The Wu-Tang Clan is one of most influential rap groups in history. They came onto the scene with Enter the 36 Chambers and made an immediate impact.  Their sound is instantly recognizable to rap fans, loud and dissonant but somehow minimal at the same time with a lot of group vocals and martial arts references. I have been a fan ever since I first heard Enter the 36 Chambers in college. I have liked the majority of their subsequent albums and various solo projects but there have been so many it is hard to keep up. I really enjoyed their last album 8 Diagrams; I thought it stayed true to the Wu-Tang sound but expanded on it at the same time. I have never been to a rap concert, so I was excited to see Wu-Tang as my first one. The show was at the 9:30 Club, one of the landmark clubs in D.C. The doors opened at 7, we were in and on the floor by 7:30. There was also balcony seating but I wanted to be close to the stage.  Though the doors opened at 7 the show did not start until 9:30.  Two hours of standing was not fun, but when the show did start, the crowd still had plenty of energy. The opening band was Brooklyn Zu, a Wu-affiliated rap crew.  They are an Ol’ Dirty Bastard tribute band in some ways; many of the MCs are relatives of ODB. A DJ with two turntables provided the instrumentation. Their sound was very similar to Wu-Tang but their lyrics put more emphasis on the violent part of rap. They got the crowd going well; people were jumping around to the music.  All of their MCs had some good skills. One of the main MCs, Raison the Zookeeper, had a sore throat but it did not seem to affect his rapping much.  One of their last songs was a tribute to ODB, and quoted a few his famous lyrics. After Brooklyn Zu, another rap crew came on, Ice Water. They also had a very similar sound to the Wu-Tang Clan. Their lyrics were more boastful and they had a few battle style raps. They tried to get the crowd involved with call and responses and asking each side of the club to make more noise than the other. But their songs went on too long and they were not as good MCs as the Brooklyn Zu.  They also tried to have one member sing a while the others rapped over him. The sound mix did not complement that very well. Many of their members were smoking when they were not rapping or talking to the DJ. They did not seem as into to it, and neither was the crowd.

It's now over thirty years since Saxon launched themselves on the heavy metal scene, although they'd already been around for a few years under the name Son Of A Bitch.  Despite their vintage, they were adopted wholesale by the burgeoning New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene, having some incredible success in the very early eighties with hit albums like Wheels Of Steel and Strong Arm Of The Law and hit singles such as "And The Bands Played On".  They rushed out a series of albums including the legendary live release The Eagle Has Landed, but it all went sour on their home turf, when they broadened their sound in attempt to crack America, and things rapidly went downhill after 1983's Power & The Glory release. They tried an increasingly commercial approach which hit a nadir with their cover of the Christopher Cross tune "Ride Like The Wind", and a series off lineup changes ended up with two versions of Saxon doing the rounds before the version led by vocalist Peter "Biff" Byford won the legal battle.  However, they always maintained a strong presence in the metal heartland of Germany, and remained beloved by many for inspiring the writers of "This Is Spinal Tap".  Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer have confirmed that Saxon was a major inspiration for the 1984 mockumentary and they copied  many of Saxon's mannerisms on stage. This came about after Harry Shearer toured with the band in 1981, hearing anecdotes from lead guitarist Graham Oliver and bassist Steve "Dobby" Dawson. Shearer also copied many of Dawson's mannerisms, such as playing his bass with one hand plucking the strings while the other one points to the crowd and he even sported a moustache just like Dawson's. The nineties and the new millennium saw them releasing a series of strong but unheard albums as they toiled away in the farther reaches of Europe until 2007 saw them the subjects of an episode of legendary promoter Harvey Goldsmith's Get Your Act Together TV series.  Despite (or because) of the clashes with Goldsmith their popularity in the UK soared and the resulting single "If I Was You" (a song about gun culture), went to number one on the Rock charts in over 10 countries.  Saxon then sold out the City Hall in their hometown of Sheffield, resulting in their biggest UK date in over 15 years. They also became the most talked about band at the 2008 Download Festival, despite being on the third stage. They cemented this stunning comeback by releasing their strongest album in over a decade, The Inner Sanctum, and setting out on headline treks across the UK.  The end of the year saw them touring with fellow veterans Motorhead, leading to this, their 18th studio album.

