Issue #37 October 2008
Click the headline to unveil the full story
Formed in 2006, at Syracuse University, New York, when Milo Bonacci (guitar) met Rebecca Zeller (violin) in an electronic music class, and invited her to join his new project. Zeller introduced Alexandra Lawn (cello) and friend of Bonacci, Mathieu Santos joined on bass. John Pike was a well known drummer on campus, and through mutual friends found himself, along with his friend Wesley Miles (vocals, keyboard), at Ra Ra Riot’s first practice.
From January-May 2006 the band played every attic, party, and venue in Syracuse, while also touring extensively with the likes of Tokyo Police Club, Editors, and Art Brut. Unfortunately the band tragically lost their drummer when John Pike died in June 2007.
After an incredibly difficult summer, the remaining members of Ra Ra Riot spent late 2007 in the studio with producer Ryan Hadlock (Gossip, Blonde Redhead, Islands) recording a full-length album and in 2008 the band took to the road, opening for The Cribs and on a headlining tour of the US.
The Rhumb Line is their new album and CDX caught five minutes with cellist Alexandra on the band`s day off from touring with Vampire Weekend.
CDX: Hi Alexandra, so you’ve over here supporting Vampire Weekend. You formed in 2006 and were soon picked to play at the CMJ festival in New York, how important was this for you.
Alexandra: It was quite a pivotal appearance for us. Up to that point it was more fun, then after the showcase we started getting approached by people wanting to manage us and stuff, so we knew we had to start taking things a bit more seriously.
CDX: Ra Ra Riot have a slightly less orthodox line up than your usual run of the mill guitar bands. When you write songs do you write together as a group or do you start with the guitar parts then add the string parts after.
Alexandra: It’s usually a collaborative effort. A song could either start from a guitar line, or from the violin. The strings are definitely not a post production thing though.
CDX: You’ve toured with quite a few bands do you have a favourite gig or tour.
Alexandra: I can’t speak for the rest of the band by my personal favourite was when we played the Iceland Airwaves Festival in Reykjavik.
CDX: How’s the tour with Vampire Weekend going?
Alexandra: We are on two days in but last night (The Forum, London) was great, we were very well received.
CDX: So you’ve got the LP out and are doing the European and US tour, so what’s next for Ra Ra Riot?
Alexandra: Well we’ve got quite a lot of material for the next album which so hopefully we’ll get into the studio early in the New Year. After a Christmas break.
`The Rhumb Line` is out now V2/Barsuk and go to http://www.myspace.com/rarariot for details of their European headlining dates as well as shows with Vampire Weekend and Los Campesinos!
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Q. Being invited to perform in the Radio 1 Live Lounge is a pretty big deal, how did you feel when you were asked to play?
A. I didn’t know much about the show before I was asked, but it was nice to be asked to play and we had a good time although we were a bit hungover.
Q. What inspired you to cover ‘Sweet About Me’ by Gabriella Cilmi?
A. I got the impression that I should cover a song that was on the radio at the time, so I chose to do Gabriella Cilmi’s Sweet about me because I think I’m even less sweet than her.
Q. What is it about playing other peoples songs that makes it so enjoyable?
A. I mostly don’t enjoy playing other peoples songs, but it’s interesting to be inside another person’s universe for a change.
Q. It sounds like an interesting experience, what was the atmosphere like during the session?
A. Atmosphere was defined by the holy plum, which we kept in the middle of the studio for inspiration.
Q. Is it strange performing to the nation from the confines of a small studio? It must be very different to performing to a packed crowd at a gig.
A. It is strange because it’s live, and you can’t go back and change it and you miss the clapping and the noise that would cover up the fuckups.
Q. What’s the best live gig you’ve ever played?
A. The one we’re doing tonight!
Q. What’s the most unusual thing that’s happened to you during a gig?
A. Usual include bras and shirts thrown on stage, numerous silly injuries and lots of farting. Unusual must be no farting, no bras, shirts and being bombarded with first aid kits.
Q. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever asked for on your rider?
A. Alcohol free beer.
Q. What is your favourite cover version of all time?
A. Oddvar Torsheim – Gjev Meg Det No ( Beatles, Love me do)
Q. What would your dream Live Lounge cover be? Imagine you could choose a band or artist and the track they’re covering?
A. Ida Maria – Are you lonesome tonight.
Q. Who is your favourite Live Lounge artist?
A. Ida Maria
Q. Who would you like to see cover one of your tracks in the Live Lounge?
A. Gabriella Cilmi.
Q. What are you listening to at the moment?
A. Fela Kuti and The Raconteurs.
Live Lounge 3 is out now through Amazon and other stores.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Q. You’ve promoted & discovered various artists over the years, which discovery are you most proud of?
