CarterSaidWhat Chews the Fat with The Maccabees

I've never really been religious. I've got nothing against people who are. However, I've just not been brought up that way. As a result of this I've never given the Bible much time. I'm sure it's a great read; but for me it's got far too many words and a lot like golf, it's far too time consuming. Yet, there are other people, like me, who aren't religious but still use the Bible for one thing or another.

A classic example of this is my mate Dave. You see, Dave uses the Bible as a wedge to keep his kitchen table straight. He's tried everything to stop it slanting, but he proclaims that nothing keeps a six foot plank on the straight narrow like the Bible. And Dave's not the only one. Another group of individuals who aren't religious but put the Bible to good use are, The Maccabees.

The band initially came up with their name by flicking through the Bible and picking out a random word. Four years and two albums later, the word Maccabees is now associated with the modern day indie band, not the Jewish rebel army.

Now, although I'm sure that Jewish armies are fascinating, I'm not really interested. However, what I am interested in is the indie rock & roll outfit from south London. So, I got straight onto Felix from The Maccabees; and although we didn't speak about Adam, Eve or Bethlehem. We did speak about writing music, sticking it together onto an album, touring the finished article, and just about everything else in between.

CSW: "It's safe to say that things have been going pretty well for you recently. Your new album Wall of Arms has finally been released to the general public. And you've been touring here, there and everywhere as a result. Things are certainly different to when you first released X-Ray back in 2005. How are you finding it all?"

TM "Things have always very slowly gone upwards for us as a band. I hope it continues that way, because we are still learning and getting better. I think you feel like you have earned it more that way too".

CSW: "You may think that things have moved slowly. However, I always think it's nice when a band gives the listener the opportunity to digest an album properly before trying to ram another one down their throat. With this in mind, the release of Wall of Arms was a timely one. The music buying public were craving a new Maccabees record again - and you delivered it. Was there any element of planning surrounding this, or was this just how things organically worked?"

TM: "To be honest, we had hoped to put an album out quicker. But we were just aware of how good we wanted it to be and weren’t prepared to put it out till we knew it was the best it could be. I think it felt like the right timing in hindsight though.

The Maccabees latest album, Wall of Arms, was released back in May of this year; exactly two years after their debut, Colour It In. The latter, as a complete album, is a lot lighter than its successor. Wall of Arms feels like the big brother of the two. The band is naturally evolving together; and their latest long player showcases exactly where they currently are as musicians.

CSW: "Although your first two albums are very different, there are some similarities. They both showcase complete albums of solid music from start to finish. It's a rarity to find an album that contains no filler tracks, but both of yours clearly demonstrate this. From a listeners point of view, each track has truly earned it's place on the record. How does the process work internally? Do you start with 30 songs and then try to whittle it down, or do you really try and fine tune the ones you already have?"

TM: "Thank you! The writing process is a very meticulous one. We’ve never been able to write a lot of songs quickly. The songs take quite a long time to reach there final form and, for example, we only had about 15 finished songs in contention for Wall of Arms".

CSW: "When you sit down to write, do you all share the same musical vision? Or is it a case of tracks like Bag of Bones and Toothpaste Kisses come from one side of the camp, and Lego and No Kind Words come from the other?"

TM: "We definitely have different opinions on what we want out of a song, but that’s one of the reasons it works – because when everyone is happy with it, you know it was worth it. Most of it happens accidently, when certain things each of us has just fits together. Bag of Bones was meant to be instrumental interludes in the album but we ended up making it work as the album closer, and Toothpate Kisses was written and recorded in a couple of days right at the end of Colour It In’s recording".

The Maccabees music if full of emotion. Both Colour It In and Wall of Arms are albums that should be listened to as complete pieces of music. Each track flows into the next creating a roller coaster of feelings for the listener.

CSW: "Your sound as a whole is very unique. You seem to have cut your own niche into the scene. I've heard your sound described as many things. Don't panic; they're all complimentary! But, how would you describe your own music?

TM: "We get asked it all the time, but still don’t have an answer for it. We try to make music that is exciting and has elements of beauty to it though".

CSW: "When growing up; were there any particular bands or musicians that you were really into that have taken influence from now to help sculpt The Maccabees sound that we know today?"

TM "One of the great things about music is that you never stop finding new things. So being really into listening to music constantly helps. When we had started The Last Waltz film of the Band by Scorcese, footage of XTC and Dr. Feelgood on Old Grey Whistle Test and The Clash were big influences".

CSW: "In terms of the world of indie music, you're in a position now where you pretty much rule the roost. You manage to keep to keep the real music heads interested on a consistent basis; which we all know isn't easy. However, looking further afield than the indie rock & roll scene, does reaching out and trying to open yourself to the mass commercial market interest you?"

TM: "I think the only way to look at it is that we’re proud that people have stuck by us. But there is still a point to prove to some people and turning some more heads will prove we’re going the right way in time".

Just like any other band releasing a new album, The Maccabees have been touring relentlessly off the back of their latest long player. 2009 has seen the five piece play every major city in the UK, whilst the latter part of '09 sees them tour Europe. And not forgetting their little trip to Malawi to play The Lake of Stars festival in between.

CSW: "You've been back in the road now for a while now touring with the new album. But what do you prefer; the live shows, or writing the music in the first place?"

TM: "It’s been great touring this time, because we were looking forward to playing the new songs, and seeing people take to them was great. But the way bands set their legacy is through their records so we hope we go and make a better one!"

CSW: "Your live shows have won you many great plaudits due the way that the capture the attention of the audience, and the fact that you truly replicate the songs from the album. Your music carries fantastically well over large venues, whilst is still being able to rock a smaller affair. But what do you prefer; the large festival-esque shows or the more intimate venue where you can see the whites of everyones eyes?"

TM: "I don’t know. Every show is important when you’re there, if you know what I mean".

CSW: "I understand. But are there any venues or events that you literally count down the days to playing?"

TM: "Brixton Academy and Reading are huge ones for us".

So as the interview draws to an end, Felix calmly states; "Hopefully things just keep going the same way. I think we’re all set on making our best record yet". And if this is the case, then I can't wait for what's to come.

The Maccabees are a band that sound fresh, yet established all at the same time. Their music pushes boundaries, and they're not afraid to take risks. The future is certainly looking prosperous for this non-Bibal bashing set of London born lads. And I just hope hope you join them of the journey.

Filling the Airwaves: Volume Six

Legends are called legends for a reason. As much as you love your mate Dave for pulling the local barmaid after drinking twelve pints of Stella and three Apple Sours, he's not a legend. Nor is your mate Jonny. It doesn't matter that he can fit more Jaffa Cakes in his mouth than anyone else; he's not a legend either. Your mate Smithy; yep, you guessed it. Just because he's shagged both the Routledge twins, doesn't make him a legend.

You have to earn your place on the mantle piece of legends, it's not just given to you. To disguise yourself as a birthday card to get up there won't work. It's takes years of dedication. For me, the epitome of the word legend is John Peel. The man did more for breaking new bands and supporting established ones than anyone could ever dream of. And it's this week that the whole music industry come together to commiserate the tragic lost of one of the nations best love broadcasters.

