Nite Songs

Okay, time for the big hitters - we did the first half of our Top 100 albums yesterday and now it's ten a day from now until the New Year. Settle down and let's see how the first part of our Top 50 unfolds, shall we?... *** 50. THE KUT - "Grit" Grit  saw the Kut deliver an album more than worthy of their commercial step up in the world, ironing out their old inconsistencies to deliver a well-rounded effort packing plenty of variety and some great tunes and hooks to boot from the driving riff of Not Here For Love  to the shameless power ballad of Satellite . The sound of a band very much arriving. *** 49. CINDY LAWSON - "New Tricks" Something of a local legend in her home state of Minnesota thanks to her '80s band the Clams, New Tricks  is an album that deserves to take Cindy Lawson to a wider audience. Mixing spiky pop-punk, Runaways style gang chants and even the odd bit of grunge and shoegazing for good measure, this is an album with its fingers in man...

  Well then, here we go - last Singles Bar of the year. It initially looked as if disappointingly we weren't gonna have any festive singles this year but I'm happy to confirm that a few of them have snuck in here and we've even got a couple of mini-albums for your delectation. Eggnog anyone? *** Anyway, let's get the non-festive stuff out of the way first eh? And it doesn't come much better than Primal Scream  and Dexy's  coming together with Enough Is Enough (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕), a musical ode to the new protest movement and it's a proper old school Billy Bragg folk anthem for the struggle which should inspire every single one of us to go out and man those barricades (aye, if only it worked like that?). But still, pretty much a must-get for anyone with a conscience. You know what to do - let's try and get this one to the Christmas number one spot aye?  Bandcamp Link I can't remember the last time I had a Neil Leyton  single turn up in my review pile but suf...

  If there's one thing about Rum Bar records, they're certainly experts at excavating local legends from the American north west and north east and, via the wonders of Bandcamp, exporting them to a worldwide audience. Cindy Lawson is another case - her teenage '80s band the Clams were apparently local pop-punk legends in their home state of Minnesota but never really got much further. However, a recent reissue program and the critical acclaim that followed has led to Cindy signing with Rum Bar to put out this new album. I have to say, it's pretty enjoyable as well - opener How It Feels  sounds like the Runaways if they'd managed to talk Ronnie Spector into taking on the lead singer's role after Cherie Currie left - a mix of purring vocals and spiky riffs which comes together to make something genuinely beguiling. However, this album has a definite nous to it which really makes it stand out from the wistful acoustics of The Girl  through the almost Mariachi feel ...