When the house lights go down to start Ludacris’ Theater of the Mind, an ensemble cast takes to the stage and delivers a performance that is mostly comedic, sometimes sharp, sometimes funky, and often very entertaining. Unfortunately, Luda’s sixth studio album lacks a certain punch and finds the artist often forcing himself into sharp corners that don’t quite fit. At his best, Ludacris is a great rapper for creating sweltering club bangers focused around clipped beats and his Southern drawl. His contributions to pop music have been significant and have even scooped him some Grammy Awards. But on a deeper level, Ludacris struggles to escape the alcove of party rapper. Theater of the Mind doesn’t help matters. That’s not to say that this isn’t an enjoyable album, but beyond the quips and beats there really isn’t a whole lot here. As per usual, a whole array of producers is used. DJ Premier, Scott Storch, Trackmasters, and more all have their hands on tracks. And the litany of guest stars is colossal, drawing comparisons to a Paul Haggis flick. Jay-Z, Nas, Common, Lil Wayne, T-Pain, T.I., The Game, Jamie Foxx, and others are given spots to shine as “co-stars” in this Theater of the Mind. The hitch is that all of the guest stars, producers, and sound clips from Chris Rock and Spike Lee don’t help Ludacris emerge into the spotlight. After the intro warning us that “they’re about to start the movie,” Luda rolls into “Undisputed.” The cut features garrulous hype work from boxer Floyd Mayweather and includes a stunningly obsolete reference to the Pacers punch-up at the Palace of Auburn Hills in 2004. Fortunately, Luda is sharper on most of the other cuts. The self-deprecatingly wicked “Everybody Hates Chris” draws up one of the best lines on the record when he spits “still counting, still climbing the charts, and rappers still talking shit like they was rhyming in farts.” And “One More Drink," featuring T-Pain, tells a funny story about boozing too much, regrets, and taking drunken pictures on a camera phone. “Last of a Dying Breed” includes the best rapper of 2008, Lil Wayne, and bounces with a hard, speckled beat. Nas and Jay-Z show up on “I Do It For Hip Hop,” pulling together one of the album’s best cuts with quick verses and old school scratches. The usual “message” cut closes out the record, with “Do the Right Thing” filling the spot. Common is a nice choice for co-conspirator on the track, but Luda’s work leaves a lot to be desired and the song lacks thrust and impact. And that’s really the basic problem with Theater of the Mind; Ludacris has trouble as a serious rapper. Whether it’s message tracks or thug cuts like the featureless “Wish You Would” or the daft “Call Up the Homies, he simply never casts a big enough shadow to be taken for an intimidating or shrewd performer. As pure entertainment, then, Ludacris’ record works. As anything else, this is one Theater troupe that should probably leave it to the pros.

As soon as a promising white, blues-tinged, female soul singer arrives on the scene, it tends to ignite the inevitable comparisons to the likes of the legendary Dusty Springfield, amongst others. That, of course, is a huge legacy for any aspiring young singer to carry around. One of those who, along with Dusty – and Amy Winehouse, for example – has attracted such comparison is Beth Rowley. Does Rowley's album, Little Dreamer, live up to these weighty claims? Beth was born in 1981 to British missionary parents who were, at that time, living in Lima, Peru. Her father inspired her by playing guitar along with his collection of Woody Guthrie vinyl. On their return to England she spent most of her childhood in Bristol. She later studied at Brighton’s Institute of Modern Music before beginning to get active on the local gigging scene. As a teenager she provided backing vocals for Ronan Keating. Earlier this year she wrote and recorded a song for the film The Edge Of Love, starring Keira Knightley. Her forthcoming studio album was eagerly anticipated, and in October 2008 Little Dreamer appeared. The album is beautifully lo-fi, radiating a warm glow of late night atmosphere amid some softly seductive vintage performances. There is a nicely honed balance of soul, pop, and blues, alongside touches of jazz. For one brought up in the way that she was, it is little surprise there are some well delivered gospel songs included in the mix as well. Beth Rowley’s live performances are attracting a good deal of attention. She clearly has a strong stage presence and her voice can light up even the dullest of audiences. In the studio she loses little of those qualities delivering an impressive set of satisfying songs that showcase her remarkable vocal talent. A highlight for me is her version of “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”, which is worth the CD’s price alone. Coolly delivered, it has Beth on simply exquisite form. Also included are high quality covers of Willie Nelson’s “Angels Flying Too Close” and a reggae-based version of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released”.

