'Favorite Songs of All Time' episode: TJR & Robert Kinsler discuss Songs 61-65

Watch the latest "100 Favorite Songs of All Time" episode where TJR and Robert Kinsler each discuss their respective #61-#65 songs. Watch the episode HERE.

elbow release latest track, 'Flying Dream 1' - band's ninth studio album out November 19, 2021

 Another compelling track off elbow's eagerly awaited album "Flying Dream 1" coming Nov. 19...Robert Kinsler

ELBOW RELEASE NEW TRACK ‘FLYING DREAM 1’ TODAY   TAKEN FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM ‘FLYING DREAM 1’ OUT NOVEMBER 19

LISTEN | WATCH ‘FLYING DREAM 1’ PRE-ORDER/SAVE/ADD 'FLYING DREAM 1' LP OUT 11/19     elbow release the title track from their forthcoming studio album, ‘Flying Dream 1’ today.   ‘Flying Dream 1’ opens the band’s ninth studio album in the hushed tones that epitomize the full record, delivering a delicate, magical melody to showcase singer Guy Garvey’s perfectly pitched tales of an 80’s childhood in the warmth of his family home in Bury, Greater Manchester.   He reveals: “I seem to remember my first flying dream. Who knows if it’s a memory or a memory of a memory but it was in the house that my mother still lives in. I suppose in a way it’s a gently encouraging sentiment in the same vein as ‘Lippy Kids’ and it’s all set in the same place. Flying dreams are supposed to be incredibly positive things and I used the flying dream as a jump off point, if you’ll forgive the pun, for describing the house I grew up in and what my family were like and the feelings of childhood that have been revitalized recently through seeing the world through the eyes of my son.” He continues, “The piece of music that Craig put together is just astonishing. I lived in it for weeks and weeks before settling on a lyric. It was Craig’s idea to make it the title track of the album, which is apt as it opens the album and perfectly sets the tone for what we were wanting to do across the whole record.”   As with previous releases from the album, ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’ and ‘Six Words’, ‘Flying Dream 1’ is accompanied by a film of the band recording the song, captured during the recording sessions for ‘Flying Dream 1’ at Brighton’s Theatre Royal. Watch HERE.   ‘Flying Dream 1’ is out everywhere now.   Elbow’s ninth studio album, ‘Flying Dream 1,’ is out on November 19 Pre-Order/Save/Add HERE

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Sights and Sounds: ASIA to release 'The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1; elbow's stirring advance track 'Six Words'; new singles / videos from Color Theory and Ryan Levine

This has been a super exciting week for music news. Featured in this update are major announcements and/or new music from forthcoming releases featuring ASIA, elbow, Color Theory and Ryan Levine...Robert Kinsler

The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1 Out on November 26th   Multi-platinum selling English supergroup ASIA are to release a 10CD boxset The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1 through BMG Records on November 26, 2021.  There will also be a digital album (also called The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1) featuring a selection of 24 tracks taken from the full boxset, out on the same day. Pre-order it here: ASIA THE OFFICIAL LIVE BOOTLEGS VOL 1

