Just read an interview with the Duke Spirit where comparisons with Jesus & Mary Chain and PJ Harvey were made. Sounds good to me!

So,
a) is this more music journalist bullshit, or can comparisons be made
b) are they worth checking out


And while I am at it..is/are Bright Eyes any good. Comparable to anything else?

Thanks

Haven't heard a lot of either (only one track of Bright Eyes') but I've like it all. Worth checking out. In fact, I'm planning further investigation myself.

J and MC, maybe, PJ, not really.

Bright Eyes is fantastic. One of my friends said he sounds like Bob Dylan, and I think the press have made this comparison too.

don't really agree with the bright eyes / dylan thing - anyone with an acoustic guitar who can string a sentence together gets compared to dylan. bright eyes is great but a more kind of lo-fi indie acoustic music.

and he tends to record and release a lot of stuff so some of it can be patchy - i'd say buy 'i'm wide awake, its morning' first. its got a couple of duets with emmylou harris on it which sound amazing.

can't help with duke spirit, i'm afraid.

Well J&MC confirmation may well have sold it to me. Thanks




What do you think? Though I am partial to a bit of Dylan, the comparison may hold me back from an instant purchase of the new CD, or may get some earlier stuff which seems to be fairly cheap in FOPP

Chears Pots. The Dylan comparison put me off a little

I don't see the Dylan thing myself either. I just couldn't think of any other comparison. Where to start with BE? My vote would be 'Lifted or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground'. That's where I started, and it's still my favourite.

T'other half requests that I tell you that the Duke Spirit are amazing live and v. J&MC but that the PJH comparison is lazy journalism.

The only kind.

According to Galtung and Ruge's seminal study in the 1970s, there are another four categories: bland journalism, bad journalism, student journalism and Unintentionally-Brass-Eye journalism*.




















* NB: I made these up. Could you tell?

Thanks, I'll see which is the cheapest of yours and Pots recommendations



Chears Stella...looks like theyve been sold to me




Well it was the NME

I got first two singles of the Duke Spirit, Lion Rip and Love is an unfamiliar name. The single tracks are ok but nothing spectacular. Female vocals, a little to delicate for the accompanying fuzzed up accompaniment. Musically can see where the comparisons with JaMC and PJH come from but it's quite a slim comparison. Apparently they finished recording their album over a year ago and then had to wait to put it out cause their previous label folded or something which is why they tie in more to that pre Franz Ferdinand garage-ish scene than the current wave of spikey post punk art rock monkeys that are currently gurning down the mouse. They haven't won me over yet but I'm swaying towards them because the b-side of Love is an unfamiliar name was a crackin' stomper of a tune.

I think you've been won over by bright eyes already so i'll just say I bought wide awake and digital ash and enjoyed them both immensely and that Oberst manages to sound, cheery and funny yet world weary all in the space of one song

Thanks all for your advice/recommendations

DUKE SPIRIT - I like, but the JAMC comparisons are slim, and the PJ ones non-existent

BRIGHT EYES - some great stuff, some OK stuff. Reminds me a little of Miles Hunt solo records, but the vocals are very familiar...can't put my finger on exactly who they remind me of.

Again..thankyou

See, I said...

I saw The Duke Spirit at the Fleece last night. They were fantastic - well, actually, she was fantastic, the boys are essentially just a backing band. I think the PJ comparisons come from the fact that she gives such an excellent performance and really throws herself into it with none of tehe restraint and coyness you sometimes get with female performers.

Saw em last night at Birmingham academy and wasn't particularly impressed. They have a lack of killer tunes. I also wasn't impressed by the singers attitude. If I was guitarist/song writer and my singer referred to the music as "my songs" and "my album" at have walked off the stage shortly after shoving the microphone stand up her arse. Overall, they weren't bad but I would question whether they would have been signed if the singer wasn't an attractive blond female. Call me cynical if you like but that sort of thing does have an impact.

Better for me were the support, the Archie Bronson Outfit who I enjoyed so much I went straight out to the merchandise stall to buy their album and steal a load of free button badges.

yeah! i like them.