Reviews
Album review: PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Last modified on 2011-02-10 17:43:25 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
If there’s one thing you can guarantee about a PJ Harvey album it’s that it won’t sound like anything you’ve heard before. Full of surprises, so far in her 20-odd year career she’s recorded 7 albums and though her voice is instantly recognisable and the records might have a common thread in that they’re generally intensely personal, they sound remarkably different. Now she’s back with the highly anticipated ‘Let England Shake’ and with the help of past collaborators, including Flood, John Parish, and Mick Harvey, she has again managed to produce something the likes of which you have never heard. This time while the songs are still intense, it wouldn’t be PJ Harvey if they weren’t, she has taken a departure from emotional and introspective song writing in favour of reflecting the turmoil and futility of conflict she sees around her in the World and in particular England. Recorded in a 19th Century church in Dorset, on a cliff-top overlooking the sea, Harvey and the gang’s decision to hide themselves away and let the creative juices flow has paid huge dividends. The album segues effortlessly from current single ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’ which, with its male backing vocals, sounds like it was written for a musical, to the sparse and almost heartbreaking ‘England’ where Harvey sings of the love and disappointment she feels for her country;’ … the country that I love / England / you leave a taste / a bitter one’. Interestingly the songs here don’t necessarily work so well in isolation but in the context of the album they make absolute sense. As such it’s difficult to pick highlights, but as a whole it’s a stunning piece of work and though I’ve probably played it through 20 times already it’s fully kept my attention from start to finish every time, and that’s a rare achievement. As I said at the beginning Harvey is full of surprises and she’s managed to pull another out of the bag; ‘Let England Shake’ is certainly her most accessible album and quite possibly her best yet. 9/10
Album Review: James Blake – s/t
Last modified on 2011-02-08 15:37:37 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
It seems at the ripe age of 21, Londoner James Blake can do no wrong recently, what with being placed on various polls for being the sound of 2011 and being tipped for big things by a number of well known DJ’s. 2011 sees the release of James’s first full length album. He’s been known for a while for being a dab hand on the old dubstep decks, and even though the album does take certain roots of the genre, this is something a little more special then just a few wob wob’s and dirty drops here and there. Opener ‘Unluck’ sets off the tone and pace of the album perfectly with a gorgeous peice of piano tinkling, paired off with his angelic like voice that will leave teen girls turning to goo in their seats. The only pro and/or con of the album is that to get the full effect of each song, you really have to play it louder than just ‘background music’. Especially in your car. There seems to be so much going on in the back of songs that if you decide to have this CD as background music, you don’t get the real melodies etc, and all you can hear is the slight tap of drum beats here and there. The best example of this would probably be the supposed second track ‘The Wilhelm Scream’. For me the stand out track has got to be ‘Limit To Your Love’, even though the whole album captures you into deep thought, LTYL really makes you realise just what this guy is capable of. Ambient? Yes, certainly. Chillout? Soo much more. Dubstep? Being a dubstep fan myself i’d say there’s room for some mean remixes due to the deep bass drops you’d find in tracks that Jakwob and Skream are capable of, but I wouldn’t say this is a dubstep album. It leaves a bitter sweet taste in your ears for further listens/dissecting.
Paula Longley
Out now on Atlas/A&M
Buy James Blake CDs from HMV
Single Review: What Would Jesus Drive – Fragile Mansions
Last modified on 2011-02-09 19:28:38 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
It was with joy that I opened my post this morning to find the latest offering from What Would Jesus Drive, quickly followed by increasing frustration as I struggled to free the CD from its plastic prison. The CD, you see, came in what appeared to be a sealed plastic case with a bizarre internal arm. It turned out after several minutes of scratching my head and kicking the cat, that when pressed the arm levered the CD out of an ultra thin opening in one side. With the CD now liberated and my stress levels dropping I settled down to enjoy ‘Fragile Mansions’, the third EP from the electro punk quartet. In a classic case of understanding their audience WWJD don’t fuck about, they deliver more of what we love them for; spiky electro pop punk with sassy lyrics and a shed load of attitude. Of the four tracks, title track ‘Fragile Mansions’ is as catchy and pogo inducing as it gets as they kick against authority; ‘if we can’t do what we want / we won’t do anything / these are happy days that we live in’ but it’s ‘Dirty Week’ that stands out for me. A bit edgier, the band come across as bunch of grumpy old sods as they rail against suburban life ‘It’s been a dirty old week and things don’t get much better’ spits Tim to stabbing guitars. Last track ‘Victory’ is a surprising but still pleasing slow and introspective track featuring just bass guitar and Amy showing us she actually has a rather fine voice. Splendid!
Mark Cousens
Out now on Eyeseesound
Album review: Jeff The Brotherhood – Heavy Days
Last modified on 2011-02-06 20:47:40 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Good old Stolen Recordings, whatever they put out you can always guarantee it’s going to be loud , and latest signing Jeff The Brotherhood keep the levels high with their debut long player ‘Heavy Days’. Made up of brothers Jake (guitars, vox) and Jamin Orrall (drums), Jeff The Brotherhood have been called everything from kraut punk to psychedelic garage, which shows perfectly just how varied and interesting their music is. As album opener, the titular ‘Heavy Days’, kicks off in a fairly standard post punk vein the last thing you would expect to hear is some Hawkwind style guitar noodling but there it is, right there at 1:42.’Heavy Days’ not only serves as the album opener but also sets out their stall pretty nicely; fast and loud punk tunes fused with classic rock guitars. In fact if there was one and I’d compare them too it would be latter day British punk heroes The Fades. But then, just when you think you have them pegged, they throw in some curve balls; The Tropics is a slower but not much softer ballad, ‘Bone Jam’ is a guitar pop gem featuring some great woo-ooo backing vocals whilst ‘Mind Ride’ for the most part sounds like a Talking Heads demo. I’d not heard of Jeff The Brotherhood before this dropped through my letterbox so Heavy Days has come as a very pleasant suprise indeed. Now where’s those earplugs? 8/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on Stolen Recordings
www.myspace.com/jakeandjamin
Album review: Cloud Nothings – s/t
Last modified on 2011-02-02 21:59:12 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Cloud Nothings is the alter ego of Dylan Baldi, a man barely out of his teens who already in the past year has released a full length album (Turning On) and a split EP with Kevin Greenspon. As his popularity has increased Baldi has been able to take his recordings from the basement of his parents’ house to a proper studio in Baltimore and on top of that he’s also been able to recruit a proper producer in Baltimore’s Chester Gwazda. The fruit of their labour is this, the self titled second full length album and it’s a cracker. Cloud Nothings is an energetic and fizzy burst of Weezer style pop power mixed with garage punk and some jangly guitars thrown in for good measure. Add to that some cool lo-fi production and a slacker attitude reminiscent of a young Lemonheads and the result is an effervescent, scuzzy but seriously catchy masterpiece. It doesn’t hang around either, with eleven tracks clocking in a just over 28 minutes, from the opening seconds of the album the pace is that of a runaway train and by the end of it I feel as exhausted as I would have trying to stop one! If I had to try and pick a highlight then it would probably be opener ‘Understand At All’ but it’s an almost impossible task, the whole is an absolute joy to listen to! 9/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on Wichita
Album review: Chapel Club – Palace
Last modified on 2011-02-01 12:59:14 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Formed in 2008 Chapel Club have spent the last couple of years building up a considerable fan base and garnering a fair amount of radio play on some of the UK’s biggest stations, including BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC 6Music, XFM and NME Radio. Planned first single Surfacing was even declared by the excitable Zane Lowe as the ‘hottest record in the world’ though it never actually got released due to copyright wrangles over the use of ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’ in the chorus. Now the London based five piece unleash their highly anticipated debut longplayer ‘Palace’.
The album kicks off with an unnecessary ‘intro’ before launching into the first proper song, the aforementioned ‘Surfacing’. What follows is an exquisite collection of dark, atmospheric, brooding electro pop songs that fall somewhere between how Editors would sound if they weren’t so serious and how White Lies would sound if their heads weren’t so far up their arses, with vocals supplied by Ian McCulloch. Highlights, other than the singles (which by the way were ALL named ‘hottest record in the world’ by Zane Lowe), include ‘Blind’ and ‘White Knight Position’ which is one if the faster tracks on the album. With a nice bassy drum sound complimenting the deep melodic vocals of Lewis Bowman, ‘Palace’ is a really good album but it could have so easily been a great album; Chapel Club are at their best in songs like ‘All The Eastern Girls’ when they let themselves go and the guitars soar, but I can’t help feeling that on too many of the tracks here they are too restrained, like the guitars and drums could explode in places but the production is holding them back. I bet they’re awesome live!7/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on Interscope
Album review: Tennis – Cape Dory
Last modified on 2011-01-26 20:32:49 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
A couple of years ago Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore bought a 30ft yacht and took a year out to sail the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. As luck would have it the pair had a strong background in music, Alaina a classically trained pianist and Patrick a member of several local bands, so on their return, feeling invigorated and inspired by their journey the pair took the stories from their voyage and turned them into songs. The result of this endeavour is ‘Cape Dory’. Heavily influenced by 60s pop, especially Phil Spector (is there anyone right now not influenced by Phil Spector?), Cape Dory is a wonderful collection of sweet and simple but beautifully executed pop songs. Alaina’s voice is sugary sweet but not sickly, reminiscent of Blondie in her early days singing songs like In The Flesh, and she’s backed by plenty of oo-oos and doo-waps. Musically it’s warmer and fuller than I’d imagine from a two piece band and features some splendid Hank Marvin style twangy guitar work. Fittingly for an album based around sea voyages, as well as the obvious 60s influences Cape Dory has a slightly tropical feel to it, most noticeable in ‘Marathon. The highlights here are plentiful so it’s hard to pick favourites but at push I’d choose ‘Marathon’ and ‘Cape Dory’, both are exquisite and it’s hard to imagine how they could be any better. Outstanding! 9/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on Fat Posum
Single review: Jonny – Candyfloss
Last modified on 2011-01-21 20:26:49 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
You know the phrase ‘match made in heaven’? Well I can’t think of a more suitable use for it than to describe the pairing of Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake and ex- Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci Euros Child. With a sixties feel to it ‘Candyfloss’, their debut release as Jonny, is a gorgeously dreamy helping of psychedelic indie pop, as sweet as the candyfloss it’s named after but unlike candyfloss you can have a much of you it as you like without it making you feel sick! As a first taste of their forthcoming album the pair couldn’t have chosen a better track, and listen out for the stop / start bit near the end which will be causing DJs grief for months to come!
Out now on Turnstile
Mark Cousens
Single review: Grouplove – Colours
Last modified on 2011-01-20 10:19:17 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Once upon a time, on a hazy evening in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi’s worlds collided. Before they knew it the pair were on their way to Crete where Hooper had been invited to attend an arts residency. While there the pair met fellow Americans Ryan Rubin and Andrew Wessen and English songwriter Sean Gadd. The whole gang got on like a house on fire and a year on from that balmy summer in Crete, Grouplove was born. Now you, you lucky, lucky people get to hear the result as Grouplove’s debut is unleashed on the world. Played with love and enthusiasm rather than technical expertise and with excitable and slightly shouty vocals reminiscent of early Jack White, ‘Colours’ (interestingly spelt the English way) is an absolute blast. It’s playful in the extreme and as the song builds and the band let themselves go It sounds like it was recorded live. It’s clear the band enjoyed making ‘Colours’ and it’s an equally joyful and uplifting experience for the listener. Learn the lyrics and sing along and it gets even better! I just hope no ad men get to hear it or I suspect it’ll end up as the soundtrack to a Barclaycard advert!
Mark Cousens
Out now on Chess Club
Single review: The Chanteuse & The Crippled Claw – Are You One?
Last modified on 2011-01-16 21:32:23 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
On hearing the name The Chanteuse & The Crippled Claw all sorts of images sprang into my head; femme fatales, smoky jazz clubs, cartoon villains and cabaret to name but a few. In reality the Chanteuse in question is Liverpool’s finest singer Candie Payne and the Crippled Claw on keyboards is Adrian Flanagan (aka Kings Have Long Arms). Together they’ve made a very appealing noirish electro pop track in the guise of ‘One Of Us’. It’s a fairly simple song but the atmosphere created by the dark keyboards combined with Payne’s stunning, sexy voice asking ‘are you one of us?’, which had me recalling classic British horror film The Wicker Man, is a sure fire winner. Flip side ‘Exit The Chanteuse’ is a very different story as it takes a stab at parody (I hope) of eighties electro. Payne forsakes the singing in favour of spoken word as she utters phrases like ‘that’s right it’s the shit’, ‘break it down’,’get your wibble wobble on, baby’ and even ‘wikki wikki’. I’m glad I heard it because otherwise I would never have believed it, but I never want to hear ‘Exit The Chanteuse’ again. Ever.
Mark Cousens
Out now on Arms Controller
Album review: The Singing Loins – Stuff
Last modified on 2011-01-22 12:17:48 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
With a name like The Singing Loins you’d be forgiven for thinking that they were a comedy music group in the vein of the Barron Knights. Fortunately you’d be wrong, though not as wrong as the Barron Knights! For those of you not familiar with The Singing Loins fromed in 1990 and play a mix of folk and pub rock, not dissimilar to the Levellers. Lyrically the songs are ‘local’ with references to the Medway Towns and surrounding areas liberally scattered across the album, sometimes subtly and sometimes, in the case of ‘Ascending Chatham Hill’ not! ‘Stuff’ is the ninth proper release for the band and though I’m not familiar with their entire back catalogue, is a little slower than I expected having seen them live, maybe they’re getting old!
That’s not to say it’s not a good album. From the full throttle punk folk of ‘Where’s My Machine Gun’, where Chris Broderick snarls and spits ‘Love thy neighbour/do us a favour/drop down dead/you graceless piece of shite’, to the ballad ‘Friendship For Once’ a beautifully played ballad with a dirty theme, there’s plenty to enjoy. Of the tracks here the twisted ‘Another Folk Song About Death’ is far and away the best but other highlights include the raucous ‘Ascending Chatham Hill’, the Medway version of ‘Route 66’, is brilliant and witty (but NOT comedy) and ‘Any Good Englishman’. Good stuff! 7/10
Mark Cousens
Out 24th January on Damaged Goods
Single Review: Standard Fare/One Happy Island – split 7″
Last modified on 2011-01-16 20:15:25 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Boston’s One Happy Island and Sheffield’s Standard Fare met one another during Standard Fare’s recent US tour, became good friends and as a result released this split 7″ featuring an original track from both bands plus a cover of one of each other’s songs. Standard Fare’s cover is a great sped up version of ‘Kudzu Girlfriend’ with guitars replacing the organs. New song ‘You Can Wait’ a typically jangly guitar track featuring Emma’s awkward vocals telling her boyfriend she needs to get away without him completes their side of the deal. Meanwhile on the flip side track one sees One Happy Island turn ‘Night With A Friend’ decidedly lo-fi with it’s bedroom recording feel. Their new song ‘China Fair’ is a brilliant ramshackle affair which features vocals from most, if not all of the band including some short but lovely three part harmonies backed by their trademark ukelele. This split 7″ is a splendid idea and very well executed. The thing that stands out is that the bands have taken each other’s songs and really made them their own – if you didn’t know half songs were covers you would never have guessed it!
Mark Cousens
Out now on Thee Sheffield Phonographic Company
Album Review: The Loves …Love You
Last modified on 2011-01-15 18:18:48 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
‘…Love You’ is the fourth album by ‘The Loves’ but shamefully my first proper taste of the band, and it’s full of flavour! Positively bursting with ideas, as each track starts you never know quite what you’re going to get and even halfway though you can’t be sure the song won’t take a sudden change in direction. The references liberally scattered across the album are wide ranging; listen closely and you can hear shades of the Monkees, The White Stripes, Little Richard, Led Zeppelin and Showaddywaddy to name but a few. However more than anyone else, The Loves sense of fun, inventiveness, and refusal to adhere to any pigeonholing brings to mind the B52s though not quite as camp. Of course an album with so many ideas couldn’t possibly get it right every time and for my money the weak link is ‘I Lost My Doll To Rock & Roll’ which isn’t a bad song in its own right, but amongst the high standard of the rest of the album feels a little flat. From the great selection of tracks here it’s difficult to pick out any in particular but ‘WTF? Or How I Realised I wasted My Life’, ‘That Boy Is Mine’ and ‘It’s… The End Of The World’ are probably my favourites. ‘It’s… The End Of The World’ is particularly poignant as it serves as a swan song for the Loves career which sadly draws to end next month as after 10 years of playing together the band have decided to call a day. If only I’d discovered them sooner! 9/10
Mark Cousens
Out Now on Fortuna Pop!
Album review: The Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde
Last modified on 2011-01-11 21:04:03 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Since they released their debut album to rave reviews back in 2009 the Smith Westerns have been going from strength to strength, building not only a significant fan base but huge levels of anticipation for this, their second album. And the anticipation is not without reason. From the minute album opener ‘Weekend’ bounced out of the speakers and filled the room with its gorgeous, catchy melodies and dreamy vocals my foot was tapping, my head bobbing and I was totally and utterly spellbound!
The Smith Westerns have clearly spent their summers raiding their parent’s record collections as the songs have a strong seventies feel to them. Both David Bowie and T-Rex play a part in shaping their sound, but there’s a bigger influence at play: John Lennon. At times you could almost be forgiven for thinking you’re listening to some long lost recordings from Lennon’s last sessions, especially in the vocals. That’s not to suggest the Smith Westerns are some kind of tribute act though, far from it. They’ve taken those influences and created an album of absolutely gorgeous, fresh, distinctive and brilliantly crafted pop songs out of them. Highlights include the singles ‘Weekend’ and ‘All Die Young’ and the wonderfully jangly ‘Dance Away’ but all ten songs are pure gold. I’m pretty sure my Beatles loving dad would like this, but then I can’t imagine anybody not liking it. What a great start to 2011! 9/10
Mark Cousens
Out January 18th on Fat Possum
Single review: Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Heart In Your Heartbreak
Last modified on 2010-12-26 12:51:53 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Heart In Your Heartbreak is the first taster from the bands second album, due in spring. Slightly less abrasive than the first album, both ‘Heart In Your Heartbreak’ and ‘The One’ have lost the fuzz and the feedback and the production is slightly slicker too; Kip’s vocals, which had a tendency to be drowned out on the first record, are brought more to the front. They have however retained the crunching guitars and most importantly the wide-eyed charm the lyrics; she was the heart in your heartbeak heartbreak, the miss in your mistake’ sings Kip and teenage boys in bedrooms all over the world know exactly where he’s coming from. Both songs feature gorgeous melodies that pull you in from the off, if the album lives up to the promise this early taster suggests it’s going to be a cracker! 8/10
Single review: The Book Club – The Fantastical Misadventures Of Mr K
Last modified on 2010-12-19 12:14:20 GMT. 5 comments. Top.
‘The Fantastical Misadventures Of Mr K’ is the second release from Sheffield’s The Book Club. Consisting three brothers and their cousin, he first thing that struck me when I heard the four tracks is how they sound like a low rent Arctic Monkeys. The four tracks are all enjoyable enough indie rockers, they have some have punch to them, they have some nice hooks and the singer has a reasonable voice, but the songs are instantly forgettable. The press release draws comparison with Billy Bragg on the song writing front which frankly is so wide off the mark that it’s embarrassing. I’m sure that if I saw them live in a Sheffield boozer they’d provide a cracking night’s entertainment but given an option of buying this or an Arctic Monkey’s album I’d go for the Arctic Monkeys every time, and I don’t really like the Monkey’s that much. At this early stage of their career I think I’d take the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and come up with something more exciting and original. 5/10
Mark Cousens
Out now
http://www.myspace.com/thebookclubofficial
Single review: Singing Adams – I Need Your Mind/Amateur Reactions
Last modified on 2010-12-15 19:20:57 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Less than a year since The Broken Family Band split having decided the band had run their course, front man Steven Adams is back with a new band and a new sound. On the basis of this, Singing Adams first release, he has forsaken the fragile and slightly quirky folk for a much fuller warmer and generally poppier sound. While I was quite a fan of the Broken Family Band for me this is a great improvement. He hasn’t forgotten how to write a great song though; I could give you something to think about/if you could give me something to put in mouth sings Adams on the percussion led ‘I Need Your Mind’. The radio 2 friendly flip side ‘Amateur Reactions’ is really cool and laid back, it sounds how I would imagine The National would sound if they had been around in the eighties. I Need Your Mind/Amateur Reactions is a really strong debut, can’t wait to hear the album! 8/10
Mark Cousens
Album review: Milky Wimpshake – My Funny Social Crime
Last modified on 2010-12-15 10:13:39 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
You gotta love Milky Wimpshake! As soon as I press play and ‘Alice Nebula’ kicks in with its bouncy, jangly guitars and ‘ba–ba-ba-ba–ba-ba–ba-ba’ chorus it brings a huge grin to my face. Pete may not have the best singing voice in the world but as he says in ‘Broken Again’ ‘I’m not a guy to give up trying’, but those jangly guitars win enough brownie points to pretty much forgive anything. And besides lyrically it’s far more accomplished than most bands can muster. Though frequently funny this isn’t a comedy album by any stretch, the songs are wry, witty observations about life and all its trials and tribulations. Pete’s failure in love does feature quite heavily, but there’s also like ‘Itchy Feet On A Tuesday Night’ about working for the man ‘they take my hours and they take my days/in exchange for the bare minimum wage’ and ‘Alice Nebula’ which seems to consist of totally unrelated couplets that are only there because they rhyme. My favourite track is the super jangly ‘Cherry Pop’ but I should point out that Milky Wimpshake are not a one trick pony when it comes to the music. No, they have a whole field of ponies (thank you Stuart Baggs); the aforementioned ‘Itchy Feet’ has a killer bass line, ‘Changing Shape’ is a violin led ballad while ‘Lorraine’ even features a glockenspiel. ‘My Funny Social Crime’ is one of those understated albums that sneaks up on you; you don’t expect much from it but as soon as you hit play it wraps it’s arms around you in a big bear hug and won’t let go! A very satisfying listen indeed. 8/10
Mark Cousens
Single review: The Just Joans – Seasons Greet EP
Last modified on 2010-12-14 22:17:08 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Here to prove that Christmas records don’t have to be cheesy or plain bloody awful, melancholic scots The Just Joans have released their four track EP ‘Seasons Greet’. As always with the Just Joans the superbly written, wry lyrics are the star of the show and they’re delivered in broad scots accents by Katie and David. First up is Katie singing ‘Teardrops ‘Neath Mistletoe’ about a girl who finds out her boyfriend’s been cheating on her and having to face Christmas on her own; the sky is full of snowflakes/my eyes are full of tears. Next is a similar tale of woe, this time from David who realises his girl no longer loves him when he receives her Christmas card; ‘you card came from a multipack/the kind of card that you give to stranger/you card came from a multipack/you only signed your name’ and as he repeats that last line I can’t help but feel a lump forming in my throat! Third track ‘Significant Other’ is equally sad as David begs the object of his affections ‘why can’t I be your significant other’. To finish off Katie treats us to a slowed down and stripped back rendition of Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ that’s so emotionally wrenching it makes the original sound like a feel good summer hit. I absolutely love this but it’s not one for the christmas party. Someone pass me a tissue! 9/10
Album review: Y Niwl – s/t
Last modified on 2010-12-08 20:45:42 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
For someone who doesn’t particularly dig instrumental music, having two intrumental CDs to review in the space of a week could be considered unlucky. Fortunately the first, by Talons, turned out to be pretty good, but can I be lucky twice in a row?
