Bilal - Love For Sale (2006)

Bilal Sayeed Oliver was born on 23 August 1979 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and by the age of 11 he was choir director at his mother's church, forming a group at 14 to perform gigs at the Blue Moon Cafe in Philadelphia. He graduated from the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and then attended New York City's The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and he frequented jam sessions set up by the professors and students. At one such event, he met Aaron Comess, a musician from the pop-rock band Spin Doctors, and the two went on to improvise together at Comess's home, which produced a demo that was later heard by Interscope Records, who signed Bilal to a record contract. In 2001 he released his debut album, '1st Born Second', featuring productions by Dr. Dre and J Dilla, and it peaked at number 31 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The album received universal acclaim from music critics, and garnered rave reviews from publications including The Village Voice, Chicago Sun-Times, and USA Today. He managed to gain a sizable following and high attendance at his live shows, as well as much acclaim and respect from his peers, and the soulful feel of his music caused him to be labelled as "neo-soul", although he dislikes the term. In the following years Bilal appeared on projects by other artists, while recording and developing his follow-up album, once again helmed by Dr. Dre and J Dilla. These plans proved to be changeable, and the final result, 'Love For Sale', was built around live instrumentation and a vibe completely new and different from its predecessor, which was not what Interscope were expecting, and so they rejected his offering. 

Unwilling to start from scratch, he continued to push for its release, but as it neared completion it was leaked in its entirety on the internet. Interscope then shelved the album indefinitely, hinting at the same time that it saw little commercial potential in it. This sent Bilal into a period of distress, and he considered quitting music, but after 'Love For Sale' received over half a million downloads on the internet, he began touring, despite there not being a proper release to promote, with his concerts inspiring awe among audiences. In 2008 he began recording his next album, and after nine years without a properly released record, he made a comeback on 14 September 2010 with 'Airtight's Revenge', released under independent record label Plug Research. He describes it as a retrospective album, that explores his experiences and things he has learned since his last release, but it's also very experimental, blending jazz, hip-hop, electronic, rock, soul, and blues into one raw, genuine collection of music. It was a great comeback after the bitter disappointment of his pervious work being rejected by his record company, and so here is the 'Love For Sale' album for you to listen to, and see if you can hear what Interscope obviously couldn't. 

Track listing

01 Something To Hold On To  
02 You're All I Need (Feels Like Heaven)  
03 Gotsta Be Cool  
04 Make Me Over 
05 Get Out Of My Hair  
06 Lord Don't Let It  
07 All For Love  
08 Hands Of Time  
09 Hollywood  
10 White Turns To Grey  
11 Sorrow, Tears & Blood  
12 Sweet Sour U

Verbalicious - Verbal Issues (2006)

Natalia Noemi "Teddy" Sinclair (née Cappuccini) was born on 15 August 1986 In Bradford, West Yorkshire, and has recorded music under various aliases, most famously as Natalia Kills and Verbalicious. Her family left Bradford when she was a child and she spent her early years traveling between England, Jamaica and Spain. As a teenager she had a troubled childhood, running away from home when she was 14, and trying to set her ex-boyfriend's house on fire while both were in it. Already living on her own in London at 15, and sitting on a hoard of her poems, she began to sneak into clubs to make connections with DJs and managers, to get time in the studio. She began performing in February 2003, recording a series of demos by the time she was 16, and she also developed a strong interest in MC battling, entering a Radio 1 MC Battle in Leeds under the alias Candy Rapper in June 2003, and winning the competition. She was signed to Adventures in Music in August, crediting the exposure and experience from the MC battle for helping her land a record deal, and preparations began for the recording of her debut album. The album's apparent lead single, 'Don't Play Nice', was released digitally on 10 June 2004 on the label's website, and the following month her song 'Next Big Me' was released on the soundtrack of the 2004 film 'Sleepover'. In August 2004 it was reported that her album was slated for a release in the fall, but this would later be pushed back, with a new expected release date being Easter 2005. 

After receiving considerable airplay, 'Don't Play Nice' was then given full-single treatment, with the song being officially released on 21 February 2005. Not long after the release, problems began to arise between Sinclair and her label, and the strained relationship eventually resulted in a severed contract sometime in 2006, thus causing the debut album to be shelved. Sinclair then began a stint of homelessness and eventually rebranded herself to Verbz, a name under which she released a few songs on MySpace. In 2007, while writing music for films, she posted 'Womannequin' to MySpace, receiving two million plays on the website, and she reached the top of the unsigned artists chart. In 2008 she moved to Los Angeles, and while there a DJ introduced her to will.i.am after hearing her demo, and learning that she did not have a record deal. In January 2009 will.i.am signed her to his record label, will.i.am Music Group, and she adopted the stage name Natalia Kills, after her record company advised her that "Natalia Cappuccini" was "indescribable". She released her debut album 'Perfectionist' in Germany in April 2011, following the release of her single, 'Mirrors', which hit the German Top 10. Through 2010 and 2011 she opened for Kelis, Robyn, Kesha, Katy Perry and the Black Eyed Peas over various tours, and was featured in LMFAO's single, 'Champagne Showers', and in Junior Caldera's single 'Lights Out (Go Crazy)'. With an album now out under her new name on her new label, she retired Verbalicious, but as an example of her early work this deserves to be heard, so here is that cancelled album from 2006. 

