A single that never was - Nice Boys

I don't know exactly what happened to this except to say that it never saw the light of day as a fully fledged single release.

It appears on the album 'My Paper Made Men', which I recommend without reservation, but the release was abandoned perhaps because it was seen as too close to her earlier material as evidenced on her 2003 album 'False Smiles'. Whatever the reason, why would I turn down the chance when offered a promo copy - including the 'radio edit' and six remixes - for a song? We might not share the same taste in music but neither are we stupid!
I have to say that pulling its release as a single was almost certainly a good decision - there is nothing really wrong with it but neither is it, when compared with other tracks on the album, anything remarkable and if there is a 'filler track' then this is it.

It's been a long time coming... Amy Studt update

I have lost track of the number of people that have ended up here because they were seeking information on Amy Studt and her second album. In that regard she is second only to those seeking the same sort of information on Fefe Dobson!
I have written twice before on this subject:

Whatever happened to Amy Studt?
Amy Studt - album update
She Walks Beautiful - lyrics

I had almost given up hope but, an age after its download-only release...

... My Paper Made Men is finally released on CD!

Was it worth the wait? Yes, absolutely! It has a bonus track, Lucky Ones, but that is not the point at all. What struck me first, and I have the legal download version too, is just how vastly superior it sounds when played on a half-decent hi-fi system. For whatever reason, it is much more noticeable than other such comparisons I have made.
It is a much more intense, dark and thoughtful than her previous album and it really shows to full advantage here. I thought it good as a download but now it is something quite special and that, while it is just my opinion, seems to be shared by many writers whose reviews have come to my attention. It certainly isn't party music, or perhaps even music for sharing with friends, but then neither was the much under-rated False Smiles (I remember reading a review that dismissed it in two words "Avril-lite") and I still like and play that too.
I'm pretty tolerant but one thing that irks me is people who feign the like, or dislike, of this-or-that in an attempt to align themselves with a current trend. I'm going to play both albums, back-to-back, this evening and there is a category of music that, while the actual selection is unique to each of us, everyone should have. Guilt-free music is vital at those times when nothing else matters much.
It is to be hoped that a live tour will follow but I currently have no information on this. If you know anything, be it gospel or mere rumour, or just want to ask a question however trivial then please feel free to add a comment (it can be anonymous) or e-mail me.

Note to 19 Recordings:
We have My Paper Made Men on CD and that is great; now how about a vinyl edition?