ASIA: Geoff Downes (The Buggles, YES, keyboards), Steve Howe (YES, guitars), Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer, drums) and John Wetton (King Crimson, UK, bass/vocals), took the world by storm with their eponymous debut album, globally the biggest-selling album of 1982, and the single Heat Of The Moment. The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1 celebrates the huge appeal of the concert tours that followed ASIA’s first two albums in 1982 and 1983. The success continued following ASIA’s 25th anniversary reunion in 2006 and three more highly acclaimed albums. The slipcase boxset features  5 x 2CD concerts from 1982 (Buffalo, NY, USA), 1983 (Worcester, MA, USA), 2007 (São Paulo, Brazil), 2008 (Tokyo, Japan) and 2010 (London, UK).   “This historical collection represents some of our finest and most defining live moments,” says Geoff Downes, “from the very first ASIA tour in 1982 and the Alpha tour the following year through three of our many ‘Reunion’ shows. It was such a privilege to take ASIA’s music to these different continents and feel the warmth and support from fans all over the world. We hope this brings back great memories and inspires others to appreciate the music of ASIA”.  The sets for ASIA’s original 1980s tours featured only the band’s new music. For the ‘Reunion’ years tours, ASIA included heritage tracks from each of the band member’s pre-ASIA groups. The 2007 and 2008 concerts also feature the Wetton/Howe composition Ride Easy, a song omitted from the debut album that was issued as the B-side of Heat Of The Moment, and included in their later live repertoire as a thank you to their fans for their support over a quarter of a century. This the first time these recordings have been made officially available by ASIA and they are presented together in a superb collector’s edition boxset with original artwork by Roger Dean, who created all of ASIA’s album artwork.  ASIA, The Official Live Bootlegs, Volume 1 is available as a 10CD boxset and Digital Album on 26thNovember 2021 through BMG Records.

About ASIA ASIA was a true ‘supergroup’ pooling the talents of Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton, who had already amassed tens of millions of record sales with their collective bands of the 70s. Leaving behind their progressive roots, ASIA embraced the commercial FM rock sound that dominated US airwaves and took that, and the new MTV video channel, by storm.  The single Heat Of The Moment was a world-wide monster smash and their eponymous 1982 debut album spent an incredible 9 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard chart as ASIA became the biggest selling album of the year and world tour dates sold out. A second album, Alpha, was released in 1983. The four original members reconvened in 2006 for a world tour, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of that incredible success, and the album Phoenix followed. While the members were still heavily involved in other projects they came together again to record Omega in 2010 and XXX in 2012, both albums were acclaimed by their faithful fans and supported by more world tours. Steve Howe stepped back from ASIA to concentrate on his work with YES and was absent for 2014’s Gravitas. Following this tour came the news of John Wetton’s treatment for cancer, a fight he sadly lost in 2017. FOR ALL THINGS ASIA, please visit:  originalasia.com elbow reveal second studio track titled "Six Words," taken from forthcoming album 'Flying Dream 1,' out Nov. 19, 2021 Watch the music video for "Six Words" HERE PRE-ORDER 'FLYING DREAM 1' OUT 11/19   elbow have shared a second track taken from their forthcoming studio album, ‘Flying Dream 1.’ ‘Six Words’ is a stunning love song and in true elbow tradition, is a complex rhythmical and melodic composition, both lyrically intense with fulsome rumination on the endless power of love to harness souls young and old as Guy Garvey explains:  “I can’t remember the exact genesis of the track, but it is definitely one of Craig’s. In some ways it’s familiar territory lyrically, it has similar sentiments to ‘Mirrorball’ but it draws heavily on my teenage years: the bottle green in the song is the colour of my school uniform and the six lanes is the traffic on the road to school in Prestwich. Though that six lanes line was something I originally wrote back in the early elbow days when I sat in The Cornerhouse people watching so it’s a double reminisce and a return to my love of writing about love. The musical revelation came when we heard the backing singers that now end the track. We had this pyramid of voices making something incredible that reminded me of the early classic Disney soundtracks. It was so powerful that we knew we had to throw the spotlight onto them so that is why they end the track.”   As with ‘The Seldom Seen Kid,’ the first track to be released from the album, ‘Six Words’ is accompanied by a film of the band recording the song, captured during the recording sessions for ‘Flying Dream 1’ at Brighton’s Theatre Royal. You can watch the film here.   ‘Six Words’ is also available on all streaming services   elbow’s ninth studio album, ‘Flying Dream 1’ will be released on November 19. Pre-Order/Save/Add HERE OFFICIAL WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE Color Theory returns with compelling original cut "The Limit" Watch the music video for "The Limit" HERE Listen or download "The Limit" HERE You're in a relationship with someone who wants a rival, an enemy, a fight. You feel like you've been here before, watching the threads of your friendship fray and unravel. You think to yourself, "Just let me go... I'm stretched to the limit." Make sure to listen to the amazing Brian Hazard-penned "The Limit." Ryan Levine releases new single and video, "I Miss The War" WATCH HERE   GOOD THINGS TO REMEMBER EP OUT NOVEMBER 19 October 15, 2021 – Los Angeles, CA – Today, singer and songwriter Ryan LeVineshares his new single and music video, “I Miss The War,” via BMG: LISTEN HEREand WATCH HERE. This is the latest offering from his upcoming debut EP, Good Things To Remember, out November 19.  “’I Miss The War’ feels like a confession,” Ryan shares about the emotive new track. “It admits, almost shamefully, how much power toxic relationships can have over you, even when you think you’ve moved on from them.” The new single arrives on the heels of the previously released tracks “Signs” and “You Don’t Hold The Cards Anymore.” Praising “Signs,” Grimy Goods wrote, “Hot new artist alert…Out of the song’s slowly trodding strums and drums emerges a crescendo of blisteringly woeful riffs that reaches the height of LeVine’s lucidly broken heart.” Glide Magazine said that Ryan “brings a tenaciously soulful approach to folk and root music,” and “showers us with his emotive vocals that spawn the low key experimental mood swings of The National up through Hozier.” At the end of 2018, Ryan LeVine’s life cracked down the center. His band of six years, Wildling, called it quits and his relationship with “the one,” fell apart. Like it always had been, songwriting was the only tool he knew to use as a means of processing the loss and confusion. This time however, he traded elaborate home demos for simple voice memos and focused a lot more on the songwriting rather than the production. Ryan started recording the EP in early 2020 at Boulevard Studios in Los Angeles and then connected with his co-producer Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Ray LaMontagne) to finish the songs at Kevin’s home studio later that spring. The result was an introspective body of work which reveals a songwriter searching for answers. While he may not always find them, there is a resolving sense of peace that comes from the process. Photo credit: Harvey Hale

