What are you listening to right now?

[Who Shot Sam?]

[Who Shot Sam?]

Giving the new Portishead album 3 a preview now - it's streaming it its entirety on last.fm.

[Otis Westinghouse]

'Pounding' from the above Doves record. Immortal.

[verbal gymnastics]

As Is Now - Paul Weller

[colrow26]

Have you made up your mind / Echoes round the sun - new Paul weller single out May 22.
Onto my tenth play and it is fantastic - augurs well for new double album out begining of June.

(can life get any better - Ec and PW both release brand new double albums in the space of a few weeks!!)

[Who Shot Sam?]

'Pounding' from the above Doves record. Immortal.

That was from The Last Broadcast actually.

[BlueChair]

Al Green - Call Me

Beautiful listening on a sunny spring morning. His new album, produced by ?uestlove and out in May, should be interesting.

[mood swung]

well, actually only Pedestrian, at this point.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Foxboro Hottubs! Great band name. I'm spinning this - beautiful album...

[Who Shot Sam?]

now...

[Otis Westinghouse]

That was from The Last Broadcast actually.

Well corrected. That was the pub talking. Great song, though. My fave of theirs.

[BlueChair]

The Black Keys' new album, produced by Danger Mouse (half of Gnarls Barkley), is outstanding. I wasn't expecting much from this release, since the only other Black Keys album I knew (Rubber Factory) didn't grab me at all. But this one is awesome - highly recommended.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Love John Martyn, love this (One World). A new discovery for me. Some great songs on it ('I Couldn't Love You More', the amazing 'Small Hours'), and the deluxe edition bonus is worth checking out for live stuff and alternatives, but the song that's really grabbed me of late has been 'Dancing', a real indication of his genius. Delicate, high singing, great tune, great guitar, great structure. If you like the great man and haven't heard this, it's well worth checking out. If you haven't got into him yet, what are you waiting for?

[Mr. Average]

"The Pursuit Of The Woman With The Feathered Hat" is classic Zawinul and probably one of the last great songs from the Black Market, Heavy Weather, and Mr. Gone era...

[Otis Westinghouse]

I've raved about Toumani Diabaté's The Mandé Variations previously, and now must get my hands on both his full band album (Boulevard d'Independence) and the one with Ali Farka Touré. Extended samples from all and excellent, long video clips to be found here:

http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk/

Excellent label, excellent website (Buena Vista Social Club and offshoots there too). Check out the [iMandé Variations[/i] section video to see the great man demonstrate how the bass, melody and improvisational elements of the kora are achieved. Check out the sound clip for the unnervingly beautiful 'Elyne Road', and also 'Cantelowes', which opens with the tune from 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'.

He's playing at the wonderful St Luke's in London this Friday. Never been there in person but watched scores of BBC sessions from it and it's a magical place. Can't make it sadly, but hope it's televised.

[mood swung]

he stole the cover idea from me.

[BlueChair]

Really enjoying this, especially "Warwick Avenue"

[StrictTime]

My They Might Be Giants intro set, also known as the retrospective Dial A Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants. I forgot how quirky-awesome the Johns are. I even get to use a song for an American Studies extra credit assignment.

[verbal gymnastics]

Glad you're enjoying the Duffy album Blue.

I think I posted elsewhere that Elvis would do a credible version of Warwick Avenue.

There's also another track on there that reminds me of Elvis' version of Don't Lose Your Grip On Love.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Glad you're enjoying the Duffy album Blue.

I think I posted elsewhere that Elvis would do a credible version of Warwick Avenue.

There's also another track on there that reminds me of Elvis' version of Don't Lose Your Grip On Love.

So who is better, Duffy or Adele? I saw Adele on Morning Becomes Eclectic and was really taken with her voice (not so wild about the songs).

[BlueChair]

I really like Adele's version of Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love," but I think Duffy's songs may be stronger generally.

[BlueChair]

Mudcrutch is Tom Petty's pre-Heartbreakers band; the one he had originally set out to California with in hopes of landing a recording deal. Thirty-some years later, he reunited the band to record their first-ever LP. It's pretty solid stuff; very Byrds and 60s rock 'n' roll influenced. Petty sings most of the songs, though there's one vocal by Benmont Tench (who along with Mike Campbell ended up with the Heartbreakers) and one by Tom Leadon (who along with drummer Randall Marsh did not). Oh, and Petty doesnt' touch a guitar on the entire album - as was the case back in the late 60s and early 70s, he plays bass in Mudcrutch. Pretty cool record.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Even better than I expected. There is just something about this group's music that appeals to me so much - moody, intelligent, inventive, nostalgic. Guy Garvey is also one of pop music's most underrated vocalists. He has a Peter Gabriel-like rasp that is very appealing.

[Bad Ambassador]

Glad you're enjoying the Duffy album Blue.

I think I posted elsewhere that Elvis would do a credible version of Warwick Avenue.

There's also another track on there that reminds me of Elvis' version of Don't Lose Your Grip On Love.

So who is better, Duffy or Adele? I saw Adele on Morning Becomes Eclectic and was really taken with her voice (not so wild about the songs).

Neither are that great, sadly. At least Duffy was quite openly plastic soul retreads with clipped vocals from the off. Adele's first single, 'Hometown Glory' is a magnificent song, but it's far from representative of the album as a whole. There are a couple of decent tracks on '19', the aforementioned and 'Make You Feel My Love' being the prime contenders, but I feel a bit like I've ended up with the album in my collection on false pretences. She's clearly got bucketloads of vocal talent, but the 'all things to all people' brigade have stomped all over it and made it too 'safe'. The latest single, 'Cold Shoulder' is the sound of somebody trying to avoid ripping off 'Unfinished Sympathy' too obviously and failing. Of the two, I prefer Adele. But, with Duffy what you see/hear is what you get. Prior to purchase, I'd ask yourself, isn't there a better soul record by a female singer I could be spending my cash on? I can think of tonnes.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Prior to purchase, I'd ask yourself, isn't there a better soul record by a female singer I could be spending my cash on? I can think of tonnes.

I hear you. Having heard bits from both singers, I haven't been motivated to run out to the record store or seek the albums out online.