Nite Songs

  So here we go, the Top 50. *** 50. LILY ALLEN - "West End Girl" It's probably inevitable that we will end up including at least one "big" album on this list but West End Girl  genuinely is worthy of its place here. A brutally honest dissection by Allen of the end of her relationship, it shows that beneath the pop princess image is a very accomplished and savvy songwriter. Often uncomfortable but always cathartic listening, this might just be her best album to date. *** 49. MANIC STREET PREACHERS - "Critical Thinking" For those of us as a certain age, the idea of the Manics as a solid dependable long term rock outfit still arguably takes a bit of getting used to but at least Critical Thinking shows that they've still got the ability to produce good albums and occasionally surprise you as proved by the confrontational title track sung by Nicky Wire here. Elsewhere, the likes of People Ruin Paintings , One Man Militia  and Decline And Fall  show tha...

  Well, a cursory glance outside your window will tell you that the nights are drawing in so what better place to seek solace than here in the Singles Bar. As with last month, the offerings this time out are an eclectic mix of singles, EP's and a token mini-album so let's mix something up and see what happens... *** Well the big news this month is we're finally getting the multiple times postponed UK tour from the one and only Mr Billy Idol and to celebrate, he's issued a new EP, The Cage (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑). Honestly, it might just be the best thing I've heard from him since Devil's Playground  a good decade and a half ago with a good mix of stuff that shows off all facets of his musical style from the stomping title track through the pounding goth ballad Running From The Ghost  and the affectionate nod back to his '80s stadium rock heyday Rebel Like You  to the twisted groove of Miss Nobody . After the solid but unspectacular Kings and Queens of the Underground  ...

One of the best things about running your own music webzine is when you get positive feedback. It's always nice when bands get in touch to say "hey, thanks for covering our music on your blog" or readers feel moved enough to write in and say they enjoy my deranged scribblings. It genuinely makes you feel that you're doing something worthwhile and feel just that little bit better about life. I mainly say this because I know that this one-off feature we're running on Nite Songs  for the next week is probably going to upset some people. Doing a Worst Albums Ever article is always a risky business because, in the words of a musician friend of mine from back in the days when I used to write for Leeds Music Scene, "Opinions are like arseholes. Everybody's got one. And most people's are full of shit." If anything here over the next week offends you, please bear in mind that this is just my take on things - I'm fully aware that there may be some peop...

  As we mentioned in Part 1 of this thing earlier today, the sheer volume of new stuff this month has led to this month's Singles Bar being a three-parter and here's the third bit with no less than seven new EP's and mini-albums (think that might be a record for this thing!) for your delectation. *** BILLY IDOL - "The Roadside EP" We reviewed the lead off track from Billy's new EP, the downbeat Bitter Taste , last month in this column. However, any fears that this would be another album of mid-paced songs with few rock-outs as per his last album Kings And Queens of the Underground  are, I'm pleased to say, unfounded as the raw punky lead off track Rita Hayworth  kicks in sounding sleazier than a room full of crack-dealing pimps and thank feck for that. Elsewhere, U Don't Have To Kiss Me Like That  is a pulsating drum machine fired rocker that could have belonged on Billy's Whiplash Smile  album and Baby Put Your Clothes Back On  is a sinister slowi...

  So here we are again. The autumn is rolling in although given that as I write this it's 25 degrees up here in Yorkshire, clearly no-one told the supreme being. Guess we'd better grab some cold ones, head out on to the terrace and see what aural delights the month has waiting for us then... A couple of covers to kick us off this month, both courtesy of Screaming Crow Records' Action Jukebox series. First up,  The Dirty Denims  take on the Kiss classic Rock 'n' Roll All Night  (🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑) and turn in a respectable version although it was always gonna have its work cut out matching the peerless original. The fact that they're a Donnas style female fronted band at least gives this version a slightly different twist (hey hang on, didn't the Donnas cover Rock 'n' Roll All Night  themselves back in the day? :checks notes: No, turns out that was Strutter . Carry on) The original track Better Believe It  on the flipside is actually the better tune here, so...