Albums of the week (released 2nd June 2003) - Tiscali Music News

2003-06-02

For this week's albums, read on, but for this week's singles, please click here

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Stereophonics - You Gotta Go There To Come Back (artwork pictured above)

'You Gotta Go There To Come Back' was recorded in the UK in the summer and autumn 2002 and mixed in Los Angeles in January 2003. It was produced for the first time by Kelly Jones and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig and the band.

The thirteen songs were conceived on the road during 2001 and early 2002 and then embellished in a tiny demo studio by Kelly Jones.

Says Kelly: "I told John, our manager, that I wanted to start going into a studio in the way people like John Fogerty from Creedence Clearwater Revival apparently used to nine to five and come out at the end of each day with a finished song".

They then honed these songs during eight days of rehearsals in Stuart's garage.

It's fair to say this is a return to form for the phonics - and a homecoming to their rockier, harder-edged roots.

Trademark loud guitars and smoky voiced vocals from Jones remind the listener what was so appealing about this band before the recent trip into Rod Stewart covers territory.

Jones himself sums up the mood:

"I can't get over how f**kin' noisy it was. Ridiculous. But we came back together like when we were 18". 'YGGTTCB' is another building block of the grand plan. I always wanted to be in the biggest band in the world", says Kelly.

But he's adamant that, for Stereophonics, this time therhetoric comes second to the album: "The main thing was to make an album that comes from the heart. I've never felt so confident about a piece of work before".

In short, what we have here is the least affected, most honest set of songs wince 'Performance and Cocktails'.

Includes the single 'Madame Helga'.

Check out the first track released from this album, 'Madame Helga'

Buy this album here

Skin - Fleshwounds (pictured on reviews page)

For the last five years of the '90s one band dominated the British rock scene, bringing their creed of righteous anger and incendiary performance to an ever-increasing public.

That band, Skunk Anansie, sold over four million albums worldwide, had eight UK Top 40 hits and enjoyed overseas success throughout Europe, South Africa, Australia and Israel.

And throughout it all, they were led by one of the most charismatic female vocalists of her generation: Skin.

Controversial and political, Skin became a star and an icon for women.

Yet while Skunk Anansie triumphed in the rock stakes, headlining Glastonbury (1999) and winning awards across the globe, Skin's musical influences were leading her in a new direction.

Now, with her debut solo album release, this evolution is clear.

An intense and moving album, 'Fleshwounds' is lyrically introspective and the result of difficult personal times for Skin.

It features 11 songs that range from the simple piano figures of 'You've Made YourBed' through the quiet reflections of 'Don't Let Me Down' and the radio-friendly first single, 'Trashed'.

With the electronic influences of 'Faithfulness' and the harder-edged, guitar stomp of 'Listen To Yourself', Skin explains:

"What I wanted to do was to get back to my own voice. I just wanted to sing. So I went away for a year and a half and wrote songs full of strange lyrics and melodies that lull you in. I wanted a blue mood, a blue atmosphere; experimental but at the same time lush. And that's how 'Fleshwounds' came about".

Buy this album here

Download Skunk Anansie material in the Tiscali Music Club

Dave Gahan - Paper Monsters

After 22 illustrious years with Depeche Mode, 'Paper Monsters' marks Dave Gahan's debut as a fully fledged songwriter. Written with his multi-instrumentalist friend Knox Chandler, and produced by Ken Thomas (Sigur R³s), 'Paper Monsters' marries the freshness of a freshman effort with the seasoned wisdom of an old soul.

It was recorded, mostly in New York, in an open-ended, back-to-basics manner which Dave found both liberating and exhilarating.

"What really hit me most was how happy and fulfilled it made me feel", Dave says with a smile.

"I wanted to hear something that makes me feel good. That's been the train of thought throughout this record and Ken's been really great with that".

