 john davies | |
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from a parish in Liverpool, UK | this week - archive - music
Go to Words :: Viewing In my ears this week: 22/07/07 Teenage Meadows of Infinity (Rare Psychs and Stomps) / From the Ashes Perfect Attainment Shall Be (Modern Freaked Sounds) 2CD set accompanying Galactic Zoo Dossier... soundtrack of a (storm-crossed) summer 01/07/07 Martyn Bates: Migraine Inducers/Antagonistic Music Early industrial cassette-only classic rereleased: noisy/beautiful 24/06/07 White Stripes: Icky Thump This band just keep getting better, and darker 27/05/07 Candie Payne: I Wish I Could Have Loved You More Swinging debut by a lovely young Liverpool songstress 20/05/07 Patti Smith: Twelve Covers album, uneven but her Nirvana is a classic 06/05/07 Various Artists: Hand/Eye It's got Timothy the Revelator on it, Martyn Bates, Amps for Christ and Acid Mother's Temple... and many other gems... a seminal compilation 29/04/07 Von SŸdenfed: Fiedermaus Can't Get Enough Thrilling, hopping mad marriage between Mark E Smith & Mouse on Mars - don't miss the video 22/04/07 The Electric Prunes: Too Much To Dream...The Original Group Recordings When the sun comes out, these are the sounds behind my eyes 01/04/07 Eyeless in Gaza: Plague of Years (songs and instrumentals 1980-2006) Where I first heard Martyn Bates: a worndrous reunion 18/03/07 Martyn Bates: Your Jewled Footsteps (solo and collaboration works 1979-2006 Previously fogotten distinctive voice of English indie-folk excellence 11/03/07 !!!: Myth Takes Three exclamation marks is not enough to express the energetic splendours of this beautifully-packaged album 25/02/07 Yoko Ono: Yes, I'm a Witch Joyous collaborative celebration of Ono's excellent body of work 18/02/07 The Fall: Reformation Post TLC Mixed and sometimes miserable, but when it's good, as expected, it's very very good 04/02/07 Kristin Hersh: Learn to Sing Like a Star As powerful, crafted, intense and good as ever 28/01/07 Monkey Swallows the Universe: The Bright Carvings Something very beautiful from Sheffield 21/01/07 Yo La Tengo: I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass Eclectic, upbeat, and thoroughly fun 14/01/07 Starless and Bible Black Fine young inventive folksters 17/12/06 Sufjan Stevens: Songs for Christmas [Box set] Songs to purify the longing. Or something. Very lovely. 03/12/06 V/A, Stewart Lee (curator): The Topography of Chance Eclectic mix in a great geo-package from the 90s comedian 12/11/06 Waterson:Carthy: Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man Tremendous seasonal jamboree, they are just so very, very, very good 05/11/06 Mordant Music: Dead Air More ghostly happenings, with a syrupy ITV presenter providing lovely links 22/10/06 Belbury Poly - The Owl's Map Pleasingly, and hauntingly, retro, in a Pogle's Wood sort of way 15/10/06 The Fall: Fall Heads Roll En-route to their Barrow gig, songs to learn and sing 08/10/06 Saint Etienne: Tales from Turnpike House Songs of urban bliss and melancholy beauty 01/10/06 Pere Ubu: Why I Hate Women Latest brooding winner from Ubu - very noir (hence the darkly ironic title) 24/09/06 Pere Ubu: Pennsylvania Road music of a scarily internal kind 17/09/06 Nurse With Wound: Rock `n` Roll Station Stapleton's spellbinding excursion into hip-hop. Remarkable especially for the wondrous Two Golden Microphones and its scary-fairy tale ending 20/08/06 Julian Cope: 20 Mothers My favourite Cope album; from the cover to the twenty great tracks, it oozes humanity 13/08/06 Barry Adamson: Stranger on the Sofa Adamson's latest, good at first hearing and a real grower 06/08/06 Barry Adamson: Moss Side Story Bad Seed's cinematic masterpiece debut 23/07/06 Jem Finer and Andrew Kotting: Visionary Landscapes Quirky English folk mix, Gallivant soundtrack of sorts 16/07/06 Muse: Black Holes and Revelations Righteous political rock among the stadium ballads 09/07/06 Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan: Ballad of