The Music Note

As part of his most recent UK tour, Bryan Ferry returned to London a fortnight ago, for a unique 'Evening With' performance at the Royal Albert Hall. The concert comes almost a year after the release of  The Jazz Age , a record that offers a unique approach to both Roxy Music's catalogue and Ferry's solo work, with a collection of songs recorded instrumentally by the Bryan Ferry Orchestra. The album is an intriguing listen in that it features such an eclectic track listing, from the classics ('Love Is The Drug', 'Slave To Love') to the arguably not so predictable ('Just Like You', 'The Only Face'), all the while remaining authentic to the inspiration that is the basis for the album - the jazz sounds of the 1920's, which not only defined the era, but has proved a major influence on music in years since. The Bryan Ferry Orchestra opened the two-hour set with 'Do The Strand', which effortlessly progressed into a further se...

The last time I saw John Mayer live was in 2010, when he embarked on his first ever UK arena tour, in support of fourth studio album - 2009's  Battle Studies . The past three years has seen Mayer undergo surgery for a throat condition, and subsequently go on to release 2012's Born And Raised , followed by Paradise Valley  just over a year later. Admittedly, I haven't been overly enthralled with any of the studio albums released since 2006's Continuum . While I feel that Battle Studies  lacks the strength and consistency of  Continuum , I viewed it as a transitional album, and envisioned that his next release would be more along the lines of a John Mayer Trio inspired studio record, or even something of a jazz-orientated genre. As it is, the last two releases have had a mostly country sound, with both albums having a more 'quiet' feel than any of his previous efforts. This is by no means a criticism, there are standout tracks on both records, particularly Born An...

Josh Rouse's Bedroom Classics series could certainly be viewed as a collection of lost treasures among his broad catalogue of full length records. The EPs, which are comprised of three separate volumes, have been gradually released over the course of his fifteen-year career, appearing perhaps, somewhat quietly in between his ten studio albums. Though brief in duration at about five tracks per volume, all of the EPs vary in genre, with volumes one and three also featuring demos of tracks that would eventually appear on later studio releases. In this post, I will be focusing on 2005's  Bedroom Classics, Vol. 2 , the first album to be released on Rouse's independent Bedroom Classics label. Inspired by Rouse's love of film scores, the EP, of which two of the five tracks are instrumental, has a moody and atmospheric tone running throughout. The spacious arrangements and rich instrumentation on 'The Last Train' are so endearing, they are somehow more effective at ...

Ahead of next week's release of fourth studio album,  Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action , Franz Ferdinand returned to London last night to play a sold-out gig at Electric Brixton. The intimate performance, in which tickets were initially only available to purchase through a lottery, marks the band's first London gig since 2009 - the same year that saw the release of their last studio album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand . After four years, and as a long-time fan of the band, I was eager to hear the new songs, along with material from past albums, in a live setting. The band emerged to a cheering crowd at 9:30pm and wasted no time in getting the set underway with lead single 'Right Action', from the upcoming album. This was followed by 'No You Girls' and the harmonious, bass driven grooves of 'Tell Her Tonight'. New songs 'Bullet' and 'Love Illumination' suggest a return to the former sounds of their first two records, with strong ...

Taken from his 2006 album Better Things , Jonah Werner's 'Falling Star' is an excitable fusion of wistful vocals and dreamy melodies. Werner's direct lyrics and rhythmic vocal delivery effortlessly leads the song from verse to bridge, though it's the sweeping choruses, complete with uplifting backing harmonies, that are the true defining moments of the track.

On 'Quarter Life Crisis', James Craise's soulful vocals deliver lyrics that are raw and honest. Lines like "Dreading Sunday, knowing that it's Monday / When I wake, it's more than I can take" are universally relatable, and succeed in being comforting rather than pessimistic. Though this is mostly due to Craise's impressively powerful vocal range, the track has a strong, flowing structure that adds further depth to the lyrics. A delicate piano is the dominating instrument, while strings and unison vocals add an effective intensity and richness to the song.

