#09056 The Maccabees

The Maccabees – Wall Of Arms
UK: 4th May – Fiction

Wall Of Arms is a great beyond their debut album, after the band absorbed elements of Arcade Fire, makes them outstanding out of those new British bands. The Maccabees are not from Isreal. instead they’re based in Brighton. The post punk five-piece is on the top of their career, this album is surely the album of the year or at least five-star.

Outstanding tracks: ‘Can You Give It’ & ‘One Hand Holding’.

Back Catalogue:

Colour It In (Fiction, 2007)

#09055 Blackbud

Blackbud – Blackbud
UK: 8th Jun – Independiente

Sophomore album from Bath’s Blackbud, three years after their debut. The band gain major influence from Jeff Buckley’s Grace, especially the the singing style. Dark and bluesy, this self-titled album is heavier in rhythm section and more gorgeous guitar solo. Blackbud is finding their own way.

Outstanding track: ‘Left Your Arms Empty’.

Back Catalogue:

Blackbud (Independiente, 2006)

#09054 The Rumble Strips

The Rumble Strips – Welcome To The Walk Alone
UK: 8th Jun – Fallout/Island

The follow up to their debut album two years ago, The Rumble Strips come back with Welcome To The Walk Alone. An easy and short album full of maginificent orchestral pieces, with a voice can be compared to Kevin Rowland, The Rumble Strips is the recent days Dexys Midnight Runners without Celtic. Not stunning as their previous works but still worth a four-star.

Outstanding track: ‘Not The Only Person’.

Back Catalogue:
Girls And Weather (Fallout/Island, 2007)

#09053 Ripchord

Ripchord – Beginners Luck
UK: 21st Nov (2008) – 1965
JP: 15th Jul – Vinyl Junkie

Beginners Luck is the debut album from Wolverhampton’s Ripchord, who formed while in their teens. Then caught signed by 1965 Records, releasing their debut single in late 2006. The album was released as MP3 download at the end of last year, but not until the next July, it gets a physical version released in a Japanese indie label. Beginners Luck is full of retrospective sound from 1960’s or 1970’s and can be describled as Power Pop. Too joyful to enjoy the whole album.

Outstanding track: ‘Lock Up Your Daughters (And Throw Away The Key)’.

#09052 Placebo

Placebo – Battle For The Sun
UK: 8th Jun – Dream Brother

For the first time, Placebo leaving the Elevator label (initially Hut then Virgin) to release new materials in their new label Dream Brother, which can be found on the lyrics of the title track. Now welcome their third drummer since the band formed 15 years ago, the 20 something may not play as well as the previous roles, but that doesn’t affect Placebo becoming superstars. Battle For The Sun is a conceptual album that maybe telling a man from cradle to grave.

Outstanding tracks: ‘Astray Heart’ & ‘Battle For The Sun’.

Back Catalogue:

Recently, EMI (the parent label of Hut and Virgin) releasing a box set of 8 CDs and 2 DVDs of previous Placebo works, titled ‘The Hut Recordings’.

It contains:
CD1: Placebo (1996)
CD2: Without You I’m Nothing (1998)
CD3: Black Market Music (2000)
CD4: Sleeping With Ghosts (2003)
CD5: Sleeping With Ghosts bonus covers CD (2003)
CD6: Meds (2006)
CD7: The B-sides
CD8: More B-sides along with some live tracks
DVD1: Once More With Feeling/Videos 1996-2004 (2004)
DVD2: Soulmates Never Die/Live In Paris 2003 (2004)

Also don’t forget there’s a compilation the CD version of Once More With Feeling was also released in 2004.
And a ’10th Anniversary Edition’ of their debut self-titled album was re-issued in 2006.

#09051 Engineers

Engineers – Three Fact Fader
UK: KScope – 6th Jul

It’s been four years since their stunning debut, Engineers come back with their eagerly-awaited second full length. Inspite of the dropping by their former label Echo, the band still got to work on new materials. Three Fact Fader is still psychedica, shoegazing but more electronica in beats. The ablum worth the wait.

Oustanding track: ‘Sometimes I Realise’.

Back Catalogue:
Engineers (Echo, 2005)
Folly [mini] (Echo, 2004)

V114 – The Maccabees

Three videos from The Maccabees recent album ‘Wall Of Arms’.

The first Love You Better

The second, new single: Can You Give It

The last one No Kind Words

The Best Half 2009

The best albums so far, up to June 2009.

In random order:
White Lies – To Lose My Life (Fiction)
Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (Domino)
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (Fortuna Pop!)
The Bishops – For Now (W2)
Red Light Company – Fine Fascination (Lavolta)
1990s – Kicks (Rough Trade)
It Hugs Back – Inside Your Guitar (4AD)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz! (Dress Up/Polydor)
Super Furry Animals – Dark Nights/Light Years (Rough Trade)
Golden Silvers – True Romance (XL)
British Sea Power – Man Of Aran (Rough Trade)
The Maccabees – Wall Of Arms (Fiction)
Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications (Rough Trade)
Manic Street Preachers – Journal For Plague Lovers (Columbia)
Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (Paradise)
The Rumble Strips – Welcome To The Walk Alone (Fallout)
God Help The Girl – God Help The Girl (Rough Trade)