A song taken from The Veils second album Nux Vomica; Jesus for the Jugular has all the peculiarity of the early Nick Cave output, but yet having enough oddness of its own to keep it from becoming a cheap knock off. I heard this originally in the film The Devil's Double, a film that is worth a look at purely for Dominic Cooper's terrific performance. Cool song, cool film, check it.
Taken from their 2007 album War Stories and featuring the vocals of Gavin Clark, Unkle's Broken was a song I first heard on the end credits of 2008 film The X-Files: I Want to Believe and perhaps remains one of the few positive aspects of that film (even as a big fan of Mulder and Scully). I've never really heard many of Unkle's songs except maybe their remixes of Ian Brown's F.E.A.R. and a couple of Queens of the Stone Age tracks they did which were on a QOTSA B-Sides album. This song is a nice little melodic and atmospheric tune with decent vocals by Clark. The chorus in particular is a standout for me, where all of Unkle's production skills come to the fore.
Artist: Pure Love Song: Handsome Devil's Club Genre: Alternative rock Release Date: 22 July 2012
While not having the bang-wallop factor of 'Bury My Bones', Pure Love's second single is everything that the title of their debut album (the ever-so-aptly named Anthems) suggests an absolute rocking sing-along treat. 'Handsome Devil's Club' is such a catchy song (the chorus is immense) and grows in stature and impact on repeat listens. Lead singer Frank Carter's Morrissey-lite lyrics and raw delivery only reinforce the lovelorn and careless in love vibe of the song.
With Anthems not being released until the Autumn and a small UK tour inbetween now and then to rouse anticipation even further along with Handsome Devil's Club will satisfy fans needs until then with ease. It's hardly going to reinvent the rock world, but it is most definitely a catchy and infectious rock song that will you begging for more of these guys. Also, for anyone looking for more Pure Love material, be sure to check out Daytrotter's live sessions for terrific live performances of songs from the upcoming album.
One regret I will have for the rest of my life is not getting to see these guys perform live, especially their multiple visits to Dublin in the latter part of their career. R.E.M. loved Dublin and a collection of their Dublin concerts have become their official live releases. This song, The Ascent of Man, from their 2007 album R.E.M. Live exhibits all the range of Michael Stipe's immense vocal capabilities. Never have the most basic lyrics of "Yeah" over and over again sounded so powerful with Stipe giving it his all. It is a wonderful little gem of a song.
What I like about Seasick Steve is that he has been there and done it all before. His wise words are even truer because you know he has lived what he has said and has the life experience to show. As you go through life you learn things and often despite some peoples best attempts to unhinge and get to you, it only exposes their own direct lack of meaningfulness in their own lives. More annoyingly so, is the callousness and insincerity of people and lack of consideration of their actions and the hurt it causes. For that reason, Seasick Steve's opening track from the aptly named 2011 album You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks, called Treasures is a wonderfully poignant choice of song for today.
Jane's Addiction are a band that name was always familiar to me, but never know much of their catalogue (bar maybe 'Just Because') until one evening when I heard their latest single 'Irresistible Force (Met the Immovable Object) on Paul McLoone's radio show on Today FM. So I sought out that song on their new album, The Great Escape Artist, and along with Irresistible Force, I'll Hit You Back are the two stand-outs. I was surprised to find out that this was only Jane's fourth album since 1988 and in an age where disposable albums are released yearly in a overly-saturated and quality declining market, it's good to see bands like Jane's Addiction still going strong.
From what I would call a mix between Faith No More and Living Colour on their more funkier exploits; Fishbone's 'Fight the Youth' from their 1991 album The Reality of My Surroundings is a bombastic and catchy tune with political and social issues scrutinized to a funky groove. I came across this song while watching an old episode of Beavis and Butthead and I found myself humming along almost instantly and had to search it out. A band that never got the commercial success that some of their work deserved, it's a shame that songs like this one are forgotten but it is further proof that there are great undiscovered songs out there just wanting to be found.
Artist: Blur Song: Under the Westway Genre: Alternative rock Release Date: 2 July 2012
Blur's first single since 2010's 'Fool's Day' is a double release; the oddity 'The Puritan' comes the wonderful poignant 'Under the Westway'. While being no die hard Blur fan and more of a casual listener, this came as a wonderful surprise to me. Despite releasing a single in 2010, the band have not released an album since 2003's Think Tank and any worries about the group losing their touch can be cast aside with this sweepingly beautiful and gorgeous song.
Blur's music varies from their more playful singles like 'Country House' and 'Parklife' to the more serious and melodic offerings like 'Tender' and 'The Universal'. 'Under the Westway' is firmly in the latter bracket and is essentially a love song, but with enough Albarn dramatics and strong lyrics for it to avoid being melodramatic of over-emotional to the point of parody. Albarn's delivery is unique and is not the high note hitting masterclass like crooners, but rather a voice driven by pure emotion and therefore infinitely times more effective.
Pure Love's debut single finally arrives and it has been well worth the long wait. For anyone who had seen the awesome YouTube videos of the Bush Hall gig in February, an appetizer of the upcoming album for the former Gallows lead singer Frank Carter and former Hope Conspiracy and Suicide File guitarist Jim Carroll. The duo have crafted an anthemic rock song that is lively, uplifting and catchy as fuck.
Short and snappy at just under 3 minutes, Carter opens with the lines "I so sick of singing about hate", and it sets the wonderfully pure rock sound that this track has going for it. It is sing-a-long stuff all the way and a drastic change; just ask anyone who knows of his previous output with Gallows. His vocals are as impressive as ever (the surprise was lost when hearing the terrific performance at Bush Hall) and are delivered with aplomb. Carroll's riff is big and I found myself air-guitaring at various points through the song in appreciation of the accessible sound that he has crafted. I can't recommend this song enough, it brings back memories of the big rock songs of the past and a time gone-by. If the rest of the album is anywhere near as accomplished and confident as this track is, we may have a monster of an album on our hands.
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The song is also available for free download from their official website here.