‘Asleep In The Back’ Collection From elbow Premieres May 7 on Digital Services For 20th Anniversary

Anytime I can share news (and music!) from the epic elbow, I am in! I will be featuring a review of this collection in my next album review column next week. Robert Kinsler

‘Asleep In The Back’ Collection From elbow 

Premieres May 7 on Digital Services For 20^th Anniversary

 

Entire Catalog Includes Early EPs, Radio Sessions And Live Recordings Streaming For The First Time

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 2001 debut album, Asleep In The Back, elbow have announced the release to streaming services of a collection of rare tracks, available HERE.

Alongside the original studio album and a number of B-sides, the collection includes tracks taken from their debut Noisebox EP, featuring the original recording of “Powder Blue,” and their two releases for Manchester independent Uglyman Records, the NewbornEP and the Any Day Now EP. Fans will also be able to hear six tracks from the band’s headline show at London Astoria on October 24, during the album tour; three tracks recorded for Steve Lamacq’s Evening Session on Radio One, transmitted in April 2001;and remixes of album tracks, including fellow Mancunian Andy Votel’s take on “Powder Blue.”

Upon its initial release, Asleep In The Back announced elbow as one of the brightest hopes for UK music as shown by their nomination in the 2001 BRIT Awards for Best New British Band. The album was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize, narrowly missing out to PJ Harvey, and secured the first of the band’s 9/10 album reviews from NME, which said of it: “Radiohead finally have a competitor worthy of healthy comparison.” The same title would describe lead track, “Newborn,” as “A single of such magnificent flight and depth it darkens the skies above most other British guitar groups.”  

elbow would go on to make history as the only UK group to ever secure four consecutive 9/10 album reviews from the magazine.