Back in the days of my youth and vinyl domination, I remember hearing Blue Oyster Cult’s “Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll” for the first time. The hard crunching guitar riffs were memorable and classic. It was one of the songs that sustained me during my college years. I ended up purchasing each of their releases for next two decades. I counted 13 of their vinyl albums in my collection and I’m fairly sure all were acquired at the time of their release.Blue Oyster Cult can be classified as hard rock or heavy metal. However you define their music, they have always maintained song structure and melody beneath the ominous sounding instrumental onslaught. They still exist as a band today. Agents Of Fortune was their fourth studio album released in 1976. It proved to be their commercial break through as it sold over one million copies and produced their highest charting single, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” Sony/BMG has now returned this classic album to its original vinyl form. The vinyl used for this album actually feels heavier when you hold it in your hands. This fact serves to make the sound crystal clear. The original packaging and even the inner sleeve help preserve the feel of the 1976 issue. Agents Of Fortune would take the group in a new direction. The production would be more polished and the songs had an overall more melodic structure. Still the guitars and keyboards would keep the music safely within the hard rock category. The opening chords of “This Ain’t The Summer Of Love” prove that this is a more accessible Blue Oyster Cult. “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” remains one of the classic songs of the 1970s. It has been used in commercials and soundtracks and still receives a great amount of radio airplay. The album contains a number of very strong tracks. “The Revenge Of Vera Gemini” just propels itself along. The song was co-written by Patti Smith, who also provides back-up vocals, features some of the best riffing of the group’s career. “Tenderloin” has some nice keyboard and guitar interplay. “Tattoo Vampire” is almost frenetic in approach and the guitars attack throughout the entire track. “E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)” is just more overwhelming rock ‘n’ roll. Agents Of Fortune remains an essential listen for any fan of 1970s American rock. Personally, I never tire of this album. Now is the chance to hear it as it was originally intended in all its vinyl glory.

There are two distinct factions in the very divided Metallica fan base that exists today. On the one side resides those of the long haired, ripped jeans, and classic concert t-shirt wearing ilk. They are a beer drinking, joint smoking, devil-horn raising, tribe of metal fans of yore who swear by the band's early thrash metal opuses and recoil at the group's current devolution into a sellout, pop-metal band.  They scorn their once beloved group for making music for the masses, while abandoning the tastes of their core group of fans who have followed the band since their earliest days, playing dive bars and small downtown venues; when the fan base, along with the money, was small, and the scene was anarchic, grimy, and real. The second group is predominately made up of younger fans whose first exposures to the band were the Bob Rock powered, commercially mammoth eponymous record Metallica and, more destructively, the follow up record Load.  The band's sanitized sound being blasted through towers of amps and speakers, the fans filling massive arenas and witnessing exploding stage shows of fire, explosions, and theatrical metal pomp, changed the perception of Metallica forever. These fans vehemently defend the bands "evolution" and various directional deviations, and laud them for the bravery in undertakings such as their collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony on their S&M record. The division is fierce and has raged on for many years. But now — with the release of this year's Death Magnetic — the division, much like the band, has draw to an interesting crossroads. While still possessing many of the traits that annoy older fans, such as the ridiculous accentuation on syllables in Hetfield's much deeper (as appose to the early records) vocal style, and the obvious decline in lyrical quality continuing the trend of the later albums, Death Magnetic is, admittedly to nearly all, a quasi-return musically to the sounds of the holy-trio of Master of Puppets, Ride the Lighting, and …And Justice for All. So what does this mean for a band that has been labeled everything from the greatest band to the greatest sellouts in metal history? Quality assessments aside, the one thing that is certain is that Death Magnetic is yet another example that, like them or not, Metallica will continue to be relevant because they continue to, in at least a vague sense, act as a barometer for the climate of heavy metal music in America. When the raucous, speed-metal banger Kill 'Em All was released in 1983, Metallica signaled a paradigm shift in the sound and direction of heavy music. Building on the initial groundwork of the genre's pioneers Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and most notably Motorhead, Metallica played harder and faster than any band before or during and thrust thrash metal into the main stream consciousness with a violent and appealing force. Metal was changing and Metallica played the lead on this new precipice. Through 1986 the band led the charge of the new thrash metal sound that continually grew harder, faster, and darker with each new release. The band's seminal albums of this period — Master of Puppets and Ride the Lighting — stood at the forefront of the genre as groups like Megadeth, Pantera, Anthrax, Sepultura, and Slayer took over the reigns as the metal gods of the scene, exposing a generation of fans to a powerful sonic experience that was both aggressive and skillful, polished and yet primal and raw.