Track listing

01 New Kid  
02 Sweet As Pie 
03 Wait For Me 
04 Don't Play Nice 
05 Strangers 
06 Butterflies  
07 Life  
08 Born Wrong  
09 Hush  
10 Take It All 
11 Never Going Down 
12 Hey Boy 
13 If I Saw You Now  
14 Ain't My Fault
15 Queen Of The Jungle 

Kasabian - Pan Am Slit Scam (2014)

Kasabian were formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and second vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff and bassist Chris Edwards, and were originally christened Saracuse. They started recording at Bedrock Studios in Leicester, where Edwards had once worked as a sound engineer, and in 1998 they recorded three songs for a demo tape, comprising 'Whats Going On', 'Life Of Luxury' and 'Shine On', and which was produced by Scott Gilbert. Saracuse had several tracks included on a triple CD album called 'RED', which was produced by Bedrock Studios and showcased Leicester bands in late 1999, and they were also invited to take part in the event of the same name at Leicester De Montfort Hall later the same year, but declined following the advice of their then-manager Alan Royland. When they signed to BMG Records by London DJ and producer Sam Young, they changed their name to Kasabian, named after Linda Kasabian, a member of the Charles Manson cult who later went on to testify against Manson at his trial. Their eponymous debut album was released in the UK on 13 September 2004, receiving good sales and generally positive reviews, and the next year the play the Glastonbury Festival 2005 on the "Other Stage". Despite having two prior single releases, with debut single 'Processed Beats' and lead single 'Reason Is Treason', it was their third single release 'Club Foot' that broke them into the UK Singles Chart, and it's become one of their most popular songs, being performed at nearly every Kasabian live performance since its release. 

During this period, various drummers played with the band, including current keyboard player Ben Kealey, DJ Dan Ralph Martin, Martin Hall-Adams, and brothers Mitch and Ryan Glovers, but while recording in Bristol, they met Ian Matthews, who played on a number of tracks on their debut album, and he became a permanent member in April 2005. During the recording of Kasabian's second album, 'Empire', Christopher Karloff, one of the band's chief songwriters, had "artistic and creative differences" and was asked to leave the band, and the album, was released in the UK on 28 August 2006. The title track 'Empire', a Karloff co-write, was released as the first single and reached No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart, followed by 'Shoot The Runner', which reached No. 17 , and 'Me Plus One'. In late 2007 they released an EP titled 'Fast Fuse', which featured the songs 'Fast Fuse' and 'Thick As Thieves', both of which would later feature on their third album. Work on the record started in late 2007 with producer Dan the Automator, and eighteen months later it was revealed that the album title would be 'West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum', with a release date of 8 June 2009. The song 'Vlad The Impaler' was released as a free download for a period of 4 days, as a preview for the album, and latwer singles were picked up by advertisers, with 'Fire' being used as the theme song for the English Premier League from the 2010–11 season onward, and 'Underdog' was used in the mobile and PC game 'Asphalt 8: Airborne', as well as in the movie 'Takers', and in the 2009 TV advert for Sony Bravia 200hz televisions. 

'West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum' reached No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart, spending two weeks there, and was also shortlisted for the 2009 Mercury Prize, as well as being named "Best Album" at the 2009 Q Awards. Kasabian started work on their fourth album, 'Velociraptor!', in November 2010 with Dan the Automator as producer, and promised a 19 September 2011 release date. 'Switchblade Smiles' was the first song to be heard from the sessions, and it was available for visitors to listen to on the Kasabian website, and was available as a download for people who pre-ordered the album. In November 2011 the band went on a full tour of the UK, including two sold-out gigs at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, supported at the shows by Miles Kane and Australian band ME. Following early 2012 dates in Japan, Australia, and Europe, Kasabian launched their North American leg in Dallas on 12 March, with 19 dates in U.S. and Canada until late April. In March 2013, Sergio Pizzorno confirmed via Facebook that touring rhythm guitarist Jay Mehler had left the band to join Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye as a touring bass guitarist, and he was replaced by Tim Carter. In November 2013 they announcing that they had been working on new material for the previous six months, and the resultant Sergio Pizzorno-produced album '48:13' was released in June 2014, being named after the length of the record. 

