Ah, the beauty of the Internet – looking up your teenage favourite bands and discovering they’re still making music!
I’ve written quite a bit about Extreme in the past – they were one of my favourite bands of the 90’s, and Nuno Bettencourt was my idol as a guitarist. I knew he was still performing, so I discovered his new band Dramagods and managed to get my hands on a copy of their album, Love.
It seems that the focal point of Dramagods is Nuno. But although he’s recognised as a guitar god, Nuno also fronts the group and he’s a surprisingly good vocalist. He carries off a range of material on this album, from hard-edged rock to more sensitive material.
Another surprising aspect of this album is that it isn’t filled with extended guitar solos. Instead, the guitar solos only appear where they’re suitable – they’re not the focus of the songs as I sometimes felt they were in Nuno’s earlier work.
This is the first time I get to review Snow Patrol, a band from our native Northern Ireland. But I promise to be objective….even though it’s a constant thrill to see a local band make it big!
One thing I will say is that it’s great to see hear the Northern Irish accent come through so heavily in Gary Lightbody’s vocals. I think in the right setting, our accent can be quite soulful and unique. (check out Duke Special for further proof!)
Anyway, on to Chasing Cars. I love the song. But I’m of the school who thinks that Snow Patrol sound a wee bit too much like Coldplay and U2. Don’t you? I haven’t listened to their first album, but the songs I’ve heard from Eyes Open play to a very safe, radio-friendly formula.
The video is less than exciting, featuring Lightbody for the most part lying on the ground singing. I’d give it a miss, but I know you want me to link to it.
On a funny note, I read that the title of the song comes from Gary Lightbody’s father who once said of a girl he fancied “You’re like a dog chasing a car. You’ll never catch it and you wouldn’t know what to do with it if you did.” Nice one.
If you’re a follower of Unreality TV (and I hope you are!), you’ll know we were rooting for Leona to win this year’s X Factor. We’re both very pleased to see Leona’s first single release, a cover of a Kelly Clarkson song (which she also sung at the American Idol final).
Good to see Chris Cornell returning with You Know My Name, from the soundtrack of the new James Bond movie, Casino Royale.
Cornell avoids all the usual Bond theme cliches and delivers a hard-edged rock song.
I suppose it’s in keeping with the new hard-ass Bond, Daniel Craig. Apparently Casino Royale is a much grittier movie than some of the slick Brosnan versions of the last decade. I believe Chris Cornell co-wrote the song with the long time Bond composer, David Arnold.
On the subject of Chris Cornell, check out his version of Billie Jean, which I discovered this evening….
I’ve wanted to shout about this Belle & Sebastian album for months – it’s nothing short of fantastic! The Life Pursuit got serious airplay a few months back, especially around the release of Funny Little Frog.
The Life Pursuit seemingly ignores the past twenty-odd years of music, setting it’s course on a 70’s glam vibe. Some reviewers are likening the album’s sonic approach to T-Rex and Glitter Band. When I first heard The Life Pursuit, my first comparisons were to Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie. It’s almost as if the 80’s didn’t happen! Read more & comment »
Ah, the beauty of the Internet – looking up your teenage favourite bands and discovering they’re still making music!