Peel died on October 25th 2004. And to celebrate his life, Universal have release another installment of The Peel Sessions. This time around we're treated to the Mercury Rev's live performance from way back in 1999. The band went into see Mr Peel in order to promote 'Deserter's Songs'. The album was subsequently named by NME as their album of the year. This live session saw them record a ten minute version of The Funny Bird / Tonight It Shows, alongside covers of Lennon's 'I Don't Wanna Die' and 'Observatory Crest'.

The album brings together the bands complete Peel Session for the first time. For me, it recreates the same emotions that I used to get from sitting round my radio listening to Peel first time round. It sounds raw, fresh and most importantly, Peel like. The artwork contains sleeve notes from Mercury Rev's Jonathan Donahue. He talks about his relationship with Peel, and what it was like to record one of the legendary Peel Sessions.

This album is more about emotion and feeling, rather than content. However, don't get this twisted, Mercury Rev produce a strong performance. Peel's setup provides a perfect platform for their psychedelic rock sound. However, for me, this just brings back the warm memory of the late great John Peel.

Mercury Rev

John Peel Sessions

Check back tomorrow for an exclusive interview with...

Liam's Got To Lay Off The Chips

If you sit for long enough in the same house things do start to get a little boring. This may surprise you, but its fact. It’s only so long that you can class counting the amount of Jelly Beans in a jar as fun. You can only watch Judge Judy repeats on LivingTV as a vehicle to hurry the day through so many times. What about playing Fifa? Surely that won’t get tiresome? Well it does. And it’s also bad for your health. Firstly your eyes go square, then you start talking to everyone in a Scottish accent mimicking Andy Gray, and finally you have an inability to move any part of your body apart from your fingers.

So in reflection of this, it’s hardly unsurprising that little over eight weeks after they officially split, both Noel and Liam have both announced their future plans. By the look of things, they’ve both been kicked out by the women in their lives in order to make some money and stop causing a nuisance round the house.

Speaking to the nations best loved paper, the Daily Mail, Noel announced last week that he would be embarking on a solo career. Now, to some people Hull City still being in the Premiership is a shock. Or to others, the fact the Bruce Forthsyth has still got a full head of hair at the age of 81 is a shock. However, the fact that the older Gallagher is set to take on the world solo, isn’t.

Since the release of Definitely Maybe back in ’94 it’s been a case of when, not if Noel would ever release a solo record. He’s a fantastically gifted songwriter that has all the attributes to be equally as successful as he was in Oasis, on his own. He was quoted as saying that he’s looking forward to releasing his own music. And I think it’s pretty safe to say that we’re all looking forward to listening to it.

Now, just as Barry from Bradford used Noel’s interview in the Daily Mirror as chip paper, Liam has announced he’s got future music plans too. Now, everyone knows the difference between Liam and Noel in terms of song writing ability. So, with this in mind, I’m almost more intrigued to hear what Liam will produce. Noel will no doubt produce a solid performance that won't bring many surprises. However, Liam is different. He’s already gone on record saying that he’ll be recruiting a band to perform with. I think everybody expected this. You see, as good as Liam is as a front man, has he got all the necessary ingredients to take on the music world solo? Who knows? But what I do know is that he’s going to be delivering some big rock & roll badness.

This weeks Filling the Airwaves will be live tomorrow

Talking To The Stones

I've always loved talking. It's one of the only things I'm good at. And what I've learnt from the twenty five years on this planet is that talking can get you places. You see, you can talk yourself into a lot of things. I mean, when I was younger I used to talk myself into hidings with my parents all time. They would tell me not to do something and I would just keep asking why. Then, sooner rather than later I would have talked myself into being grounded or something of that ilk. I would then sneak out the house and hit the local night spot where I would talk myself into the first of the local hard nut after trying it on with his bird. Once I had got over the pain of talking one on one with a fist, I would then get up on Sunday morning to play football. Here, I would talk myself into the referees book.

Now, it’s about that time of year where all the talk turns away from parents, nightclubs and football pitches, and focusing straight on a little village in Somerset called Glastonbury. With the 2010 festival being a celebration of 40 years of the event, it seems like every man and his dog wants to get on the bill. In the space of twelve hours I've heard Jarvis Cocker stating that 2010's Glasto could be the perfect platform for a Pulp reunion gig. Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant is apparently in talks with festival chief Michael Eavis about performing next year. And finally, The Rolling Stones are meant to be dusting of their multicoloured suits, donning some tricky white loafers, and entertaining the crowds with their best Showaddywaddy impression.

However, this is only speculation. The only person that knows what is going is Michael Eavis. And, just like every other year, we have to wait bated breath for the line-up to be announced. But if you’re reading this Eavis, The Stones get my vote.

Don't Throw The Fire On Morrissey

I always find it mental that a smell can bring back some of the most obscure memories. Only last week I walked past someone wearing Lynx Africa. I haven’t smelt that for about ten years. The smell itself brought back memories of being given a weeks worth of detention for making fire dragons back at school. Now, for those of you that don’t know what a fire dragon is, I’ll explain.

You only need two tools in order to create a fire dragon. These are a can of deodorant and a lighter. Once you have both; simply light the lighter and spray the deodorant into the flame. And voila; you now have a red hot fire breathing dragon.

Now, I wouldn’t recommend experimenting with this personally; especially if you are fifteen and planning to do it outside Mrs G. Smith’s classroom. And there are several reasons for this. Reason one, she'll give you detention. Reason two is that she is rapidly approaching her century, and she flirts with people not even a quarter of her age. And reason three is, well there is no real reason three. However, I think the first two are good enough.

Yet, taking all the above out of the equation, Mrs G. Smith did teach me one valuable lesson. And before you conjure any revolting images of a woman old enough to have great grandkids and me getting a little bit frisky over Pythagoras theorem, stop right there. This is something far greater than any sexual advance. Mrs G. Smith introduced me to The Smiths.

Now, I’m still a firm believer that the only reason she used to listen to The Smiths is because of her surname. But that’s beside the point. You see, seeing that detention was afterschool, Mrs G. Smith used to listen to her radio whilst she marked maths papers, and I cleaned tables.

As I was trying to scrub graffiti, she used to listen to Meat is Murder on repeat. Before long, I knew every word to every song. I’ve been a massive Smiths fan ever since. So when I got the news that Morrissey hit the deck at one of his solo shows quicker than a kite that’s just flown through an electricity pylon, I wasn’t best pleased.

This all happened during the opening song of Morrissey's Swindon show. Witnesses say he was “straining" to during his performance of Smiths classic Charming Man. When the song came to the end he reportedly sunk to his knees and slumped over the stage.

Obviously, this is not good news. However, he has apparently been discharged from hospital – which is good news. So in tribute to Morrissey, below is one of my favourite snaps of the man sporting a huge quiff, with his home town in the background.

