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Massive Attack Trip Through Mezzanine On Tour [Wed. September 09.1998] ATLANTA -- A few songs into the set by trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack Sunday at the Roxy, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall put an arm around his smaller bandmate, Robert "3D" Del Naja, and whispered into his ear. No one observing could discern what was said over the din of beats, guitars and samples, but the gesture said plenty. The band, which had by most accounts nearly torn itself to pieces while making its dark and foreboding third record, Mezzanine, seemed again to be on friendly terms. "I think we work really well and get on very well on the road. It's not so pent up," Marshall said before the tour. "It's when you get us in the studio that we all have our conflicts, because we're so passionate about what we do and everybody wants to get their ideas across." Marshall, Del Naja and the third full-time member of the group, Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles, may be getting along famously, but the raw, aggressive tone that permeates Mezzanine crept its way into Massive Attack's set at every opportunity. The set leaned heavily on the album, but even tracks culled from the band's first two records, Blue Lines and Protection, sounded rougher and more jagged than the recorded versions. The set opened with Jamaican vocal legend Horace Andy -- a longtime Massive Attack collaborator -- emerging from darkness onto the stage to the sound of a ringing, metallic guitar. He launched into "Angel" (RealAudio excerpt), the lead-off track from Mezzanine, and the room was soon buzzing. Del Naja, Marshall and Vowles then took the stage and continued their trip through the album with "Risingson". Marshall -- tall, slender and dressed in a white tank top that accentuated his ebony skin -- and Del Naja -- short, skinny and wearing a black silk shirt that showed up his pastier skin tones -- looked like an unlikely pair as they traded deadpan raps with equal fervor. Meanwhile, Vowles spent most of his stage time behind the turntables, with a floppy hat pulled down almost over his eyes. The threesome then vanished and Andy returned to lead the four-piece band -- which included a live drummer, guitarist, bassist and keyboard player -- through "Man Next Door," another track from Mezzanine. That pattern continued for most of the set. The three main Massive Attackers would perform one song, then turn the spotlight over to Andy or the band's new honey-voiced diva, Atlanta native Deborah Miller. Raw, aggressive songs, such as "Inertia Creeps," were handled by Marshall, Del Naja and Vowles; older, more melodic songs, such as "Hymn of the Big Wheel" and "Unfinished Sympathy," were left to Andy and Miller. The pace seemed to suit everyone just fine. Marshall, Del Naja, and Vowles exchanged warm smiles on more than one occasion. Marshall, who seemed in particularly good humor, even dropped rhymes from his old pal and rival Tricky's first solo album, Maxinquaye, into some Massive Attack tracks, including the title cut from Mezzanine and "Daydreaming." Even the most lush, danceable grooves, however, remained dark and foreboding. The slinky, sultry beats of "Safe From Harm" (recently featured in a Victoria's Secret ad) descended into angry, guitar-screeching clatter. As red lights flashed hyperkinetically behind the group, shards of noise streamed in from all corners of the mix. The audience appeared to appreciate what they saw and heard. "They're just dead-on brilliant," said 27-year old Ian McCombs, a native of Sheffield, England. "I saw them about a year ago in London, but I've got to say, this show puts that one to shame." Tia Weeks, another concert-goer, agreed. "I've seen Tricky, Portishead and Morcheeba, but this is my first time seeing Massive Attack," said the 19-year-old receptionist from Stone Mountain, Ga. "There's no question Massive Attack blow them all away." They saved the best for last. With white lights strobing through the dark green smoke that hung in the room and the guitarist repeating a raging riff over and over, all the players took the stage together for the first time. As the wall of noise grew, the silhouettes of Marshall, Del Naja, Vowles, Andy and Miller could be made out clearly at the edge of the stage. And then, just as the dense mix of sound seemed ready to explode, it stopped on a dime and the band was bathed in bright white light and the cheers of an ecstatic crowd. "That was about the coolest ending to a show I've ever seen," an enraptured Deena Rolesnick, 24, said following the show. "I'm shaking."

Massive Attack Plan Fall Assault On North American Clubs [Fri. July 17.1998] Trip-hop innovators Massive Attack will headline a North American club tour this fall, beginning with a Sept. 3 date in Miami Beach and wrapping up Sept. 27 in Los Angeles. This news follows the announcement that the Bristol, England-based trio has abandoned the opening-act slot on the summer American tour by British rockers The Verve. Starting in the South and crawling up along the Eastern Seaboard, the 18-date tour in support of Massive Attack's latest album, Mezzanine, will shoot north for a pair of Canadian dates before trekking across the Midwest and ending up on the California coast. The Verve tour would have brought Massive Attack to a number of arena-sized venues, whereas the fall tour is scheduled for a series of 2,000- to 3,000-capacity clubs. Widely credited with sparking the trip-hop craze with their seminal LP, Blue Lines (1991), Massive Attack currently comprise Daddy G, Mushroom and 3-D. The ensemble formerly featured Tricky, who spun off into a critically acclaimed solo career. Paul Tollett, owner of Golden Voice, a Los Angeles-based promotions firm, said he booked Massive Attack for a Sept. 27 date at the Hollywood Palladium based on seeing the threesome play a previous gig in L.A. "The last time they played at the American Legion Hall, it was one of the greatest shows," he said. "It'll be a great show no matter where they are." Meanwhile, 18-year-old fan Darren Korte of Chicago, a.k.a. 3darren (in honor of Massive Attack member 3-D), expressed his excitement at the band coming to America. "I can't wait to see Massive Attack live," Korte wrote in an e-mail. "My favorite thing about Massive Attack is how their music has changed from the beginning, and how it always sounds new and fresh, even though Blue Lines is 7 years old. Mezzanine is more of a rock-ish album, but it still has the beats that made Massive Attack so great."