Y Niwl (pronounced ‘Uh Nule’) are a surf rock band hailing from Wales. An odd choice of muscial genre for a band who live nowhere near the sea and in a climate more suited to penguins? Maybe, but it’s what the four members grew up listening to, and besides if you’re a surf rock band you don’t need to write lyrics. Lazy bastards.
Influenced by the likes of Dick Dale, Joe Meek and The Shadows and Little Richard, Y Niwl play a concoction of surf and garage rock and with a bit of punk attitude thrown in. Their ten track self-titled debut features song titles that are all numbers in Welsh, though I’m reliably informed they don’t actually run in numerical order. Being a surf rock album it’s all about the riffs and ‘Y Niwl’ is loaded with some absolute crackers, especially on ‘Wyth’ and ‘Undegpump’ which are my favourite tracks. However to show they’re not a one trick pony not all the songs are surf influenced; ‘Deg’ for instance, with its excellent Hammond organs, could easily be the soundtrack for a sixties film like ‘Blow Up’, while closing track ‘Undegtri’ is a much more restrained affair that conjures up images of autumn leaves rather than white horses.
I really like all the ten tracks that make up ‘Y Niwl’ so I’m reluctant to criticise it, but I found my mind wandering off at around track 6. At just under 30 minutes it is quite a short album and its brevity certainly works in its favour, but I think you’d get a lot more out of it listening to it in two halves. 7/10
Mark Cousens
EP Review: Goodluck Jonathan – This Is Our Way Out
Last modified on 2010-12-08 18:27:23 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Brighton five piece Goodluck Jonathan (presumably named after the Nigerian President) are not a band to hang around. September saw the release of their first in a trio of EPs ‘Broken Heart’. Now, before the drums from that four track masterpiece have even finished ringing in my ears comes second EP ‘This Is Our Way Out’. Continuing from where they left off, the four tracks here see Nick Brookes’ emotional and melodic vocals (think along the lines of the Maccabees) blended with explosive drums and awesome guitar riffs in a brave and unusual but ultimately satisfying combination of indie and post rock. Lyrically they pay as much care and attention to the songs as they do musically; as Nick Brookes sings ‘my hearts getting faster with every beat/I think it my explode/I don’t want to die alone’ (‘Fatman’) you can almost feel his pain. The lead song, ‘Backs To The Wall’ with its great hooks and sing-along chorus, is probably the best song on the EP but it’s a close call. 8/10
Mark Cousens
Album review: Talons – Hollow Realm
Last modified on 2010-12-03 22:44:32 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Hereford is not exactly known as fertile breeding ground for British bands, the only successful band to come out of Herefordshire’s county town so far is Mott The Hoople, though to be fair Mott The Hoople are very famous. However this may all be about to change as local six piece Talons ready themselves to release their debut long player ‘Hollow Realm’. With radio play and support from Huw Stephens and features in Q Magazine and Rock Sound, it’s fair to say hopes are riding high that Talons will make it down the road to success, though it’s going to be a tough journey. Talons, you see, are lacking something pretty significant in their setup – a vocalist!
Now I don’t usually go much on instrumentals, the occasional track is ok (I remember the Pogues had a couple of crackers) but a whole album? To be honest it wouldn’t normally have made it into my CD player, but in this instance I was in a rush to leave the house, so when I grabbed the CD to play in the car I left the press release behind and had no idea the band were instrumentalists. However as the album started and ‘St Mary Will Be The Death Of Us All’ snaked its way out of the speakers to be met with an explosion of drums the first thing that struck me was the enormity of the sound – it’s huge. Though they could be described as post rock the multilayered tracks also have large slices of hard rock (think Metallica) and progressive rock (where’s me cape?). Musically these guys are outstanding and as delicate strings sit side by side with pounding drums and crazy guitar riffs, the sound effortlessly fills the room and draws you in. Across the eight tracks the music rises and falls, accelerates and slows and gets very fucking loud indeed. There’s so much going on here that I can honestly say I didn’t even notice the lack of vocals until the fourth song, and by then it didn’t matter – I was hooked! 8/10
Mark Cousens
Single review: Lupen Crook – Dorothy Deserves (Howie B Alternative Version)
Last modified on 2010-12-04 12:47:54 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
‘Dorothy Deserves’ is the latest track from Lupen Crook to be lifted from their critically acclaimed album ‘The Pros And Cons Of Eating Out’. Apparently a special ‘Howie B alternative version’, I listened to both this and the album version and to be honest I couldn’t tell the difference. So having too much time on my hands I cued both versions up togehter and listened to them at the same time and I still couldn’t tell the difference! If it were me I think I’d be asking Mr B for my money back. Nonetheless ‘Dorothy Deserves’, which tells the tale of a sexually charged woman capable of inciting obsession in those who cross her path, is a great raggle taggle punk folk song full of musical twists and turns. It’s backed by three previously unreleased tracks the first of which is ‘Statement of Dyscontent,’ a 15 second (!) anti-establishment rant that’s been sped up to the point you can’t make out what he’s saying. ‘Kid On Fire’ is fairly pedestrian guitar pop with shades of Madness in their twilight years, while ‘Teddy Fucker’ with its repetive basslines and dark and obscure lyrics (‘doing the donkey’?) is probably my favourite track. As a double A side of ‘Dorothy Deserves’ and ‘Teddy Fucker’ it would have scored a good 8/10 but as an EP it’ll have to make do with 7/10!
Mark Cousens
Single review: Wayter – Cheese Sandwich
Last modified on 2010-12-02 16:25:29 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Formed in 2007, London based Wayter are something of a multinational band, with members coming from Argentina, Devon, Spain and Berkshire. ‘Cheese Sandwich’ the bands second release, following EP Marco Polo, is the first sample of their debut album due for release next year. But is it tasty?
‘Cheese Sandwich’ follows the standard quite/loud structure but has quite an awkward rhythm. In the louder moments it’s quite a lively affair with a cool bassline and vocals that remind me of Julian Casablancas circa ‘Juicebox’. It’s not a bad track but that awkward rhythm keeps you guessing as to where the songs heading and pretty much saves it from the box marked ‘average’. The good news is ‘Cheese Sandwich’ is being released as a free download from the band’s website, but as an advert for the album it leaves me needing to hear more before I’d willingly part with my hard earned tenner. 6/10
Mark Cousens
Out 6th December on Naked Tree Recordings, available here
Single review: Crystal Castles ft Robert Smith – Not In Love
Last modified on 2010-11-30 16:12:21 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
I’ve never been a huge fan of dance music but there’s something about Crystal Castles that really gets to me. I don’t know if it’s the punk DIY ethic they bring to their music, the menace that Alice portrays, the sparse beats or the distant icy production but whatever it is I could listen to their cold electronic dance music ‘til the cows come home. Add the godfather of doom, The Cure’s Robert Smith (in fine voice I’m happy to report) to the mix and this couldn’t possibly fail. In fact the splendid ‘Not In Love’ shows the pairing of Crystal Castles and Robert Smith to be such an obvious match that it leaves you wondering why on earth no one thought of it before. The B-sides are apparently acoustic demos of ‘Celestica’ and ‘Suffocation’ but sadly these aren’t included on the promo so I couldn’t comment, but I should imagine acoustic versions of anything the ‘Castles have done would be at the very least interesting! 9/10
Mark Cousens
Out 6th December on Fiction
Linkage
www.myspace.com/crystalcastles
www.myspace.com/thecure
Single review: The Loves – December Boy/Bubblegum
Last modified on 2010-11-30 11:33:54 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
It’s Christmas! And it’s 1963! Well not quite, but listening to ‘December Boy’ one half of the latest 45 from The Loves you could be forgiven for thinking it was. In ‘December Boy’ The Loves, clearly in love with the sixties, have created an authentic and most enjoyable slice of sixties girl band pop that could easily have been lifted from Spector’s ‘A Christmas Gift For You’ album. The only thing missing is the sound of bells, though on first listen I could have sworn there were some! Flip side, the rockier ‘Bubblegum’ sees Simon taking vocal duties. In its rhythm and girl backing vocals you can still feel a clear sixties influence but it also has a cool guitar riff that reminds me of The B52s ‘Rock Lobster’. I have an image in my mind of the band recording this decked out in black berets and little round dark glasses, cool cats indeed! 8/10
Mark Cousens
Out 6th December on Fortuna POP!
EP review: The Understudies – Wanting Vs Getting
Last modified on 2010-11-29 21:02:30 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
In an Indie world where lo-fi is the order of the day, it’s nice to occasionally hear something a bit less scuzzy and a little more polished. Fortunately The Understudies are here to fulfil that need with their beautifully crafted indiepop. The quartet, who hail from London and Glasgow, count two singers, a boy (Brian) and a girl (Bree) in their midst and employ a variety of instruments, including a glockenspiel, violin and tambourine. Using everything at their disposal to magnificent effect, they have produced a full rich sound that sits somewhere between the Beautiful South and the Tindersticks. On ‘Wanting Vs Getting’, the bands third proper release, the vocal duties are split across the four tracks with Bree taking lead on ‘Signals Passed At Danger’ and Brian taking lead on the others. All four tracks are gorgeous, and like having four children that you can’t choose between because you have to pretend to love them all equally, you know deep down you have a favourite and in this instance mine has to be ‘My Life Is Not A French Film’ if only for the title! Beautifully packaged too! 9/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on Oddbox records
Album review: Cold In Berlin – Give Me Walls
Last modified on 2010-12-30 16:49:03 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Formed in 2008 by My(vocals), Adam(guitar), Alex(bass) and Bozley(drums), Cold In Berlin have spent the last couple of years touring the UK, building up a fanbase and and generally scaring the living daylights out of people with their brand of apocalyptic and nihilistic punk. Two years on and they are on the eve of their debut release. For most bands this would mean a limited edition single or maybe even an EP. Cold In Berlin however have gone straight for the long player, and so a couple of days ago ‘Give Me Walls’ landed on my doormat.
More a psychological assault than an album, ‘Give Me Walls’ contains ten tracks filled with intense vocals, repetitive drum beats and distorted guitars. As singer My spits and screams her expletive filled lyrics her voice sounds like a blend of the strong, uncompromising female artists she no doubt lists as her influences; Siouxsie Sioux is the most obvious but PJ Harvey, Hazel O’Connor, Lydia Lunch and especially Amanda Palmer are also in evidence. Musically it’s loud, abrasive and loaded with energy; each of the ten tracks here are driven by the frankly awesome, pounding drums ably assisted by the crunching guitar. It’s amazing how much noise four people can generate; I’ve heard Cold In Berlin being compared to grunge giants Mudhoney, and while that doesn’t particularly come across on record It’s not difficult to imagine that when they’re played live these songs could be a serious assault on the ears! As for the lyrics, well ‘White Horses’ sums up ‘Give Me Walls’ quite nicely; ‘There is no white horse/you’re a stupid little fucker if you thought there was’ sings My and I feel totally put in my place.
For a debut record ‘Give Me Walls’ is quite an astonishing achievement. Though the band’s sound may be influenced by the punk/new wave/no wave bands of the late seventies and early eighties it sounds remarkably fresh and relevant and I haven’t stopped playing since I got it. Superb!9/10
Mark Cousens
Out 29th November
Gig Review: Los Salvadores, The Chambers, Folkestone. 25/11/10
Last modified on 2010-11-26 16:18:19 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Thanks to Operation Stack and a quick detour to Googies, Folkestone’s splendid arts cafe, we’re running a little late. By the time we rock up to The Chambers, support act Didi Bergman is coming towards the end of her set, which is a shame because from what we do catch of her acoustic folk she sounds pretty good, she has a nice voice and certainly the audience seemed to like her.
Anyhow after a brief wait and a very expensive beer Los Salvadores take to the stage. The last time I was at Chambers the band were situated right at the back of the building almost hidden behind some arches. Tonight the location is a little better as the stage has been set up in front of the back bar. However the tables, which are all taken, haven’t been put away and create a bit of a barrier between band and audience, as well as taken up floor space in a quite small and busy room. Los Salvadores have been through some personnel changes since I last saw them a couple of years ago, I think only founding members Gareth and Marf were in the band back then, but their folk sound remains fairly unchanged. Or does it…?
My memories of my previous Los Salvadores gig maybe a little hazy thanks to time and alcohol, but when I told my friends about the upcoming gig I described them as sounding like the Levellers, which I’m pretty sure they did! Tonight, though we all agreed they are playing folk, the origin of the folk is a point of discussion. As well as the obvious English and Celtic influences, some of the songs have an east European slant (but I absolutely WILL NOT mention Gogol Bordello), while others sound like they have a South American flavour. Either way all of Los Salvadores are exceptionally skilled musicians and they play a tight and pleasingly loud and passionate set (main vocalist Gareth is so passionate in fact that he spends the entire gig singing with his eyes shut!), certainly the pissed crusty dancing down the front is enjoying it! The three singers do a cracking job, all three have great folk voices, especially new member Vicki, and the harmonies work really well. Of the instruments on stage it’s not often you see a French horn but the oddest is the ‘drum’. It’s the size of a large suitcase and looks like a wooden box with either a mic or some pickups inside and it’s played by sitting on it and slapping it between your legs – that can’t be easy! Sadly time flies by way too quickly tonight and in just under an hour the band are done. Unfortunately due to the location of the stage it’s impossible for band to leave and then return for a triumphant encore, but an eager crowd demand more so they awkwardly fake packing up and then launch into a lively rendition of live favourite ‘The Drinking Song’. And then they really are done. Los Salvadores were superb tonight, I could happily have listened to another hour, but the gig is over and even worse the bar is shut!
Mark Cousens
Single review: Needs Must – Thankyou For Choosing Us/Shrapnel Queen
Last modified on 2010-11-25 14:15:10 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Medway’s Needs Must were formed in 2007 by Patrick Minhard (vocal & guitar) and Brendan Esmonde (bass). After a couple of years gigging and building up a fanbase the band have finally released their debut single, the double A sided ‘Thankyou For Choosing Us’/'Sharpanel Queen’. Needs Must play a vibrant blend of punk and indie with the emphasis on indie. Lyrically wry and politically charged, ‘Thankyou For Choosing Us’ rallies against capitalism;‘The import rates are getting higher, All sold out to the biggest buyer, The fast food chains are getting fatter, Leaves our metabolism in a tatter’ sings vocalist Patrick in his gravelly Paul Weller-esque voice as guitars and drums explode around him. It’s a pretty good song, but I much prefer the excellent flipside ‘Shrapnel Queen’, musically a more interesting and lively affair. With a guitar riff borrowed from Oasis’ ‘The Importance of Being Idle’ and a lyrical reference to ‘Town Called Malice’ it’s not difficult to see where Needs Must’s influences are but there’s enough of their own personality stamped on this record to dissuade any accusations of being a pale imitation of those they admire. A promising start! 8/10
Mark Cousens
http://www.myspace.com/needsmustuk
Album review: Abby Gogo – s/t
Last modified on 2010-11-24 19:58:32 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
I’ve heard Abby Gogo described as shoegaze, garage and psychedelic but I’m not sure any of those sub-genres on their own accurately describe the band, so best we have a listen to the album and see what comes out…
Of the eight tracks on this self-titled debut (at least I think it’s their debut) album opener ‘Louder Than Dreams’ is the weakest; it’s a fairly run of the mill indie guitar number which failed to inspire me and probably wouldn’t have been my choice as an introductory track. Things continue in the same vein with ‘The Lost Song’ sounding a little Oasis-ish, which would normally be enough to have me running for the hills but I was digging either Bon or Jon’s vocal so decided to give them one last shot with ‘Torpedo’. What a good move that turned out to be! Starting slowly for the first minute or so with just guitar, vocals and the occasional drum beat, the track explodes and proceeds to follows a quiet/loud format which sounds great. From there on in the album maintains the momentum with a great selection of tracks, the highlights being ‘Feelin’ Slow’ with its excellent vocal melody, ‘Guitar #0’ and ‘Sweet Sweet’ which I’ll come back to.
As for genres? Certainly they’re guitar orientated rock but there’s not the wall of distortion you would normally associate with shoegaze. Psychedelic is closer, there’s a stoner quality in the drawn, slouching vocals but the music doesn’t really have that psychedelic vibe. As for garage, well I think the production is a little too polished to really call them a garage band. However in the closing track the band manage to combine all those genres and more as distorted guitars, swirling psychedelic effects, a solid drum beat and those slouching but melodious vocals come together in perfect synergy to create a massive wall of sound, the awesome ‘Sweet Sweet’ which I absolutely love. Not a great start but a perfect ending! 7/10
Mark Cousens
Out 29th November on Phantom Records
Single review: The Vaccines – Wreckin’ Bar/Blow It Up
Last modified on 2010-11-23 18:41:34 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
There’s nothing in this world I like more than hearing a song that sets my heart racing. It’s a rare but fantastic buzz, but not only does it not happen very often, the majority of times by the third listen the excitement has gone. Three weeks ago I was relaxing on the sofa watching Jools Holland when a new London foursome called The Vaccines came on and played ‘Wreckin Bar’ and my heart almost burst through my chest with excitement! Three weeks on I’ve played the song more times than I can add up to and my heart is STILL pumping every time I hear it. ‘Wreckin Bar’ is a faultless 85 seconds of pure adrenalin rush, best played loud, that ends as quickly as it starts. Lyrically it’s more concerned with the rhythm of the vocals than being deep and meaningful; ‘pretty girl/wreckin’ bar/ra ra ra ra/yeah you are’, but so what, this is rock & roll at its finest! And as if that wasn’t enough the flip of this AA single is the slightly slower (and longer) but almost as good ‘Blow It Up’. A serious contender for single of the year. 10/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on Marshall Teller Records
Album Review: The Blanche Hudson Weekend – Reverence, Severance & Spite
Last modified on 2010-11-24 20:05:34 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Rising from the ashes of the celebrated noisepop outfit The Manhattan Love Suicides, The Blanche Hudson Weekend were formed in 2009 by ex-Suicides Caroline and Darren. Already in that short time the band, named after Joan Crawford’s character in Robert Aldrich’s splendid ‘Whatever Happened To Baby Jane’, have released three EPs. ‘Reverence, Severance and Spite’ is a collection of tracks taken from those EPs (though not in chronological order) plus a couple of demos and a handful of new songs.
I saw The Blanche Hudson Weekend play their powerful mix of garage rock and jangly guitar pop layered with distortion and echo filters a couple of months ago at a launch for their EP. The gig was superb but having not heard them before I wondered if they’d be able to catch the essense of their stage show on record. Listening to ‘Reverence, Severance and Spite’ I’m pleased to report that yes, they could!
It starts slowly with the dreamy (well, I say dreamy but it’s more of a Lynchian nightmare) ‘Drifting’ featuring only organs and Caroline’s voice. As ‘Dreaming’ finishes ‘Noise and Fury’ explodes into your ears, an excellent homage to the Jesus & Mary Chain with its familiar de-de-der-de-de-de-der chorus. Elsewhere the album varies from girl band garage rock to full on shoegaze distortion, but always underpinned by a solid drum beat. My favourite tracks on the album are the ultra cool ‘Fever Van’ and ‘Let Me Go’. Featuring jangly guitars and Caroline adding a coating of sugar to her vocals it’s probably the closest the band get to being poppy, but still feels a little menacing, a bit like The Primitives’ Tracey Tracey stealing your lunch money in the playground.
‘Reverence, Severance & Spite’ is an excellent album crammed full of great songs. If I had one issue it would be that it’s quite long, with 17 tracks coming in at just over an hour, but there’s no filler here so I to be fair I’m not sure how they’d be able to cut it down! 8/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on Squirrel Records
www.squirrelrecords.co.uk/the-blanche-hudson-weekend
Album review: Oh Dreamland – Who Cares?
Last modified on 2010-11-22 19:09:57 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Oh Dreamland is the brainchild of film maker Tim Berry. Originally Berry performed around Bournemouth as a solo acoustic folk act, but wanting to bring a fuller sound to his songs, recruited local musician Martin Bassett and together they started performing under the Oh Dreamland moniker. The name is a nod from Lindsay Anderson’s black & white short ‘O Dreamland’, about Margate’s amusement park and ‘Who Cares’ the debut album from Oh Dreamland is every bit as bleak as the film. The album is a collection of mini kitchen sink dramas, each a reflection of modern society, with Berry bringing characters and their miserable existence to life in his well crafted, acerbic lyrics.
