Foals Live @ Southampton Guildhall

Foals released their debut album, Antidotes, in 2008. The album proved something of a hit with critics and fans alike, with the Oxford 5-piece’s changes of tempo and key changes being categorized as ‘math-rock’. The second album, Total Life Forever, which was released towards the end of 2010, was equally well-received. However, it was a completely different album to the debut, with a much more atmospheric and relaxed sound compared to the fast-paced thrills of Antidotes. So, would Foals be able to take two albums, which are so different and translate them into a credible live show? Yes, very easily. Opening with the first track from Total Life Forever, ‘Blue Blood’, Foals provided a chillingly beautiful show from start to finish on a cold November evening.

Album Review: Kings Of Leon - Come Around Sundown

‘Fans’ of earlier Kings Of Leon material, those who believed the band went commercial with their fourth album, Only By The Night, look away now. Come Around Sundown sold 183,000 copies in its first week, including 49,000 downloads - an all-time record for digital sales in any album's opening week. So, with figures like that, I think it’s safe to say that the four boys from Tennessee are well and truly mainstream.

Yet, too much emphasis has been placed on the ‘commercial’ sound of Only By The Night. Music should not be judged on how many people like it. It should be judged on whether it’s any good. Even the band has reacted negatively towards the otherwise hugely successful fourth album, suggesting weren’t ready for the attention it garnered. Further comments from the band implying that they had let the success get to them only served to exasperate the problem.

Kanye West - Runaway (Full-length Film)

Kanye West's film about his relationship with a Phoenix girl who has fallen from the sky is certainly different, shall we say. Personally, I love it. But whilst some of the visuals are undoubtedly incredible, I believe the real masterpiece of this film is the music. The songs should all be set to appear on his new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. From the snippets of the songs that are played over the film, I reckon this album will be huge.

Radiohead's Kid A - 10 Years On

Radiohead’s fourth album, Kid A, was released 10 years ago to a chorus of unsettled critics. After making their major breakthrough with The Bends and their hugely successful third album, Ok Computer, the Oxford five-piece decided to completely change direction. The result of this was yet more success – Kid A went platinum in its first week – but it also alienated many of the fans gained by Ok Computer.

Initially, Kid A sounded like it was produced by an over-excited computer nerd. However, whilst it was difficult to adjust to Radiohead’s new sound at first, eventually Thom Yorke and Co’s new effort weaved its way into ‘classic’ status. The initial bars of ‘Everything In Its Right Place’ proved disconcerting to many, a complete departure from anything that went before.

Cover Versions from Heaven and Hell!

Cover versions are almost always worse than the original. This tends to work as a general rule when listening to a cover. There are some very notable exceptions though. Johnny Cash’s version of Nine Inch Nails song, ‘Hurt’, is so good in fact, that Trent Reznor (NIN front man) doesn’t even consider the song as his anymore.



However, my favourite cover version has to be Nirvana’s cover of ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’. The song is a traditional American folk song, most often associated with the American musician Lead Belly, who recorded several versions in the 1940s. Yet, Kurt Cobain and Co. brought a completely different dimension to the song, creating a haunting and incredibly sinister version on the band’s MTV Unplugged in New York album. Cobain’s intensity bubbles over throughout the song, culminating in the screamed final verse.

Kings of Leon Radioactive Live in Chicago 7-24-10

New song sounds so much better live!!! I really don't get the choir on the recorded version, all it does is subject themselves to more fans branding them as sell-outs!!

Radioactive - New Kings Of Leon Song, Verdict?

It seems like just yesterday that Kings Of Leon released their fourth and most commercially successful album, Only By The Night. It was actually two years ago. Yet, the overwhelmingly positive public reaction to the album led to copious amounts of airplay. Eventually, there was an inevitable backlash to the new-found popularity of the four Followill’s from Tennessee. Their change in sound from the inaudible Southern Rock of their first two albums, Youth and Young Manhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak, to the alternative arena Rock of the third and forth albums, caused the hardcore fans who followed the band from the start to shun them in response to their commercial breakthrough.

Muse Live @ Manchester Lancashire County Cricket Club

Extravagant? Check. Ridiculous? Check. Impressive? Check. Muse are certainly going to leave a big void in the world of live music when they take a break from touring following this current three-gig run.

Muse have been wowing crowds for years now, and I expected the show to be impressive. However, what I didn’t expect was the huge triangular stage, lots of flashing lights, a big roaming eye, flying saucers, a moving stage and an overworked projectionist. Exaggerating? Only slightly, it really was a spectacle to behold. With the world seemingly coming to an end around the band, it would be easy to forget that the music is what everyone was there for in the first place.