Trip-Hop Pioneers Launch Massive Attack On U.S. [Thu. April 02.1998] NEW YORK -- With a new album on the way and America fixed in his sights, Massive Attack leader and frontman Robert delNaja knows that he's standing at the brink of something big. It's the crossing over to that place that he's not so sure about. For now, delNaja's sitting in his New York hotel room watching Saudi Arabian soccer, talking of the British trip-hop band's plans to present its third album, Mezzanine (due in May in the U.S. on Virgin), to these shores and hoping to finally break through in this market. Despite relative indifference in the U.S. to Massive Attack's previous work, the band is supporting the release with a new tour and increased stateside media exposure, including the first-ever posting of a downloadable version of the entire LP on the Internet weeks before it hits stores. Still, delNaja says he is determined to keep from overexposing the band. "We're not going to expand too quickly," says the 32-year-old delNaja, a.k.a. 3- D. "We did about 12 U.S. dates for Protection [Massive Attack's second album]; this time we'll do about 15, starting in July. But we keep redeveloping the show. It's boring re-creating albums onstage." Not only boring, but for the Attack, it's a difficult feat. The band's music incorporates elements of rap, hip-hop, alternative, reggae, punk, rock, pop, dance, soul and new age, among other sounds. It's so hard to re-create their studio sound, in fact, that Massive Attack shows often exclude the songs' original vocalists, since many only guested on the recordings. The first U.S. single, "Teardrop" (RealAudio excerpt), for instance, features lead vocals by Elizabeth Fraser, formerly of the Cocteau Twins, who joins reggae legend Horace Andy and soul singer Sara Jay in providing guest vocals on the record. Adding to Massive Attack's live dilemma, the band also is often without much of its high-tech equipment onstage, delNaja says, and considering the ensemble's tendency toward long, ambient pieces, fans are left with a whole new approach to much of its material live. "Our audience needs to have a strong attention span," delNaja acknowledges. "We're not a singles band." Certainly, this is at least part of the reason that the band's first two albums never broke in America. And delNaja is aware of it. Hoping to make the music more accessible, the band's newest work captures a mood and an intimacy that more closely mirrors the band. Dark, foreboding songs such as "Inertia Creeps" and "Group 4" feature threatening vocals and pulsing beats that drive delNaja's oblique lyrics. A prime theme of the disc is life changes, which creeps up in songs such as "Risingson" (RealAudio excerpt) and "Teardrop," the single that deals with Fraser's feelings about having a child. "The album is more reflective of ourselves [than previous efforts] and of the instability in our lives and the duality of being in a band," he says. "The darker tone [of the new album] comes from stress and paranoia within the group. We [worked out] personal obsessions on this one." To make sure that the U.S. gets the message, Massive Attack -- whose other members are Grant Marshall (a.k.a. Daddy G), 39, and Andrew Vowles (a.k.a. Mushroom), 29 -- have a multi-pronged plan for expanding their base of U.S. listeners, a group that delNaja perceives as "mixtures of the curious and quite a lot of people who know everything about our music." Besides live radio broadcasts and a full-length video of shows and concept clips for the new songs, an important component of the plan this time around will be the Internet. The band began previewing every song from Mezzanine on its website (www. massiveattack.co.uk) on March 20 -- more than three weeks before the April 13 release date in the U.K. The move marks the first time that a major-label artist has allowed an entire album to be available on the Internet before its release. DelNaja acknowledges that it could be a risky move, however, due to widespread Web pirating of unreleased music. That said, though, it could also introduce the band to millions of new listeners. "More people (will be able to) hear it as a whole piece," he says. While they continue to have a low profile stateside, Massive Attack have, in the past, collaborated with one of the world's most well-known artists, Madonna, with whom they worked on a cover of the soul classic "I Want You" for a Marvin Gaye tribute album released in 1995. "She was very cool, very professional," delNaja says. "She sang well, with passion ... That's important." DelNaja likens the band's collaborative tendencies to that of the Clash -- one of his main influences and his favorite band -- who also worked with various reggae artists through their career. "They send tracks over to me," says reggae king Andy, who has recorded on each of Massive Attack's albums. "I work with anything I like. I worked with them since their first album. I like what they do. They were fans of mine. You can hear it (in the music)." Post-Mezzanine plans for Massive Attack include an album of remixes and outtakes. The band will also be doing some movie soundtrack work to add to its contributions to "Batman Returns" and "Welcome to Sarajevo," as well as the upcoming film "187." Looks like Massive Attack are finally on the attack in America. "We have no commercial aspirations," delNaja says. "We've never done a lot of press, but (this time) we thought, 'We're still here; we'd better deal with it now.' "

Massive Attack Use Internet To Promote Mezzanine [Fri. March 13.1998] Trip-hop originators Massive Attack have announced plans to preview their third album, Mezzanine, on the Internet beginning March 20 at the band's website, www.massiveattack.co.uk. That will be more than three weeks before the album's slated April 13 release in the U.K. and a full month before the U.S. release date of May 12. The first available segment of the LP will be a 45-second audio clip of the single "Teardrop," featuring vocals from Elizabeth Fraser, formerly of the ethereal duo Cocteau Twins. A complete version of the single will be available at the site on March 23. The artwork and the 11 songs on Mezzanine, produced by the Bristol, England-based trio and producer Neil James Davidge (Suzanne Vega, Vanessa Williams), will be posted on the Internet in small increments on a daily basis, over the course of 25 days, until all of the art is visible and all of the songs can be heard at the site. Massive Attack's U.K. publicist, Heather Finlay, stopped short of calling the move unprecedented, but said she could not recall another band giving a sneak preview of a entire new album in this manner and that "it was something the band thought was quite special to do." At least one Massive Attack fan and record-industry insider thought that this type of record promotion would pique the interest of listeners worldwide. "I would immediately log on just to get a preview of the album," said Renee Tyler, a Massive Attack fan and the national product manager's assistant at Tower Records. "I definitely think it will excite fans, as well as boost sales -- just the thought that it's starting from the beginning and that each day it's going to develop further." A spokesman at Virgin Records' London office said that the Internet preview will run concurrently with a large-scale ad campaign, and that several websites -- including "Dazed And Confused" and the Bristol-based "Venue" -- will have links to the band's website. Finlay described the trailblazing threesome's follow-up to 1995's No Protection as sounding darker and more complex. "Mezzanine is much darker than the last two albums. There's more guitars. It's much more complex," said Finlay, who added that Fraser sings on a total of three tracks and that the song "Dissolved Girl" features the soulful vocals of singer Sara Jay.

Discography - Records Blue Lines 01. Safe from Harm 02. One Love 03. Blue Lines 04. Be Thankful for What You Got 05. Five Man Army 06. Unfinished Sympathy 07. Daydreaming 08. Lately 09. Hymn of the Big Wheel Protection 01. Protection 02. Karmacoma 03. Three 04. Weather Storm 05. Spying Glass 06. Better Things 07. Eurochild 08. Sly 09. Heat Miser 10. Light My Fire [Live] Mezzanine 01. Angel 02. Risingson 03. Teardrop 04. Inertia Creeps 05. Exchange 06. Dissolved Girl 07. Man Next Door 08. Black Milk 09. Mezzanine 10. Group Four 11. Exchange Protection/No Protection DISC 1 01. Protection 02. Karmacoma 03. Three 04. Weather Storm 05. Spying Glass 06. Better Things 07. Eurochild 08. Sly 09. Heat Miser 10. Light My Fire DISC 2 11. Radiation Ruling the Nation 12. Bumper Ball Dub 13. Trinity Dub 14. Cool Monsoon 15. Eternal Feedback 16. Moving Dub 17. I Spy 18. Backward Sucking 100th Window 01. Future Proof 02. What Your Soul Sings 03. Everywhen 04. Special Cases 05. Butterfly Caught 06. A Prayer for England 07. Small Time Shot Away 08. Name Taken 09. Antistar