At the NME Awards 2015 Kasabian were nominated for 9 awards, beating the 2009 Oasis record of 7 nominations, and on this high they played a short tour in May, culminating in two concerts at Leicester City Football Club's ground, the King Power Stadium, to celebrate the club winning the Premier League. In March 2017, it was confirmed that the band's sixth album would be titled 'For Crying Out Loud', and released in May of that year, with the album cover featuring a photograph of the band's guitar technician Rick Graham. In July 2020, it was announced that Meighan was stepping down from Kasabian by mutual consent due to personal issues, although it later emerged that he'd assaulted his then-fiancée in April, and in light of the revelations, the band had decided to sever their professional relationship with him. Following Meighan's sacking, remaining band founders Pizzorno and Edwards met to discuss Kasabian's future, and they decided that the band should continue, with Pizzorno taking over lead vocal duties. On 27 October 2021, Kasabian released their first single, 'Alygatyr', in over four years, and followed this with 'Scriptvre' in May, before the parent album, 'The Alchemist's Euphoria', appeared in August. Their latest album, 'Happenings', has just been released, so now is the perfect time to take a retrospective look back at the work of the band by collecting all their non-album b-sides into a two-disc set of rare and hard to find music from them.  

Track listing

Disc I - 2003-2006
01 The Nightworkers (b-side of 'Processed Beats' 2003)
02 Pan Am Slit Scam (b-side of 'Cutt Off' 2004)
03 Beneficial Herbs (b-side of 'Cutt Off' 2004)
04 Out Of Space (b-side of 'Cutt Off' 2004)
05 Trash Can (b-side of 'Club Foot' 2004)
06 Sand Clit (b-side of 'Club Foot' 2004)
07 The Duke (b-side of 'Club Foot' 2004)
08 Bang (b-side of 'Club Foot' 2004)
09 55 (b-side of 'Club Foot' 2004)
10 Lab Twat (b-side of 'L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)' 2004)
11 Doctor Zapp (b-side of 'L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)' 2004)
12 Black Whistler (b-side of 'Empire' 2006)
13 Ketang (b-side of 'Empire' 2006)

Disc II - 2006-2014
01 Stay Away From The Brown Acid Pt. 1 (b-side of 'Shoot The Runner' 2006)
02 Pictures Of Matchstick Men (b-side of 'Shoot The Runner' 2006)
03 Somebody To Love (b-side of 'Me Plus One' 2006)
04 Caught In Her Mind (b-side of 'Me Plus One' 2006)
05 Runaway (b-side of 'Fire' 2009)
06 Julie & The Moth Man (b-side of 'Underdog' 2009)
07 Pistols At Dawn (b-side of 'Days Are Forgotten' 2011)
08 Narcotic Farm (b-side of 'Goodbye Kiss' 2012)
09 Beanz (b-side of 'Eez-eh' 2014)
10 Gelfling (b-side of 'Bumblebee' 2014)

Can - Tim Can Alley (1975)

As I mentioned in the recent 'Finished?' post, after Damo Suzuki left Can there were a number of other vocalists who rehearsed and played live with them before they added Rosko Gee and Reebop to the core line up, but there was one that you would never have thought of in a thousand years - folk-singer Tim Hardin. He joined their ranks for a while at the tail end of 1975, and a trio of recordings survive from their time together, one being a rehearsal and the second a live improvised track, both from a gig at the Hatfield Polytechnic on 21 November 1975, while the third is a soundcheck recorded at the Drury Lane Theatre, London two days later. Their collaboration was very short-lived, as according to author Rob Young in the book 'All Gates Open: The Story Of Can', a huge argument between Hardin and Can occurred after the London concert, during which Hardin threw a television set through a car's windshield, and that was the end of their relationship. It's astounding enough that they got together in the first place, but even more so that 40 minutes of music survives after nearly fifty years, and so here it is, titled after one of my worst ever puns.

Track listing

01 Soundcheck (recorded at Drury Lane, London 23 November 1975)
02 Morning Glory (recorded at Hatfield Polytechnic 21 November 1975)
03 Rehearsal (recorded at Hatfield Polytechnic 21 November 1975)

Mini Viva - One Touch (2009)

Mini Viva was a nu-disco/synthpop duo, comprised of Frankee Connolly and Britt Love, and they were produced by critically-acclaimed production team Xenomania. Manager Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment group negotiated a contract with Geffen Polydor, and their first single, 'Left My Heart In Tokyo', charted at number 7 in England and Finland. Their debut album was originally slated for release on 30 November 2009, but to allow time for the release of a second single this date was pushed back, although the resulting single, 'I Wish', failed to make the UK Top 40. Following this, the duo decided to refine their material and record new songs in the hope of recapturing the success of their first single. Their plan was to release their third and fourth singles, with the debut album to follow, but after their third single, 'One Touch', failed to even make the Top 100 the group disbanded, and their album, which was reportedly finished and in the final stages of planning before release, was ultimately shelved. A 5-track sampler was sent out to music press outlets, and it's possible that there is a full-length press promo copy of the album out there somewhere, although this has not been confirmed, but one press kit did include an extended mix of 'I Left My Heart In Tokyo', which I've included here. 

