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	ALBUM of the MONTH scroll down to read reviews month by month or click on links below
	2006 Albums of the Month October: Torsohorse 'No Going Back' September: Sam Payne 'Hard Driving' August: Sevenball 'Sevenball' July: The Good '51 Squares' June: Elaine Palmer 'Waves' May: Rojor 'Faint Signal' March: A sampler by Ian Boddy 'Din 20 Index 02' January: Dave Macrae '....Some History' 2005 Albums of the Month 2004 Albums of the Month
	October 2006: Torsohorse wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwNo Going Back A new mini-album (32 minutes worth) from Brid based thrash metal outfit Torsohorse. Get on board or get out the flamin’ road seems to be the general message. Produced by Mikey Bolton (live engineer for Napalm Death and Cradle of Filth) - his credentials give you an idea of where this outfit are coming from, and heading. From the blistering opening track “No Going Back” to the frenzy of “*uck the Law” this is relentless stuff. Martin Walkyier (The Sabbat, Skyclad, The Clan Destined) guests on “Face to Face”. Torsohorse live are formidable, and this CD gives you a good idea of what that live experience is like. (An appearance at Leisure World, Bridlington on October 20th, part of an extensive winter / spring tour promoting the album, would be well worth the trip). You’ve got to see them in full make-up and regalia to really get it. Check out their website www.torsohorse.com to get an idea. “No Going Back”, distributed by Shellshock, will be available “in all good record shops” from 16th October and will also be available as downloads from iTunes, Napster, etc. Their website features a selection of their videos - regularly screened on Scuzz, Kerrang! and MTV2 - self-produced, as are all Torsohorse endeavours. Torsohorse are run on a collective basis from a farm base near Bridlington. They handle all aspects of music biz needs on their own terms - from composition to recording to marketing. A great example of what can be achieved without doing a deal with satan (sorry - the mainstream). No compromise. And they’ve survived being ripped off once or twice too without losing their determination.
	September 2006: Sam Payne ggggggggggggggggggggggHard Driving  This 8 track album by Sam Payne is stripped down stuff - Sam plays piano and sings - no frills. She has her own voice and plays piano with fire, brimstone, light and shade. She seems to take inspiration from the early pioneers Albert Ammons and Pinetop Perkins via relatively recent innovators such as Mac Rebenack to create a very personal style. The straight ahead boogie of “45 in My Hand” to the backbeat of “Dodge it and Scarper”, the Ketty Lester style blues of “Bad Luck Blues”, the Cotton Club style of “Set You Up”, the classic High Heel Sneekers riff of “Glutton for Punishment”, Sam plays with a driving left hand and rare rhythmic sense. Combined with a no nonsense sultriness to her voice and this album is really memorable. Sam’s been playing piano since she was 5 and is influenced by jazz, blues, folk, rock, hip-hop, samba....... She is an excellent songwriter, following a tradition but adding her own little bit. Ronnie Scott’s, Band On the Wall, Dingwalls, the Essential Festival, the Jam House and Colne International Blues Festival are a few of the gigs Sam has done recently. Sam has also appeared on the Paul Jones Show, BBC Radio 2, Jazz Fm, Atlantic 252 as well as local and European Radio Stations. Check out www.sampayne.co.uk
	August 2006: Sevenball ssssssssssssssssssssSevenball A four track EP from Sevenball. Martin Goodfellow on drums, Luke Ritchie - vocals, Jim Hoskins - bass, Andrew Dunn - guitar. “We’ve Got to Know” opens with a rhythm reminiscent of Captain Beefheart then and P J Harvey now, has a Paul Weller type bridge, and a chorus line evoking Free, Savoy Brown and the whole range of 60’s British R&B Bands. “Shanty” is straight Reverand Gary Davis crossed with Big Country. “Open” brings a modal groove and the eeriness of John Lee Hooker. “Blending powerful emotive vocals with devastating lap-slide guitar the band’s sound has drawn comparisons with acts as varied as Jeff Buckley, Ben Harper and Gomez”. People find all sorts of resonances within Sevenball’s music. Meeting up during studies at York University the band moved to London in 2003 and have since gone from strength to strenghth, continuing development of their blend of folk, blues and rock. Interspersed with various trips up north to play the Lion, Blakey. Vocalist Luke has recently returned from Prague after working on the highly acclaimed Czech film ‘Horem Padem’. Director Jan Hrebejk first heard his voice while staying in London and invited Luke to contribute to the film’s eclectic soundtrack. I’m not sure whether this EP is generally available - makes it an exceptional “Album of the Month” crossword prize. This is well recorded heavy duty stuff. For more on Sevenball check www.myspace.com/sevenballmusic and www.sevenball.co.uk