Glorious melodies and unpredictable hooks are a plenty on Red Sails' 'Looking Out To Sea'. The track offers up a sublime mix of sounds, from smooth guitars and tinkering keys to crashing drums, all of which flow effortlessly alongside soulful vocals and backing harmonies. Though the song is instantly addictive, solid production results in further interesting elements - both instrumentally and structurally - being revealed upon each additional listen.

Playing Wembley Stadium is a feat few bands achieve in their career, but for The Killers, last Saturday's gig at the 90,000-capacity venue holds further sentiment in that it marks a decade since the band's first ever UK gig, at intimate club, The Dublin Castle in Camden. In those ten years, the band have released four studio albums, ranked up 20 million worldwide record sales and played countless festival headlining slots, all of which have culminated to this mammoth gig at Wembley - their largest performance to date. The band took to the stage just before 9:00pm, with Brandon Flowers playing 'Enterlude' solo on the piano. The set then got underway with fan favourite 'When You Were Young', followed by the equally energetic 'Spaceman'. Flowers' vocals were on top form throughout the two-hour gig, though it was the Battle Born material that really demonstrated his range, most evidently on 'The Way It Was' and 'Miss Atomic Bomb' - both...

After the rich, soulful sounds of John Mayer's third studio album Continuum , I was curious and perhaps slightly sceptical at the thought of an acoustic EP based on that album. Though this is due in part, to the fact that, as I have mentioned in a previous post , I prefer listening to music with a full band rather than acoustically, in the case of The Village Sessions , there were more factors which contributed to my general lack of excitement prior to its release. Firstly, I love the production on Continuum , the instrumentation holds a consistent warmth and fullness that is complimented by slick arrangements and Mayer's thought provoking lyrics, overall culminating in a soulful, solid sound that runs throughout the album. However, it was attending the live shows throughout the Continuum era (and listening to all of the amazing fan-made recordings from the tours) that gave me a fuller appreciation of the album - the songs just sounded so damn good live, arguably even better t...

Two months after his surprise intimate gig at The Lock Tavern in Camden, Josh Rouse returned to London last Wednesday to perform at the Islington Assembly Hall, in support of his most recent album,  The Happiness Waltz . Josh took to the stage with a full band to play to a sold-out crowd of 700 fans, a very different atmosphere to The Lock Tavern gig, in which he played a solo acoustic set in a cosy upstairs room in a pub. Since I purchased the tickets to the gig through PledgeMusic , my friend Steve and I got the opportunity to attend a meet and greet with Josh and watch him and his band soundcheck in preparation for the evening's performance. The soundcheck was like a concert in itself, with Josh playing eight tracks, all of which got us excited for the night ahead, though it was hearing the first verse and chorus of 'It Looks Like Love' that really got my feet tapping, and left me hoping that the song would be included in the evening's setlist. I always enjoy watc...

Franz Ferdinand have announced that their fourth studio album,  Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action , will be released on August 26. The album, which is the band's follow-up to 2009's Tonight: Franz Ferdinand , has a confirmed track listing of ten songs, seven of which were debuted recently at an intimate gig in Glasgow. This album will be an interesting and eagerly awaited release, especially since Tonight , quite deservedly, received a mixed response from critics upon its release. I think part of the problem with Tonight ,   was that it was previewed as a heavy departure from the previous sounds of their 2004 debut Franz Ferdinand  and 2005's follow-up You Could Have It So Much Better , with the album promising Jamaican influences, along with elements of electro. Upon release however, it was clear that aside from one or two tracks,  Tonight pretty much sounded like any other Franz Ferdinand album, which would have been great if the material on it had o...

  Released as the second single from their 2006 album Ganging Up On The Sun , I initially found this Guster track to be somewhat of a grower, especially in comparison to the rest of the album, the majority of which I warmed to almost immediately upon the first few listens. However, there is something so subtlety endearing about the song, a quality that perhaps refreshingly, isn't glaringly obvious on first impression, that over time the track gradually featured more and more frequently in my Guster listening marathons. All aspects of the song - vocals, lyrics, instrumentation, tempo, structure - all contribute to an overall captivating listen, with verses that feature lines of "Shining like a work of art / Hanging on a wall of stars / Are you what I think you are" leading into choruses that offer up equally dreamy lyrics - "You're riding with me tonight / Passenger side, lighting the sky / Always the first star that I find". Though, the defining moments occu...

