Review: Top Albums Of 2009 III - Reactions

The NME-Europe Top 20 Albums of 2009 list has certainly provoked a mixed reaction. Some readers agree, others think it's a load of rubbish, while most of the bands seem to be a little blasé about the whole affair. However, two in particular have been gracious enough to offer their reaction to being selected in the Top 10. George Kitching from Overspill Poets and Fran Guirao from Second have their say and offer their reflections on a most successful year.

Overspill Poets' George Kitching and Tim Taylor released their self-produced debut album, 'Thompson Falls' in autumn 2009. A real independent production, this quality piece of work ended up at Nº 4 on the NME-Europe Top 20 list for 2009. Here's George's reflections on events from the past 12 months.

 
NME-E: So, how was 2009 from a personal point of view?
OP: By turns exhausting, exhilarating, stressful, blissful, frustrating and rewarding.  We started the year by promoting a newly created MySpace page and went on to release our debut album on our own label and now we find it's made the NME-Europe top 10!



NME-E: Why is Thompson Falls such a hit?
OP: Well in commercial terms it's anything but.  I think we are firmly in the slow-burn cult-following obscure indie camp. Thank god for Rage Against the Machine as I don't think we were ever in danger of worrying Simon Cowell. However, we have had some fantastic feedback from people who have bought or reviewed the album so artistically it does feel like a success. I think it's an honest album and I hope it goes some way to achieving our aim of forging a sound with the rootsy grit of Americana and US alt rock with the wit and attitude and Britishness of the best indie guitar music from this side of the atlantic.

NME-E: What was your personal top album of the year?
OP: It would be between Super Furry Animals - 'Dark Days / Light Years' and Steve Earle's 'Townes'.

NME-E: Looking ahead, what are your tour plans for 2010? Any chance of a visit to Spain (and more importantly, Murcia)? 
OP: Well our plans at this time last year extended little beyond "let's see if we can get anyone to check our MySpace page" so really anything could happen.  However, following a recent unplugged radio session, we are thinking about working on a stripped down acoustic set with a view to doing some unplugged gigs.  Murcia would be very tempting if we can afford the air fare.

Well, EasyJet usually have some good offers! While you wait for the tour, you can buy 'Thompson Falls' here.

Second released their fourth album, 'Fracciones De Un Segundo' in January. It has been their most critically acclaimed piece of work to date and has seen them develop from promising group to leading artist on the Spanish pop scene. It reached Nº 3 in the NME-Europe Top 20, and is the only non-English language album on the list. They seemed pretty happy about that, here's what drummer Fran Guirao had to say:

 NME-E: Not a bad year, then Fran?
Sec: Yeah! 2009 has been a hard working year. In January we released Fracciones de un Segundo, so we did a lot of promo with the media, gigs, festivals... (that meant travelling to many cities around Spain). Therefore, from our personal point of view, we think this has definitely been our best year, because, little by little, we are realizing how the number of fans increases and, at the same time the critics are very positive about our cd and our live shows.



NME-E: Why do you think this album has been so popular?
Sec: I don't know, all we can say is that we composed the songs to the best of our ability, but we never know if people are gonna like it or not.

This time they most certainly did!

NME-E: What was your personal top album of the year?
Sec: There are many great albums, but the last album by Phoenix is my favourite.

NME-E: What are your tour plans for 2010? 
Sec: In 2010 we're gonna "rodar" in many cities around Spain, and in February we are going to participate in ARCO, showing people how Second composes a song in 8 hours. At last (but no least) we want to record a new album next summer. 

You can purchase 'Fracciones De Un Segundo' here.

So there you have it, at least NME-E made someone happy this year. Many thanks to George and Fran for taking the time to answer my questions. If you haven't heard their music yet, give it a go - both albums would be excellent additions to your music collection.

I NME-Europe Battle Of Bands: They Think It's All Over....

Hi everybody. The I NME-Europe Battle Of Bands is entering its final stage. There are just 4 days of public voting left and at the moment there are two bands fighting it out for top spot. Here's the plan:

1. Check out the six artists who are competing (each has two tracks). Click here.

2. Decide who is your favourite.

3. Vote on the public poll in the sidebar. (You have until Friday).

The quality is unquestionable so give yourselves a little musical treat and help one of them on the way to glory.