Track listing

01 Left My Heart In Tokyo (extended version)
02 One Touch
03 Say What You Feel

04 Breakfast Club (Interlude)
05 I'm Hooked
06 Emotions Of Love
07 Bedroom Viber
08 Heartbeat
09 Here 2 Party

10 I Wish
11 One Touch (Christian TV Mix)

Misty In Roots - Salvation (1988) **UPGRADE**

Another album that I listened to recently on headphones was my compilation of Misty In Roots' 12" singles, and as this is one of my very favourite reggae albums that I have posted, it was a bit annoying to hear that I'd had to use scratchy 12" singles as source material for some of the tracks. I have now managed to find CD quality versions of 'Rich Man', 'Salvation', 'Wondering Wanderer' (with corrected spelling), and 'Zapatta', and I've created a much smoother transition from the latter into the dub b-side, 'Viva Zapatta'. I've also located the dub versions of 'Own Them Control Them (Version)' and 'Together', and grafted them onto the singles, so here is a much improved, and extended, version of some hard to find music from one of the UK's best ever reggae bands. 

Track listing

01 Six One Penny (single 1978)
02 Oh Wicked Man (single 1978)
03 See Them Ah Come (single 1979)
04 How Long Jah (b-side of 'See Them Ah Come')
05 Rich Man (single 1979, plus dub)
06 Salvation (b-side of 'Rich Man')
07 Zapatta, Viva Zapatta (single 1980, plus b-side)
08 Wondering Wanderer (single 1981)
09 Cry Out For Peace (b-side of 'Wondering Wanderer')

10 Own Them Control Them (Version) (single 1986, plus dub)

11 Together (single 1988, plus dub)

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway Suite (1974) **BONUS**

When I posted Mike Solof's early version of the Genesis classic, 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway', a couple of people expressed interest in hearing one of the other versions that he'd put together, with the piece split into five individual suites. It seems that he's currently busy with other projects at the moment - I know that he's attempting to produce an improved version of the band's 'Six Of The Best' concerts - so I've dug out the original file that he sent me, before it was sent over to Captain Acid to work his magic. It still sounds pretty good even in this early version, so it you want to hear Mike's original mixes in a slightly different format, then give this a listen.

Track listing

01 Suite 1: Lamb / Fly

02 Suite 2: Broadway / Cocoon / Cage / Parade / N.Y.C.

03 Suite 3: Hairless / Counting / Crawlers

04 Suite 4: Chamber / Lilith / Waiting / Anyway / Supernatural / Lamia

05 Suite 5: Silent / Colony / Ravine / Light / Scree / Rapids / It

Snow Patrol - Post Punk Progression (2014)

Snow Patrol were originally formed in early 1994 by University of Dundee students Gary Lightbody, Mark McClelland, and Michael Morrison under the name Shrug, and after performing gigs at the university and surrounding pubs, they released their first EP 'The Yogurt vs. Yoghurt Debate' in 1995. The following year they changed their name to Polarbear to avoid issues with any American bands that were also named Shrug, and shortly afterwards, drummer Michael Morrison left the group after suffering a breakdown. In mid-1997, Polarbear released a three-track EP, 'Starfighter Pilot', on the Electric Honey label, but after this they again renamed themselves, this time to Snow Patrol, because of a naming conflict with another band named Polar Bear, fronted by ex-Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery. After the name-change the band joined independent label Jeepster, who intended to replicate approach they had with Belle & Sebastian, who had become popular by word of mouth, without heavy promotion. The band were happy to be associated with an indie label, because it provided them greater independence than a major label would, and their debut album, 'Songs For Polarbears', was released in 1998, after the band had relocated to Glasgow. It was a critical success but did not make any impact commercially, although they did win the "Phil Lynott Award For Best New Band" from Irish music magazine Hot Press. 

