My Favourite Albums Of 2014

As the years go by I do seem to be more and more drawn to female artists but I do think that the girls of late have been releasing records way more innovative and musically interesting than the boys. Not that there hasn't been amazing records from male artists too.

My Favourite Movies Of 2014

1. Inside Llewyn Davis
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel

3. Vi är bäst! (We Are The Best!)
4. Frank
5. 12 Years A Slave
6. Le Passé
7. Jimmy's Hall
8. Guardians Of The Galaxy 
9. Deux Jours, Une Nuit
10. The Zero Theorem

Merry Christmas!

Best Gigs Of 2014

I think all I need to say here are two rather lovely words: Kate Bush. That's because, gig-wise, 2014 will always be the year I finally got to see Kate live and wow, what a show: it was certainly worth the long wait. How lucky am I to have been among the few who got to see one of these special shows. Of course I got to go to lots of other concerts which together would easily make up a great year of gig-going, in particular Janelle Monáe's Prince-esque party at Brixton Academy, First Aid Kit's joyful small pre-album launch at Islington Assembly Hall and the graceful and wonderfully intimate Vashti Bunyan show at the tiny St Pancras Old Church but Kate overshadows them all. No guessing where she places on my list of my 10 favourite shows this year...

10. Angel Olsen at Dingwalls 

9. Marianne Faithfull at the Royal Festival Hall

8. The Afghan Whigs at the Electric Ballroom 

7. Cat Power at the Union Chapel
 
6. Minor Alps at The Islington 

5. Antemasque at the Electric Ballroom

4. Vashti Bunyan at St Pancras Old Church 

3. First Aid Kit at Islington Assembly Hall

2. Janelle Monáe at Brixton Academy

1. Kate Bush at Hammersmith Apollo

Marianne Faithfull at the Royal Festival Hall

Marianne Faithfull 

Royal Festival Hall, 29 November 2014

It can be hard watching your heroes get old but I think it's fair to say that Marianne Faithfull does it with a great deal of defiance and style. Despite shattering both her hip and her thigh bone earlier this year, here she is touring at age 67 using a walking stick, making fun of herself, telling off rude audience members, doing Tommy Cooper impressions and swearing like a sailor. There's no doubt about it but Faithfull is something of a trooper and she still puts on one hell of a show.

Cat Power at the Union Chapel

Cat Power
Venus And The Moon
Nico Turner

Union Chapel, 11 November 2014

This is the Cat Power show I've been waiting years to see. Just Chan Marshall alone on stage with either her guitar or behind a piano, in the intimate setting of the beautiful Union Chapel. But it almost didn't happen - which, let's be honest, isn't unusual for Chan - as this was supposed to be one of two shows at the venue: the first was cancelled due to Chan having the flu and it wasn't confirmed that this date would go ahead until just a few hours before the show. I'm certainly glad it did as she has never sounded better.

Sunny Afternoon at the Harold Pinter Theatre

Sunny Afternoon
Harold Pinter Theatre, 6 November 2014

I don't usually write about the few West End shows I go to but since this one is rock-related - written by Ray Davies and all about the early days of The Kinks - I think it fits in here.

Tweedy at the London Palladium

Tweedy
Arc Iris
London Palladium, 4 November 2014

"Tonight we're going to be playing songs from the album I've recorded with my son, Spencer," said Jeff Tweedy at the start of the show tonight, "then I'll play some older songs on my own and after that, well, who knows! I might re-enact scenes from The Lion King!" And that pretty much sums up Tweedy's appearance at the London Palladium: new songs, old tunes and lots of funny chat from the man himself. Jeff's quips and good-humoured banter with the audience may seem run of the mill stuff but given that he used to be incredibly grumpy on stage and even used to start fights with the crowd (the first London Wilco show ended in a punch-up I'm told) it's actually one of the best parts of the show.

Cally Callomon interview

I interviewed Cally Callomon, who runs the Nick Drake estate Bryter Music, about a new book he's co-authored with Nick's sister Gabrielle Drake, called Nick Drake: Remembered For A While. 

You can read it over on Rebeat or below. I don't often say this about things I've done, but this one I think is really worth reading. Nick Drake is such an enigmatic, fascinating character and Callomon was a great interview and had so many interesting things to say about him. Plus I can't recommend the book enough, it is beautiful and utterly moving.