Asleep In The Back won fans across the board, with The Guardian praising singer Guy Garvey as “a master of the arresting image,” in the first of many tributes to his lyrical prowess, and The Daily Telegraph heralding “a wondrous and ambitious album.” Following its release, elbow would go on to become a constant presence in the UK album charts, a mainstay “must watch” at UK festivals and, ultimately, achieve multi-platinum status, UK Number One albums, BRIT Awards, Mercury Prize and Ivor Novello wins and universal acclaim. 

Twenty years later, Asleep In The Back, and the recordings made around its release, re-emphasize that bond at the core of the group and serve as reminders of the beginnings of an incredible journey. Now available on digital streaming services is an audio guide to the starting point of one of the most unique and compelling stories in modern British music history. 

elbow are currently in the studio working on tracks for their ninth studio album. 

The full tracklisting for the 20th anniversary edition of Asleep In The Back on streaming services:

Asleep In The Back

 

1. Any Day Now

2. Red

3. Little Beast

4. Powder Blue

5. Bitten By The Tailfly

6. Asleep In The Back

7. Newborn

8. Don’t Mix Your Drinks

9. Presuming Ed (Rest Easy)

10. Coming Second

11. Can’t Stop

12. Scattered Black And Whites

 

Asleep In The Back EPs and B Sides

 

1. Powder Blue (The Noisebox EP Version)

2. Red (The Noisebox EP Version)

3. Theme From Munroe Kelly (The Noisebox EP Version)

4. Can’t Stop (The Noisebox EP Version)

5. Kisses (The Newborn EP Version)

6. none one (The Newborn EP Version)

7. Wurzel (The Any Day Now EP Version)

8. George Lassoes The Moon (The Any Day Now EP Version)

9. Vum Garda

10. About Time

11. Suffer

12. Lucky With Disease

13. One Thing That Was Bothering Me

14. Stumble

15. Puckfair

 

Asleep In The Back Sessions, Remixes and Acoustic Tracks

 

1. Newborn – BBC Radio 1 Lamacq Session

2. Don’t Mix Your Drinks - BBC Radio 1 Lamacq Session

3. Red - BBC Radio 1 Lamacq Session

4. Powder Blue (Andy Votel Mix)

5. Press Your Lips (Newborn) (El Presidente Remix)

6. Coming Second (Fink Remix)

7. Coming Second (Misery:Lab Remix)

8. Newborn Bitten By The Black Dog

9. About Time (Acoustic Version)

10. The Crow (Acoustic Version)

11. Newborn (Acoustic Version)

 

Asleep In The Back Live At The Astoria 24^th October 2001

 

1. Bitten By The Tailfly – Live At The Astoria

2. Coming Second – Live At The Astoria

3. Don’t Mix Your Drinks – Live At The Astoria

4. Can’t Stop – Live At The Astoria

5. Scattered Black And Whites – Live At The Astoria

6. George Lassoes The Moon – Live At The Astoria

Catching up on 2020: Morrissey, Other Lives, Lettuce, Elbow

In this column I feature a handful of essential 2020 titles I didn't get to last year but are definitely worth exploring.

Artist: Morrissey

Title: I Am Not A Dog On A Chain (BMG)

You might like if you enjoy: Morrissey, the Smiths

Tell me more: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is an adage that Morrissey smashes to pieces on his aptly-titled album I Am Not A Dog On A Chain. The iconic English singer-songwriter delivers a batch of songs that find his biting appraisal of humanity (including himself), emotional isolation and comedic jabs wrapped up in an expanded soundscape including touches of electronica, blues, soul and other styles new in his work on his 13th solo release. My favorite tracks are the propulsive electronica-rock opener "Jim Jim Falls," dreamy sarcasm-aimed "Knockabout World," reflective "Once I Saw The River Clean," uplifting "Bobby, Don't You Think They Know," the latter featuring Morrissey's signature baritone  blending splendidly with the voice of 74-year-old R&B great Thelma Houston. Information: MorrisseyOfficial.com.

