Not for the first time music journalist Neil Mccormick helps us all out, the rule of thumb being 'Whatever he raves about, turn on your heels and run in the opposite direction'. Regular signposts are helpfully provided in the Daily Telegraph(see his recent glowing notice for the new Seal album, 'a seamless combination of synths, strings and immaculate musicianship frame the songs, [which] draw on a melting pot of global musical influences'. For Seal also read 'Sting', 'Peter Gabriel', etc, surely?!)
He's not responsible for that same paper's review of the new Emmylou Harris album, Stumble into grace, however, which claims, 'She has only to twitch the reins of a melody to take you miles in any direction'. Mark Edwards was also at it in The Times last weekend: 'There’s barely a second that doesn’t leave you wanting to grab someone and say: “Come and listen to this.”' Oh yeah? Listening to this record, barely a second went by when reallyrather didn't feel like reaching out for something more interesting to play. It may be heretical but Stumble.. is an uninvolving, ever-so-nicely manicured package, fairly pleasant but not really worth your time & money which you should save or maybe give to someone like Ms Haley Bonar...

..who, despite being as unknown as it's possible to be over here, should be coming to the UK in November. She's the cover feature in this week's Pulse of the Twin Cities wherein ..the size of planets is described as 'a subtle stunner of a record...the kind of fully realized artistic triumph that usually takes musicians at least a few records and years to reach.' This blog wouldn't go that far [see review June 20], preferring (and repeat-playing) only seven of the 13 songs. After the first five you're thinking, 'Blimey, surely she can't keep this up,' and sure enough, she can't. The back half of the disc is freighted with a bit too much moody weariness (leavened tho' it is by the fragile perfection of Little bird on my shoulder). But promise abounds: a great voice, an economical sound pared back to the essentials, vivid imagery and good instincts ('I don’t want anyone doing any frickin’ Bonnie Raitt solos or anything'). And, perhaps most tellingly, she certainly seems to spend way less time fixing her hair than Emmylou...

Another value bill is in the offing at the Windmill in Brixton on Oct 26 when it's possible the UK tours of Damien Jurado and Canadian mini-sensation Ox (aka Mark Browning) will overlap (and certainly Virgil Shaw is booked). If you're not put off by something being described as 'sounding like a polite, less adventurous Wilco record' then the latter's latest, Dust bowl revival, could be for you...

Those Jurado dates given as:
Oct 22 Arts Café, London (w/ Julie Doiron)
23 The Borderline, London
24 The Music Café, Leicester
25 tba, London (w/ Ox)
27 Tmesis, Manchester
...while the 23 Ox dates are listed here...

In other news...
...Richard Hawley has left Setanta Records ... the Brian Jonestown Massacre head into London (Garage, Nov 11) ... Jesse Harris will be opening the Pernice Brothers' UK shows in November...

"We feel like pussies compared to the other bands," said Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis ever-so-sweetly, the band having found themselves squeezed onto a hardcore bill at Camden's Dublin Castle for their UK debut. Sensibly deciding not to try competing in the pain-infliction and gurning stakes, RK stuck to their own brand of twinkly 'n' crunchy angst-y pop. And, though it lasted little more than half-an-hour, what a total joy it was to see them here at last. Elfin dynamic duo Jenny L. (resplendent in black velvet hotpants over bright yellow tights) and guitarist Blake Sennet led their quartet through a fine set which cherrypicked their most recent release, The execution of all things, capped by a ripping Spectacular views. Hopefully the band will get to play a bit longer when they return to Camden (Barfly) on the 26th - you're going, surely?!

Inverting the RK line-up but ploughing a not-disimilar indie-pop furrow, the three girls-and-a-bloke combo that is Dutch band Seedling have produced the album that Liz Phair should've. Dutch disease, The Upshot, Put your hand up my shirt and several others should provide ample succour to those underwhelmed by Ms. Phair's recent Matrix shopping trip...

To the Windmill in Brixton joining a select band of connoisseurs (and, sadly, the usual bunch of disrespectul windbags) for an all-too-short set from Denison Witmer. None of this blog's absolute faves got an airing but, hey, Steven, Los Angeles, Leaving Philadelphia will do to be going on with! Best of all was Closer to the sun, it's full-bodied chorus almost making you forget he didn't have a band behind him. This song is from first album Safe away which frankly, along with the more recent Philadelphia songs, EVERYONE SHOULD OWN. (Just in case you don't, go here). And if you're a European label looking for a singer-songwriter with classic-but-contemporary stylings, Denison's your man...