Discography - Box Sets Singles 90/98 Label: Virgin Released: 12.15.98 DISC 1 01. Daydreaming [Album Version] 02. Daydreaming [Luv It Mix] 03. Daydreaming [brixton Bass Mix] 04. Daydreaming [Luv It Dub] 05. Any Love DISC 2 06. Unfinished Sympathy [Album Version] 07. Unfinished Sympathy [Nellee Hooper 7'' Mix] [Nellee Hooper 70 Mix] 08. Unfinished Sympathy [Nellee Hooper 12'' Mix] [Nellee Hooper 120 Mix] 09. Unfinished Sympathy [Perfecto Mix] 10. Unfinished Sympathy [instrumental] DISC 3 11. Safe from Harm [Album Version] 12. Safe from Harm [7'' Version] [70 Version] 13. Safe from Harm [120 Version] 14. Safe from Harm [Perfecto Mix] 15. Safe from Harm [Just a Groove Dub] 16. Safe from Harm [Just a Dub] DISC 4 17. Hymn of the Big Wheel [Album Version] 18. Hymn of the Big Wheel [Nellee Hooper Mix] 19. Home of the Whale 20. Be Thankful for What You Got [Perfecto Mix] 21. Any Love [Larry Heard Mix] DISC 5 22. Sly [Album Version] 23. Sly [70 Edit] 24. Sly [7'' Stone Mix] [7 Stones Mix] 25. Sly [underdog Mix] 26. Sly [underdog Double Bass and Accapella] 27. Sly [Cosmic Dub] 28. Sly [Eternal Feedback Dub] DISC 6 29. Protection [Album Version] 30. Protection [70 Edit] 31. Protection [underdog's Angel Dust Mix] 32. Protection [Radiation for the Nation] 33. Protection [The Eno Mix] 34. Protection [J. Sw! ft Mix] [J. Swift Mix] DISC 7 35. Karmacoma [Album Version] 36. Karmacoma [Portishead Esperience] [Portishead Experience] 37. Karmacoma [Napoli Trip] 38. Karmacoma [u.N.K.L.E. Situation] 39. Karmacoma [bumper Ball Dub] 40. Karmacoma [Ventom Dub Special] 41. Blacksmith/Daydreaming DISC 8 42. Risingson [Album Version] 43. Superpredators 44. Risingson [underdog Mix] 45. Risingson (Otherside) 46. Risingson [underworld Mix] DISC 9 47. Teardrop [LP Version] 48. Teardrop [scream Team Remix] 49. Teardrop [Mad Professor Mazaruni Vocal Mix] 50. Teardrop [Mad Professor Mazaruni Instrumental] 51. Euro Zero Zero DISC 10 52. Angel [Album Version] 53. Angel [Radio Edit] 54. Angel [Remix] 55. Angel [Mad Professor Remix] 56. Group Four [Mad Professor Remix] DISC 11 57. Inertia Creeps [Album Version] 58. Inertia Creeps [Radio Edit] 59. Inertia Creeps [Manic Street Preachers Version] [Manic Street Preachers 60. Inertia Creeps [state of Bengal Mix] 61. Inertia Creeps [Alpha Mix] 62. Back/Shecomes 63. Reflection

Biography from VH1.com The pioneering force behind the rise of trip-hop, Massive Attack were among the most innovative and influential groups of their generation; their hypnotic sound -- a darkly sensual and cinematic fusion of hip-hop rhythms, soulful melodies, dub grooves, and choice samples -- set the pace for much of the dance music to emerge throughout the 1990s, paving the way for such acclaimed artists as Portishead, Sneaker Pimps, Beth Orton, and Tricky, himself a Massive Attack alumnus. Their history dates back to 1983 and the formation of the Wild Bunch, one of the earliest and most successful sound-system/DJ collectives to arrive on the U.K. music scene; renowned for their seamless integration of a wide range of musical styles, from punk to reggae to R&B, the group's parties quickly became can't-miss events for the Bristol club crowd, and at the peak of their popularity they drew crowds so enormous that the local live music scene essentially ground to a halt. When the Wild Bunch folded during the mid-'80s, two of its members -- Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall -- teamed with local graffiti artist 3D (born Robert del Naja) to form Massive Attack in 1987; another Wild Bunch alum, Nellee Hooper, split his time between the new group and his other project, Soul II Soul. The group's first single, "Daydreaming," appeared in 1990; it featured the sultry vocals of singer Shara Nelson and raps by Tricky, another onetime Wild Bunch collaborator. The classic "Unfinished Sympathy" followed, as did another compelling effort, "Safe From Harm." Finally, in 1991 Massive Attack issued their debut LP, Blue Lines; while by no means a huge commercial success, the record was met with major critical praise, and was dubbed an instant classic in many quarters. Nelson, featured on many of the album's most memorable tracks, exited for a solo career soon after, and the group then confusingly changed their name to simply "Massive" to avoid any implication of approval for the U.N.'s policy towards Iraq; in the wake of the disastrous U.S. tour that followed, many were quick to write the band off right then and there. After a three-year layoff, Massive Attack -- their full name now properly reinstated -- resurfaced with Protection; again working with Hooper and Tricky, they also brought into the fold vocalist Nicolette, as well as Everything but the Girl's Tracey Thorn. Three singles -- "Karmacoma," "Sly," and the title track -- were released from the LP, which was also remixed in its entirety by Mad Professor and issued as No Protection. A lengthy tour followed, and over the next several years, Massive Attack's solo work was primarily confined to remixes for artists including Garbage; they also worked with Madonna on a track for a Marvin Gaye tribute album. Finally, to promote their appearance at the annual Glastonbury music festival, the group issued a new EP, Risingson, during the summer of 1997. The third full-length Massive Attack effort, Mezzanine, appeared in mid-1998; in addition to reggae singer Horace Andy, making his third consecutive LP appearance with the group, vocal chores were handled by the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser and newcomer Sara Jay. Mezzanine became a cult hit among critics, clubs, and the college crowds, spinning successful singles such as "Teardrop" and "Inertia Creeps." A tour of America and Europe followed, but Vowles left the band after disagreeing with the artistic direction of Mezzanine. Del Naja and Marshall continued as a duo, later working with the likes of David Bowie and the Dandy Warhols, but Marshall later took a leave of absence to raise his family; producer Neil Davidge took up the slack. In February 2003, after a five-year wait, Massive Attack released their fourth album, 100th Window, including collaborations with mainstay Horace Andy as well as Sinéad O'Connor. Danny the Dog from 2004 marked the group's entry into the world of soundtracks.

