Green Day new album

The success of American Idiot brought with it all of those mixed emotions... A band I loved, when it seemed to be against the grain, all of a sudden was filling stadia...

Green Day, themselves, however, seemed to compromise not one bit. The shows felt like small venues, even with 30,000 people. The music on American Idiot was as good as any that preceded it... (Nimrod's still my number one GD album, though.)

As further proof that they're still in it for the music, their new album is released under the Foxboro Hot Tubs name (in a poorly guarded secret). Stop Drop and Roll is fantastic 60s/70s rock and roll Green Day...

It'll absolutely do until a harder-edged Green Day is ready...

More live session videos

Two more videos of the remarkable Katey Brooks - Soft Sleeper and True Speaker, in session at The Old Chapel. We're hoping that Katey will be back for some more demos at the Chapel in June, so watch this space...

Katey Brooks | True Speaker

Katey Brooks | Soft Sleeper

More AdultAlternative.co.uk session videos

A further song from Katey Brooks - Grateful Rain

And one from my son, playing an Andy Hull/ Manchester Orchestra son, Where Have You Been

Katey Brooks

Katey has one of the most impressive voices I have ever heard live. Goodness knows where it comes from, but it would be impossible to hear it and not be shocked.

At the session, she debuted a new song, so new it doesn't yet have a title:

One more: Found

Kilto Take

Kilto Take are the first band to be signed to Medical Records/ 4 The Record Management, alongside singer/ songwriter Katey Brooks. They will be, without doubt, huge...

They played their first acoustic session for a Medical Records showcase.

Wake In The Lie

Holding The Enemy

Fallen

Tainted States

Morning Benders

This band make wonderfully fresh, loose-limbed music. 

Have a listen to/ download two tracks from their debut: Crosseyed, and Boarded Doors.

Centro-matic, South San Gabriel

It would be hard to overstate my liking for this band (well, these bands, if I'm being strict). Downloaded the new Dual Hawks album from iTunes this morning, and I'm revelling in some new Will Johnson music...

So nice to hear the two bands on the same album. Will post more thoughts in time...

Head here to hear I, The Kite from the Centro-matic side of the album, Trust To Lose from the SSG side, or, even better, here to go straight to iTunes to download the whole album.

Lou Barlow

I could try to be all grown-up about this, but occasionally I hear a song that I fall for in a big way...

I missed Lou Barlow's Mirror The Eye EP when it came out last year. And I deeply regret that now - it's not uniformly great, but one track, Yawning Blue Messiah, has become this month's Serpentine for me - I can't repeat it fast enough...

Colour Revolt

Really enjoying the debut by this band (and thanks to Manchester Orchestra for the tip). I'd describe it (in that 'x meets y' way that seems to upset half of everyone, and please the other half - so here we go my 'other half') as Queens of the Stone Age meets Pavement. But probably more than that...

Judge for yourself: here is the first track on the disc, Naked and Red. And A Siren...

MP3s of the week

I still find it astonishing that there is so much great music available for free - even if you're not some pikey music thief...

My two favourite tracks of the week are both available direct from the artists:

Thao - Swimming Pools

School of Language - Rockist part 1

Frightened Rabbit

Frightened Rabbit's first album, Sing The Greys, was a great start. But, the track released from their follow up (Modern Leper) has me looking forward to their second immensely. Have a listen (and download)...  I love the bit where the drum starts...

Land of Talk

I still miss Jen Trynin. She's still with us and seems happy, if her site's up to date... She was an amazing female songwriter, with an incredible ability to make a song rock hard. But, she stopped recording.

So, I've missed a female-fronted band to get excited about for a while - I though Gemma Hayes was going to get there, but her record company seemed to mishandle her (or, her PR company suck... Actually, that is more likely to be true - all my dealings with them suggest that they do, indeed, suck.). Belly, Letters to Cleo, even the Cardigans (in their occasional highlight)...

That brings me to Land of Talk, whose Sea Foam on One Little Indian's sampler (from Applause Cheer Boo Hiss) was the standout track. I don't know much about them, except that they come from Montreal. This track, Speak To Me Bones, is also a great intro...

I hope to find out more.