Artist: Other Lives

Title: For Their Love (ATO Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Radiohead, Phosphorescent, DeVotchKa

Tell me more: Other Lives offers up melancholy amidst experimental moodscapes on its outstanding fourth album For Their Love. Band leader Jesse Tabish and company have returned for the first time since 2015's Rituals and the long wait has come with a spirited collection of songs that defy categorization while somehow bridging the art rock of Radiohead with winning alternative Americana of Phosphorescent. The soaring "Cops," edgy "Lost Day," symphonic opus "All Eyes - For Their Love," beautiful "Dead Language," and evocative "We Wait" are among the standouts on the 10-track album. Information: otherlives.com.

Artist: Lettuce

Title: Resonate (Round Hill Music)

You might like if you enjoy: Steely Dan, Tower of Power, Project Tru

Tell me more: Blending funk and jazz with a masterful touch, virtuoso six-member troupe Lettuce returned in early 2020 with the intoxicating Resonate. Delivering a mostly-instrumental serving of original tunes, the funky romp "Blaze," fiery "Good Morning Mr. Shmink," immersive "Mr. Dynamite," shimmering "Silence Is Golden" and soulful "Remember the Children" are among the killer cuts on the disc. Jungle Boogie and Big Tony guest on the grooving "Checker Wrecker"; later Indrajit  Banerjee adds his imaginative Sitar playing on the driving "Moksha." Information: LettuceFunk.com.

VINYL REISSUES

Artist: Elbow

Titles: Asleep in the Back; Cast of Thousands; Leaders of the Free World; Dead in the Boot (Polydor Records / UMC)

You might like if you enjoy: Peter Gabriel, Radiohead, Doves

Tell me more: I discovered Elbow when I caught the English band perform an incredible set at Coachella in April 2011. I subsequently caught the group's headlining performance at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles later that year and am a true fan of Elbow's acclaimed discography. Led by lead singer and lyricist Guy Garvey, Elbow's sound is at once very familiar and very unique. Blending the sensibilities of prog rock greats such as Peter Gabriel-era Genesis and Porcupine Tree with the experimental craft of Radiohead, Elbow is one of rock's modern-day treasures. In addition to Garvey, the band includes Craig Potter (keyboards, piano, backing vocals), Mark Potter (guitar, backing vocals) and Pete Turner (bass guitar, backing vocals). Original drummer Richard Jupp was replaced by session drummer Alex Reeves in 2016.

Now Polydor Records has reissued Elbow's early albums on heavyweight vinyl and they sound amazing; the band's wonderful 2001 debut Asleep in the Back, impressive 2003 sophomore follow-up Cast of Thousands and seminal third disc Leaders of the Free World (2005) were issued on Sept. 25, 2020 and are worth adding to your collection. The additional good news is that this now means all eight of Elbow's full-length studio albums are on vinyl. In 2008, Elbow won the Mercury Music Prize for their fourth album The Seldom Seen Kid and they followed up that honor in 2009 by winning the Brit Award for Best British Group. Information: elbow.co.uk.

Robert Kinsler

elbow: First Three Albums Reissued on Vinyl on September 25, 2020

Fans of vinyl releases and groundbreaking British troupe elbow have something in common; both can celebrate the release of the Manchester, England heroes' first three albums coming via vinyl reissues this fall...

elbow: Band's first three albums set for reissue on vinyl 

elbow fans will be able to own the band’s first three studio albums on vinyl when they are reissued on September 25, 2020. The heavyweight vinyl pressings cover debut, Asleep in the Back, follow up Cast of Thousands and third album, Leaders of the Free World. In addition, the band’s B sides collection Dead in the Boot and 2014’s The Take Off and Landing of Everything will be repressed and restocked to stores, meaning that the entire elbow album catalog will now be available on vinyl.