In 2001, while still living in Glasgow, the trio followed up with their second long-player 'When It's All Over We Still Have To Clear Up', but once again its critical success did not translate into sales. The band began to work harder and tour more, sleeping on fans' floors after concerts, and pretending to be members of Belle & Sebastian to get into nightclubs. After the commercial failure of the second album, Snow Patrol began to realise that the label's lax attitude towards management and record promotion was likely holding them back, and in a decision that was declared "brainless" by Hot Press magazine, Jeepster dropped the band in 2001. This left the door open for some major labels to show an interest in the group, but despite Lightbody being confident they would get signed to another label quickly, the music scene in the UK had turned its attention to American bands, and British groups were not getting signed. Lightbody, bored at this point, assembled The Reindeer Section, a Scottish supergroup, and found a record label to release the project's recordings, while Snow Patrol continued to write and rehearse new material. Guitarist Nathan Connolly, previously a member of the band File Under Easy Listening, moved from Belfast to Glasgow to join Snow Patrol in the spring of 2002, and through a fellow student at the University Of Dundee, who had since gone on to become Polydor's Scottish A&R representative, talent scouts from the label approached the band in Glasgow to listen to their demos. 

A deal was made, and their third album 'Final Straw' was released on 4 August 2003, under Black Lion, a subsidiary of Polydor Records. Its music was along the same lines as the band's first two albums, and no attempt was made to change the sound to something more radio-friendly, but the time was right for their style of indie-pop, and the release of the record in the US in 2004 saw it sell more than 250,000 copies, as well as becoming 26th-most popular album in the UK of that year. In mid-2005, during a two-year their tour to support 'Final Straw', the band played with U2 as an opening act on their Vertigo Tour in Europe, as well as playing a short set in London at the worldwide benefit concert Live 8. On 16 March 2005, McClelland left the band, with Lightbody citing conflicting relationships within the band, and he was replaced by former Terra Diablo member Paul Wilson, with longtime touring keyboardist Tom Simpson also becoming an official member of the band. With 'Final Straw' producer Jacknife Lee returning, the band released their new album, 'Eyes Open', in May 2006, with the first UK single, 'You're All I Have', coming out a week earlier, and the US having 'Hands Open' as their introduction tot he album. 

However, after the track 'Chasing Cars' was featured during an emotional scene in the second-season finale of the American medical drama 'Grey's Anatomy', it forced it's way into the charts on downloads alone, eventually peaking at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart when it was officially released as a single. By November, 'Eyes Open' had become the best-selling album of 2006 in the UK, selling 1.5 million copies, and is still one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history. 'Chasing Cars' was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 2007 Grammy Awards, and for Best British Single at the 2007 Brit Awards. Recording for the follow-up to 'Eyes Open' was to begin in Autumn 2006, with Jacknife Lee returning a third time for production, and 'A Hundred Million Suns' was released on another Polydor subsidiary, Fiction, in 2008, followed the next year by a compilation album titled 'Up To Now', featuring tracks from their fifteen-year history, plus three new songs, including 'Just Say Yes', which was track written by Lightbody, and earlier recorded by Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and X Factor star Diana Vickers. In 2009, Snow Patrol stated they would enter their "next phase" with the release of their sixth album, and so fans were to keep an open mind regarding the new material. 

'Called Out In The Dark' (remixed by Fatboy Slim) was released for radio airplay on 21 July 2011, as was the lead track of an EP which came out two months later. The parent album 'Fallen Empires' was released on 14 November 2011, alongside second single 'This Isn't Everything You Are', with a launch party held at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire. A greatest hits compilation entitled was released in May 2013, but a few months later it was announced that Simpson would be leaving the band. The follow-up to 'Fallen Empires' was initially due for release in 2016, but Lightbody first had to overcome a bout of writer's block, and so 'Wildness' did not actually appear until May 2018. In November they released the EP 'What If This Is All The Love You Ever Get?', but apart from another compilation album, 'Reworked, which came out in 2019, nothing was hheard from the group until Lightbody announced in September 2023 that Quinn and Wilson had decided to leave. Snow Patrol would be continuing as a trio of himself, Connolly, and McDaid, and a new album is supposed to appear in September this year, so while we wait for that, here is a reminder of the band at their best, with a collection of non-album b-sides from the first decade and a half of their career. 

Track listing

Disc I - 1998-2004      
01 Sticky Teenage Twin (b-side of 'Little Hide' 1998)
02 Limited Edition (b-side of 'Little Hide' 1998)
03 Jj (b-side of 'Little Hide' 1998)
04  My Last Girlfriend (b-side of 'One Hundred Things You Should Have Done In Bed' 1998)
05 T.M.T. (b-side of 'One Hundred Things You Should Have Done In Bed' 1998)
06 I Could Stay Away Forever (b-side of 'One Hundred Things You Should Have Done In Bed' 1998)
07 When You're Right, You're Right (b-side of 'Velocity Girl' 1998)
08 Raze The City (b-side of 'Starfighter Pilot' 1999)
09 Riot, Please (b-side of 'Starfighter Pilot' 1999)
10 In Command Of Cars (b-side of 'Ask Me How I Am' 2000)
11 Talk To The Trees (b-side of 'Ask Me How I Am' 2000)
12 Monkey Mobe (b-side of 'One Night Is Not Enough' 2001)
13 Workwear Shop (b-side of 'One Night Is Not Enough' 2001)
14 Steal (b-side of 'Spitting Games' 2003)
15 Brave (b-side of 'Spitting Games' 2003)
16 Post Punk Progression (b-side of 'Run' 2004)
17 You Are My Joy (b-side of 'How To Be Dead' 2004)
 