The final result will be announced on Sunday, once the professional jury (Second and Pipers) has submitted its decision.

Have fun!

Review: Top Albums Of 2009 (II)

The moment all music lovers have been waiting for, part 2 of the NME-Europe top albums of 2009. There were some class acts among positions 11-20 (click here if you haven't read part 1 yet), but the real cream of the crop is here. As promised, a couple of surprises along the way. Enjoy!


10. Camera Obscura - 'My Maudlin Career'
Camera Obscura have certainly managed to make themselves heard this time without compromising the style which has seen them reach cult status in many countries. Read full review.






9. Muse - 'The Resistance'
From the very start of Muse's much-anticipated fifth studio album 'The Resistance' you are aware that this is quite simply the complete aural experience, which confirms their status as top dogs on Planet Rock. Read full review.






8. Manic Street Preachers - 'Journal For Plague Lovers'
Whilst there are undoubtedly similarities between this 'Journal' and the original 'Holy Bible' - starting with the cover art provided by Jenny Saville -,this is not just another attempt at an earlier winner. Read full review.





7. Placebo - 'Battle For The Sun'
Less glam, less goth, more rock and a blinding album is the result. Hats off to Molko and Co for yet another cracker.






6. Morrissey - 'Years Of Refusal'
If, as he declares, he really has only five years left, we must treasure every offering until D-day arrives and there's no better way to start your personal homage than by getting your hands on a copy of 'Years Of Refusal'. Read full review





5. The Cribs - 'Ignore The Ignorant'
It is clear that Mr. Marr has been instrumental - in all senses of the word - in the development of their sound. Read full review.






4. Overspill Poets - 'Thompson Falls'
It has it all. You want musical poetry? Try 'The Neon Lights Are Beautiful'. Something a little more powerful? How about 'Independence Day' and 'Northern Star'? Meanwhile, 'Boxing Gloves' or 'Summer' keep all nostalgics satisfied. Read full review


And so, the podium awaits...

3. Second - 'Fracciones De Un Segundo'
Everything about Second is very 'Brit'; the look, the sound, the voice and in the previous three albums they even sang in English most of the time! This is the first totally Spanish album, but what doesn't change is the sublime combination of catchy pop songs and heart-searching ballads. The added expertise of producer Carlos Jean means this is Second's most complete album to date. Read full review.







2. The xx - 'XX'
From the moment 'Intro' springs to life, The xx's sound, quite frankly, captivates the listener. The more you hear, the deeper you are drawn into their lair and once you're in there, forget about escaping. Read full review.







1. The Temper Trap - 'Conditions'
Dougal Mandagi's falsetto vocals are angelic, the melodies are exquisite and there's not much else to add - 'Conditions' speaks for itself. Read full review.





So, congratulations to the chosen few. In particular, my hat goes off to two bands; first of all Overspill Poets. By their own definition they are "the poor cousin" 0f the Top 10. One thing I will say is that if your immediate reaction to position Nº 4 was "Overspill Who?", then you should go straight to ReverbNation.com and check out the tracks from 'Thompson Falls'. Secondly, if you'll pardon the pun, I think the fact that Murcian boys, Second, have made it into an international Top 10 is quite a feat for a Spanish band. However, making the top 3 is no less than they deserve after a career spanning 12 years and 4 albums (and at the moment it's difficult to find a rival for them on the Spanish indie scene). 'Fracciones De Un Segundo' is quite simply a fantastic album - had it been released by a British band I'm sure the other NME would have raved (and this time with good reason). Still, you the learned reader know that the most reliable music opinion is here on the alternative NME (the continental one), so why not take my word fot it and can see what Second are all about by clicking here.

Lists are subjective and this one will hopefully stimulate some debate or, at least, make you check out a couple of bands you previously had no idea about. NME-Europe is proud of it (in fact, it's getting into the list idea, so the Top Tracks and Top Albums of the 00s lists are in the pipeline!), it's up to you to approve or not.

I NME-Europe Battle Of Bands: The Bands

OK, so you've already seen the names of the participants in the I NME-Europe Battle of Bands, but maybe you need to know a little more about each act and, more importantly, listen to their material. There are 6 contestants from pretty much the 4 corners of the globe.