Photographs these are very hard to come by

Discography Dummy - 1994 1 Mysterons (5:02) 2 Sour Times (4:11) 3 Strangers (3:55) 4 It Could Be Sweet (4:16) 5 Wandering Star (4:51) 6 It's A Fire (3:48) 7 Numb (3:54) 8 Roads (5:02) 9 Pedestal (3:39) 10 Biscuit (5:01) 11 Glory Box (5:06) Portishead - 1997 1 Cowboys (4:38) 2 All Mine (3:59) 3 Undenied (4:18) 4 Half Day Closing (3:49) 5 Over (4:00) 6 Humming (6:02) 7 Mourning Air (4:11) 8 Seven Months (4:15) 9 Only You (4:59) 10 Elysium (5:54) 11 Western Eyes (3:57) Portishead Roseland New York [PNYC] (Live DVD) - 1998 1 Humming 2 Cowboyds 3 All Mine 4 Half Day Closing 5 Over 6 Only You 7 Seven Months 8 Numb 9 Undenied 10 Mysterons 11 Sour Times 12 Elysium 13 Glory Box 14 Roads 15 Strangers 16 Western Eyes

Biography from Rolling Stone Portishead formed in Bristol, England in 1991 and is credited with being one of the first bands to popularize the trip-hop genre. Their seminal 1994 album, Dummy, brought trip-hop to the British mainstream and introduced the music to the American "alternative" scene. The band is named after the town where founder Geoff Barrow grew up. At the dawn of the '90s, Barrow was making a name for himself as a remixer, working with such artists as Primal Scream, Paul Weller and Depeche Mode. In addition, Barrow had produced a track for Tricky and written songs for Neneh Cherry. Aided by a financial grant, Barrow formed Portishead with vocalist Beth Gibbons, guitarist Adrian Utley and drummer Dave MacDonald. The band's first project was not an album but the short film To Kill a Dead Man. Barrow and Gibbons wrote and acted in the film; Portishead provided the soundtrack. The project attracted the interest of several record companies, including Go!Beat, which signed the band mostly on Barrow's skill as a remixer. Portishead's first album for Go! was Dummy, released in 1994. Promoting the album, however, was a big challenge for the label, as Barrow and Gibbons refused to do interviews and had no interest in touring. Go! was forced to tap all its creative-marketing resources, coming up with a campaign involving promotional mannequins ( " dummies " ) displayed in various London locations. In addition, Portishead's videos for tracks like "Sour Times" and "Glory Box" created memorable visuals. Dummy received immense critical praise in England, topping many album-of-the-year lists. The record was a commercial success despite a lack of radio support; in early 1995, Dummy's third single, "Glory Box," debuted at No. 13 without the benefit of airplay. In America, the single "Sour Times" caught on at MTV, and Dummy sold over 150,000 copies without any live Portishead shows to promote it. In mid-1995, Dummy won the prestigious Mercury Music Prize as England's top album. Portishead, having become a big hit almost in spite of themselves, began writing material for a follow-up. However, creative tensions almost destroyed the band as Barrow, a self-described perfectionist, delayed the release of the new record. Portishead's self-titled second album finally came out in September 1997. Although it failed to expand the band's sound and its commercial success, Portishead was not viewed as a step backward. The band undertook a tour of Britain, Europe and the U.S. to promote the album.

Nevilles Return, Critics Cheer The Neville Brothers Return To Their Roots To the Critics' Delight on New Album, 'Walkin' in the Shadow of Life Although the Neville Brothers waited five years to release their new album, 'Walkin' in the Shadow of Life,' (Neville Nation/Back Porch/EMI) they are reminding critics that they they still know how to make it funky. Just in stores, the 13-track album, led by their hit remake of the single, "Ball of Confusion" which they will perform on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on November 1, is becoming the critics choice. The Associated Press names it: "...a stunning representation of the brother's versatility and talent dabbling in various genres." The San Francisco Chronicle reports: "Blending some contemporary touches with what is essentially a post-psychedelic funk sound, the first family of New Orleans funk comes on strong with political anthems and earthy social portraits." Philadelphia Daily News notes: "...the great remake of the Temptations' protest classic "Ball of Confusion." The Boston Phoenix calls it: "...[the] answer to their best album, 1989's 'Yellow Moon.'"

The Neville Brothers: Past, present and future of funk collide on 'Walkin' in the Shadow of Life' New Orleans' First Family of Funk returns with a second generation on board and most personal lyrics to date The Neville Brothers, the family band many call the "Founding Fathers of New Orleans Funk," return October 19, 2004, with 'Walkin' in the Shadow of Life.' Produced by Milton Davis (John Mellencamp, Dionne Farris), the Back Porch Records/EMI release looks back on the band's 26-year history with its most personal lyrics to date, while it welcomes a new generation of Nevilles into the fold. Ending the band's five-year hiatus from recording, 'Walkin' in the Shadow of Life' marks the welcome return of the group's smoldering funk and R&B. The record features the classic Nevilles lineup -- Aaron Neville (vocals, percussion), Art Neville (vocals, Hammond B3 organ, keys), Cyril Neville (vocals, percussion) and Charles Neville (vocals, tenor sax, flute) -- along with Aaron's son Ivan Neville on keys and Art's son Ian on guitar. While there is no shortage of party anthems, such as the hip-hop flavored "Can't Stop the Funk," 'Walkin' takes on personal topics of substance abuse, family conflict and spirituality with the passionate tracks "Junkie Child," "Brothers," and the stirring "Kingdom Come" which was written by Cyril Neville and Bono of U2. 11 of the album's 13 songs were either written or co-written by the Neville Brothers. One exception is the record's first single, a thumping version of the Temptations' 1970 classic "Ball of Confusion." "When we started recording this record one of the first songs that popped into our heads was Ball of Confusion ­ based on everything that is going on in the world today. The lyrics speak to the entire human race ­ we all need to do our individual parts to help make this world a better place to live in. If we don't start making changes... We're going to be stuck in a world that is just that... a Ball Of Confusion..., " said Aaron Neville. Beginning with Art Neville's founding of the Meters in 1966 as the house band at Allen Toussaint's New Orleans studio, the Nevilles have been towering figures on the funk landscape. After the Meters' breakup in 1976, Art formed the Neville Brothers, whose fifteen albums make up one of the genre's most celebrated catalogs.

