The ‘no’ in ‘No Pussy Blues’ is not a prohibitive one, but, rather, one describing a certain, painful paucity in the narrator’s life. Try as he might - and he goes to great lengths - this guy just can’t get laid. From the first snippets of sound - a typewriter typing out ‘No Pussy Blues,’ - to the dying scream of electric guitars in the fade out, the listener’s focus remains on the characteristically bookish and disaffected vocals of Nick Cave as he describes his many and varied attempts to score with a pretty fan. Tension builds subtly in his practiced voice until howling guitars join in and transform his monotone to a scream which, in turn, subsumes the crisp hi-hat drum pattern and the hammering bass line of the verse to create a Mike Patton-esque squall of pent up noise and frustration. Not getting any is rarely so exciting or entertaining.
[BH/CMU]

Release Date: 19 February 2006
Label: EMI/Mute

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As you’d expect from the vinyl Mecca that is the Rough Trade store this compilation of their best of 2006 contains a vast spread of music. As a sampler of what is out there this hits out hard at people who complain about the state of music these days (you know who you are!) and neatly packages up 46 fine examples of innovative, passionate, beautiful, powerful and mind blowing music from the last year.

Beginning with the more sedate mood of the first CD there are tracks to sink into like a plush sofa. The calming and beautiful tracks from The Last Town Chorus, Oneida and the sublime, if on the surface unlikely, combination of Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan sit with ease with the jaunty Camera Obscura, Peter Bjorn and John and Lily Allen. The tempo increases as the cd progresses and makes for a highly uplifting experience. A similar progression is to be found on CD2 except that ambiance gives way to synergy of rock, dance, rap and electronica as Uffie and Ladybug lead us into CSS and Gossip. If there were there any doubt about the rich tapestry of sounds out there today they this knocks them into the proverbial cocked hat.

A truly brilliant compilation that inspires and invigourates.

Label : Rough Trade
Release Date : 29 January 2007
Buy It: www.amazon.co.uk
Website : www.roughtrade.com

Tracklisting
CD 1
Various Productions - Home
The Last Town Chorus - Caroline
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - The False Husband
Beirut - Postcards From Italy
Lily Allen - LDN
Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken
Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
Hush Arbors - Bones Of A Thousand Suns
Monkey Swallows The Universe - Science
Richard Swift - Paisley Park
Yo La Tengo - Sometimes I Don’t Get You
Treecreeper - Debris
Cold War Kids - We Used To Vacation
The Morrison Steam Fayre - Six String Layabout
Oneida - History’s Great Navigators
Bricolage - Footsteps
New Moscow - C’mon Up
Tapes ‘n Tapes - Cowbell
Broken Social Scene - Fire Eye’d Boy
Winterkids - I’m Not Used To You
Ripchord - Lock Up Your Daughters
Mike Sammes- Heineken

CD 2
Burial - Night Bus
Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto - ax Mr. L.
Scritti Politti - The Boom Boom Bap
Uffie - Pop The Glock
Ladybug - Miniaturu De Lulu (feat. Dieze Tigrana)
Crystal Castles - Air War
Envelopes - Freejazz
CSS - Alaia
Metronomy - You Could Easily Have Me
Xerox Teens - My Favourite Hat
Bromheads Jacket - Trip To The Golden Arches
The Rotters - Japanese Punk
The Sounds of American Doomsday Cults - Preamble Great Divine Rector’s Cut
T.I.T.S. - Strong Arms
Gossip - Standing In The Way of Control
Pre - Dudefuk
Erase Errata - Another Genius Idea From Our Government
Bonnie Camplin - Get Me A Mirror
OOIOO - UMA
Wolf Eyes - Lake of Roaches
Nagisa Yoko and Justin Simon - Zeni Zeni
Trentemoller - Rykketid
Andrew Liles - Orville’s Engastrimythic Divinations
The Disco Students - The Rough Trade Song

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Bloc Party return with a sequel to their debut million selling album ‘Silent Alarm’. The pressure was on to create a worthy successor but did they manage it?

Basically, yes they did.  ‘A Weekend In The City’ has pace and vibrancy, is playful and screaming and has a good few singles to come. The quiet opening bars and falsetto cries of ‘Song for Clay’ quickly dissolve into a wall of guitars and drums. The tone is set and the album delivers some nice moments. This is a great pop record with the odd moment of heavy guitars , some prog synths and a spot of dance music.

I can’t help thinking that it’d sound a lot better with a less polished and produced sound, but then I’m like that.