Last week, Everything Everything appeared on Later... with Jools Holland to perform a few songs from their current album Arc . The band played 'Cough Cough' and 'Kemosabe', both of which highlighted their penchant for interesting hooks and falsetto vocals, while tight musicianship and unison backing harmonies provided further proof of why they are such a unique and exciting band - both live and on record.

Michael Jackson's music is so widely known and admired, that it is debatable as to whether any of his songs can be classed as underrated, especially for hardcore fans of his work. That being said, I do think there are certain tracks that fly under the radar and are often overlooked in favour of the universally recognised classics such as 'Thriller', 'Billie Jean' and 'Man In The Mirror'. Below is a list of what I feel to be underrated Jackson songs, most of which have been selected based on listening to Jackson's catalogue as a whole, while others have been chosen because I feel they are underrated on the specific album on which they appear. 'I Can't Help It' ( Off The Wall ) On Off The Wall , an album largely made up of uptempo disco tunes, 'I Can't Help It' is an understated gem. Co-written by Stevie Wonder, the soulful track is dominated by an irresistibly seductive bass line that draws the listener in from the start. ...

Last Tuesday, Josh Rouse played an intimate solo acoustic gig at The Lock Tavern in Camden, London.  The free admission show, which had only been announced two days earlier, was an unexpected treat for fans like myself, who are eagerly awaiting Josh's UK tour at the end of May.  On arrival at The Lock Tavern, I was surprised but thrilled at how small the setting was - this wasn't like the venues I was used to seeing Rouse in, instead it was a cosy upstairs room in a pub, packed full of people enjoying their drinks and looking forward to an evening of live music. The performance coincided nicely with last week's release of his tenth studio album The Happiness Waltz , with Josh explaining he was in the UK for the week doing promo for the album which led to this last minute gig.  He then proceeded with the hour long set, which included a healthy balance of material from the new release, along with much loved classics from previous albums. Josh opened the set with th...

Josh Rouse's delicate cover of 'The Perfect Girl' couldn't be in further contrast to The Cure's original version of the song.  With soft piano and a relaxed tempo that finely compliment Rouse's signature smooth vocals, the overall result is a beautifully unique, yet classic cover of a great track.  This version appears on Rouse's Singles, Covers And Demos Collection Vol. 1 , that is available to download from the Bedroom Classics Closet Archives page on his website.

"I'm running away with you / That's all I ever do" sings Peter Doherty on 'For Lovers', a song that is lyrically uncomplicated, yet beautifully sentimental.  The instrumentation is also simple but effective, with a piano arrangement that adds depth and a further poignancy to the track's lyrics.  Doherty's lingering vocals effortlessly deliver lines of "Meet me at the railroad bar / About 7 o'clock / We joke while the sun goes down / Watch the lovers / Leaving town", that progress into a soulful chorus backed by drums and guitar.

Unsigned You is a website that draws recognition to independent music by allowing unsigned artists and bands to come together in one place to post music, videos and other music related media.  The networking site is a highly useful tool, as it gives members the opportunity to promote their music and get connected to other like-minded musicians.  In addition to users being able to upload music, videos and photos, Unsigned You also features a live newsfeed, forum, blog, and an events page. This week saw the launch of the site's newest feature, Unsigned You PRO, which provides unsigned musicians with a platform to promote and sell their music, gig tickets and merchandise online. Unsigned You PRO supports unsigned artists and bands through powerful social media campaigns and showcase gigs, while also providing them with an artist and band development programme, specialising in everything from original songwriting to bespoke album art design, CD production and distribution. ...