CarterSaidWhat Chews the Fat with Twisted Wheel

Picture the scene; you come round mine for a cuppa tea and a slice of banoffee pie and I say to you, “Let’s form a band. Within two years we’ll be able to count Oasis, Kasabian, Paul Weller and Ian Brown as fans and friends. We’ll be signed to a major label, and we’ll have our own headline tour and album out. What d’ya reckon?” In response you would quite rightly say, “Get your head out the clouds you lunatic. We both know that’s impossible. Now pass me the sugar and get back to your Sudoku”.

Now, I understand this may sound a little far fetched, but it is possible. How do I know it is? Because Twisted Wheel have achieved it. The Oldham three-piece have gone from begging and pleading to play gigs wherever anyone would have them, to being invited by Oasis to perform with them on their recent stadium tour. And the most impressive thing is that they've done all this in the same amount of time it takes a banana skin to degrade.

With all this sounding like one of those amazing dreams that could never turn into reality; I thought I would find out first hand exactly what sort of band it takes to achieve everything, in no time. I was lucky enough to get an exclusive opportunity to speak with Jonny, Adam and Rick about everything they’ve accomplished up to now, and how they see Twisted Wheel panning out in the future.

CSW: “You’ve come a long way since you formed back in 2007. Could you ever have dreamed things would turn out the way they have?” 


TW: “We've achieved a lot in a short space of time. Before we were in Twisted Wheel, we were all in other bands grafting really hard for 4 years, but we all believed we could do it”.

CSW: “Many bands say they started out as just a few mates having a laugh in someone’s garage. Was this the case for Twisted Wheel? Or was there always the thought from the beginning that you wanted to make a go of making music a profession?”

TW: “We had always said that one day the three of us would start a band. When he was younger, Jonny used to follow Adam home from school asking him if he could be in a band with him because he knew he was a top drummer. Then one day we just got together and started playing some tunes that Jonny had been playing live, straight away it worked really well and we had our first gig a couple of days after”.

Initially things are always difficult for a new band. However, Twisted Wheel were determined on circumnavigating the pitfalls of being another set of nearly men. The trio went about doing things the old fashioned way; handing out CDs outside other band's gigs. The CD’s came complete with a sleeve depicting a close up of a Victorian slot machine and the words: “Pay £1 for the Mega Ride”. Two years on, and I’m reliably informed that these very CD's are now reaching as much as £40 on eBay.

CSW: “Was there a defining moment when you thought – ‘Jesus, we could actually make this a living?’”

TW: “I think when we supported The Happy Mondays in Manchester at the end of 2007 it struck us mid-gig that we were really picking up pace. We worked really hard and managed to get some top support slots. When we walked on stage for that gig it sunk in what was happening, everyone was talking about us and wanted to come and see what the fuss was about”.


Just like many top bands that are about today, the buzz surrounding Twisted Wheel started off on a local level. Sheffield has the Arctic Monkeys, Leicester has Kasabian, and Oldham has Twisted Wheel. It's important to build a local fan base which forms the foundation for everything else to grow organically from. However, as crucial as this is, without having a group of individuals that work well together in the first place, the whole exercise is pointless.

CSW: “What is it about you three as musicians together that initially made you think it was all possible?”

TW: “Between the three of us we have quite a similar taste in music, although we like a broad range of genres. Sometimes we'll have Sex Pistols on full wack and other times we'll be listening to the folky Davy Graham or the dubby Lee Scratch Perry. We're all good musicians and have worked hard at what we do and so it gels together really well”.

CSW: “You’ve already achieved a lot. You’re signed to Colombia Records; you’ve played with Paul Weller, and you’re currently sweeping the nation with your own headline shows. What’s been the highlight so far?”

TW: “The tours with Oasis were fantastic, you get to play in front of massive crowds (70,000 at Heaton Park), have a top stage sound and hang around with the people who inspired you to start playing guitar in the first place. We also love our own headline shows, its great playing in a town you've never been to and there's a big crowd of people singing every word back at you, and the hometown gigs are amazing”.

CSW: “Your debut self titled album was produced by Dave Sardy. It’s pretty safe to say this man has been there and done it all in terms of music production. He’s worked some of the biggest names in music including Rage Against The Machine, Jay Z and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. How do you feel you benefited as a band working with such a seasoned pro?”

TW: “When we were discussing which producer to use, Dave came back to us with some great feedback and ideas about recording the songs. Dave liked the late 70s new wave influence we had going on and I think he really understood what we wanted to get out of the recording”.

Twisted Wheel’s debut album is a perfect example of where they are now as musicians. It produces a fresh sound that contains deeper qualities usually only achieved by more experienced bands. Jonny Brown's lyrics adopt a story teller technique which enables the listener to really engage with the music. Since forming in 2007, the band has received many plaudits from some industry heavyweights comparing them to some truly epic bands.

CSW: “Your musical style and lyrics have been compared to the likes of The Clash, The Who and The Jam. How does it feel being compared to such legendary bands?”

TW: "The Clash, The Who and The Jam are all bands we spend a lot of time listening to, we love that raw energy they have and the song writing is bang on, so obviously we like being compared to them, I think it comes out especially in our live shows".

CSW: “Talking of legendary bands; you’ve obviously taken a lot of influence from Oasis. What did it mean to you to be asked by them personally to go on tour with them?”

TW: “When we were growing up we used to listen to a lot of our dads record collections, like Led Zeppelin and even Deep Purple, so when you're a kid and you see what those rock stars look like its almost like looking at an alien. But when Oasis came along, they just looked like ordinary blokes who were taking over the world and made anything seem possible, they are the band that really got us into music and made us start playing ourselves. When we got the phone call saying Noel had seen us do a live set on Channel M - a Manchester TV station. We were buzzing! Our tunes are honest rock and roll tunes which is pretty much the same as theirs, so we thought they would like it”. 


CSW: “For me, it’s a crying shame they’re no more. However, I read a good quote from Liam the other day in The Times. It said “The thing about Oasis is, no one ... we ended Oasis. No one ended it for us. Which was pretty, kind of ... cool”. I think that’s a fair shout. What’s your opinion on the split?”

TW: “We were gutted when we heard about the split and were glad to be part of what might be their last ever tour. Oasis made such a difference to music. When they came out they blew everyone else out of the water. Even 15 years later, 70,000 people are stood at one of their gigs singing their hearts out to their tunes! It’s a shame; but on the positive side, think about how many people they have influenced and made a difference to”.


CSW: “The Oasis tour must have been a real eye-opener. You witnessed first hand the rewards you can reap if you work hard enough. But what do you prefer; playing to thousands in a field, or seeing the whites of people’s eyes in a more intimate venue?”

TW: “In reality, both big gigs and small sweaty ones have their upsides and downsides. Its an amazing feeling walking out to a sea of people you cant see the end of, but then again you get a proper buzz from a small venue with 100 people clawing their way to the front singing all the words!”

There's a certain rawness to the Oldham trio. They're a band that is blind to the chaos that surrounds the music industry. They're young, hungry and only care about playing their music to as many people as possible. That's the beauty of Twisted Wheel; they're a real band for real people.