I guess the two bands I have loved since the very first time I heard them and have continued to be in awe of as they’ve blossomed are Coldplay and Arctic Monkeys. Genuinely grounded musicians and people who have resisted the temptation to become arrogant showbiz types yet are witty and charismatic and are THE bands of a generation…with the talent in abundance.
Q. What have been your highlights and fondest moments since you joined Radio 1?
Highlights range from the ridiculous – which often involve Scott Mills – running over his car in an army tank…shooting him at close range with a paintball gun and spending the weekend in Malaga with him dressed as a matador.
Musically it’s usually those live lounge moments when the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end… Foo Fighters doing Times Like These back in the day…Killers first session when they had to improvise in the live lounge using filing cabinets for a drum kit…Kings of Leon – all meek and mild – ‘Yes Ma’am this, Yes Ma’am that’… arm wrestling Mariah Carey and co-hosting the show with a very laidback and immensely likeable Madonna was pretty special too.
Q. Who has been your favourite artist on the Live Lounge?
I had a bit of a moment when White Stripes played for us – third time around. It was at Maida Vale – I’d got a motor bike over there cause I couldn’t bear to miss seeing them play live and just be on the end of a fader and it was well worth it. Truly awesome. Jack White is powerful musician and a thoroughly lovely chap. I went quite wobbly.
Q. What do you think has been the best Live Lounge cover?
Probably the most infamous cover was by Leona Lewis doing Snow Patrol’s Run – always in demand and developed a life of its own. But my personal favourites are the quirkier ones. Arctic Monkeys doing Girls Aloud…Elbow doing Destiny’s Child…
Q. What would your dream Live Lounge cover be? Imagine you could chose a band or artist and the track they’re covering?
Michael Jackson doing vintage Jacko…from the Off the Wall era and his cover would be Justin Timberlake’s Lovestoned.
I’d love to have Muse in the live lounge doing something highly dramatic – maybe Leona’s Bleeding Love… we’ve tried to get them in the live lounge in recent years and they’ve tried to scale down their ambitions to fit in but it’s just not been possible… Green Day are another band we’ve never managed to get in – them doing Jay Z’s 99 Problems would be interesting.
Q. What is the atmosphere like when artists are performing for the Live Lounge?
The atmosphere is always highly charged – I think people would be surprised at how nerve wracking it is doing the show. It’s live radio – the musicians are out of their comfort zone – usually covering an artist they respect so it’s properly anxiety a gogo…
Q. Your first broadcasting job was as a presenter for WPFM, Radio 4`s youth culture and music show and now you`re one of the most influential tastemakers at Radio 1 - what`s your advice to young people on pursuing their dream career whether it`s getting into radio or just doing what they want with their lives?
I think a lot of it is about just getting on with the job, trusting your instincts but being astute enough to keep your head down and not annoying people along the way. The quiet efficient ones will always win through in the end.
Q. You’ve been a judge on several panels including Orange’s Mobile act unsigned, what tips can you give bands and musicians?
Believe in yourself but also be realistic – there are an incredible number of bands and artists out there who are dreaming of success like you. You have to be the ones with the best songs and the best voice. Believe me – if you don’t have the songs then you’re going nowhere.
You absolutely have to work on it all to the nth degree to make sure it’s you who people want to listen to over and over again. And never try and emulate your musical heroes – learn from them then go on to be a true original.
Q. What has been your best gig of all time?
As if I could confine it to one gig! NME tour 2006 –Brixton Academy - Arctic Monkeys / We Are Scientists / Maximo Park – a perfect moment in time. Green Day – Milton Keynes Bowl – true showmanship – they’d nicked every idea from every live show ever but brought it all together beautifully with a vast catalogue of incredible songs.
Live Lounge 3 is out now through Amazon and other stores.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Dublin based techno, rock terrorists Noise Control are playing a one off special show at the Gibson Rooms London, in support of their new double A side single `Cities Of Dreams / Mudbath`, on the 21st of October and the good people at MUVU TV have let us have FIVE PAIRS of tickets to give away.
