40 MusicWeek 01.06.12
PRODUCTRECOMMENDED ALBUM OF THE WEEK
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TRACK OF THE WEEK
CARRIE UNDERWOOD Blown Away
(Sony Music)
She’s an American Idol champion, a five-time Grammy winner and a US country megastar with 14 million LP sales. Her new effort Blown Away has already topped Uncle Sam’s Billboard Album chart. But can Carrie Underwood translate her mega- success to Blighty? Sony certainly believes so. Early signs are very encouraging: the singer sold out her Royal
Albert Hall June 21 date in 90 minutes. Blown Away is Underwood’s first UK album release, and sees her co-write eight of its 14 tracks. These include the title tune and standout (which tells the story of a daughter getting revenge on an abusive, alcoholic father) as well as the BBC Radio 2 A-listed Good girl - the first single from the album. Said Underwood: “I'm a huge fan of George Michael, Annie
June 18 INCOMING ALBUMS
TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS Trouble (Polydor)
In support of the release of hotly-anticipated debut LP Trouble, Totally Enormous
Extinct Dinosaurs played a show at KOKO on May 23 which was exclusively broadcast live via video streamed by Deezer. (TEED) is the solo project of Oxford-bred Orlando Higginbottom. He’s seen his star rise rapidly, from YouTube views of the video to single Garden exceeding 2.5 million, to heading out to the Congo with Damon Albarn to recording an album for Warp, remixing Lady Gaga and even playing an exclusive set from the top of the Millbank Tower across the Thames. The record has been dubbed “the most eagerly awaited electronic album for years”. It will be supported by lives dates through the summer, including an abundance of international festivals.
LIT The View From The Bottom (Megaforce Records) Lit’s sixth album, their first in eight years, in part chronicles ‘heavy events’ they
experienced during that period. Working with artist/producer Butch Walker, recently at the helm of records by Panic! At The Disco, Avril Lavigne and Weezer, their current album –mixed by Joe Zook (Modest Mouse, Katy Perry, Mika, One Republic) – tells the story of Lit’s in between days with tracks like The Broken and Here’s To Us. But this new record is not without its
JUNE 18
lighter, Big Rock Moments in tracks C’mon, You Tonight (co-written by Marti Frederiksen whose collabs include Aerosmith and Mick Jagger) and Same Shit, Different Drink. The band will join the Summerland Tour in the US (along with Sugar Ray, The Gin Blossoms, Everclear and Marcy Playground) in late June to August.
THE HIVES Lex Hives (Disque Hives via Sony) After shouting their return from the rooftops with a critically-acclaimed comeback show at
The Borderline last month, Swedish rockers The Hives will return once again in December for a five-date UK tour (landing at The Roundhouse in London on the 15th) but not before they release fifth full-length album Lex Hives in June. Full of energy, the band’s first album in five years contains 12 tracks of classic rock including hard-stomping, sax-laced first single Go Right Ahead and Sixties soul finale Midnight Shifter. It was self-produced by the band and
JULY 2
mixed by Grammy winner Andrew Scheps (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele), with two additional tracks mixed by D. Sardy and Joe Zook. The deluxe version features bonus tracks (digital download only) produced by Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme.
Lennox, The Rolling Stones and, of course, Adele. There are so many great British artists doing well in the US at the moment; I want to show the UK another side of America."
Black Heart (Warner Bros.)
STOOSHE
Boisterous, mischievous, outgoing female trio Stooshe follow Top Five hit Love Me with Black Heart. Produced by pop experts
Future Cut (Lily Allen, Olly Murs, Professor Green) and written with Jo Perry and former All Saint Shaznay Lewis, the track boasts some Motown- inspired vocal harmonies that wonderfully show-off the group’s collective singing skills. It’s taken from their
forthcoming debut album, Swings and Roundabouts, that will be released later this year. Stooshe’s online profile
June 11
continues to grow with over 2.5 million cumulative views over their YouTube channel and special sessions recorded for iD, SBTV, MTV and Virgin.
STAFF PICK: DARRELL CARTER, SALES MANAGER
RICHARD HAWLEY Standing At The Sky’s Edge (Parlophone) Richard Hawley’s
JUNE 4
musical journey has been something of a tour de force, from playing in underrated Nineties indie group Longpigs to bigger exploits with Pulp, collaborations with Alex Turner, Nancy Sinatra and, more recently, Lisa Marie Presley (the pair are rumoured to be working together on new material for her forthcoming album). It’s clear that Hawley knows how to write a tune. He’s attracted many high-profile fans over the years, most notably Radiohead and REM, the latter approaching the singer to tour with them in 2005. From the moment that She Brings The Sunlight starts from this, his seventh solo album,
you know it’s not going to disappoint. Slow, mystical strings, lush production and mix (care of Alan Moulder) and a heavy hypnotic beat sets the tone for this track and the rest of the record. Highlight Time Will Bring You Winter is filled with feedback, delayed guitars and distorted synths swooping through the track, while Hawley’s delayed voice floats across the sprawling noise, excellent stuff. Fans of Hawley’s earlier albums will be happy to note that it’s not all
psychedelic noise – Don’t Stare At The Sun and The Wood Collier’s Grave is Hawley at his troubadour best. Standing At The Sky’s Edge is a
career defining album for Hawley and one that you would hope see him claim that long overdue Mercury Prize. Quite simply, the best album of 2012 so far. OUT NOW
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