CSW: "Finally; apart from big houses, Bentley’s and supermodel girlfriends; what does the future hold for Twisted Wheel?"


TW: “We're working on a lot of new material and getting a good idea of what the second album is going to sound like. It’s great to work on new tunes and to see how they go down live. We've also got a lot on touring wise. We're back out with Paul Weller in November/December and we'll have another UK headline tour early next year”

And so the interview comes to a close with the last word being, "We play because we love music and like being in a rock and roll band". And for me, that sums them up perfectly. Everyone in the Twisted Wheel camp is buzzing. They're an inspired band that has their eyes firmly on the prize. They have the attitude that they can take on the world. And with their impressive CV to date, would you bet otherwise?

Wolves in Elephants Clothing

There are 117,000 Australians in the UK. The Ozzy contingent that have adopted good ol'blighty have lots in common. Each and every one of them hate the British winters and compare our summers to a slightly colder version of their monsoon season. They all live in south west London and drunk Fosters for the first time when they set foot in Clapham. They also all love Wolfmother.

The Coronet in London's Elephant & Castle last night was awash with Sheila's and Bruce's, as Andrew Stockdale and co played their only London date of their European tour.

Apart from the toilets smelling like they'd just been picked up from doing a 12 year stint at Glasto, and the bar being so busy with people it looked like the post office on the Kingsland High Street on giro day, The Coronet is good live music venue.

Wolfmother however, were a bit hit and miss. They played all their big tracks like Women, Dimension and Colossal. Yet, the miss part is that I found myself getting a touch bored. Massive guitar solos, big drums and prolonged breakdowns are ok for a while. But I just felt they pushed it a little too far.

The hit part is the fact that this band are seriously tight. It's amazing to think that the members of this band have only been playing together for less than 12months. They replicate what you hear on your MP3 at home to the live stage with absolute ease. They also demostrate more energy than the Duracell Bunny after he's just been out on a date with the Red Bull fairy, which isn't a bad thing.

All said and done I'm glad I went. It was a good live show that delivered on a lot of levels. Although next time they're in town, I probably won't rush back.

Set list

Dimension

Cosmic Egg

White Unicorn

New Moon Rising

Women

White Feather

Vagabond

Minds Eye

10,000 Feet

Colossal

Encore

Back & Round

Joker & the Theif

Filling the Airwaves: Volume Five

In my opinion, anywhere past the Watford Gap is north. Everytime I venture past that service station I start to feel dizzy, I get a big homesick, and then find myself running back to London gasping to inhale some smog. However, if you are actually born t'up north, then you probably feel the same about coming down here.

That's why, in a weird way, it seems like people from their own specific regions stick together wherever possible. And the (not so) new Cribs album is no exception. I understand that this has been out for a little while now, but I've only just given it the light of day. And that in itself should be a criminal offense.

For those of you out there that can count, and congratulations if you're one of those select people that can, you would have noticed that there's an additional band member to The Cribs last album. That's because they have recruited a fellow northerner in the shape of former Smiths lead guitarist, Johnny Marr.

For those of you who don't know who Johnny Marr is; go to your kitchen, put your oven onto gas mark six, open the door and place your head inside. Then repeatedly slam the door onto your to the top part of you cranium for two minutes and forty two seconds. That is the same amount of time that it takes The Smiths classic record Charming Man to start and finish. Once you've done that, please feel free to come back and carry on reading.

Jonny Marr, just like the original members of The Cribs, is a northern boy. And like I stated previously, regions like to stick together. And after hearing this album, it's pretty obvious to see why.

Ignore The Ignorant not only welcomes Marr, but it also swings open the doors open to Nick Launay, an English native Hollywood based producer. Launay is no newcomer to the world of music production. If you look in the record sleeves for bands such as Supergrass, Arcade Fire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and INXS, you'll find his name. Launay's understanding of what makes a great album mixed with Marr's skill, experience and knowledge of rock & roll, has enabled the Cribs to produce an album that is worthy of any record collection.

As a complete album, Ignore The Ignorant touches on most aspects of indie music. It has the ability to be dark, aggressive and and a little sarcastic. In my opinion, Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever didn't really push them a great deal from The New Fellas. However, I believe that Ignore The Ignorant is the album that can take them to wherever they want to be. The long and short of it is; this album can only be a good thing.

The Cribs
Ignore The Ignorant

Be Nice To Mr Smith

"Do you not understand what I'm saying?", shouted the angry front man to the sweating sound electrician during a sound check. "It's not that difficult. In order to get sound out of an electrical instrument you need power. Now turn the f*cking thing on or I'll break ya face"

Welcome to Koko; one of Camden Town's finest live music venues. Some truly legendary bands have played this venue over the years. Oasis, The Sex Pistols and The Clash have all performed at this intimate London venue. And now we have some jumped up singer from a band that no one has ever heard of threatening to smash someone's face in if they don't flick the on switch.

To stand and witness this happening is much like watching watching your best mate deny to his girlfriend that he cheated on her, when you know that she knows that he did. All you can help but think is, "he's going to shut up in a minute". And then he just keeps digging into that hole further and further which makes it even harder and harder to get out.

The singer in question just thought he was being all rock & roll shouting at a sound technician. However, what he didn't realise was that the sound technician was off ill and replacing him was chief promoter for the night that they were playing. Subsequently, the band got kicked off the bill and have been nowhere since.

You see, in the music business it always pays to be nice on the way up, as you never know who'll you meet on the way back down. But if you're extra good you remain to be nice when you reach the summit hoping that your stay there might be longer as a result.

Take The Smith's Andy Rourke for example. He achieved so much in his time with the Manchester based four piece. He hit critical acclaim became a pioneer of dragging the UK rock & roll scene back from afar with albums such as Meat Is Murder and The Queen is Dead. However, since getting to the top, Rourke hasn't stopped being nice as he's just announced his fourth Versus Cancer line-up.

The show is due to take place at the MEN Arena in Manchester on December 12th. Get down there, enjoy it and have fun. It's all for a good cause. Just think, if only that kid from Koko wasn't such a dick, he may well be playing himself.

I Can't See Miami

It's 1984 and Apple have just released their first Macintosh computer. It runs on the latest technology which will revolutionise the way in which people will work, rest and play. It looks like the love child of a microwave and a box of Jenga, and it only takes disks that are the size of vinyl sleeves. I984 is also the year that people got their first glimpse of Rico, Larry and Stan in Miami Vice.

Everything was set to be massive for the launch of the South Beach show. All the stops had been pulled out; action figures, bed linen, curtains, toasters, underwear, cat flaps and crack pipes were all being sold with Miami Vice branding slapped all over it. And this was before the show had even started. Everywhere you looked were billboards and all people spoke about was Miami. So at 7pm on September 16th 1984, every man and his dog was crowded around their television sets with great anticipation for for the start of what everybody hoped be something amazing. Well, everyone except a good friend of mine.

