MANN MAY WELL TURN UP IN LEATHER GLOVES AND SATIN SHORTS
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Kelly Apter probes AIMEE MANN to find out just how she has managed to combine drugs. heartbreak and boxing on one beautiful record.
oxing: the sport of kings. And. it transpires.
fortysornething lernale sitiger-songwriters.
Aimee \lann has a new hobby. and somehow it just doesn't seem right. She belongs on stage. cutting its to the quick with her astute observations on life. .\'ot taking it on the chin in a sweaty gym. And you have to wonder if she sticks to the rules. when her songs have heerr punching below the belt for years.
In the course of live studio albums. Mann has done more than most to champion dysfunction. She claims it is ‘a flag I will always wave‘. and new album The l-oieom'n xlllll pays testament to that. After her 2002 release. Lost in Space. was likened to a concept album. \lann decided she rrray as well write a real
one. following the lortunes (or rather misfortunes) of
two young lovers. 'llie forgotten Arm is a ll ‘chairter' sorrghook filled with love. disappointment. drug addiction and . . . bo\ing. Yes. so smitten is she with her new-lotlnd pursuit that Mann has taken pttgilism into her day job.
John and ('aroline rrrect at the Virginia State Fair in the late I‘) llls. He‘s a lm‘tt‘l. she‘s desperate to escape her trailer park existence. And in true Mann style. their relationship runs the gamut of emotions. As they travel across America. .lohn‘s barbiturate addiction gathers momentum and (‘aroline finds the grass anything but greener. Mann calls the album ‘a soundtrack to a movie which doesn't exist'. with a chronology that drives the story along. ller earlier
65 THE LIST 7 ./l llll kt). ‘7
foray onto the big screen. with P'I‘ Anderson‘s Magnolia. proved that her writing fits film like a glove. And while nothing on The forgotten Arm comes close to the aching beauty of Oscar—nominated ‘Save Me’. heart strings are most definitely tugged.
Mann dedicates the album to ‘the alcoholic and addict who still suffers‘. and is clearly moved by those stuck in the vice-like grip of drug addiction. including several of her close friends. Conversely. Mann has never been more in control of her life. After years of record company unrest. she is finally reaping the rewards of her own label. selling more (‘l)s than ever before. The forgotten Arm has a pared down feel. with simple piano and rock guitar. Which kept studio time to a minimum and allowed Mann to spend more time doing what she loves best -— playing live. liven touring has more autonomy these days. with Mann performing where she wants. when she wants. rather than at the behest of a record company trying to shift units. So when she steps on stage in (ilasgow this month. it‘s because she really wants to be there.
The I’m-gotten Arm is named after a boxing manoeuvre. the (‘D sleeve illustrated with boxing paintings by Mann‘s sparring partner. ()wen Smith. (liven the level of enthusiasm she has for the sport. Mann may well turn tip at the (‘arling Academy dressed in leather gloves and satin shorts. Watch out for those killer hooks.
Carling Academy, Glasgow, Thu 14 Jul.
3-??? Sigur Ros It‘s been a while since Iceland's acclaimed sound sculptors graced these shores, but it's always a treat to sit back, relax and soak up their monumental cinematic mini- symphonies. Listen out for material from their as yet unreleased but long-awaited forthcoming album. Carling Academy, Glasgow, Fri 8 Jul.
131- 1' in the Park lt’s that time of year again, for the annual trek to an airfield in Kinross to see the best bands kicking around at the moment while (hopefully) getting sunburnt too. This year the Foo Fighters. Travis and Green Day top the bill, but what will your highlights be? See feature, page 16. Ba/ado, Perth and Kinross, Sat 9 & Sun 10 Jul.
Ti: Aimee Mann Always a treat in the live forum, Aimee Mann is a mature singer songwriter at the top of her game. This show has her promoting her latest album, The Forgotten Arm, a typically spiky and intelligent collection of beguiling little gems. See preview, left. Carling Academy, Glasgow, Thu 14 Jul. Rammsteln Everyone needs a little bit of controversial. extroverted, theatrical German metal in their lives, don‘t they? Don‘t they? The answer is yes. Fantastic entertainment, Rammstein always deliver the goods. See preview, page 67. SECC, Glasgow, Sat 76 Jul.
“3'7 Les Ecossais Youthful Scottish quintet that continue to impress with both their improvisational and compositional abilities. Henry’s Jazz Cellar, Edinburgh, Sat 16 Jul.
this? Rob Hall/Chick Lyall Quartet Saxophonist Rob Hall and pianist Chick Lyall co-lead this thoughtful and exciting quartet. Henry '3 Jazz Cellar. Edinburgh, Sun 77 Jul.