The album kicks off with my favourite song ‘Regretful Soldier’, a song about a soldier at war when he should be at home with his family (‘I couldn’t think of a thing more humiliating than dying for someone’s mistakes/ Please don’t let my family grow old without me’). Continuing with tales including a teenage shop girl doing a thankless job for no money, a woman falling for a string of bastards and a tragic case of mistaken identity by a baying mob leading to a murder, the light at the end of this particular tunnel really is that of an oncoming train. There is a brief letup however; ‘The Confessional’ is a dry, witty song about a guy watching a female singer on stage who is preoccupied with sex, ‘…and what you would confess would be anyone’s guess/ but I stare at your breasts as you sing about love and rejection’.
There is no denying that ‘Who Cares’ is relentlessly depressing, and Berry’s vocal, which is remarkably similar to David Bowie circa 1967, and the sparse folk accompaniment don’t exactly help lighten the atmosphere but I really love this album. Trust me, give it a go; just make sure your not feeling too down when you do! 9/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on Kitchen Sink
Gig review: Bellowhead, Shepherd’s Bush Empire. 20/11/10
Last modified on 2010-11-21 20:20:11 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Currently on ‘The Hedonism Tour’ across the UK to promote their third album, tonight Bellowhead are playing their only London date at a sold out Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Due to an earlier detour to catch a few bands (The Chasms: loud, Spiderlegs: very good, Hazel Winter: Pam Ayres meets John Cooper-Clarke) at Notting Hill Arts Club we get to the Empire a little later than planned and arrive to find Matthew and the Atlas on stage. I don’t know a lot about these guys but I saw them perform four songs tonight, two of which sounded ok but two of which sounded remarkably dull for a folk band. The thing that really stood out was how seriously they seemed to take themselves, especially the po-faced singer who didn’t seem to be enjoying himself at all.
A short break and a quick trip to the bar later and it’s time for the main event. As Bellowhead take to the stage they’re greeted with rapturous applause from a very mixed crowd. For most gigs I go to the majority of the audience is made up from 18-25 year olds, and while that demographic is well represented tonight, it’s the 30 somethings and up that make up the majority of the crowd.
Bellowhead are probably the country’s most successful English folk rock band and though the band are a collective who all play their part, it’s quickly clear that at the centre of their appeal is singer and fiddle player John Boden. Boden is a born entertainer and has a presence that makes him a natural frontman for the band. Watching him on stage, as well as playing and singing, he seems to have another role; conductor. With a staggering 11 members it’s quite stunning how tight they are, and it’s Boden’s subtle directions; a nod here, a hand signal there, that keep it all together. In fact I would imagine the whole show, from the lighting right down to the angles the fiddles are held, is meticulously choreographed.
As they play through the album I become aware that I have a stupid grin plastered all over my face and as I look around the audience I’m pleased to find I’m not alone! Not only that but during a lively rendition of ‘New York Girls’ I even find myself clapping along, and as anyone who knows me will tell you, I never do that! ‘Hedonism’ is a stunning collection of songs and as the disco ball spins above our heads scattering light in every direction, every one of them gets the audience, including those on the balcony, bouncing up down and singing along. After an incredibly quick hour or so that included a fantastic cover of Jacques Brel’s ‘Amsterdam’, the band bid farewell and leave the stage. Fortunately the crowd’s cheering, clapping and foot stomping guarantee a speedy return and for their encore the band launch into a long time crowd favourite ‘London Town’. They leave/return once more for a storming Frogs Legs & Dragon’s Teeth and the show comes to an end. As the lights come up and the doors open, 2000 extremely happy people leave the Empire, united in the feeling they’ve been part of one of the best gigs Shepherd’s Bush has seen in a very long time. It’s been a truly magnificent night and I can honestly say the most fun I’ve had a at gig in a long time, ‘The Hedonism Tour’ could not have been a more apt title!
Mark Cousens
Single review: Limozine – Siamese Twins
Last modified on 2010-11-19 19:31:15 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
It’s not often that I find myself shocked these days. Having grown up on a diet of video nasties I’ve seen and heard most things. And though I’ve heard many tales of the virtues of threesomes involving two women, including mother and daughter and twin sister scenarios, I can honestly say that I have never heard anyone sing about the joys of making love to two sisters that are conjoined! So when I heard ‘Siamese Twins’, the latest single from Limozine, my jaw practically hit the floor. It’s not the most cerebral of songs: ‘I tell you I can’t lose/I can only win/I met her at the circus/she’s a Siamese twin’ and it’s not the best song Limozine have in teir arsenal, but after the initial shock it brought a smile to my face and the whiskey sodden blend of Motorhead and The Cramps had my head nodding furiously so that’s a win in my book! 7/10
EP Review: Guards – s/t
Last modified on 2010-12-05 19:07:25 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Guards is predominantly the solo project of Richie Follins, ex Willowz. It’s not all his own work as he has enlisted a few friends to help out here and there; Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek, MGMT’s James Richardson and Richie’s sister Madeleine from CULTS all lend a hand. This EP is Guards first release, already available for free (nutter!) on Bandcamp, the EP is also being released as a limited 12” on Heavyweight vinyl by small Welsh label 3 Syllables.
Guards sound is basically a forlorn, 60s tinged take on the dream pop of Best Coast played without restraint; it’s both musically and vocally heavier but never deserts it’s pop sensiblites. Consisting of 7 tracks the EP kicks off with the catchy ‘Resolution Of One’ which is probably the most accessible track here. It has a laid back verse but as the chorus comes in it the vocals and instruments ramp up into an exhilarating crescendo. This isn’t the usual quiet/loud favoured by the Pixies though, it’s much more subtle. The splendid ‘Trophy Queen’ features backing vocals (mainly oo-oos) from Polachek while ‘Sail It Slow’ which features Cults, has a darker edge to the music; the keyboards sound like a John Carpenter composition, but it’s a little repetitive. My favourite track though is ‘Don’t Wake The Dead’ which is played fast and has an echoey, distant feel to it that makes it sound like it’s being performed in a room down the hall, odd I know, but it works! I really like this, and it’s not often you get an an EP with 7 tracks – bargain! 8/10
Mark Cousens
Links
www.guards.bandcamp.com
www.3syllablesrecords.com
Single review: Vietwow! – If You Ever Leave/Hole In The Head
Last modified on 2010-11-20 00:58:23 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Vietwow! are what you would class a supergroup, consisting as they do of ex-members of Meet Me In St. Louis, Blakfish and Super Tennis as well as current members of Youves. Taking the DIY ethic to the extreme, my first thought on hearing ‘’If You Ever Leave Me’ was that the band were using homemade instruments, and having read the press release I wasn’t far out. Playing a toy drum kit and pretty much anything else they could get their hands on, and with plenty of bang and clatter, if I had to describe Vietwow! in one word it would be ‘cacophony’! That doesn’t mean it’s no good though, on the contrary, ‘If You Ever Leave Me Then I’ll Fucking Kill You’ is actually really good, there is a tune hidden in there and the lyrics, well you get the idea from the title! The flip side, ‘Hole In The Head’ is slightly more polished, only slightly mind, it’s still rough around the edges and just as much fun. 7/10
Mark Cousens
Out 22nd November
http://www.myspace.com/vietwow
Single review: Blitzen Trapper – The Tree
Last modified on 2010-11-17 20:33:19 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
When Blitzen Trapper, a sextet from Portland, Oregon released their fifth album back in June it created quite a stir and received critical acclaim from practically every music magazine on the planet. Keeping up the momentum the band are just about to release the first single from the album, ‘The Tree’. A stunningly beautiful 3 ½ minutes of mellow folk pop, it’s a mix of Bob Dylan, and Simon and Garfunkel that features a duet between Eric Earley and guest vocalist, folk singer Alela Diane. Lyrically ‘The Tree’ is pretty much nonsense; ‘and my father I can see/is further up upon the tree/ and his beard is made of bees/dancing wildly in the leaves’ but that didn’t stop me from singing along to it! Daft lyrics aside, ‘The Tree’ is absolutely stunning and a great taster for the album. 8/10
Mark Cousens
Out 22nd November on Sub Pop
www.myspace.com/blitzentrapper
Single review: Field Music – Measure
Last modified on 2010-11-16 21:55:08 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Formed in 2004 by brothers David and Peter Brewis, Sunderland’s Field Music are one of those bands that continually get critical praise heaped on them (and rightly so) but have never made an impact on the British public, who are apparently far too preoccupied voting for talentless idiots on X-Factor to listen to something worthwhile. Ahem, rant over! ‘Measure’ is the third and final single to be lifted from Field Music’s critically acclaimed double album ‘Field Music (Measure)’. Field Music are exceptionally gifted multi instrumentalists which always makes their songs interesting, and in this instance piano is the most prominent, though personally I’m a sucker for Peter Brewis’ drums. An interesting and enchanting slice of chamber pop, ‘Measure’ sounds how I would imagine Pink Floyd might if they were backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, though I swear there’s a bit of the theme tune for ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ in there too. Very good indeed. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 22nd November on Memphis Industries
Album review: Kisses – Heart Of The Nightlife
Last modified on 2010-11-12 14:44:10 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Kissses are Jesse Kivel on guitar and vocals and Zinzi Edmundson on keyboards and backing vocals. Though predominantly synth based, the addition of Kivel’s guitar gives their music a feel of ageless disco, the sort you might find in a Spanish nightclub with glitter balls and multicoloured disco lights. So what on earth is it doing here on Punk Rock Ist Nicht Tot I hear you ask? Well, I’ll tell you!
Juxtaposed with the sunny disco backdrop are the vocals of Jesse Kivel. Jesse sings in a decidedly downbeat melancholic fashion; think Droopy the cartoon dog doing an impersonation of David Byrne and you’d be in the right area. Add to that a general air of New York cool and Kisses are lifted out of cheesy disco territory into something infinitely more interesting.
Lyrically ‘Heart Of The Nightlife’ is quite playful as it sways from the irony free ‘so keep your heart strong and live long/and give kisses when you can’ of ‘Kisses’ to ‘Midnight Love’ where Jesse croons ‘I want to take you for a steak dinner‘, which in more innocent times would have meant just that, but in 2010 is loaded with sexual connotation that we won’t go into here as there might be children reading! The stand out tracks are the aforementioned ‘Midnight Love’ and ‘A Weekend In Brooklyn’ but of the nine tracks on ‘Heart Of The Nightlife’ it’s only the title track that doesn’t meet up to expectations, but then it’s an instrumental and I’ve never been keen on them.
I first listened to this on the way home from an particularly hard day in the office and with a few minutes it was able to bring a smile to my miserable face and that alone makes this a winner! 8/10
Mark Cousens
Out November 15th on This Is Music
www.myspace.com/blowkissess
Buy Kisses on CD
Album review: New Model Army – 30th Anniversary Boxset
Last modified on 2010-11-10 21:49:17 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
30 Years. 30 bloody years! Has it really been that long? It seems like only yesterday when I popped into the local Our Price (ask your dad) and picked up my first New Model Army album on cassette tape (ditto with the dad thing). The album was Thunder & Consolation, the year 1989 and though it was my first taste of them it was New Model Army’s fourth album. I quickly bought the previous three and have been a fan of their brand of ever since.
New Model Army, named after Oliver Cromwell’s English Revolutionary Army, were formed in Bradford in 1980. Though influenced by the band’s passion for Northern Soul and Post Punk, New Model Army had a sound than traversed many genres; depending on who you spoke to and when you asked, they could be described as post punk, crusty, goth, metal, folk rock or agit rock. However you choose to describe them though, there sound was as instantly recognisable as Justin Sullivan’s husky vocals. Politics also played an important part for the band, they were openly left wing and there’s no doubt that the band’s hatred of Thatcherism had a massive impact.
The 30th Anniversary Boxset includes the double disk ‘Anthology’ containing 30 tracks taken from the band’s 14 studio albums. The songs, a mixture of singles, B-sides and album tracks, were selected by members past and present. It’s an excellent collection of songs and though there are too many to go into depth, I’m pleased to say that some of my favourites made the cut, including ‘Whitecoats’, last year’s ‘Today Is A Good Day’ and from ‘Thunder and Consolation’ that album that started it all for me, ‘Vagabonds’ and ‘Green and Grey’. The boxset also contains 3 DVDs of live footage, including a full concert recorded at the Marquee in 1985, art prints and an A3 size jigsaw puzzle featuring a collage of the band. It’s been a while since I listened to New Model Army and this fantastic collection not only brought back memories, but coming at a time when the conservatives have regained power, also serves as reminder of how relevant they still are. On the downside though it also makes me feel very old! 8/10
Mark Cousens
Out now on Attack Attack
www.newmodelarmy.org
Buy 30th Anniversay Boxset and other New Model Army CDs from hmv
Album review: Dreamend – So I Ate Myself, Bite By Bite
Last modified on 2010-11-10 00:06:01 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Dreamend is the side project of Black Moth Super Rainbow member and Graveface Records head honcho Ryan Graveface. Whilst Black Moth Super Rainbow deal in electronica, Dreamend very much goes back to the origins of American folk music with their unashamedly DIY banjo, guitar, organ, drums and even bells as their weapons of choice. But don’t be fooled, this is not the radio friendly sun drenched folk that we’re used to, Oh no! Dreamend is the deranged, twisted monstrous twin kept chained in the attic. Aided by fellow BMSR band member Tobacco and members of label mates The Appleseed Cast, Graveface delivers an album that while not really a concept album follows a nightmarish story of a character that acts out his evil, murderous fantasies as he spirals into madness.
From the opening bars of ‘Pink Cloud In The Woods’ it quickly becomes apparent that the genius of ‘So I ate Myself, Bite By Bite’ is in its deceptiveness. The songs on the surface have an innocent feel about them, helped by the catchy melodies and upbeat nature, but as you catch snippets of lyrics you realise that all is not good. Initially it doesn’t sound that bad; as they sing ‘and I know just who you think you are’ in ‘Where You Belong’ it sounds like he’s just a bit of bitter. By ‘Pieces’ however your left in no doubt as they cheerfully sing ‘I can’t believe it’s just yesterday/I cleaned my hands and washed the blood away’. The album closes with the epic 10 minute finale ‘An Admission’ which ends with a all out assault on the ears as all the instruments are thrashed to death, maybe a musical metaphor for the assault on his victims? ‘So I ate Myself, Bite By Bite’ is an interesting album both musically and lyrically. Unsettling? Sure! An accurate indight into the mind of a deranged killer? Probably not, but Dreamend plan a sequel for release in 2011 and I for one can’t wait! 7/10
Mark Cousens
Album review: Cobson – s/t
Last modified on 2010-11-08 21:35:56 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
I always like to know a little bit about the bands I listen to, it doesn’t shape my opinion of their music but it does help give an idea of where they’re coming from. With Cobson it’s been pretty tough finding anything about them at all. I know the band are French (you’d have to be an idiot not to spot that one!), though not what part of France they come from. I also know they play two guitars, a piano and drums but from the pictures I’ve seen the band consists of two guys and a girl, so who’s multitasking I’m not sure.
And that’s all I know, so now we’ve established that I’d make a rubbish detective, let’s get back to the matter in hand! Cobson describe themselves as indie/rock/shoegaze and while indie/rock is fair enough there’s very little evidence of shoegaze here. There are some other, more interesting influences though; listen carefully and you can hear shades of the Long Blondes, Sinead O’Connor (before she hooked up with Prince), Blondie and jazz. Wait, come back! Don’t forget that Cobson are French, so it’s not that surprising that a smoky jazz club vibe runs though the veins of this album and when it comes to the fore in tracks like ‘Spoiled Child’ it works really well. Generally the songs vary between polished pop songs (‘No Coming Back’, This is So Us’, Ch811n’) and rockier lo-fi ones (‘Rubbish, ‘I Won’t Let You Go’) where Anna’s sexy French vocals give way to a more shouty delivery matched by the rest of the band ramping up the amps. My favourite tracks are ‘I won’t let You Go’ and ‘Quiet’ which starts with just acoustic guitar and vocals for the first half then slowly picks up tempo as the drums, keyboards and electric guitars build to a rousing finale, but the whole album is good. It’s a bit of a shame there are no songs sung in French but it’s a strong debut and refreshingly different from most for what’s going on in the UK right now! 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on AP6
Single review: The Sequins – Japan/Alive
Last modified on 2010-11-07 17:22:49 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Formed in 2002, by vocalist Hywel Roberts and guitarist Justin Hui, and with two singles, an EP and an album under their belt the Sequins aren’t exactly one of the more prolific bands around. However we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they go for quality not quantity, and judging by this latest release it would appear to be a fair assumption. The double A of ‘Man Alive’ and ‘On The Streets Of Japan’ is an odd record to say the least, though never quirky (general rule of thumb: odd=good, quirky=bad!). ‘Man Alive’ is rammed with ideas and guitar styles as it chops and changes through its three and a half minutes, though maintaining its fast pace throughout. On top of this is Hywel’s vocal which is even odder; he sounds like an English Feargal Sharkey with a bit of Bryan Ferry thrown in. ‘On The Streets of Japan’ follows a slow/fast pattern but is still brimming with ideas and this time an unusual stilted rhythm, but as with its flip side always remembers that it’s a pop song.
The Sequins have an inventiveness and uniqueness about them that makes it difficult to find comparisons, but I would imagine that Magazine, Pulp, Roxy Music and Orange Juice have all played their part in influencing them. In the hands of a lesser band I’m pretty sure Japan/Alive would have sounded like an awful mess, but in the hands of The Sequins it somehow works, and brilliantly at that. 4/5
Mark Cousens
www.myspace.com/thesequinsspace
Single Review: Allo Darlin’ – My Heart Is A Drummer
Last modified on 2010-11-06 19:08:46 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
When I first heard ‘My Heart Is A Drummer’ there was something familiar about it that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Sure, it follows the winning formula of bouncy indie pop and features that unmistakeable sound of Elizabeth’s Morris’ ukulele and Bill Botting’s catchy bass lines but that wasn’t it. Then one day I happened to be in my sister’s car while she was playing one of her cheesy eighties compilations when Cyndi Lauper came on singing ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ and the penny dropped… Not that I have a problem with that, ‘My Heart Is A Drummer’ is a great song, not just musically but lyrically too. Morris has an uncanny knack of being able to paint vivid pictures with her words that leave you with the impression you’ve witnessed something you’ve only heard; when she sings ‘…and when you call me, on the telephone my fingers will twist through the cord and I’ll slide my feet up and down the wall’ I swear I can see her there, I could even tell you what colour the telephone was!
Also included on the single is a gorgeous acoustic version of previous single ‘If Loneliness Was Art’, and to be honest it’s worth the three quid for that alone. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 15th November on Fortuna POP!
Album Review: The Butterfly Explosion – Lost Trails
Last modified on 2010-11-03 20:11:17 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
I first came across the Butterfly Explosion a couple of months back when I reviewed the Psychedelica 4 compilation from Northern Star records. The track I heard then was ‘Closer’, this album’s opening track, and I remember being blown away by its shimmering guitars. Since then these five Dubliners have been working hard not only to record this, their debut album, but also to cement their reputation as one of the frontrunners of the shoegaze revival. The end result of all this hard work is the mindbogglingly ‘Lost Trails’.
Though they clearly have shoegaze tendencies they skilfully mix them with spiralling, shimmering dream-pop soundscapes. The songs, as you’d expect from a shoegaze band occasionally explode but always keep the melodic side of the bands they are often compared with, like Ride or My Bloody Valentine. As the music swoops and soars, accompanied by Gazz Carr’s tender vocals (think Billy Corgan in his softer moments), it’s easy to get lost in the music. In fact of the several times I have already played it through, the most satisfying was when I was able to just lie down in a dark room, with the music coming through some very powerful speakers, and just let it envelope me.
Of the eleven tracks the best are the aforementioned ‘Closer’, ‘Tracing Stars’ and ‘Chemistry’ which is probably the heaviest track on the album, but in truth I love them all. Even the instrumental ‘Automatic’ effortlessly holds my interest throughout, which is a significant achievement as I normally find instrumentals quite tiresome.
The Butterfly Explosion have a truly epic sound and the sheer magnitude of ‘Lost Trails’ is astonishing. If I were a gambling man I’d have this as a late entry on a lot of top ten albums of the year lists, it’s certainly made mine. Play it loud. 5/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Revive Records
Single review: Clock Opera – Once And For All
Last modified on 2010-11-02 23:27:00 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Starting with probably the fastest (though perhaps not the most complicated) piano I’ve ever heard, Clock Opera’s ‘Once and For All’ is inspired by a play ‘Once And For All We’re Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up And Listen’ about what it’s like to be 13 years old. Listening to the lyrics however it sounds more like a wake up call from a grown man who has lost his way and his identity. When Guy Connelly sings ‘when we did we forget what knew/when did we grow up and when did we lose/everything we were so sure of back then/how do we know it won’t happen again‘ his voice is filled with so much emotion you almost feel sorry for him. As the speed piano subsides it’s replaced by a brilliantly rousing build up of guitars, keyboards and drums which nicely underline Connelly’s message not to give up on life and let it pass you; ‘get up get out stand up and shout your name‘. The two supporting tracks are remixes by Little Loud and Clive Tanaka respectively, and while I have little time for remixes, Tanaka’s take ‘Once And For All’ is almost as good as the original as it manages to emphasise the emotion in Connelly’s voice even more by stripping it back to just a heartbeat bass line and dreamy synth. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Kitsune
Album review: Bo Ningen – s/t
Last modified on 2010-11-04 20:15:06 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
I have been very fortunate to see Bo Ningen play live before and I must say they fairly tore me a new arsehole such was the intensity of their performance (in a positive way!). Naturally I was intrigued and hopeful to see how this energy would translate to the studio, so throwing away the press release, I stuck it on…
My first reaction was one that I had been fighting – disappointment. From the word go, it seemed nothing more than a cacophonous racket – albeit punctuated by a couple of songs providing moments of relative peace (the cutely entitled ‘Gasmask Rabbit’, ‘Post Yokai’ and the last track ‘Yuruyaka’) . Either this was poor or I was getting old. Having seen (and loved) Slayer earlier this year, I assumed it was the former.
