Torr

U.S. Chart Report

Here's the decent stuff that entered the U.S. Billboard chart today.

Billboard 200:

• #180 Razorlight - self-titled [4,320]

Heatseekers chart (artists who've never had a release in the top 100 of the big chart)

• #115 Primal Scream - Riot City Blues [1,226]

Indie-label chart:

• Broadcast - Future Crayon [Stream. 885]

These albums did not chart:

• Starsailor - On the Outside [Stream. Owch!]
• Amy Millan - Honey from the Tombs [Solo debut from Stars singer.]
• Snowden - Anti-Anti [Debut album from Atlanta 4-piece.]
• Darker My Love - self-titled [Debut album from LA psych-rockers]
• Tobias Froberg - Somewhere in the City [US-debut from Swed singer-songwriter]

sorry guys, you're on notice

Can you guess the theme? It should be obvious.

Now go make your own.

UK Chart Report

Here's the decent stuff that entered the UK charts this weekend.

Singles:

• #17 Morrissey - "In The Future When All's Well" [3rd single from ROTT.]
• #20 Keane - "Crystal Ball" [Great 2nd single from UTIS.]
• #35 The Fratellis - "Chelsea Dagger" [Download-only, on cd this week.]
• #63 Hope Of The States - "Left" [Vid. 2nd album. No more live shows?]

These singles did not chart:

• The Crimea - "Baby Boom" [2.5 years after it was first released.]
• Tobias Froberg - "When The Night Turns Cold" [debut album.]
• Kobai - "Serotonin" [7"-only debut from Glasgow 5-piece.]

Indie-label singles chart:

• #30 Palace Fires - "Nothing Comes Close" [7"-only debut from new band of Gene guitarist & drummer.]

Albums:

• #21 The Young Knives - Voices of Animals And Men
• #43 Cerys Matthews - Never Said Goodbye

Indie-label album chart:

• #26 Broadcast - Future Crayon

Out in the UK on Monday

Here's the good stuff that's out in the UK on Mon Aug 29th...

Singles:

Liam Frost - "The City Is At Standstill" [Vid. From Manchester. The new BDB?]

The Fratellis - "Chelsea Dagger" [Vid. 2nd single from Glasgow 3-piece.]

Little Man Tate - "House Party At Boothy's" [Vid. 2nd single from Yorkshire 4-piece.]

Albums:

The Dears - Gang of Losers [Stream]

Kasabian - Empire [Stream]

The Sunshine Underground - Raise the Alarm [Stream. Debut from Leeds 4-piece.]

Gerard Starkie returns!

Gerard Starkie (formerly of Witness) offers up mp3s of his solo debut album for free on myspace!

1. Password [an instrumental]
2. Enemies
3. The Script <--- Torr fav
4. Fool Song ..1
5. Mind Your Head
6. The Recovery <--- Torr fav
7. Wrong Song <--- Torr fav
8. The Pretend Song
9. Mountain Of Pigs <--- Torr fav
10. Ghostwriter
11. Over And Out [an instrumental]

A brand new track is being recorded for limited release at the end of October. Gerard and bassist Dylan Keeton will be touring the UK in Oct and Nov, you lucky dogs.

Witness formed in 1997 in the Northern UK town of Wigan. Their debut album Before the Calm was released to critical acclaim in 1999. The band toured extensively with the likes of The Charlatans, Gene, Embrace, Hurricane #1, Tom McRae, Wilco and Whiskeytown.

Their second album, Under a Sun followed in 2001 to more critical acclaim. However, due to too much interference from the record company the band were not happy with the record [cause they're insane, it's my fav of that year] and it eventually led to the band parting their ways in 2003.

Gerard has just released his debut solo album, along with some help from Dylan Keeton and John Langley. John Langley is also playing with the Blue Aeroplanes whilst Julian is doing different kinds of session work. Ray has moved to Hong Kong to teach English.

Now go buy both albums for only 1 cent each. Really!

       

       

Out in the U.S. on Tuesday

Here's the decent stuff that's out in the U.S. on Tues Aug 22nd.

       
Snowden - Anti-Anti [Debut album from Atlanta 4-piece.]

• Starsailor - On the Outside [Stream. Still weak all these months later.]
• Amy Millan - Honey from the Tombs [Solo debut from Stars singer.]
• Razorlight - self-titled [I wish it was more like "Somewhere Else" & "America"]
• Primal Scream - Riot City Blues [First album since 2002's Evil Heat.]
• Darker My Love - self-titled [Debut album from LA psych-rockers]
• Tobias Froberg - Somewhere in the City [US-debut from Swed singer-songwriter]
• Broadcast - Future Crayon [Stream. b-sides etc.]
• The Raconteurs - "Hands" [2-track cd single]

Out in the UK on Monday

Here's the good stuff that's out in the UK on Monday.

