Meadies Musical Marconi

  The Essex Green are about to release their brilliant new summery pop album Hardly Electronic on Merge Records after a break of over more than 10 years away from recording. Matt Mead chats exclusively to the band and reviews the album. By chance I bumped into The Essex Green after a tweet from Carl Hunter, bassist from Liverpool indie legends The Farm, who was proclaiming his love for the band. Intrigued by the 60/70’s hippy type sleeve of the album I delved into the back catalogue of the band and was kindly sent the band’s new album  Hardly Electronic. The album title aptly describes the album, being a full-on merry go round of organ, catchy choruses and all the fun of the fair song arrangements. Singles, Sloane Ranger and The 710, kick things off in great fashion. Punchy instrumentation, hypnotic organ and tight rhythm section, matched with sultry vocals from Chris Ziter and Sasha Bell bring the listener up close and personal as the album joyfully gallops f...

  Paul Weller. Modfather, spokesperson for a generation, fashion icon or one of England’s best ever singer/songwriters. Call him what you will but Paul has reinvented himself musically and visually more times than Mr Benn. His new album True Meanings sees him take a break from the full band normality, this time branching out with a set of acoustic guitar led songs, harking to those all-time classic artists that championed the 6 and 12 string: Nick Drake, John Martyn and Neil Young. My first experiences of listening to Paul’s music would’ve been when I was a mere toddler, literally. My older brothers Nicholas and Steven (9 and 14 gap respectively between me and them) were The Jam obsessed in the late 70’s/early 80’s, travelling from Skegness to Wembley to see the fab 3. So you might say I’ve had an education in Weller from a young age, and would be correct. Back to the current day. After being sent the link to the new album, I settled down over lunch at work, plugged in my earph...

 Nick Ellis returns with another formidable release with his latest long player Speakers’ Corner which is the artist’s third album release in as many years, and was conceived in the heat of the historic, explosive Spring and Summer of 2017. His previous album Adult Fiction was my first introduction to Nick’s music which reminded me of John Martyn’s tones, with exquisite guitar playing and a voice sent directly from the gravelled tones of Mr Martyn, this is a winning formula from Nick, which is showcased stunningly with the new release. I Get Love gets things off to the familiar chords of Solomon Burke’s Everybody Needs Someone to Love, with perky shout back vocals intertwined with the resplendent guitar. Impractical Ideas has Nick singing about a ‘rich man’s purse’ with a solo bass drum and guitar. Is Nick busking on this one? If he is it’s the best ever busking session you’ll ever hear. On Nick’s last album Adult Education there were some delightful instrumental number...

Those funky cat purveyors of imaginary 1960’s Movie soundtrack themes, deep funk, silky jazz, smooth soul and covers of Lemmy’s Motorhead, Corduroy are having their classic first 3 albums re-released on strictly limited edition coloured vinyl by Acid Jazz records. Matt Mead rediscovers the albums to look at what makes them purr. For some people in the 90’s Corduroy were abit like Marmite. You either loved them or the bands taste was a little too strong for some indie kids. Personally I couldn’t get enough of them and lapped up any release I could get my hands on and so it would appear a whole new wave of fans will be able to experience the Corduroy experience with this mass re-release. There is nothing new amongst these releases, but who gives a monkeys when these albums rank as some of the best albums to ever be originally released by Eddie Piller’s famed Acid Jazz records. Dad Man Cat takes a stab at 1960’s Michael Caine, Alfie and Blow Up with its revved up organ groves, silky sm...

  What more can be said about Candy Opera that hasn’t been said in recent weeks and months? The Liverpool band who never got the plaudits their material deserved, whilst Aztec Camera, Prefab Sprout and Echo and The Bunneymen took it all. How times have changed, with Candy Opera’s first ever album 45 Revolutions Per Minute selling out faster than hot cakes leaving the bakery shelves, their 2 nd  album released on Firestation Records entitled Rarities should see further musical hot cakes flying from the shelves faster than you can say Roddy Frame’s leather jacket. Matt Mead reviews the album for Louder Than War. Considering Candy Opera’s material when originally created should have been a world changer, it still baffles me every day when I think that in 2018 the world are finally starting to wake up to the sound of this sumptuous sophisticated pop machine. With strong hints of Love Forever Changes and The Beach Boy’s Surf’s Up their songs are crafted with a mixture a...

  Anthology Recordings have joined the Library Music album release races with an album of their own to accompany the stylish Library Music book Unusual Sounds compiled by Library guru David Hollander. Mixing some of the most obscure Library music tracks, this compilation is not to be missed for all collectors of Library. The Unusual Sounds album is sure to be a hit with those that have already purchased the accompanying book, which has been said as being the ultimate Library Music book ever to be released thus far. Enclosed in similar lavish packaging as the book with detailed liner notes the album starts off in familiar fashion as Keith Mansfield hits you where it’ll groove you with Funky Fanfare, a killer breakbeat, elastic bass and Memphis horns explosion to the ears and the hips. From here on in you’re hooked like Scooby Doo and Shaggy hypnotised by great smelling sandwich, but this is a different type of food. The sort that feeds your feet and heart with feet shuffling delig...

  Following the release of Paul Weller’s acoustic masterpiece album True Meanings, Paul and his live band played some spine tingling live concerts with a full orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Other Aspects: Live at the Royal Festival Hall is the latest in a long line of stunning live albums by The Modfather which was released on 8 th  March 2019 by Parlophone records. Matt Mead reviews the album for Louder Than War. Many of the online forums reported these concerts to be something probably never to be repeated that will live long in the memory of those parka wearing Jam fans, to the Pringle cardigan wearing Style Council fans and the younger boys/girls about town who were fortuitous enough to grab hold of a ticket or 2. Luckily for those that weren’t able to be in that same room as the favoured few the gigs were recorded for posterity and what a treat has be preserved. Paul gifts the listener to a few surprises from his impressive back catalogue. The flamenc...