On 19th October 2007, Johnny Marr was made a visiting professor of music at the University of Salford in Manchester. The former Smiths guitarist and incredibly successful solo artist was set to deliver a series of workshops and masterclasses to students on the BA Popular Music and Recording degree. I bet, that the charming man that he is, wasn’t miserable after that.
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.
I must confess that National Album Day, which has been running for 7 years, has kind of passed me by. I am much more keen on Record Store Day. It feels like just a chance for the major labels to reissue loads of back catalogue under the guise of a special day. Yes, I know there is an element of that on Record Store Day. But RSD is targetted at independent record stores, not the likes of HMV. On top of that releases are generally quite limited which makes the whole day more interesting in my opinion. It seems that not too many independent labels are involved in National Album Day compared to RSD. The theme of the day today, 19th October is British Groups.
Back in 2019, I celebrated the tenth anniversary of With Just A Hint Of Mayhem, and part of that celebration was a list of my top ten favourite albums. I have extended that to a top 25 and ignored the British Groups theme (although my list does include 8 British Groups). These are simply my favourite albums of all time! What are yours?
1 Live At The Lyceum 1975 – Bob Marley and the Wailers – If I had a time machine I would go back to 1975 and be there for this gig. Probably the finest live album ever. 2 Diamond Dogs – David Bowie – My favourite Bowie album changes depending on my mood, but more often than not it is the dystopian tale of Halloween Jack and Hunger City 3 Dog Man Star – Suede – I loved Suede’s first album but this took them to a whole new level. Were they Britpop? If so then they were one of the best Britpop acts by far. 4 The Kick Inside – Kate Bush – Choosing the best Catherine Bush album is very difficult, but I go back to this one regularly. 5 OK Computer – Radiohead – There are still some people out there who don’t like, or maybe don’t get, Radiohead. Why the fuck not? This LP is a work of genius. 6 What’s Going On? – Marvin Gaye – Probably the best protest and message album in history and one which is sadly still very pertinent today 7 Delilah Bon – Delilah Bon – possibly the finest debut album of the century so far 8 The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill – is a great modern R&B record which makes Beyonce look like an amateur 9 The White Room – KLF – dance, trance, chill, weirdness. This has everything. But they should have paid PP Arnold! 10 24 Carat Diamond Trephine – Avalanche Party – Without a doubt, the greatest living UK band right now 11 Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy – Elton John – In my opinion this autobiographical masterpiece is easily the greatest album Reg Dwight ever made 12 Skeleton Tree – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – How can anyone put so much emotion, empathy and sadness in a small collection of songs? I have no idea but Nick Cave certainly achieved it with this album. 13 Abbey Road – Beatles – I love many albums from the Fab Four, but this is the one I always come back to. 14 Never Mind The Bollocks – Sex Pistols – An incendiary début from one of the best punk bands ever. What might have happened if they had stayed together? Who knows but an album like this as your legacy is a great thing! 15 Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too – New Radicals – There is not a track I would skip on this album. The band is effectively the genius that is Gregg Alexander who wrote and produced all the songs. 16 Back To Black – Amy Winehouse – stunning voice, sensational performance, what a sad loss to the world 17 Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morrisette – A wonderful album with not a duff track in sight. She never surpassed this, but how can you beat perfect? 18 Ramones – Ramones – The high point and possibly the birth of punk, certainly in the USA 19 Songs In The Key Of Life – Stevie Wonder – So good I can forgive him for that bloody awful “I Just Called To Say I Love You” 20 Quadrohphenia – The Who – An absolute opus which I believe knocks the pants off Tommy 21 London Calling – The Clash – The album that showed they were not just a punk band 22 Sign O’ The Times – Prince – Forget Purple Rain. This was Prince’s Mona Lisa 23 The Lexicon Of Love – ABC – I often feel that music was really overproduced in the 80s. But this is sublime 24 Grace – Jeff Buckley – another great talent we lost too young. This is a monumental magnum opus 25 My Merry Go Round – Johnny Nash – This man, for me, has the most beautiful voice that I have ever heard in my life. This album from 1973 has remained among my favourite albums since its release.
