Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) - New Florence And The Machine Single/Video

Don't forget the album drops July 6th. Whoop whoop!

Album Review: Tori Amos - Abnormally Attracted To Sin

Let me begin by saying that I’m a big Tori Amos fan. I journeyed through adolescence to a soundtrack of Little Earthquakes, Under the Pink, and the absolute glory of To Venus and Back. However, the release of Tori’s tenth studio album Abnormally Attracted to Sin, has left me feeling somewhat disillusioned.

Have you ever listened to a song that puts you in a bad mood? A song that grates on you so much it makes you want to drag your fingernails down a chalkboard just for something else to listen to? Fancy a whole album of songs like that? Me neither, but unfortunately that’s what we have in the case this new offering.

The official Tori Amos website adopts the annoyingly nonsensical acronym ‘AATS’, and claims this album ‘could have come out at any point between her 1992 solo debut, Little Earthquakes, and 2009.’ I can believe this. The album seems to incorporate all the songs you would happily tolerate between adored classics such as Cornflake Girl, Winter, or Space Dog, but who wants an album of filler songs? And an incredibly long one at that!

Once again, Tori has tried to combat the download demons by creating a ‘must-have’ double album, including extravagant art-work and photography, and the obligatory DVD. Unfortunately, all these extra features don’t make up for the fact that this album (and I don’t mind being blunt) isn’t very good! Even the title - a line from Guys and Dolls, and a reflection of Tori’s religion-infused childhood - annoys the shit out of me.

As for standout tracks, there simply aren’t any. The haunting melodies and howling brilliance of her earlier work are nowhere to be heard. Each song is so similar and dreary it makes listening to the album feel like a chore. Ultimately, this album just doesn’t deliver. Let’s pray then that her next offering isn’t as sinful!

3/10

Laura Adlington

Courtney Love’s Album Pushed Back, AGAIN!

The fact that we love Courtney's off-the-wall antics is well documented by this point, but what we don’t love, is her chronic inability to get her ‘upcoming’ album Nobody’s Daughter ready for public consumption.

Helen Of Troy... has been keeping a watchful eye on the ever-changing release date, and has guestimated that Courtney’s sophomore solo album has been pushed back no fewer than five times – truth be told we think it’s probably more than that. So what the fuck is going on?

The last official excuse came from Courtney herself, who said it was due to a host of paranormal occurrences that had taken place in the studio. To be honest, this doesn’t sit well with us candid cynics, and we can’t help but suspect that the real reason is featured in the video below (skip to 1.54 to see exactly what we’re talking about).

Or, we could be completely wrong. It’s no secret that debut album America’s Sweetheart was plagued with problems from day one, resulting in such poor sales that it was considered a commercial flop by her label and the industry in general. And now the focus is firmly on Nobody’s Daughter, the album that will ultimately make or break Courtney’s solo career – let’s hope it’s the latter. So perhaps she’s simply taking the time to make sure she gets this one right, who knows. It seems we'll have the play the waiting game a little longer in order to find out.

Nobody’s Daughter is currently scheduled for release on the 20^th of July.

Album Review: Peaches - I Feel Cream

When Helen Of Troy... first discovered that Simian Mobile Disco, Soulwax, Drums Of Death, and Digitalism had been invited to produce Peaches’ fourth studio album, we were a little alarmed. Independently, we’re big fans of all four creative outfits, but we couldn’t help but wonder how our favourite groin-provoking gender bender would fair in amongst these aforementioned electro heavyweights.

Our concern was unnecessary however, because I Feel Cream positively oozes Peaches’ signature style. Lead single Talk To Me, is a stripped down, electro-soul stomping delight, whilst synth-heavy Trick Or Treat wouldn’t sound out of place on phenomenal debut album The Teaches Of Peaches - even with its slicker production.

Standout tracks include swoonsome pop treat Lose You, which showcases a surprising softer side to our Merrill, the hard-hitting Billionaire featuring Shunda K from Yo! Majesty, and title track I Feel Cream, which is a bleeptastic, rave-inducing joy (and easily our favourite). It’s not a perfect offering however, with consecutive tracks Mud and Relax bringing little if anything to the orgy – we’d have culled these in favour of a few remixes.

Ultimately, this album features the progression and clarity that the lacklustre yet brilliantly-titled Impeach My Bush didn’t, resulting in a more mature and solid affair. Peaches is back fatherfuckers, and she’s as fruity as ever!

7/10

Spotysharing

Time to unveil our sparkling new Spotify playlist! Inspired by recent jaunts and reawakenings, the tracklist features the sublime Civil War Correspondent by PJ Harvey and John Parish, Beat Control by toe-tapping popstrels Tilly And The Wall, plus classic tracks Don't Go and Thorn In My Side by Yazoo and Eurythmics respectively. You can enjoy it in all it's glory here.

