music

this is the bit where we wax lyrical about all the music that is doing the rounds on the stereo at the moment but so much to choose from though, so it’s time to limit it to the top 5. you will have to imagine your own pan’s people however. some of the albums are not so recent but it’s what’s in the tray at the moment.

the herbaliser: very mercenary - excellent album, hip hop and funk, live and with some good good samples. chilled beats permeate very mercenary but the samples, vocals and rap work to take you on a journey, maybe just round your living room, but you're off somewhere. superb lyrics, excellently crafted and honest.

4 hero: creating patterns - impressive line up, inc. jill scott, roy ayres and terry callier, who are all strands in of the pattern, brought together by 4 hero. eastern and african influences bring with them a wide range of instruments that carry you along with the tunes, picking up jazz, drum and base and some beautiful vocals on route.

kings of convenience: quiet is the new loud - now we come to the kings of convenience: quiet is the new loud. i cannot believe just how much a couple of guys with acoustic guitars manage to create something that fills me with wonder. if you’re stressed and need a chill out, these are the guys for you. simple harmonys and brilliant songs make this one of the most relaxing records around

kathryn williams: little black number - her star is rising big time at the moment and after seeing her at womad and blackheath halls i can see why. delicate songs with a hint of geordie sarcasm make it a belter of an album. favourites have to be 'tell the truth as if it were lies' & 'we dug a hole'. great live, she is doing the rounds at the moment (plays london's cabot hall feb 10th) so catch her if you can.

daft punk: discovery - simply superb tunes, much more disco bunny than their last offering but still unmistakably daft punk. ominous bells donging between the tracks and i'm sure there's a bit of the superted tune in there somewhere. get up off the sofa and boogie.

name that tune?
duncan's done it again, but who could have missed like a rolling stone by bob dylan?: duncan you win a day pass to an international arms fair of your choice (travel not included).

me little bro eh? cool or what? seems to be doing well at the moment so i'll keep it brief. ultrasound split up a way back and I really can't be arsed to go back over it, if you want the lowdown there have been a couple of good articles written here (scroll down!) and here. suffice to say some of the band were twats. ahhh the beauty of having your own website.

anyhows, he's gone on to better things as they say, started doing his own tunes and formed his own band minuteman. signed to ignition the label owned by marcus russell, oasis's manager. after a few demo's got himself a fair bit of interest and went in to the studio earlier this year to record his first album, as yet unnamed. he's me little bro though so you can expect me to be biased. bias aside though, he's good :-)

you don't believe me though? alright, take it from these folks as well. an early review of a water rats gig, nme review of his gig with cooper temple clause, the guardian nonetheless and the standard.

theres also a biog page on the nme and his website has just recently gone online... if you want to see a few groovy pictures of him (you're right btw, i am the handsome one of the pair of us..) check out the science website, the band his lass, rebecca, is fronting - nay bad themselves.

latest news and reviews on minuteman:
- bbc sound stars for 2002
- listen to 'words fail me now' on minuteman's nme microsite
- minuteman website now online.
- mm supported the charletans at the astoria on feb 11