The Bloc Party tour continues with dates at London Astoria and then around the UK as follows…

January
Wed 31 London Astoria

February
Thu 1 London Astoria
Fri 2 London Astoria
Sat 3 Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall
Mon 5 Reading Hexagon
Tue 6 Cardiff Uni
Wed 7 Bristol Academy
Fri 9 Exeter Great Hall
Sat 10 Birmingham Academy
Sun 11 Nottingham Rock City
Tue 13 Cambraidge Corn Exchange
Wed 14 Manchester Academy
Thu 15 Dublin Ambassador
Sat 17 Glasgow Barrowland
Sun 18 Aberdeen Music Hall
Tue 20 Edinburgh Usher Hall
Wed 21 Newcastle Academy
Thu 22 Sheffield Octagon

Tickets are priced at £15.00 apart from London Astoria which are £16.50.
Label: Wichita Recordings
Release Date: 5 February 2007
Website: www.blocparty.com

Bloc Party are…

Kele Okereke - Vocals & Guitar
Russell Lissack - Guitar
Gordon Moakes - Bass & Vocals
Matt Tong - Drums

Tracklisting

Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
Hunting For Witches
Waiting For The 7:18
The Prayer
Uniform
On
Where Is Home?
Kreuzberg
I Still Remember
Sunday
SRXT

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As piano-led soft pop-rock goes Duke Special’s ‘Freewheel’ is a fine definition of the subgenre. The strings are there to pull on your heartstrings as they swell for the chorus, contrasting the lack of emotion in the breakdown.

Basically it is a fairly by-the-numbers affair that begins to grate very quickly.

Label : V2
Release Date : 2 February 2007
Website : www.dukespecial.com

Check it out for yourself, Freewheel Video : Windows Media - High : Medium : Low

Quicktime Media - Quicktime Media Link

Duke Special has announced a 16-date UK tour for February – his first ever full-band, headline shows. Including London’s ULU on February 21st the full list of dates is:

February
6th LIVERPOOL, The Barfly
7th NEWCASTLE, Cluny
8th EDINBURGH, Cabaret Voltaire
9th GLASGOW, King Tuts
10th STOCKTON, Georgian Theatre
11th LEEDS, Faversham
13th BIRMINGHAM, Glee Club
14th SHEFFIELD, Leadmill
15th BRISTOL, Thekla Social
16th NORWICH, Arts Centre
17th BRIGHTON, Duke Of York’s
19th NOTTINGHAM, Social
20th MANCHESTER, Matt & Phreds
21st LONDON, ULU
22nd OXFORD, Zodiac
28th BELFAST, Ulster Hall

March
1st DERRY, Nerve Centre

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The slickly brash and vigorously confrontational Capdown return after an extended hiatus with triumphant refinement of their skapunk sound. ‘Wind-Up Toys’ has the Milton Keynes boys rocking furiously ,passionately, relentlessly and with panache.

Blasting power chords and rapid syncopated drumming fused around some riotous vocals and catchy song writing to make for an exhilarating ride. The bounce of the ska and the melodic harshness of the guitars fight for primacy without detracting from the accessibility of the songs.

The robust maleness of the sound and the charming snarls from Jake are virulent in their ability to infect with rebellious joy.

Capdown are on tour in February, be sure to catch them at one of the following dates,

February 2nd: Bristol Academy
February 3rd: Milton Keynes Pitz
February 4th: Exeter Cavern
February 5th: Bournemouth Elements
February 6th: Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
February 7th: Plymouth University
February 8th: Bridgewater Palace
February 9th: Oxford Zodiac
February 10th: Stoke Sugarmill
February 12th: Sheffield Leadmill
February 13th: Manchester Academy 3
February 14th: Leicester Charlotte
February 15th: Nottingham Rock City
February 16th: Middlesbrough Cornerhouse
February 17th: Dundee Westport bar
February 18th: Glasgow King Tuts
February 20th: Leeds Cockpit
February 21st: Reading Fez
February 22nd: London ULU
February 23rd: Norwich Arts Centre
February 24th: Peterborough The Park

Label : Fierce Panda
Release Date : 5 February 2007
Websites : www.capdown.net / www.myspace.com/capdown  /  www.fiercepanda.co.uk / myspace.com/fiercepanda

Tracklisting

Truly Dead
Blood, Sweat And Fears
Wind-Up Toys
Terms And Conditions Apply
Surviving The Death Of A Genre
No Matter What
Thrash Tuesday
Generation Next
Keeping Up Appearances
Strictly Business
Community Service
Home Is Where The Start Is

Capdown are Jake (vocals / sax), Boob (bass), Keith (guitar / vocals) and Tim (drums)

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The debut album from Sheffield’s Little Man Tate is a sparkling and angular pop-punk rock feast. They have a playful happiness infusing throughout their crunchy bouncing sound and straightforward lyrics. Every track seems to be honed into a manic singalong that, although I’ve not managed to see them live, I can imagine would translate into furious fun at a gig.

The Little Man Tate sound is cocky and pulls from the melodic end of Seventies punk and the happy end of Eighties indie. It has a warm familliarity and a brash new sound all in one album.

The album, of course, contains the singles released since their signing by V2 in March - namely ‘Man I Hate Your Band’, and the latest (out this week) single ‘Sexy In Latin’.