You see, back then my good friend was at an age where he wasn't allowed to stay at home on his own. So on the morning of the September 16th 1984, my friend, who we'll call Leonard for the sake of this story, was dragged round an art exhibition by his mum.

Leonard wasn't happy about this in the slightest - and his mum was well aware of it. He'd been talking about nothing but Miami Vice for weeks. He had the duvet and the action figures, and now he was being dragged out against his will just hours before the start. However, his mum assured him that he would be home in time for kick off.

So off they went to the launch at some shite art exhibition at some shite art gallery that no one cared about apart from two people; Leonard's mum and a random guy in a knitted red jumper. Leonard saw this as a good thing. Due to the fact there were so little people there, surely they could get in and out quick enough to get home and have beans on Miami Vice encrusted toast before the opening credits? Well, apparently not.

It was the sort of art gallery that people moved round as if they were cars being followed by the police. They were moving incredibly slowly and there was absolutely no overtaking. So to Leonard's dismay, he couldn't believe his luck when they got stuck behind the only other person in the whole gallery. It was the guy in the knitted red jumper.

Not only was he wafting round the exhibiting at such a slow pace it made a snail look like Linford Christie circa '92, but he was listening to one of those audio narrators that give you further detailed information on each piece of art.

The look was not good and the situation was even worse. But there was nothing he could do about it. Being only eight meant Leonard couldn't drive, and being miles away meant he couldn't walk. So he just had to suck it up and take it.

The guy in the knitted red jumper got slower as his little audio friend wouldn't shut up. Seconds grew into minutes, whilst minutes grew into hours, and hours subsequently meant that little Leonard missed the first ever episode of Miami Vice. He was gutted. And it was all due to the man in the knitted red jumper and his little audio friend.

So, why am I telling you this now? I recently received an email from a now fully grown Leonard. The email quite simply said; 'This man owes me my childhood'. The email displayed a link to the new Arctic Monkeys video for their latest single, 'Cornerstone'.

The track is off their forthcoming album Humbug, and the video showcases Alex Turner wearing a knitted red jumper whilst singing into an old audio recorder. Now for Leonard this brought back memories of pain, hurt and missing the start of something great. However, this video for everyone else is purely a visual aid for watch is a truly brilliant song.

'Cornerstone' pulls on the Arctic's of old. It is beautifully constructed track that is home to some fantastically intelligent lyrics. There aren't many better songwriters about than Turner. His wordsmithery has helped to install the Arctic Monkeys as a rock & roll heavyweights. And if Cornerstone is a reflection of where Turner is at right now with his lyrics, I'm excited about the future.

CarterSaidWhat Chews the Fat with Kid Harpoon

Sometimes a musician comes along who produces something a little different from the norm. They're an artist that stands for what they believe in and aren't swayed by what is necessarily trendy or not. With this they deliver a refreshing change from the arguably humdrum musical society that we currently live in. They're not fazed by anything and are genuinely into the music, as opposed to the fame. Now, although this may sound hard to believe; if all of the above was moulded together to create a nail, Kid Harpoon has taken a huge industrial sized hammer and smacked it straight on the head.

Kid Harpoon is a number of things. He's an extremely talented songwriter, gifted musician and a great performer. He has an ability to write catchy rhythms that appeal to the mainstream whilst keeping the real music heads tapping their feet. He's a true musician in every sense of the word. And he's been doing this for longer than you may think. You see, Harpoon is hardly a new kid on the block. For sometime he's been busy playing live up and down the country carving out a loyal following; a following in which he has been teasing relentlessly with the threat of his debut album. However, enough is enough. The teasing has to stop. Now is the time to take all that potential, record it into one of those big machines that you get in studios like Abbey Road; and then click, drag and drop it onto an album. And thank sweet Jesus he has.

I was lucky enough to get an exclusive opportunity to speak with Kid Harpoon just after the release of his debut album, Once. We spoke about the past, present, future and exactly where the hell he got the name Kid Harpoon from.

CSW "Your debut album Once is now on sale to the mass market. How does it feel to let the world finally hear you music, back to back, on an album?"

Kid Harpoon: "I really made the album for myself, and to have finally finished it is great for me. I'm really proud of it, and the work I put into it. The world was already hearing my music via blogs, Limewire and gigs, but an album feels like a rites of passage for me".

Technically, Once isn't the first piece of music that Harpoon has ever released. The First and Second EP were distributed on The Young Turks independent label in 2007 / 2008 respectively. It was hear that the ears of the music world started to pick up to his unique folk sound. In the build up to the release of Once, Harpoon had penned many tracks ready for the album. However, like most things, all was not as easy as it seemed.

CSW: "If rumours are true, you scrapped the original album in order to wipe the slate clean and start again. What was the thought process behind this?

Kid Harpoon: "I had 9 songs recorded, and it just didn't feel like an album. I was really struggling to make it work, and didn't have a great deal of guidance. I'd got to a point where I'd worked out what I should have been doing all along. So sometimes, the best thing is just to scrap what you have and start again. Which is what I did".

CSW: "At second time of asking, you swapped Holloway for the sunnier climbs of LA to work with Trevor Horn. What impact did working with such a legendary producer have on both you as a musician, and your album?"

Kid Harpoon: "Trevor is an incredible person, and we both really enjoyed the experience of working together. He signed my publishing a couple of years ago, and when I went to him for advice on restarting the album, he offered to produce it for free. And I jumped at the chance. He's got such a supportive team inside and out of the studio, that it really made making the record an easy experience. I also learnt a lot from how he works WITH people, which is a really important element to being a musician".

CSW: "In comparison to the first album that you starting making, did the musical direction of the second version change?"

Kid Harpoon: "Completely, it was very raw, with lots of different instruments. Some of it was great, but a couple of the musicians weren't up to scratch. We had a lot of issues with the drums. The way we re-approached it was with a great bunch of LA musicians who've played with many people, and played almost all of it live".

CSW: "What, if any, tracks made it onto Once from the original material?"

Kid Harpoon: "A lot of the album is old material. Back From Beyond, Stealing Cars, Burnt Down House, Once and Marianna were not on the original version though".

Once has been beautifully put together. Each track flows from one to the next perfectly. It sounds complete like a proper album should. However, as I stated previously, this album malarkey is arguably new territory for Harpoon. He originally made his name and built his fan base surrounding his live shows.

CSW: "You’ve been playing live for as long as I can remember. In addition to performing your own shows, there was obviously Nambucca. And more recently you’ve toured with the likes of Larrikin Love, the Mystery Jets and The Kooks. But what really gets you going; playing your music live, or writing it in the first place?"

Kid Harpoon: "All of it really, I love live shows, but the waiting around and sound checks can be very tedious and painful. The gigs themselves I always enjoy. Writing music and achieving a finished recording is a rewarding experience, but then people hear it and have opinions and it gets taken away from you and lives in a new place. So I like both, they are both great and hard at times".

CSW: "Many artists when performing just turn up and play their music whilst hiding behind their instruments. Then they’ll just slip out the backdoor unnoticed. However, your live performances have won you many great plaudits as a result of your energetic stage presence and interaction with the crowd. Is this something that you do consciously, or is it just natural?"

