Ajaxtalk

I can recommend Songs in A & E by Spiritualised - really great mellow album, listening to it right now. I was really into Spacemen 3 at the end of the 80's but haven't really got in to Spiritualised but this got really good write-ups so thoght I'd give it a go.

Also Fixkes by Fixkes, another one from Excelsior Records in NL though this lot are from Belgium - really great album this - they play some strange sounds....

I'm listening to my Fixkes CD a lot, some great tunes on here and I can get quite a lot of the lyrics but just the one confusion. Please can someone tell me how to pronounce "Fixkes". My Dutch (Flemish?) pronunciation is normally quite good even if I don't know what the word means but haven't a clue with this one.

"Come on in" by the Kevin Costners is good if you excuse their name but I don't think any of the other tracks really live up to "Lack of Sun" the first one I heard that persuaded me to look at buying the album.

I can thorughly recommend this site, Breakthru Radio from New York.

http://www.breakthruradio.com/index.php?show=4207

There's a great live set from one of my fave bands, the Hospital Bombers (in the archive dn the left hand side of the page - 27th June 2008) and also a "Spotlight on the City:Amsterdam" (13th May 2008) for anyone who's interested in the Amsterdam music scene. There's a lot of other good looking stuff on here too - I'm planning to have a good look around this site........

Just a couple of purchases I have made recently which I thought I would share.

First up: Ray la Montagne - Til the Sun Turns Black.
This is actually a few years old now, but I have only recently got into his music. A singer/songwriter with a soul voice, layered over the top of some very laid back country tinged/soul and strings. Highly recommended.

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (I read that it translates roughly to "with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly").
I absolutely love this band. This album is probably ever so slightly more "accessible", well as accesible as a Sigur album can be. One of their best. Can't wait to see them in Amsterdam in November if all goes to plan.

and finally: Beck - Modern Guilt.
Probably IMO not quite up to the last album, but it is growing on me more and more after each listen. Its typical Beck, as he brings out sounds you have already heard (psychedelic 60s, influences of other bands - Pink Floyd, Radiohead etc), but its unmistakeably Beck. Which is a good thing. Great album, great artist.

Ray Lamontagne kicks ass. I think I recommended him here a few years ago.

Also, that Flobots song, "No Handlebars" has been running through my head a lot lately. Great song.

I love this time of year. The werather is hot ( so hot I can't spell w-e-a-t-h-e-r) , the silly season talk is hotter, and I've got The Hawaii Mud Bombers " Mondo Primo" playing on the box. Great stuff!

If you're a really cool rock singer, you dive into the audience every now and then.

But perhaps someone should have told this dude that they create frontstage 'security trenches' these days.

http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/182841/ ... diven.html

K.

Graceful, isn't he? For stage antics, and usually off stage antics too, I like mine Monotonix.

Augie March - The best Aussie band my a country mile at the moment, released a new album today 'Watch Me Disappear'.

Only a few listens so far, but as good if not better than anything they have done.

Not sure when/if it will get an European/US release, but if you can find a copy, def recommend a listen.

DanK schreef:Augie March - The best Aussie band my a country mile at the moment, released a new album today 'Watch Me Disappear'...

I like Augie March's first one (Sunset Studies) and parts of Moo, You Bloody Choir but that CD was a bit top 40 for my money. They're quite good live as well. I seem to remember a good sunset set at Meredith one year. I will try to get my hands on their latest.

However, I have to say that in my opinion by far the best Aussie band (probably since Nick Cave) has to be the Drones, who also have a new CD out (Havilah). Very good, probably not as good as their last two (Wait Long By The River... and Gala Mill) but still worth a listen.

Chugger schreef:

DanK schreef:Augie March - The best Aussie band my a country mile at the moment, released a new album today 'Watch Me Disappear'...

I like Augie March's first one (Sunset Studies) and parts of Moo, You Bloody Choir but that CD was a bit top 40 for my money. They're quite good live as well. I seem to remember a good sunset set at Meredith one year. I will try to get my hands on their latest....

This is something I like about Augie March. They manage to make a pop/rock record without (IMO) sounding top 40. They are so far above anyone else in this field (at least in Oz).

9/10 times I despise "top 40" music (ie: when music is released to make money, not art), yet Augie sound like everything you have heard before and nothing like you have heard before. And then there is Glenn Richards lyrics, more removed from top 40 it couldn't be.

They are excellent live now. I remember seeing them just before the release of their first album at the Royal Melbourne Show (yep, they have come on a bit since then...), but even then despite the complaining and mess, you could tell they were becoming something great.