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.
Dead Chic is a collaboration between Damien Felix (Catfish) and Andy Balcon (Heymoonshaker). They used to run into each other while touring with their respective bands, spoke about collaborating, and finally came together in 2020. Why did they get together? Based on their new single “Fortune” clearly to make awesome rock music. The meaty, explosive percussion sound opens and drives the song, making it hard to ignore. That mountainous drum sound is created by Rémi Ferbus. Balcon’s vocal talents are immense and as a listener, you are drawn into this track as though he is a dark, but ultimately good, preacher sermonising on what life as a human in huge cities is like and how we can, and sometimes fail to cope with it. The guitar soundscapes from Felix are immense and soulful. “Fortune” is a taster for their new album, ‘Serenades & Damnation’, which is out next month. This song, which has a hopeful mood, deserves to be huge. Make it so good people of the world!
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.
On the 18th October 2007, the Spice Girls US record label announced that their forthcoming greatest hits album would be made available exclusively at the lingerie chain Victoria’s Secret shops in the US two months ahead of other outlets. That’s pants that is! This was eleven years after “Wannabe” hit number one in almost every country across the world and that was the first of six consecutive UK number ones. Incidentally, 600,000 copies of the Greatest Hits album were sold via the world-famous lingerie chain, but none of those counted toward a chart placing. So the album limped to number 93 in the USA, It hit number two in the UK and reached the chart summit in Australia!
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.
Do you like metal? Do you like metal with orchestration? Do you like harmonious growly metal vocals? If you answered yes to all of these questions you will fucking love “Behelit”, the new single from Slaughter To Prevail. The colossal meaty riffs punch you into a screaming bloody mess and the pummeling bass and drums mesmerise you into further submission. “Behelit” will occupy your soul and never let you go! This is a truly epic tune. The Russian band of mighty metallers control an extensive arsenal of metal sounds. All are showcased in this song. A Behelit is a significant and mysterious artifact with powerful and dark properties in the manga series “Berserk” by Kentaro Miura.
Frontman Alex Terrible said this of the track “I don’t usually watch anime, it’s not for me, but ‘Berserk’ is different. Guts, the main character, he is not like any other warrior. His determination to become the strongest fighter—this is something to respect. But what really gets to me is how he is shown—ruthless, unstoppable, yet with some hidden vulnerability, like you never know what he will do next. Guts is not just fighting enemies; he is battling demons from another world, trying to save humanity from things beyond understanding. What’s interesting is, he doesn’t think of himself as a hero—many times, it seems like he even hates the responsibility of protecting others. But still, his honor makes him continue, driven by something much deeper than just glory. His huge sword is like a symbol of his strength—it’s almost like a metaphor for life. We all have our burdens to carry, and it’s on us to deal with them the best way we can.Actually, my Kid of Darkness character, I take a lot from Guts. There is something very strong, very real in how Guts fights, and I want to show this. Kid of Darkness, it is not only about being brutal—it is about fight inside, like you carry heavy things you never ask for, but still you face them. Guts, he never gives up, even when everything around him is bad, this is what I feel close to. This way of thinking, it is what I try to do in my life, on stage and not on stage too.” Get this magnificent slice of metal into your life right now!
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.
HerOrangeCoat’s new single, “Ballad 3 (Jamaica ’59)”, is out and it is the third instalment toward her EP ‘Ballads for this Age’. This one is my favourite so far, it flows like a river enriched with Joni Mitchell’s essence. The music is understated, but excellent, and Georgia’s voice is spectacular and perfect. It has folk, jazz, and soft rock entwined throughout. Like the previous two songs in the collection, it feels very personal. The EP is due out next month and I believe it will be something special indeed!
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.
