*Current Playlist - Adele, Lupe Fiasco, Chris Walla, Wintersleep (Album)

Adele '19'

We've covered Adele pretty frequently, now the album is finally out. 19 is an accomplished debut, songs like 'Daydreamer' 'Best For Last' 'Crazy For You 'My Same' and a blog favourite 'Hometown Glory', have been floating around the internet for a while so it's especially nice to hear the surprises on the record. 'Cold Shoulder' is another Mark Ronson production and clearly so, but still keeps its originality thanks to Adele's shimmering vocals. 'Melt My Heart To Stone' is a favourite on the record, with an epic string section and catchy chorus. 'Right As Rain' and 'Tired' are upbeat, more dancey numbers and round off the album's ballads nicely. The beautiful cover of Bob Dylan's 'Make You Feel My Love' rounds off the end of the album and rounds off an impressive debut. We'll be watching closely this year to see what develops...




Lupe Fiasco 'The Cool'

Since Lupe Fiasco debuted he's been one of the more exciting voices in Hip-Hop. Along with a selection of others, his records have managed to be relevant and intelligent, even ridiculing the rims/gold/drugs/hoes content of other rappers music. His second album has been highly anticipated and judging by the success of the first single, 'Superstar' it looked like the album was going to follow in its footsteps. The album definitely has its gems, repetitive, fast, 'Go Go Gadget Flow' the soulful and old school 'Paris, Tokyo' and 'Hip-Hop Save My Life' or the quirkier, 'Fighter' but it's not the same consistency that's come to be expected from a great Hip-Hop record, he's definitely one of the most relevant rappers today but the album doesn't quite live up to all the hype that came before it.



Chris Walla 'Field Manual'

Death Cab For Cutie's producer and member/magician Chris Walla has finally branched out on his own after producing records for others like Tegan and Sara's 'The Con'. His voice on 'Field Manual' sounds eerily like Death Cab's front man. But this is only a good thing, the voice sounds similar and while the music could be put in the same genre it's more accessible than Death Cab, with hookier hooks and catchier choruses while still retaining the ambient quality so crucial to Death Cab. From the echoing quality of two-fifty and the prophetic lyrics, 'All hail an imminent collapse' to the louder, guitar driven 'The Score' or 'Geometry &c' and back around the the softer, catchy 'Sing Again' and 'Everyone Needs A Home' Chris Walla has made an album full of songs to make you happy.

*Need To Know - Natty (Artist)

We are so glad we got to the Adele gig in time to see the support act. Natty is most easily defined as reggae, but claiming influences as wide as:
Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Neil Young, Prince, Burning Spear, D'Angelo, The Streets, Miles Davis, Sly Stone, Van Morrisson, Nitin Sawhney, Velvet Underground, Supercat, James Brown, Roots Manuva, Pink Floyd, Common, Slum Village, Bob Dylan, The Clash, David Bowie, Joy Division,

you can imagine reggae might box him in a little bit. Reggae, Soul, Indie, whatever he sounds like to you his voice is beautiful - smooth and rich with that little bit of grit to remind you that being signed to a major label doesn't mean having to wear a coat of polish on the outside.

Watch his amazing video session with MTV spanking new here:
http://www.mtv.co.uk/overdrive/id/99997

With a full band including a wonderful bongo player, he really stood out as refreshing, bringing reggae at you from a contemporary stance. It was very cool. We can only find a musty bedroom recording of one of our favourite songs of his called, 'Bedroom Eyes' so have a look and a listen but trust that live is always better! Also take a visit to his myspace to hear a clear version of his upcoming single, 'Cold Town' and 'Bedroom Eyes'



http://www.myspace.com/natty4d

*UPDATE* we have a Natty mixtape for you, it's 40 minutes long so flick through and listen, not everything on it is similar to what we heard we're listening now and it's sounding pretty cool. Happy Almost February.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/sej2ps

*Adele @ Royal Northern College Of Music, Manchester (Live)

There is an unbelievable amount of recent hype around Adele, we can't help but feel a little bit smug seeing as we've been going to her gigs for two years now in little pubs in Brixton and Soho and now she has flown off the scale and is in huge demand.

This is one newbie where we really feel the hype is totally deserved. There's the usual preceding facts; only 19 years old, white with an incredibly soulful voice to rival the Winehouse's of the world etc. etc.