the Broken Seas Rough and smooth perfectly connected 02/07/06 Elvis Costello/Allen Toussaint: The River In Reverse Something good came out of Hurricane katrina. Something very good 25/06/06 The Handsome Family: Last Days of Wonder Latest Brett and Rennie Sparks country-goth masterpiece 18/06/06 Antony and the Johnsons First album from David Tibet protege, a gorgeous, engrossing world to itself 11/06/06 V/A: Early Morning Hush - More British Acid Folk Hidden gems from a rich seam of musical innovation 04/06/06 Gravenhurst: Fires in Distant Buildings Slow-burning epic new rock 14/05/06 The Handsome Family: Twilight Breathtaking songs of death, dreams and the deep drama of living 07/05/06 Iggy & The Stooges: Raw Power It's all been said. It's very fierce. 23/04/06 Bob Dylan: No Direction Home soundtrack It's all been said. It's very good. 09/04/06 The Fall: Cerebral Caustic Mid-nineties bouncing Brix return album, including the hilarious North West Fashion Show and the scorching Don't Call Me Darling 02/04/06 Loose Fur: Born Again In The USA Wilco and Jim O'Rourke side-product, quality-lite 26/03/06 Nick Cave and Warren Ellis: The Proposition Haven't seen the film yet but this would do as a soundtrack to Holy Week 19/03/06 Sixteen Horsepower: Folklore David Eugene Edwards' haunting twisted country 05/03/06 Lou Rhodes: Beloved One The voice of Lamb in beautiful solo debut 26/02/06 Lightning Bolt: Hypermagic Mountain Headphones-only liberating loudness 19/02/06 Nurse With Wound: Livin' Fear of James Last It's slow; it's strange; it grows and grows and grows on you 05/02/06 Estron: Y Crack Cymraeg Welsh electro-folk? Something (great) like that 29/01/06 Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat Twisted country chanteuse: irresistible 22/01/06 Rough Trade Shops: Counter Culture 05 As last year and the previous two, a great source of the best new music 15/01/06 The Fire This Time The Gulf War examined in detail in a documentary scored by some of the hardest electronic artists of the 90s - STILL essential listening 08/01/06 Coil: Black Antlers This, and The Ape Of Naples, their last and among their best; deeply moving stuff 01/01/06 50 Foot Wave: Free Music Kristin Hersh's very generous new project 25/12/05 Various Artists: Gold Leaf Branches Out-rock compliation, a world of discovery and beauty 11/12/05 Allerseelen: Abenteuerliches Herz Austrian industrial, a Cope recommendation, mighty fine 27/11/05 The Fall: The Complete Peel Sessions Absolute. Perfection. 20/11/05 Earth: Living In The Gleam Of An Unsheathed Sword Two tracks of live guitar-wash, mesmerising 13/11/05 Various: Folk Is Not a Four Letter Word Another ace Andy Votel compilation - hidden gems from the acid-folk underground 06/11/05 Various: Gothic Party Time Who said Goth music can't be fun? 30/10/05 Andy Votel: Vertigo Mixed Masterful non-stop Prog Rock melange 23/10/05 Paavoharju: Yha Hamaraa Finnish Christian space-trance sounds 16/10/05 Coil: Astral Disaster Chilling, thrilling, spaced-out and found in Soho 09/10/05 The Fall: Fall Heads Roll Some greats, like Blindness and Youwanner, some growers... 02/10/05 The Dead 60s Scouse-sass-Dub-tastic! 18/09/05 Julian Cope - Floored Genius 2 The title says it all 11/09/05 Super Furry Animals: Love Kraft Sheer pop brilliance 04/09/05 Current 93: Judas as Black Moth Tibet's best-of selection, mystical and masterful 21/08/05 Comets On Fire: Blue Cathedral Space-rock on an epic scale 14/08/05 The Earthling Society: Albion A Cope recommendation - Blackpool psych-rock 07/08/05 Circulus: The Lick on the Tip of an Envelope Yet to be Sent Folk-prog, pretty good, awful lyrics 31/07/05 Dan McGuire: Jamnation One man's musings spoken over various thundering psychotic rock tracks; like Apocalypse Now drained of T.S. Eliot 24/07/05 Soft Machine: Third Psychedelic jazz classic 17/07/05 Sufjan Stevens: Illinois Slow-burning songs of sombre beauty from Sufjan 03/07/05 Brian Eno: Another Day On Earth Songs, and good ones, from ambient master 