Reluctant to give in so easily, I was determined to have a second listen. It didn’t help that the band are from Japan and thus every song is in Japanese. Long story short, the second listen became a third and then a fourth. I have no idea what the album is about. It could be a personal attack on me for all I know but that doesn’t matter. It is a musical journey of epic proportions. Where it is going, I have not the foggiest idea but by the end of it (fourth time round) I found myself really wanting to know who or what Yokai was and whether he lived or died. Of course you can make up your own narrative and if you have patience to listen to it at least twice, I’ll bet you 10,000 Yen that you will have your own story. A kaleidoscopic manga-fuelled fantasy of epic proportions no doubt (please no hentai!).
And it really feels like a musical journey too. I had flashbacks to listening to side two of Ritual de lo Habitual (albeit without understanding a word of the lyrics) and the almost jazz-like quality of the Mars Volta kept popping in to my head as well. It flows, it twists, it builds, it dips but it is very, very powerful and in my opinion very well worth the time invested.
It probably tells me what it is about in the binned press release but who cares about that?! All I care about is Yokai.4/5
Nick Clout
Out 8th November on Stolen Recordings
Single review: Prinzhorn Dance School – Seed, Crop, Harvest
Last modified on 2010-11-02 20:41:19 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Every now and again something comes along that totally blows you away the minute you hear it. Other times a song can take two or three listens before it eventually worms its way into your affections. More often than not it’s the growers that you come back to time and time again, and this would appear to be the case with ‘Seed, Crop, Harvest’, the latest release from Prinzhorn Dance School.
On first listen I found ‘Seed, Crop, Harvest’ quite frustrating. Starting off with a tribal drum beat and a simple, repetitive bass riff the song teases and tricks you into thinking it’s about to explode but never does. When the equally repetitive dual vocals of Tobin Prinz and Suzi Horn (see what they did there?) kick in, and even when an electric guitar eventually joins the party, the steady rhythmic pace is maintained. As I make a point of always giving a song at least two listens before casting judgement though, I played it again and this time found enough in it to warrant a third listen. By the fourth listen that tribal drum beat and simple bass riff had found its way into my head and there it has stayed ever since. ‘Seed, Crop, Harvest’ is a perfect example of post-punk minimalism and as such it’s distant and has an icy coolness, somewhere in the vicinity of Bauhaus if they were fronted by Rakes front man Alan Donohoe. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on DFA Records
www.prinzhorn-dance-school.com
Single Review: Tender Trap – Dansette, Dansette
Last modified on 2010-11-02 16:51:38 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
There’s an awful lot of bands dabbling in sixties music at the moment, some of them playing raw energetic garage pop and some of them going for the slightly more polished, pop sounds of the sixties girl groups. Tender Trap are very much in the latter category. Something of an indie pop supergroup, they were formed by Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey, previously members of C86 legends Tallulah Gosh and, up until recently, included Elizabeth Morris lead singer of current indie pop darlings Allo Darlin’.
‘Dansette, Dansette’, named after a brand of record player that was a household name in fifties and sixties, is a catchy slice of 60s pop. Featuring Spektor style drumming and gorgeous backing vocals, including plenty of ooh-oohs and ba-ba-ba-bas provided by Morris and drummer Katrina, ‘Dansette, Dansette’ very much wears it’s sixties girl group influences on its sleeve. Sandie Shaw, Lesley Gore all get a name check, and while Amelia may be taking the piss a bit, it’s done in a cheeky, knowing way that leaves the listener in no doubt that this is a genuine homage to sixties girl groups. Groovy baby! 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Fortuna Pop
Album review: Weezer – Death To False Metal
Last modified on 2010-10-31 21:57:30 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Weezer have had their ups and downs over the years. Sometimes producing truly great albums like ‘Pinkerton’ to occasionally missing the target with albums like ‘Make Believe’, so an album of tracks that never made the final cut could go either way. ‘Death To False Metal’ is a collection of songs recorded in 1998, in between ‘Pinkerton’ and ‘The Green Album’ and shortly before the band disbanded for a period when Rivers Cuomo was suffering from depression.
Consisting of ten tracks, ‘Death to False Metal’ starts off well, rocking out with ‘Turning Up The Radio’ (let the music play/let the good times roll/we don’t care what you say/we’re turning up the radio),‘I don’t Want Your Loving’ and ‘Blowin’ My Stack’ – all classic Weezer. But this is where things take a bit of a dive. ‘Losing My Mind’ is a not particularly good slow song with embarrassingly simplistic lyrics; ‘I’m losing my mind/I’m going insane/I’m watching my life/go down the drain’. The pace and quality pick up briefly with ‘Everyone’ but ‘I’m A Robot’, which quite frankly could have been written by a 10 year old, brings the quality levels crashing back down again. And this is how the rest of the album plays out; the entire 18 years of Weezer’s output summed up in 10 tracks over 32 minutes. There is one thing you can be sure of with Rivers Cuomo, he has moments of genius and he can be excruciatingly poor on occasion but he’s never mediocre. Special mention should be given to their cover of Toni Braxton’s ‘Un-Break My Heart’, I love it but it’s not very respectful to the original, so any Toni Braxton fans out there should steer clear!
Mark Cousens
Buy Weezer CDs from hmv
Gig review: Theatre Royal @ The Chambers, Folkestone
Last modified on 2010-10-31 21:59:11 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
I haven’t been to The Chambers before, so when we popped in on Thursday night to see Theatre Royal put on a free gig I was a little surprised at the layout. Underground and split into two bars and with no obvious stage it took a while to spot where the band had set up. Eventually we found the drum kits and guitars at the back of one of the bars half hidden behind two archways – not ideal! It’s a very nice bar though (and at a whopping four quid for a pint of lager so it should be, I wasn’t aware that Folkestone had moved to Central London!), there’s quite a few people in tonight, and though some of them are there to eat it still helps the atmosphere.
After grabbing a pint at the Bar we head to the stage to see support band The Flowing who seems to be following me to every gig I go to, if this carries on I may have to consider a restraining order! The previous times I’ve seen the Flowing I’ve not particularly enjoyed his set but tonight, although the set hasn’t changed, it works a lot better. I think this is partly because I’m getting used to his unusual way of changing accents, but also because The Chambers is quite an intimate venue and it suits his style a lot better, certainly the other people in the bar seemed to like it.
Another pint then it’s time for headliners Theatre Royal. Oliver Burgess proves to be an interesting, intense and charismatic front man, with stiff jerky body movements, eyes darting around the venue and even some entertaining chit chat between the songs. As for the songs themselves, well the band play most of the tracks from current album ‘From Rubble Rises…’ and the forthcoming ‘Spit and A Dream’ EP. I recently listened to both the LP and EP (read the review here) and found that while some of the songs were superb, some of them were a little indie-lite for my liking. However played live they’re given a new lease of life and sound heavier as the band perform with such verve and enthusiasm. EP lead track ‘A Spit and A Dream’ for example, might sound weak on record but when played live they find an energy that lifts them to the heights of their best songs like ‘Sycamore’. During the set a guy called John who, having played with every band that I’ve seen recently, must be Kent’s most prolific brass section pops up with his trumpet for a few songs. Unfortunately due to the small stage this means that the bassist is pushed to the back, out of sight. And for one song the lead guitarist (who name escapes me but looks like he could be Noel Gallagher’s son) plays harmonica and guitar at the same time, who says men can’t multitask! I wasn’t sure how the band would shape up live, but these guys can play really well and tonight’s they ripped through a blistering and exhilarating set and seemed to enjoy themselves as much as the audience. Sadly there was no encore but despite that I’ll definately go and see them again, and so should you!
Mark Cousens
Album review: A Band Called Quinn – The Beggar’s Opera
Last modified on 2010-10-28 18:03:12 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
The story goes that after being spotted at a club night featuring a mixture of acts including psychics and burlesque puppeteers (a kind of Glasgow’s Got Talent?) Glaswegian quintet A Band Called Quinn hooked up with theatre company Vanishing Point in a futuristic vision of The Beggar’s Opera which received mix reviews. On the back of this the band decided to release the songs from the show. Immediately this presents a problem; an album featuring songs from a show is only going to mean something to those that have seen it, and as it didn’t make Broadway or the West End I’m going to assume that isn’t going to be a huge amount of people. To those that haven’t, a group to which I belong, it’s really just a bunch of songs but, I hear you ask, are they good songs?
A Band Called Quinn are first and foremost an electro pop band but as these are ‘show’ tunes there is some variety in the tracks, though maybe not enough. They certainly wear their influences on their sleeves and through most of this album the ghost of Madonna past makes its presence known. In fact bar a couple of songs, most notably ‘We Are The Scum’ which sounds like Suede and the vampish ‘History’, if I didn’t know better I could have mistaken ‘The Beggar’s Opera’ for a Madonna album but more ‘Dick Tracy’ than ‘Like A Prayer’ and that pretty much sums it up; Madonna lite. 2/5
Mark Cousens
Ou now on Tromolo Records
www.myspace.com/abandcalledquinn
Single review: Silver Foxes – Second Chance
Last modified on 2010-10-26 13:28:34 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Hot on the heels of their debut single ‘Knock Me Down’, and keen to capitalise on their success and growing popularity, Maidstone’s finest indie pop scamps Silver Foxes release their second single.
A surprisingly well written ‘Second Chance’ tells the age old story of boy meets girl, boy meets another girl and cheats on the first girl, first girl gets mad but gives boy a second chance, boy does it again, and repeat. This time though singer Poppy Wilson has had enough; ‘too many many times have I given you a second chance/and I won’t be handing it too you anymore’. The payoff comes in the dying seconds of the song as she sings ‘and what goes around is surely going to come back to get you’.
Musically Silver Foxes have a bright, fresh and remarkably assured sound, which is beyond the tender years of this teenage band. For the second time with Silver Foxes I find myself at the end of the song wanting to hear more, I think it’s time they stopped drip feeding us one song at a time and released an EP! 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on download from Itunes
Album review: Union Sound Set – Start/Stop
Last modified on 2010-10-25 22:26:21 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Union Sound Set were born out of the ashes of hotly tipped rockers Prego. Already receiving heaps or critical acclaim like that given to their previous incarnation, Union Sound Set release their debut LP Stop/Start. Playing pretty straight forward rock songs with shimmering guitars and epic choruses, the band have a huge sound that even so early in their careers sounds destined for large arenas and possibly stadiums. That’s not necessarily a good thing, 30 years ago U2 were in a similar position and now, while they may fill stadiums, their music is a pale imitation of what it once was and they’ve disappeared so far up their own backsides that they’ve lost sight of what it was all about. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; the debut has only been out day!
Amongst the 11 tracks on Stop/Start you’ll find a mixture of guitar rockers (‘The Longest Calm’, ‘Answers’, ‘Hit to Send’) and soaring anthems that are sure to get those lighters in the air (‘Here’s To You’, ‘Years, Days, Months’ and ‘This Will Change Us’). It’s very well played, the instruments are tight and the singer has a good voice but it’s all a bit too generic for my liking. Interestingly it’s produced by Manics producer Guy Massey so it may well be his input that gives it that radio friendly but pedestrian rock sound. Technically It’s not a bad album at all but five minutes after I’d played it I couldn’t remember any of the tunes and I guess that says it all. I’m sure they’d be great live, they’d certainly please the festival crowds, but I don’t think it’s an album I’d be in a rush to hear again.3/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Mighty Atom
Single review: The Just Joans – Your Pain Is A Joke Next To Mines EP
Last modified on 2010-10-25 19:43:46 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
With ‘Your Pain Is A Joke Next To Mines’ coming as a 3” CD beautifully packaged in little brown envelope with a handmade booklet, The Just Joans are the personification of twee pop. This, their fourth EP, is full of witty, acerbic and angsty lyrics sung in broad Lanarkshire accents, and when it comes to singing I’m a sucker for regional accents!
Containing a generous 7 tracks and coming in at 20 minutes it’s more of a mini LP than an EP. There’s no bad songs but highlights include ‘Boyracer (baby’s a)’ their answer to the Shangri-Las ‘Leader of The Pack’, and ‘Wee Helen Got Married’ a song about underachieving. The best, and funniest, song though is the brilliant ‘Stuart Has A Dirty Book’ which juxtapose beautifully the teenage preoccupation with masturbation and catholic guilt; ‘struggling with the word of god/a hand on my bible, a hand on my knob’.
As gorgeous as its packaging, ‘Your Pain Is A Joke Next To Mines’ is a great EP, the only shame is that with both male and female vocals they didn’t record a duet, nonetheless you best get a copy quick, with only 300 available I don’t think they’re going to be around very long! 4/5
Mark Cousens
Album review: Shady Bard – Trials
Last modified on 2010-10-25 21:04:43 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Back in the seventies, before prog rock was all but destroyed by punk, the concept album was all the rage with bands like Yes, Genesis and Pink Floyd all releasing them. By the time the Eighties had arrived the concept album was practically dead with anyone daring to release one held up to ridicule. In the last few years however the concept album has started to make a bit of a comeback and next week sees the release of ‘Trials’ by Birmingham’s Shady Bard, an album that revolves around the story of a village ravaged by fire.
An album based around a village destroyed by fire is obviously not going to be a joyous album and the band use the instruments at their disposal to devastating effect. The piano, guitar, cello, sax and most importantly Lawrence Becko’s voice, create songs that not only paint visual pictures with the lyrics but convey emotion and intensity. Whether it’s the mournful, piano led ballad ‘Trials’, the poppier (but no more cheery) ‘Daphne’, the flamenco of ‘Trials III’ or the soaring, dramatic ‘Plan B’ you’re left with a feeling of hopelessness which is quite a remarkable achievement.
Being that it’s a concept album it really needs, and deserves, to be heard as a whole so it’s not really appropriate to highlight any individual song and I hope it doesn’t end up being sold track by track on Itunes. But the album flows beautifully and Lawrence’s voice is perfect for it’s mood. The only downside is that to get the most out if it you need to concentrate, which means actually setting aside time to do nothing but listen, but it’s well worth it. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 1st November on Forest Industries
Buy Shady Bard from hmv
Single review: British India – Vanilla EP
Last modified on 2010-10-24 21:19:48 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, British India have already released an album ‘Avalanche’ in their homeland and now release their UK debut in the form of the ‘Vanilla’ EP.
Lead track ‘Vanilla’ is fairly run of the mill indie guitar and it’s all a bit too familiar. With a slow verse/soaring chorus format it sounds like something Embrace might put out, only a bit half-arsed. But being in a generous mood , instead of consigning it to the rubbish pile I decide to give them another chance and so I continued with track two ‘Safari’, and I’m glad I did. There’s a significant change of pace as British India let themselves go and rock out, and it makes a hell of a difference. Out of nowhere they seem to have found energy, passion and a healthy dose of punk attitude. The drums are pounded and the guitars thrashed while Declan Melia’s voice finds an intensity that was sorely missing from the previous track. Things continue to improve with ’90 Ways To Leave Your Lover’ which, apropos of nothing, starts with a speech entitled ‘Age of The Gross’ from ex-US president Spiro Agnew before drums and guitars take over. ‘Because Of You’ continues to up the stakes and by the time it’s finished I feel exhausted, so god knows how the band must be feeling. The latter three songs show that British India clearly have passion, talent and energy It’s just a shame they chose to hide it behind something as average as ‘Vanilla’. 3/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Shock Distribution/Waste Management
http://www.myspace.com/britishindia
Album review: The Big Pink – Tapes
Last modified on 2010-10-24 21:23:45 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Ah, the mixtape. The teenage boy’s number one weapon in an arsenal compiled to win over the girl of his dreams. The mixtape was a lovingly compiled carefully chosen compilation of songs that were not only unbelievably cool but also gave an insight into your personality, generally emphasising your sensitive side. If you were really lucky it might even contain a song or two that was relevant to you and the target of your affections. Of course in real terms such things no longer exist, cassettes are almost extinct and putting together a selection of mp3s involves so little effort that it’s just not as impressive. Nonetheless Milo Cordell from London electro rock duo The Big Pink has decided to give it a go, and so tries to woo us with his own mixtape ‘Tapes’.
Cordell apparently found many of the 17 tracks while trawling Myspace and as such some of them here are so new they haven’t even been released yet – now that’s upping the cool ante! Being that this has been compiled by a member of the Big Pink it is no surprise that the tracks here are all electronica in some form or other but mostly dance orientated. However there are two problems here.
Firstly the quality of the tracks is varied and unfortunately most of them are at the bottom end of the scale. Some of them, especially opening track ‘Slow Dancing’ by Grill Grill, don’t even seem to have a discernible melody, while others, like Balam Acab’s ‘See Birds’ are just repetitive noise. It’s not all bad though, I really like ‘Let Go’ by JJ, ‘Ego War’ by Gang Gang Dance is pretty good, and the bizarre ‘No Bra’ by Minger has some interesting percussion though I’m not sure what household objects they’re using to produce it. The best track by far though is ‘Shallow Tears’ by Light Asylum who are probably the only band here that I would actively seek to hear more from.
The other problem that ‘Tapes’ has is that it is disjointed, with so many of the tracks being dance tracks I really would have expected it to flow better. A nice Milo, but if you want to get to second base you’re gonna have to try harder! 2/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on !K7
Buy Big Pink CDs from hmv
Album review: Shield Your Eyes – Theme From Kindness
Last modified on 2010-10-24 16:54:51 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Shield Your Eyes are a post hardcore three piece from London. ‘Theme From Kindness’, recorded in bass player Nick Bavin’s living room, is their third full length album. I haven’t heard the previous two so I don’t know if this is a progression or more of the same but I can tell it’s not easy listening!
Shield Your Eyes are without doubt inventive, original and have more soul in their little finger than all the X-Factor contestants put together, but they are also loud, aggressive and in your face, they have a sound which demands that you sit up and listen. The recordings are deliberately lo-fi and raw and vocalist Smudge’s voice sounds like the Kings Of Leon’s Caleb Followill would if he’d been kicked in the balls. When it works, on tracks like ‘Olivers Wharf’, ‘Robinson Crusoe’ and ‘Too Little Has Been Good For The Soul’ they are interesting, loud and intense but have an underlying melody that keeps things together. However when they don’t work, on songs like ‘Drawn To Water’ and especially album opener ‘I Took My Lead From You and Your Kindness’ they seem to be trying so hard to be inventive and original that they forget to include a tune, which leaves you with a bunch of instruments that don’t connect with each other. On balance the album has just about more good songs than bad, but they make for a pretty uncomfortable listen, particularly if you’ve been out on the lash the night before! Perhaps they should change their name from Shield Your Eyes to Cover Your Ears! 2/5
Mark Cousens
Out 25th October on Function Records
www.myspace.com/shieldyoureyes
Buy Shield Your Eyes from hmv
Single review: Theatre Royal – Spit and A Dream EP
Last modified on 2010-10-21 17:44:15 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Named after the Chatham theatre the band formed in, Theatre Royal formed in April 2009. Doin things slightly arse about face, the first thing the band released was a full length album ‘From Rubble Rises…’ and now from that album comes their first single release in the form of the ‘Spit and A Dream’ EP.
Lead track ‘Spit and A Dream’ starts slowly with just staccato guitar and vocals then builds as the other guitars and drums kick in. It’s an okay song but it’s a bit indie-by-numbers – it doesn’t really stand out from all the other guitar bands. However as second track ‘Sit Me Under…’ crashes in with a startling guitar crunch the ante is upped considerably. The band take a more aggressive approach both in the instrumentation which sounds harder and edgier and with Oliver Burgess’ vocals which sound more assured and have gained a sense of urgency. From here on things continue to get better. The pleading ‘I’m The One’ picks up the pace significantly but the real winner is last track ‘Sycamore’, which with relentless, repetitive bass and urgent, powerful vocals takes me back to early Echo & The Bunnymen. Had the first track been of the standard of the others this might have a 5 but two excellent tracks and one I can’t stop playing out of four still scores a very respectable 4/5
Mark Cousens
out 25th October on Preservation Society
http://www.myspace.com/wearetheatreroyal
Album review: Mt Desolation – s/t
Last modified on 2010-10-24 16:52:04 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Mt Desolation are a side project of Keane’s Tim Rice-Oxley and Jesse Quin aided by various members of Mumford and Sons, The Killers, Noah and The Whale and The Long Winters. Now before I start I should declare off that Keane are a band I have very little time for, I find their brand of generic indie anthems bland and uninspiring. So as you can imagine when I was presented with this debut from Mt. Desolation and saw who was involved my expectations were low to say the least. However when I saw that Mt Desolation were an alt.country band my interest was piqued and the CD won a reprieve from the ‘rubbish’ pile, and happily that turned out to be a good decision!
Musically the album is highly accomplished. Alt. Country might not be the style of music the members of Mt Desolation play in their day jobs but they play it well and considering that the key members of the band are all English it sounds authentic, especially on the faster paced songs like ‘Departure’ and ‘Platform 7,’ in which I’m sure I heard someone holler ‘yee-ha!’ at least once. The more interesting aspect is though is the lyrics. A lot of the songs here are on the face of it quite sad and centre around a theme of loss (til the moment I saw you in your bridal gown/i just assumed you would always be around – Bridal Gown) but there’s also a feeling of hope, that it’ll be alright in the end, as displayed in the closing lines of Departure; ‘the death of love/it’s not a thing to be afraid of/it’s just a light switching out’. Mt Desolation is a remarkably strong album but the accolade for best track goes to the lovely duet ‘Another Night On My Side’ featuring the vocals of Jesse Quin and Jessica Stavely-Taylor. Splendid. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Island Records
Buy Mt. Desolation from hmv
Album review: Our Broken Garden – Golden Seas
Last modified on 2010-10-19 19:08:37 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Many years ago, at the end of the eighties, there was a band called All About Eve which played beautiful yet haunting melodies with a classical bent. A trio fronted by an attractive, slightly hippyish woman with a stunning, plaintive voice, their commercial success was fairly short lived at around three years (peaking with the astonishing ‘Martha’s Harbour’). Why I am I telling you this? Because when I heard the first bars of ‘The Departure’, the opening track on ‘Golden Sea’ for a moment I was whisked back in time! You see Denmark’s Our Broken Garden happen to be a trio fronted by an attractive, slightly hippyish woman (Anna Bronsted) with a stunning, slightly plaintive voice who play beautiful yet haunting melodies.