As a follow-up to the CD Edition of my favorite 2008 reissues, here are my Vinyl LP choices:  1. The Kinks - Muswell Hillbillies Limited Edition, 180 Gram Vinyl. Ray Davies is certainly not like everybody else here, nor is he a dedicated follower of fashion: “I’m a 20th Century Man but I don’t want to be here,” he angrily seethes. At the same time, in the nostalgically exquisite “Oklahoma USA,” he fairly yearns for the company of Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae and a cinematic escape away where “All life we work / But work is a bore / If life’s for livin’ / then what’s livin’ for?” Embracing music hall and vaudeville, with songs ranging from country-folk to boozy blues, and subjects covering, say, demon alcohol and “sad memories you can’t recall,” or ocean-side holidays where “the sea’s an open sewer,” 1971’s Muswell Hillbillies is one of the Kinks’ more consistently first-rate albums, in both lyrical wit, bite, and poignancy - and in musical terms, as rooted in its infectiousness and ferociousness with which it conveys the ambiguity and ambivalence toward life in general, and living on London’s Muswell Hill, specifically. 2. The New York Dolls - The New York Dolls Limited UK 180 Gram, Vinyl Pressing. When friends were listening to ‘70s luster and sludge like Journey and ELP — whose tunes I could not get attuned to — I discovered this debut '73 New York Dolls LP in, of all places, my local branch of the Orange County, California Public Library. I whisked it away, and soon got carried away by the reckless glam and proto-punk spirit. My friends thought I suffered a 'personality crisis' - and, fortunately, I had. 3. The Beach Boys - Endless Summer  Two LPs, Limited Edition. Twenty-one tracks of '60s pop perfection from the first Wilson Administration. “And we’ll have fun, fun, fun ‘til her daddy takes the t-table away…” 4. The Band - The Band  Four-Color Gatefold Jacket, 180 Gram Vinyl. A drunkard’s dream if I ever did hear one. Rustic Americana done right by a bunch of mostly Canadian guys. 5. House of Freaks - Monkey on a Chain Gang Back2Vinyl.com Though it doesn’t pack the powerhouse punch of their 1989 sophomore stunner Tantilla, this stripped-down but striking 1988 debut presents the range of the guitar-and-drums duo (Bryan Harvey and Johnny Hott) from melodic pop to more dire declarations, such as found in the Wolfeian avowal that “You Can Never Go Home”: Standing on a dusty road Praying for a sign Lightning only struck me once And then it struck me blind… You can never go home.Tragically, Harvey’s life came to an untimely end on January 1, 2006, when he was found by Hott in the basement of his burning house murdered — beaten, slashed and bound with electrical cord and tape — along with his wife and two young daughters.

The inventor of the Fender guitar and Motown group The Four Tops are set to receive a lifetime achievement awards at the 2009 Grammys. Clarence “Leo” Fender will be remembered with a technical award, while the band will be honoured for their career at the ceremony in Los Angeles on February 7. Trustees Awards go to jazz producer George Avakian, composer Elliott Carter, and songwriter Allen Toussaint. See the full list of 2009 Grammy Award nominations, lead by Lil’ Wayne and Coldplay, on NME.COM now.