Why I Love The Libertines

Last night The Libertines returned to perform their first reunion show in front of fans who had won tickets through a ballot. I had one of these tickets, but unfortunately work commitments prevented me from watching one of my favourite bands in action. This weekend though, thousands will watch as the four men who formed The Libertines: Carl Barat, Pete Doherty, John Hassall and Gary Powell, return to play the main stage at Reading and Leeds Festival.

Now, I don’t expect everyone to agree, but The Libertines were without doubt one of the best bands of the last 10 years. However, unlike NME, who recently proclaimed that: 'the story of The Libertines is the greatest of a generation of British music fans.' It was not the stories about The Libertines that endeared them to me, but the music. Along with The Strokes, The Libertines defined a genre of music for the years that followed. They were The Clash for a new generation.

What I'm Listening to at the moment...

The charts are a bit uneventful at the moment… other than the intriguing and infuriatingly catchy, ‘We No Speak Americano’. New Albums have also dried up a bit since Arcade Fire and Eminem released their new efforts.

However, hopefully Klaxons’ new album, Surfing The Void, will reinvigorate things again. Furthermore, due to my significant lack of funds, I am not going to Reading, even though two of my favourite bands are playing (that is Arcade Fire and The Libertines by the way). So, I thought I would give you a peak at my IPod, to see what I’m listening to at the moment.

Eminem, ’25 To Life’ (from Recovery): Eminem is back to his formidable best, and ’25 To Life’ captures this better than any other song on Recovery. The song is about Em’s tempestuous relationship with rap music: “When you spoke to people who meant the most to you/You left me off your list/Fuck you hip-hop/I’m leaving you, my life sentence is served bitch.” For Eminem, rap has simultaneously brought him out of poverty, whilst also leading him down a road of self-destruction. With a great chorus, killer rap and a brilliant beat over an acoustic guitar, this song really has everything that makes Mr. Mathers a genius.

Arcade Fire - Suburban War

This is another new favourite from Arcade Fire's new album..... I know I keep banging on about Arcade Fire at the moment but this album truly is stunning!! Please, please, please give it a try because Arcade Fire are one of the most inspiring and brilliant bands around at the moment!!

Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

Why Are Arcade Fire Critic-proof?

‘[Arcade Fire] have judged their moment perfectly, and this deserves to be their ‘Automatic For The People’; an album that combines mass accessibility with much greater ambition.’ NME

‘You could call it their OK Computer. But it’s arguably better than that.’ BBC Music

‘The Suburbs' two most important achievements are to a) be good and b) not be a rehash of its predecessors.’ Drowned in Sound

‘The Suburbs’ is probably Arcade Fire’s most daring record to date; in places very new and forward thinking while very retro elsewhere.’ Musicradar

Arcade Fire have just released their third album, entitled The Suburbs. Once again, critics have showered the Canadian band’s new album with heaps of praise.

Bombay Bicycle Club - Dust On The Ground

Bombay Bicycle Club Live Acoustic Gig @ St George's Church Bristol

The quality of a song can always be measured by hearing it in its most basic form. The acoustic version of a song can reveal its true beauty, if it still engages you, then it must be good. Having already built up a passionate following after their debut album, I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, Bombay Bicycle Club decided to change direction, and duly released their acoustic album titled, Flaws.

It was certainly a risk to ditch the electric guitars barely a year after the release of their incredibly successful debut; however, it has proved to be a risk worth taking. Flaws is a beautiful album, one that has been further enhanced by the band’s decision to promote the album on a tour around the churches of the United Kingdom.

This decision was completely justified by the simplistic surrounding and brilliant acoustics provided by St George’s church in Bristol.

Eminem - No Love ft. Lil Wayne (Recovery)

Album Review: Eminem - Recovery

This is the album that Relapse should have been. Eminem returns just over a year after his previous output with Recovery, arguably his best album since The Eminem Show. Recovery is Eminem’s 7th studio album, and takes a bold step away from his previous work, perhaps to show his growing maturity.

Relapse was not a bad album, yet it failed to deliver anything to match Marshall’s previous back catalogue, other than a handful of highlights.

It is possibly for this very reason that Eminem scrapped Relapse 2, and replaced it with Recovery, as the man himself stated: ‘the idea of a sequel to Relapse started to make less and less sense to me, and I wanted to make a completely new album’.