Musically the songs are quiet and soft but quite varied. There is a classical bent to the majority of them and violins and piano feature heavily, but there’s also the tribal beats of ‘Garden Grow’, the dancey vibes of ‘Share’ and the rockier ‘Warriors Of Love’ which slowly builds, adding layers of instruments including military drums. Lyrically there are dark undertones hidden amongst the beautiful vocals; make my lips bleed if you have to/throw me naked on the floor sings Anna on ’Garden Grow’.
There’s not really anyone else doing this kind of thing right now, except maybe PJ Harvey in one of her more melancholic moments and Bat For Lashes, but they have a much more gothic feel, so ‘Golden Sea’ is a breath of fresh air, and it really is stunning. 4/5
Mark Cousens
www.myspace.com/ourbrokengarden
Single review: Little Comets – Isles
Last modified on 2010-10-18 20:53:40 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Almost exactly a year ago Little Comets scored a number one in the UK Independent Charts with their debut ‘One Night In October’. On the back of that success they were snapped up by Columbia Records, who released their second single and then ….nothing. Now, after a hiatus of nearly a year, Newcastle’s Little Comets have emerged from a well publicised and very bitter wrangle to escape their contract with Columbia Records with new single ‘Isles’.
‘Isles’ is a mini kitchen sink drama/social commentary based around life in Broken Britain in these times of austerity. With lyrics like ‘In the B.R.I.T. I say British Isles/the streets are bleak, the kids are running wild’ and breaking glass effects scattered through the track it plays like a modern take on Grandmaster Flash’s ‘The Message’, albeit not quite as hard hitting. Unsurprisingly then It’s quite a downbeat record, but that’s not to say it’s not interesting. The vocals are delivered in a staccato style while musically it features stop/start percussion and mournful strings that help create an overall atmosphere of despair and hopelessness. I really like it! 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Dirty Hits Records
Gig review: ME2 album launch – Nag’s Head, Rochester 15/10/10
Last modified on 2010-10-17 13:48:29 GMT. 3 comments. Top.
Tonight sees the launch of Medway Eyes’ second compilation of Medway bands in support of Oxjam. The album, available from the Medway Eyes website, features the bands playing tonight; Joe Cottis (aka Fires Took Over), The Flowing and Stuart Turner and The Flat Earth Society.
As a boozer Rochester’s The Nag’s Head is a little gem in a High Street that’s becoming increasingly rough and volatile, but as a venue it’s severely let down by its awkward layout and lack of space. It has two small bars connected by a narrow walkway and a stage that’s elevated and sectioned off in such a way that I assume it’s where the pool table used to be. In front of the stage area there’s seating facing away from the stage which helps separate the band from the audience and creates a feeling of detachment which encourages people to chat amongst themselves while the bands are playing, so it’s fair to say that the bands are going to have their work cut out.
First into the lion’s den is Joe Cottiss. Playing electric guitar and singing, Joe had a very soft voice and intricate gentle guitar style which unfortunately made it very difficult to hear due to the levels of chatter from the audience. He seemed a little nervous which I’m sure didn’t help and it was only in the last couple of songs that he really found his voice. What I did hear sounded quite interesting and a bit edgier than your usual man with a guitar though so I’d like to see him again in a better venue.
Next up is the Flowing. I saw the Flowing a couple of weeks ago supporting Lupen Crook. I wasn’t that impressed then and second time round the story is much the same; some brilliant acoustic guitar playing and a pretty good voice but the songs remain uninspiring and forgettable. He has smartened up though, the baseball cap was gone and the sleeveless t-shirt was replaced with a smart short sleeved shirt, but I‘m sure that had nothing to do with my previous comments! To be fair, while I remained nonplussed my mate Ben was quite impressed, if a little bemused by the constant change of accent.
A quick refill at the bar and then to headliners Stuart Turner and The Flat Earth Society. For those of you not familiar with Stuart Turner he has a bourbon and cigarettes soaked voice (think Tom Waits with a bit of Louis Armstrong thrown in) that could only really work with the blues, so it’s quite fortunate that he plays a lively blend of folk/blues mixed with rockabilly. Kicking off with ‘Shimmy’ they play a storming, energetic set, including songs taken from current album ‘Gin and Bitters’ (‘South Sea Blues’, ‘Essex’) that sound even better live than on record and ‘Murder on Gaslight Street’ which appears on the ME2 compilation. There’s one song which starts with Turner singing softly with just his guitar playing that again gets lost in the chatter but as the rest of the band join in people start to sit up and pay attention. What really stood out for me, apart from Turner’s astonishing voice, is the skill and tightness of his backing band, The Flat Earth Society. In particular Robbie Wilkinson’s guitar and the excellent trumpet playing from occasional member John Whitaker. It’s been a tough crowd tonight but Stuart Turner and The Flat Earth Society performed an excellent, if a little short, set and they seem to have won them over.
Mark Cousens
www.oxfam.org.uk/oxjam
www.medwayeyes.co.uk
www.myspace.com/stuartjamesturner
www.myspace.com/theflowing
www.myspace.com/firestookover
Album review: Darren Hayman – Essex Arms
Last modified on 2010-10-15 17:18:50 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Former front man and songsmith of indie legends and John Peel favourites Hefner, Essex born Darren Hayman has a gift for writing contemporary, very British folk songs that get to the heart of love and life, songs that every man and woman in the country could relate to. So it’s always struck me that the fact he’s never managed to have an impact on the charts is more the fault of the record buying public than of Darren Hayman. Now back with ‘Essex Arms’ his third album with backing band ‘The Secondary Modern’ will Hayman fare any better?
‘Essex Arms’ is no great departure from the Darren Hayman we know and love, though maybe he’s showing his age as the majority of the songs here are generally slower and have a more reflective feel. That’s not to say he can’t rock out as proved on ‘Nothing You Can Do About It’ which reminds me of ‘The World Turned Upside Down’ and the calypso ‘Calling Out Your Name Again’, a duet with Emmy The Great and one of the many highlights of the album. With Darren Hayman it’s all about the lyrics though, be it through social commentary on ‘Dagenham Ford’ a song about the closure of the car plant which affected so many families to ‘Drive Too Fast’ a song about a car crash where out of nowhere he drops a reference to a Brookside storyline from 1994; You look like the lesbian from Brookside/the one that everybody wants to look like/your unpretty sister doesn’t seem to mind/getting left behind/one more time.
‘Essex Arms’ is not so much an album about Essex, more an album of songs involving characters and situations that could be anywhere in the country but happen to be set in Essex, and it’s stunning! 4/5
www.myspace.com/darrenhayman
www.hefnet.com
Buy Darren Hayman CDs from hmv
Single review: Talk To Angels – Enemies Closer
Last modified on 2010-10-10 19:49:23 GMT. 4 comments. Top.
This is a strange story. Initially a trio, Talk to Angels found themselves at a house party hosted by Embrace’s keyboard player Mickey Dale. At the end of the party the band struck up an agreement with Mickey – they would clear out his garage and in return he would give them use of his studio for a week and take on knob-twiddling duties. During the ensuing recording sessions Mickey decided he wanted to be part of the band and the trio from Bradford found themselves a quartet.
According to the little information there is about Talk to Angels their sound is a mix of Echo & The Bunnymen and At The Drive In, well I can only assume this was a description of the music before Mickey joined the band because ‘Enemies Closer’, couldn’t be further removed from McCulloch & co. If I was to draw a comparison I would say that with its scuzzy, synth influenced pop sound and the sense of urgency in Craig Kaye’s vocals ‘Enemies Closer’ sounds more like a lo-fi Killers than anything else, though it does get very heavy in the 30 seconds or so. Second track ‘She’ is a very different kettle of fish, sounds what I would expect East 17 to sound like if they were fronted by Terrorvision’s Tony Wright, and as much I like Terrorvision that’s not such a good thing. On the evidence of this Talk To Angels seem to be who haven’t properly defined their sound, and whether or not that’s due to Mickey Dales’ late inclusion in the band, It’s something they’d be better off working out behind closed doors! 2/5
Mark Cousens
Out October 18th on Warp Speed Carousel
Single review: Egyptian Hip Hop – Some Reptiles Grew Wings EP
Last modified on 2010-10-11 21:23:28 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
I seem to have spent an inordinate amount of time recently listening to folk and earnest boys and girls with acoustic guitars crying over lost loves and other such dramas. I’m not complaining, you understand, but sometimes you just need to hear something a bit more fresh and upbeat.
So when I dropped ‘Some Reptiles Grew Wings’, the new EP by young scamps Egyptian Hip Hop into the CD player, it was a pleasant surprise to find it just that – fresh, upbeat and exciting!
The four track EP doesn’t actually contain a song called ‘Some Reptiles Grew Wings’, but then the band aren’t Egyptian and they don’t play hip hop either. What they do play is some rather splendid electro pop with outrageously funky bass lines and a glossy production that gives it a very eighties feel. The four songs here are all very strong, ‘Moon Crooner’ should be a shoo-in for a hit and even ‘Middle Name Period’, an instrumental, has enough going on to keep it interesting despite the lack of vocals. My favourite though is last track, the slower paced ‘Native’ which, with its far east influences and unusual percussion style, the likes of which I’ve not heard since Japan’s Tin Drum, is one of the most engaging songs I’ve heard for a very long time. Superb. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on moshi moshi
www.myspace.com/egyptianhiphop
Single review: Talk To Angels – Enemies Closer
Last modified on 2010-10-10 19:49:23 GMT. 4 comments. Top.
This is a strange story. Initially a trio, Talk to Angels found themselves at a house party hosted by Embrace’s keyboard player Mickey Dale. At the end of the party the band struck up an agreement with Mickey – they would clear out his garage and in return he would give them use of his studio for a week and take on knob-twiddling duties. During the ensuing recording sessions Mickey decided he wanted to be part of the band and the trio from Bradford found themselves a quartet.
According to the little information there is about Talk to Angels their sound is a mix of Echo & The Bunnymen and At The Drive In, well I can only assume this was a description of the music before Mickey joined the band because ‘Enemies Closer’, couldn’t be further removed from McCulloch & co. If I was to draw a comparison I would say that with its scuzzy, synth influenced pop sound and the sense of urgency in Craig Kaye’s vocals ‘Enemies Closer’ sounds more like a lo-fi Killers than anything else, though it does get very heavy in the 30 seconds or so. Second track ‘She’ is a very different kettle of fish, sounds what I would expect East 17 to sound like if they were fronted by Terrorvision’s Tony Wright, and as much I like Terrorvision that’s not such a good thing. On the evidence of this Talk To Angels seem to be who haven’t properly defined their sound, and whether or not that’s due to Mickey Dales’ late inclusion in the band, It’s something they’d be better off working out behind closed doors! 2/5
Mark Cousens
Out October 18th on Warp Speed Carousel
Album review: The Walkmen – Lisbon
Last modified on 2010-10-09 12:53:57 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Formed in 2000 out of the ashes of Jonathan Fire*Eater and The Recoys, the Walkmen’s finest moment was 2004’s ‘The Rat’ taken from the Bows & Arrows album. Since then they have struggled to reach the same dizzy heights, both creatively and commercially. Now, hot on the heels of single ‘Angela Surf City’ the Walkmen are about to release ‘Lisbon’, their sixth studio album.
‘Lisbon’ finds the band at a creative brick wall. Over the years their sound seems to have got watered down to such a degree that ‘Lisbon’ sounds like a collaboration by the Zutons and the Stereophonics (two other bands that should have hung up their instruments some time ago). There’s nothing particularly wrong with the album but it’s….. bland! There are moments where you’re reminded of what the Walkmen are capable of, especially single ‘Surf City Angela’, The Walkmen’s answer to ‘Valerie’ (I wonder if Mark Ronson will ruin that one too?), though It’s received so much radio play I’ve already tired of it. ‘Woe Is Me’ is also quite jolly and upbeat despite the title but the majority of the tracks are filler. In particular ‘Follow The Leader’ is so scrappy I genuinely struggled to find a tune in it and ‘All My Great Designs’ and ‘While I Shovel The Snow’ not only sent me to sleep but my cat too!
On the whole I’m sad to say that while I was looking forward to hearing ‘Lisbon’ I found it to be boring and uninspiring. 2/5
Mark Cousens
Single review: Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – So Long Good Night
Last modified on 2010-10-08 11:34:53 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
The latest offering from Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, and the second single to be taken from their superbly dark Blood & Fire album, ‘So Long Good Night’ sees the dark overlords of garage rock delivering the musical equivalent of a Dear John letter, but don’t be fooled into think they’ve gone soft us. No! While ‘So Long Good Night’ is probably as close to opening their hearts as EMBD will ever get, they do so in their own inimitable way. From the minute Guy McKnight opens ‘So Long Good Night’ with the immortal lines ‘The stars are shining down upon my sorry head/and in the morning I will be gone/and I’ll leave you here for dead’ to the equally grim closing lines of ‘I will be gone/so long/so say goodbye’ you find thanking god that it’s not you he’s leaving in a decidedly unamiable way. ‘So Long Good Night’ sounds like the band summoning the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Be afraid! 4/5
Mark Cousens
www.myspace.com/eightiesmatchboxblinedisaster
Buy Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster CDs
Single review: Chapel Club – All The Eastern Girls
Last modified on 2010-10-06 18:45:23 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
For a band that have only released their first single a year ago and have yet to record an album, Chapel Club have been making quite a splash. Whether stories of telephone number contracts are true or not doesn’t really matter, the way the record companies seem to be falling over themselves to sign this bunch of lads from London, Leeds, Essex & Swindon suggests one of two things; either Chapel Club are the saviour of the British music industry or the record companies are so desperate to sign anything that they’ll do pretty much anything to sign anyone with a shred of a tune.
In this instance, while Chapel Club are probably not the saviour of the British music industry, there is something about their dark, melodramatic pop that deserves attention. There’s an undeniable similarity to the rousing synth rock of White Lies, though Chapel Club don’t come across quite so po-faced as McVeigh and chums, as well as shades of Joy Division and Interpol. What really makes it stand out though is their heavier tendencies. When ‘All The Eastern Girls’ reaches it climatic chorus guitars are heralded in by the drums and the rhythmic bass line is replaced by shoegaze worthy wall of sound. On the basis of this, if I owned a record company I’d probably join in the bundle too. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Album review: Paul Smith – Margins
Last modified on 2010-10-05 19:52:08 GMT. 6 comments. Top.
Whilst making it very clear that he’s not leaving Maximo Park (‘I’m not going solo – it’s not like George Michael leaving Wham’), front man Paul Smith has been in the studio with friend Andy Hodson on drums and Field Music’s David Brewis on bass to record his solo debut ‘Margins’. It’s not unusual for a band’s front man to branch out on his own but it’s also not unusual for that solo effort to sound almost the same as the band from whence they came, i.e. Brandon Flowers, after all it’s their vocals, normally their lyrics and often their creative vision that shapes a band’s sound. So has Paul Smith recorded the new Maximo Park album or does ‘Margins’ stand out as something very separate, and most importantly is any good?
Well the distinct northern accent is obviously still there but gone are the angular guitars and the post punk influence on the music. Instead we find Smith in a more personal, reflective and mature mood. Musically the songs are softer and more intricate with Smith employing a finger picking style that suits the more personal nature of the songs perfectly. Lyrically Smith’s at his strongest when he focuses on the minutiae of modern life and relationships; ‘washing up with cold water while you’re in the bath/resisting the temptation to look through the crack in the bathroom door/though I’ve seen it before’ – ‘While You’re in the Bath’. Of the thirteen songs here my favourites are ‘Strange Fiction’, ‘This Heat’ and ‘Our Lady of Lourdes’ though there’s nothing I don’t like. A sufficient departure from Maximo Park, Paul Smith has produced a strong album in ‘Margins’, now back to your day job please! 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 11th October on Billingham Records
Album review: Superchunk – Majesty Shredding
Last modified on 2010-10-05 20:03:58 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
After a nine year hiatus American indie rock quartet Superchunk return with a new album ‘Majesty Shredding’. Since their last album ‘Here’s To Shutting Up’ was released in 2001 the band have played a handful of gigs and recorded the odd track, including a cover of The Cure’s ‘In Between Days’ for the excellent AV Club project Undercover, but have mainly been concentrating on their own record label Merge Records, home to The Arcade Fire.
Nine years ago Superchunk were making contemporary indie rock records, think a mix of Sugar, The Rembrandts and The Gigolo Aunts, and had quite a following. Now in 2010 musically the fans have grown older and the world has moved on but you could be forgiven for thinking that Superchunk had been cryogenically frozen and, when recently thawed out, got back together and picked up exactly where they left off. This has it good points and bad points, the bad is obviously that the band now sound extremely dated; the music has still a distinctly nineties indie sound that can’t be ignored. The good is that the guitar heavy songs have retained the same catchy hooks and pleasing melodies that they did so well, especially with ‘Crossed Wire’ and ‘Digging For Something’, either of which you can easily imagine being used for the soundtrack of an American thirty-something sitcom! Elsewhere on the album ‘Rope Light’ and ‘Learned To Surf’ are up there with the better songs while the slower and ultimately boring ‘Fractures in Plaster’ is the only track that disappoints.
So in a nutshell ‘Majesty Shredding’ is a good album, catchy and melodious but sounds dated! 3/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Merge Records
Buy ‘Majesty Shredding’ from hmv
Album review: Shrag- Life! Death! Prizes!
Last modified on 2010-10-08 11:53:15 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
God I hate Sundays. Here I sit feeling the effects of an excessive night of too much booze and too little sleep looking out on a cold grey wet afternoon and the X Factor is on TV. I’m in desperate of need of something to inject a little life into me so it’s a stroke of good fortune that Brighton quintet Shrag are just about to release their first proper album ‘Life! Death! Prizes!’ a pick-me-up if ever there was one!
The first thing that stands out is unlike a lot of bands on their second album, Shrag haven’t overdone the production values. Produced by the previous album’s knob twiddler Woodie Taylor (Morrissey’s drummer and producer of shouty indie pop Swedes Love is All), ‘Life! Death! Prizes!’ thankfully retains the lo-fi scuzzy feel of its predecessor. That’s not to say it’s without its slower melodic moments. Shrag cite their influences as The Au Pairs and the B52s but for me Shrag tend to veer between frenetic shouty indie pop in the vein of Bis, to more refined, mature indie pop songs reminiscent of Lush, and happily they excel at both.
Containing twelve tracks (interestingly split into two lots of six on the back cover – A side & B Side style?), ‘Life! Death! Prizes!’ features former single the ridiculously catchy ‘Rabbit Kids’ (see the video here), and live favourite, the dark and intense spoken word song ‘The Habit Creep’. Elsewhere, my favourites include the energetic ‘More Than Mornings’, and ‘A Certain Violence’ which starts proceedings with a cool bass intro followed by angular post punk guitars and what sounds like the whole band joining in on vocal duties. A special mention also to the gorgeous boy/girl call and response ‘Tights In August’, those duets get me every time!
‘Life! Death! Prizes!’ is an exceptional album bursting with fun, energy and great tunes; 43 minutes and 12 songs later and I feel like a new man, god bless you Shrag! 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Where It’s At Is Where You Are
Buy Shrag CDs from hmv:
Album review: Carl Barât – s/t
Last modified on 2010-10-02 16:24:56 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
It’s always struck me that Carl Barât is more famous for being Pete Doherty’s friend than for any achievement of his own, something that must grate somewhat, especially when it comes to the Libertines where he played an equal part but was always overshadowed by the shenanigans of his band mate. The two Dirty Pretty Things albums didn’t do much to help raise his profile, failing to set the charts alight, so Barât has finally decided to go it alone and release his self titled solo debut, and it’s quite a departure.
The album is full of tales of great friendships and lost loves. Still retaining the romantic lyricism of the Libertines (and interestingly released on his own Arcady label – he can’t seem to quite let go of the whole Arcadia thing), Jacques Brel’s influence is also apparent; (somewhere in the north amid the drunken hunting ground/upon a sticky nightclub floor, a willing rose I found – ‘The Fall’). Musically the album heralds a change in direction, a liberal dose of brass, strings and keys give most of the songs a Brechtian cabaret feel. There are some fine, well crafted songs here, in particular ‘So Long, My Lover’ and opener ‘The Magus’, but what could have been a great album is relegated to just a good album. Sadly it ends with more of a whimper than a bang as the remarkably drab and uninspiring ‘Ode To A Girl’ brings proceedings to a close, and he was doing so well! Nonetheless, it’s a good effort and one that should bring Barât some of the recognition he deserves. 3/5
Mark Cousens
Out 4th October on Arcady
Album review: Bellowhead – Hedonism
Last modified on 2010-09-30 23:07:55 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
I first came across Bellowhead a few years ago when a friend, knowing I liked a bit of folk music, took me along to see them play in Dartford. I still remember being in awe at how tight the 11 piece band were even though at times it looked they were off in their own little worlds, entirely oblivious to each other. I immediately bought and fell in love with ‘Burlesque’, playing it frequently until they released their second full length album. For some reason I struggled to connect with ‘Matachin’, so it was with some trepidation that I popped ‘Hedonism’ into the CD and pressed play!
