Love Amongst Ruin - Love Amongst Ruin

After departing Placebo in October 2007, Steve Hewitt enlisted Lamb bassist Jon Thorne and his brother Nick Hewitt to begin writing and demoing new music at his home studio. Julian Cope collaborator Donald Ross Skinner was brought in to oversee and co-produce the recording sessions and the collective relocated to Moles Studio in Bath for three recording sessions with producer Paul Corkett over the summer of 2008. 

So far so good and nothing too outrageous yet yea .... now here's the catch..... 

The sessions yielded ten songs, on which Steve performed drums and lead vocals. Drums as he had played for bands such as Boo Radleys and famously Placebo for over 10 years is fair enough but now he was to take up singing duties as well... Everyone wants to be Dave Ghrol all of a sudden!! actually this is pretty cool and you should give it a listen.

As an aside Steve has just joined Six.By Seven and taken up drumming again.... cool as...

So sad (fade)

Alone

Running

Heaven & hell

Come on say it

Away from me

Blood and earth

Truth

Home

Love song

Bring me down (you don”t)

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Martin Grech - Open Heart Zoo

The title track of this appeared on a major advertising campaign for Lexus cars which brought Martin Grech loads of press attention, i actually think that track isn't really a fair reflection of actually what he's about! think post rock and metal are a fairer estimate of what you are getting here and you know...you won't be disappointed. I saw him support the excellent Oceansize sometime around 2005, a great gig. 

Here It Comes
Open Heart Zoo
Dalí
Tonight
Push
Only One Listening
Notorious
Penicillin
Catch Up
Twin
Death of a Loved One

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Radial Spangle - Ice Cream Headache

Radial Spangle were epic and intense the way Spiritualized and My Bloody Valentine were, however they got little or no press attention despite releasing 2 great albums inthe early 1990's, I was lucky enough to see them first on the bill supporting Stereolab and the afore mentioned Spiritualized at Portsmouth South Parade Pier , a quirky venue if there ever was one,

This was produced by long term friend and member of Mercury Rev and then The Flaming Lips Dave Fridmann, good enough on it's own to give it a listen i'd reckon!

Raze

Canopy And Shoe

Dream Problem

Drip

Snow

Birthday

Hand

Gutter Chain

White Paper Basket

Copper

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Eat - Epicure

Ange Doolittle and Eat's second period album , Epicure was released in 1993 largely to mass indifference even though it had some killer tunes.

The band itself had been inactive for the previous 2 years mainly due to them all hating the sight of each other, with bad and good drugs getting in the way and playing a major part too , 

Eat version 2 featured Ange on vocals however, so as The Fall lead singer said, as long as it Me and your granny on bongo's its still The Fall.... you get his sentiment yea....

Belly Town

Shame

First Time Love Song

Tranquilliser

Golden Egg

Bottle Blue

Fecund

Baby In Flares

Fist

Bleed Me White

Out People

Epicure

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Slain By Urusei Yatsura

THE best album by the band, out of their 3 and 2 bits released. They really began to embrace and push their indie sensibilities, beefing up the rock quotient to boot. This produced some tracks that are the closest thing to classic that they ever created , Skull In Action remains my own personal favourite

'Glo Starz' is a great opener. A massive riff, like a thunderstorm, whips you away in seconds and doesn't stop. All elements of the band seem in key with each other as well as staying true to their lo-fi/sci-fi/indie/alternative roots .Great chorus. Great riff. Great opener. 'Hello Tiger' is classic in my eyes. Just a fantastic tune. It has the playful tunesmithery of 'Glo Starz' as well as verse/chorus structure. It is actually a slight song but the production and verve all bring it up to a higher plain. 'Strategic Hamlets' actually annoys me a little. It has that almost self-referential irony in it's whiny 'na-na-na-na's and is literally nothing more than a chant. Not bad. Just not great. 'No 1 Cheescake' - great title - is much better. Brilliant, driving chorus with the same effervescent, alive guitars from the beginning of the album. 'Superfi' is ok but didn't light my fire as such. It's quite safe and ordinary and not particularly catchy either. 'No No Girl' is a great ballad. It is very 'Pavement-y' yet holds a great chorus. A perfect marriage of mainstream and indie sensibilities.

'Flaming Skull' works but is another filler track. It's rocky and slightly catchy, but slightly gutless. 'Slain By Elf' on the other hand, is a stone cold classic. From the understated, clean, over-polished opening riff to the fantastic, sneering chorus, it is undoubtedly one of, if not the best track they've written. Cracking stuff. 'King of Lazy' is lo-fi genius and is a lovely, breezy tune. 'Exidor' is another triumph in the merging of radio-friendly and stick-it-to-the-man. One of the best choruses ever. 'Fake Fur' is ok but, again, fails to be as good as the 3 tracks before it. As does 'Skull in Action'. But, 'Amber' is a rather beautiful ending to a rather excellent album.

With a few trims, this could have been flawless but as it stands it's still pretty fantastic. Alas, they were to be around but one album longer.

Glo Starz

Hello Tiger

Strategic Hamlets

No 1 Cheesecake

Superfi

No No Girl

Flaming Skull

Slain By Elf

King Of Lazy

Exidor

Fake Fur

Skull In Action

Amber

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