Albums of 2018

Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears

Each time I listen to this is gets better. This is how pop music should be. Looking forward to so much more from these two.

Anna Calvi - Hunter 

This whole album just fits so well, I think this is the album that the music people will like. Radio not so much.

Immortal - Northern Chaos Gods

Have to admit I love how raw this is, many bands when going back to a past sound can fuck it up badly but this is spot on.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - While We're At It

What a great album, need a good fun time album then here it is. This is up there with their best albums.

Mary Gauthier - Rifles and Rosary Beads

Just such an amazing album, written with the stories from ex service people. She worked with them at a charity that helps ex service people who have mental problems.

Belly - DOVE

This album is a real grower, took me a while but wow what an album. Three out of three for Belly. Looking forward to number four.

Kate Tucker - Practical Sadness

This is a nice bit of work, if you like Calvi you will like this. Great song writing and some real honest lyrics.

The Crown - Cobra Speed Venom

Title pretty much sells this one.

Judas Priest - Firepower

Great to have them back. With some youth in the line up and new ideas have come out. The production is spot on and the guitar work is better then ever.

Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance

Stunning album, each and every listen makes you think;
and much like a good book or painting you go back to it all the time. I really need to see them live soon.

Massive Wagons - Full Nelson

What a fantastic rock album. Catchy as fuck and tons of guitar shapes.

CHVRCHES - Love Is Dead

Have to admit I was not a big fan before but this album got me hooked. It is just so catchy, I love the use of the lyrics on this album. A very punk feel to them mixed in with the catchy tunes makes it a win.

Best albums of 2017

Another year and another list of albums you will not bother to give a shit about.

Samantha Fish, Chills and Fever

What an amazing album, Samantha really shows her voice is as good as her guitar playing. not a single bum note or filler on this album at all.

Boris, Dear

Really like the feel of this one, more noise landscapes than a proper rock album. I love the sound on this record as it all just seems to fit so well, close your eyes and relax.

Body Count, Bloodlust

Ice T has always done well with this band a great mix of metal and vocals in his style made them pretty unique in the day but does it work still. Fuck yes it is Ice T. With the last few years politically being so bleak there is plenty for the band to write about.

Tom Russell, Folk Hotel

His last album made this list and I hate putting same artists into a list as it is a bit fan boy wanky but fuck me this is stunning stuff. Check this out if you like a good country/alt album to chill to.

Power Trip, Nightmare Logic

Bit like mixing Pantera and rock n roll. And it works all out fun. Great live as well.

Full of Hell, Trumpeting Ecstasy

This on the other hand is not fun but all out metal noise and very good too. A go to album on the bus after a crap day of work.

Sievehead, Worthless Soul

Really liked this alt punk album. Kind of takes old school indy and makes it way more cool.

Thurston Moore, Rock n Roll Consequences

Same stuff as last album and still as good. Saw him live and he can free jazz much of this as well.

Mothership, High Strangeness

Like Monster Magnet but with more drugs and way better artwork.

Kreator, Gods of Violence

Well produced album and some great music on this one.

Torres, Three Futures

Another fantastic album from Torres, love how it is very different sounding to her last one but feels like they are linked.

Protomartyr, Relatives in Descent

I was late to this album but eventually got it. Very Nick Cave feel to this one.

Anathema, The Optomist

Great stuff from this band, expanding on the sounds with more of an electronic addition to the tunes and it works very well.

Baltimor, Eepos

Loving this band from Finland who know how to rock.

Album Review, Ginger Wildheart - Ghost In The Tanglewood

Ginger Wildheart, Ghost In The Tanglewood (Pledge Music)

It really is not unusual for artists to make a country album. For some it is quite a switch in artistic style and looking for a different style of music to play. The music industry has lost so much money making ability in the last ten years the artists have switched like moths to a light bulb from Lady Ga Ga to Kid Rock it can near always be seen as a fail. Many of the albums can be very good like Sheryl Crow's Feels Like Home. They can have all the ingredients but just not pull it off. As the music industry financially stumbles, country is one of the rare styles of music with a big following and decent sales.

The opener for me is classic Ginger and he does know how to write a great opener and it sets the tone of the album. The album was written and recorded during a dark time in his battle with depression. And as someone who suffers with it, I get it. This style of honesty is custom made for country music as it really is an early form of punk rock. Strip away the cowboy hat and spurs and most country people are very much like punks. Even look at the amount of female artists involved in the industry and in fact many lead it (Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn....) the style may not be for all but the first tune "The Daylight Hotel" will bring you in easy. A tale of his treatment for depression it is more in a pop style than anything else on the album but that all changes on track two 'Paying It Forward' all I can say here is a classic country leg slapping tune. Get ready to shout out a chorus to make the neighbors wanna join the party. Steal guitars riff away the start and continue throughout the album.