Little Man Tate have an instore appearance at five o’clock on the 29th January at the Virgin on Oxford street in London. After that they go on tour, dates as follows

February
Wednesday 14th FRANCE La Boule Noire Paris
Sunday 18th London Brixton Academy
(NME Awards Show with Babyshambles)
Monday 19th Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Tuesday 20th Cardiff The Point
Wednesday 21st Bristol Fleece
Friday 23rd Manchester Academy 3
Saturday 24th Leicester Charlotte
Monday 26th Stoke Sugarmill
Tuesday 27th Nottingham Trent Uni
Wednesday 28th Leeds Met Uni

March
Thursday 1st Glasgow QMU
Friday 2nd Aberdeen Moshulu
Sunday 4th Middlesbrough Cornerhouse
Monday 5th Liverpool Academy 2
Thursday 8th Newcastle Northumbria Uni
Friday 9th Sheffield Plug SOLD OUT
Saturday 10th Sheffield Plug

‘Sexy In Latin’ video streams available below:

Quicktime stream: Here

Windows Media Streams: Hi : Med : Low

Label : V2
Release Date : 29 January 2007
Website : www.littlemantate.co.uk

Little Man Tate are Jon Windle, Edward ‘Maz’ Marriot, Ben Surtees and Dan Fields

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Sarah Nixey, as with the much of the material recorded with Black Box Recorder, has produced an album of superficially light and euphoric songs, but with closer inspection a dark underbelly is revealed. This album is something to sing into and lounge in absolute relaxation to, some gin and a box of chocolates may creep in as well.

Sarah’s voice is still as breathy, velvety smooth and topped off with clipped posh pronunciation as ever. If you were a fan of BBR then you’ll know what to expect.

“Sing, Memory.” is an electro-pop melodrama that unfolds slowly and purposefully. I was concerned, as anyone is when solo projects come out, that I’d be disapointed - That is very much not the case, I am
glad to say.

Label: ServiceAV Records
Release Date: 19 February 2007
Website: www.sarahnixey.com

Tracklisting

1. Sing (prelude)
2. When I’m Here With You
3. Beautiful Oblivion
4. Strangelove (sing version)
5. Hotel Room
6. Nothing On Earth
7. Nightshift

8. Memory (prelude)
9. The Collector
10. Breathe In, Fade Out
11. Endless Circles
12. The Man I knew
13. Masquerade
14. Love and Exile
15. The Black Hit of Space

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The forceful yet pleading, light and slightly experimental, but otherwise solidly rock sound of the latest release from the Cold War Kids brings to mind many comparisons. They have a slight off-kilter use of piano and tempo that reminds me a bit of Fiery Furnaces. They also have a solid blues vocalist in Nathan Willett and a ‘big’ sound that gets a touch prog at times. The metronomic and doom-laden drums that appear so often add gravitas, while the guitars invoke space and motion.

Cold War Kids are on tour in February, after an album launch at The Social in London.

January 30th London, Social – album launch / exhibition

February 1st Ireland, Dublin Tripod with CYHSY
February 2nd Manchester, Academy with CYHSY
February 3rd Glasgow, Barrowlands with CYHSY
February 4th Birmingham, Academy with CYHSY
February 13th London, Shepherds Bush Empire with CYHSY
February 15th London, Barfly XFM exposure show
February 16th London , Koko club NME

Video links for Hang Me Up To Dry
Windows Media files High : Medium : Low
Quicktime here

Label: V2
Release Date: 29 January 2007
Website: http://coldwarkids.com

Cold War Kids are Matt Aviero, Matt Maust, Jonnie Russel and Nathan Willett

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Cardiff ‘rockers’ Leave The Capital have been doing well with decent support slots and national radio plays recently. God knows how or why?

Matchsticks begins with a spaced out intro that leads to some Eighties style rock, think Simple Minds, but with high swooping vocals. It is, frankly, not very good. Quite dull in fact.

You can hear the song on their MySpace page, go and see if you can find out what the fuss is about…

Label: Unsigned
Release Date: 29 January 2007
Website: www.leavethecapital.com

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All hail the bouncy pop power of Little Man Tate, their northern charm and angular jangling make ‘Sexy in Latin’ a head bobbing, foot stomping, piece of magic.  It is easy to see how they have got to this point, they have the sound of a crowd pleasing band.

‘Sexy In Latin is taken from the album ‘About What You Know’ which is due out on Monday. You can catch them live at the last of thier instore appearances at five o’clock on the 29th January at the Virgin on Oxford street in London.

After that they go on tour, dates as follows

February
Wednesday 14th FRANCE La Boule Noire Paris
Sunday 18th London Brixton Academy
(NME Awards Show with Babyshambles)
Monday 19th Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Tuesday 20th Cardiff The Point
Wednesday 21st Bristol Fleece
Friday 23rd Manchester Academy 3
Saturday 24th Leicester Charlotte
Monday 26th Stoke Sugarmill
Tuesday 27th Nottingham Trent Uni
Wednesday 28th Leeds Met Uni

March
Thursday 1st Glasgow QMU
Friday 2nd Aberdeen Moshulu
Sunday 4th Middlesbrough Cornerhouse
Monday 5th Liverpool Academy 2
Thursday 8th Newcastle Northumbria Uni
Friday 9th Sheffield Plug SOLD OUT
Saturday 10th Sheffield Plug

‘Sexy In Latin’ video streams available below:

Quicktime stream: Here

Windows Media Streams: Hi : Med : Low

Label : V2
Release Date : 22 January 2007
Website : www.littlemantate.co.uk

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