	July 2006: The Good fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff51 Squares Aussie duo The Good made a lot of friends and thousands of fans whilst based first on Teesside then up in the Moors 2004 - 2005. Touring relentlessly they totally sold out their albums “The Good” and “Move Along” plus the CD EP “Send in the Cavalry” produced over here. All the venues they played, from Liverpool’s Cavern to the Lion at Blakey, invited them back for return gigs. Their work with Kev Howard (didge) was stunning. So a new album and a new tour is eagerly awaited. 51 Squares does not disappoint. Gareth Hudson (vocals, guitar, didgeridoo, keys) and Heather Barnes (vocals, bass, double bass) are augmented by Chris English (Hammond, piano, percussion) and Jae Nelson (drums, percussion) on 11 tracks ranging from anger fuelled (sadness tinged) hard driving “Racist Skin” to the gentle balladry of “Things Change” via the latin groove of “Say it Now” and the stadium style classic rock / meditation of “Forever in Time”. Musicianship throughout is top class, nice touches in every tune - bowed bass in “It isn’t Me”, the didg opener in “Racist Skin”, soaring hammond in “Get on Stage”, piano details closing “Racist Skin”, menacing bass and drums in “Devil in My Head”..... And Gareth and Heather sing and harmonise superbly. An excellently produced and totally recommended album. The Good return in July for an extensive 25 date UK tour, visiting venues stretching from Cornwall to Edinburgh. Locally they play the Woolpack, Beverley (Sun 2nd July), Tap n Spile, Whitby (Mon 3rd), the Grove, Leeds (Sat 8th), the Causeway, Hartlepool (Sun 9th), the Roman Baths, York (Mon 10th), and, for an end of tour party, the Forum, Darlington (Fri 21st). Make it to at least one of these gigs and buy this album! More details from www.thegoodband.com.
	June 2006: Elaine Palmer wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwWaves To be released at a special gig at the Georgian, in Stockton-on-Tees, on Saturday 3rd June this album is already slated for airplay on both Mark Lamar’s and Bob Harris’s BBC 2 shows. Janice Long too, and XFM. The opening few bars of the first tune “Blue Sky” make it clear how Clint Boon of Inspiral Carpet (who put out Elaine’s previous album - the quietly but sincerely acclaimed debut album, Into The Spotlight - released on his label, Booney Tunes) could say: “Elaine has this uncanny talent which I’ve never experienced with any artist I’ve ever met or worked with. Nothing more is required than what she delivers when you turn on the tape machine. True genius!” This time Elaine has a rhythm section - understated throughout. On the opener Elaine’s lilting guitar floats over an inferred 12/8 groove - brushes and bass. Elaine has a beautiful voice, and great control - on this album she also plays guitar (classical, acoustic, and electric), accordian, harmonium, piano, percussion, chimes, piano strings(!), Fender Rhodes and, according to the sleeve, “noises”. She’s augmented by the consistently excellent John Thorne (Double Bass), Paul Blakesley (Electric Bass), Brian Edwards (Drums) and Frank Druitt (Cello). The album was recorded in Manchester and engineered by Julie McLarnon (Lambchop, Nine Black Alps). The featured musicians also work with Lamb. “The songs were written while I was living by the sea at the Headland near Hartlepool. I did lots of walking and reflecting so a lot of the songs are influenced by the sea, ocean and harbours. I was a little lost and nostalgic when I write this record so the songs are very romantic and folky.” Comparisons have been made with “a young Melanie” or “a dark Michelle Shocked”. Elaine has a style of her own and has succeeded in contributing a warmly intimitate, very relaxed and assuredly delivered album. Introspective and honest.