The new Avalanche Party song has arrived and as with all recent singles, it makes me think that their long-awaited sophomore album could easily become the album of the year. It is called “John Coltrane’s Moscow Skyscraper”. It starts in an almost chilled, subdued way and then transforms into an absolute monster as it moves to a mountainous, manic, maniacal conclusion. This is 100% psych-metal with a slight hint of LCD Sound System, but much, much darker. Jordan’s voice sounds like it might be careering up from the depths of hell and the sound might be the band smashing Satan into tiny pieces. Probably the best Avalanche Party single this year, and probably one of their best ever too. The video is spectacular too.
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.
When I get an email from a band that has the subject “SpankyWanky New Music” I am always going to open it. So when I got such an email from Southampton band Hercules Morse, of course, I opened it. I was directed to the first song, “Time Will Tell”, to be released from their forthcoming EP ‘Enemy Ally’. The song is out now on Bandcamp and the EP is due out on 27th December. “Time Will Tell” is a jagged post-punk funky tune that made me think of XTC on a more metal trip, with perhaps an overlay of Foo Fighters and some input from Deaf School. It is overflowing with angular rhythms that make you want to move your feet. Steve, Harry, Paul, and Gizmo should be proud of this marvellous new tune and I am sure that they are. Click hereto check out the new tune on Bandcamp.
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.
Edinburgh artist Steve Hewitt released a new single, “Cold World” today. It is a delicately softly spun tune with a hard message about life. All wrapped up in a fine alt. country style. Steve’s warm and honest vocal delivery makes the lyrics sink in deeply, and those words hit home really well. The lyric spotlights the darker side of our reality and human nature as Hewitt observes the pervasive existence of conflict, distorted moral values, betrayal, and personal suffering in the world today. The track is taken from his forthcoming crowdfunded sophomore album ‘Never Two Days The Same’.
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.
“Lunacy” is the second single from Manchester artist Tamsin Middleton, a.k.a. VICE VERA. For starters, I bloody love the name! As for the song, it is a wondrous and magical serving of sublime post-punk with elements of Siouxsie Sioux, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, and Toyah. It kicks off with a dark, brooding feel before the drums kick in big time, and the music becomes more frenetic, frenzied, and fabulous. Tamsin’s voice oozes passion, compassion, and honesty. The vocal hook, particularly towards the end is impossible to resist and I found it spinning around inside my brain long after I had listened to the song. The cover is a stunning piece of art from Kim R Foster.
Photo by Kenny Brown
“Lunacy” was co-produced by VICE VERA and long-term collaborator Macclesfield-based music producer Neil Mykowski. It follows the first VICE VERA single, “Tourist,” from earlier this year. Tamsin had this to say about the single “This song is intensely personal, having been inspired by a conversation I once had with my father, while he was in the grip of addiction. It speaks to interconnectedness and the limitless universe both outside and inside each one of us“. While VICE VERA is relatively new to the music scene Tamsin has had a lot of great experience. She has played in many bands in the past 15 years (including LIINES, ILL, JD Meatyard, Mr Heart & AAAK) and supported Sleaford Mods, Pixies, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Fall among others. It would be hard to disagree with what Louder Than War said about VICE VERSA, they said “visceral lyrics that open your eyes and give that feeling you had when you first heard PJ Harvey.” There are a few VICE VERA dates coming up soon (see below), sadly I can’t make any of them, but if you can just do it!
DE RIDDERT, ROTTERDAM – 31/10/24 CAFE AVERECHT, UTRECHT – 2/11/24 THE EAGLE, SALFORD – 07/11/24 – [SINGLE LAUNCH] THE TRADES CLUB, HEBDEN BRIDGE – 28/11/24 – [OPENING FOR BILLY NOMATES]
Follow VICE VERA on Bandcamp and Spotify to get a first listen to “Lunacy” when it hits the streets on 25th October! Give “Tourist” a listen while you are waiting, you will not be disappointed!
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog, or follow us on;Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, EMail. Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch.