Kid Harpoon: "For me music is all about communication, and I want to interact with the people who've come to see me and give them something back in return. I suppose its a natural thing as I've always just been like that, but at the same time, I don't feel the need to change it".

In terms of the his live shows, Harpoon has now opted away from playing with backing band The Powers That Be in order to perform solo. This showcases Harpoon in his best light; just him and his guitar. To see Kid Harpoon hold the attention of a room through the use of just six strings and his voice is really quite something. Witnessing this would lead you to believe that he'd been studying the greats from an early age. Well, apparently not...

CSW: "You’re obviously a naturally talented singer/songwriter. However, who did you take influence from growing up that created the Kid Harpoon that we know today?"

Kid Harpoon: "I honestly don't know. Your guess is as good as mine. My influences are vast, and I wish I could pin them down".

Harpoon talks about music with a great passion. You can tell it's his first love. The vibes in which he sends out are untainted, whilst his attitude is both confident and honest. You can really feel that this means a lot to him.

CSW: "Is the long term vision for Kid Harpoon shared between yourself and your record label XL? If so, what does the future hold for Tom Hull the musician?"

Kid Harpoon: "I can't speak for XL, but I know they believe in me. Kid Harpoon is a long term vision for me and I am already working on LP2. I'm also writing with a lot of new people, and am looking for new artists to work with in a writing/production sense. So I'm really excited about the future".

CSW: "Finally, Kid Harpoon is a fantastic moniker. Where the hell did you get it from?!"

KidHarpoon: "It’s a story that I wrote, where Kid Harpoon is sailing on the sea one night when a comet flies over his head. It says to him that things are pre-destined to appear in life and they travel in one direction and there is nothing you can do about it. KH doesn't like that so he fires his harpoon into it, and swings the comet in another direction. From then on Kid Harpoon controls his own destiny".

So that's that. It's obvious to see that Kid Harpoon has got a massive future in front of him. The release of Once has given him a platform to go on and achieve whatever he wants. And by the look of things, he's giving it a right good go.

I would just like to thank Richard Onslow at XL Recordings for making this interview possible.

Why Can't You Stand Me Now?

I've always been a comfort sitter. By that I mean I like to sit in my comfort zone where I don't really have to worry about anything. I can just do what I do when I want to do it and then not have to worry about the consequences at a later date. There are several reasons for this, and they all seem to stem back to my childhood growing up at school. In fact, they all seem to stem back to plays that I was in whilst at school.

Human physics is simple. If you're a boy, from the age of dot to about seven you think that girls smell. However, if you're a girl you think that boys are disgusting. Then between the age of seven to nine you start to find the opposite sex attractive, but daren't say anything through fear of ridicule from your peers. At the age of nine things start to come out in the open and it's deemed as socially acceptable to hold hands with the other gender.

So, what do you do to a young Nick Carter at the age of nine in a primary school play? You dress him in some weird looking bird outfit and stick him in tights. Now let me tell you, this doesn't go down well being a young lad about the school yard trying to make his mark on kiss chase. Being only nine years, when I was told I had to wear tights, I didn't know how to research my emotions in a suitable fashion. So I just cried... In tights. I was mortified. Everyone else was mortified. It was that simple.

I still stand by the fact that I never wanted to perform in the god damn play in the first place. I wasn't happy with the set up and they refused to supply my rider. By the time I reached the age of ten, I was finally over the trauma of the tights. It took a while, but I finally got there. Being ten meant I was in the last year of my primary school education. And by being in the last year of infants meant that there was absolutely no chance in hell that you can get out of performing in the leavers play; which I obviously I didn't want to be a part of.

The play was Cinderella. And I was one of the Ugly Sisters. Yet again I endured totally humiliation at being taken, against my will, out of my comfort zone. It's because of these two events that I now consider myself a comfort sitter. This is why I can't understand why other people choose to do things that is blatantly going to make them look a complete tit.

Take Carl Barât for example. Barât is a phenomenally talented musician who has achieved major success with The Libertines, and more recently the Dirty Pretty Things. This is a man who, along with Pete Doherty, wrote epic records such Up the Bracket and The Libertines. He's a multi-award winning artist who has gained plaudits from some of the industry greats. He is one of rock & roll's success stories that can really do no wrong... This is within his comfort zone, mind.

Carl Barât's comfort zone is obviously making music. It doesn't take someone with a Masters in Economics to work that out. And quite frankly, if you're as good as doing it as what he is, why do anything else? In fact he shouldn't do anything else. He should stay in his comfort zone through fear of messing everything up for the sake of narrating a film on the London Docks.

Yep, you heard that straight. Ex-Libertine Carl Barât is narrating a film about the death of the London Docks. Now, I think I speak on behalf of the majority when I say that all I want to hear Barât talk about is the man that would be king, or the fact he can't stand me now.

I don't care what his opinions of the Thames Barrier are. However, it does concern me that by telling people he's going to be out of his comfort zone. And by being out of his comfort zone he's going to be open to humiliation, tights and looking like an ugly sisiter.



Check back tomorrow for an exclusive CarterSaidWhat interview with Kid Harpoon.

Filling the Airwaves: Volume Four

The grey wolf is the largest wild member of the Canidae family. It's an ice age survivor originating during the Late Pleistocene around 300,000 years ago. That basically means that the wolf is one tough mother f&%ker. With this in mind, it's pretty obvious to me that the only real wolf like member of Australian rock outfit, Wolfmother, is Andrew Stockdale.

You see, Stockdale is a survivor. He's the only original member left in the band. Both Chris Ross and Myles Heskett left last year citing "irrecincilable personal and musical differences". Determined not to turn all jack it all in and start a new career writing music for Ozzy sitcoms, Stockdale made like a grey wolf would, and started recruiting replacements.

So why all the hard work? Surely Stockdale could just start another band under a different moniker? Well, apparently not. The lead singer had a vision when starting Wolfmother back in 2000. And that vision was to release more than one album in eight years. It was to release two in nine. He's now done that. With his new band mates in place, Wolfmother have given birth to their latest album, 'Cosmic Egg'.

In the majority, 'Cosmic Egg' picks up from where the last album left off. Although it does maintain the psychedelic sounds that initially drew them comparisons with the likes of Led Zeppelin, 'Cosmic Egg' provides far more guitar solos and big drums than it's predecessor. By packaging all these noises together, there is no hiding away from the fact that this is a massive sounding rock album.

The band themselves describe this record as “the sound of the Wolfmother world being rethunk and cracked wide open, with a sprawling, jubilant galaxy of musical and metaphysical harmony spilling forth". Now, I'm sure what the hell that means. However, what I do know is that this is a solid record that will prove to the music world that, just like the grey wolf, they are survivors and deserve to be here.

Wolfmother
Cosmic Egg

Fourteen Bags of Marshmallows, Three Rock Legends, a Footballer and Me

It was a cold, wet October evening, and I found myself in a wood sitting around a campfire with Jimi Hendrix, Liam Gallagher, Jim Morrison and Neil Ruddock.