	May 2006: Faint Signal wwwwwwwwwwwwwRojor This new album by Teesside based Rojor is launched at a special concert at the Arc, Stockton-on-Tees, on Saturday 29th April. If you get this edition of the LiNK soon enough it may be a timely reminder to get yourself to this gig. The opening of the title track ‘Faint Signal’ is reminiscent of the Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” but Rojor’s assured vocal takes the track into a different dimension. He’s aided by Will Philpott on guitars, Shaun Lennox on bass on some of the tracks and Julie Ward on backing vocals (track 4) and the excellent Yussef Nimer on sax (track9). Otherwise in addition to vocals Rojor contributes piano, bass, keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, sample arrangements and rhythm programming. ‘Dancing Horses’ takes us into early Chris Rea ballad territory, ‘Liquorice Seas’ has an eastern feel, ‘Boat to California’ offers layers of texture held together by bass heavy bridge passages , ‘In the Shoes of the Fisherman’ opens with acoustic guitar and fiddle, ‘Hollow’, with a flute refrain - both have a nu-acoustic folky feel, ‘Girl on the Planet’ demonstrates how effective a simple acoustic guitar lick can be in underpinning complex musical layers, ‘Sail Away with Me’ has something of a Van Morrison feel with the background vocals and sax line at it’s conclusion gently lifting the song through the roof. ‘Earthquakes and Butterflies’ makes effective play of textures again, and to continue ringing the changes ‘Text Me’ starts with a ‘Shaft’ like groove and funks along. ‘Whisper Like a Ghost’ has an unearthly feel - a cool vocal overlaying funky percussion with piano counterpoints, and then the strings soar in. Always understated. A masterfully excecuted and very pleasant CD with the occasional dark and sleazy patch. Pefect for a spring afternoon. Rojor demonstrates his extraordinary multi-instrumental ability in addition to his production expertise on a very rounded 12 track album. Check www.rojor.com for further details
	March 2006: Din 20 Index 02 bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbA Sampler by Ian Boddy A veteran of the European electronic music scene since the late 70s, Teesside based sonic explorer Ian Boddy has produced 13 CDs on his Something Else Records label. Emerging from the post TDream generation, Boddy has carved out a distinctive position as an independent composer and performer. As well as his CD output he’s released several library music CD’s for deWolfe and is well known for his pioneering work with the sample CD company Zero-G. His reputation growing as a producer and composer, Boddy set up DiN in 1999 to facilitate his desire to work with musicians from several different areas of modern Electronica. One of Boddy’s main aims was to provide a label which could provide a bridge between the analogue sound of the early 70’s synth pioneers and the digital soundscapes of the more experimental modern exponents of electronic music. DiN provides a platform for music that stretches across the range of contemporary Electronica. Each DiN release describes a musical landscape where nothing is forbidden and boundaries are redundant. DiN has adopted a strictly limited edition ethos. In this way, DiN is able to appeal to the collector and the connoisseur by releasing limited edition multiples. DiN does not repress back catalogue. Catch it before you miss it. There have been 21 releases since the launch of DiN including DiN 20 - iNDEX 02 which was a sampler CD of DiN 11 -1 9. There have been a wide range of artists involved with DiN so far including Chris Carter, Robert Rich, Tetsu Inoue, Markus Reuter, ARC, Centrozoon, Dub Atomica, Surface 10, Protogonos, Subsonic Experience, dbkaos and of course IanBoddy. With such an eclectic mix of musicians it’s fair to say there’s been quite a range of musical styles emerging. Under the guidance of Boddy the output on DiN has a consistency and high standard that challenges and interests all lovers of “fine contemporary Electronica”. (from www.din.org.uk) This sampler represents an exceptional and growing Boddy (sorry about that) of work. Check out Ian’s website for purchase. This 18 track 77 minute sampler sells for about 5 quid.
	January 2006: ....Some History ggggggggggggggggtttttggggDave Macrae Keyboards player Dave Macrae will be remembered by some in this area from the time he augmented Back Door’s lineup (introduced for their third album for Warner’s) and from visits by his band Pacific Eardrum to Middlesbrough’s Rock Garden. He has “some history” prior to that though: moving from his native New Zealand to the USA, Dave, still in his teens, joined the Buddy Rich orchestra and for a couple of years toured extensively with one of the hardest of jazz taskmasters, playing with Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus and Anita O’Day, throughout the U.S., Britain and Europe. He was a mainstay of the UK jazz scene in the 70’s. Apart from his work with Back Door he was a central contributor to the Mike Gibb’s Orchestra, Ian Carr’s Nucleus and Robert Wyatt’s Matching Mole. He also appeared regularly at Ronnie Scott’s Club with Ronnie’s quintet, Clarke Terry, Chet Baker, Ernie Wilkins, Johny Griffin, Clifford Jordan, The Gil Evans Orchestra and singers Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, Ernestine Anderson and long time collaborator, Joy Yates. In addition to this Dave did stacks of film and TV work, from a range of Hammer horror movies to the Goodies and the Secret Policeman’s Ball. He moved back to the antipodes some time ago, and is now based in Sydney where, apart from the occasional prestige gig, he lectures in jazz piano at the Australian Institute of Music. The 14 tracks (running to 1 hour 15 minutes of music) of recently issued ...Some History were recorded over 8 years. Four classics and ten originals featuring Gary Holgate on bass and Andrew Gander and Felix Blossom on drums. This is the album long awaited from Dave - a totally mature, reflective work where he at last is at the helm. Relaxed - but the edginess that made Dave so right for hard bop outfits is still apparent. After the lyrical typically unpretentious opening of Tricycle and a version of Irving Berlin’s How Deep is the Ocean which renders any vocal track uneccessary dave brings things right up to date with relentless cross rhythms in the haunting Eastern Haze. Next we have barrelhouse ragtime, the totally laid back Somnambulist Blues and early boogie style in My Shout. The final track, Latin influenced Late at Night, is aptly named - just the time to listen to this album... . ....Some History is available from sales at www.cultfound.org
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