Under The Influence

For their second album, 'Wake Up...It's Tomorrow', Strawberry Alarm Clock built upon the solid writing and musicianship that inevitably carried over from the 'Incense and Peppermints' project.

In retrospect, it is baffling as to why they were relegated to the "one-hit wonders" file, as their most social and musically relevant statements had yet to be made.

The album does fit together in an odd way, and was more of a musicians' record than a producer's record -- and had more people heard it, they might've been remembered in subsequent years as a band and not just as an AM radio phenomenon with a funny name.

Regular visitors to this site will understand how much we LOVE Goldfrapp. This latest album does nothing to change that opinion.

Alison & Will take us back to the 80s with a heady blend of hi-NRG basslines, fat synth sounds and feathery vocals. It's easy to see the influences here: Giorgio Moroder, ABBA, ELO, even the Van Halen synths are all present and correct.

The featured cut, 'Believer', sounds instantly familiar, but not tired or obvious.

If the album seems somewhat slight, it’s purposefully so: Head First is a love letter to the frothy, fleeting, but very vital joys of pop music.

Messer fur Frau Muller (translates as 'Knife for Mrs. Muller' in German) originally started in 1991 in St.Petersburg, Russia. The current version, with the addition of Oleg Kostrow, takes its sound into unusual territory defining it as “post easy-listening,” drawing on samples from the 50’s and 60’s pop-culture, with addition of bass, guitars, synths and programming.

The influences on "Triangle, Dot & Devil" come from music styles as varied as surf, twist, mondo, lo-fi noise, experimental electronica, and even cartoons, children’s educational records, and sampled dialogue from Soviet cinema.

Have a listen to 'Agents and Spies'. You'll want to hear more, trust me...

On his debut album, Jim Noir (a homage to Vic Reeves' real name, Jim Moir), proves himself to be a first-class mix-and-match master, blending the cheesy drum machines and bubbling synths of indie electronic, the lo-fi guitars and adult-child vocals of indie pop, and the full-bodied and harmony-drenched arrangements of chamber pop into a swirling, soothing, and truly lovely Technicolor pop confection.

There is the pronounced influence of those renowned American nutters, the mid-'70s edition of the Beach Boys. There are comparisons to be made to the anything-goes spirit and sound of contemporary explorers like Super Furry Animals and the Beta Band.

There really isn't a weak song to be had, and the album flows past like a gentle stream winding its way through a summer meadow.

The lyrics are light and breezy throughout, especially the songs about stealing footballs ("Eanie Meany") or the lighthearted threats. They help to bolster the childlike sense of wonder that the album is bathed in. You will be hard-pressed to keep from walking around all day grinning like a fish once you give the album an airing. The featured cut 'Computer Song' is one of my favourites, just for it's harmonies. Give it a listen and you'll see what I mean.

Doctors should prescribe a spin of Tower of Love to chase the blues away.

First, Hi there! I'm Will. Longtime reader first time poster. I'm definitely not going to be able to compete with the likes of Aidan and the Kevster on the history of music and what inspired the particular artists they are writing about etc so I'm going to stick to a niche that hopefully some of you will appreciate and infrequently re-write the tag line for this site to "Mummy... it's hurting my ears".

Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' in fact needs no introduction suffice to say it's one of the greatest metal albums of all time. I was lucky enough to attend the 2006 Rock Am Ring festival in Germany when Metallica marked the 20th anniversary release of this legendary album and played, for the first time, every track, in full, one after the other. The instrumental track Orion, one of my all time favourites, had never before in their 25 year history been played live, in full, and it was one of the most memorable festival moments I've ever experienced.

The track I've attached is a live recording of that stunning virginal performance and begins with a short bass solo by Robert Trujillo, who replaced their former bassist Jason Newsted in February 2003. Incidentally and unfortunately Kirk Hammett's lead guitar wasn't working for the first part of his solo, so if you're not familiar with this track, don a pair of heavyweight headphones and seek out the original.

Rock on.

Wandering through the vault today, I decided to listen to a disc that Aidan had cut together. I'm so glad that I did, as the subject of this review needs special mention.

Prior to 'Biscuits For Breakfast', Fink was happily carving a path through the world of ambient trip-hop. 'Biscuits' sees Fink strike out in a new direction.

Built around his bluesy voice, finger-picking acoustic guitar and the stripped-back live rhythm section, there is a wonderfully intimate smokiness in Fink's approach to his songs. It's intimate, but utterly lacking in sentimentalism.

The featured track, "Pretty Little Thing," on which he plays the whole menagerie: bass, guitar (nylon strings, no less), and B-3 Hammond. The lyrics in this cut are not much to be sure, but as a first track Fink's looking to usher in the set's atmosphere, and as such it works beautifully.

you'll be aware of Camille through her work with Nouvelle Vague. This is her first solo album.

If you like sultry chanson, you'll love this...

One of the very first, and still one of the very best concept albums (organised around a central mood of late-night isolation and aching lost love, supposedly due to Sinatra's separation from Ava Gardner). His voice had deepened and worn to the point where his delivery seems ravished and heartfelt, as if he were living the songs.

The featured cut, "Mood Indigo", is a Jazz standard from c. 1930, and Sinatra sings it with heartfelt warmth.

If you're pining for that special someone, look no further.

A great cover of a great song. Madge's pop anthem reimagined into distortion, reverb and sonic schizophrenia. Lovely.

Spike Jonze's wonderful interpretation of the fabled children's story 'Where The Wild Things Are' needed a strong soundtrack to accompany the trip into the imagination of Max, the lead character.

Luckily, he passed the responsibility to his ex-girlfriend, Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs). She has come up with a wonderful record, full of childlike wonder. 2 tracks stand out for me. 'Hideaway', with it's gentle rolling melody evoking the crashing of waves on the shore, and the lead single 'All Is Love' (featured here).

Jonze wanted the soundtrack to have a similar feel to the Langley Schools Music Project (go here for more information), and with 'All Is Love', Karen O has more than succeeded. Using an untrained children's choir coupled with joyful lyrics, just listening to the chorus will melt the coldest heart. Under the right circumstances, if you listen to this song you'll probably start to cry with happiness.

Never has a song been sung with such joy and love. One, Two, Ready, Go!!