All you have to do to win the chance of seeing the next `Prodigy/Pendulum` in an intimate venue, is answer the following question:
Q. What is Noise Control`s new double A side single called?
A) Should I Stay Or Should I Go? / Straight to Hell
B) Cities Of Dreams / Mudbath
C) Bohemian Rhapsody / Those Were The Days Of Our Lives
Please email your answers to noisecontrol@culturedeluxe.com
The competition runs until the 19th October. Winners will be notified by email before the 21st.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Who are they?
The Loose Salute are Ian McCutcheon (vocals / guitar), Lisa Billson (vocals / percussion / keyboards), Charlotte King (vocals / percussion / `bells & whistles`), Pete Greenwood (guitar / bass)
and Alan Forrester (bass / keyboards).
Where are they from?
They spend their time between London and Cornwall.
Three tracks to search out and love:
"I would say listen to `Why`d We Fight?` [for] lashings of pedal steel guitar, `The Mutineer` [with its] sweet string arrangement and `Through The Stratosphere To The Bars` for something to dance to."
The skinny:
"Correct," say The Loose Salute, "We got the name by monkeeing around with Mike`s solo album!"
The answer is in response to the age old question of "where did you get your name from", however I`m feeling rather smug now as, for once, my musical knowledge has uncovered the secret behind this particular act`s epithet. It`s perfectly apt too as the melodic caterwaul of pedal steel and classic country of former Monkee Mike Nesmith`s third album shares a stash of sonic secrets with this Cornwall-based act. Not to mention a string of co-influences they happily reel off : The Beachwood Sparks, The Tyde, The Magic Numbers, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Shins, Neil Young, Wilco, Ryan Adams and Neil Halstead.
It`s perhaps Halstead`s influence that raises an eyebrow as band frontman Ian McCutcheon used to play drums in both Slowdive and Mojave 3 with him. However, having served behind the drumkit for some years, in 2003 McCutcheon formed the band before us today.
"The reason I started The Loose Salute was because I had songs building up that I wanted to get out and had a strong idea of what sound and feel I wanted to create." he says. "I learnt a lot from Slowdive and Mojave3 main man Neil Halstead. Do I still keep in touch? I`m in touch with all of the guys, there was never any real major falling out."
It didn`t take long before early gigs at the Heavenly Social brought the band to the attention of the label of the same name.
"Jeff and Martin from the label were there and I guess they enjoyed us enough to wanna sign the band. Hooray!"
The label clearly enjoyed them a great deal as, a few weeks ago, The Loose Salute joined an impressive roster to celebrate Heavenly Records 18th birthday and supported, the now thankfully greatly recovered, Edwyn Collins and a newly-reformed Rockingbirds, probably best known for their cover of Right Said Fred`s `Deeply Dippy`.
"The show was fun, it was big in that it was a pretty prestigious occasion and we felt privileged to be asked to play. It was the third time we`d played with Edwyn in a year, its been amazing to see him in such good form. I didn`t get to see the whole of the Rockingbirds set, it was hectic night! I`m not sure if they played Right Said Fred!"
The band`s debut `Tuned To Love` was released through the label in early June 2008 and was very well-received critically - our very own Yank writer Phil Russell exclaiming "who knew the Brits could do country music?" during an eight star review at the time. The band agree, "We`ve had great reviews so far, we couldn`t be happier with the press."
The disc was heavily influenced by the beaches of the band`s spiritual home of Cornwall and song titles such as `Ship on the Ocean` and the gorgeous `From Head to Sandy Toes` certainly suggest this.
"The title track `Tuned To Love` was written with barmy Newquay days and nights in mind and `The Mutineer` lyrics mention a location by the sea. Cornwall and living so close to the ocean are both pretty influential things, if you`re writing about life stuff (which I do) it`s going to feature."
And finally, the band`s promo photo shows all the boys wearing hats, is this a Loose Salute quirk or was it a complete coincidence that you all turned up that day with headgear on?
"We`re all completely bald and covering up! Even the girls wear wigs!"
See, that Right Said Fred influence carries further than you think!
`Why`d We Fight?` is the new single by The Loose Salute and is released on 13th October 2008.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Paul: What the hell is that?
DC: This? It`s a media player. I hate i-pods but I wanted something as powerful and you didn`t have to pay for the extras like recording?
Paul: Looks impressive.
Iwan: And you can record with it?
DC: I hope so, or this is going to be a short article.
Paul: You could lie.