Paul McCartney Hey Jude Isle of Wight 2010

Isle Of Wight Festival 2010 - 11th-13th June

What a way to kick off the festival season. Isle of Wight may not have the reputation to match Glastonbury or Reading/Leeds, but this year it will be difficult for either festival to match the three brilliant headliners of Jay-Z, The Strokes, and Sir Paul McCartney. Granted, Glastonbury has had both Jay-Z and McCartney in recent years; however, to get both to appear in the same year, and add the seminal New Yorker’s is an achievement which should help increase the reputation of the festival.

The atmosphere was buzzing as expectant campers arrived for a weekend of fantastic music and by the time 4pm hit on Friday everyone was desperate for the music to begin.

The Maccabees - LEGO

NME Tour 2010 @ Bristol 02 Academy

The 2010 NME Tour provided one of my musical highlights of 2010 with an extremely strong line-up. Having already seen The Maccabees twice, this gig was more about the new acts breaking through in 2009/10 and Bombay Bicycle Club, The Big Pink and The Drums are possibly some of the best new bands to surface recently. The bands which have opened previous NME tours have often gone on to big things, some of the previous openers have been: Florence and The Machine, The Ting Tings, Kaiser Chiefs, and Coldplay.

The Drums took the opening slot for 2010 because of the hype (mostly from NME themselves) that surrounds their Beach Boys/Cure sound, and the hype is perfectly just if this performance was anything to go by. With songs such as ‘Let’s Go Surfing’, ‘I Felt So Stupid’ and the brilliant ‘Best Friend’ the four boys from New York are certain to take 2010 by storm with their energetic live performances. Frontman Jonathan Pierce appears so comfortable and confident on stage with some quirky dancing to accompany his Robert Smith-esque vocals.

Album Review: The Dead Weather - Sea Of Cowards

Can Jack White do no wrong? Whilst many of us dream of setting up one decent band, White is making more awesome music in yet another completely different creation. The Dead Weather is White’s third side project, alongside the brilliant The White Stripes, and excellent, The Raconteurs. The Nashville foursome joined forces last year after an impromptu jam at one of White’s studios, and very quickly released the impressive debut album Horehound.

Now, less than a year after the first album was released, comes The Dead Weather’s second album, Sea of Cowards. The title alone sets the tone for the rest of the album, it is gritty, disturbing and raw. The mayhem begins with the snarling ‘Blue Blood Blues’, with Jack taking lead vocals. It is a strong opening song which is reminiscent of ‘I Cut Like a Buffalo’ from Horehound. ‘Hustle and Cuss’ continues in a similar vein, with a very simple, but repetitive guitar simmering over White’s drumming.

F.E.A.R. (IAN BROWN)

Ian Brown – My Way

My Way is the sixth studio offering from the ex-Stone Roses front man Ian Brown. Whilst the trend for reforming bands has been prominent recently, it shows the strength of Brown’s solo career that there has yet to be any serious mention of The Stone Roses coming back.

‘Stellify’, the lead single, kicks off proceedings here. Deriving from Latin and translating as ‘to change or be changed into a star’, it’s an immediate, concise example of latter day Ian Brown. It’s ever building, pounding keyboard stabs - which you can not help but tap along to - make it the ideal opener, setting the tone for the rest of the album.

The dramatic clanging bells of ‘Crowning of the Poor’ are more reminiscent of previous Brown albums, yet it is further evidence of the catchy beats that make this album so good. ‘In the Year 2525’ is another highlight from the album, and interestingly, a cover of the 1969 hit by Zager and Evans.

My Weekly Music Blog!!

Hellllooooooo,

I'm Andy Baber and I am a big music fan......very big music fan, infact. So, I thought I would start up a regular music blog detailing any music that i'm enjoying, whether it be albums, bands, a gig or a particular festival. Hopefully a few people might enjoy it and pick up some new music by following my blog, whilst I get to write about something I love!! Please leave comments if you are particularly interested in any point i've made, whether it be good or bad. If anybody dislikes a band or song i've written on, then by all means say so; however, do try and be constructive (unless you are talking about Scouting For Girls, because let's face it....they are SHIT!!). I'm going to start by posting some reviews I did for The Edge (the student entertainment magazine at my Uni). Some of these are fairly old but I thought they would be good to get things started!!

Hope you enjoy my thoughts on music, and please don't hesitate to comment, especially if you find a new band that you like and reckon more people should hear..... new music, whether it be good or bad, is ALWAYS important!!!