It's become part of Nick Drake's legend that he was largely unappreciated in his lifetime and sadly didn’t live to see all his success. The truth is, it actually took a good 20 years after his death for Drake’s music to find a wider audience. In fact, it was the 1994 compilation Way To Blue, masterminded by Cally Callomon, during his time at Island Records, that played a big part in Nick Drake’s rediscovery by music fans. (It was certainly my introduction to him in the mid-’90s). Callomon also went on to play an even bigger part in making sure Drake’s legacy endures when he took over running the Nick Drake estate in the late 1990s.

St. Vincent at the Roundhouse

St. Vincent

Coves

Roundhouse, 25 October 2014

Isn't it funny the difference a few years can make? Back in 2009 I saw Annie Clark aka St. Vincent live for the first time and it was just her and her guitar making fantastic sounds using nothing other than a delay pedal and her voice. Five years on, with five albums and a tour with David Byrne now under her belt, Clark has now progressed from a beguiling indie chanteuse to bonafide rock star who can dazzle huge crowds at major festivals.

New Sleater-Kinney!

I'm so, so excited about the Sleater-Kinney reunion. There's a new album, No Cities To Love, out in January and they are touring next year too!

Antemasque at the Electric Ballroom

Antemasque
Le Butcherettes
Electric Ballroom, 15 October 2014

When it was announced that Le Butcherettes were supporting tonight I was thrilled because I've wanted to see them live for ages, ever since I heard their debut album Sin Sin Sin three years ago. Not that it was too much of a surprise given that Antemasque's Omar Rodriguez-Lopez not only played bass for the band for a short while and formed another, Bosian Rainbows, with Le Butcherettes front woman, Teresa Suárez aka Teri Gender Bender, but the pair are apparently also a couple. That said, even if there wasn't a personal connection between the two bands, judging by tonight's performance they were a more than worthy choice and Teri has to be one of the most incredible frontwomen I've seen in ages.

Vashti Bunyan at St Pancras Old Church

Vashti Bunyan 

Kieran Gallimore 
St Pancras Old Church, 8 October 2014

St Pancras Old Church is so intimate and cozy when Vashti Bunyan takes her seat in front of us, it feels more like a little gathering in someone's front room. There are tea light candles all around giving the tiny white and gold church a rather magical glow, while Vashti herself is so sweet, warm and bashful, like a dear friend you've prodding into singing a song for you.

Vashti Bunyan interview

I interviewed the lovely folk legend Vashti Bunyan for REBEAT Magazine about her new album, Heartleap, and her years as a struggling singer in 60s London leading up to her cult classic record, Just Another Diamond Day. You can go to the above link or read the results below!

Her first single may have come out back in 1965, but Vashti Bunyan is only about to release her third ever album (fourth if you include the excellent compilation Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind), Heartleap, in October. But then, Bunyan’s story is nothing if not unusual and, best of all, one with a happy ending.

Throwing Muses at Islington Assembly Hall

Throwing Muses
Tanya Donelly
Islington Assembly Hall, 26 September 2014

I first saw Throwing Muses live in the mid 90s, long after original member Tanya Donelly had left. By then Donelly had her own band in Belly, who were actually far more successful, albeit for a shorter run, than the Muses had ever been. Tanya and her stepsister - Muses head honcho Kristin Hersh - at that point didn't seem that close any more and it seemed something of a hopeless dream to ever see them ever play together again. So when I saw that Throwing Muses were coming to London in support of their first album in 10 years, Purgatory/Paradise, and the special guest was none other than Tanya Donelly herself, I couldn't miss the possibility of seeing them finally share a stage again and playing all those old Muses songs I had been too young to hear live the first time around.

Jenny Lewis at Islington Assembly Hall

Jenny Lewis

Alessi's Ark

Islington Assembly Hall, 5 September 2014

I've seen Alessi's Ark so many times but always in small venues, so it's strange to see her on a relatively big stage playing support to Jenny Lewis tonight. Dressed in a striking embroidered green silk outfit, she seems to have finally settled on a two-piece backing band, who I last saw her play with last year, and they sound well-rehearsed and comfortable with each other. Alessi's had bigger bands in the past but I've always felt they overwhelmed her but playing as part of a trio suits her sound perfectly.

Lady by Stevie Nicks

First off, "Lady by Stevie Nicks" sounds like a perfume I would totally buy. Lady isn't her new scent though, it's actually the name of her new single and the above video proves that simplicity is beautiful. The song is absolutely gorgeous too. I can't wait for her new album 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault, out in October. If the rest is anywhere near as good as this it's going to be fantastic.

Kate Bush at the Hammersmith Apollo

Kate on stage (from the tour programme)

Kate Bush: Before The Dawn
Hammersmith Apollo, 2 September 2014

I can't believe I am writing this but I just saw Kate Bush live. It was everything I hoped it would be but also nothing like I thought it would be either. And it's easily the best show I've been to this year.

