The Endless Note

Alabama 3

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:28:26 +0100

The only highlight of the recent tedious coverage of an uninteresting T in the Park was an acoustic session with Alabama 3.

Best known for their "Woke Up This Morning" which was used as the theme tune to The Sopranos.

Woke Up This Morning

Alabama 3

Bourgeoisie Blues

Alabama 3

Alabama 3 are a British band mixing rock, dance, blues, country and gospel styles. Founded in Brixton, London, in 1989. In the United States, they are known as A3 to avoid a legal conflict with the well-established country music band Alabama.^[1] They achieved international fame when the producers of hit TV series The Sopranos chose their track "Woke Up This Morning" for the show's opening credits.^[1]

The band are particularly notable for their fusion of styles, lyrics full of ironic intent, their deliberately humorous personas and outrageous live performances. Every member of the group has an alias by which they are known, the band's founding members adopting the personas "Larry Love" (Rob Spragg) and "The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love" (Jake Black).

The band formed when Jake Black met Rob Spragg at an acid house party in Peckham and they decided that a fusion of country music with acid house was a musical possibility.^[2] Other members of the band were accumulated over a lengthy period, but it is known that Rob Spragg was at university with Piers Marsh, the harmonica player and synth programmer for the band whilst Orlando Harrison, the group's current keyboardist, used to live with Jake Black.^[2] Prior to the formation of the Alabama 3 Jake had gone through his "wilderness years" period of which there is little or no recorded output. This creative gulch lasted years following the demise of The Jangletties.

Starting their act under the alias "The First Presleyterian Church Of Elvis The Divine (UK)" they eventually switched names to Alabama 3 and, after having been dismissed by the mainstream media as a novelty act, the group finally signed to One Little Indian records in 1997 for the release of their debut album Exile on Coldharbour Lane.^[3]

In August 2007, they toured under the name of "Alabama 3: Acoustic and Unplugged" with Devlin Love to promote their new album, M.O.R. (released September 10, 2007. Bassist John "Segs" Jennings has apparently left the band, saying he is "busy elsewhere and [he doesn't] have the time." ^[4] The latest album M.O.R includes a cover of Jerry Reed's 1970s hit "Amos Moses" and features The Proclaimers on the track "Sweet Joy" plus piano parts on the country stomp version of the Gil Scott Heron song The Clan by Brian Jackson. In September and October 2007, the band toured the UK in support of M.O.R. with Irish band Republic Of Loose supporting.

On Friday 29th February 2008 members of the band encored with Carbon/Silicon at the seventh and final Carbon Casino gig at The Inn On The Green, under the Westway. Mick Jones joined them onstage to add guitar and backing vocals to a version of "Woke Up This Morning".

Sister Rosetta

Alabama 3

For more info visit www.alabama3.co.uk

Alabama 3 Feat Kate Nash T In The Park 08

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

New Music - The Pretenders

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:47:38 +0100

It's been a hectic week so apologies for the lack of posts, I have however started preparation on a couple of themed posts for next week.

In the meantime I bring you the return of The Pretenders, now they have always been somewhat retrospective in their musical output with their debut album for me remaining their best.

This song from their forthcoming album is less polished than most of their output rpossibly reflecting their recent return to the live stage as it certainly has an edge to it, as to whether it is good well each to their own.

Boots Of Chinese Plastic

The Pretenders

The Pretenders - Kid

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

The Return Of Rachel Fuller

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:36:30 +0100

Rachel Fuller

Regular visitors to this Blog will be well aware that one of my all time favourite songs is Rachel's "Shine" well I am pleased to report that she is nearing the completion of her musical "ASH" and has now decided to undertake a writing and recording project entitled "A Week In Kew" she has invested in a small studio and intends to spend a week there writing and recording a song a day there to create an album based on the shops in the area.

The end product will be posted on the website below and will be available as a free download.

www.weekinkew.com

Rachel Forum '08

Just Breathe (Music Video) by Rachel Fuller

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

New Music - Beck

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:48:30 +0100

Beck

I have to say that Beck in the main has musically passed me by, the maverick has had a varied output though most of which has been well received by the music critics, for me you would have to have a very wide musical taste to have appreciated everything he has done.