Disc II - 2006-2014
01 The Only Noise (b-side of 'You're All I Have' 2006)
02 Perfect Little Secret (b-side of 'You're All I Have' 2006)
03 Play Me Like Your Own Hand (b-side Of 'Chasing Cars' 2006)
04 It Doesn't Matter Where, Just Drive (b-side Of 'Chasing Cars' 2006)
05 Warmer Climate (promo single 2006) 
06 I Am An Astronaut (b-side of 'Open Your Eyes' 2007)
07 Signal Fire (single from the soundtrack to the film 'Spider-Man 3' 2009)
08 The Afterlife (b-side of 'Take Back The City' 2008)
09 Cubicles (b-side of 'Crack The Shutters' 2008)
10 In A Dream I Saw Satellites (b-side of 'If There's A Rocket Tie Me To It' 2009)
11 My Brothers (b-side of 'Called Out In The Dark' 2011)
12 Plastic Jesus (b-side of 'This Isn't Everything You Are' 2011)
13 I Won't Let You Go (single from the soundtrack of the film 'Divergent' 2014) 

Natasha Ramos - Show And Prove (2006)

Natasha Ramos started singing at a very early age, catching the attention of Linda Casey through a talent search that landed her a deal alongside Letoya Luckett and Latavia Roberson (formerly of Destiny's Child) in their new female group Anjel. After about a year with the band, she sought new opportunities after rumours surfaced of her not getting along with other band members, and she left Anjel. She started working with Andre Deyo, who wrote 'Jenny From The Block', and on which Ramos sang the demo, and JLo loved what she heard so much that she had Ramos record background vocals for the 'This Is Me...Then' album. She also kept most of the vocals on 'Jenny From The Block', and this all helped Ramos land a deal with Arista Records, although that fell through due to label issues, but it did lead to the opportunity to work with Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes. He fell in love with her voice and asked her to be a part of an all Latina girl group, Affair, which she accepted. She started to work alongside Vanessa Marquez, but just us Tiffany Villarreal was added as a third member, the group folded and parted ways. Ramos then signed a solo deal with Star Trak, and she had a slew of underground hits such as 'Midnight Hour', 'Invisible', and 'Strawberries', as well as singing background vocals with artists such as Jennifer Lopez and others. She recorded a solo album for Star Trak, tentatively titled 'Show And Prove', which was due to be released around 2006, and an early and unmastered reference version of it does exist. No official singles were released, but many tracks, including 'Deeper (feat. Robin Thicke)', appeared on several mixtapes and received some airplay, while the album cut 'Screwed' was set to be released as a single featuring Kanye West, but it was cancelled after West used his verse for another project. After the album's cancelation in 2007, interest in her skyrocketed when it was revealed that she and fellow singer Ashanti recorded a large percentage of vocals on several Jennifer Lopez projects, and although it's reported as being unmastered, her debut album is an R&B stormer, with many highlights, and so is well worth hearing. 

Track listing

01 Midnight Hour
02 Deeper (feat. Robin Thicke)
03 Got Me On Lock
04 Invisible 
05 Screwed (feat. Kanye West)
06 Pack Up
07 Dope Boy (feat. Pharrell Williams)
08 This Love (Interlude)
09 Last Night
10 Feelin' Myself
11 One Way
12 That Moment
13 Say Uh 
14 Running Out Of Love

Like Wendy - The Tower (1995)

Like Wendy is a Dutch band, the creation and brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Bert Heinen, and their formation is a somewhat unusual story. In the late 1980's, a group of friends would meet up at a local pub in Amersfoort, Utrecht, in the Netherlands, to enjoy some beer and talk about current events and other topics on their minds, but music was the overriding subject. Out of this revelry and good cheer, Like Wendy was born, being mainly the vision of Heinen, who has kept the concept, both as an idea and an actual recording group, going over these last 25 years. The group named themselves after a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's 'Lord Of The Rings', being a play on the name Laiquendi, and the music they produce is very much as you would expect, being a compendium of breath-taking neo-progressive symphonic rock. After seven years of rehearsing and recording together, Heinen had gathered enough material to self-release an album, 'Dream Of The Falcon', so he started to send demos to different magazines, and after a good response from Background Magazine he was signed to LabraD'Or records in 1997. In 1998 the band released their first record on the label, 'The Storm Inside', which featured Heinen on guitars, keyboard and vocals, plus Marien on drums and additional keyboards, and they produced a very melodic progressive rock album, similar in style to Marillion, Pendragon, Pallas or IQ. The critical reception was very favourable, and so the next year the duet released 'Rainchild', on which their sound evolved, keeping the style intact but with a more professional sound. In 2000, 'Songs From The Moonlit Bay' proved to be very different from 'Rainchild', with the first track, 'Falcon Suite', being a 21 minutes epic, and this time there was a distinct echo of Steve Hackett in the guitar-work, with the sound moving towards symphonic rather than neo-progressive rock. 