Joni Mitchell In Her Own Words

I wrote a review of Malka Marom's wonderful new book Joni Mitchell In Her Own Words: Conversations With Malka Marom for REBEAT Magazine if you're interested. Marom actually called it a "dream review" on Facebook, which was really lovely. You can read it here or below.

There’s a wonderful moment in Joni Mitchell In Her Own Words: Conversations With Malka Marom in which both Marom and Mitchell exchange amusing stories of Leonard Cohen, and meeting his Buddhist master, Roshi. As they banter about him and his not-so-honorable intentions, the reader feels like a guest at a first-rate dinner party, listening to incredible people tell fascinating tales about other incredible people. That is what makes this new book about Joni Mitchell so special: not the gossip, but the relationship between these two women.

Neko Case at the Union Chapel

Neko Case
Jeffrey Lewis & The Jrams
Union Chapel, 15 August 2014

Back in 2000 Neko Case and her band played the Union Chapel before: it was their first time playing in London supporting The Handsome Family. I sadly hadn't heard of Neko back then so didn't witness this momentous event but Kelly Hogan, Neko's talented and extremely funny backing singer and partner in crime, tells us that someone stole Neko's blue leather jacket that night and she wants it back. "I'm over it," Neko replies, shrugging her shoulders before saying triumphantly, "it wouldn't fit me now, I'm so much skinnier."

Ode to Bobbie Gentry at 70

I wrote an article for REBEAT celebrating the life and music of the mysterious and wonderful Bobbie Gentry on her 70th birthday. You can read it there or below!


In May 1981, Bobbie Gentry was one of many guest stars on the NBC special “An All-Star Salute To Mother’s Day.” She sang just one song: a touching rendition of the Broadway tune “Mama, A Rainbow,” dedicated to her own mother in the audience.

What no one knew at the time was that this would be her last onstage appearance ever.

The Jayhawks at Shepherd's Bush Empire

The Jayhawks
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 18 July 2014

I got a cool surprise today when I found out that not only had I won signed copies of the new reissues of The Jayhawks' albums Sound Of Lies, Smile and Rainy Day Music, but I had also won two tickets for their show tonight. I wasn't planning on going to this gig and even though it is officially the hottest day of the year (so far), I couldn't turn down seeing The Jayhawks for free and as you can imagine it was worth suffering the heat for.

Monty Python live at the O2 Arena

Monty Python
O2 Arena, 16 July 2014

Look I got to see the Pythons live! It was so much fun, I still can't stop smiling. 

I must admit when these reunion shows were announced I was highly cynical about the whole thing: I saw it as recycling old sketches for a big old cash-grab. But when I got a belated opportunity to go to this show suddenly my cynicism flew out the window and I jumped at the chance to see these comedy legends who I adored so much growing up. Even walking into the arena and seeing the big stage decked out in all its Victorian-style regalia and Terry Gilliam illustrations was a huge thrill and when the remaining Pythons took to the stage (arriving in a "Retardis" no less) wearing tuxedos and bowing for a cheering, excited crowd it was easy to get into the spirit of things and just be swept away by the fun.

The Afghan Whigs at the Electric Ballroom

The Afghan Whigs
Ed Harcourt
Electric Ballroom, 15 July 2014

It was a pleasant surprise to see Ed Harcourt announced as the support act for tonight's show especially since he could easily pack the Electric Ballroom out on his own. He's a longtime pal of Greg Dulli though and they've played together many times over the years, so I guess that's why, also given the amount of new material in his set tonight I would imagine it's also a good no-fuss testing ground for his new songs. I actually had seen Harcourt before but years ago, back when his first album, the Mercury-nominated Here Be Monsters, came out. I did really like that album at the time (still do in fact) and I remember him being a great live act but I must admit I haven't really kept up with his music since then. It surprised me to discover that he's released five more albums since then and produced and co-wrote Sophie Ellis-Bextor's latest album, Wanderlust, so he's obviously been doing alright without me.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse at Hyde Park

Neil Young & Crazy Horse
The National
Tom Odell
Hyde Park, 12 July 2014

It's always interesting listening to people's reactions after a Neil Young show and his latest headline slot at Hyde Park was no different. "Neil was clearly phoning it in! It felt like the opening night where the band were finding their feet!" one fan moaned to his friend. "That was incredible, his guitar-work is mind-blowing!" enthused another. "I wandered off before the end, it was so dull: so many tedious guitar solos," I hear another complain as he rejoins a friend, while someone else in front of me exclaims "He was so inspired tonight, even better than last time he was in London!"