Highlights are many and include the rock-star bravado of the first single 'Dirty Sticky Floors', the quiet awe of 'Stay' and the wonderful equilibrium of 'A Little Piece'. A good, if not great solo debut.

Download Depech Mode material

Buy this album here

Audio Bully's - Ego War

If Mike Skinner had a couple of snottier younger brothers who had access to a bag full of pro-tools and a rave back catalogue longer than the M25 then they would be in serious competition with the Audio Bullys.

Whether you call it hooligan house or Basement Jaxx on ketamine, amyl nitrate and malt vinegar, the sound that the Audio Bully's come up with is quintessentially British.

Stomping and shouting, humping and pumping, their 'Ego War' album is a collision of dance culture and terrace tub-thumping that just could take both clubs and cul-de-sacs alike by storm. Awesome.

How we tipped them for the top

More Audio Bullies

Buy this album here

Gillian Welch - Soul Jounrney

'Soul Journey', produced by her long-time partner David Rawlings, is the eagerly awaited new album from the unmistakable talent of Gillian Welch. Gillian's understated manner dances rings around her rosey new album, she has an uncanny ability to present new ballads that float with a timeless quality that could have been born in the Appalachians two centuries ago. There's no real catergory, no pigeon hole for great music such as on 'Soul Journey'.

This is Gillian Welch in full bloom...file under "magnificent". Interested? Buy it below.

Buy this album here

Music features

British Sea Power - The Decline Of British Sea Power

'The Decline Of British Sea Power' is the long awaited debut album (after 3 precursory singles on Rough Trade) for one of the most innovative, visionary bands of our time. Pigeonholers may be quick to note the passing resemblance to the more adrenalised elements of late 70's/early 80's new wave, from Joy Division to Magazine but there's also a sublime undercurrent of romantic nostalgia for wind-up wirelesses and discontinued bombers here too.

Includes the previous singles 'Remember Me' and 'The Lonely' plus forthcoming singles 'Carrion' and 'Fear Of Drowning'.

One of the bastions of modern British rock - and a fine album.

Buy this album here

Music news

Eels - Shootenay

Eels return with their new studio album, the brilliant 'Shootenanny'.

The fifth album from the ever changing project that is Eels, 'Shootenanny' sees E (aka Mark Oliver Everett) team up with long time friend and drummer Butch, the enigma that is Kool G Murder on bass and Lisa Germano on violin and Joe Gore on guitar and keyboards.

An intense, dark, lyrical, honest and profoundly beautiful record, standouts include the unbearably ominous 'Love Of The Loveless' (E: "Anybody can lovethe already loved. That's easy. But loving the loveless that's an accomplishment"), the woozy, blues-driven 'All In A Days Work', and the sardonic 'Rock Hard Times', a track inspired by E's experiences 'around the music and movie businesses'. Written and produced in partnership with John Parish, 'Shootenanny' was recorded at Ocean Way Recording and OneHitsville, U.S.A., Los Angeles, CA and recorded in one '10-day stretch', November 2002.

"It's an Eels record for the whole family", explains E. "I realized that it was only a matter of time before we needed some MTV, hip, catch-phrase for shooting spree and I thought, I should be the one [to coin it] and somehow, it fits the music". Typical fantastic Eels.

Download the Eels in the Tiscali Music Club

Buy this album here

Junkie XL - Broadcast From The Computer Hell Cabin

Still basking in the glory of their remix of Elvis' 'A Little Less Conversation' from a year or so ago, at least Junkie XL didn't release a cash-in album with indecent haste. 'Radio JXL' is by no means a hurried work, rather it is a carefully-layered progression ideas the most simple of which has the set working as a radio station through which JXL broadcast their broad spectrum of styles.

The album is home to a wealth of guests, perhaps the most distinguished being Solomon Burkewho contributes vocals to the sets lead single, 'Catch Up To My Step. Others featured include Saffron (ex- Republica), Public Enemy's Chuck D, Terry hall (ex-Specials) and even the late, great Peter Tosh.