The world’s third largest record company Warner Music Group has pulled all of its YouTube videos, having failed to negotiate acceptable contract renewal terms with the company. Artists now absent from Google’s flagship video sharing website include Led Zeppelin, Madonna and the The Ramones. In addition to the videos themselves, Warner are also demanding that any user submitted clips featuring their artists be removed – no mean feat considering the ever growing multitude of vids online. In a further twist, in 1990 Warner bought the rights to Happy Birthday to You and effectively own the tune and lyrics until 2030, further complicating the issue. Google is currently attempting to negotiate terms with the remaining members of the â€?big four’ – EMI, Sony and Universal. Talks broke down after Google attempted to change the way that the labels generate revenue from their current pay-per-play terms to a more ad focused system. According to australianit.news.com.au, Google owners Larry Page and Sergey Brin should be looking over the fence at recently launched video website Hulu which operates on a basis of sharing full television content such as Family Guy and Arrested Development with each clip preloaded with unskippable ads. With 24 million unique hits in October, the US-only website is certainly making the big boys sit up and take notice. Pair this with the recent breakdown in talks with YouTube, and it is clear to see why the record labels are looking to fashion a similar music based website to rival the Tube. With a bit of luck, the other three labels will nut out a deal with Google, keeping YouTube as good a timewaster as ever, and just remember that for every New Order, Fleetwood Mac and Red Hot Chili Peppers track that goes down, they’ll also take one from The Veronicas, TV Rock and Nickelback – so its not all bad. Stay tuned to ITM for Warner vs. YouTube – Round 2!

With thanks to the late Layne Staley I try not to plan the funeral before the body has died but there's only one Tuesday left in 2008 and there's nothing I'm in a hurry to go out and buy. Three years down the road I may come across a 2008 album I missed and want to amend this list, but for now, for better and worse these are my Top Songs of 2008. The best thing about this list is no song from my Album of the Year appears on it. As odd as that may seem, it underscores my reason for naming it my Album of the Year (we'll get to that discussion soon enough). What follows is a list of the best songs I heard this year. In some cases, they've come from albums I loved and in others they were the best thing on an album that disappointed. I've limited myself to one song per album in order to keep some sort of order here. These songs may not work for you, but they're a few of the ones that got me through. “Consoler of the Lonely” - The Raconteurs, Consolers Of The Lonely: This feels less like a song and more like a collage. Brendan Benson and Jack White trade lines over a start-stop riff with some squalls of Jack's lead guitar racket interspersed. Something this disjointed shouldn't be this catchy, but I'll be damned if it's not. This is a house favorite. “So He Won't Break” - The Black Keys, Attack & Release: The Black Keys shouldn't make all future albums with Danger Mouse, but their work on Attack & Release came off much better than I'd have predicted. DM's sonic touchups reveal these guys are capable of executing their ideas with more than riffs and grit. “So He Won't Break” mixes some alt-pop with the blues and DM's tasty sonic accents. “Birmingham” - The Bittersweets, Goodnight, San Francisco: I live 90 minutes from Birmingham and believe me when I say never imagined anything this lovely and wonderful could spring from there. This is one of Hannah Prater's best vocals and that is saying something. “Short Street” - Dave Carter, Commitment and Change: If I become a jazz fan before I die, Dave Carter's Commitment and Change will have something to do with it. Just as with “Muhammad Ali” on Barrett Martin's The Painted Desert (Martin serves as drummer and producer for this fine quartet), within the first few bars of album opener “Short Street,” I sensed the presence of something special. This composition has such a great feel to it and Carter, Martin, Luis Guerra, and John Rangel maintain that over the course of the entire record. “Somebody's Baby” - Jon Foreman, Winter EP: This might be the single saddest song I've ever heard in my life. This could have easily become maudlin and melodramatic, but the arrangement is spare and Foreman's vocal is warm and genuine. The lyric is bleak, but Foreman's vocal exudes a compassion that is profoundly affecting.