Discography 1976 - Wild Tchoupatoulas - More Information 1977 - Neville Brothers - More Information 1981 - Fiyo on the Bayou - More Information 1984 - Nevillization - More Information 1986 - Treacherous vol.1 - More Information 1987 - Uptown - More Information 1989 - Yellow Moon - More Information 1990 - Brothers Keeper - More Information 1992 - Treacherous vol.2 - More Information 1992 - Family Groove - More Information 1994 - Live on Planet Earth - More Information 1996 - Mitakuye Oyasin - More Information 1997 - The Very Best of - More Information 1999 - Valence Street - More Information 1999 - Uptown Rulin - More Information 2004 - Walkin' In The Shadow of Life - More Information

Biography from The Neville Brothers offical website Throughout their long careers as both solo performers and as members of the group that bore their family name, The Neville Brothers have proudly carried the torch of their native New Orleans' rich R&B legacy. Although the four siblings - Arthur, Charles, Aaron, and Cyril - did not officially unite under The Neville Brothers aegis until 1977, all had crossed musical paths in the past, while also enjoying success with other unrelated projects: Eldest brother Art was the first to tackle a recording career, when in 1954 his high school band the Hawketts cut "Mardi Gras Mambo," a song that later became the annual carnival's unofficial anthem. Both Aaron and Charles later joined the Hawketts as well, and when Art joined the Navy in 1958, he handed Aaron the group's vocal reins. Two years later, Aaron scored his first solo hit, "Over You"; in 1966, he notched a pop smash with the classic "Tell It Like It Is," a lush ballad showcasing his gossamer vocals. Art, meanwhile, returned from the service to begin his own solo career, and recorded a series of regional hits like "Cha Dooky Doo," "Zing Zing" and "Oo-Whee Baby." In 1967, he formed Art Neville and the Sounds, which included both Aaron and Charles as featured vocalists and quickly became a sensation on the local club circuit. In 1968 producer Allen Toussaint hired the group as the house band for his Sansu Enterprises; minus Aaron and Charles, the Sounds evolved into a highly regarded rhythm section which backed artists as diverse as Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer and Labelle before eventually finding fame on their own as The Meters. Soon, Cyril joined The Meters at Art's urging - and became the group's lead vocalist, thereby beginning his career with the brothers. Consequently, Aaron resumed his solo career, also working as a dockhand to help pay the bills. Charles, meanwhile, relocated to New York City, where his saxophone artistry led to tenures with a variety of jazz units. In 1975, The Meters backed the Wild Tchoupitoulas, a group led by the Nevilles' uncle, George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry. Both Aaron and Charles were enlisted for the session, as was youngest brother Cyril. When The Meters disbanded the following year, the four brothers backed the Tchoupitoulas on tour, and in 1977 they officially banded together as The Neville Brothers...[more]

Just Because A Piano Can't Move Doesn't Mean Keane Don't Brits have been known to rock so hard onstage they need an oxygen tank. Fri. October 22.2004 England's Keane have been known to rock out so hard onstage that sometimes they have to reach for an oxygen tank. While playing the song "Bend and Break" in Mexico City, the piano-driven alt-pop trio's lead singer, Tom Chaplin, was "puffing away on the oxygen as a preventative measure," he said. " 'Bend and Break' is one of the big rockers we play early on, and for us it's a pretty physical experience," said pianist Tim Rice-Oxley. "And I guess for the crowd it's sort of loud and fast and exciting to watch." Energy and onstage antics may not be what you'd expect from a band comprised of a pianist, drummer and vocalist. Still, the British band — who released their debut, Hopes and Fears, earlier this year — works hard to keep the energy level high and connect with fans. "I think people are blown away by the amount of energy we have when we play live," drummer Rich Hughes said. "Onstage we absolutely love rocking out. We have a sort of physical reaction to playing. ... On a good night, you get that sort of [energy] bouncing off the crowd as well. It's a physical thing as well as an emotional thing." Keane sought to record an album as memorable as their shows. "We set out to make a record that people would connect with," said Hughes, "not just get their toes tapping, but connect with emotionally, and we feel that's happening, so that's incredibly satisfying." Hopes and Fears has garnered Keane a strong following of listeners drawn to their thick piano chords and romantic, reflective lyrics. Notoriety came slowly for Keane, though, who began as a cover band in 1997 (at the time, joined by guitarist Dominic Scott), gigging around Sussex, England. In 1999, after moving to London, the group began recording, and in 2000 Keane self-released their debut single, "Call Me What You Like." Scott parted ways with Keane the following July, and the band opted not to replace him. Now a trio, Keane spent the rest of 2001 and most of 2002 developing their new sound, testing it out at two London shows in December. Fierce Panda founder Simon Williams (whose label's roster has also included fellow piano enthusiasts Coldplay, as well as Death Cab for Cutie and Polyphonic Spree), was in the audience and asked them to put out a single on his label. Keane chose the instrumentally catchy, lyrically melancholy track "Everything's Changing," garnering the attention of several U.K. labels, including Island, which the band signed to in mid-2003. Hopes and Fears, their first album on the label, is a series of sweeping, epic odes by way of swelling piano chords and prolonged vocal notes, as exemplified in their current U.S. single, "Somewhere Only We Know." The band will next shoot a video for "This Is the Last Time," which Chaplin said "is about being in a situation where you're very close to someone but you feel there is something more out there, or you have a dream where you really want to be properly in love and you feel like you're not quite getting that. It's about going out there and trying to find something more magical." That search for something magical also applies to the band's approach to its next record. "We've got some stuff we're really proud of that we're just starting to work on now, and we don't want to rush into another record for the sake of it or something cheesy like that," said Rice-Oxley. "We want to make sure we don't sell ourselves short, so we're going to work out ways of developing and pushing ourselves forward and writing the best songs we can and making exciting sounds and just seeing what we can actually do as a band."