Asleep in the Back was the album that introduced elbow to the world. Produced by Ben Hillier (Blur, Doves, Depeche Mode) and containing the singles; ‘Newborn,’ ‘Any Day Now,’ ‘Red’ and ‘Powder Blue,’ it established the band with the UK public and led to Mercury Award and Brit Award nominations. The album closes with perennial fan favorite ‘Scattered Black and Whites,’ recently revisited by the band in lockdown for their elbowrooms sessions.

‘Cast of Thousands,’ recorded at legendary Liverpool’s legendary Parr Street Studios, with Ben Hiller again at the helm, introduced cover stars Elle and Bo to the world, their life size statues causing traffic jams when sited next to the motorway during festival dates to promote the album. Taking its title from the vocal contributions of the Glastonbury crowd to ‘Grace Under Pressure,’ recorded in a landmark performance on The Other Stage in 2002, the album artwork features the names of all those who contacted the band to say, ‘yes, I was there and singing.’ An early indicator of elbow’s power to produce inclusive, uplifting moments, ‘Cast of Thousands’ also features ‘Fugitive Motel’ – another track featured during the recent elbowrooms recordings.

Leaders of the Free World was the first album to be recorded at elbow’s current home, Blueprint Studios, Manchester, and was co-produced by the band and Tom Rothrock, (Beck, Foo Fighters) and mixed at LA’s legendary Sunset Sound Studios. Accompanied by full-length film from collaborators Soup Collective on its release, the album contains several tracks that grace elbow sets to this day including ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘Station Approach.’

All three albums were awarded 9/10 by the NME, marking the beginnings of a record run of consecutive 9/10 album reviews in the title that persisted through The Seldom Seen Kid and build a rocket boys! and all have surpassed gold status in the UK with ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’ achieving quadruple platinum status.

Asleep in the Back, Cast of Thousands and Leaders of the Free World vinyl editions will be available on September 25, 2020 from Polydor Records.

Visit the band's official website here for more information!

New Music Roundup: The Cure, Big Star, Fastball, elbow

A sure-fire selection of fantastic new releases includes titles featuring The Cure, Big Star, Fastball and elbow are worth discovering.

Artist: The Cure
Title: 40 Live Curaetion – 25 + Anniversary (Eagle Rock)
You might like if you enjoy: The Cure, The Church, Interpol 
Tell me more: The Cure celebrated the band's 40th anniversary last year with a series of special concerts, several of which are celebrated in their entirety on the newly-released 40 Live Curaetion – 25 + Anniversary, a two-disc Blu-ray (the title is also available as a Limited Edition Deluxe Box). Each of the concert films on the set stands alone and distinctive form the other. The first film, "Curaetion 25: From There To Here / From Here To There" was filmed on the tenth and final night of the 25th Meltdown Festival at London's Royal Festival Hall on June 24, 2018. Directed by Nick Wickham, the Cure (singer-guitarist Robert Smith, bassist Simon Gallup, drummer Jason Cooper, keyboardist Roger O'Donnell, guitarist Reeves Gabrels) performed a song from each of their 13 studio albums in chronological order, the idea being to showcase the evolution of the Cure's sound from 1978 to 2018. The band then performed two unreleased songs from 2018, and then journeyed backward to play an equal number of tracks and ending with a song from 1979. Directed by Tim Pope, "Anniversary: 1978-2018 Live In Hyde Park London" features The Cure's complete 29-song, 135-minute concert in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 65,000. 

All of the band's best-known songs are covered across the two full-length concert films. Early-era favorites "10:15 Saturday Night," "Jumping Someone Else's Train," "A Forest" and "Boys Don't Cry" are here along the British band's best-known radio hits ("Just Like Heaven," "Friday I'm In Love," "Why Can't I Be You," "Lovesong"). But more than any single song or moment, it is the depth, range and sweeping power displayed both marathon-length performances that impress to be sure; the concept-winning visuals and amazing immersive audio quality add to the experience across the two concerts. Information: eagle-rock.com.