Given the choice, I much prefer listening to music with a full band, compared to acoustically.  I do enjoy acoustic music, but for me it's just not the same as the excitement of hearing a full band, whether it be on a studio recording or in a live performance setting.  However, there are a few acoustic albums that I have found myself listening to a lot lately. The Silver Seas'  Chateau Revenge! - Blue Edition  is a re-recorded and instrumentally stripped down version of their original Chateau Revenge! album. What I really like about this alternative track-by-track rework of the original recording is that the majority of the songs take a refreshingly unique approach to the acoustic genre, with a fair few of the tracks sounding completely different to that of the original studio album.  This is by no means a criticism of the original album which remains my favourite release of theirs, I just think this alternative version offers some very interesting arrang...

Having been a fan of Everything Everything since their 2010 debut  Man Alive , I'd wanted to see them live for quite some time, however, it was after hearing this   iTunes EP, that I knew they were a must see live band.  As part of the NME Awards Shows series, I was looking forward to seeing my first Everything Everything gig in the intimate nightclub venue that is Heaven in London. The band's signature sound of crazy hooks, off beat tempos and falsetto vocals were as present as ever throughout the hour long set, which comprised of an almost equal selection of tracks from both Man Alive and Arc .  Though the understated 'Undrowned' made for an unusual opener, the proceeding songs of 'Torso Of The Week' and 'Kemosabe' really kicked the set into action. "We're gonna play some party tunes now" announced lead vocalist Jonathan Higgs before launching into crowd favourites 'Schoolin'' and 'Photoshop Handsome', which perfec...

  I listened to Robbers On High Street a lot this past weekend.  Though I rate all of their albums,  Tree City  (as mentioned in my previous post) remains my favourite to date, largely due to the fact that only after the first few listens of the record, I instantly loved the majority of the track list.  Taken from that album, this live version of 'Love Underground', complete with the band's distinctive indie sound and Ben Trokan's smoking hot vocals, is a fine example of what drew me to their music in the first place.

'Big Winter' is the song that initially got me hooked onto Brooklyn based band, Robbers On High Street.  The track appears on the soundtrack to the 2005 film 'Just Friends', and it was while watching this film that I heard the song for the first time.  Instrumentally warm and melodic, I instantly liked what I heard and knew I had to track down the song and discover more about the band behind it.  The lyrics are simple yet effective in delivery, as lines of "That's why it's so hard for me / To have to say goodbye / To take off and fly / To where the sun shines" ride high over strings that progress into a sublime guitar solo. The album on which 'Big Winter' appears, 2005's  Tree City,  is also a much recommended listen and other key tracks from this record include 'Japanese Girls', 'Amanda Green' and 'Love Underground'.

A few weekends ago, Josh Rouse streamed his upcoming album The Happiness Waltz on PledgeMusic.com .  The preview was available for a limited time exclusively to fans who have made pledges in exchange for packages and experiences surrounding the new album through PledgeMusic.  The items/experiences on offer ranged from t-shirts and posters to a private house show and an opportunity to record a song with Josh (I opted for a signed copy of the album and a pair of concert/meet and greet tickets).  While the majority of money raised from the project will go towards the funding of The Happiness Waltz , 10% of any money raised after the goal is reached will be donated to Action Against Hunger. Onto the actual album itself.  With a title like The Happiness Waltz , I assumed the album could be of a similar theme to 1972 , and while there are traces of this album in places, most notably on 'A Lot Like Magic', I see more influences drawn from Nashville , with hints of...

I blame a lack of consistency and over experimentation for the disappointment that was Christina Aguilera's fourth studio album Bionic .  I felt the album was trying to be three albums at once, which wasn't helped by the poor track listing that split the album into strict sections of electro/dance and ballads.  The clash of genres and arguably poor production resulted in a chaotic mess, which may have worked if the album's material had indeed been used towards three separate recordings. (Furthermore, it seems ironic that 'Birds of Prey' - probably the most interesting of the electro tracks, features only on the deluxe edition of  Bionic - the standard version of the album could have benefitted from this song being on the track list, rather than appearing on another disc as a bonus track.) Among bizarre songs like 'I Hate Boys' and 'Vanity', the latter of which include lyrics of "I'm not cocky, I just love myself, bitch!",  Bionic ...