T18:45:00.001+02:00

Isabel Province is one of those petite chanteuse with a childlike voice and naive songs. She's a living French cliche. I wonder if the French audience will accept another non-original lo-fi singer, and I don't know either if foreign countries will like the fairytale-like songs.
Using an accordeion and a strong French accent and playing a lolita might fool some people...
But remember, you can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. Isn't it?

"Isn't it?" by Isabel Province

"In these last days" by Yak Peak

2009-05-31T21:15:00.000+02:00

What a splendid idea of Yak Peak to use a ViewMaster reel as a metafor to point out that their most recent album "In these last days" is a disc full of pictures. Every song discribes vividly a situation, and talks about a romantic environement. The whole cd is a vibrant collection of lo-fi songs with a simple structure, and beautiful voices. Once again this British quintet delivers a wonderful record of which every song is a gem.
Highly recommended!

"In these last days" by Yak Peak

"Born to run" by Bruce Springsteen

2009-05-29T17:15:00.001+02:00

This is what Wikipedia writes about "Born to run" by Bruce Springsteen: ...with the release of Born to Run Springsteen finally found success: (...) "Born to Run", "Thunder Road", "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", and "Jungleland" all received massive FM radio airplay and remain perennial favorites on many classic rock stations to this day. With its panoramic imagery, thundering production, and desperate optimism, some fans consider this among the best rock and roll albums of all time and Springsteen's finest work. (...) To cap off the triumph, Springsteen appeared on the covers of both Time and Newsweek in the same week, on October 27 of that year. So great did the wave of publicity become that Springsteen eventually rebelled against it during his first venture overseas, tearing down promotional posters before a concert appearance in London.

Springsteen is one of those megastars that gain big bucks. So why not being honest about it, and call your album "Born to (take the money and) run", or boldly "Born to cash"?...

"Born to cash" by Bruce Springsteen

"Unstable without knowing it" by Cherry Hill

2009-05-28T20:02:00.002+02:00

You'll find Cherry Hill somewhere between Alicia Keys and Missy Elliot. She never gets as dirty as Lil'Kim but she's defenitely naughtier then Joss Stone. So the title of her album "Unstable without knowing it" is a bit tongue-in-cheeck. Actually it's meant to tickle men. One can not call Cherry Hill unstable. But she likes to question men about their masculinity, their independence and their discriminating behaviour.
You go girl!

"Unstable without knowing it" by Cherry Hill

"Between a madman and me" by David Clark

2009-05-27T16:24:00.000+02:00

He tried his luck in several Americana and folk bands but none of them really broke through. Now he has released his first album under his own name David Clark. And one can immediatly hear that Clark is a man of routine. It's not really a dazzling and vibrant record. I'ld rather discribe it as small, tender and modest. And although this solo debut is fragile and charming, the whole feel is never far away from being dull. So the total lenght of 53 minutes is maybe a bit much. If Clark would've skipped four or five weaker songs this would've been a real nice album from a singer with a clear voice, a vision and direction in life.

"Between a madman and me" by David Clark

"What you can" by Guiseppe Savoldi

2009-05-26T22:50:00.001+02:00

Guiseppe Savoldi is an Italian pop singer with a classical background. He also records Spanish versions of his Italian albums and has had notable success in Europe and Latin America. Savoldi has sold more than 7 million albums worldwide. And every year there's a new release. "What you can" adds nothing new to his collection but will be bought again by his numerous (mostly female) fans. It's a rather harmless album and only emphasises the fact that Savoldi has a well trained voice but a predictable and too sweet repertoire.

"What you can" by Guiseppe Savoldi

"It is terrible not to live" by A.I.U.T.U.C.

2009-05-25T15:43:00.000+02:00

We've known the traditional Irish folk music by The Dubliners, we've known the popfolk by The Poques and we still know the punk folk by Dropkick Murphy. It is at least somewhat strange that nobody ever thought of adding a bit of groove to that sound...
The All India United Trade Union Centre approached it as funk. There's a lot of bass, some piano and somewhere in the background a lost saxophone.
And let me tell you: I've never heard such powerfull. jawdropping folk music ever.
Let this album blow you away!

"It is terrible not to live" by A.I.U.T.U.C.

"Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words" by Robert Trono

2009-05-24T22:48:00.002+02:00

All I know about Robert Trono is that his real name is Roberto Tronaldo and that he's from Italy. All of a sudden he appeared on the European dance scene. But it must be said: this is a very strong album. No mixing of well known songs, nor a collection of inferiour dance projects. The twelve tracks on his debut "Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words" are genuine compositions, and they all have an distinguished and catchy melody. This is certainly one of the best soundtracks to a splendid summer, but don't expect exuberant rhythms or multilayered exotic beats because Robert Trono brings you loungy urban minimal. Best track on the album is undoubtably the opening track "Aura".
...A very stylish and exquisite CD.

"Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words" by Robert Trono