From: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org (seven-seas-digest) To: seven-seas-digest@smoe.org Subject: seven-seas-digest V3 #536 Reply-To: seven-seas@smoe.org Sender: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Precedence: bulk seven-seas-digest Thursday, December 30 2004 Volume 03 : Number 536 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 21:00:07 +0000 From: Barry Subject: Re: seven-seas Albums of the year? This is a very belated response to your post, Matt, but anyway, here goes (and echoing Matt's cry, more opinions please...) I've said it before, but Wilco's "A Ghost Is Born" is the easily the best album I've had the pleasure of hearing over the last year. There's some great songwriters Stateside but, for my money, no-one beats Jeff Tweedy at the minute. As with all Wilco releases, this is a departure from what's gone before but the songs (and what songs) are sublime. Nick Cave's opus is his best work since "The Boatman's Call". A double album with little filler and full of great stories, sumptuous ballads and barnstorming pop songs. My other half loved it when performed live and that's just about the biggest critical thumbs-up the Cavester's ever likely to get given that he's regarded as that "miserable skinny twat" in our house. And, for me, Interpol's "Antics" worked in a very similar way to their debut in so much as there is nothing spectacular on the first couple of plays _but_ there are 2 or 3 tracks that call you back to it and during those re-visits, the rest of the album gets a hold of you. Any 'Flock Of Seagull' references should be ignored. Is it just Manchester, or are they reverred in live setting over here ??? Anyway, aside from those 3 there's been : The Shins "Chutes Too Narrow" ; indie pop perfection...a great album. The baroque tinges are Bunnymen-esque (....so, I've read) but really check this out... Mr Airplane Man "C'Mon DJ" ; first impressions : "Hope Sandoval introduces the Mary Chain to The White Stripes". And does it get better than that ? It's more "Rock'N'Roll" than "Blues" should you need to know... Scissor Sisters "Scissor Sisters" ; only bettered by the live experience. Seriously. No, s e r i o u s l y. PJ Harvey "Uh Huh Her" ; this was a great step away from the sound captured on "Stories From..." to something returning to the feisty sound of yore. Unfortunately, it seems the music press wanted "Stories Mark II" Franz Ferdinand "Franz Ferdinand" ; we all know the reference points (is that really Gang Of Four I see reforming ?) but it's a good debut and some really good songs. Probably one of the best pop acts of the year (those singles sounded great on radio and dug deep in the conscious) which has been lost in the art-school-posturing. Delays "Faded Seaside Glamour" ; nothing new or outstanding but oh-so irritatingly catchy... and I think the following are worth of a listen : Morrissey "You Are The Quarry", Tom Waits "Real Gone", McLusky "The Difference Between Me And You Is That I'm Not On Fire", The Streets "A Grand Don't Come For Free", Mansun "Kleptomania", Lambchop "C'Mon / No You C'Mon", Kasabian "Kasabian" (despite the album tailing off really badly) And Happy New Year to all.... - -- Barry Matt wrote: >[SNIP] Far and away album of the year, for me, has to be Easyworld's Kill >The Last Romantic, not just because it is such a damn good album, >but also because it now serves as an epitaph for their career. > >The Cure's eponymous comeback (if they ever went away) is another >good one, as is The Stranglers' Norfolk Coast, despite a lack of >Hugh Cornwell (Paul Roberts has a pretty good stab at sounding like >him in places). > >Interpol's Antics has to be mentioned. I wasn't HUGELY taken with >their debut album, unlike many here, but Antics is a much better >effort, and I really should have gotten off my arse and sorted out a >ticket for this month's gig at Bristol Academy. Oh well...too late >now. > >I'll also mention 3 Colours Red's return, The Union Of Souls. Not as >good as it could've been, but it was backed up by an absolutely >blinding perormance at The Fleece in Bristol (shame about my fucking >car afterwards, though). > >Other notables are Graham Coxon's Happiness In Magazines, >Morrissey's You Are The Quarry and (dare I mention it) U2's How To >Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (yes, it's actually not bad!). > >[/SNIP] ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://bunnymen.nexuswebs.net/ * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 22:49:40 -0000 From: "Shaz" Subject: Re: seven-seas Albums of the year? I bet you were just waiting for the very end of the year!! Just in case something really mind blowing came blasting in from out of space at the eleventh hour..... well there's always tomorrow........ From: "Barry" > Mr Airplane Man "C'Mon DJ" ; first impressions : "Hope Sandoval > introduces the Mary Chain to The White Stripes". I'll have to give that a listen after that description!!!!! > > Scissor Sisters "Scissor Sisters" ; only bettered by the live > experience. Seriously. No, s e r i o u s l y. I like them but not enough to buy....but I would go and see them if they played locally coz I think it would be a good time and great atmosphere...and they are a tight band... > > PJ Harvey "Uh Huh Her" ; this was a great step away from the sound > captured on "Stories From..." to something returning to the feisty sound > of yore. Unfortunately, it seems the music press wanted "Stories Mark II" I hear she's giving up.........what's that all about??????? shame..... good ones for me are Kasabian (like it all actually).... Kings of Convenience...Riot On An Empty Street Razorlight Graham Coxon just downloaded Rufus Wainwright - Want One and half of it is great (the quiet ones) but I don't like the louder ones or the ones with the brass on first cuppla listens.... LOVE the one called Vibrate (the reason I downloaded it)....... didn't buy much this year.....don't seem to hear so much new stuff these days. Must make 'listen to more new music' my new year's resolution...... Shaz ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://bunnymen.nexuswebs.net/ * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ End of seven-seas-digest V3 #536 ********************************