On-U Sound IS BACK

So, it would appear thast On-U sounds is finally getting back on its feet after far too many years in the wilderness.

As far as I know we have the following to look forward to

• A NEW MARK STEWART LP. That's right ***** A BRAND EFFING NEW MARK STEWART LP *****. Boy oh boy oh boy. He's my favourite one album a decade man.
• A new New Age Steppers LP, that's right, Ari-Up is back working with our Adrian and putting a new band together - how long is it since the last? 25 years?
  
• a new Adrian Sherwood and Lee 'Scratch' Perry album. After nearly 20 years of mud-slinging, Adrian and Lee are now chums again. Thank god for that! Steve Barker off of BBC Radio Lancashire's On The Wire played a work in progress the other week: it was great!
• reissue of some of the back catalogue - yes to Andy Fairley, Creation Rebel and Little Annie, no to Missing Brazillians, Loudspeaker and London Underground!

There must be stacks of Tackhead material out there just waiting to be re-released. That Tackhead Sound Crash disc gives a bit of a taster, I say go for it.

Whilst I'm rambing, that last Adrian Sherwood solo effort (Becoming a Cliche) is pretty good. Well worth it.

Aren't the Schla La Las Brilliant

It never stops amazing me how brilliant noisey shouty bands with a girl singer can be.

Witness the Schla La Las. I mean how did I manage to miss them last year at the Truck festival? They're right up my street! There's a single out now (1-2-3-4) and their MySpace site is rather splendid too. (http://www.myspace.com/theschlalalas)

I guess the way I really got turned onto them was after hearing their Marc Riley 6Music BBC session. And also the fact the the ubiquitous Delia (out of Manic Cough) plays drums for them.

In fact that's left me in somewhat of a quandry trying to decide which out of Manic Cough or the Schlalalas are the best. I guess I'll just have to listen endlessly to both of them and see what happens.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this year's Truck Fezzie - as the Schalalas are actually on Truck records I'm banking on them playing again. This time there will be no mistakes. Perhaps Manic Cough will play as well. (By the way, if anybody out there has got Manic Cough's BBC Session then I'd be very amenable to getting hold of it, hint hint.)

I'm amazed at how many good bands there seem to be at the moment - they're not all shouty girl band (but most are). I can't remember the last time I was actually excited about records being released. It was probably around the time Jungle was first breaking.

It's still the same old story of the crap bands getting all the glory and the good bands remaining unknown. Nothing exemplifies this more than the Artic Monkeys vs Bromhead's Jacket.

Yer Minkies are getting all the gold discs and are literally wading through seas of cash where as Bromhead's Jacket are just plain brilliant and no bugger likes them (apart from me and all my mates who have forcibly recieved copies of 'Dits from the Commuter Belt' from me). Go out there and buy 'What Ifs and Maybes'.

So for the record, here's some other good current bands in no order:

• Mighty Roars - debut out now, not bad but the singles are the best
• The Horrors - major label signing but dont let that put you off. Nearest thing for me is the Birthday Party
• Grinderman - whilst we're on the topic. ..... It's nice to see Nick Cave growling again
• Candie Payne - who's she? She's brilliant.
• Little Flames - seem to be getting better with every release
• The Buffets - are to the Buff Medways what Thee Headcoatees were to The Headcoats (!)
• The Draytones - wouldn't stick my neck out too far here but the one thing I've heard is good.
• The Aliens - used to be the Beta Band but dont let that put you off. Their Setting Sons is a complete rip of All Along The Watchtower - its an utter classic.
• Poppy and the Jezebelles
• The Priscillas - another band I caught at Truck last year
  

Right I'm off home to watch Chelsea v Liverpool.