Here's a plan. Let NME-E give you the run down on each one, have a listen to their tracks (there are two for each band on each individual player) and then start thinking about who'll get your vote when polling starts. (Artists are listed in alphabetical order).


A Number Of Fires (Liverpool, UK)
Year Formed: 2009
Genre: Hard Rock
Releases: None to date
Website: www.myspace.com/anumberoffiresuk

Cybiont (Auckland, New Zealand)
Year Formed: 2008
Genre: Alternative, Experimental, Soul Cabaret
Releases: 'A Trilogy Of Random Thoughts And Considerations' (2009)
Website: www.myspace.com/cybiont

Inner Voices (Bolton, UK)
Year Formed: 2006
Genre: Progressive Rock, New Wave
Releases: 'Surveillance State EP'
Website: www.myspace.com/adambrierley

The Little Hydes (Liverpool, UK)
Year Formed: 2008
Genre: Alternative Pop
Releases: None to date
Website: www.myspace.com/thelittlehydes

Overspill Poets (Cumbria, UK)
Year Formed: 2008
Genre: Indie, Americana, Rock
Releases: 'Thompson Falls' (2009)
Website: www.myspace.com/overspillpoets

P.A. Meirelles (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Genre: Brazilian rock
Releases: 'Pedro Ariel Meirelles' (2008)
Website: www.myspace.com/pameirelles

I NME-Europe Battle Of Bands: Start Your Engines

Much to its delight, NME-E is able to announce there are six (with a seventh possibly getting in at the last minute) entries in the I NME-Europe Battle Of Bands contest.

Participants
The following bands/artists have decided to take the plunge:


A Number Of Fires (Liverpool, UK)





Cybiont (Auckland, New Zealand)







Inner Voices (Bolton, UK)






The Little Hydes (Liverpool, UK)








Overspill Poets (Cumbria, UK)






P.A. Meirelles (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)




What happens next then? Well, as you can see by the geographical diversity of the acts a live event is pretty much out of the question (unless EasyJet can sort out a few Airbuses to Rio!) so the contest will be online. A profile for each band/artist will appear over the next few days, complete with some essential information, links to their websites and a couple of tracks for readers to get an idea of what they're all about.

Voting
In January, a poll will allow an online public vote which, combined with the assessment of our guest jury - Second and Pipers (see more below) - will result in a winner being selected.

NME-E would like to express its gratitude to all concerned for supporting this inaugural event. Please remember that the artists who are competing are unsigned and are looking for a little exposure. I'm sure readers will give them all the backing they deserve.

More to come, meanwhile a couple of videos from our jury to get you in the mood:

Second are from Murcia, Spain. Since winning the European leg of the 2004 Global Battle Of The Bands contest they have gone from strength to strength. Currently one of Spain's top indie acts, they released their critically acclaimed fourth album 'Fracciones De Un Segundo' in January 2009 and are currently in the thick of a sell-out national tour.




Naples-based Pipers are arguably the best thing to come out of Italy since Ennio Morricone. They too know how to win contests and appeared at the 2008 Mathew Street Festival after coming good in the Streetwaves competition. They have just released their debut album 'No One But Us'.

NME-Europe Recommends: I NME-Europe Battle Of Bands

NME-Europe is delighted to announce the launch of its I Battle of Bands contest.

The competition, which will take place online between 1 Dec and 15 Jan, aims to provide an opportunity for up-and-coming bands/artists from across the planet to gain a little exposure and, with a little luck and help from their friends, win a cash prize.

Any unsigned band/artist can take part and winners will be decided based on the results of a public poll (on the site) and of the guest jury formed by top Spanish band, Second, and Italian starlets, Pipers, both of whom know a thing or two about winning this kind of tournament.

Entry is open until 30 November. All bands will be featured on NME-Europe during December before the final voting commences in the New Year, with the winner set to be announced on 15 January.

If you're interested, you can check out the rules and conditions or submit an entry form. Alternatively, drop us a line at nick.nmeeurope@gmail.com

Good luck to all involved!

Special Feature: Second Nominated For Spanish Award

Photo Courtesy of Alfrefo Arias (2006)

Today is a first for NME-Europe on two counts; Firstly, this post is billingual; and secondly, it's a blatant request for all readers to support a 'local' band.