His latest album has however caught my attention firstly by including the great Cat Power on the track "Orphans" though you need to listen carefully to hear her.

The new album "Modern Guilt" is produced/directed by Danger Mouse one half of the popular Gnarls Barkley.

Orphans

Beck

Soul Of A Man

Beck

Beck - Modern Guilt Promo

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Blast From The Past - Professor Longhair & Dusty Springfield

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:05:23 +0100

Two for the price of one today.

First up is Professor Longhair, my recent post on Dr John transported me back to the time when "Gumbo Blues" was rarely of the turntable this is a fine eample of the sub-genre.

Hey Now Baby

Professor Longhair

There has been much talk and hype about a whole series of new white soul divas from the pained Amy Winehouse, through Duffy and Adele to the polished sound of the new Sharleen Spiteri album, none in my view come close to Dusty Springfield so here is a track from what Carlsberg would call "Probably the Best White Soul Album in the World"

What Do You Do When Love Dies

Dusty Springfield

Dusty Springfield - Son of a preacher man

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Cover Story - Neil Young

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:18:11 +0100

Cut of the day: Monday July 14, 2008.

Still reeling from the majesty that was Neil Young headlining the Hop Farm Festival last week, a youTube clip taken from Spanish TV of the guitar genius performing the same cover of The Beatles "Day In The Life" that he closed the Kent show with, has surfaced online.

You can watch the wondrous seven minute video below.

A Day In The Life - Neil Young at Hop Farm 2008

Meanwhile, let us know what you thought of the Day at Hop Farm, by joining the commentators on our review by clicking here.

www.uncut.co.uk

Uncut August 2008

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

New Music - The Cure

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:14:30 +0100

How about this for a cure for those Monday morning blues, the title track from the new forthcoming Cure album, their first new studio release in four years.

Sleep When I'm Dead

The Cure

One of my all time favourite songs is the great "In Between Days"

The Cure - In Between Days

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

XXL

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 22:05:07 +0100

A friend's daughter is getting married in ten weeks so time for a crash diet, these songs will be my inspiration!

Surfin USM

Carter U.S.M

Chris Difford - Fat As A Fiddle

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

New Music - The Hold Steady

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:59:47 +0100

The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady are unique in today's musical stratosphere, they plough a somewhat traditional rock furrow yet can claim mass critical acclaim.

They aren't short in inspiration with their latest forthcoming album "Stay Positive" being their fourth in as many years.

Whilst not being keen to pigeon hole any act if you like your rock with a bit of attitude and drive along the lines of Springsteen or Joe Strummer with a hint of Eddie Vedder on vocals then this is a group for you.

Lord, I'm Discouraged

The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady is a Brooklyn-based rock band. Foupr of its five members have lived in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area, and their Twin Cities roots are frequently reflected in the band's lyrics. The band's style has been described as a "riff-heavy mixture of classic rock," notable for its "lyrically dense storytelling."^[1]

The band has released four albums: Almost Killed Me (2004), Separation Sunday (2005), Boys and Girls in America (2006), and Stay Positive (2008). Stay Positive will be released on July 14, 2008 on Rough Trade Records and on July 15, 2008 on Vagrant Records.

Lead guitarist Tad Kubler and frontman Craig Finn (both formerly of the band Lifter Puller) first had the idea to form The Hold Steady when sitting at home watching The Last Waltz. Finn asked Kubler, "Dude, why aren't there any bands like this anymore? Let's do this from now on."^[2]

The band's 2004 debut album Almost Killed Me, released on Frenchkiss Records, was a sleeper hit among music critics, reaching #31 in the Pazz & Jop critics poll that year, an achievement which Finn described as "like being nominated for an Oscar or something."^[3] In May 2005, they were the first rock band to grace the front page of The Village Voice in 15 years. The band was Blender's 2006 Band of the Year.

The band in 2005.