By and large, the emphasis is on big beats, hit hard but, as any JXL fan knows, that's where all the best stories start...

Buy this album here

Outlandish - Bread & Barrels Of Water

Formed in Denmark, Outlandish are much more than just a hip hop act. Comprising of three members, Isam from Morocco, Waqas from Pakistan and Lenny from Honduras, Outlandish are a fusion of three cultures that brings a new dynamic sound with lyrics in English, Spanish, Urdu and Arabic. At a time when the UK urban sound is infused with a wealth of dynamic influences and with a Desi scene that's growing in strength on almost a daily basis, there can be no better time for Outlandish to launch their mutli-influenced, multi-cultural sound bazaar on a world whose urban listening tastes are becoming more and more sophisticated.

Buy this album here

Sonique - Born To Be Free

Sonique embraced celebrity status almost overnight with her debut album in 2000, 'Hear My Cry'. Notching up platinum sales, the album contained the #1 hit 'It Feels So Good', and the #2 hit 'Sky'.

'It Feels So Good' became the third best selling single of 2000 gaining 4 x platinum status.

Sonique herself became a household name, and was rewarded for her musical talent with a Brit Award for Best Female, Ivor Novello Award for International Hit Of The Year and Best Singer in Maxim's Women Of The Year Awards in 2001.

Something of a perfectionist, Sonique has spent the past two years maintaining a fast-paced global deejay schedule entertaining crowds in Romania, Egypt, Israel, Russia and South Africa whilst also creating a second album of the highest calibre.

Keen to maintain a degree of consistency to her music, whilst simultaneously delivering a fresh sound, Sonique enlisted the expertise of producers Graham Pleeth (Peter Gabriel and Appleton), and Robin Barter (Kylie Minogue and Freddie Mercury), who also worked on 'Hear My Cry'.

Each song on the album contains powerful and emotive lyrics inspired by Sonique's own life experiences, showcasing her trademark sounds, whilst demonstrating an unmistakable development in her music.

'Hold Me Now' is Sonique's own reaction to September 11th - having endured personal loss herself three years ago, Sonique can relate to those who were bereaved as a result of the attack and wanted to use her music asa voice.

Fast paced, hi-octane 'Will You Want Me' samples the classic club tune 'Amphetamine' and has already been highlighted as a firm favourite by all dancefloor fiends who pack the floors during Sonique's sets.

Buy this album here

DJ Yoda - Unthugged

The perfect hip-hop party mixtape should be a gumbo of the kind of stuff you can get anywhere else and the kind of stuff you'd put on a tape to make your mates laugh.

Yoda has already set the pace with his 'How To Cut and Paste' volume one and two.

Now he's teamed up with Dan Greenpeace to take the yuks and the breaks to the next level.

Anyone who's already dug things like DJ Format's 'Music For the Marure B-Boy' set is undoubtedly here already but, for anyone's who's missed out thus far, alone DJ Yoda is very clever and very funny.

Now, him and Greenpeace have become hilarious. 'Unthugged' is a mish-mash mess-up collection of skits, scratches and absurd samples - along with a healthy dose of underground hip-hop - that takes the concept of a UK hip-hop mixtape and run with it.

Right off the map.

From the 'Yoda Meets the Mr Men' section, through Ugly Duckling's rib-tickling 'Meat Shake' to the 'Emmerdale Gangsta', this is an album that has to be heard to be belived.

Buy this album here

Also releases this week:
Bruce Cockburn - You've Never Seen Everything

Internationally renowned singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn's new album is another notch in the tree of trademark idiosyncratic finger-picked guitar records from the maestro of that genre.

Poetic lyrical sensibilties and spiralling rhythmns (that seem to suggest and ear for Indian, Asian and African music filter through this record, featuring guest appearances from the likes of Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Sarah Harmer and Sam Phillips.

Check out Bruce Cockburn on the Cooking Vinyl Website