26/06/05 White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan Witty, wily, entirely wonderful 05/06/05 Julian Cope: Rome Wasn't Burned in a Day Cope, as ever, has the holy ghost 29/05/05 Gorillaz: Demon Days Damon, as ever, has the zeitgeist 22/05/05 Sons and Daughters: Love the Cup Heartening Scots indie-folk class 15/05/05 Led Zeppelin: How the West Was Won "Hey hey mama won't you shake that thing," etc. I'm probably regressing but loving it 08/05/05 Robert Plant: Mighty Rearranger Zep man on brilliant form 01/05/05 Eliza Carthy: Rough Music Somehow true to tradition yet very contemporary, Eliza's songs ring with life 10/04/05 Kristin Hersh: Hips and Makers A modest solo classic; with Michael Stipe too 27/03/05 Coil: Love's Secret Domain A world in itself, dark, comic, cosmic, occult, enthralling 27/03/05 Joanna Newsom: The Milk-Eyed Mender Kooky harpist, refreshing and lovely 20/03/05 Rough Trade Shops compilation: Counter Culture 04 Best of last year from arbiters of good taste 06/03/05 Now It's Overhead: Fall Back Open REM support act - something else good from Athens, GA 27/02/05 Karine Polwart: Faultlines New Folk voice with vigour and intensity 20/02/05 The Superimposers Gorgeous, tuneful, lush and lovely 13/02/05 Blues Explosion: Damage Mix a bit smoother than usual, still, every track's a winner!!! 06/02/05 Julian Cope: Citizen Cain'd Mix a bit rough, still, every track's a winner 30/01/05 LCD Soundsystem Clever, lively and fun dance inventiveness 23/01/05 The Fall: Hex Enduction Hour Repackaged 80s classic, fierce and fresh as ever 16/01/05 Woven Hand: Blush Music Dark, mesmeric, brooding Americana 02/01/05 The Handsome Family: In the Air and other gems "Darling don't you know it's only human to want to kill a beautiful thing?" - perfect Christmas holiday listening 26/12/04 Lloyd Cole and the Commotions: Rattlesnakes (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) Turning back time, this lush and clever disc is still a classic 19/12/04 Various Artists: Perverted By Mark E. Wonderful tribute to Fall guy 12/12/04 Pip's Selection Box Mr Wilson's beautiful 2004 compilation 05/12/04 U2: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb Slow-burner, conservative musically, lyrical depths 28/11/04 The Fall: Interim Live cuts and studio doodles of newish material 21/11/04 The Wire Tapper 12 Good compilation from fave music mag 14/11/04 Woven Hand Americana from the dark heart of faith 07/11/04 The Dears: No Cities Left Epic stuff, some latent classics here 31/10/04 Elliott Smith: From A Basement On The Hill Poignant posthumous prized possession 24/10/04 John O'Donohue's Greenbelt talks Wonderful company on the long road from Iona 10/10/04 Forever Alone Aberfeldy: Summery sounds as winter draws on 03/10/04 Various: Rough Trade Shops - indiepop 1 Another winning RT compilation 26/09/04 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus Cave rocks again ... a return to form 19/09/04 Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart: English Roots Music North-east folk songs with a postmodern flourish 12/09/04 Billy Childish: 25 years of being Childish Childish, raw, but fully-grown 05/09/04 Jah Wobble: I Could Have Been a Contender He was, he is 22/08/04 Hector Zazou: Strong Currents Electronic composer's mellow collaboration 15/08/04 Ella Guru: The First Album Laid-back Liverpudlian gems 08/08/04 Current 93: A Little Menstrual Night Music A wash. Awash. Aw ash 01/08/04 Pantaleimon: Change my World Haunting, folky songs from Current 93 member 25/07/04 Various: Sub Pop - Patient Zero Low-budget Seattle excellence 18/07/04 Various: A Late Junction Compilation No. 1 Verity Sharp's chilled selection 11/07/04 Diamanda Galas: La Serpenta Canta Extreme voice terror dissects the Blues 04/07/04 Ewan MacColl & others: Song of a Road Sixties radio documentary about the builders of the M1 27/06/04 Sufjan Stevens: A Sun Came His first, mostly exceptional, on re-release 20/06/04 Venus Hum: Big Beautiful Sky Perfect