First time this blog got to hear Denison live was earlier this year at the 12Bar where he shared a bill with British counterpart James William Hindle. reallyrather has seen this guy several times but never really been hooked by his low-key folk-pop, which makes the near-unalloyed pleasure of his new record all the more surprising. On Prospect Park Hindle's songs are fleshed out perfectly by friends from nearly-bands like Aden and The Essex Green who add touches of electric guitar, organ, glockenspiel, etc in unerringly appropriate doses, producing a warm, rounded and highly-accessible set.
Spanning the spectrum between Neil Young and Simon & Garfunkel, Hindle has hit a rich vein of robustly melodic but soft-hearted songwriting. You will be safe and Hollow bodies are a great pair of gnarly chuggers a la Nadine; Doubt and Celebration lovely waltz-time plunkers garlanded with some spangly, twangly guitar. The shuffling, harmonica-laced campfire ditty Country song and jaunty Hoboken (think Bright side of the road as done by whimsical indie boy not Belfast bruiser) both score. Best of the bunch, however, are Come down slowly and Shadows cast a lie, shimmering, mid-tempo grooves which do all you hope they might - no wrong turns, natty solos, perfect hooks, and tambourines! There's a '70s feel to the last pair which isn't flagged up quite so obviously as on Josh Rouse's latest, but fans of his will feel right at home in Prospect Park. Personal themes and lightness of touch, all in all it's a bit of a revelation and an uncomplicated BUY! recommendation...

Without much fanfare, sonic wizard Adam Selzer's Norfolk & Western are now selling new cd Dusk in cold parlours (tho' it's not officially out 'til November). Details here, and some UK tour dates:

22-10 brighton, uk
23-10 london, uk
24-10 london, uk
25-10 nottingham, uk
26-10 leeds, uk
27-10 manchester, uk
28-10 liverpool, uk

'Featuring covers by Fred Neil and John Fahey, Double Roses is immersed in the heritage of vintage songcraft. 'Take a Rest, Driver' could be a long lost Harry Nilsson track, and the whole disc swims in the rarefied, space-cowboy vibe first exuded by the Byrds.' So says Denver's Westword of a new 8-track mini-album from Court & Spark: "It has less to do with country music than our other records,' they says M.C. Taylor, 'but I'm sure it'll just get called alt-country. There are a million horrible country-rock bands out there. Who wants to be one of them? It's totally boring."

And the Austin Chronicle this week brings together Okkervil/Shearwater's Will Sheff and Centro-matic's Will Johnson for a chat...

Only two days to go till the Mercury Music Prize verdict and the tension is almost...non-existent. reallyrather has a small wager resting on the outcome, however, and is thinking of little else, oh yes. So who's it to be? Back in May this blog put up Athlete's Vehicles & animals as a shortlist dead-cert and so it proved. 9-1 shots originally, they've been backed down to 5-1 in recent days. It's smartly produced, eminently radio-friendly but still under-exposed, yet they must not win. 2 or 3 mildy catchy chorsues and a few stick-on bloops and beats do not a great album make. There's a dispiriting lassitude across most of the album, like being battered to death with pillows. Pale & polite young chaps singing of maybe going to El Salvador or perhaps Dungeness? No. If it's coffee-table Britpop the judges are looking for this time round then Coldplay ought to prevail. However...
...given this jury's tendency to favour newcomers, they might not. On this count also scratch the chances of Radiohead's 3rd or 4th best album, Hail to the thief. The other hot tip has been Dizzee Rascal whose Boy in da corner apparently pushes the bounds of UK garage, well according to lots and lots of white middle-class rock scribes at least. But can the prize go to a blend of urban beats and black street sociology two years running? rr thinks maybe not. And so to The Darkness and their debut Permission to land. Undeniably, this album carries echoes of some of the most overblown excesses ever committed in the name of R-O-C-K rock. Meatloaf, Rush, Queen, Yes, they're all here. And yet, and yet... For the swagger, the humour and energy, for the sheer trend-defying effrontery of it all, The Darkness it surely has to be (and the tunes ain't bad, either)...

Meanwhile, in a parallel universe...
'Easily one of the best albums released this year,' says Splendid having recently caught up with Sufjan Stevens' Greetings from Michigan. Here here, says reallyrather. Hear here, actually. Stevens' claims that the record is part one of a monster project, namely writing and recording an album inspired by each and every State in America. If the other places prove as inspiring as his home state we'd better start setting aside funds...

As the new Nadine album finally appears - well, Trampoline Records claim it was released Sept 2 but it's not yet available through any of the usual e-vendors - an early (hometown) review. And this week's Riverfront Times marks the release with a big feature on the band, which now includes 'slashing, flashing guitar player' Jimmy Griffin and latest drummer Brian Zielie who tells the Times, 'It's true that they had a fan base and a certain sound, and then Jimmy and I come in and we're wrecking it. Sometimes I wonder if people can handle what's happening." You have been warned...