Lissie at the Union Chapel

Lissie
Union Chapel, 30 June 2014

Hey, look! I accidentally took a kinda cool photo! Anyway, on with the show...

I'm not sure if Lissie is a blues singer disguised as a pop star or a rocker who is really a country crooner, maybe all of the above but one thing's for sure she has one hell of a voice. I don't know if her recorded work even really captures this fact but live it is something to behold. It's true too that she sounds a little like Stevie Nicks, although that's not the reason why I like her. On stage she looks like a female Bruce Springsteen, all white t-shirts and jeans and tanned skin, very American, but it's clear she isn't trying to be anybody except herself. Look at her recent release, an EP called Cryin' To You that features covers of artists as diverse as Danzig, One Direction, Drake and Bob Dylan, yet every one sounds uniquely her.

The Pierces at Koko

The Pierces
The Half Earth
Koko, 11 June 2014

I was thinking earlier that The Pierces are like the 30-something, Radio Two version of First Aid Kit, or even Haim given the more pop sound of their latest singles: beautiful sisters who obviously grew up listening to Fleetwood Mac and have those melting harmonies that only siblings have. Judging by the slightly older audience here tonight I feel I'm not that far off in my observation although The Pierces definitely have something of their own that makes them uniquely them.

Emmylou Harris at the Barbican

Embed from Getty Images

Emmylou Harris performing Wrecking Ball
Daniel Lanois 
Barbican, 26 May 2014

"Can you turn the sound down!" a faceless man yells from the darkened audience during Daniel Lanois' opening set. "You come up here on stage and say that!" Lanois half-jokingly responds. Yes, it's one of those audiences. A few others even leave objecting to the feedback. Admittedly Lanois playing a short set was a surprise to many (although it said it on the website) and it particularly annoys the hell out of the guy sitting next to me, who even goes to complain to the Barbican management after ("At least musicals start on time!" he amusingly if completely unfairly moans).

Neutral Milk Hotel at the Roundhouse

Neutral Milk Hotel
Laetitia Sadier Trio
Roundhouse, 22 May 2014

Apparently the last time Neutral Milk Hotel played a headline show in London it was at the tiny, tiny Camden Underworld in October 1998. A few months later and the band were no more and singer/songwriter Jeff Mangum had become this mysterious, indie hermit, all of which only seemed to add to their mystique. In the intervening years between then and their reformation late last year, the band's second and last album, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, has become almost legendary, in the world of alternative music at least, and gained the band way more fans than they ever had first time round. It was no surprise then when this run of shows, three in all, at the Roundhouse was announced that it sold out pretty much straight away. Pretty amazing to go from the Camden Underworld to selling out three nights up the road at the Roundhouse without doing a thing other than letting time, reputation and word of mouth do its thing.

Tomorrow you'll find me...

Yay!

First Aid Kit at Islington Assembly Hall

First Aid Kit
Jo Rose
Islington Assembly Hall, 15 May 2014

With their third album, Stay Gold, due in less than a month it was a truly lovely surprise when First Aid Kit announced a smallish gig at the Islington Assembly Hall. Not surprisingly, given they are big enough to announce a date at the Royal Albert Hall in September since, it sold out pretty much straight away but lucky for me I managed to get one of the coveted tickets for the show. I had never been to Islington Assembly Hall before but it's actually one of the nicer venues I've been to in a while, just up the road from my current favourite, the Union Chapel, With a small standing area in front of the stage and a seated balcony, it's probably between the size of the much missed Astoria and the Scala in King's Cross, but the look of Bush Hall. Unlike some of the recent venues I've visited for the first time recently, this is one of the few that I'm keen to return to.

Janelle Monáe at Brixton Academy

Janelle Monáe
Cody ChestnuTT
Brixton Academy, 9 May 2014

It's bizarre to think that, in a world of subpar pop divas, Janelle Monáe isn't a huge superstar by now. She has three excellent records to her name, filled with brilliant, clever and catchy-as-hell songs that you'd imagine would all be big hits but for some crazy reason she hasn't had that all important crossover moment. That's why Monáe is playing Brixton Academy tonight instead of Wembley Arena, even though she deserves to be, but all the better for us in attendance because this was one amazing show made all that more exciting because it was in a smaller venue.

Minor Alps at The Islington

Minor Alps 
The Islington, 27 April 2014 

I went to see Minor Alps, Juliana Hatfield and Matthew Caws' new band, again tonight. Not only was the show completely free but the venue, The Islington, was even smaller and nicer too (and in a much safer neighbourhood thank god). The set list was pretty much the same as Juliana herself had warned but as she promised they were indeed wearing different (very stylish) outfits.