The band released its second album, Separation Sunday, on May 3, 2005. The album was a loose concept album following the exploits of a character named "Holly" (short for "Hallelujah") and her quest to find a balance between Catholicism and rock and roll through drugs and a metaphorical resurrection. The album was critically lauded, and its religious overtones were picked up by many critics, such as the Village Voice, who dubbed it "the most egregiously American Catholic album since X's Under the Big Black Sun, Springsteen's Tunnel of Love, or that Jewish new waver Billy Joel's The Stranger."^[3]

After Separation Sunday, for its third album the band moved from the Frenchkiss Records imprint to Vagrant Records. Released October 3, 2006, Boys and Girls in America was ranked #8 on the Rolling Stone Best Albums of 2006 list, and first by The A.V. Club. Pitchfork Media's Scott Plagenhoff wrote of the album, "[Craig Finn] not only has a commanding, rousing voice but he also says something worth hearing, displaying gifts for both scope and depth that are all too rare in contemporary rock — indie or mainstream."^[4]

The band recorded a modified version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" to be played during the seventh-inning stretch at Minnesota Twins home games during the 2007 season.^[5]

The band's album Stay Positive will be released on July 14, 2008. The album was recorded in Hoboken, New Jersey, and Wild Arctic studio in Queens, New York, with producer John Agnello. Guests on the sessions included Ben Nichols from Lucero and Doug Gillard, who spent some time playing guitar in Guided By Voices. Finn has said that he believes the album "captures a band hitting their creative peak, as well as enjoying each other's creativity and company."^[6] According to Rolling Stone the band's latest album is more expansive than previous releases, including talk-box solos, harpsichord and tuneful vocals (the notoriously gruff-voiced Finn started taking voice lessons). "There are some bands that do five records that all sound similar," says guitarist Tad Kubler. "We've tried to avoid that."^[7]

Chips Ahoy!

Amazon.co.uk
The Hold Steady's ascent and eventual breakthrough with 2006's Boys & Girls in America was never pre-ordained. If anything they did it without the tastemakers' consent. Their shtick is old-fashioned through and through, beginning with Thin Lizzy and ending with Bruce Springsteen, performed by men advanced enough to have experienced those touchstones first or second hand. And look at them--not exactly The Strokes, are they? But it was precisely their enthusiastic unoriginality, the fact that the clichés were piled on so thick and so fast, that they triumphed. And placed next to that unapologetically feel good record, that Stay Positive sounds so immediately brighter and more muscular is undoubtedly a great sign. Production is really cranked up--see the horns wedged into "Sequestered in Memphis", the REM mandolin texturing of "Both Crosses" and the surprising harpsichord flagrancy of "One for the Cutters". They're clearly determined to not be so easily pegged this time around, though admittedly they never exactly go that far off-piste. "Our songs are sing-along songs," announced Craig Finn semi-helpfully, and though the spirit is right, with such a conversational lyrical style that is rarely the case. It's more about the rock gestures and knowing when to punch the air. And there are instances aplenty, from the Pete Townsend-esque windmill power-chords in "Constructive Summer", to the overblown solo in "Lord I'm Discouraged" that is so "November Rain" it's practically going through Stephanie Seymour's trash (those not watching MTV in the mid-90s, hit Youtube). --James Berry

Sequestered In Memphis

The Hold Steady

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

New Music - Sharleen Spiteri

nobody@vox.com(Helpless Dancer) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:37:18 +0100

Sharleen Spiteri

Today's posting compared to yesterday's is a bit like the sublime to the ridiculous in that Dr John is steeped in musical heritage whilst Sharleen is a wee lassie fae Balloch and Texas who has gone solo and bared her soul via the songs in her album "Melody".

Now don't get me wrong I haven't heard the whole album but what I have heard reflects her attempt at paying tribute to the female divas of the 60's and 70's who have influenced her.

The concept of much of the album is to exorcise the demons from the break up of her long term relationship with her child's father, whilst the album is no Marvin Gaye "Here My Dear" it has to be fair hidden beneath the layers of coffee table soul/pop some cutting lyrics and melodies, the album also features ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler who waved his magic wand to bring commercial success to Duffy.

Duffy had the benefit of carrying little baggage into her debut album whilst Sharleen has the burdon of the "Texas" legacy via fans or non-fans of that band.......bit of a no win situation.

Overall a bit too manufactured and polished for me but a brave effort nevertheless.

That Was A Lie

Sharleen Spiteri

All The Times I Cried

say what you want

Finally Texas's 1989 debut featuring the Ry Cooder-obsessed guitarist Ally McErlaine

I Don't Want A Lover

Texas

Read and post comments | Send to a friend