Keane: Kings of Keyboards The "Somewhere Only We Know" band aren't Coldplay clones; they're piano-pumping softies. Thu. September 16.2004 "So you want to be a rock and roll star?" asked the Byrds back in 1967. "Just get an electric guitar/ Then take some time and learn how to play." Nobody told that to Keane. When their guitarist left the band, Tim Rice-Oxley's expressive piano became the lead instrument. Now, in their native Britain, the three-piece are very big rock and roll stars indeed. Their debut album Hopes and Fears entered the Brit charts at No. 1, and its string of singles, with their typically British blend of melancholy and uplift, established them as arena-filling successors to Coldplay. Some critics have derided their lack of edge, but Keane's populist appeal is undeniable. Hope and Fears bristles with the kind of choruses that sound best coming from a crowd of thousands. With their first single "Somewhere Only We Know" climbing the American charts, it's our turn to be seduced by their passionate pop and the tinkling of Keane's piano. So get your Kleenex ready. Singer Tom Chaplin and drummer Richard Hughes joined Rice-Oxley in a chat with VH1. We talked about writing great songs, the bands they see as brothers, and why they won't be singing Beatles tunes anytime soon. VH1: Why did you call the album Hopes and Fears? Richard Hughes: Hopes and Fears came from a line in a B-side called "Snowed Under." Everybody's lives are made up of the hopes and fears they have every day. That's what life's little dramas are made up of, basically. We were trying to find a way of getting a sense of balance, because it's not an album full of really happy or really sad songs. We try to talk about the grey areas within each song. VH1: Your music really wears its heart on its sleeve. Tim Rice-Oxley: We all believe that you can't have a great song if you don't have great words that really speak to you. It took us so long to get anywhere as a band that we got to the point where we didn't really have anything to lose. We weren't writing about being cool or what we look like, or what people might think of us as people. We just wanted to be honest. When you take that mental step of saying, "We're not gonna hold anything back," then you're giving a lot to people who listen to your music. VH1: With all these guitar bands in Britain, how did you fit into the musical landscape? Richard: People liked what we were doing for what it was rather than trying to anticipate the next industry trend. We changed quite a lot over the course of working out the best way to get our music across. We just learned to trust our own instincts. Eventually we got the chance to put out this little indie single we recorded ourselves and that kicked everything off for us. VH1: What bands do you guys see as your peers? Tim: We've been around such a long time it's always hard to know which bands you should consider as being your contemporaries. One of the first gigs we ever played we were supporting Coldplay, and we were swapping demos and stuff with them back in 96-97 or something. There were loads of bands on the London scene at that time. I suppose it's more the young bands like the Zutons, Delays, Franz Ferdinand, and Snow Patrol. There are lots of really good British bands at the moment, which is pretty cool. VH1: What's the inspiration behind "Somewhere Only We Know"? Tim: I can remember writing it at home in [my hometown] Battle on my mom and dad's piano. I was trying to get something that was really driving and pumping piano chords like David Bowie's "Heroes." The song that came out was "Somewhere Only We Know." It kind of wrote itself quite quickly which is good because ... Tom: [interrupting] It saves time. [Laughs] Tim: Yeah. It saves time and effort. But it's good 'cause then it's really natural. VH1: What have you been working on since the album came out? Tim: We're actually doing a cover of the Walker Brothers' "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)," but it's completely unfinished at the moment. We always like playing cover versions when we're messing around, especially when we do acoustic gigs. We did Elton John's "Your Song" and we even did "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" once. We did "Dinner at Eight" by Rufus Wainwright. Richard: We covered "Paperback Writer" in our first gig ever. It probably sounded hideous. Tom: There were four of us at the time, so we all did the four-part harmony for it. Richard: It was the only time I've ever sung in public I think. Let's just say, I won't be doing it again. Tom: Disgraceful!

Tour Dates Date - Venue - Location 11/13/2004 - Southampton Guildhall Southampton, ENG, United Kingdom 11/14/2004 - Cambridge Corn Exchange Cambridge, ENG, United Kingdom 11/16/2004 - Brixton Academy London, ENG, United Kingdom 11/17/2004 - Brixton Academy London, ENG, United Kingdom 11/18/2004 - Brixton Academy London, ENG, United Kingdom 11/27/2004 - Elysee Montmarte Paris, France 11/28/2004 - Halles De Schaerbeek Brussels, Belgium 11/29/2004 - Paradiso Amsterdam, Netherlands 12/02/2004 - The Fillmore San Francisco, CA, United States 12/05/2004 - The Arena at Gwinnett Center Duluth, GA, United States 12/06/2004 - Crystal Ballroom / Lola's Portland, OR, United States 12/08/2004 - Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC, Canada 12/09/2004 - Key Arena Seattle, WA, United States 12/16/2004 - Zepp Fukuoka, Japan Fukuoka, Japan 01/24/2005 - Gypsy Tea Room & Ballroom Dallas, TX, United States 01/25/2005 - La Zona Rosa Austin, TX, United States 01/26/2005 - The Meridian Houston, TX, United States 01/28/2005 - Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre Atlanta, GA, United States 01/29/2005 - House of Blues - Orlando Lake Buena Vista, FL, United States 01/30/2005 - Centre Stage at the Plex Charleston, SC, United States 02/02/2005 - Hammerstein Ballroom New York, NY, United States 02/04/2005 - Electric Factory Philadelphia, PA, United States 02/05/2005 - Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA, United States 02/12/2005 - Metropolis Montreal, QC, Canada 02/13/2005 - Kool Haus Toronto, ON, Canada 02/15/2005 - House of Blues - Cleveland Cleveland, OH, United States 02/16/2005 - Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI, United States 02/17/2005 - Riviera Theatre Chicago, IL, United States 02/19/2005 - The Pageant Saint Louis, MO, United States 02/20/2005 - Eagles Ballroom Milwaukee, WI, United States 02/21/2005 - Quest Minneapolis, MN, United States

Discography Hopes and Fears[] Release date: 05.25.04 Label: Interscope Records 01. Somewhere Only We Know 02. This Is the Last Time 03. Bend and Break 04. We Might as Well Be Strangers 05. Everybody's Changing 06. Your Eyes Open 07. She Has No Time 08. Can't Stop Now 09. Sunshine 10. Untitled 1 11. Bedshaped Photographs

Biography from KeaneBand.com Keane is: Tom Chaplin - Vocals Tim Rice-Oxley - Piano Richard Hughes - Drums Keane formed in 1997 when they were at school together. In 2002, after the loss of their guitarist and a period of time honing their sound, Keane decided that they needed to get out and play gigs again. They booked two acoustic shows, one at the 12 Bar Club, another at the Betsey Trotwood. Fierce Panda mini-mogul Simon Williams caught the Betsey Trotwood gig, and asked Keane to put out a single on his label. They chose 'Everybody's Changing', a sweeping, majestic ode to feeling utterly lost when everyone else seems to know the score, which was recorded for zero pence. "The recording session was a little rough and ready - the song was literally made in a room in someone's house," Tom laughs. "And we had to go round to a different house to mix it, because the speakers broke." It would be difficult to find origins more desperately indie, yet 'Everybody's Changing' sounded like a Number One chart hit before you even got to the chorus, and it immediately began turning heads. Steve Lamacq decided that it was one of the best singles in Fierce Panda's entire history - not bad for a label, which housed early releases from Coldplay, Idlewild and Supergrass. He declared that Keane were "somewhere between a scuffed Coldplay and a frankly bewildered Beautiful South", hammering the single on his show and eventually calling the band in for a session on BBC 6Music. Xfm were on the case, too, with Clare Sturgess requesting a session from the band, while a Sunday Times profile noted that Keane were responsible for "three and a half minutes of pure pop loveliness". NME wrote that 'Everybody's Changing' was "indisputably mighty" and compared Keane with "'Kid A'-era Radiohead covering A-ha". What all these people spotted - and what the rest of the world will hopefully find out for themselves - is that despite the reference points, Keane's beguilingly beautiful music really isn't like anything else that's out there right now. "Our songs have universal themes and are emotional," Tim nods. "People want emotion. But that seems like quite a rare thing these days. I don't think there are many bands who are making music which actually means anything. There's nothing to identify with." Things, at last, were beginning to gather pace. Keane's first UK tour saw Tom, Richard and Tim performing at venues up and down the country to audiences of between five and 300 people. They didn't look like many other bands - there was no guitarist, a factor which might send some purists screaming into the hills but, Richard says, really wasn't a conscious decision. By the time spring 2003 rolled around, the boys were out on the road again, and labels were already putting offers on the table. "All we were after was the opportunity to make the right record with the right people," Tom shrugs - which is where Island stepped in. "We've never wanted to be a small, cult band," Tom adds. "We want to get our music heard by as many people as we possibly can, because that's why we're making it." Throw in a startling appearance in the New Bands tent at the Reading and Leeds Carling Weekend, more plaudits for the boys' second single 'This Is The Last Time'. And, once again, it sounds like all the bands who've ever meant anything to anyone, but at the same time it only sounds like Keane. "People often say that they wish they'd been around in the 60s," Tom says. "But we're happy just where we are. We love rock's back catalogue, and now we've got a chance to add to it. After all, tunes never go out of fashion."