Do not expect the next track to change to much as country it says and it is 'Golden Tears' is another brilliant tune the vocals come over very much to the front here then the band build up. Country is seen as very much the south of America but in reality each area of America has its own sound as does the UK. Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland all have their own sound and feel now the north of England has theirs, this tune is all Geordie heart.

Classic country is seen with the cowboy hat and the bright loud clothes at times looking more of a fancy dress and in a way it is. As in reality the real country artists are nothing like that. That look associated with the genre only started as the very popular radio show "Live at the Grand Ole Opry" switched to TV from radio and artists had to stand out. Back then the big break was a few songs on TV then hit the road and much has not changed. So the next track really shows the negative side of live music. The glitz and glamour of music can be instantly negative off the stage when missing family 'Minus You' shows this and really makes you think. All good music should make you think.

A cover of a Steve Earle song 'My Old Friend The Blues' has to be here. Covers are fun but in the country realm you have to give it respect and Ginger does that with an A+. 'The Reaper' takes the tempo back up a notch and gets the foot tapping. Can you guess what it is about? Yes we all have no idea when and where we will go but we will. The idea of even talking about it for many is a no no so in song form it may well be at least for some the only way to think about it.

Ginger has been involved with country music before in helping to write some of the last Jason and the Scorchers album with writing credits on many of the tracks on Halcyon Times LP. He also has via his fan club releases delved into some fantastic country styled tunes (check out the The Pendine Incident, a fantastic bluegrass tune) so he certainly has some pedigree here and in last tune 'Don't Say Goodbye' you may well have a tear in the eye. Daddy is away again and lyric "id rather be deaf than hear you cry" is sung with respect and the dignity this music deserves. Many people take the piss out of this style of music without really getting it. What is really sad is country is real easy to get and very much inclusive for all. Many more alt music styles may make you work to get the music but country wears its heart on the sleeve. I think this tune if done in the typical rock style would just not work but it is ideal here.

As a fan of country music (can you tell) I love this album. For rock fans and Ginger fans in general they may well not take to it to fast but it is a grower. I recommend a good set of headphones and a comfy chair for this one as it sounds fantastic on a decent sound system. The production is spot on and sounds fantastic in 24bit. Ginger wanted to know how he did and all I can say he made a great country album. Job done.

8.5/10

Released via Pledge Music here on CD, LP and download.

Twitter: 29xthefun

Best albums of 2016

Abbath, Abbath

Solo project from ex Immortal front man. It is what the last Immortal album should have been.

Ascendancy, The Dirty Earth

Take out Ozzy from Sabbath and replace with female vocals and you have this album. It is a real stoner Electric Wizard style of album.

Cheap Trick, Bang, Zoom, Crazy…Hello

What can I say a Cheap Trick album, like so many previous albums the classic mix of rock and pop works wonders. Plenty of sing along tunes and riffs.

Purson, Desire's Magic Theatre

Hard to really put this into a genre but it is simply rock music for music fans. Give it a go a fantastic mix of folk, blues, prog, hard rock and psychedelia.

Discharge, End of Days

Discharge do not disappoint with this album. Classic UK punk that makes more sense with the political mess that 2016 is/was.

Electric Citizen, Higher Time

Another female fronted stoner band but what can I say another great album by a female fronted stoner band.

Hinds, Leave me Alone

Love this album to bits, four girls in Spain decided to form a band and through some catchy tunes got a deal for an album. It is a classic garage rock style band that oozes the classic surf rock of the 60's. What I love so much is how much fun they have and seeing them live they play old cheap instruments. I love that so much throwing away the seriousness of the industry for fun.

Margo Price, Midwest Farmer's Daughter

She has struggled and got nowhere for years but 2016 was her year finally getting an album out and to much fanfare and rightfully so this is a great album. Classic Americana that you know the storys are real.

Cult Of Luna & Julie Christmas, Mariner

Mix of two great artists that was done over the net. The end result even ended up with some very quickly arranged gigs together as it worked so well.

Mono, Requiem for Hell

Another classic from Mono, sit back close your eyes and relax.

Head Cat, Rock n Roll Riot on the Sunset Strip

Yes it is a live album but what an album. Classic rockabilly covered but Lemmy and friends. It should not work and well I don't think it did but to my ears it sounds great.

Vektor, Terminal Redux

What a stunning album, you have some big thrash bands out over the last few years likes Metallica, Megadeth, Testament but this flushed them all down the toilet. Both fast and heavy but also technical it really does draw you in. Kids throw the new Metallica album in the bin and get this.

Sturgill Simpson, A Sailor's Guide to Earth

More Americana but this one is a little bit more experimental. Like taking a trip around the world on a boat and each track has different influences. The American leg of the trip is a strange but compelling cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit that on its own is very odd but on here it works great.