New Veruca Salt

The classic line-up of Veruca Salt quietly got back together last year when Louise Post and Nina Gordon finally reconciled after 15 years apart. They've since been in the studio together and have announced a US tour, which I hope will eventually reach these shores. I saw them live back in 1997 and they were super cool, it would be great to see them again after all these years especially since they have released their first new material, from a two-song 10-inch vinyl released just for Record Store Day, and they sound better than ever. Here's a video of one of the new tracks, the superbly titled Museum Of Broken Relationships, and it's everything I hoped it would be, so glad to have them back!

Minor Alps at The Shacklewell Arms

Minor Alps
LiliPut
The Shacklewell Arms, 25 April 2014

It's funny but to me Juliana Hatfield is almost mythological. For so many years she's been so huge and such an important part of my life, particularly during my teenage years, yet the world at large has rarely reflected how great she is in my mind. To me she is an iconic giant like Joni Mitchell or a pop superstar like Beyonce, yet to the mainstream she's generally unknown or considered an alternative pop leftover from the 90s. Add to that how infrequently she graces these shores and how she barely seems to age even though she's now into her late 40s, and you can see how she might seem unreal to me: some indie goddess singing just for me. That's why seeing her in the flesh (the last time for me was back in 2008), is always a surreal experience especially when it's such a tiny, tiny venue as it is tonight. How can someone as big to me as Juliana be playing the back room to some small pub on a tiny stage and close enough for me to reach out and touch her?

Angel Olsen at Camden Dingwalls

Angel Olsen
Honeyblood
Camden Dingwalls, 25 March 2014

Last time I saw Angel Olsen she was playing support to an audience of disinterested Neko Case fans, a small figure on a big empty stage singing cynical but moving songs of love and life. A few months on and she's headlining a sold-out show at Camden Dingwalls that is filled to the rafters and hanging on her every word. What a difference a little buzz and a brilliant and critically acclaimed new album can make but it is well deserved.

Speedy Ortiz at The Lexington

Speedy Ortiz
Joanna Gruesome
The Lexington, 19 February 2014

So tonight I was transported back to 1993. Or at least it felt that way. Both bands playing The Lexington, a small venue upstairs from a pub, owe a huge debt the alternative music of the 90s (aka my era) which is obviously very cool but makes me feel old as the members of each group were only little kids or not even born in those long ago Nirvana days.

The Afghan Whigs' Algiers video

From the new album, Do The Beast, out on 15 April.

Lily & Madeleine at St Pancras Old Church

Lily & Madeleine
Annie Rew Shaw
St Pancras Old Church, 13 February 2014

I never thought I'd be sitting in church listening to a cover of Nirvana's Heart-Shaped Box but tonight I did just that. It was thanks to support act Annie Rew Shaw, a 19 year-old singer-songwriter from Devon who plays piano, sounds vocally like a young Linda Thompson and obviously has a few Tori Amos albums in her collection. It's all pleasant enough: she has a great voice, looks sweet and stylish in a black lace mini dress with her dark hair cut with a heavy fringe and amiably chats away to the audience between songs. The music itself though is mainly sad, downbeat ballads and my one criticism is that there's not much let up from the mournful and dark tunes and something a little faster in her set would have made a nice contrast. The highlight was the Nirvana cover, turning the song into, of course, a gloomy ballad. It actually sounded pretty good.

Anna Calvi at Troxy

Anna Calvi
Woman's Hour
Troxy, 8 February 2014

Out on a cold and windy February night for my first gig of 2014, this time to see the outstanding Anna Calvi who I have wanted to see live since her superb Mercury-nominated debut came out in 2011. I have actually seen Calvi live once before but in her old band Cheap Hotel back in 2007, supporting Jesse Sykes at the Monto Water Rats. Most support acts at the smaller venues are instantly forgettable but while the band itself wasn't anywhere near as good as Calvi's solo work, there was definitely something about Calvi that was memorable: maybe it was her smart style, her strong, clear transfixing vocals but mainly, I think it was the sight of a powerful woman confidently yielding a loud guitar. I admit I didn't fall under her spell back then though but I instantly recognised her when suddenly her first solo effort deservedly began gathering acclaim and by the time her magnificent second LP, One Breath, came out last year I couldn't wait to finally see her live again.

Christine McVie is officially back in the Mac!

What awesome news to start the year with. But I really hope there's a new album and not just a tour, it's been far too long since we had a proper Fleetwood Mac album. 

Read more about it here:
Christine McVie rejoins Fleetwood Mac