Artist: Big Star
Title: In Space (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: Big Star, The Replacements, The Box Tops 
Tell me more: Big Star's enduring legacy has long been certified in the rock 'n' roll universe but it sure doesn't hurt to have the band's final studio album reissued via an expanded and glorious edition sure to please followers of the groundbreaking power pop heroes. Through a series of unfortunate series of events and ill-fated timing, the Memphis-spawned outfit's first three albums released in the 1970s failed to make an impactful commercial mark even while ultimately consistently landing on many rock aficionados "best of all time" lists. Few fans were anticipating the release of In Space in September 2005, a full-length studio LP featuring original members Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens joined by the Posies' Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. Omnivore Recordings' 2019 remastered reissue of the album casts a spectacular and well-deserved spotlight on In Space"with the release featuring all dozen original tracks (10 originals, a soulful cover of The Olympics' "Mine Exclusively" and French Baroque composer Georg Muffat's "Aria, Largo"), as well as six bonus tracks. There are a slew of wonderful tracks on "In Space," notably the melodic opener "Dony," the enticing "Lady Sweet," the Beatlesque "Best Chance," the shimmering "February's Quiet" and the reflective "Hung Up With Summer." Notable among the bonus tracks is the soulful rocker "Hot Thing" (previously only available on the out-of-print "Big Star Story") and an acapella version of "Turn My Back on the Sun." In Space is set for release on Oct. 25; the reissue will be available on audio CD as well on translucent blue vinyl. Additionally, there are liner notes shedding all kinds of details on this important release. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.

Artist: Fastball
Title: The Help Machine (33 1/3 Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Big Star, Del Amitri, Dada
Tell me more: One of the year's best new albums, Fastball's The Help Machine exudes a sonic landscape created with melodic song craft, nuanced arrangements, artful vocal harmonies and the talents of the band's all original lineup of Tony Scalzo (lead vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards), Miles Zuniga (lead vocals, guitar), and Joey Shuffield (drums, percussion). Anyone who loved the trio's seminal 1998 album All the Pain Money Can Buy (which featured the Grammy-nominated hit "The Way") will find plenty to love across the Austin, Texas-based band's seventh album. The ambitious genre-defying title track, elegant "Friend or Foe," rootsy "The Devil's Hand," gospel-tinged blues of "Redeemed" infectious confessional rocker "All Gone Fuzzy" and forceful "Doesn't It Make You Feel Small" are among the far-flung tracks that shine on "The Help Machine." Information: FastballTheBand.com.

Artist: elbow
Title: Giants Of All Sizes (Polydor/The Verve Label Group)
You might like if you enjoy: elbow, Peter Gabriel, Porcupine Tree 
Tell me more: Since I discovered elbow at Coachella in April 2011, I've continued to be impressed and dazzled by the Manchester, England-based band that blends the best of alternative and progressive rock styles into a sound that is their own. elbow – led by singer-songwriter Guy Garvey – has made a deeply personal and poignant album (the newly-issued Giants Of All Sizes) in tune with this moment in time. The luxurious and adventuresome seven-minute lead track "Dexter & Sinister" finds Garvey singing powerfully amidst middle age and mortality: "Loss is a part of life this long / But Dexter & Sinister / I've the heaviest heart jackhammering inside me / And I don't know Jesus anymore." The disc's second track, the beguiling "Seven Veils," takes aim at romantic disintegration: "There's no roses in this garden / No sun melting in the sea." Elsewhere, there is a wake for civilization via the soaring "Empires," a pulsating rock meets symphonic moodscape lures the listener across "White Noise White Heat," while "My Trouble" explores romantic loss with naked command. The dynamic and musically rich arrangements and use of diverse instrumentation make for an involving and rewarding listen throughout Giants Of All Sizes. elbow has several upcoming January 2020 concert dates in Southern California, including at House of Blues in San Diego, The Wiltern in Los Angeles and The Observatory in Santa Ana.  Information: www.elbow.co.uk.



Robert  Kinsler