It was a strange evening. Even though it was dark and miserable, no one seemed to care. Jimi was trying his best to keep everyone entertained.

Hendrix is a talented man. We all know that. He attached a spoon to the inside of each knee with some masking tape. He then started creating a drum like rhythm by banging them together. As well as this, he's was playing old BB King riffs on the guitar to keep Liam entertained whilst he toasted marshmallows on the fire.

It was a strange mix of people. I mean, I get what Hendrix, Morrison and Gallagher were doing there. However, I'm not sure what an ex-premiership footballer and I were doing round a campfire with these rock & roll heavyweights.

Ruddock, who was definitely feeling a touch out of place, tried to befriend Morrison by playing headers and volleys with him. Although they didn't have an actual football, they fashioned one by moulding together loads of Gallagher's marshmallows. Now, Liam being Liam, didn't find this amusing. The former Oasis front man is a big lover of football, just not when you've made one out of his food.

The mancunian started to chase both Morrison and Ruddock round and round Hendrix in order to give out punishment for ruining his food. Morrison managed to get away by pretending he was a tree. However, Ruddock wasn't so lucky. Liam got hold of the former Liverpool player and proceeded to drag him back to the fire saying that he was going to use him to put out the flames.

If it wasn't for Jimi playing BB King's 'Let The Good Times Roll' on repeat, Ruddock would have got it. The feel good vibes that Hendrix was distributing seemed to nullify Gallagher's want to hurt anyone. So Liam let Ruddock go and apologised by giving him a Mongoose BMX which had a Pretty Green logo sprayed on the seat.

Jimi, Neil and Liam then decided to go for a walk. Although it was late and dark, they wanted to explore some of the woodland that they were staying in. Just before they set off, Jimi announced that he needed to use the toilet.

Hendrix snuck off into the woods in order to find a spot. Soon after he found one, Jimi starting hearing strange noises. Then to his shock, he realised that the tree he was standing by was actually Jim Morrison, and he was urinating on his leg.

It was at this point that I woke up from my DREAM covered in sweat wondering what the hell was going on. I’m not sure if it was the thought of Hendrix relieving himself on Morrison that woke me up, or it was Liam Gallagher trying to use Neil Ruddock as fire extinguisher. Either way, it was a weird experience. One which I’m not too sure I would like to repeat.

Wolves Eat Fish For Breakfast

Something's are amazing. I mean really amazing. Something's are so amazing that when you see them you actually stop as say to yourself, "that's amazing".

For example, when standing at the foot of The Great Wall of China, you can't help but think that's amazing. Watching a school of piranhas turn a fully grown cow from something to nothing is one of natures most amazing sites. What about the Giza Pyramid Complex? That's pretty amazing. How about the old Anna Kournikova sports bra billboards? You couldn't help but stop and stare in amazement at those plastered everywhere.

However, if there's one thing that amazes me more than Anna Kournikova in a sports bra getting chased along The Great Wall of China on her way to the Pyramids by a school of piranhas, it's that Wolfmother have only released two albums in nine years of performing together. That is amazing.

Yes, I understand that there has been trouble within the group with band members coming and going quicker than Dale Winton sounds his beeper on Supermarket Sweep. Even still, Two albums in nine years? Surely they can do better than that.

I'm a big Wolfmother fan, and the news that Andrew Stockdale is back with a new cast and ready to blow the cobwebs off his instrument and start strumming, fills me with nothing be happiness. The brand new album, 'Cosmic Egg', is out today - and I for one, can't wait. I'll be looking into it further on in Wednesday's helping of 'Filling the Airwaves'.

Now, just like listening to Sara Cox on the radio comes complete with a box of paracetamol, new albums come complete with new tours. And this one is no different. They kick off in Paris on Wednesday and touch down in London Town on the 21st to play Elephant & Castle's Coronet club.

Let's just pray all the madness has been lost and forgotten. Hopefully Stockdale has assembled a group in which live up to the Wolfmother name, and record more than two more albums before 2018.

Oi Oliver, What’s the Weather Saying?

I have, without doubt, the most unnatural relationship with the sun out of anyone I know. When I enter the sun, my body is reminiscent of a Polo. However when I leave, it looks like Jamie Oliver has grabbed that Polo, crushed into a thousand pieces, put it in a blender with a can of Campbell’s tomato soup and a lobster. He then takes the result and plasters it all over me with one of those dodgy spatulas that you get with a tin of Delux paint whilst saying, “lovely jubbly, you look pucka!”

Although my mind is all for blue skies, cider and summer at Centre Parks; my body has always been more comfortable in the sort of weather where you don’t have to worry about leaving the house ensuring you have your keys, wallet, phone and factor 50. You know the sort of weather I’m talking about? That’s exactly right. The dead weather.

Talking of The Dead Weather (see what I did there), in anticipation of their upcoming UK tour, I dug out their debut album ‘Horehound’ yesterday. This album really does demonstrate that Jack White is an all round master musician. In footballing terms, he’s like the ultimate utility man. If you were to feed John O’Shea a cocktail of speed, creatine, Grandma Audrey’s Victoria sponge cake, and three litres of Red Stripe before sending him out to play Stenhousemuir, you still wouldn’t get close. He’s much better than that.

‘Horehound’ provides White & co a platform to deliver a sound which is both rocky and raw. It’s hard to describe this album in words. It’s darker than anything that White has produced before with the White Stripes and The Raconteurs. If ‘Horehound’ was a person it would be the love child of Pete Doherty and Muddy Waters. It’s dirty, filthy and unshaven; whilst containing a certain blues ridden charm.

The Dead Weather hit London on October 30th. Now, if you only do one thing on that date it should be to brush your teeth. However, if you do two, it should be to brush your teeth and get down to the HMV Forum in Kentish Town.

Don’t Tread On My Loose Ends, Baby

The definition of mental is for one to be affected by a disorder of the mind which affects intellectuals and their intellectual activity. This is very apt when talking about the person is about to drop £9,000 on Elvis’ hair. NINE THOUSEND POUNDS! That is mental. For starters, it’s not even a whole head of hair; it’s a clump. Apparently the hair was “salvaged” by a friend after he was enlisted in the US Army in 1958. So, not only are you looking to spend the same amount of cash it would cost you to buy a brand new Ford Focus, but it’s probably filled with mud, sweat and dust.

The last time I remember hair causing such a stir was when I was out eating a curry last year. Three bottles of Kingfisher and eight popadoms later, the guy on the table next to us lost it. The poor bloke was busy eating his chicken dansak when he leapt to his feet, let out an almighty roar, and pulled out one of the biggest hairs I have ever seen. This thing just kept going and going. It was like a think, hairy python that had substituted Saharan Africa for N1. The whole incident was like witnessing Rick Waller having it off with Rosanne. It was disgusting and weird, but there was also something quite magical about it.