Hello Dolly!

There are many reasons why Helen Of Troy... wants to live in New York, but this week, we're even more jealous of native New Yorkers as they get the chance to see 9 To 5 The Musical. This stage adaptation of the feminist classic may have replaced Dolly, Lily and Jane with a trio of twenty/thirty-something actresses, but the music for this new Broadway show has been penned by Parton and, while first-night reviews have been a bit mixed, Helen Of Troy has been praying hard for this high-camp musical to come to the UK.

Not only has this show reminded us how just how hermazing this film is (it's funny, surreal and has stood the test of time superbly), it's also prompted a re-evaluation of Parton as a feminist icon - see Joan Smith's superb piece in the Independent earlier this week.

So here's to Queen Dolly - one of Helen Of Troy's true heroes. Long may she reign. Check out the amazing Dolly and Disney collaboration below.

Standing In The Way Of CTRL

Helen Of Troy... favourite Laydeehawke is curating CTRL at the Deaf Institute on Thu Apr 30. Headliner Dan Black may be funky-as-fuck (single Alone seems to be single-handedly attempting to start a slap-bass revival), but Helen Of Troy... can't pay him too much attention 'cos he's a boy. Happily, Ms Hawke has programmed two lady acts we're more than happy to write about - Marina & The Diamonds and the fabulous Fan Death.

Marina & The Diamonds (who's also appearing at Sounds From The Other City on Sunday) cites her influences as Brody Dalle and Britney - which is a frikkin awesome combination. On record (or MySpace and YouTube) Marina sounds more like St Vincent-lite, her plinky plonk piano replacing St Vincent's guitar virtuosity. There's real promise on the Jealousy demo however, which, although dying for a cracking remix, has dancefloor-filler written all over it, with a pop-step bassline and catchy as fuck lyrics.

Delectable Vancouver duo Fan Death, aka Dandi and Marta (pictured) are definitely our favourite of the line-up. This twosome make disco music because they love it, without any hint of sneery irony. Single Veronica's Veil (released back in December - sorry if we're a bit behind the times) is a multilayered, string-laden disco treat - one of the best things Helen Of Troy has heard in a long time - check it out below. Apparently they're pretty frikkin' awesome live too.

There's loads of other good stuff going on this weekend - MAPs Festival, the aforementioned Sounds From The Other City, but Helen Of Troy is too cash poor and liver poorly to contemplate going out so we're going to do loads of free stuff, like learning the words to all Pat Benatar songs ever written, frolicking in meadows, and making pictures of Patti Smith from pasta.

If we can get over our not-going-out misery, we might just write you a little round-up of what's on. If.

Gig Review: PJ Harvey And John Parish

When Helen Of Troy… last saw PJ Harvey, she was rocking the austere Victorian dowager persona as she promoted haunting masterpiece White Chalk. Two years on, as she took to the stage of the beautiful Birmingham Town Hall on a Wednesday night, Ms Harvey was more Lynchian than Victorian, her fragile frame prowling the stage, conveying equal parts maniacal menace and childlike innocence.

Backed by a brilliantly tight band of be-hatted blokes and flanked by long-time collaborator and co-creator of new album A Man A Woman Walked By, John Parish, Polly Jean seemed at ease from the off.

This ease was evident as Peej and Pals broke countless rock conventions by starting the show with a blistering rendition of current single Black Hearted Love. By the time they’d finished second song Sixteen, Fifteen, Fourteen (a deliciously intense version replete with pounding primal hand-claps) the crowd had been hypnotised.

From thereon-in, the enchanted audience was treated to a selection of tracks from Harvey and Parish’s two collaborative albums, 1996s Dance Hall At Louse Point and the aforementioned A Man A Woman Walked By – the title track of which is a real highlight, as PJ howled with delightful vitriol ‘now it's my turn to laugh! I'll stick it up your fuckin' ass’.

The contrast between this Banshee-like brilliance and the haunting delicacy of ukulele-backed heartbreaker Soldier sums up the essence of this almost perfect gig. PJ Harvey’s seemingly effortless ability to inhabit numerous characters yet still stay 100% Peej makes her a mesmerising prospect be it live, on record or in person.

4.5/5

Florence And The Machine Album Details

Lungs, Florence and the Machine's debut album, is scheduled for release on July 6th. The artwork's a little meh, but who cares we finally have a release date. The track listing may or may not resemble the below!

1. Dog Days Are Over
2. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
3. I'm Not Calling You A Liar
4. Howl
5. Kiss With A Fist
6. Girl With One Eye
7. Drumming Song
8. Between Two Lungs
9. Cosmic Love
10. My Boy Builds Coffins
11. Hurricane
12. Blinding
13. You've Got The Love