Sarah Jarosz, Undercurrent

Loved the music from this lady for a while but this album just clicked for me and many others. Her music skills really are amazing to see, such effortless looking performances that are so amazing to the ears.

Hey Hello!, Hey Hello Too

This was a real surprise as the album was released then pulled by Ginger. Not happy he re recorded much of it but after the singer left he then got in various guest vocalists and wow it works so well. The first album sounded ok and the tunes were good but the addition of these fantastic singers just moves the album up a few levels.

Sound battle. £10 DAC vs Essence STX II 7.1

Bit of fun as I have a week off work and also nursing a nasty foot sprain (told to stay off foot for a week) so great time to mess about with that home made DAC I wanted to do.

So built and set up and while listening my ears were very shocked to find how good it was and so good I am taking time to tell you here.

This is more for people who know a little about computers and electronics. But anyone could do this and I really hope someone tries to do so.

DAC of some sort I got this pHAT DAC for £12
Raspberry Pie 2, 3 or Zero £20-£30
SD Card and cables. £10-£30 (I recommend decent cables say £20 or so)

VS

Essence STX II 7.1

Both through a Yamaha AS500 and Eltax Millenium Monitors. Both have similar quality cables.

Now their are many places on the net that shows you how to make this up. So I will not go into it as my review is of the sound in comparison to a Essence STX II 7.1. Above is the price comparison to the Essence STX II 7.1 I got for £200 about five years ago.

I now have many albums in HD format and listening through them I honestly can't tell a difference between the to set up. Some albums like Bruce Springsteen, Darkness on the Edge of Town just sound so good on both and I think I edge a little to the DAC (Cheapest set up)

Next up is Iron Maiden with the Book of Souls. Classic Maiden this is a great test of how a new album sounds and again it sounds rich and full on the DAC. Sound card again is very similar. The drums and general whole rhythm section sounds fantastic. When the album goes intot he prog style it is known for both sound again great. Direct and no hint of noise at all in both. It really is amazing to hear. The soundcard and DAC are plugged into my Yamaha A-S400 with the input right next to each other. I even start tracks exactly the same time to click between them. And all results are stunning.

Next up is Countdown to Extinction. I again start the two tracks at the same time and have a very click comparison to the first track that has a very big blast beat drum intro and again it is 10/10.
Just a little bit more definition in the symbols than the sound card. But I mean so so little most people will never tell. Again listening on the sound is flawless.

I try some of the new Ramones HD stuff as well, I notice when I got these how amazing Joey sounded and again I am not disappointed. I find I have to tweak the sound card a little to match the levels but no big problem. The sound card seems to like older music more and it seems to keep a little hint of that classic feel. Could just be my ears used to the old school sound but this is for me a plus.

Aretha Franklin - Spirit in the dark is last up and again both are 10/10. Aretha could sound amazing through a tin can on a string but it is nice to hear this so direct and fresh. The harmonies come out so well here and have room to move about.

Well there you go a quick review and my winner is the DAC. I will be listening to this all week and I am sure other albums will come out on the sound card side but fuck me £12 DAC sounding this amazing is just stunning.

What is great about the DAC set up is the controll for it is via a mobile phone. This lets you see on your USB Drive/HDD and chose the music. The search is also very good and fast.

Reviewer is: 29xthefun

Best albums of 2015

Twenty Fifteen it is and here we go,

Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly

What an amazing album, I got his last album and loved that but this takes it up a notch and I do not mean just his career I mean the whole style. So refreshing and utterly needed right now.

Torres, Sprinter

Loved this album from day one, little like PJ Harvey but she has her own sound and a very good direction. Looking forward to more from this artist.

Zombi, Shape Shift

They have been here before so won't go on too much, like John Carpenter soundtracks? Well love this.

William Clark Green, Ringling Road

Great cross of country/Americana and almost pop music here. Not too much of any one of them as well. A great fun record worth many to give a listen.

New Candys, As Medicine

Totally blinding album, the feeling and atmosphere on here is so intense. Makes you hit repeat near as soon as it is done and then you will near every listen hear something new and like something else for any number of reasons.

Gaz Coombes, Matador

Cracking album and a bit of a surprise, his first solo was pretty good but he has let himself run riot here. So much not like his past and better for it (not that their is anything wrong with his past music)

Hardcore Superstar, HCSS

Great classic rock n roll but in a kind of alt rock slant. Not boring like the grunge thing can be or too straight forward like Pixies but a little more adult in a way, give it a go.

Backyard Babies, Four by Four

Classic band I loved when I was young and they have done a great album here. No messing about with arty farty song writing some classic rock tunes and some nice good old ballads as well, close my eyes and it could well be 1997 again.

