What's Happening on MB? The MusicBanter Portal/Feed Thread - Please Subscribe!

[Trollheart]

Man, have I neglected this thread! Well, I was under the weather for a week, so I have some excuse. Nonetheless, it's been too long since this was updated so here we go, with apologies to all concerned.

Anteater has a review of Japanese jazz fusion band Dimension's album “Newish” at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ed-masses.html

while Mr Dave has more philosophical thoughts and some fine writing in http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-jam-room.html

Geekoid's last post to date was something called, uh, “The Sunday Post” in which he looked at Sixpence None The Richer, who had a big hit way back when and are unexpectedly back with a new album. Read all about them here http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...rld-music.html

A welcome update from Janszoon in his http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...e-all-die.html; this time he's talking about an Argentinian jazz/punk/metal/ska/regga act ... I'm serious. They're called Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, apparently (not too hard to translate that one huh?) and you should read what he writes about them.

Ki hasn't updated his journal recently, but the last entry just scrapes in to this post, as it was entered on Sept 4. It's part seven of his Top 100 albums. Some interesting ones in there. Read it at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...er-things.html

Due to a namechange by him, Conchobar, now known as PoorOldPo (again) slips down the alphabetical listing, but his journal http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ychedelia.html is always worth a look. Recently he's had music from Porcupine Tree, My Morning Jacket and one of his favourites, Tame Impala, who are back with a new album.

And so we're back to me. As already offered as a weak excuse, I was sick so have not quite updated my journals as much as I normally do, but nevertheless there's still a lot to see at http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-journal.html, including Helen's Selected Cheese of the Week, featuring the Commodores' slushy hit “Three times a lady”, a new section called “The Meat Grinder”, in which I select a metal band totally at random, and review them no matter how horrible they may sound. The inaugural effort turned up a US thrash/speed metal band called Sauron. My ears are still ringing! Meanwhile, back in the real world... yeah, with the months disappearing faster than a severance cheque down the local, it's time to up my game; plenty of 2012 albums to get through, so on both journals I'm trying to review more. So far I've covered Japanese singer Eri Kitamura's weirdly-titled debut, “Re;story” and the new one from Lynyrd Skynyrd, plus there's a return for “More than words”, with two songs that treat one subject two different ways. Finally there's a look at Boy Meets Girl's second album in the “Nice song --- shame about the album!” slot. Oh yeah, and just tonight I popped up a review of Jean-Michel Jarre's “Magnetic fields”.

As for http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...i-reviews.html, well, you won't escape from new albums here anymore either! Introducing “Realword Bitesize”, a condensed version of the full reviews on 2012 albums taking place in my main journal. We've already had reviews of a debut album by metal band Mercurial Void (to quote Basil Fawlty: oh God it was awful!) and just today have put up our thoughts on the new one from Kathleen Edwards. Other than that, we've got albums from Lunatic Soul, Work of Art, Adagio, Lake of Tears, Judie Tzuke, Metalium, Dire Straits and Josh Groban. How's that for getting your teeth into!

That brings us to a new journal, but one that's receiving a lot of attention and shaping up to be one of the journals of 2012. Unknown Soldier's first attempt at a journal is a mighty effort as he opens http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html, which intends to trace the evolution of heavy rock from its beginnings way back in 1969. Tall order! So far, he's featured albums by Deep Purple, Grand Funk, Humble Pie, Free, Zep and MC5, as well as lesser known bands like High Tide and Bloodrock. Shaping up well! I think he's about to move into 1970 soon, so ya better get readin', or risk being left behind!

Another new journal, it's a return for an established member, as Unrelenting runs through http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...halloween.html with some of the spookiest, most unsettling music you have ever heard. With entries on Inkubus Succubus, Chelsea Wolfe and, er, Tom Waits among his selections, be afraid! Be very afraid! BOO!

So that's what's moving and shaking in the world of music journals. Don't forget to check 'em out, and I'll be back next Sunday with a new update. No, really, I will. Promise. Look, I told you I was sick, didn't I? Well all right then, if you want to be like that...