The Music Note

Last night, I watched the fourth instalment of Josh Rouse's Late Night Conversations  concert series, hosted by Stageit .  This edition has been my favourite of the series to date.  Not only was the setlist comprised almost entirely of early to mid Rouse material and rarities (aside from two brand new tracks), but a lot of my personal favourites were played, which I find pretty cool in a set list spanning a 30 minute show.  Not only that, but Josh finally played my song request of 'Sad Eyes'!  But more on that later... Josh opened the set with 'Late Night Conversation' and 'Michigan', followed by 'The Whole Night Through'.  I felt this trio of songs were a perfect start to the show, appropriately setting the autumn theme for what is the October edition of this concert series.  Josh played harmonica throughout 'Late Night Conversation' which was a lovely touch.  I was especially thrilled to hear 'The Whole Night Through' - it...

I've been listening to this album a lot recently.  I was unaware of its existence until last month when I stumbled upon it whilst browsing iTunes .  As a big fan of Everything Everything, I knew this EP - featuring nine of the original eleven tracks from their debut  Man Alive , played live at London's Roundhouse - was a must-have download. The best way to describe this EP would be to say that it's a 'louder' version of Man Alive .  If that's possible.  Crazy hooks, clashing synths, falsetto vocals and totally random lyrics - pretty much all of the qualities that made Man Alive  such a uniquely addictive debut - are all present here, just on an enhanced level.  From listening to the EP, it's clear that the band make for a great live act and though all the instrumentation is tight, the backing vocals are particularly impressive. I think the most noteworthy track here is 'NASA Is On Your Side'.  Jonathan Higg's lead vocals work beautifully...

If there is one song on The Killers' latest album  Battle Born that indicates a return to their former sounds pre- Day & Age , then 'The Rising Tide' is surely it.  Opening with an impressive 40 second electro infused intro that wouldn't sound out of place on debut  Hot Fuss , the track then evolves into a surge of rocking guitars, powerful vocals and atmospheric lyrics, reminiscent of the Springsteen influence that was ever so present on 2006's Sam's Town.  ' The Rising Tide'   has all the qualities of a future single, and is one of the standout tracks on what is admittedly a grower of an album.

Last night, Josh Rouse delivered the third instalment of his Late Night Conversations concert series, hosted by Stageit .  Unlike the last two shows in which he was joined by Caio Bellveser on piano and bass, this September edition saw Josh perform the entire set solo.  However, much to the delight of fans watching, the format of the concert remained the same, with Josh playing a varied setlist comprised of new material, tracks from previous albums, song requests and rarities - all played live from his home in Valencia, Spain. Josh opened the set with two new songs - 'Western Isle' and 'City People, City Things'.  Both tracks sounded good, but I particularly liked 'Western Isle' .   Though it's always difficult to give an opinion on new songs, not just because this is the first time I've heard them, but if these tracks do feature on the new album, they are bound to sound different if played with fuller instrumentation, compared to just an acousti...