The Indian I was dining in was The Bombay Bicycle Club. Now, even with that whole hair event, I won’t hear a bad work against the place. I’ve eaten some of the best curries of my life there. I get a lot of enjoyment from The Bombay Bicycle Club curry house in the same way I get a lot of enjoyment form Bombay Bicycle Club the band. Although they have no relation in the slightest, they are both available in London tonight. The Bombay Bicycle Club Indian is on the Essex Road, like it is every other night; whilst Bombay Bicycle Club the band are playing at Heaven.

Now, I strongly recommend to all that haven’t seen this band perform before to get down to Charing Cross tonight. Once there you need to pin a ticket tout up against a wall, rob him for all his tickets, and then march to the front with a big smile on your face.

These boys are absolutely brilliant. Their debut album, ‘I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose’ is still an absolute winner for me. They’re a band that just play good rock & roll music; and for that reason alone you should learn to love, cherish and hold them at all times. And if by the former that means keep them on heavy rotation on your iPod, then so be it.

Filling the Airwaves: Volume Three

I like Wednesdays. To be fair, I would probably like them more if I was a customer of the mobile operator, Orange. As if I was, I would be able to go to my local cinema, with my supersized popcorn in hand, and take full advantage of the now legendary, Orange Wednesdays. Nonetheless, as I’m a customer of O2, the real reason that I love Wednesdays is because it's the day that I typically come to a decision of whether I like an album after its release on the Monday. And this Wednesday is no different.

Even after playing Mumford & Sons debut album on repeat for 12 hours, the last thing I felt like doing was sighing. I’ve been looking forward to the release of their debut since seeing them tour earlier in the year with The Maccabees; and ‘Sign No More’ does everything but disappoint.

Picture the scene; it’s a hot summer’s day and you’re travelling cross country on a train. You’re sitting in the window seat staring out into nothingness. You haven’t passed any sign of busy town life for hours. Your eyes are set on the odd cow, a few horses and mass upon mass of rolling green countryside. The sun is beating down on your face through the glass whilst Mumford & Sons carve a perfect folk driven soundtrack that sets the tone of the journey perfectly, whilst delivering the ultimate feel good factor.

I understand this all sounds pretty deep; however, ‘Sigh No More’ is a very visual album. It’s a record that lets you forget and think. The softy played instruments marry the vocals of Marcus Mumford perfectly. A high percentage of new music that I’ve listened to recently has missed the mark as a result of production. However, Markus Dravs has created a feeling with this album that helps it achieve exactly what it set out to do. It’s not overproduced, and it’s not underproduced. Without sounding cliché, he’s hit the nail right on the head.

So, in cutting a massively long story short; out of all the new albums that have found their way onto the shelves of various record shops this week, this supplies the best in audio satisfaction…

Mumford & Sons
Sign No More

Washed Away With Greed

For me, rain is a symbol of sorrow, remorse, pain and hurt. It's pretty safe to say that I hate rain. Rain causes football matches to get cancelled, festival campsites to go underwater, and my hair to go flat. Right now in London, water is falling from the sky quicker than Gary Coleman shifts round a court room.

The only positive I've ever had from rain was when it gave me pneumonia back in '99. I got struck off school for a week after being stuck in the stuff in only a t-shirt whilst waiting for Toy Story 2 to hit the shelves of the local Our Price. The fact I missed 5 days of school work made the constant shivering worth while.

In addition to rain; I also hate it when people in privileged positions only do stuff for the money, and not the love. Sure, if you're selling the big issue in order to get by and some chump says to you; "Er mate, can you carry this over the Mongolian border for me? I'll give ya ten bob and a go on this pipe if you do" - you'd probably do it.

However, when Jay-Z turns round and says that he wants to work with Liam Gallagher, I start to worry. Now, don't get it twisted; I'm a fan of both Jigga and Oasis. But mixing the two together is like taking a can of petrol and dumping it on top of your Nan's Christmas cake just as she lights it - you just don't do it. If Young Hova only learnt one thing from that pile of shite that he made with Linkin Park it should have been; NEVER DO ANYTHING OF THE SORT AGAIN. That album was cringe worthy from start to finish, with no exceptions.

The man from Brooklyn has, once again, just got dollar signs in his eyes. He's obviously made a fortune from the music business up until this point. So for me, I can't see why he would want to spoil it and produce another poor attempt at making rock and rap gel in unison.

I just hope that Liam gives him one of his famous two fingered salutes and tells him to do one.

June Mud Slide Anyone?

A lot has happened since Friday. First I received a touch of bad news; I found out that I would be running the London Marathon next year. Now, at the time it seemed like a good idea to apply. However, having been given the green light to run, realisation has kicked in that I’ve actually got two club feet and the stamina of Dot Cotton after smoking 20 Marlboro Menthols and drinking 3 bottles of Tesco’s finest Cava. I just hope that this time next year I’m still alive.

I also learnt this weekend that Newcastle is a great city. I’ve just got back from spending the weekend there. In addition to meeting both Kevin and Sol Campbell in the space of 12 hours; I also managed to surf down the Tyne, drink my body weight in Newcy Brown and consol a mate after she lost her Vivienne Westwood shoes in a club. I have no idea how she managed to do that, but what I do know is as I write this there is one extremely happy cleaner rocking about the Toon in a fresh pair of kicks.

Yet, this is all irrelevant. The most important factor about the past weekend is that I left out the backdoor with a ticket in my pocket for Glastonbury 2010. That is BIG. Tickets sold out in a mere 24 hours for next years bash. With it being the festivals 40th anniversary you would like to think that we’re going to be treated on the headliners front. Who would I like to see? Well, it’s about time we had a Stone Roses comeback gig. I understand it's highly unlikely; but a man can dream - can't he?

In order to wet the appetite, below are a few classic Glasto photos from up and down the years.

The Smiths - Glastonbury 1984

Liam & Robbie - Glastonbury 1994

Radiohead - Glastonbury 1997

Blur - Glastonbury 2009

I Slept With Joey Ramone

After 2,263 gigs, which saw these boys tour for 22 years non-stop, it looks like The Ramones are finally getting a full on biopic made on their highly uncontroversial and normal 'plain Jane' lives.

Now, being a big music fan I'm naturally a big fan of music biopic's - when they're done well. Johnny Cash's Walk the Line was great, Spice World the movie wasn't. I just hope that they recreate the attitude, feeling and drama that made The Ramones such a major influence on the punk rock movement both in the United States and over here in good ol'Blighty. However, if they have Joey in pigtails, Tommy playing hop-scotch and Jonny trying to trade Merlin Premier League stickers with Markey; we'll know that they've opted away from the walking of any line and steered straight into Big Ben in a double decker London bus with a print of the Union Jack on the roof.

The Brown Factor

In homage to Ian Brown's new album 'My Way', here are a few choice snaps of the man himself performing the three S's - standing, sitting and singing. The three S’s aren’t easy to achieve. If you’ve ever seen Brown live then you’ll know that he can do two of them perfectly. Throw in a massive amount of reverb and enough Stella to keep Cardiff Town Welsh Rugby Club oiled and ready to go for a weeks fun on the Costa del Sol, and he’s well on his way to completing the three.