Drumcorps, Falling Forward

One man band or shall I say more a studio sound. The start of the album is very much a drum and bass feel and sound but keep going for some utterly amazing music and so innovative as well. It is shocking only one person made all this. Seriously if you like alt music and something different give it a go.

Idlewild, Everything Ever Written

Got this in January and still listening regularly. Glasgow band have done well here and what a fantastic listen. An album for a sunny day or a bus ride to work to keep the spirits up.

Nightwish, Endless Forms Most Beautiful

Yet again another brilliant album, new singer fits in well and the band pretty much do the same thing again routine. But worth it for the closing song at 24 minutes and the rest is pretty high quality. Press were not too happy with it but more listens are needed here to really get into it. Managed to see them live in Denmark in a smaller venue and they were stunning. If you get a chance to see them do it.

Allison Moorer, Down to Believing

Love this album, been a fan for a while and loved all of her past work but this is the best to date. Real great tunes that reflect on her personal life but it is not all that depressing. Some nice pop gems here.

Ginger Wildhearts, Clout EP

Given away as a bonus to his latest pledge project it for me is an amazing bundle of songs, simply an EP of music he has been sort of messing about with on a computer. Giving you a little bit of an insight into his personal political views and like any great book you also learn something. It is really done as a bit of fun but looking at my play count its here for a reason.

Tom Russell, Rose of Roscrae

Double album in a kind of country musical style, a story of a near kid (mid teens) moving from Ireland to the USA and all the stories in doing so. Great mix of many musical styles taking in Irish and American. Great song writing and also some nice touches with the narration being of high quality (near all done in character) great fun for a rainy day and a comfy sofa and book.

Xibalba, Tierra Y Libertad

Loud and heavy death meets hardcore here. Nothing new but done very well.

Hardware Special, Topping NX1 (Portable headphone amp)

My set up of NX1, Fiio X1 and Sennheiser Hd 215

Topping NX1

I really don't know much about the company Topping but how I came into contact was through Amazon. While buying the Fiio X1 player there was a recommendation to a headphone amp. The one advised was about £80. Considering the player was £90 I felt it was a little steep. But this one was also recommended with a rather palatable £22 price tag at the time.

After using the Fiio for a few weeks I ordered the amp and I have to say it is a great bit of kit. It really is nothing special simply an amp for a set of headphones but the extra quality provided can be a great boost on some albums/music.

I have seen this being promoted more for phones and I agree there the amp really does give my Motorola phone a better sound, more so on the low end. Even through the in ear headphones I use the sound is better. But to carry it with the phone on the bus can be quite an annoyance. My recommendation here is its for the real audio buff. But if going on holiday and wanting some time int he sun with music this wee amp would be a great device if staying in one place for long time (like sunbathing).

The real business end of this product is combined with a high end player with a good DAC. I have the X1 Fiio player a great entry level high end player so I have quite a good collection of music in 24bit high frequency so I give this £22 amp a go not looking for much due to price.

The package is simple to open and instantly I see there are two rubber bands for clamping the phone/player to the device. Also some handy Velcro pads, I choose to use these as I like to take the player with me to work on a Friday. USB cable for charging the unit as the battery is inbuilt the charger is mini USB (The kind on older devices not the one on newer smartphones). Also a pass through cable is provided. Simply use this to take headphone output from player to the amp them headphones go into the amp. Simple set up.

I was very much wrong, albums in all bitrate and file sound way better and again more in the low end. The bass in Death Magnetic by Metallica sounds fantastic and really carries the poor drums at times. Playing the new Iron Maiden albums is bliss with amazing highlights, the sound on the early albums is amazing. The bass is blowing out of my headphones so much I really have to turn them down a little and that is what I love about the amp as it has a good quality volume control and it is not a digital control (near all equipment now its two buttons up and down) this has a proper volume knob and like great HI FI amp the slightest twist brings out so much more great sound.

Bruce Springsteen is next and Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. again in 24bit and I really do feel this album so much more. I own this in cassette, vinyl and two CD reissues but this is by far the best I have heard. The amp gives a little touch to the vocals and also makes the band get more room. It is amazing to hear on a set of headphones how much room there can be but my Sennheiser Hd 215 make easy work of all music thrown at it.

Over to MP3 files and it still gives more great quality low end on near everything I throw at it, it is very frustrating as I am now looking for music that does not sound as good and I do find that on older recordings there can be very little improvement and even that is on low bit rate MP3 as well.

But the extra quality you get for £22 I really have nothing bad to say here at all. Even if you only use it for a week on holiday or for a few long journey train rides it is worth it. I am looking to buy a second for travel and keep one connected to my good headphones at home. For best results I say pair up with a good player and headphones.

The amp is available here .