Stereophonics are without doubt one of my favorite bands of all time, with their mix of rock guitar greatness and pop lyrics continuing to entice me in. The band are preparing to release a greatest hits album, Decade In The Sun, and have released a new single to go with it.

You’re My Star sits comfortably alongside the classic Stereophonics hits such as Dakota, Maybe Tomorrow, and The Bartender and The Thief. It’s a brilliant single kind of mixing their new and old styles, making it a supremely good choice for people likely to buy the The Best Of Stereophonics.

While some people preferred the band in their Word Gets Around days, music cannot remain still and samey. Instead, it, and the bands themselves, have to move with the times, mature gracefully, and nurture their sound. Decade In The Sun shows that happening, as does You’re My Star.

Video and review after the cut.

Read more

Stereophonics have always been a favourite of mine, although the amount of love I have for them has varied with each album and change of personnel. They started off brilliantly with Word Gets Around and Performance and Cocktails, both classic albums full of hits straddling the rock and pop genres superbly.

Then came that dodgy period with Just Enough Education To Perform, an album I actually love but that received some pretty poor reviews, and You Got To Go There To Come Back which was a definite low point. They also lost drummer Stuart Cable during this period, but have now replaced him with the excellent Javier Weyler.

Their last album, Language. Sex. Violence. Other?, release over two years ago was a return to form and included the hit song Dakota. And now they’re back again, with sixth studio album Pull The Pin being released on September 9th. To coincide with the release, the band are touring America.

Read more

Some of the bloggers here on the b5 music channel decided to record our Soundtrack For A Day yesterday. This could take different forms, be it all the songs you listened to on that day, a selection from certain moments, or a particular album.

I decided to stick my media player on random and note down the first 50 songs it played, and here is the result.

As a full time blogger who works from home, music is very important to me as it can change the mood of my day. Pressing the random button is therefore a bit of a gamble but this time it didn’t let me down.

Notice the amount of British songs in the collection! That’s not engineered in any way, just proof that that is where my big love in music lies. There are also some brilliant American and Irish bands in there too, and of course, Abba…

Stereophonics - Mr Writer
The Feeling - Join With Us
Foo Fighters - Times Like These
Art Brut - Stand Down
The Killers - On Top
Coldplay - Spies
The Kooks - Got No Love
Radiohead - Videotape
The Hoosiers - Worried About Ray
Maximo Park - By The Monument
The Jam - All Around The World
Girls Aloud - Long Hot Summer
Snow Patrol - Gleaming Auction
Jimi Hendrix - House Burning Down
Therapy? - Knives
Tricky - Ponderosa
Lily Allen - Everything’s Just Wonderful
The Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Woman
Linkin Park - Nobody’s Listening
Rage Against The Machine - People Of The Sun
Nina Simone - Feeling Good
REM - It’s The End Of The World As We Know It
The Young Knives - Another Hollow Line
Paul Simon - The Boy In The Bubble
The Specials - Too Much Too Young

See the second half of my 50 song list after the cut…

Read more

I don’t think this is ever going to happen to me, I mean I’d have to go on a cruise or a long haul flight first… and I just don’t do that. BUT, were I ever to get stranded on a desert island with only music as company, these are the 10 British albums I’d choose to be stuck with until I got rescued, or turned in to worm food.

I know I’m going to get criticised, not only for what is here, but what isn’t. Be assured that I had a massive list of albums that could and maybe should have been on the list, but I was limited to 10. Maybe I’ll do a part 2 in a few months time, when bands like Pink Floyd, Oasis, Travis, and The Stone Roses would definitely get a look in.

1. Keane - Hopes And Fears

Yes I know Keane take some stick for resembling characters from an Enid Blyton book, and their second wasn’t quite as good as their first, but what a first album it was.

I never tire of hearing it, and I liste to the whole album, only maybe skipping 1 or 2 tracks if I’m not in the mood. It’s perfect night time music, and I usually listen to it on the headphones in bed. It’s also perfect for singing along to, so my girlfriend sometimes kicks me out of bed.

Stand Out Tracks: Somewhere Only We Know, Bedshaped, She Has No Time.
Band Website: http://www.keanemusic.com/

2. Muse - Absolution

The biggest problem I had here was choosing which album, as they all brilliant intheir own right. I ended up settling for Absolution as it’s an epic album the likes of which I doubt any band will achieve again.

It’s an album which truly is all things to all men, with traces of hard rock, opera, classical, punk, and a concept album to boot. I usually listen to this one on full volume, and rock out to it, playing air guitar, air drums and the oh so difficult air piano to it.

Stand Out Tracks: Hysteria, Time Is Running Out, Stockholm Syndrome.
Band Website: http://www.muse.mu/index.php

Read more

Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones reportedly got in to a fight with bouncers which left him with a large gash on his right arm. The incident happened at the Amika nightclub in London at an after party for the Vodafone Live Music Awards.

The Stereophonics had earlier performed at the awards ceremony and was in attendance at the after show party with his girlfriend. It is thought that at about 1am Kelly entered the ladies toilets to find his girlfriend but was pursued by staff. Despite protestations that he was only in there looking for his other half, the security staff tried to eject him from the club and a scuffle ensued.

He then apparently staggered in to a glass vase which smashed injuring his right arm. Door staff called paramedics who arrived at the scene and treated him with first aid. He was then taken to hospital where he said to have had stitches.

Read more