VP update 26oct05

The following have been added to www.vanityproject.co.uk today

Album Reviews:
*The Drones – Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By (ATP).
*The Lucy Show – Mania (words on music).
*Magnetphone – The Man Who Ate The Man (4AD).
*The Ralfe Band – Swords (Skint).
*The Raveonettes - Pretty In Black (Columbia).
*Ryan Adams & The Cardinals- Jacksonville City Nights (Lost Highway).
*Shooting At Unarmed Men – Soon There Will Be Shooting At Unarmed Men (Too Pure).
*The Swarm – Red Paint On The Odessa Steps (Fight Me).
*UM/Ascoltare – Giraffe [refined]/Fatty Parts For A Good Match (Tripel).
*Viola – Melancholydisco (If Society).
*You Judas – Discover Mutiny (Fight Me).


Single Reviews:
*Brian Eno – How Many Worlds (Opal).
*Caplyn – The Revolution Will Come.
*Chapter XIII – The Last Time (RTD/Universal).
*The Cutters – Jesus.
*The Far Cries – Stepping (Play It Again 7).
*The Fondas – Be Alone (RTD/Universal).
*Hey Negrita – Old Britannia (Fat Fox).
*The Hot Puppies – Terry/Love In Practice, Not Theory (Label Fandango).
*The Modern – Jane Falls Down (Mercury).
*Mr. Fogg – Giving In (Chromium).
*Riotmind – Where Did You Go?
*The Strollers – Your Reminder Has Changed.

Heads rollin'

Excellent stuff greeting me on return home last night, big old Amazon box containing 3 DVD's of Ashes action as well as the new Fall LP. What a handsome combination.

New Fall LP sounding good thus far after 3 spins last night. This was despite a return of the European CD mountain that autumn always brings about - about 18 LPs and 20 singles in the review queue at the minute - taking a day off to tackle it on Friday, but in the meantime it's 'Fall Heads Roll' thats remains immovable from my deck.

My reaction to the last LP proper was immediate and positive as it is for this but my love for Country On The Click has not endured like it has for other LPs. However this one appears to improve with each spin so that certainly bodes well.

Every Fall LP is a return to form according to the press, and in comparison to the Interim collection then it certainly is, but generally The Fall are as thrilling and awkward and disappointing and genius and questioning as ever.

Tis a good week for music then, a good time to put out another paper version of VP. Do email the address given on www.vanityproject.co.uk if you want to get hold of a copy.

First Esther McVey, now this...

Former Coronation Street star Adam Rickitt wants to be a Tory MP.

Gay kisses? Naked pop videos?

Should tick all the right boxes for the selection committee, I would have thought.

Mind you I'm still bemoaning the lack of a Rustie Lee in parliament.

Although she was standing for UKIP.

So maybe it's for the best.

Worthy of laudation

Must sort out digital radio in my house!

Mind you I'd have been out for the Cardiacs session on Marc Riley's Saturday afternoon 6Music show Rocket Science, so thank god for the Beeb's 'Listen Again' facility on that there internet. Also thank god for the decent (not mini inner ear jobs) headphones lying around here at work.

It was during the classic late-night Radcliffe & Lard era of the mid-90's that I first came across Cardiacs, again in session. 1995. So here we are 10 years later, and since that time they have never been shifted from the position of 'my favourite band'. Considering the transcience of my tastes, this is quite something, but they are a special band, with a instricate history and even more intricate tunes.

Sometimes I over analyse and wonder why they mean so much to me and fill me with a thrill like no other band, but going to see them live each November reminds me. Last winter I also travelled to Manchester and Sheffield to see them do half an hour supporting the Wildhearts. No other band makes me do that. Fork out for B&B's, hostels, the lot.

The regular November Astoria show (click here and here for reviews of previous events) is coming up and I'm already excited.

I'm still as I type only half way through the session and I'm starting to brim over into giddiness.

Not sure what my colleagues here in the library think of my head-shaking/stupid grin combo.

VP update 17oct05

The following have been added to www.vanityproject.co.uk

Interview:
*Itamar Ziegler

Single Reviews:
*Aberfeldy - Summers Gone (Rough Trade).
*Aluminum Babe – Everything 2 Me (Velocity).
*The Heart Strings – Try Fly Blue Sky EP.
*Luxembourg – Luxembourg Vs. Great Britain (Dog Box).
*Shuffle - Shuffle EP.

