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Soundtracks of Our Lives week ending 18 September 2011 CE
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IanB
IanB
6761 posts

Edited Sep 18, 2011, 10:56
Re: Soundtracks of Our Lives week ending 18 September 2011 CE
Sep 18, 2011, 08:44
Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know
This really should have been titled "Show Me The Grammy". After a startling arrival in 2007 with a wonderful ep, an excellent XFM session and some equally stunning demos Marling has, over the course of two Ethan Johns produced albums, slowly morphed into an almost unrecognisable amalgam of North American singer songwriter tropes. She rides the rail from Joni to Ani (a lot of Joni & Ani as it happens) with a smidge of Sheryl on top to hedge those pop radio bets. There are even some contemporary bluegrass stylings drizzled over the top for Nu Folk credibilty. And people call Kiss cynical!

Even this risible musical merngue might be ok if the writing was less disappointing but she is unrecognisable from the woman who came up with work of the originality and tenderness of "Night Terror" and "My Manic and I". I know dressing up as something you aren't is a huge part of rock n roll but this is actually so bad I can't help but think she was conned into it, that she'll stop taking bad creative advice, drop the big name producer, ditch the ludicrous mid Atlantic (actually more mid Lake Ontario) accent and get back on track with the next one.

If you like this kind of thing but prefer it less tainted by greed-headedness then I would highly recommend .....

Joy Kills Sorrow - This Unknown Science
Their Celtic Connections set blew me away in January and their last album "Darkness Sure Becomes This City" was set to be my album of this year though unbenknownst to me it actually came out in 2010. I know plenty of people who find the idea of middle class, college educated Americans playing the music of hard rural living in charity store threds completely horrible but the quality of the songwriting, singing and playing here should transcend any reservations. Sincerity isn't everything in pop but this is everything the new Laura Marling record is not. And that is coming from someone who hates the banjo. That said I would recommend trying "Becomes The City" first simply because it is so fab. This new one feels more like a volume 2 than a stand-alone listen.


Humble Pie - King Biscuit Flower Hour: In Concert
The great thing about Humble Pie for me isn't the guitars or Marriott's "I'm American me" bluesisms, it's the rhythm section. On their night Greg Ridley and Jerry Shirley are up there with any pairing you care to mention. Just wonderful to listen to them subtly shifting the focus and finding the tender spot. Compared with Rockin The Fillmore the band in general sound less like their are suffering from a 2000-stoner-strong contact high on this recording so it's that bit more spry and lithe and purposeful. Though I would still rather listen to ...

The Black Crowes - Live At The Fillmore 12/18/10
This is one of a series of six complete shows from their end-of-the-road run last December. This is far and away their best line up (especially in the guitar department) and even the covers are mostly played with a vigour and grace that the originators would have struggled to muster in their pomp. Every time I see them I get more and more convinced that on this form they are the best live band of their kind that we've ever had.

They also served ....

Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden

Ian Dury - New Boots & Panties

Clive John You Always Know Where You Stand With A Buzzard

Residente Orchestra The Hague w/ Hans Vonk - Diepenbrock: Orchestral
Works and Symphonic Songs
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