The Music of Their Minds Psychedelic buzz-band talks suicide prevention, dance 'n trance boogie nights, and pretending to be Bon Jovi. Thu. March 13.2003 If you're going to call your band the Music, you better be able to bring tears to grown men's eyes or be handy with your fists. The much buzzed-about English quartet of that name may look scrawny, but sound-wise they've got plenty of wallop: their self-titled Capitol debut is a maelstrom of psychedelic rock. Guitarist Adam Nutter works his effects pedals for all they're worth, wailing deliriously on "Human" and chattering excitedly on "Getaway." Drummer Phil Jordan and bassist Stuart Coleman's command of dance rhythms provide the bounce. It's singer Robert Harvey's voice that first grabs your ear, though. It's a piercing siren, plain and simple. The Music formed in 1999 in the suburbs of Leeds, because, the band claims, "there was nothing better to do." After two years of fighting boredom by forging a sound around Nutter's swirling guitars and Harvey's banshee impersonation, they rose from the underground on a groundswell of acclaim. A limited edition single, "Take the Long Road and Walk It," sold out in 48 hours. Music mags quickly went into hype mode. NME declared that the Music's stadium-ready sound made them "the most important group since Oasis." Listeners agreed. The Music went to No. 4 in the British charts and sold 100,000 copies in Japan. America was next, and after supporting the Vines last year, the band are back in the States to win more hearts by supporting Coldplay. Looks like those music mags were right. The band's inner dynamic quickly becomes apparent as the guys nosh on cheese and cold cuts backstage at Manhattan's Bowery Ballroom. For such a charismatic front man, Harvey seems to have no interest in presenting a mystic facade. When asked what puts a smile on his face, his reply is simple: "farts." His band-mates show their chagrin. Nutter spends the first part of the interview curled up on the couch, but when he comes alive, it's with the force of the group's musical visionary, enthusing about such disparate influences like cult R&B figure Shuggie Otis and "Money for Nothing" rockers Dire Straits. Jordan and Coleman are the grunts, swearing like troopers once the food begins flying around the room. Ducking the hurled salami and speaking over the sound-check's cacophony, the four West Yorkshire spoke to VH1 about what makes them dance, being big in Japan, and, of course, silly band names. VH1: You're playing The Late Show with David Letterman soon. What stuff makes you guys laugh? Phil Jordan: Saturday Night Live is an amazing program. Well, it used to be. Me and Stu watched butt-loads of it the last time we were over here with the Vines. Then we caught a new episode with Josh Hartnett, and it was sh*t. VH1: What is the worst pun you've heard involving the name of the band? Robert Harvey: That ABBA one, "Thank you for the Music." The local papers always use that one. VH1: What was the first song you wrote together that made you realized that you were a band? Jordan: "The Dance" was one of the first songs we did. It was like the first time we played. You could tell it was different. It stood out. Harvey: We didn't try and make it sound like the Music. We were just f*cking around. Jordan: We didn't do covers. We're not a covers band. Straight off we were just jamming and enjoying ourselves. VH1: Were any of you in bands before? Stuart Coleman: I was in a band called We Are Not Kings, because it spelt "Wank." Another one was like Willie Wonka & the Gypsy Hairspray Kings. We split up and I went and did this. We're still mates, though. VH1: What band's music sounds best on drugs? Harvey: The Doors. Jordan: Jane's Addiction Nothing's Shocking. That's quite cool. That's got the best of both worlds for me. It sounds excellent anyway, but when you're stoned just sit back and think, "Ah." VH1: What is it about the North of Britain that feeds that fusion of psychedelic music and dance? Coleman: The whole Hacienda thing in Manchester had a lot to do with it. When acid house first came out in Manchester, many bands were influenced by it. But I never went to the Hacienda. Dance music came out before our time. VH1: So what makes you guys dance? Harvey: Techno's great for dancing. I haven't gotten any techno records, but when someone puts on techno, I can't keep still. Coleman: You can't help but dance to that. VH1: The album took you from nobodies to the top 10 of the U.K. charts. What is the most rock star thing you've done since enjoying that success? Harvey: Probably getting a limousine from the hotel today! I was expecting a yellow cab! We're not really rock 'n' roll, to be honest. Being rock 'n' roll and throwing TVs out of windows is all a cliche, anyway. It's just stupid. VH1: You mean you're not interested in abusing the privileges? Harvey: Sometimes. We just have food fights a lot. That's about it really. VH1: What's it like being big in Japan? Harvey: They're really nice people over there. Really polite. If they want you to sign something, they ask in a very sincere way. In England, they're like, "Sign that!" But in Japan, the fans come up to you and give you stuff. VH1: Do you get fans over there who wait outside the hotel, like the Beatles? Harvey: Yeah. People get into the hotels, too! VH1: Are you surprised by that level of adulation? In New York and England fans are a little more reserved. Harvey: We get weird letters from Japan. Jordan: One was from this girl who said she was considering suicide until she heard our music. That's quite flattering, but at the same time it puts a lot of duty on us. It's crazy. Someone is thinking about suicide and then they hear us and that stops them from committing suicide. Adam Nutter: "It's like, "Goodbye cruel world ... Wait! What's this shite on the radio?" VH1: Who is one of your cult heroes who has never gotten the respect they deserve? Nutter: Shuggie Otis. Inspiration Information is a beautiful record. I didn't know anything about him before they re-released it a few years ago, but he's a musical genius and it's great. VH1: If you could be in an '80s hair metal band, which one would it be? Harvey: Were T.Rex in the '80s? With my hair I look a little like I could be in T.Rex. Coleman: Say Bon Jovi ... Harvey: Oh yeah! Bon Jovi would be great to be in. Especially for "Living on the Prayer," where you could fly across the room wailing. Nutter: I'd be in Dire Straits. I grew up loving them. I used to be really into them and listened to Mark Knopfler quite a lot. I prefer the earlier stuff. They went a bit crap around the time of "Money for Nothing." Jordan: I would have liked to have been in Van Halen so I could be in the "Jump" video. VH1: You guys seem like the hair metal boys who use stage effects. Jordan: Well, they ain't got any music going for them, do they?