Album Reviews:
*Blackloud – Mysterious Waves.
*The Hundred Handed – Our Dead Language.
*Ian Brown - The Greatest (Fiction).
*Nutronstars – Love/Pop/Noise/Speed.
*Vinny Peculiar – Whatever Happened To Vinny Peculiar? Part 1 (Shadrack & Buxbury).

Zine Reviews:
*Robots & Electronic Brains #15
*Shadowplay #15

...since the reign of Queen Anne

So, how did you spend John Peel Day?

Needless to say I felt duty bound to be gigging, but perhaps going to see two bands that the old fella used to play misses the point. Maybe I should have gone to see something new.

As it was I went to check out Cranebuilders with their slightly changed line-up at the former Las Vegas amusement arcade, an excellent new venue near to Lime Street Station. They certainly seem to miss their departed guitarist, but once the new guys timing is up to scratch, perhaps they will veer back from being uncharacteristically abrasive. That said, they have been on form for such a long time, I think we can allow them a bit of leeway to regroup.

In an excellent bit of luck, the headliners for the night were Ella Guru who I have been meaning to see for ages but life always seem to get in the way. Their election night show had to be missed due to my volunteering for vote counting duties.

Named after a Beefheart tune, they have nothing off his perversity, but do manage to capture the sound of dusty, deserted plains, but in an altogether more hushed manner that sweeps tumbleweed gently along the high road toward alt.country. However they by-pass country & western itself in the same manner as post-rock diverts past the excesses of the more mainstream brand.

An excellent night, and an ideal combination. Nothing new on the bill but Peelie was certainly one for continued support of old favourites too, so I'm sure he'd have been pleased with that as well as all the others going on around Liverpool, the country and the world. He'd have made some faux arrogant joke about it if he were on air, but would likely have been a touch embarrased by the attention in reality.

We still miss you John.

However the spirit of checking out new things was in evidence on Tuesday. It has been much of a bugbear of mine that I only seem to check out interesting new theatrical productions when I'm in Edinburgh and nowhere else. With the Everyman and Unity theatres in Liverpool, it is not as though the opportunities are not there.

So it was to the Unity on Tuesday to see Lost Ones (do check out the gallery for it), a show that had been at Edinburgh on a much larger scale. Utilising sliding doors, carnivalistic grotesque fantasy and an ethereal, haunted storyline, bitter folk music as part of the narration and big performances from the cast, it was startling and inventive. The use of shadow, even on this small scale, was brilliantly done, and even the sticking of the doors did not detract from it.

They seem to be touring very few places outside Scotland but if you get a chance, do go and see it.

VP update 05oct05

The following reviews have been added to www.vanityproject.co.uk

Single Reviews:
*The Automatic – Recover (B-Unique).
*Battle – Demons (Transgressive).
*Beats Capri – Sampler.
*Cherubs – A Man Of No Importance (Cargo).
*Circus Normal – Circus Normal EP (Freeport).
*The Composers – A Way Of Being Free (Discoteque).
*The Decemberists – Sixteen Military Wives (Rough Trade).
*Film School – On & On (Beggars Banquet).
*M.I.A. – Galang ’05 (XL).
*Stoner – Life and Times (Rhythmbank).
*Winter Roberts – Escapado (Sidewalk 7).

Album Reviews:
*Bearsuit – Team Ping Pong (Fantastic Plastic).
*The Eighteenth Day Of May – The Eighteenth Day Of May (Hannibal).
*The Fiery Furnaces – Rehearsing The Choir (Rough Trade).
*“O” – Numero 0 (antenna).
*Pellumair – Summer Storm (Tugboat).
*Sennen – Widow (Hungry Audio).
*Steveless – Popular Music In Theory (Cherryade).
*Various – The Coming Of The Railways (SouthSCENE).
*Various – Stressed Vol. 2 (Stressed).
*The Young Gods – XXY (PIAS).

Live Reviews:
*Misty’s Big Adventure, Decoration, Seachange. Manchester Dry Bar. 01oct05.