My apprehension quickly evaporated as ‘Hedonism’ pumped through the stereo and track by track it became clear that order had been restored and Bellowhead had regained their mojo! With prominent brass and string sections and typically English folk finger-in-your-ear vocals, ‘Hedonism’ is an absolute gem. From ‘New York Girls’, a song about being robbed by whores, via ‘Broomfield Hill’ through to ‘Yarmouth Town’ Hedonism delivers traditional arrangements with modern day lyrics that sound so authentic that ‘Bellowhead’ might well have been born in the 19th century. Things go briefly pear shaped for ‘Little Sally Racket’ where the band get a little over excited and seem to have had a bit too much real ale, but it’s more than made up for by a superb cover of Jacques Brel’s ‘Amsterdam’. A bawdy collection of folk songs and sea shanties, Hedonism is a triumphant return to form. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 4th October on Navigator Records
EP review: What Would Jesus Drive – The Girls Are In Charge
Last modified on 2010-09-30 16:21:12 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
If there’s one thing I love in a song it’s boy/girl call and response vocals. By a remarkable stroke of luck ‘The Girls Are In Charge’, the second EP from electro punk outfit ‘What Would Jesus Drive’, happens to feature the call and response vocals of Tim and Amy. A spiky, angular, electro punk number, musically it’s slightly reminiscent of the Knack’s ‘My Sharona’. Lyrically it’s witty and entertaining in a ‘it’s funny because it’s true’ observational humour kind of way (Jack White finds it hard to be a gentleman/you find it easy to agree/I’ll bet his bird kept nicking his chips/when at the shop she said she didn’t want any). Elsewhere on the EP ‘Punches In Bunches’ successfully fuses art rock with punk and features the splendid lyric ‘na na na na na’, while ‘Masquerade’ is a more straight up rock song, including drumming that wouldn’t be out of place on a RATM record.The inclusion of a live version of ‘The Girls Are In Charge’ doesn’t really add anything but it’s such a good song I don’t mind hearing it twice! 4/5
Mark Cousens
Released 11th october by EyeSeeSound
Album review: Lupen Crook – The Pros and Cons of Eating Out
Last modified on 2010-10-11 11:29:53 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
It’s not often that something good comes out of the Medway Towns. Currently Billy Childish is the area’s best known musician, though he’s more famous for releasing records that don’t sell rather than storming the charts. So when in 2006 Lupen Crook came on the Medway music scene, sounding like a more lucid, better educated and musically more skilful version of Pete Doherty, people had high hopes. Over the next 4 years he released two albums and several singles, most of which received critical acclaim but failed to make much of impact in the public consciousness. Now on the eve of its release, will his third album fare any better?
‘The Pros and Cons of Eating Out’ is a real mix of styles and influences. Though the music is predominantly folk rock (albeit a modernised indie version) punk, Julian Cope, Pete Doherty, Bob Dylan, ska and the Pogues all seem to play a part in shaping Lupen Crook’s sound. While lyrically it’s sometimes aimed at the dark underbelly of the human psyche, sometimes romantic and ocasionally introspective but always sharp as a tack, musically it veers wildly from soft ballad to violently chaotic, sometimes in the same song. If this sounds bad trust me it’s not. For all its uncertainty in its identity ‘The Pros and Cons of Eating Out’ is a remarkably cohesive album and the different styles and influences within only serve to make it a more captivating and breathtaking listen. All the songs here are superb but my favourite is ‘Ode To Fucking Everyone’ a song about being an outsider and intolerance in society (So this ode to fucking everyone and all of us that don’t belong/the irish black and the british brown/to the mosque they built in Chatham town).
If there’s any justice in the world this will herald the start of a successful career for Lupen Crook, but then if there were any justice in the world every single X-Factor winner would have their tongues ripped out so they could never murder another song. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Album review: Davey Woodward – 6 Miles East Of Here 5 Miles North Of Nowhere
Last modified on 2010-09-28 20:48:54 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
In the mid-eighties Davey Woodward was the singer/songwriter with indie pop band The Brilliant Corners. Back then the songs were super catchy jangly guitar numbers and Davey’s lyrics were full of teenage angst. Twenty odd years later and his lyrics still reflect life, but now the guitars are acoustic and the songs are of middle aged contentment, the type people love to play at dinner parties, right? Wrong! Davey Woodward may be older but his angst has stayed loyal to him – it too has just grown a bit older.
And so we have his debut solo album ‘6 Miles East Of Here 5 Miles North Of Nowhere’. Setting out it’s stall early it kicks off with the forlorn ‘Everyone’s Dying’ (why don’t you fuck off and leave me alone/everyone’s dying and everyone’s gone) and proceeds through tales of growing older and regret, loneliness and infidelity. The songs though less poppy than the ‘Corners in their heyday, are still beautifully crafted and lyrically as sharp as ever; in particular the stunning ‘Copacabana Pills’ (A million magazines that make you feel bad/when you’re getting old you put on the flab/never made a shirt look so bad/trying to pull in this place it’s just sad) would surely resonate with pretty much every C86 era indie kid who hasn’t thrown in the musical towel and embraced the likes of James Blunt.
Whether it’ll gain much of a new audience remains to be seen, but ‘6 Miles East Of Here 5 Miles North Of Nowhere’ is an excellent, if slightly grumpy collection of songs. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 4th October on Wearitwell Records
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EP review: The Crookes – Dream of Another Day
Last modified on 2010-09-27 16:24:47 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
In lieu of their forthcoming full length debut album, Sheffield quartet The Crookes have put together ‘Dream of Another Day’ as way of clearing the decks of their older songs, some of which have never been released. The romantic indie popsters formed in 2007 after meeting at Uni. I know what you’re thinking – ‘uh oh, another pretentious art school band’ but no! These four boys from Sheffield, home of art school heroes The Human League and Heaven 17, actually met while studying literature though that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not pretentious!
‘Dream of Another Day’ features 7 tracks including a stripped down cover of Richard Hawley’s ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’, which made me do a double take as it sounds like Gene. Generally the songs are nice enough; lead track ‘Backstreet Lovers’ features some nice handclaps and ‘Yes, Yes, We Are Magicians’ features some highly unusual beatnik style finger clicking while minute long closing track ‘Mrs Porter’ sounds like a carry-on version of an Oscar Wilde ditty.
Pretentious? Not really, but it’s also nothing new. There’s nothing actually wrong with ‘Dream of Another Day’ but is a little too close to another bunch of indie romantics; the Crookes sound like a safe version of the Libertines, i.e. a band for those who find Pete and Carl a bit too ramshackle and intimidating. 2/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Fierce Panda
www.myspace.com/thecrookesmusic
Single review: Bear in Heaven/ Weird Wives split
Last modified on 2010-09-17 21:25:28 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
An unusual release this one. Not available on download, CD or even the beloved 7” vinyl, this split single, released on U.S. indie label Workerbee Records is available on its own or as part of a subscription to the label’s Ugly Singles Club on cassette only.
First we have Band in Heaven with the brilliantly title Summer Bummer, a brisk 2 minutes of first class shoegazing, followed by the more melodic but equally noisy and brisk Suicide Pact, which features an awesome relentless bassline that gives the song an urgent and slightly bleak feel.
Next up are garage rockers Weird Wives. As well as vocalist Nick Klein and Allison Grabenhorst , Weird Wives count among their numbers two members of Surfer Blood; Guitarist Thomas Fekete and bassist Brian Black. Head Bugs is really good and starts as pretty straightforward garage rock, featuring some nice backing woo-hoos, but check out the odd break towards the end before the beat resumes as the track draws to an end. Wet Blanket is an instrumental (bar a bit of screaming) and it’s ok but personally I like to hear singing in songs! All in all a pretty good split and an excellent way of getting new bands out there.
Mark Cousens
www.workerbeerecords.com
www.myspace.com/thebandinheaven
www.myspace.com/weirdwives
Album review: No Age – Everything In Between
Last modified on 2010-09-28 11:49:19 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Rising from the ashes of hardcore punk band Wives, Dean Spunt and Randy Randall formed No Age in 2005. Five years on and with two critically acclaimed under their belts, the duo return with their third album ‘Everything In Between’. Still ostensibly a punk/noise rock band, what I find most interesting about ‘No Age’ is that dig down underneath the layers of noise and feedback, and you have to do some digging, and you’ll find some well crafted slacker pop songs, the kind the Lemonheads were so adept at, with great riffs and it’s this understanding of the need for good tunes underpinning the songs that makes No Age such an exciting proposition.
Of the 13 tracks on ‘Everything In Between’, my favourites are the full throttle rollercoaster rides of ‘Fever Dreaming’ and ‘Shred and Transcend’ purely for the head nodding adrenalin rush, though my neck might disagree with that. Elsewhere on the album ‘Chem Trails’ features vocals reminiscent of Stiff Little Fingers’ Jake Burns There are a couple of tracks that with tighter quality control might not have made the cut, in particular ‘Sorts’ which starts slowly and, though it builds up, doesn’t seem to know where to go. That aside ‘Everything In Between’ is pretty damn good, and best played loud! 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 27th September on Sub Pop
Album review: The Fades – Muvva I’m A Drunk
Last modified on 2010-09-17 18:00:27 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
The Fades, formed in Richmond by brothers James and David Lightfoot, started life as Petrol Bomb and changed to the Fades when, in 2002, they were joined by guitarist Jonny Barnard. Since then they’ve released several singles an EP and a self-titled album, toured Italy and Germany, supported Art Brut and been playlisted by Steve Lamacq, Zane Lowe and XFM to name but a few. Over the years these punk rockers have gained quite a following, especially in Italy and Germany, and it’s by the fan’s request that The Fades returned to the studio for the first time in nearly 3 years to record ‘Muvva I’m A Drunk’.
The Fades wanted to produce an album that captured the energy and punk spirit of their incendiary live shows, so it was decided that rather than go through the usual studio process of liny down tracks and knob twiddling they would record the album live in the studio in front of a small gathering. The result is 10 adrenalin pumped live favourites from the band’s back catalogue, including classic singles ‘You Say’ and ‘Social Misfit’ (it don’t take much to get me down/I gotta be realistic/I walk around with my head in the clouds/I’m a social misfit) as well as brilliant new track ‘Free Camera’ which sees singer David reduced to spitting fuck off/fuck you into the microphone. The prize for the best song on the album though goes to the hilariously rowdy cover of ‘I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing’. Brilliant. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 27th September on Cranky Girl Records
Album review: Abe Vigoda – Crush
Last modified on 2010-09-15 21:21:58 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Named after the American actor best known for his portrayal of Sal Tessio in classic gangster flick The Godfather, Abe Vigoda are a quartet from Chino California who started out life as a pretty atrocious tropical punk band. Fortunately around the time of their third album ‘Skeleton’ they had something of epiphany and dropped the tropical punk in favour of synth rock. Now on the eve of the release of ‘Crush’ their fourth long player Abe Vigoda are starting to make some waves.
Kicking of proceedings with’ Sequins’, it’s quickly obvious that the Cure feature high on Abe Vigoda’s list of influences especially in the breathless vocals of Juan Velasquez. In fact throughout the album the band’s love of eighties new romantic/new wave music is quite apparent. Musically they’re a cross between the disco of ‘Same Old Scene’ era Roxy Music,the post punk of the Psychedelic Furs and the synth pop of the Human League. While vocally Velasquez treats us to a variety of pretty good impressions, including the aforementioned Robert Smith, David Bowie, Phil Oakey, Billy Mackenzie and various other new romantic heroes.
That’s not to say it’s just a pointless copy of what’s gone before, in fact far from it. I’m a massive fan of those early eighties new romantics and with ‘Crush’ Abe Vigoda have made an album that not only includes some really good songs, especially ‘To Tears’ and ‘Pure Violence’ but also sounds authentically eighties. ‘Crush’ could easily sit alongside ‘The Head On The Door’ or ‘Dare’ and hold its head high. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 20th September on Bella Union
Album review: Nick Marsh – A Universe Between Us
Last modified on 2010-09-15 20:12:32 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Nick Marsh is probably best known as the singer in 80s gothic rock band Flesh For Lulu. When they split in 1992 Marsh took on lead guitar duties in London’s gypsy blues outfit The Urban Voodoo Machine and now, as a side project, he has released his debut solo album ‘A Universe Between us’.
Though he’s been making music for some years, time has treated him and his voice well; the first thing to strike me when I put on this CD is just how good his baritone, velvety voice still is. The other thing that’s immediately obvious is how well it fits his chosen style of music, which is probably best described as dark lounge performed by a mariachi in 1950s LA. Think Nick Cave mixed with Burt Bacharach and you’d be in the right ballpark but there’s many other influences at play here; Dick Dale, Leonard Cohen, The Tindersticks, Rufus Wainwright, David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino all seem to have played a part in shaping the sound but the end result is undeniably Marsh’s.
Lyrically he treads a fine line and in less capable hands ‘A Universe Between Us’ could sound like a corny pastiche but for the most part Marsh’s skill as a songwriter sees him through. When he fails though, he fails massively, most notably on the lamentable ‘Best Shag in the World’ which could just as easily have been written by David Brent. The inclusion of an instrumental ‘El Deludo’ seems unnecessary but there are some great songs here, in particular ‘Destiny Angel’ and ‘The Smokin’ Gun’ that on the whole make it an enjoyable album. 3/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Bellissima
www.myspace.com/nickmarshmusic
Single review: Erland & The Carnival – The Derby Ram
Last modified on 2010-09-13 12:55:14 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
There are an awful lot of folk bands around at the moment, most of whom seem to focus on the more dreamy wistful side. Erland & the Carnival on the other hand take a rockier, and in the case of this, the latest single to be taken from their eponymous debut album, a much darker approach. For ‘The Derby Ram’ they have taken a traditional English folk song, originally a comical tale about a Ram of gargantuan proportions and the problems involved in butchering it, and adapted it into the sad and shocking modern tale of the suicide of Shaun Dykes.
Dykes was 17 years old when he jumped to his death from the roof a city centre car park in 2008. The most shocking part of the story is that he was egged on and filmed using mobile phones by a baying crowd of shoppers below who had gathered to watch and shout abuse at him. The lyrics to ‘The Derby Ram’, all of which were taken from an article in the Telegraph, are formed around quotes from friends, the local constabulary, the vicar and social services. Rather than taking a stance on the story, Erland & The Carnival stick to the facts, just telling it as it happened.
An unusual song with an uncomfortable subject matter but a great example of why Erland and The Carnival are making such waves and a great advert for their debut album. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 20th September on Full Time Hobby
Album review: Junip – Fields
Last modified on 2010-09-28 11:48:00 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Even longer in the making than Chinese Democracy, Junip’s debut has finally arrived, though it would be fair to say the levels of anticipation for ‘Fields’ has not been quite as great. Formed in 1998 in Gothenburg, Sweden, Junip features Tobias Winterkorn (keyboards), Elias Araya (drums) and Jose Gonzalez (vocals/guitar) whose solo career has been a major contribution in the delay of ‘Fields’. But now it’s here, was it worth the wait?
More an album to listen to in the afternoon sun than an album to get you revved up for a night on the town, ‘Fields’ is an album of pleasant melodies and quiet contemplation. It’s influences are so varied there’s not really anyone to draw a direct comparison with, but listen carefully and you’ll find african rhythms, folk-jazz, soul, krautrock, and psychedelic rock all working in perfect harmony to produce songs which probably share a spiritual connection with Field Music more than anyone else.
Of the eleven tracks here the strongest are ‘Always’, ‘In Every Direction’ which has shades of The Stone Roses, and ‘Off Point’, all three of which also happen to be the liveliest tracks which I think says something about the album. Whilst it’s a pleasant album I’m not sure it’s not one I’d necessarily listen to frequently, though if I was hosting a dinner party I’d rather play this than anything by Coldplay, James Blunt et al! 3/5
Mark Cousens
Out 20th September on City lang / Co-Operative Music
Album review: The Black Angels – Phosphene Dream
Last modified on 2010-09-12 22:17:51 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
The third long player from Texan psychedelic rockers The Black Angels sees a maturity in their music. All the usual elements are still there, the spaced out vocals, the swirling psychedelic organ and the heavy guitar riffs but it sounds more laid back and more confident than the previous two efforts. It’s also better produced, which for a lot of bands can be the kiss of death; a band’s first album is produced on a budget and has a raw energy, then the record labels get hold of them and before you know it an expensive producer has managed to gloss it up and in the process lose all that energy that made them so good in the first place. Well in this instance the expensive producer is Dave Sardy (Oasis, Wolfmother, Black Mountain) and although he has indeed glossed it up in this instance he has actually managed to improve their sound.
As for the songs, there are nine in total adding up to a lean 41 minutes. For the most part the songs aren’t that far removed from Passover and Directions to See A Ghost, the majority pretty much at home in the 1970s, though they seem to have added The Doors to their list of influences, especially with Christian Bland’s vocals. The tracks that really stand out are ‘Sunday Afternoon’ with its wobbly guitars, ‘Telephone’ which sounds like it was recorded a decade earlier and album opener ‘Bad Vibrations’ for no other reason than it had my head bobbing up and down like one of those irritating nodding dog things that idiots have on the parcel shelf of their car. 3/5
Mark Cousens
Out 13th September on Blue Horizon
www.myspace.com/theblackangels
Single Review: Ramona – How Long
Last modified on 2010-09-11 18:26:09 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
It’s no coincidence that this 4 piece from Brighton chose the name Ramona for their band, in fact the only real shock is that the intro for ‘How Long’ doesn’t include the legendary chant of ‘Hey Ho Let’s Go’. Ramona, you see are a band whose heart and soul belong in the sadly defunct CBGBs. Sounding somewhere between the punk energy and speed guitars of the Ramones and the poppier, melody rich tunes of Blondie, their songs are short (both songs here come in at 3 minutes), spiky and full of attitude. They also happen to be well written; debut single ‘How Long’, a perfect 3 minutes of punk pop about being trapped, includes the great lines ‘22 still can’t pay my rent/Let’s begin my decent into madness/it’s better than sadness’. B-side ‘Steve McQueen’ is an altogether slower affair but still bursting with energy and attitude, it also contains probably the most abrupt ending I’ve ever heard! On the strength of this I look forward to hearing more. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 13th September on Bullitt Records
www.myspace.com/weloveramona
Album review: Crocodiles – Sleep Forever
Last modified on 2010-09-11 19:40:21 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Crocodiles, a duo hailing from San Diego, are Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell. Last year the pair released their debut album ‘Summer of Hate’ which not only received a remarkable amount of critical acclaim (Rolling Stone magazine declared ‘Welcome to the art-punk renaissance’) but also secured them support slots for bands like Holy Fuck and The Horrors. Now they return with their second long player ‘Sleep Forever’.
Keeping to the same formula, ‘Sleep Forever’ has shades of The Velvet Underground and Primal Scream blended with the kind of fuzzy guitars favoured by the likes of shoegaze heavyweights The Jesus and Mary Chain. Added to the mix are lo-fi production, a disco beat that makes the whole thing danceable and, like the JAMC, gorgeous pop melodies poking their head up through the fuzz and feedback all working in unison to reel you in. The result is astonishing.
‘Sleep Forever’ kicks off with slow burner ‘Mirrors’ with just over minute before drums and guitars kick in and the song explodes into hook ridden loveliness. Elsewhere amongst the eight tracks you’ll find the dream-like ‘Girl in Black’, a welcome respite from the relentless guitars, ‘Hollow Hollow Eyes’ my favourite track on the album and ‘All My Hate and Hexes Are For You’ which though a little repetitive is a shoo-in for the prize for best song title 2010.
If I had one issue it would be that there’s nothing really new here, they do sound similar to JAMC but as they aren’t making any new records anymore there’s a void which Crocodiles are more than capable of filling. Besides when all is said and done this is a cracking album brimming with great tunes and that’s all that really matters! 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 13th September on Fat Possom Records
www.myspace.com/crocodilescrocodilescrocodiles
Album Review: Grinderman – Grinderman 2
Last modified on 2010-09-28 13:22:12 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
I’m sure you know by now that Grinderman is the side project of Nick Cave and three of the Bad Seeds, Warren Ellis, Jim Sclavunos and Martyn P. Casey. Totally unconcerned with commercial success Grinderman man seems to be the conduit through which the four players can release their inner beasts without alienating their considerable Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds fanbase.
The second album from Cave and his not so merry men, Grinderman 2 takes us back into the familiar junkyard blues territory of its predecessor, still as uncompromising but with a harder and rawer edge. Featuring the unmistakable combination of Cave’s voice and Ellis’ violin, the whole album has the feel of being played live rather than the laying down of tracks, like a band experimenting and jamming but within a tight framework. Consisting of nine tracks, the album’s strongest is the oddly titled ‘Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Men’. Starting slowly with some string bending guitar before Sclavunos’ drums pound and Cave sings the immortal blues opening of ‘I woke up this morning….’ to the backing of Casey’s bass riff, the song finishes in an acid blues orgy of violins, drums and guitars. Elsewhere tracks like ‘Heathen Child’ (the first to be released as a single), ‘Worm Tamer’ and ‘Evil’ keep the adrenalin pumping while ‘When my Baby Comes, She Comes’ slows things down and ‘What I Know’ is positively tender with Cave’s soft vocals against acoustic guitar and rhythmic drums.
Occasionally intimidating and unpredictable but always satisfying, Grinderman 2 is an album that pulses with dirty blues and sexual undertones, both in the lyrics and the music. Fantastic! 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out 13th September on Mute Records
Single Review: Sleepy Sun – Marina
Last modified on 2010-09-04 11:11:40 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
California’s Sleepy Sun are fairly well known for taking inspiration from Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young amongst others in order to produce their blend of acid tinged psychedelic rock. In single Marina they seem to have gone a step further – the intro sounds like a slowed down, psyched up, lo-fi version of the Beatles ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, before leading into more familiar territory of pleasant enough dual vocals courtesy of Rachel Fannan and Brett Constantino backed by psychedelic rock.
The song is pretty good for the first 3.45 minutes, where it succeeds most is that it evokes an amazing feeling of being in the sun drenched Californian desert, while in reality I’m sitting in my lounge on a grey, windy day in the Medway Towns! Then at 3.46 minutes the song takes a sudden twist, the guitar drop out and the drums turn tribal (think Santana’s Jingo), which lasts for about a minute before normality resumes for the final minute of the song. Now I don’t mind songs being unpredictable but the change is so drastic that at first I thought the song had ended and we were on the next track. It just doesn’t work. It’s a shame because I really like Sleepy Sun, on the whole their album is very good. Maybe they need some to keep them in check and pull things back when they let things slip into self-indulgence like this. 3/5
Mark Cousens
Out 6th September
Album Review: The Brilliant Corners – Somebody Up There Likes Me / Joyride
Last modified on 2010-09-03 21:55:29 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
The review for this is a little late (it was released on 16th August) but since I got the album I’ve been too busy listening to it on repeat and reminscing to write! Besides, as no one else seems to have mentioned this re-release from mid-eighties indie poppers The Brilliant Corners, I thought I’d try and give them the recognition they deserve!
