Album Review : RM Hubbert

It's not often I get to review a Scottish, or even Glaswegian, artist on this site and when I do it seems to end up being dross like Kassidy. Ugh. Three cheers, then, for the mighty RM Hubbert and his new record Thirteen Lost & Found.

Signed up to Chemikal Underground now, the former El Hombre Trajeado man once again showcases his marvellous acoustic guitar skills along with guest spots from the likes of Aidan Moffat, Alex Kapranos and Alasdair Roberts. It really is an excellent record, reminding me (perhaps not stylistically but certainly in spirit) of Papa M's Live From a Shark Cage. You can, of course, get the review at The Line Of Best Fit.

It's nice to know that when you click here, you'll be able read a positive review and hopefully go out and seek out the music.

Album Review : The Soft Hills

As any regular passers-by to the site might now, I love a bit of country rock. If it sounds like Neil Young and Crazy Horse, I'm in. So, on listening to The Bird Is Coming Down To Earth, the second full-length from Seattle's The Soft Hills I was delighted to hear echoes of Laurel Canyon and psych rock, and of course old Shakey himself.

You can read more about the album over at The Line Of Best Fit, or do the clicking thing on this lovely link.

Album Review : Milagres

In the continuing saga of bands with one word names, enter Brooklyn's Milagres. Signed to Kill Rock Stars yet not possessing a hipster swagger to speak of, Kyle Wilson's band are a gang of indie traditionalists with an ear for a little experimentation.

Debut album Glowing Mouth is out this coming Monday via Memphis Industries in the UK and veers between quite lovely and occasionally dull. You can read more via The Line Of Best Fit.

There's echoes of Wild Beasts, Jeff Buckley, Grizzly Bear and Coldplay, and should that pique your interest, click over here.

Album Review : Canyons

In a day for reviews of bands with short names, I turn my attention to Aussie duo Canyons, and their debut album Keep Your Dreams. A production and remix team, they've created a record of dance/rock moves, mixing techno and house with some indie and soft rock, and it's an interesting record, with some great and not-so-great moments.

As always, head to The Line Of Best Fit to read more. If you like Cut Copy and M83, you're in roughly the same ballpark, but Canyons are a wee bit more clubby, a wee bit more danceable....

Keep on clickin' on.

Album Review : Howler

Hello! It's 2012 and this blog is still going.....that's cause for celebration itself! High fives all round!

Someone should tell Howler that it's 2012 and not either 1977 or 2001. The great white hope have just released their debut album, America Give Up, in the midst of great acclaim from the likes of NME and The Fly (front covers all round, well done chaps), and the record is even released by Rough Trade. It says a lot about the state of music - or at least the world of music as the NME sees it - that a bunch of kids who are basically playing Strokes covers are being touted as essential listening.

Anyway, there are some decent songs on America Give Up, so it's not entirely devoid of hope, and to read more of my critical assault you can head to The Line Of Best Fit to read more.

But you can guess that I don't like 'em much.....click click.