The band in question is Murcia's Second, who have been nominated, somewhat ironically, for the award of 'Best New Band' by Spain's largest commercial radio station, 40Principales. I say ironically, because this year saw the group release their fourth studio album - 'Fracciones De Un Segundo' (read review here), their best so far in my humble opinion. Still, I digress.

This is the deal...

1. Click on the following link 40Principales. Second are nominated in the 'Mejor Artista Nuevo' (Best New Act) section, open to public voting and also the 'Mejor Videoclip' (Best Music Video, see clip at foot of page), although this one is voted for by the jury.

2. You need to register as a user. At the bottom of the page, look for 'Registro'. You need to enter a nick, your email and a password and fill out the standard word captcha box, as well as clicking the box 'acepto los términos de registro', to accept the conditions.

3. Once you're hooked up to 40Principales, you can vote up to a maximum of 10 times for Second.

Seriously, I wouldn't give the other groups the time of day. If you want to check out Second, check out their MySpace page here.

Thanks in advance. I don't gain anything from this by the way, but I've followed this lot since 1997, they're a GREAT bunch of lads and I REALLY feel they deserve a little recognition.

Read more of what NME-E has to say about Second here.




Now, if you really want to make things complex, try doing it in Spanish! Should really spook out the Google translator too!

Hoy es un día pionero para NME-Europe, por dos motivos; en primer lugar este post es billingüe; en adición es una petición descarada para que apoyéis a un grupo 'local'.

El grupo en cuestión es Second, de Murcia. Han sido nominados, con algo de ironía por medio, para el premio de 'Mejor Artista Nuevo' en los Premios de los 40Principales, la mayor cadena comercial de radio de España. Digo 'con ironía' porque este grupo ha sacado su cuarto disco de estudio este año - 'Fracciones De Un Segundo' - en mi opinión el mejor hasta la fecha (leer la critica de NME-Europe aquí). Bueno, volviendo al tema...

Pasos a seguir:

1. Hacer clic en el siguiente enlace de los 40Principales. Second está nominado a 'Mejor Artista Nuevo' abierto al público y también a 'Mejor Videoclip' (ver video final), aunque este último es para el jurado.

2. Hay que registrarse. Al final de la página está el apartado del registro. Es fácil.

3. Una vez registrado, se puede votar hasta un máximo de 10 veces.

Ahora en serio, los otros grupos no llegan a la altura de Second. Si todavía no conoces su música, puede ver algo en su MySpace pinchando aquí.

Gracias por adelantado. Yo no gano nada con esto, pero sigo a Second desde el '97, es un grupo extraordinario, buenos chicos de verdad y merecen un poco de reconocimiento.

Para leer más cosas sobre Second en NME-Europe. Haz clic aquí.

Thanks.



Y si quieres ver a Second en concierto, puedes ver las fechas de su gira 'Rodamos' en la sección de 'Put On Your Dancing Shoes' de NME-Europe.

NME-Europe Live: MTV Murcia Night

Some might wonder why NME-E has waited three months to comment on this event. This delay has nothing to do with not having time - this site has practically been taunted into writing something and MTV and Placebo are both to blame. Let me put you in the picture:

The 26th July should have been a night to remember for the Region of Murcia. The first of 3 programmed concerts, contracted by the local government at no small cost, saw MTV arrive in Cartagena to offer its MTV Night with a line up seldom seen in these parts; local - and increasingly national - heroes, Second; national stars, Amaral; and internationally famed, Placebo all set to delight an estimated 30,000 fans.

Appearing in front of their biggest crowd ever (probably), local group Second had the opportunity to show the world what they are capable of and did themselves proud. Their set, with top tracks 'Rincón Exquisito' (see video), 'Más Suerte' and the outstanding 'Rodamos' should have been the perfect warm up for international stars Placebo, who somewhat strangely appeared before Amaral.

Amidst mild hysteria, Brian Molko and Co swaggered on to the stage and broke into 'Kitty Litter' with a sound which soon had spectators going wild. A 'pequeño problema' held up the start of their second track, 'Ashtray Heart' but the faithful fans were more than happy to continue bouncing around the place - no one suspecting anything at this stage.

Six tracks in and a few moments of technical crew meddling in bewtween, Molko storms off stage and the rest of the band scurry off behind him. Moments later, an MTV presenter has the unpleasant task of explaining how these things happen at live events but Amaral would be out in next to no time.