Two years later saw the appearance of 'Summer In Eden', but it was felt that it didn't have the same appeal as 'Songs From The Moonlit Bay', sounding like a blend of Pendragon and 'Foxtrot'-era Genesis, and it paled in comparison with the previous albums. 'Homeland' marked a change in 2004, as the band turned into a one man project following the departure of drummer Marien, with the only other musician being trumpet-player Jos on the song 'Flood'. This time influences included Pink Floyd, but keeping the original style almost intact, except for some electronic touches. The saga of Like Wendy ended in 2005 with the release of 'Endgame', and for this album Heinen recruited another multi-instrumentalist called Mark-Jeroen Heek, but the result was disappointing, with a simpler and more pop-orientated approach. Nothing more was heard from them until they suddenly re-appeared in 2020 with the 'This Beautiful Lie' album, once again credited solely to Heinen, and then the same year a mysterious demo CDr started doing the rounds, which turned out to be a 'reissue' of a collection of demo's by Heinen from 1995, self-released as a cassette before they'd even recorded 'Dream Of The Falcon'. Listening to this album you can hear that the vision of the band was there right from the start, and it's an excellent collection of neo-progressive rock which deserves a wider audience, not only for the fans, but for anyone who is into well-played prog-rock. If you like what you hear, then do check out the rest of their catalogue, as it's generally well-worth hearing. 

Track listing

01 The Big Lie
02 The Price For Trust
03 Eyewitness (The Fool)
04 Losing Sight On Reality
05 Breathe Deep
06 Asua's Fall
07 Dreaming
08 Birth (Pre-Version)
09 Wandering

Cassie - Supermodel (2012)

The final collection of unreleased tracks from Cassie is titled 'Supermodel', and is a pure pop collection of starburst synths, bubblegum beats, and cotton-candy production, with her versatile voice shining on belting ballads and chanting club anthems in this diverse mix.

Track listing

01 Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n Roll (Intro)
02 I Never Knew
03 B.F.F. (feat. Young Deion)
04 Radio (feat. Fabolous)
05 Push It
06 I Don't Love You (Interlude #1)
07 Sometimes (feat. Ryan Leslie)
08 Shakespeare
09 Sound Of Love (feat. DJ Komori)
10 Diced Pineapples (Interlude #2)
11 Breathe Again
12 Runaway Love (feat. T-Pain)
13 Baby Girl (feat. N.O.R.E.)
14 Hide (Interlude #3)
15 I'm In Love With You 
16 Fly With U (Outro)

Jack White - No Name (2024)

On 19 July 2024, visitors to Jack White's Third Man Record Store found a mysterious vinyl album bundled in with their purchase. No stranger to the guerilla record drop – he once hid a bunch of seven inches inside re-upholstered sofas - White has come up with a unique release strategy for his surprise sixth album, which is his first new music since 2022’s 'Fear Of The Dawn' and 'Entering Heaven Alive'. The anonymous white label, 'No Name',  was given away free with any purchase at White’s Third Man stores on Friday, while a very limited number of copies were also sent to customers at random in the mail. Its mysterious grooves contained 13 tracks of raw, fresh, fierce garage blues, and although there were no official song titles, and no hint at the artist, there was no doubt that this was the work of Jack White himself. Bashing out the bluesiest rock riffs that he’s released since the White Stripes, every song is crunchy as hell, filled with ragged yelps and preacher-on-the-pulpit declarations, with not an acoustic guitar in sight. He's accompanied by nothing more than a rhythm section and the occasional organ, and judging by posts he’s shared on Instagram, the line-up consists of longtime bassist Dominic John Davis, recent keyboard addition Bobby Emmett, and Raconteurs drummer Patrick Keeler, although there’s no word on the whereabouts of White’s usual solo drummer Daru Jones. Third Man has seemingly encouraged fans to rip the album and, as White declares in the A-side’s rap-rocking fifth track, “You must tell seven friends.” It seems likely that the so-called 'No Name' will get more traditional distribution soon, but it’s also entirely possible that last weekend’s guerrilla release is all that the album will ever receive. Such is the benefit of White owning his own label, he’s free to do whatever he wants. Shortly after the album's release, White played a show at American Legion Post 82 in Nashville where new copies of 'No Name' on blue vinyl, with cover art, track titles, and liner notes, were made available for attendees to purchase, but if that's the only release 'No Name' ever receives, then I'm posting it here for any fans who missed it, and might not get to hear it if it doesn't appear officially in the future. Most copies out there have some serious surface noise at the end of track 13, but this rip comes from the cleanest copy that I found. 