Tonight at The Royal College Of Music in Manchester she is humbled by the fact that the show has completely sold out and even before the first song has begun people are clapping elatedly.

Set list was as follows...



Her voice was truly immaculate, half solo and acoustic and half with a full band and string section, there wasn't a faltering moment as she worked her way through familiar songs, 'Daydreamer' 'Best For Last' and 'Chasing Pavements'. She used the gig to showcase a lot of unheard tracks, the Mark Ronson produced, 'Cold Shoulder' and the briefly Myspace previewed, 'Melt My Heart To Stone' and 'Crazy For You'. Her clumsy, funny and definitely endearing banter during songs made everyone see that you don't need to have a crazy/messed up private life to be a lady of soul, Adele can sing the blues without tabloid drama.

The Bob Dylan cover 'Make You Feel My Love' was carried off with total confidence including an intro to why she doesn't usually like doing covers ('I don't like singing covers cos it's hard to know what the singer was feeling, I don't usually understand what they were on about') The Jazzy stomp of 'My Same' would have had everyone out of their seats in a smaller venue and Adele, before closing the show with the epic and truly stunning 'Hometown Glory' said, 'Happy New Year everyone, hope you all had a good one. I know it's almost February but you know... BANTER' Legend.

*Adele - Chasing Pavements (Video/Tourdates)

Our lovely friend Adele is finally releasing her first single and album. The first single 'Chasing Pavements' is out January 21st and we can't wait to celebrate.

For now.. here is the video:



We know a lot of you have been asking for the 'Chasing Pavements' mp3 but as it is yet unreleased we can't put it up, plus Adele is a friend and we want her to do fabulously well so don't want to give away the single for free just yet...

If you haven't already seen, Adele is touring!

Tour Dates:

Jan 27 2008 8:00P
RNCM (Manchester) SOLD OUT

Jan 29 2008 8:00P
Bloomsbury Theatre (London) SOLD OUT

Feb 2 2008 8:00P
Classic Grande (Glasgow)

Feb 3 2008 8:00P
Glee Club (Birmingham) SOLD OUT

Feb 10 2008 8:00P
Duo with Jack Penate (Tokyo)

Feb 11 2008 8:00P
Club Quattro with Jack Penate (Osaka)

See you there

Glucky x

*Adele - Rough Cuts (mp3)

Because I get the feeling that you've all been good boys and girls this year, I wanted to give out a little reward.. lots of you have been asking for some Adele mp3s so I thought i'd manage to reward you without pissing anyone off, and post some of her demos/rough cuts for those of you who weren't on the Adele train all that time ago...

Enjoy and Merry Christmas/whichever holiday you celebrate!

http://www.sendspace.com/file/fp16yf
- Best For Last

http://www.sendspace.com/file/yxv17t
- My Same

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ywkrxs
- Hometown Glory

http://www.sendspace.com/file/4wldrd
- Daydreamer

*Adele - Chasing Pavements (Single)

Adele - Chasing Pavements (Beggars)

The first time I saw Adele play was in an oddly themed 60s bar in Soho about a year and a half ago. She was incredible then, and one and a half years later she is still incredible and this time, available to the masses. Her earlier songs have been floating around the internet for awhile – ‘Hometown Glory’ ‘My Same’ and ‘Best For Last’ and they are all hidden soulful gems. At 19 years old many people are already trying to squeeze her into the same box as Kate Nash and Lily Allen but that is purely lazy journalism. The only thing they have in common is youth and hometown. Her new single ‘Chasing Pavements’ has a glossier sheen that previous songs, but is still another slice of her refreshing London soul. The most rewarding thing about Adele is her voice, it is flawless and rich and bubbling over the top of her acoustic melodies seamlessly. The chorus of ‘Chasing Pavements’ is bigger than it needs to be; with the sound of full string orchestra behind her, she could have easily carried the song without it, but it’s a minor complaint in the overall Adele picture. The B-side, ‘That’s It, I Quit’ is more loyal to Adele’s previous style; harking back to older soul sounds with a modern acoustic sound meshed in, a staccato style of singing flowing through the track with regular guitar and vocal stops to give you time to catch up.
The great thing about new talent like this is that while there is no doubt to Amy Winehouse’s talent, her reliability isn’t exactly her selling point. Adele possesses as much soul; granted a different kind but as much never the less, and best of all Adele will always show up.

8/10