Formed in Bristol in 1983 by Davey Woodward (singer/guitarist/writer), Chris Galvin (bass) & Bob Morris (drums), The Brilliant Corners career spanned 10 years. They never quite ‘made it’ it terms of commercial success though they always seemed to be on the verge of breaking through into the mainstream, but were highly regarded in indie circles. The band released 10 singles (6 of which made the top 20 of the UK indie chart), 2 mini albums and 4 full length albums, the first two of which feature in this double CD. Both disks contains extra tracks which were not on the original releases but were included on CDs reissued in 1994 & 1995 for the Canadian market.
‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’ originally released in 1988 saw the Brilliant Corners at their poppiest period, featuring trumpets and the trademark indie pop jangly guitars. With impossibly catchy and brilliantly written songs like ‘Teenage’ (nothing ever happens and I guess it never will/but a young boys passions can make you very ill) and ‘Oh!’, The Brilliant Corners displayed a knack for writing songs that were guaranteed to get you singing along.
By the time ‘Joyride’ was released almost exactly a year later the ‘Corners sound had matured. The songs took a slightly darker turn and while the jangly guitars remained they took a back seat to make way for a more prominent percussion. It was still a solid album, and though it spawned no singles there are some great stand out tracks, especially the wistful ‘Nothing’ and ‘You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are’ with its tribal drums, stilted vocals and angular guitars.
A great re-issue from Cherry Red that makes me wonder how they never quite reached the dizzy heights of some of their peers. 4/5
www.thebrilliantcorners.co.uk
Out now on Cherry Red
Gig Review: Arcade Fire, Berlin Tempodrom. 31/8/10
Last modified on 2010-09-01 18:11:13 GMT. 3 comments. Top.
For me this was a much anticipated gig. Not just because I had been trying to pin down Arcade Fire for about four years now, but this was also the first gig with my delightful German girlfriend who was kind enough to blag us the two tickets (guest list and lounge access – thank you very much!). Venue-wise, I must say I’d been expecting something more akin to the O2 but Berlin Tempodrom is far more intimate than that with floor space half the size of Brixton Academy and amphitheatre style free-seating (!) thus ensuring a pretty good view from wherever you choose in the auditorium. We chose the floor.
Anyhow, to the music… First up the greatly unanticipated Owen Pallett who I’d been tracking for oh, at least a good 24 hours now. Quite the dapper chap, cutting a figure like Tim Ten Yen’s little brother on dress-down Friday after a Thursday night out. And the look was not the only similarity as the backing tracks kicked in. But this is as far as that analogy goes unless Tim Ten Yen ‘does classics’ means anything to anyone? Cue the next shameless reference – Nigel Kennedy…! Fiddling away like his life depended on it (sometimes plucking the strings with his hands “à la Hendrix”), he delivers a performance that warms the crowd in a way that I’m pretty sure no one expected. He also proceeds to confirm his true ancestry – that he is in fact the lovechild of the aforementioned Messrs.Ten Yen and Kennedy but with a hefty dose of Marc Almond’s seed (best not to delve further into that) and a dash of Thom Yorke. Keeping up? Let’s summarise-a dishevelled Tim Ten Yen gets up on stage armed to the teeth with backing tracks, arms flailing, playing violin like Nigel Kennedy, delivering Almond-esque vocals with a wobbly head and song structure that Thom Yorke would be proud of… It was clear from the outset that at the very least this would be an ‘experience’. Oh, and apparently he wrote a song about Arcade Fire – nice work fella! He even joined them on stage at one point which is a bit like the ball boy playing in the cup final but a nice gesture indeed. Come to think of it, I might try penning an ode to Metallica and see if I can join their world tour!
All in all he was pretty damned good, strangely complimenting the main event and even getting a rousing ovation at the end. I’m pretty sure these shenanigans won’t translate well to my trusted hi-fi but we will see!
So to the main event. As a preamble I must admit that I’d been doing my homework, having even gone to the lengths of buying a physical copy of the CD! So this was no even contest – my many years worth of expectations had been buoyed sky high. Having been ‘complimented’ rather than upstaged by Mr.Pallett, the floor was theirs for the taking. And take it they did. They started at 100 miles an hour and giving it 110% (that’s one for all you football fans), and this was the way it was set to stay. With Win Butler sweating from the first chord and Régine Chassagne’s hair getting inexplicably bigger with each powerfully and perfectly delivered note (at the end she resembled Kevin Keegan ca.1977), it was evident that this would be quickly elevated into my top ten – and this is a top ten that hasn’t been touched for some time. I’m reticent to use such a word of course but I daresay I have NEVER seen such a group of accomplished musicians play with such intensity and so well together. I always knew there were a fair few in the band but if you’d told me there were 100 of them, I’d probably have believed you or at least started counting. Such was the frankly sickening way that they moved seamlessly around the stage from instrument to instrument, playing each as well and with the same vigour as the last. Truly shocking. But I didn’t come here to judge a talent contest of musicianship. I came to hear a band play some songs that I like. But which ones? To be completely honest, I’d tried boning up on possible setlists from recent gigs but it was clear from the outset that this is not a band that likes to play the same set every night. And this is probably the band most capable of chopping and changing their set according to mood, such is the talent on display. Kicking off (appropriately) with ‘Ready to Start’, the crowd was lifted to a great height never to be returned to earth. On a personal level I discovered new meanings in some of the songs and a renewed enthusiasm. To me, the second song ‘No Cars Go’ was (perhaps controversially) a weak single. But then I didn’t have the full facts of course – Arcade Fire’s music is most definitely meant to be heard live. That’s not to compare to the frankly many other bands I’ve seen that are crap on CD but “rock” live but rather to say that their songs have multiple levels and the top echelons are only achieved when witnessing them as Win and the gang had intended. In fact this chasing nirvana (notice the small “n”) was quite a theme. In many ways the entire gig was like having sex with Sting (and I am using this shocking and disturbing imagery to make a point about the tantric nature of it) in that the crowd was held on the point of ecstasy for the duration, only achieving carnal satisfaction as Wake Up suitably “climaxed” the evening. Oh and did I mention that they played every other conceivable song that I would have wished for along the way? Well they did. My personal highlight was ‘Neighbourhood (Part I – Tunnels)’ and this was clearly shared by many of my fellow concert goers, but some of the new songs resonated equally well with the crowd. ‘The Suburbs’, ‘Sprawl II’ and ‘We Used to Wait’ to name but three. The low point was that Win Butler had only learnt one word of German (danke) very badly but to be honest no one cared and that’s just being picky – after all, this is a world tour and this is a band where the music said far more than any meaningless banter. A criticism? Well, I don’t know if this counts (and this is really looking hard for something) but they were almost too perfect. They had everything – intensity, immense talent and professionalism, a real love of their trade and a willingness to please. Did it make my top 10? No. It made my top 3 although don’t tell The Pixies that they’ve been edged out!
It is clear from this gig and the way that the new songs were received that Arcade Fire still has a lot left to offer and are very much on top of their game. Some people have called ‘The Suburbs’ Arcade Fire’s ‘OK Computer’ moment but that is simply bollocks. They are much better than that…
*Cliché warning* – 11 out of 10.
Nick Clout
www.arcadefire.com
www.myspace.com/arcadefireofficial
www.myspace.com/owenpallettmusic
www.myspace.com/timtenyen
Single Review: Crippled Black Phoenix – I, Vigilante (EP)
Last modified on 2010-09-04 11:19:19 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Crippled Black Phoenix is a British prog-rock supergroup formed in 2004 by members of various other bands including Mogwai. Since then they have recorded three full length albums and undergone many personnel changes. Though they released two studio albums last year, most of the songs from those albums were written and recorded in 2007 so the band, desperate to work on something new in lieu of an album, went back into the studio and I, Vigilante is the result.
As is typical of prog-rock, although it consists of only 5 tracks, ‘I, Vigilante’ lasts an astonishing 45 minutes. It’s no surprise that Crippled Black Phoenix don’t release singles, at an average 9 minutes long no station (except maybe 6music) would play them. This is a shame because despite their length the songs her are really well composed. Much like Pink Floyd, they aren’t in any rush to get to the meat and potatoes of the song, on ‘We Forgotten Who We Are’ they take a full three minutes of gorgeous piano (which, by the way would make an awesome film score) before the rest of the band join in. This isn’t necessarily an EP to suit any occasion, the music ebbs and flows, moving from delicate pianos to soaring guitars and back again all the time hiding dark undertones. To do it justice you really need to play it right through and give it your undivided attention, but if you can afford 45 minutes of lying on the sofa with your eyes shut it’s an immensely rewarding listen! 3/5
Mark Cousens
Out 6th September on Invada
www.myspace.com/crippledblackphoenix
Gig Review: Reading Festival 2010 – Friday 27th August
Last modified on 2010-08-31 13:31:01 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
We arrived at the festival with just a day ticket in the back pocket for the second year running…a day ticket that cost as much as a weekend pass when I started attending in 1999.
We made the trip from the car park down to the arena via the long-running boat service (I still resent them moving all parking offsite in 2006!) and collected our wristbands upon entering the festival. Our trip to the arena was quickly stopped about ten metres into the campsite when we ran into familiar faces – the sister of Alice, my friend Jon’s girlfriend. We stopped and asked them how the weekend had started and what affect the mud had on proceedings. After a few minutes conversation, we moved on towards the arena, where we saw one of the highlights of the day – ‘The 95 Bar’.
A new idea at the festival this year, and a welcome homage to past festivals, is the addition of each bar being named after a particular Reading Festival. Dotted around the arena were ‘The 72 Bar’, ‘The 82 Bar’, ‘The 89 Bar’, ‘The 79 Bar’ and, my personal favourite, ‘The 95 Bar’. Each bar was headed up with the names of bands that played that year and some famous quotes to accompany them. It was a nice touch and showed that the festival hasn’t entirely moved away from it’s roots.
Once in the arena, we saw some familiar faces on the main stage. NoFX (***) returned to Reading after five years away and fifteen years since their debut appearance. They bring their usual mix of humour and punk rock to the crowd, who don’t seem all that familiar with the band but are seemingly won over by Fat Mike & Co’s gags. Despite being seen as a joke band, NoFX are politically aware and interject the immature with some interesting views. Not a bad start to the entertainments.
Next up on the main stage are Lostprophets (*), a band whose popularity has always baffled me. It surprises me that anyone is duped by their faux-rock ‘anthems’, but the crowd seem to lap up song after song by the longstanding emo troop. The stage is adorned not once but twice with the motto of the band: “MEGA LOLZ!!!” – a slogan that further distances me from their teenage girl fan base. A detour the bar is in quick order.
Once we’ve visited ‘The 79 Bar’, we arrive back at the main stage to find a bigger crowd enjoying Biffy Clyro (***) opening with the popular single ‘That Golden Rule’, which goes down very well with the masses. It’s a song that I don’t mind by a band that I don’t mind. They continue through a setlist based around their more recent offerings that seems to please most people, although a few mutterings are heard about them deserting their earlier material. But I can’t blame them for having a bias towards the songs that have taken them further and further up the line-up at Reading. ‘Bubbles’, ‘The Captain’, ‘God and Satan’ and ‘Mountains’ are also played and the crowd give heavy applause before retreating towards the Radio 1/NME Tent.
Next up are Reading regulars Queens of the Stone Age (***), who disappointed me when I saw them at Reading 2005 and 2008, although I enjoyed them at Reading 2001. Before the show there are rumours that the charismatic Nick Oliveri had returned to the band, but these appear unfounded once Josh Homme and his band stride onto the stage and promise the dwindled crowd “Something special”. A couple of old school hits (‘Feel Good Hit of the Summer’ and ‘The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret’) get things off to a promising start, but the lacklustre ’3′s and 7′s’ softens the pace soon after. But the temp is soon returned to a higher pace culminating in a crescendo of a crowd sing-along to ‘No One Knows’ and then a blistering rendition of ‘A Song For The Dead’. Despite not being one of my favourite bands, they are always a passable live act.
And then we wait (and wait!) for the reason our foursome attended the festival – Guns N’ Roses (****). Despite arriving an hour late onstage and receiving either boos or eerie silence from the masses, I enjoyed Axl Rose and his current incarnation of GnR. The band are easily the most able and skilful of those on offer today (and the entire weekend, for that matter) and prove it by reeling out classics like ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, ‘It’s So Easy’ and ‘Mr Brownstone’ in quick succession. The band is so tight that the newer songs from ‘Chinese Democracy’ sound much better than on record – and yet still minimal applause. It’s the most indifferent and lukewarm reception I have ever seen given to a headline band and yet it does not surprise me one bit. A Reading Festival crowd circa 1999-2005 would have loved this band and performance – and even the theatre of the hour delay in waiting for Axl to get onstage. This remains one of the biggest names in rock music today, but not for those that attend Reading Festival in 2010.
Despite the lack of reception, the band plug on and continue to reel off GnR classics in the shape of ‘Live and Let Die’, ‘Rocket Queen’ and ‘You Could Be Mine’…which are met with the same reaction…a mixture of boos and lifelessness. And still the band push on and even gain the only cheer of the set: for the intro of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’. But the sudden positive twist is incredibly short-lived and the song barely gains applause once completed. And it actually seems that many people had turned up just to express their disappointment with the choice of headliner – which again highlights just how much this festival has changed.
Axl Rose leaves the stage for what is probably his fifth or sixth outfit change of the show and darkness descends. From the shadows emerges a rendition of Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)’ that seems lost on most attendees, but goes down very well with me. It was haunting and poignant in terms of the musical education that the average punter at Reading could do with.
Shortly after the band work through a criminally poorly received ‘November Rain’ (the most epic song of the day by a distance) and a powerful run-through of ‘Nightrain’…which is in full flow when Axl Rose can be heard saying “It looks like that’s it. They’ve told us to get off.” Yet the band continue to rip through the ‘Appetite For Destruction’ classic without Rose’s voice until the finish. It’s midnight and gradually each aspect of the stage is shutdown, from the mics and instruments to the screens and lights. A rather angry GnR are left of the stage to protest the shutdown, but there is nothing they can do about it. The band remain onstage and work a sing-along of ‘Paradise City’ with the remaining few in the crowd, but it’s a hollow finish to what will be seen as a mess of a headline show. Axl Rose can really have nobody else to blame but himself for being cut off before their set was complete. Had he not decided to arrive on stage an hour after their start time, he would’ve long finished up before the midnight switch off. It’s yet another poor show to fans who pay good money to see Rose and the band of his selection going by the classic name of Guns N’ Roses. He does have good taste in musicians though, as the band he has assembled are all hugely able with their instruments and proved it here.
We walked away from the main stage and headed towards the boat that would take us back to our car before the seemingly long drive home. An interesting day that was capped off by Axl Rose making a bit of fool of himself…but musically, they certainly delivered.
Oliver Martin
Album review: Jim Jones Revue – Burning Down Your House
Last modified on 2010-09-04 11:17:04 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
The Jim Jones Revue have been playing their own turbo-charged take on Rock ‘n’ Roll since 2007. Jones was previously the lead singer of hard rock band Thee Hypnotics and you can hear his rock influences in ‘Burning Down Your House’, the band’s second album. The first self-titled album received much critical acclaim but failed to make much of an impact on the nation’s musical landscape. So will ‘Burning Down Your House’ fair any better?
The Jim Jones Revue are most often compared to Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis and with the prominent and frantic piano, it’s a fair comparison. The album is an explosive and energetic burst of old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll fused with the seventies stoner rock of bands like the MC5. With most songs coming in at under three minutes and loaded with attitude it packs one hell of a punch. ‘Burning Down Your House’ is liberally sprinkled with infectious hook spliced into its 12 bar blues. Album opener ‘Dishonest John’ and the fast and furious ‘Killing Spree’ are probably the best songs but the whole album works really well, especially when it’s played very, very loud!
Mark Cousens
out 6th September
www.myspace.com/thejimjonesrevue
Album Review: Super Wild Horses – Fifteen
Last modified on 2010-09-04 11:21:01 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Listening to Super Wild Horses you would think that they were a band with three, maybe four members. You certainly wouldn’t think that two nice Aussie girls could make so make much noise between them. Melbourne duo Hayley and Amy, aka Super Wild Horses are here to prove you wrong. Loaded with attitude, lo-fi production values, loosely played sparse instruments (guitars, drums and organs) and dual vocals Super Wild Horses play it loud, abrasive and fast yet retain enough cool pop melodies that make them immensely accessible.
Formed in 2009, Super Wild Horses already have one sold out EP and support slots with Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Jon Spencer under their belts and now release their punchy debut long player ‘Fifteen’. Comprising of 11 tracks it is a brash, confident mix of alt. pop, post punk and garage rock, and some of the loudest and most energetic music I have heard for some time. Sounding somewhere between the Breeders and Bikini Kill they provide a much needed respite from the vast amount of nice, summery folk we seem to be awash with at the moment. My favourite track, simply because it has the catchiest tune, is ‘Adrian’ though the album is strong throughout. If Super Wild Horses can sound this good on record they should be mind-blowing live, I only hope they don’t leave it too long before they visit the UK. 4/5
Mark Cousens
Out now on Hozac Records
www.myspace.com/superwildhorses
www.hozacrecords.com
Album Review: Les Bellas – Belladelic
Last modified on 2010-08-24 19:55:31 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Hailing from Perpignan, Les Bellas were formed in 2003 out of the ashes of various other garage rock bands such as Les Gardiens Du Canigou and Les Beach Bitches. In 2005 they released two singles ‘Electrified’ and ‘Hey, I’m Going Down’ which were soon followed by the offer of a single album deal with a famous West Coast garage punk label. Sadly the deal disintegrated before the album saw the light of day and soon after Les Bellas called it a day and went on to other projects.
Three years on Les Bellas are still doing other things but the unreleased album has been picked up and jointly released by Parisian labels Sdz and Les Disques Steak, and that is something of a result because the album is stunning. Les Bellas are essentially a garage rock band and their music has a distinctly authentic 60s garage feel to it with its echoey vocals and fuzz tone distortion effects but the story doesn’t end there. The influences here are far reaching, ‘Ego Psycho’ despite its title is a lovely melancholic ballad while ‘Mistrial Blues’ is a good ‘ol foot tapping hoedown. Meanwhile album opener the ‘Belladelic’ is vocally the most interesting track, featuring the verse in French and chorus in English. For a debut ‘Belladelic’ promises much, it’s just a shame Les Bellas are no longer around to deliver. 4/5
Out on 1st September
Album Review: Savoir Adore – In The Wooded Forest
Last modified on 2010-08-22 21:31:34 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
Brooklyn’s Savoir Adore are doing pretty well for a band that shouldn’t exist. Formed in 2007 by friends Deidre Muro + Paul Hammer, the two got together after challenging each other with the task of creating and recording a concept album over a weekend. The result was the EP The Adventures of Mr. Pumpernickel and the Girl with Animals in her Throat, which they played to friends and, after some encouragement toured. 2009 saw the U.S. release of their debut album ‘In The Wooded Forest’, which has now finally been released in the UK.
The album itself consists of fourteen tracks, including Bodies, their well received UK debut single, released earlier this year. ‘In The Wooded Forest’ starts slowly with the oddly titled ‘The Scientific Findings of Dr Rousseau’ which starts of sounding quite experimental with various different percussive beats before settling down into more familiar electro pop territory. This is where things remain throughout most of the album, along with Deirdre and Paul’s dual vocals and peppered with spontaneous sounding effects and handclaps. Though there are plenty of electro pop bands around at the moment, what lifts this above most of them is the exceptionally catchy melodies, most notably with the lovely ‘We Talk Like Machines’ which gets me singing along to the chorus every time I hear it. A genuinely delightful album. 4/5
Out now on Cantora Records
Album Review: Aloha – Home Acres
Last modified on 2010-08-19 21:30:51 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Formed by Matthew Gengler and Tony Cavallario in 1997, Aloha have been described as indie rock, experimental, progressive rock, post rock and lord knows how many other micro-genres. The reality is that rather than fitting into any one genre or sub-genre, they span several with their energetic upbeat sound, and with four albums under their belt already it’s clearly a sound that works.
Fifth full length album ‘Home Acres’ is their biggest and most upbeat album to date and it’s pretty good. ‘Home Acres’ has the feel of an album that might have been recorded in the early nineties. There are traces of shoegaze, without the feedback, as well as the college rock of bands like R.E.M. and Dinosaur Jr, but with enough pop sensibilities to leave the heavier elements behind.
Starting with a bang that made me jump so much I almost spat my tea out, album opener ‘Building A Fire’ is the heaviest track on the album. It has a repetitive, pneumatic beat that sounds like sampled handclaps and builds to an intense crescendo with guitars being thrashed and spaced out vocals. Further on things get a little poppier with tracks like ‘Microviolence’ and ‘Cold Storage’. The best track on the album is the plaintive ‘I’m In Trouble’ which is a little reminiscent of Nico era Velvet Underground, while the weakest is ‘Waterwheel’ which strays a little close to the middle of the road. Overall though a pretty strong offering.
4/5
Out 3rd September on Polyvinyl records
www.myspace.com
www.polyvinylrecords.com
Single Review: Silver Foxes – Knock Me Down
Last modified on 2010-08-19 13:06:13 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
With the exception of Billy Childish, The Dentists and Keane (though the less said about them the better!), Kent hasn’t had a great deal to offer in the way of alternative music over the years, so it’s nice to hear from Maidstone based band Silver Fox. Enjoying a pretty good year so far, since signing with Tin Robot they’ve been offered support slots on tours with Kaleidophone and Luna Belle and won the public vote to headline the You Say They Play stage at this year’s Lounge In The Farm festival. Now they’ve released their debut single ‘Knock me Down’, and I’m happy to report it’s four minutes of fun, bouncy guitar driven indie-pop. Singer Poppy Wilson has a great voice which reminds me of Florence and The Machine though Silver Foxes sound much better. A good start for this bunch of young scamps, I look forward to hearing more! 4/5
Out now on download from Itunes and Amazon
www.myspace.com/silverfoxesmusic
Album Review: The Fabulists – Dog Violets
Last modified on 2010-08-18 13:29:38 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
After two years of writing and recording, London based five piece The Fabulists are about to release their second album, ‘Dog Violets’. An unusual band in that they have no lead or rhythm guitar, instead choosing to use keyboards, sax, drums, bass and especially piano to create a sound that’s fairly middle of the road but at the same time pretty unique, as there’s no one else with this kind of sound right now. Listening to ‘Dog Violet’ I suspect that The Fabulists focus is based on the vocals, ably provided by Shaun and Hermione, rather than the music. Whereas guitars have a knack of taking the focus off vocals, the piano provides a perfect background accompaniment. Interestingly they remind me of the Beautiful South (without a smug git for a singer), and while that would normally be enough to make me reach for the off switch, there’s something about this album that really makes it stand out.