Track listing

01 Old Scratch Blues

02 Bless Yourself

03 That's How I'm Feeling

04 It's Rough On Rats (If You're Asking)

05 Archbishop Harold Holmes

06 Bombing Out

07 What's The Rumpus?

08 Tonight (Was A Long Time Ago)

09 Underground

10 Number One With A Bullet

11 Morning At Midnight

12 Missionary

13 Terminal Archenemy Endling

Track titles taken from the blue vinyl edition.

Thanks to Reddit user lookanew for the inspiration for the alternate cover. 

Marion - The Collector (1998)

Marion were formed in Macclesfield, Cheshire in 1993 by Jaime Harding and Anthony Grantham, along with Phil Cunningham, who had all previously been in various bands together including Cloud, Chief, Push The King and The Shags. After recruiting bassist Damian Lawrence and drummer Murad Mousa, they recorded a demo that was sent to former Smiths manager Joe Moss, who agreed to manage the band. After replacing bassist Damian Lawrence with Julian Phillips, they rehearsed six days a week for nine months, commuting each day from Macclesfield, before playing in London to try and gain record company attention. After releasing debut single 'Violent Men' on Rough Trade Records, a bidding war began between the major record labels, with Marion eventually signing to London Records, and gaining a publishing deal with Island Music Publishing in October 1994. In March 1995, bassist Phillips left the band to join Electrafixion and work with Ian McCulloch, and was replaced by Nick Gilbert, formerly of the Hot Bananas. They released their debut 'This World And Body' in February 1996, which entered the UK Top 10 Album Chart, and constant gigging saw them supporting the likes of Morrissey, Radiohead, Ian McCulloch, and Manic Street Preachers. After a gruelling 18 month international touring campaign for their debut, the band found it difficult to write a second album, and so Moss brought in Johnny Marr to co-write and produce 'The Program'. It was released in September 1998, however Harding's heroin habit saw him become increasingly unreliable, which led to a lack of promotion. 

Following a mammoth tour of the US in 1999, the band split up, with the rest of the group blaming frustration and bitterness at not being able to get through to the drug-addicted Harding. Guitarist Cunningham toured with Bernard Sumner's and Johnny Marr's band Electronic, and subsequently went on to become a full-time member of Bad Lieutenant and New Order, while second guitarist Tony Grantham, who left the band in 1998, formed Chalk and Ryna, but bassist Nick Gilbert was deeply affected by the break up, selling his equipment and starting working in graphic design. In December 1999, it was revealed the frontman 

Harding was working with longtime friend Wayne Ward on new material, and although all the band's music had been written by Cunningham and Grantham, the new songs were was to be released under the Marion name, with Harding stating that "the name Marion belongs to me and only I use it". In June 2000, Harding pleaded guilty to theft charges and possession of heroin, after stealing garden ornaments and selling them to an antiques dealer to fund his heroin habit, and he was put on probation. Nothing from the sessions was ever released. Marion attempted further reunions in 2006, playing gigs in Bath, Manchester and London, and also in 2011, which produced a live album, but they fell apart again when a planned studio album was abandoned. It's an ignominious end to a band who had so much potential, and could have been a bigger part of the Britpop scene than they were, so as a tribute to their early work, here are all the non-album singles and b-sides from their short career.  

Track listing

01 Violent Men (original single 1994)
02 Today And Tonight (b-side of 'Violent Man')
03 Father's Day (b-side of 'Sleep' 1995)
04 Moving Fast (b-side of 'Sleep' 1995)
05 Waiting For No-One (from the 'Sleep' EP 1995)
06 The Collector (from the 'Sleep' EP 1995)
07 Down The Middle With You (b-side of 'Toys For Boys' 1995)
08 Changed For The Same (b-side of 'Toys For Boys' 1995)
09 The Late Gate Show (b-side of 'Let's All Go Together' 1995)
10 Chance (b-side of 'Time' 1996)
11 Speechless (b-side of 'Miyako Hideaway' 1998)
12 We Love Everything (b-side of 'Miyako Hideaway' 1998)
13 Minus You (b-side of 'Miyako Hideaway' 1998)
14 Promise Q (b-side of 'Miyako Hideaway' 1998)
15 The Present (b-side of 'Sparkle' 1998)
16 Journey To The Centre (b-side of 'Sparkle' 1998)
17 Psycho Killer (b-side of 'Sparkle' 1998)
18 Our Place (b-side of 'Sparkle' 1998)