Cornwall driving music 13/06/04 Echo and the Bunnymen: Crystal Days 1979-1999 Compilation includes great live covers disc 30/05/04 MC Mabon: The Hunt For Meaning Profound and silly in turns; mostly silly 23/05/04 Devendra Banhart: Oh Me Oh My... Trippy Bolanesque studies in obscurity 16/05/04 P.J. Harvey: The Letter Pre-release single off Polly's upcoming new album 09/05/04 50 Foot Wave Kristin Hersh's new full-on band 02/05/04 Jim White: Wrong Eyed Jesus and No Such Place Earlier excellence 25/04/04 Jim White: Drill A Hole In That Substrate and Tell Me What You See Unique slice-of-life alt-country homilies 18/04/04 Stina Nordenstam: And She Closed Her Eyes (N)ice sounds from Sweden 11/04/04 Two Originals of Jack Rose Mesmerisingly good roots guitar 04/04/04 Squarepusher: Ultravisitor Raw and radical tapes and loops 28/03/04 Kate Rusby: Underneath The Stars Mainstream / Folk queen good as ever 21/03/04 Sufjan Stevens: Seven Swans Latest Sufjan project: full of grace and truth 14/03/04 Nick Harper: Double Life Majestic, amusing, joyful guitar man 07/03/04 Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad A Pip Wilson CD compilation 22/02/04 Barry Adamson: The King of Nothing Hill Cinematic! Soul! 15/02/04 Sufjan Stevens: Michigan The innerscapes of one man's State; wonderful 08/02/04 The Be Good Tanyas: Blue Horse Three girl voices in country harmony 01/02/04 Mugison: Lonely Mountain Gorgeous, gripping Icelandic tunes 25/01/04 Rough Trade Shops 7th Compilation - "Counter Culture 03" The best of 2003 18/01/04 Rough Trade Shops 6th Compilation - "Country" Like 1-5, it's fantastic 11/01/04 Colder: Again Retro grooves from Frenchman Marc Nguyen Tan 04/01/04 Fout Tet: Rounds Kieran Hebden's lovely melodic clicks and loops 28/12/03 Moondog: Moondog Vol.1 and 2 A magical maverick street musician 21/12/03 Cat Power: You are Free She rocks, she rumbles, she broods, she's good 14/12/03 June Tabor: An Echo of Hooves Old stories sung with flourish 07/12/03 Jefferson Airplane: After Bathing At Baxter's Classic psychedilia 30/11/03 Brian Eno: JANUARY 07003 - Bell Studies For The Clock Of The Long Now Experiments in long-term time 23/11/03 Pink Floyd: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn still as good as ever 16/11/03 The Fall: Bend Sinister (and others... every one a winner) 09/11/03 Lamb: Between Darkness and Wonder Holy beats from a gifted duo 02/11/03 The Fall: The Real New Fall LP Supreme as ever - and well worth the wait 26/10/03 P.J.Harvey/Josh Homme et al: Desert Sessions vol 9/10 ROCKS!! 19/10/03 Tats Lau: The Works 1991-2001 Gorgeous Chinese electronic wizardry 05/10/03 Bruce Cockburn: You've Never Seen Everything Style, insight, poetry 28/09/03 Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO: Absolutely Freak Out (Zap Your Mind) Never has an album title described its contents so perfectly... 21/09/03 Coil: Musick to Play in the Dark 2 Soundscapes like I've never heard 14/09/03 Coil: Musick to Play in the Dark 1 Don't forget to eat your greens... 07/09/03 Coil: Live One Scary English outsider music 31/08/03 Greenbelt Festival seminar recordings Wit 'n' wisdom from GB03 24/08/03 The Coral: Magic and Medicine Storming, heartwarming Liverpool sound 17/08/03 Laura Cantrell: Not The Tremblin' Kind Fine country from melancholy lass 10/08/03 Holly Golightly: Truly She is None Other Hyped, not her best, but still... 03/08/03 Jeff Buckley: Grace That voice! Such intensity! And... such grace 27/07/03 V/A: Rough Trade Shops compilation- Post Punk Raw eighties lost gems 20/07/03 Nitin Sawnhey: Human Crossover grooves, more laid-back than Prophesy 13/07/03 Jim Moray: Sweet England New folk revivalist, seriously good 06/07/03 Asa-Chang & Junray: Jun Ray Song Chang An oddly beautiful soundscape 29/06/03 Roy Harper: Flat, Baroque and Beserk Classic folk favourite revisited 22/06/03 Kristin Hersh: The Grotto Lush inner harmonies from Muses front woman 15/06/03 Holly Golightly: Serial Girlfriend Stripes' collaborator, garage queen |