Lyrically the album is outstanding. Album opener ‘Moon Valley’ it close to perfect, with its tale of a couple on the run and characters like Typhoid Mary it reminds me of Jaques Brel. If all the tracks were of this standard it would warrant a definite 5/5 but unfortunately ‘Moon Valley’ sets the bar a little too high – no matter how hard they try, and some of the other tracks are absolute crackers, in particular ‘Lullaby’ with its reference to Veronica Lake, they can’t quite touch it, nonetheless it’s a very, very good album. 4/5
www.myspace.com/thefabulistsmusic
Album Review: Phantom – Smoke and Mirrors
Last modified on 2010-08-17 12:57:58 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Phantom are Johnny Martin and Canadian former journalist and MusiquePlus TV presenter Elsie Martins. An experimental sonic landscape, made up of a mixture of the usual organs, pianos, drums and everyday sounds like ringing bells, footsteps and flapping letterboxes, Smoke and Mirrors is their debut album which includes the earlier single release ‘Great Pretender’.
Smoke and Mirrors is split into two 22 minute parts, the first containing 4 tracks and the second 5 tracks, all merging seamlessly into one. It’s not until second track ‘We Float’, which is ushered in with ringing bells, that we hear Elsie’s vocals, slightly reminiscent of Hazel O’Connor, which complements the atmospheric soundtrack perfectly. Of the two parts, the tracks on part two are slightly more conventional, with current single ‘Voodoo Romantic’ probably being most accessible track on the album.
Kicking against convention (and potential profit) Phantom have made the unusual decision to make Smoke and Mirrors available as a download from Itunes and 7Digital for a ridiculously cheap £1.79. An unusual but compelling album, Smoke & Mirrors is at times lush, atmospheric and intense and occasionally slightly disturbing. To get the most out of this I’d recommend listening with headphones in a darkened room! 4/5
www.myspace.com/thisisphantomuk
Album Review: Menomena – Mines
Last modified on 2010-08-17 12:58:31 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Menomena (a made up word, to save you looking it up!), an indie rock three piece from Portland, Oregon, have been making music together since 2001. Multi-instrumentalists they frequently swap instruments as well as each taking vocal duties, which is something of a relief as I was starting to doubt my sanity somewhat as from song to song the vocals seemed to change.
Mines is the fourth album from Menomena, though it’s the first I’ve heard, and it’s an interesting mix of art rock, indie and 70′s rock with a few ballads thrown. The album consists of 11 tracks, of which album opener ‘Queen Black Acid’ is my favourite. Though I don’t who sings on which tracks, whoever sings this has a voice loaded with emotion, you can almost feel his pain as he sings ‘I don’t know how I missed the signs/I must have passed by them a hundred times’. Elsewhere on tracks like ‘Oh Pretty Boy, You’re Such a Big Boy’ they sound like Blur in one of their more introspective moments. Comparison aside, Mines is an album that sounds like it really wants to rock out but never quite manages it, just as things sound like they’re going to get fast and furious they slam the brakes on. Even so Mines is an enjoyable album and good enough to make me want to check out their back catalogue. 3/5
www.myspace.com/menomena
www.menomena.com
Album Review: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Let It Sway
Last modified on 2010-08-15 20:51:11 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
Hailing from Springfield, Missouri, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin have been together in one form or another since 2002. Since then they have released to albums, both of which received critical acclaim from the likes of Spin and Pitchfork. After hearing ‘Let It Sway’, the third album from the American foursome, I’d be fairly confident of a similar reception.
Uncomplicated but not dumb, ‘Let It Sway’ is fairly straight forward power pop. With 12 energetic and bouncy tracks you can’t help but want to bop around when you hear it, which when you’re sitting on a bus can prove problematic! It’s a thoroughly enjoyable album from start to finish, if you forced me to choose my favourite tracks they would be ‘All Hail Dracula!’ and ‘Evelyn’ but to be honest I like ‘em all. Coming in at a lean 40 minutes it’s short and punchy, which is quite a rarity these days but all the better for it. Great stuff!
4/5
Out on 16th August on Polyvinyl Records
http://www.myspace.com/boris
http://www.sslyby.com/
Single Review: Stop/Eject – I Am A Social Network
Last modified on 2010-08-15 21:04:55 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
The second single from Midland electro Goth outfit Stop/Eject is, according to the press release, ‘an anachronistic zeitgeist comparison of modern socialising methods to the bloody history of humanity’. Well, I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean but fortunately I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for electro Goth and this is exactly what we have here. Reminiscent of Bauhaus in their later years (think Bela Lugosi’s Dead) crossed with Joy Division it’s a cracking song with angular guitars and the kind of urgency in the vocals that Ian Curtis used to deliver so well. Lyrically it has some interesting lines, ’the fear of handshakes might just save your soul’ and ‘immunity in anonymity’ I particularly like, but whether, as they suggest, social networking will be the downfall of mankind is another matter. Nonetheless I really like this and I look forward to hearing more! 4/5
Out now on download.
Album Review: Various Artists – Pyschedelica 4
Last modified on 2010-08-15 20:57:50 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
There’s something of a resurgence of pyschedelic rock going on in UK at the moment, and spearheading it in the UK since 2006 is psychedelia and shoegaze specialists Northern Star Records.
Pyschedelia 4 is the latest in the series from Northern Star Records and going on past successes (previous editions introduced the likes of Electric Soft Parade, Brian Jonestown Massacre and Black Angels) should be a cracker. It’s an obvious comparison but it serves as a modern ‘Nuggets‘ bringing pyschedelica to a new generation, offering 35 tracks from around the world to educate and entertain the listener, which it does in spades. However you like your pysch rock you’ll find it here, from the acid drenched ‘Strangling Good Guys’ by Trailer Trash Traceys to the dreamlike ‘My Only Friend’ by Youngteam to the balls out rock of ‘Send The Rain’ by Medicine, to the shimmering guitars of ‘Closer’ by The Butterfly ExplosionPyschedelica has it covered.
Available now from Northern Star Records
Gig Review: The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Heaven 29/7/10
Last modified on 2010-08-04 22:09:46 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Tonight is an evening of firsts for me, it’s the first time I have been to Heaven (insert your own joke here) and it’s the first time I have seen The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. The venue is packed but I manage to find myself a reasonably comfortable place front left.
I’m not sure why but I kind of expected the band all to be decked out in black with leather jackets but tonight at least, the leather stays at home.
Not ones to interact with the crowd it’s 3 songs in before a smiling Peggy thanks us all for coming, then back down to business. Asssisted by a third guitarist, who I guess is there to fill out the sound, The Pains rip through their album including the awesome ‘Come Saturday’ plus their new single ‘Say No To Love’.
It’s a fine performance from the band, but there’s something lacking and it appears to be atmosphere. Shockingly there’s no moshpit and the people in front of me spent more time taking pictures of themselves than watching the band. I suspect this is down to the sound in the venue, it’s just not loud enough. Nonetheless it was a good night and I shall definately see these guys again.
http://www.myspace.com/thepainsofbeingpureatheart
Album Review: MelonHeadMan – The Good & The Bad
Last modified on 2010-08-15 21:00:26 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
As if to prove Tunbridge Wells has more to offer than angry letter writers, up pop Melonheadman with their debut album. Melonheadman are clearly influenced by Lynyrd Skynrd and ZZ Top though singer Simon Savage has a voice much closer to Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie.
Mixing the kind of boogie-woogie piano most associated with Jools Holland with Skynyrd’s southern rock, it’s a cracking album, with some high octane stormers like ‘Voodoo Lover’ and ‘Bad Bob’. ’Firewater Jesus’ does pretty much what it says on the tin with the intro scream of ‘moonshiiine’, though my favourite tracks are ‘Crowville’ and ‘Devil’s Daughter’.
The only downside is that The Good and the Bad is a little overlong (though that’s not unusual these days), I can’t help wondering if tighter quality control would have seen off the glam rock stomp of ‘Going Down South’, whilst the final ‘bonus’ track ‘Rolling Home’ sounds like a favourite and should probably have stayed that way – sometimes it’s nice to have something that only exists in the live arena. Overall though an excellent album and certainly a band I’d like to check out live. 4/5
Out 26/7 on Savage Acts Records
Single Review: The Quails – Argentina
Last modified on 2010-08-04 22:10:09 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
The Quails - Argentina
Devon quartet The Quails have been gaining quite a lot of ground recently, appearing at many festivals, including Latitude and Glastonbury as well as supporting Muse on their ‘Resistance’ tour.
Hot on the heels of their second album ‘Master of Imperfetion’ comes new single ‘Argentina’ and it’s not a bad effort. A little reminiscent of Hoosiers it relies on a simple hook with lots of string bends repeated throughout leading to a catchy little verse. It won’t turn the britidh music scene on it’s head but it’s a jaunty little song that could serve as a summer hit. The b-side is sadly a let down, an instrumental version of the a side - something that really gets my goat. Someday someone will explain to me why bands do this but until that day I’m going to assume it’s just laziness.
3/5
Out 2nd August on Genepool/Universal
http://www.myspace.com/thequailsband
Single Review: Panda Bear – Tomboy
Last modified on 2010-07-22 19:56:48 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
panda bear - tomboy
The latest side project from Noah Lennox, AKA Animal Collective’s Panda Bear, is a series of very limited edition 7″ releases. Ultimately leading to his fourth solo album (also called ‘Tomboy’) due for release in september, this is the first in the series and features two tracks; ‘Tomboy’ and ‘Slow Motion’.
Both tracks are a pleasing mix of ambient electronica and electric guitar. ‘Tomboy’ is most notable for its lack of chorus/verse structure and as such is more of a grower than a song that grabs you by the balls. ‘Slow Motion’ however is more instantly likeable with its multiple voices singing different parts at once, reminding me of Riuchi Sakamoto’s ‘Riot in Lagos’
A promising start to the series, let’s hope he keeps it up! 4/5
Released on 7″ 19th July on Paw Tracks
http://www.myspace.com/pandabear
Single Review: Town Bike – Bastard Heart
Last modified on 2010-07-22 20:00:11 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
town bike - bastard heart
For those of you not familiar with Town Bike (shame on you, go check out debut album ‘Go! Fight! Win!) they’re a pop punk outfit from Liverpool who proudly wear their influences, mainly The Ramones and The Ronettes, on their sleeves.
CD Album Review: Stephen Dale Petit – The Crave
Last modified on 2010-08-15 21:02:25 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
Stephen Dale Petit (aka SDP) is a blues guitarist originally from Califonia who relocated to London in the late eighties and set himself up as the pioneer of the New Blues Movement (no, me neither). According to his press releases and the blurb in the inlay of his new album, SPD is well a respected blues player - a quote from Classic Rock even goes as far as to say ‘Petit has the fire of Freddie King, the instinct of Jimmy Page and the soul of Clapton’ – a brave statement indeed! The burning question is does ‘The Crave’ match up to expectations?
In short the answer is no. Way too long at 17 tracks, The Crave features a mixture of self penned tunes and covers. The most notable song on, and wisely the first single to be taken from the album, is ‘California’ a cover of the Tupac/Dre classic (shouldn’t that be California Love?) which is actually quite different and very good but the rest of the tracks are fairly standard blues songs that a million pub bands up and down the country could play just as well. And therein lies the problem, despite all the accolades there really is nothing here to make SDP stand out from a pub band, even Robert Johnson’s ‘Cross Road Blues’, a stone cold classic, sounds amateurish. The real nail in the coffin though is his voice which sways from over-enunciating every word to a very poor effort at imitating Dr Feelgood’s Lee Brilleaux.
2/5
Out 26th July on Universal.
www.myspace.com/stephendalepetit
EP Review : This Many Boyfriends – Getting A Life With
Last modified on 2010-08-05 17:09:05 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
In my day a record with seven tracks used to be called an album, but in this ever changing world in which we live seven tracks just doesn’t cut it, so an EP it is!
Kicking off with the brilliant ‘I Don’t Like You (Cos You Don’t Like The Pastels)’ with it’s clever/snobby indie band references, the first thing that crosses my mind is these guys would be useful in my pub quiz team. The second thing I think of is Half Man Half Biscuit and their tongue in cheek lyrics. This Many Boyfriends have clearly spent a lot of time listening to mid-eighties indie, ‘I Should Be A Communist’ is heavily influenced by the jangly guitars of the Smiths while the intro to ‘Three Year Itch’ is a deadringer for JAMC’s ‘Just Like Honey’. Elsewhere on ‘Getting A Life With’ there’s bits of Orange Juice, The Wedding Present and Aztec Camera. That’s not to say that borrowing from indie-past is a bad thing, mid eighties indie was generally good and this joint release by Melodic and Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation serves as a wonderful homage to those days gone by whilst still being relevant today. Buy it. Now!
4/5
Out now on Melodic/Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation
www.myspace.com/howmanyboyfriends
Album review: James Yuill – Movement in a Storm
Last modified on 2010-08-05 17:16:24 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
James Yuill - Movement In A Storm
Whenever I hear of a singer/songwriter with a first name of James it sends a shiver down my spine and fills me with a sense of dread. It’s not that I have an issue with the name ‘James’ but it evokes images of grown men like James Blunt and James Morrison crying over their acoustic guitars in an act so appallingly wet it makes me want to slap them around the head with a large haddock. So you can imagine my joy when this turned up on my doorstep. However before I was able to write it off without hearing a note (tempting as it might have been) I noticed that James Yuill’s latest release is on the ultra-cool Moshi Moshi, a label whose name is synonymous with quality. Maybe, just maybe things might turn out ok.
Kicking off with a hypnotic electro beat ‘Give You Away’ starts with the lines ‘Nobody knows it but it’s true/I hate myself and I hate you too’ , hmmm, I’m not liking where this is going. By the time ‘Crying For Hollywood’ (You discovered a rainbow with me) and ‘First In Line’ (Living happily in my own skin’) have finished it has all become clear, these are basically the same wet songs peddled by Messrs Blunt and Morrison masquerading as electropop. You can call me a music snob but whilst this self-pitying bollocks might be suitable as background music for a dinner party it doesn’t belong in the record collection of a genuine music fan. Shame on you Moshi Moshi.
1/5
Album review: Black Helicopter – Don’t Fuck With The Apocalypse
Last modified on 2010-08-15 12:58:29 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
Black Helicopter - Don't Fuck With The Apocalypse
Black Helicopter are intriguingly named after the alleged unmarked black helicopters used by the New World Order (aka Lizard kings) in preparation for taking over the United States. The people that peddle this kind of theory (David Icke) are clearly nuts, while Boston’s hard rock outfit Black Helicopter are thankful still in possession of their marbles. They’ve been knocking around for approximately 10 years now and despite having already released two albums have somehow how avoided the giddy heights of commercial success. Third release ‘Don’t Fuck With the Apocalypse’ might be the record that changes all that.
That’s not to say Black Helicopter are interested in compromising their art for the yankee dollar. ‘Don’t Fuck With the Apocalypse’ is unrelentingly heavy, guitar amps permanently set to overdrive, but at the same time understands the need for pop melodies. With such a heavy (but not heavy metal) sound it’s quite fitting that it’s been released on Ecstatic Peace!, the indie label setup by Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore.
Consisting of 14 tracks, including two at under 30 seconds, the songs cover such topics as accepting one’s own limitations (‘In the Blood’), pining for days long gone (‘Golden Days’) and watching and re-watching video nasties in slow mo (Pickle Jar). If pushed for a favourite track on ‘Don’t Fuck With the Apocalypse’ it would be a tough call as it is such a strong album, but it would probably be the most melancholic of the songs here ‘Copout’. If you like Sonic Youth, Pavement or Shellac then check out Black Helicopter, you won’t be disappointed.
This review originally appeared in Artrocker magazine. www.artrocker.tv
www.myspace.com/blackhelicopter
Single review: Gyratory System – Pamploma
Last modified on 2010-08-15 12:57:10 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
When I think of Pamplona there’s really only one image that comes to mind, that of hundreds of Spanish mentalists running like there life depended on it (which, to be fair, it probably does) away from a rather pissed off Bull, diving over walls at the last minute to escape it’s wrath.
So when I received this latest single from Gyratory System and saw it was called ‘Pamplona’ I kind of expected that it might serve as the soundtrack to this magnificently batty event. In short, a record that would convey the enormity of the adrenalin rush you would feel running for your life.
In reality what we have is a fairly good electro track, full of blips and beeps but lacking in the urgent ramped up bass lines I would expect. I’m not sure you could even dance to this, let alone use it as the soundtrack to the adrenalin rush of your life.
This review originally appeared in Artrocker magazine. www.artrocker.tv
www.myspace.com/gyratorysystem
Single review – Darwin Deez
Last modified on 2010-08-15 12:56:15 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Darwin Deez is something of a media darling at the moment. A clear favourite of the Sunday supplements and BBC radio this quirky popster can do no wrong, and he certainly has the tunes to back up the notoriety.
Up In the Clouds is the third single from Darwin Deez and the third to be taken from their Eponymous album (let’s hope they stop dredging the album for singles and come with some new material soon). For me not quite as good as ‘radar detector’, it’s a little repetitive but nonetheless a poppy little number sure to be a summer hit and features one of my favourite instruments, the handclap!
Second track ‘Hey Mom’ is previously unreleased but not new, it’s been a live favourite for some time, and a much more interesting song, though it has a midway wobble when the band go freestyle on your ass.
This review originally appeared in Artrocker magazine. www.artrocker.tv
Album review – Lostaura
Last modified on 2010-08-15 12:55:24 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Lostaura - The Hiding Place
You’d pretty much have to be walking around like that deaf dumb and blind kid who sure plays a mean pinball not to have noticed that there has been a massive plundering of eighties music over the past three or four years. However what you may not realise is that the eighties had some good music that wasn’t electro-pop or Smiths influenced jangly guitar music. Even more shocking might be that, at one time, musical megalomaniacs U2 fell into that category. Well fortunately for you, Lostaura are here to fill this huge gap in your musical education.
They list their influences as Muse, Elbow and Coldplay amongst others, but to me Lostaura sound closer to those early eighties stadium bands U2 (before they went bad) and Simple Minds (before they lost themselves up their own backsides). With all members being qualified musicians it’s not surprising that, like their predecessors, Lostaura’s sound is tight and big. Their natural habitat a stadium rather than the back room of a pub, they have been championed by various national papers and radio DJ including Tom Robinson but how do they sound on record?
Well, mini album ‘The Hiding Place’ the third release from Lostaura says they sound pretty damn good. Featuring six epic tracks, including piano led ‘All It’s Worth’ and the rockier ‘One In A Million’, the standout track here is ‘Beside You’ which, with its nifty guitar work, sounds like the younger brother of ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’. All in all terrific debut, they might just make those stadiums yet. 4/5
This review originally appeared in Artrocker magazine. www.artrocker.tv
Album review – The Young Veins
Last modified on 2010-08-15 12:54:26 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
The Young Veins - Take A Vacation
Formed by ex-Panic! At The Disco front man Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker, The Young Veins, according to the press release, take in fuzzed-out psychedelia, nuggets era garage rock, Stax inspired soul and 60’s pop and re-imagine it into this, the band’s debut. I know what you’re thinking – garage rock, fuzzed-out pyschedelia, sounds good right?
In reality Ryan and his gang of merry thieves don’t so much wear their influences on their sleeve as rip them off wholesale. Except there’s not really any sign of Stax inspired soul and I certainly didn’t hear any ‘nuggets era garage rock’. There is however plenty of 60’s pop, exactly the sort of 60’s pop that has previously been done by a little known English band called the Beatles. Oh sure, there’s a bit of Beach Boys and Monkees thrown in to try and cover the scent, but ultimately it sounds like a Beatles record.
The album itself is well written, produced and performed – the band are all skilled musicians and the album makes a pleasant listen on a sunny Sunday afternoon but that’s not the point. This is so unoriginal it’s almost offensive; they may as well have just released a Beatles covers album. And you may as well nip down your local second-hand record store and pick up the real thing.
1/5
This review originally appeared in Artrocker magazine. www.artrocker.tv
Album review – Cats and Cats and Cats
Last modified on 2010-08-15 12:53:34 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Formed in 2005 Cats and Cats and Cats have been slowly building a fanbase for their unusual brand of slightly shambolic, very loose and rather shouty brand of folk pop. Think Neutral Milk Hotel fronted by the Cribs and you’ll get reasonably close to the sound of Cats and Cats and Cats. An enormous band, featuring tuba, cello, violin, accordion and chanting alongside guitars and drums, on paper this really shouldn’t work but on record, for the most part, it works remarkably well.
Lyrically as oddball as the sound, opening track ‘If I had Antlers’ features the mightily confusing ‘She was the dancehall than ran from you/you were the boy that slipped from view’; while ‘A Boy Called Haunts’ keeps up the nonsense with ‘in this kitchenette how I haunt you/while your eyes go dancing through the telescope’. If that’s not mad enough for you perhaps you’d prefer ‘Suizokukan Ni’, sung entirely in Japanese for your listening pleasure!
As I said it works for the most part, but it’s not perfect. Listening to this (and this is backed up by looking at some of their press pics) you can’t help but wonder if their trying a little too hard to be madcap. There is a bigger issue though – the way that some of the songs sway between folk and punk makes me wonder if the title is a little too apt – they certainly seem to lack direction. Having said that for a debut longplayer it’s a good effort and it should certainly put a smile on your face.
3/5
This review originally appeared in Artrocker magazine. www.artrocker.tv
www.myspace.com/catsandcatsandcats