'Amaral? Where the f%$k are Placebo?' was the general reaction from an increasingly anxious crowd (the beer had also run out in the tents, bad news). This must be some sort of a mistake. Placebo, the night's main attraction, are only going to play 6 tracks? 'All this for just 30 minutes', complained the bloke next to me having gone on a 600km round trip to see his beloved Goths. Much to our bemusement, later disgust, it was true; Placebo were no more to be seen and the vast majority of the punters trundled off home in disappointment, leaving Amaral to take stage to an understandably annoyed mob.

NME-E, amazed and extremely peeved by goings-on, promptly wrote to Placebo demanding an explanation as to why they could treat fans with such disrespect. Nobody had even noticed the supposed 'technical hitch' which had led to the disappearance, which meant that most were as displeased as I was. Naturally, I didn't receive a reply. What did appear the following day was an official statement on Placebo's website claiming that they'd had to call time on the gig early due to technical difficulties they'd never had before and which meant they couldn't offer the quality they wanted or their 'fans deserved'. They also promised to make it up to us as soon as they could - needless to say nothing has come of this.

As days went by, NME-E's disappointment level waned - mainly as I decided to think about the positives, Second, rather than dwell on the negative. Indeed, I'd almost forgotten about this until last night, when I stumbled across the MTV World Stage programme during a bout of zapping.

Much to my disbelief, I saw Placebo on stage in Murcia, recorded on July 26 2009!!!! The show which was unilaterally cut short due to technical difficulties was blasting out of my TV speakers, Brian Molko all smiles. What a sound, what a voice, what a bloody con!

How can a band fail to carry on with a gig because they are unable to offer their beloved fans a quality show yet allow the first five songs to be broadcast as if nothing was wrong? Is that any way to show respect? Personally, I think not and thus this post is written.

Not that anything will come of my rant, but at least people, Brian Molko and his cronies this time - but who knows who'll be next, should reflect on how Joe Public, dutifully represented by NME-Europe, pays the price for the ego-centric melodramactic carry-ons that certain prima donnas display.

Always look on the bright side of life, though, so here's Second's opener 'Rincón Exquisito'. Technical problems indeed...

Weekly Round Up (04 May 2009)

Hi everybody and welcome to another rock 'n' roll round up.

Top Stories
Really, the main story this week centres on the SOS 4.8 festival held in Murcia over the weekend, although we'll cover that a little more later on.

Other news centres on Coldplay this week. As if one accusation wasn't enough, Chris Martin and crew find themselves facing another copycat claim. This time it's Cat Stevens who is on their backs, stating that 'Viva La Vida' is not really a Joe Satriani rip-off, but in fact a copy of Stevens' own 1973 track, 'Foreigner Suite'.

For now, no mention of legal action has been made.

Perhaps in an attempt to divert a little attention, the band (who might be considering changing their name to Coverplay) have announced they will be giving away a live album to fans attending their forthcoming tour dates.

The nine-track live album, 'LeftRightLeftRightLeft', will be given to all fans who attend their 'Viva La Vida' tour dates – including their five UK dates set for September.

The album will be available as a free download from the band's official website, from May 15.

Martin said, "It's a way of saying thank you. It's a tough economy and people are paying a lot of money for tickets."

Of course, nobody thought about reducing the price of those tickets, did they?

Myspace Magic
Action-a-plenty this week, so highlights only. New friends from France, My Raining Stars, have added a new track to their profile. As leader Thierry says, "let's keep the indie flame burning" and you could do a lot worse than visit his page to do so. Meanwhile, Welsh band, BenSem are streaming their debut album on a free download. If anthem-pop is your fancy, don't miss it, it's well worth a listen.

Finally and locally, Spanish indie poppers Miss Caffeina will be in Murcia this Saturday. I'm not gonna even try and categorize this lot, you'll have to see for yourselves!


Incidentally, interviews with these last two bands will be online later on in the week.

Album Reviews
There have been a couple of releases which nme-e has been waiting for and are now available. The Enemy and The Maccabees have both released their second albums this week, entitled 'Music For The People' and 'Wall Of Arms', respectively. Reviews to follow... Meanwhile readers will be able to check out a summary of the latest nme-e reviews as from Wednesday.