Robert Harvey: Born - 21st May 1983 Instruments - Vocals/Guitars Stuart Coleman: Born - 29th January 1983 Instruments - Bass Guitar Phil Jordan: Born - 7th March 1982 Instruments - Drums Adam Nutter: Born - 19th May 1983 Instruments - Guitars

Photographs

Discography - Albums The Music[cover photo] Label: Hut Released: 09.02.02 01. The Dance 02. Take the Long Road and Walk It 03. Human 04. The Truth Is No Words 05. Float 06. Turn Out the Light 07. The People 08. Getaway 09. Disco 10. Too High Welcome to the North[cover photo] Label: Capitol Released: 10.19.04 01. Welcome to the North 02. Freedom Fighters 03. Bleed From Within 04. Breakin' 05. Cessation 06. Fight the Feeling 07. Guide 08. Into the Night 09. I Need Love 10. One Way in, No Way Out 11. Open Your Mind Disography - EP's You Might as Well Try to F*** Me EP[cover photo] Released: 05.11.01 01. You Might as Well Try to F*** Me 02. Karma 03. Treat Me Right On 04. Too High The People EP[cover photo] Released: 04.01.02 01. The People 02. Let Love Be the Healer 03. Life 04. Jag Tune The Music [EP][cover photo] Label: Virgin Released: 05.07.02 01. Take the Long Rod and Walk It 02. The Walls Get Smaller 03. You Might as Well Try to F*** Me 04. Karma 05. Too High 06. New Instrumental [Live]

Biography from TheMusic.co.uk "We always said we'd grow up in public. And that's what we've done. This album is about what happens when a bunch of teenage lads from Leeds lap the world a couple of times and then spit it all out." Two years on and The Music have hit something of a roll. More precisely, a rollercoaster of a roll. In that time The Music have gone from the early promise of a young band gloriously finding their collective voice to being a global hit, complete with burgeoning fan base and an awesome reputation for live brilliance. It's two years since The Music's debut album established them among the top contenders as the UK's best new band. The Music -- Rob Harvey (vocals), Phil Jordan (drums), Adam Nutter (guitar) and Stuart Coleman (bass) -- were barely 18 years old when their eponymously-titled album rocketed into the UK chart at number four at the start of September 2002. That success was predicated on more than the massive quality of the band's music. Not since the mid-Nineties had a young British band set such a meaningful agenda for the generation to have emerged post-Britpop. The Music were clearly striking more than musical chords. After relentless touring -- including unforgettable moments at places as diverse as London's Brixton Academy and Fuji Rock in Japan -- The Music's reputation spread around the world. The band were on that roll. Indeed, with some half-million albums sold, it would have been easy for The Music to have rested on their laurels a while longer. What the band actually did, however, was absorb all the mayhem and return to the fray with a second album displaying an extraordinary leap forward and clearly reflecting the headlong experience of the last two years. That album is Welcome to the North. Like all things to do with The Music, there has been little planning or pre-meditation involved in the initial stages of the new album. "We never say this is going to be about such-and-such or we need to move in this direction," says Phil Jordan. "I think second guessing yourself or others is fatal. We knew we'd grown and we knew that as soon as we went into the studio what came out would reflect that." In May 2004 the band decamped to recording studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and spent seven weeks recording with Brendan O'Brien, whose productions credits include such bands as Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. If The Music's debut album was all groove-led exuberance then Welcome to the North marks the emergence of a new dimension -- Rob Harvey as both a vocalist and lyricist. Anyone who has experienced the spiritual uplift of The Music live will know just how far their euphoric grooves can carry a crowd. The first album was a celebration of that power. On Welcome to the North Rob Harvey is more questioning and alert. "The Music have always been about the incredible high we get from audiences at our shows and the new album is about retaining your spiritual strength and positive feelings in what can be a bad world," he says. "It's about optimism, opening your mind and fighting the cynicism." The band are from Leeds in the north of England. Welcome to the North, however, is not quite the chest-beating statement of local pride it may seem. "Leeds is home," says Harvey, "but we are all aware of the shortcomings of the place. The title is kind of ironic. It's a double-edged sword. You see the world and come back and see your previous life with a different perspective. The thing is none of us ever dreamed we would get the chance to see the things we've seen." The band was formed in the music room of Brigshaw High School in Kippax, Leeds. In the beginning there was Rob Harvey, Adam Nutter and Stuart Coleman - drummer Phil Jordan was the last to join in 1999. There was no mad scramble to shop demos, secure deals or chase fame; being in a band was essentially a way of keeping themselves off the streets. "After Phil joined in 1999, it was obvious we were really good together," says Coleman. "But we've always tried to insulate ourselves from the bullshit and keep the music as pure as possible." The embryonic band, however, were not short of confidence. "Me and Rob have known each other since we were babies," says Nutter. "I always knew Rob had something but he was always involved with these shit bands. Finally I just grabbed him and we started writing. To me it wasn't a fluke or an accident. I really did have that feeling of 'Well if he keeps doing that and I keep doing this, how can we fail?'" Take the Long Road and Walk It confirmed his belief. Released by the small UK independent label, Fierce Panda, the single came out just as the band quit school in 2001. It was followed by the You May As Well Try To Fuck Me EP, by which time the likes of the NME were stating that The Music were "potentially the most important group since Oasis." Then, of course, came The Music album. Aided and abetted by such singles as The People and The Truth is No Words, the album went gold in the UK (and, a little later in Japan and Australia too). So Welcome to the North is very much chapter two of one of the most promising English rock stories of the decade. "The only way to hold onto any integrity is to check with yourself the reasons why you do things," says Rob Harvey. "We've always tried to decide among ourselves what feels right and ignore everyone else. One of our goals is 'No goals'. Don't set targets or goals that have no meaning. All the best things we've ever done have happened by accident."