Latest music DVDs reviewed

THE RAPTURE
The Rapture Are Alive & Well In New York City Universal
***

You might think that it's a mite early for The Rapture to be rushing a DVD into the shops, but try telling that to their record company. Proof indeed that the DVD has become another format (sorry, marketing tool) to flog to death using whatever footage is to hand: what you get for your money is the Echoes band playing live in New York last December. Bar a handful of promo videos, that's your lot. Thankfully, then, The Rapture put on a compelling show and it's this quality that director Patrick Daughters has captured with his cameras. There's little flash or flab, just the band's infectious, jerky, high-energy, yelping punk-funk, with Daughters using the hypnotic energy of Pop Song and (naturally) House of Jealous Lovers to keep your eyeballs on the screen. www.therapture.com Jim Carroll

JOSH ROUSE
The Smooth Sounds of Josh Rouse Ryko
***

It was difficult not to be smitten last year by Josh Rouse's nostalgia-laden 1972. By writing a suite of songs mirroring the styles of that time - James Taylor, Marvin Gaye, Carole King, et al - Rouse revisted the year of his birth and, contrary to jaundiced memories, his soft, melodic tunes with lyrics to match evoked a time of relative innocence. This DVD is a record of (2003's) New Year's gig in Nashville, the city where this native Nebraskan now lives. It's a good show. The best songs, such as Love Vibration and the album title track, prosper in this friendly atmosphere without ever reaching real heights. A short, moody documentary, The Many Moods of Josh Rouse, explains the origins of the album; also included is a CD of 10 rare tracks - both welcome bonuses in a worthy complementary package to a very fine record. www.joshrouse.com Joe Breen