Festival Fever
And so, back to the SOS in Murcia. Well, impartiality aside and despite a cruel twist of fate which deprived me a better look in this was a resounding success. Both days sold out (25,000 tickets a day), the concert was well-organised and general feedback is positive. Organisers are already talking about making it bigger and better next year and it's clear that, despite being only the second edition, SOS has placed itself well and truly alongside the Spanish big boys at FIB and Primaversound. So far, the consensus is that The Prodigy, The Wombats and local boys, Second (who are quickly making a massive impact and were in no way out of place in an international line-up) were Top Of The Pops, with Keane (somewhat surprisingly) and Babyshambles close behind.


Nme-e has been trying to get in touch with bands to get their thoughts. More will come, but so far Sweden's Those Dancing Days seem to sum things up pretty well: "The food and Murcian beer was great and it was our biggest crowd so far and maybe the happiest one."

We'll have to wait another year for SOS, but NME-E will be back with more news next week!

Read all NME-E News

Weekly Round Up (27 Apr 2009)

Hello everybody and welcome to another round up.

Top Stories
Seems like everybody is talking about money (or lack of) and downloading these days, so nme-e is going to jump on the bandwagon again....

Last week, Sir 'Poor' McCartney was mouthing off about illegal downloads and now we now why. The poor soul's personal fortune has dropped by 60 million pounds to a mere 400 million!!!!!!! No wonder he's talking about taking the bus. Meanwhile Dhani Harrison, who just a month ago complained that he was "losing money everyday" must be in a real state now that his personal fortune is down to 140 million. Now, I'm not going to be the one to condone or not downloading, but I hereby propose that the whole world downloads George Harrison's discography. If the money isn't going to George the God direct, why should it go to Dhani the Devil and not stay in our pockets?

At least someone with a bit of clout has offered a different perspective. Gary Lightbody, he of Snow Patrol, has spoken out in defence of the founders of The Pirate Bay, who as you now were jailed for a year a fined 2.4million pound for copyright offences on their page just a week ago.

In an interview with The Big Issue Scotland he said he thought they had been treated harshly, saying the sentences were "over the top".

"They shouldn’t have been jailed. A year in jail for someone doing that is crazy. The punishment doesn't fit the crime."
He also added that, unlike some musicians, he was not opposed to file-sharing.

"I'm not anti-filesharing at all. This is the modern way. This is what we've brought on ourselves and you have to live in the society you created. Music is available to everyone if they know how to get and I say, 'Fucking go for it'.

Before he got arrested, he also added that he paid for all his own music. Mind, could make for an interesting even in June when Snow Patrol support U2 in Barcelona, given Bono's recent statement about downloads killing the industry. Watch this space.

Incidentally, The Pirate Bay boys are still planning their appeal.

Myspace Magic
A few uploaded tunes to comment on this week, some new, some a blast from the past. Seattle based The Constabulary have uploaded a new track to their profile. If you like a bit of post-punk, check out 'Just A Memory', confirming The Constabulary as the west coast's answer to Interpol.

First timers on nme-europe (but not the last), BenSem from Wales have also added a new track to their profile. With a recently released album and a nomination at the Exposure Music Awards, BenSem could be ones to watch. A full interview will appear here soon.

Finally, Murcian veterans Los Marañones have added a couple of tracks from their legendary discography to the myspace profile. If you're not familiar with Señor Bañón and co, check out any of the tracks available, although 'Las Manzanas Del Mal' or 'A Miles De Años Luz' typify the musical and lyrical quality of this band.



Album Reviews
As promised last week, So Shush will be under the microscope in the next couple of days. Been having a listen to Gomez too and think I've unexpectedly come across another little find in the name of Hatcham Social. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs is also a decent listen (but not enough to merit a full review!)


Festival Fever
Murcia finally takes centre stage this week as it plays host to the SOS 4.8 festival over the bank holiday weekend. Friday and Saturday will see some of the best acts around (Duffy excepted) grace our presence during what promises to be a high-charged two days.



Just in case anyone's interested in my humble point of view, here's what I'd take in on the Friday (a father of two couldn't go both days!) and what I WILL be doing Saturday:

Friday 1st:
Warm up with a few beers for the Maximo Park set (21.00, main stage); avoid Duffy like the plague with Those Dancing Days and the start of the Spanish Editors, Catpeople on stage 2 and then back to Babyshambles, The Prodigy and Boys Noise. Friday is pretty simple really.

