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The She&Him duo link up again, on M.Ward's new album, set for a February 17th release. MP3 below

M. Ward-Never Had Nobody Like You feat. Zooey Deschanel

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LOL not quite, but all the reports say Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard are engaged!! How good a songwriter would their children be?!?! Collaboration album please! It wouldnt be a surprise, what with Ben's recent negative comments over a new Postal Service album. Can't see Death Cab going back in the studio for a while...
Ben Gibbard-You remind me of home
She&Him-Sentimental heart (my new favourite song in the world)
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London Heathrow Terminal 5 opens to mass protest, and large scale operational problems.
The best albums and gigs of March 2008

1. Frank Turner-Love, Ire & Song
These days, it's not often that an album grabs you from the first chord and you just and listen through every track, without doing anything else. Frank's perfect blend of folk/rock with his punk heart from his Million Dead days, combined with perfect tales of loneliness and epic social commentaries makes for something a bit special. Add some of the greatest lyrics ever and the most passionate delivery I've heard on record and the result is one of the greatest, heartfelt albums of all time.
This album is heartwrenching, shivers down your spine, makes you want to jump around and sing about how your not going to be the same as everyone else then fall over and cry about how your lonely. There is nothing wrong with it.
"Life is about love, last minutes and lost evening. About fire in our bellies and about furtive little feelings." All hail Frank Turner.
Sean is a guestwriter on this blog, check out his regular reviews and Frank Turner obsession at There's Affection To Rent
Best Track: I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous (no link-record companies wish)
Live cover of The Postal Service's District...
2. She &Him-Volume One
Very late edition to the list, so even more credit for getting to number 2 (ive only listened to this album about 3 times!). She & Him are made up of Zooey Deschanel (actor-elf, almost famous, hitchikers guide, the happening etc..), and M.Ward (musician-solo artist with 7 albums/contributor to the likes of Cat Power, Bright Eyes, Jenny Lewis and Beth Orton). She writes the lyrics, plays piano and sings, he plays the guitar and (i think) writes the music? This album is ridiculously sweet, she has a proper retro voice and alot of the album has that timeless mid century feel that Winehouse captured so well on "Love is a Losing Game". Lyrically it is simple, yet poignant and lovely, focusing on both the happy (you got me, i was made for you) and the sad (sentimental heart, take it back) parts of a relationship. I think the Pitchfork review of this album is very much spot on! although the score could have been more generous. and for all of her great songwriting, my favourtie is the smokey robinson cover!
Best track: She & Him-You Really Got a Hold on Me
Bonus: Live performance of that song!
Review:
Pitchfork (7.4/10)
Metacritic (76/100)

3. Estelle-Shine
The reinvention of Estelle is one of my favourite music stories of 2008, from the LDN rapper of 2004's 1980 who spoke of shared baths, dinner tables tippin 18 and Mel & Kim to the slick rapper come singer inviting production from Ronson. Will.i.am and swizz beatz and featuring Kanye, John Legend, Kardinal Offishall and Sean Paul, with admittedly more mainstream lyrics. Shine is a fantastic album, Estelle manages to retain her lyrical grit and (surprisingly awesome) flow in the frequent raps in the album (no substitute, wait a minute etc...) whilst bringing mainstream producers and more appealing singing to the table. So many top tunes on this; Will.I.Am's production is so sweet on Wait a Minute and American Boy, and Magnificent is Ronsons best in a long time. In a pop scene cluttered with artists constantly linked with Winehouse, Estelle is a refreshing change.
Best track: Estelle-Wait a Minute (Just a touch)
Bonus: video of come over (feat John Legend)-live
Reviews:
Pitchfork (6.8/10)
The Guardian (4/5)
4. We Are Scientists-Brain Thrust Mastery
the 4th best album of March seems an injustice for such a brilliant band, but this was not the album it could've been. Maybe I overhype WLAS, but this was a fair way off the WAS debut. Granted, this has some brilliant songs on (I could talk about Ghouls all day, After Hours, Chick Lit and Impatience are brilliant) but excepting those 4 it is hard to find a driving rhythm that matches album 1 (see Callbacks, the great escape etc) or lyrics as brilliant, self-evaluationary and often depressed as those found on Textbook and Can't Lose to name a few...I will never lose faith in this band though, they are fantastic live and I am very confident they can produce an album as good as WLAS again...
Best Song: We Are Scientists-Ghouls
Bonus: We Are Scientists-Chick Lit (Danger TV Remix Edit)
Reviews
Pitchfork (5.3/10)
5. Guillemots-Red
Another album that didn't live up to its predesecor. Much as i try to, I cant make myself love this album the way I love "Through the Windowpane". Criticisms: not enough craziness, not enough beautiful songs!!!, too much filler, not enough stripped down songs with fyfes amazing voice emphasised. Praises: falling out of reach (nuff said), the first four tracks in general are brilliant. I am sure they are still mental live, and with Fyfe's lyrical ability and musical creativity the band easily have it in them to make another TTWP.
Best Track: Guillemots-Falling out of reach
Bonus: Guillemots-A Day in the Life (Larrikin Love cover)
Reviews
Pitchork (5.8/10)
I was gonna post the NME one, but its possibly the worst piece of journalism I've ever read...I dont know what i expected tbh....

Honourable Mentions
Get Cape.Wear Cape. Fly-Searching For the Hows and Why's
Sam Duckworth has bucketloads (excuse the cliche) of potential, yet seems to only be able to priduce it in a 1/4 of his songs. The rest of the time it just seems like he cant be bothered, producing weak lyrics and weak songs. If he applied the talent he shows in the likes of 1st album classics Once More with Feeling (one of my fave songs ever) and The Chronicles..(Part One) and 2nd album (postcards from catalunya and moving forward) he will go far, but at the moment he is stalling.
Best track: Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly-Postcards from Catalunya
Snoop Dogg-Ego' Trippin'
Only classed as Honourable beacuse its Snoop Dogg, this album is pretty much rubbish. Lyrically he has never exactly been Nas, but this album (his 9th now) is lacking the excitement and humour that his past efforts have. Sensual seduction is a big tune (the video is hilarious) and so is my pick off the album, Cool, but apart from that AVOID! Snoop Dogg is still an absolute legend though!!
Best track: Snoop Dogg-Cool
Bonus: Snoop Dogg-Sensual Seduction (Boyz Noize Remix)
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incredibly late on this one. but its worth it. not gonna write alot (wait for review of the year: march), but serious they are amazing. M.Ward is a brilliant musician and Zooey Deschanel is a great singer and songwriter. only listened to this album 1nce and its already creeping into my 2008 top 20.
link below to their Smokey Robinson cover...


She & Him-You Really Gotta Hold on Me
i have been listening to loads of albums i missed over the year today, and after the disappointments of ushers "here i stand" and t.i.'s "paper trail" this was incredibly welcome.

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