Well thats just my opinion anyway...

My favourite Australian band of all-time...?

Probably The Go-Betweens.

And AC/DC, of course, but are they really Australian, with the two lead singers and the two guitarists all born in the U.K.?

K.

Kowalczyk schreef:My favourite Australian band of all-time...?

Probably The Go-Betweens.

And AC/DC, of course, but are they really Australian, with the the two lead singers and the two guitarists all born in the U.K.?

K.

This is an interesting point. It is the same with Split Enz/Crowded House. The Neil brothers aren't Australian, but hey they are talented so we will claim them as our own.

Then one of the all-time great Aussie (pub) bands 'Cold Chisel', was also led by a Scotsman, Jimmy Barnes.

AC/DC - Bon Scot moved to Oz when he was 6, so we will claim them as well. Although, never really been a fan, especially once Brian Johnson became the singer. Man what a horrible, horrible voice that guy has. So not fussed either way...

Its funny, I am actually getting into the early Oz music more as I get older, The Go Betweens, The Triffids, The Church, Paul Kelly, Nick Cave etc. All excellent stuff. But I think out of all the current Oz acts Augie March will be remembered most.

I might have mentioned this previously, but there is an excellent series called 'Great Australian Albums' (SBS TV), which features The Go Betweens, Nick Cave, The Saints etc. Really great docos.

What about this book????

DanK schreef:
This is an interesting point. It is the same with Split Enz/Crowded House. The Neil brothers aren't Australian, but hey they are talented so we will claim them as our own.

Geez. If you're going to claim them, at least get the name right. The Finn brothers, Tim and Neil. Next you'll be claiming Pavlova and the buzzy bee. And Russell Crowe. Actually, you can keep him, we don't care.

I saw Russell Crowe's 16 Odd Feet of Grunts for God knows what reason. Probably the same reason that people, against their better judgment look at car accidents. You can keep Russell Crowe...PLEASE Keep Him.

Frans schreef:

DanK schreef:
This is an interesting point. It is the same with Split Enz/Crowded House. The Neil brothers aren't Australian, but hey they are talented so we will claim them as our own.

Geez. If you're going to claim them, at least get the name right. The Finn brothers, Tim and Neil. Next you'll be claiming Pavlova and the buzzy bee. And Russell Crowe. Actually, you can keep him, we don't care.

hahaha...sorry total typo

Thats what you get when you are having two conversations on the net and typing at the same time. Classic...especially that Crowded House are one of my fav AUSSIE bands.

Russell Crowe...please. No one wants that tossa. He's yours.

Nick Cave = awesome. I saw The Church in concert way back when (in like 1989 or so) and they were pretty good.

And, even though it may not be fashionable to admit it, Men at Work is a fantastic group. Their music totally holds up after all these years.

Apparently Ryan Adams and the Cardinals have a new album out.

Anyone heard it?

aveslacker schreef:Apparently Ryan Adams and the Cardinals have a new album out.

Anyone heard it?

Is the Pope Catholic???

Got this day 1. A few things.
- Its damn high quality writing and music (the cardinals are one of the best bands out there. especially live).
- Not really a poor song on the entire disc
- They seem to have found a style and are toning it. I actually prefer this slightly over Easy Tiger.
- It takes a few listens as most the songs are quite short, so they dont sink in right away.

There is one, albeit, very small part of me however that misses crazy Ryan. Heartbreaker, 29 and Love is Hell are incredibly amazing albums. The mood and writing in them is outstanding. But I think this is one of his best with the Cardinals.

If I had to rate it, 4/5. But give it a few listens, then the songs will start sticking in your head.

BTW - 'Stop' the final song is one of Ryan's best.

Is it just me though, or are they starting to sound like U2 before U2 got totally boring.

Thanks for the review. I'm going to give it a listen.

aveslacker schreef:Thanks for the review. I'm going to give it a listen.

Yeah if you like any of his other work, its pretty good.

Just give it a few listens before making a decision.

DanK schreef:

aveslacker schreef:Thanks for the review. I'm going to give it a listen.

Yeah if you like any of his other work, its pretty good.

Just give it a few listens before making a decision.

That was your 1000th post! Congrats!

aveslacker schreef:

DanK schreef:

aveslacker schreef:Thanks for the review. I'm going to give it a listen.

Yeah if you like any of his other work, its pretty good.

Just give it a few listens before making a decision.

That was your 1000th post! Congrats!

LMAO. Trust my 1000th post on Ajaxtalk to be about Ryan Adams...

If I had to put a percentage on those 1000, I would say 10% were spot on, 40% OK, 50% total bollocks