Saturday 2nd (my day):
This is a much tougher affair, mainly as The Wombats coincide with Underworld (still angry about that). Anyway, going to get into the spirit with Spiritualized, followed by Keane (as long as they don't play anything from 'Perfect Symmetry') and a spot of Murcian locals Second - who, incidentally are inviting fans to choose which tracks from their back catalogue they'd like to hear played during the gig - and then The Wombats (who get my vote over Underworld). A mad dash over to see the encore of Born Slippy and then back to Ladyhawke until I drop!

Don't miss..... The Prodigy on Friday. The Wombats on Saturday (and, if you're new to Spain, Second - they won't disappoint you!).

You can customise your timetable here.

Think that's about it. More next week!

Read all NME-E News

Weekly Round Up (09 Mar 2009)

Hello everybody. Here is the news.....

Top Stories
This week must be "International Promote Your New Release Week" or something similar, as every second news bit seems to be dedicated to a new album. Here's an example of just a few of them; Maximo Park will offer a free download of their new track 'Wrathlike' from the forthcoming album 'Quicken The Heart' on their webpage; Kasabian have named their third album 'West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum', which will be out in June; in the middle of the Blur reunion, Graham Coxon has announced the release of his new experimental album 'The Spinning Top', due out on May 15; Super Furry Animals will broadcast a live version of their new album 'Dark Nights/Light Years' their myspace page on Mar 16 coinciding with its digital release). Better start saving my cents!

The rest of the news appears to belong to veteran Irish rockers U2. On the back of claiming the tenth chart topping album of their career with 'No Line On The Horizon', the band have announced the first details of their forthcoming world stadium tour. The tour will kick off on June 30 at Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium, then continuing through Europe – including four UK dates and a Dublin show – before heading to north America.

Audiences will suuround the group on a specially designed stage and will also be able to enjoy support bands such as Glasvegas, Elbow, Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol and Black eyed Peas.


As if that wasn't enough, they have also had a street in New York City named in their honour to celebrate the release of their brand new album. 53rd Street is now U2 Way. Shame the album is only average (more of that later).

Still in the States, Morrissey has had an eventful start to the US leg of his world tour. After cancelling the first few dates due to illness, he was reportedly interrogated by US immigration officials in Atlanta. You can read all about it on his myspace page blog, but he appears to be ready to take on the world if, in his words, "the world can take it".

Myspace Magic
Myspace has been unreal this week and I'm having serious trouble keeping up to date with things. Friend requests galore and stacks of really cool music mean the list of pending interviews is getting longer and longer. Its A Buffalo are the latest band to be featured, coinciding with the release of their debut album 'Don't Be Scared', which is currently on the iphone awaiting a formal review. I'll get the rest done as soon as I can, so please be patient.

Elsewhere, Liverpool's The Rackets have announced free downloads of their tracks on their myspace page. Don't be a fool and take them up on the offer, 'The Usual Suspects' is my personal recommendation.

Reviews
I foolishly got my hands on the new U2 release last week and will explain my foolishness in due course. Fortunately, I also got Its A Buffalo's 'Don't Be Scared', a review of which will appear shortly. I can see I'm going to be void of time to review everything I'd like to, so I might have to re-organise things a little. Let's see what I come up with - so much to listen to and only one pair of ears!


Festival Fever
Manic here too, with most of the big festivals finalising line ups. The V festival announced headline slots for Oasis and The Killers. Tickets went on sale on March 6, the Chemlsford show sold out in two hoursand their ar eonly a handful of ticket left for Staffordshire! Myspace Magic bands The Little Hydes and Metropolitans are taking part in the Road To V competition, so please click on the following link to see how you can help them. You can also find link to the official website on the sidebar and keep abreast of developments of this and other top festivals there.

And finally.....
Couldn't sign off without a special mention to local Murcian boys Second who offered a fabulous gig last Saturday night. The quality was outstanding in all aspects and confirms them as one of the top bands in Spain right now. Check out the youtube video below, where Jose Angel and co. invite fans on to the stage to take part in the final track - what a shame I was so far back! Enjoy.



Take it easy.