Singles:

Hope Of The States - "Left" [Vid. Great title-track to their 2nd album.]

The Crimea - "Baby Boom" [2.5 years after it was first released, it's still great!]

Morrissey - "In The Future When All's Well" [Weak 3rd single from ROTT.]

Palace Fires - "Nothing Comes Close" [7"-only debut from new band of Gene guitarist & drummer.]

• Keane - "Crystal Ball" [Great 2nd single from UTIS.]
• Kobai - "Serotonin" [7"-only debut from Glasgow 5-piece.]
• Tobias Froberg - "When The Night Turns Cold" [debut album.]

UK Chart Report

Here's the decent stuff that entered the UK charts this weekend...

Singles:

• #4 Arctic Monkeys - "Leave Before The Lights Come On"
• #35 The Young Knives - "Weekends And Bleak Days" [debut album]
• #39 The Sunshine Underground - "Put You In..." [Vid. debut album]
• #54 The Spinto Band - "Oh Mandy" [2nd single from their debut album]
• #65 Keane - "Crystal Ball" [Download-only, out on CD this week.]
• #67 The Divine Comedy - "To Die A Virgin" [2nd single from VFTCM.]

Indie-label singles chart:

• #4 Good Shoes - "All In My Head" [Debut from Morden 4-piece.]
• #17 Iron & Wine - "Such Great Heights" [a cover of The Postal Service.]
• #19 The Needles - "Summer Girls" [Vid. 2nd single from Aberdeen 4-piece.]

These singles, tragically, did not chart:

• Meeky Rosie - "Forever" [Re-release of one of my fav singles of '05.]
• The Dears - "Ticket To Immortality" [1st single from their new album.]

Albums:

• #23 Captain - This Is Hazelville [Debut from London boy-girl synth group.]

These albums, sadly, did not chart:

• The Isles - Perfumed Lands [Debut from NY 4-piece.]
• Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's Block [UK-debut from Stockholm trio.]

Out in the UK on Monday

Here's the good stuff that's out in the UK on Mon Aug 14th.

Singles:

Meeky Rosie - "Forever" [Re-release of one of my fav singles of '05.]

The Sunshine Underground - "Put You In Your Place" [Vid. Leeds 4-piece. Debut album.]

The Needles - "Summer Girls" [Vid. 2nd single from Aberdeen 4-piece.]

The Dears - "Ticket To Immortality" [1st single from their new album.]

The Divine Comedy - "To Die A Virgin" [2nd single from VFTCM.]

The Spinto Band - "Oh Mandy" [2nd single from their debut album.]

• Iron & Wine - "Such Great Heights" [a cover of The Postal Service.]
• Good Shoes - "All In My Head" [Debut from Morden 4-piece.]
• The Young Knives - "Weekends And Bleak Days" [Oxford 4-piece: debut album.]

Albums:

The Isles - Perfumed Lands [Debut from NY 4-piece.]

Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's Block [UK-debut from Stockholm trio.]

Captain - This Is Hazelville [Debut from London boy-girl synth group.]

•  Meligrove Band - Planets Conspire [2nd album from Toronto 4-piece.]
• Spearmint - Paris in a Bottle

UK Chart Report

Here's the decent stuff that entered the UK charts this weekend.

Singles:

• #15 The View - "Wasted Little DJ's" [Vid. Debut Dundee 4-piece.]
• #35 Peter Bjorn and John - "Young Folks" [Vid. Stockholm trio.]
• #40 Primal Scream - "Dolls" [2nd single from Riot City Blues.]
• #53 Cerys Matthews - "Open Roads" [1st single from her new album.]
• #55 Metric - "Monster Hospital" [Great song! 2nd single from Live It Out.]

Indie-label singles chart:

• #11 Joan As Police Woman - "Eternal Flame"
• #14 Adem - "Launch Yourself"
• #27 Clearlake - "It's Getting Light Outside"

These albums did not chart:

• Alfa 9 - Then We Begin [Debut from good new English 5-piece.]
• Special Needs - Funfairs & Heartbreak [Debut from now-split 5-piece.]
• BC Camplight - Hide, Run Away [Debut album finally gets a UK release.]
• Oobermann - Carried Away [First new album since 2003.]
• Hefner - Catfight [2CDs of unreleased tracks.]

Normal blog activity for me should resume around Wed Aug 23rd. Blame Time Warner.