Read all NME-E news

Weekly Round Up (02 Mar 2009)

Hi everybody. Another week of intense music activity is summarised here!

Festival Fever
It's been a week of confirmations, with many a festival finalising its line-up for this year. As keeping you up-to-date of all the latest developments would require full-time dedication, an impossible task, I've kindly added some links to the top festival sites on the sidebar. More will be added as and when their festivals start to take shape.

As an exception, I feel I should go into a little more detail on the SOS 4.8 festival, seeing as though it's taking place on my door step. It would appear the line-up is now definitive, which means Duffy was the last minute surprise - it certainly was totally unexpected, indeed many would say unwanted. One piece of better news, however, is that local boys Second will again take part.

NO times have been confirmed yet, but the official webpage has revealed the distribution by day and stage:

Friday 1st May
Main 'Estrella Levante' Stage
The Prodigy
Babyshambles
Duffy
Spiritualized

Stage Two
Boyz Noise
Those Dancing Days
Peaches
El Guincho
Klaus & Kinski

PJ Harvey & John Parish will appear in the Auditorium.

Saturday 2nd May
Main 'Estrella Levante' Stage
Underworld
2ManyDJs
Matthew Herbert (DJ Set)
Keane
Los Planetas

Stage Two
The Wombats
Ladyhawke
Second
Russian Red
Catpeople
Ross

Saturday's Auditorium appearance is reserved for The Matthew Herbert Big Band.

At first glance, the Saturday appears to look more promising, but then I'm biased 'cos that's the day I can go! However, with the Los Planetas moving to Saturday, as far as I'm concerned there's no weak link (and NO Duffy!). My mouth is watering! There'll be a special SOS feature as we get closer to the festival.

By the way, the inaugural NME-E poll hailed The Wombats as the most exciting SOS act with a whopping 70% of the votes. Of course, it might have been a different story had Duffy been announced earlier! (enough, give the poor girl a break). Thanks to everyone who voted, which makes about 6 of you, 'cos I voted several times to avoid total embarrassment!

Other Stories
Two of the SOS bands are also in the news this week.

The Prodigy's new release 'Invaders Must Die' has gone straight to Number 1 in the UK album charts, making it one of the fastest-selling releases this year so far having sold over nearly 100,000 copies in the first week. An NME-E review will appear later on in the week.


Back in Murcia, the eagerly awaited Second gig will take place this Saturday in the Sala Audio (kick off at 21.30, tickets priced 12€). Muricans are in for a treat this Spring as the local boys will be on stage twice in the space of two months. Must admit, I'm really looking forward to seeing their live performance. NME-E's first gig review will appear next week.

And finally, another band making a comeback. Faith No More have released a statement confirming that they will reunite for a tour this year. It appears that 10 years after they split
they've started talking to each other again and fancy a second crack at the whip.

Hmmmm, times are hard!

You can read the full statement here.

Myspace Magic
As usual, a frenetic Myspace week. After last week's interview with Liverpool's The Trestles, I managed to get hold of a copy of their new EP 'Hard Faced Town', a review of which will be posted in the next few days.

Mancunians Its A Buffalo have released their debut album 'Don't Be Scared' two weeks ahead of schedule. I was fortunate to interview them recently, so there'll be more in the next week or so. This bunch are good mates with The Courteeners and supported them on tour last year - not a bad introduction!

Fellow Manchester boys Mutineers have also uploaded some tracks ahead of a tour in May.

Across the pond, two US bands have updated their profiles with new material this week. The Constabulary and The Takeover UK have both added new tracks, the latter coinciding with the start of their US tour. If you haven't heard their stuff, I recommend a visit.

Other than that, the usual barrage of friend requests, interviews and chat. Especially pleasing to see more Spanish bands getting in touch. I'm trying to get round to covering all the bands who I've spoken to, but time is normally in short supply, so please be patient!

Reviews
The big release of the week is U2's 'No Line On The Horizon', which will undoubtedly be reviewed in the not too distant future. Another release of note is the Howling Bells second album, 'Radio Wars', which will also be on the stereo for analysis in due course.

One album I also came across this week, but which has in fact been out for about a month is Sky Larkin with 'The Golden Spike'. Seems a bit late to review it now, but any discerning Los Campesinos! fan or indie freak might be interested in having a listen.


Think that's about it. Now about those pending interviews.....