DC: I plan to. How`s the tour going?
Paul: It`s going fine. This is what? The fourth show now?
Iwan: (checks itinerary) Yes, fourth show. I shouldn`t need to check, but we did Albert Hall Rock Corps` gig as well.
DC: How was the Rock Corps` show? How did you get involved?
Iwan: They just asked us to play and we said yes. It was great. It was all a bit rushed. We were in and out of the venue so we didn`t get to see anyone else.
Paul: I got to see about five minutes of Busta Rhymes. The show seemed great from what we could see. I`ve managed to watch it on TV and it looked spectacular, loads of people were.
Iwan: Was it on TV?
Paul: Yeah, I was watching it the other day. I managed to catch some of it. It looked good. It looked HUGE…
DC: This tour was supposed to happen in June: Why the delay?
Iwan: Because of B-Unique changing the release of the album to the end of summer. We didn`t want to tour just for the sake of it.
Paul: It wasn`t like we needed to tour to practice the songs. We`d already played songs from the new album last year on a thirty-date tour so we had an idea how they were going, what the audience reaction was going to be. And if the album was going to be delayed we might as well take the time to make sure the album was right. The gig in Newcastle was amazing.
Iwan: Now that the album is out we can concentrate on promoting it. You can tell the difference in reaction between songs from this album and the first one. The album has only just come out and so people are still getting used to the new one but the reaction has been impressive so far. We are taking a long-term plan with this album. We`re not expecting to have huge sales then nothing. We want to build this album up over a year and let people find it and enjoy it in it`s own terms.
DC: Well you were in a unique of going from Monster and the album being released immediately after to huge success. The pressure and expectations must have been intense. Does it feel different this time?
Iwan: Yeah, the jump between before and after Monster was big. We were forced to go up another level and we didn`t have much time to argue about it. This time around, for this album, we`re saying that were not expecting instant success but if we can sell something similar over a year and build up a reputation we`ll be happy.
Paul: I wasn`t there for the first album, of course, so it didn`t affect me at all.
DC: Don`t worry - I`m going to ask you about your old band later. From what I`ve read you seemed to go through quite a few stages in the recording this album. You`ve did a lot of recording session to try and make it right.
Paul: Yeah, well we started off in Cardiff in our own studio where we recorded a lot of demos and from those sessions we used Light Entertainment on the album. It seemed that no matter whom we recorded it with we just couldn`t improve on the original demo. Then we moved onto LA for four months and worked with a couple of producers over there for a while before we came back to London and worked with Richard Jackson to finish everything off.
DC: So what were the reasons for going over to LA? Was it just an excuse to go over their and the sun, or were there other reasons.
Iwan: The main reason was economic. You get two dollars for the pound and everything is priced the same. And the studios are fantastic and the producers and engineers really know there stuff so there was no reason not to go,
Paul: The studios were great, the atmosphere was great and the producers were great. It was a great chance.
DC And how did you find LA? I mean, apart from the recording, how did you find the experience of just being camp over there for months.
Paul: I loved it! I really loved it.
Iwan: Especially when we started working with Butch (Walker - producer) because he knew all the right places to go to and all the right people to meet.
Paul: And that was so impressive because it beats just being locked in a studio all the day. We did that too but we got a chance to bump into loads of people. We nearly ran over Paris Hilton at one point.
DC: And you didn`t? Why?
Paul: Because I wasn`t driving. (Laughs)
DC: I wanted to know because I went around the US earlier this year and I spent one day in LA and I thought that was enough for me, but I wondered if that was just because I was in the wrong places.
Paul: Well I went a couple of times with my band when we were touring and I`ll be honest, I hated it. But it`s because you don`t get to really experience it.
Iwan: LA is so big you need to know someone who can show you the right places to go to.
Paul: Silver Lake, for example, is beautiful. It`s a really good place to hang around. Then obviously you`ve got Hollywood and any party you want to go to is there. Any place downtown or where the main venues are great to go to, you`ll find something.
Iwan: It`s hard not to like a place when you`re being introduce to Johnny Depp.
DC: If it was so good though, why did you come back and finish the album hear?
Paul: It was a time thing. We only had so long to record with different producers and we didn`t have quite enough. Rich (Jackson - producer of their first album and the Welsh demos) was only free from a certain time so we had to go back. We originally started recording the album with Don Gilmore. We spent four or five weeks with him recording and then we took a couple of day off, listened to what we`d recorded and got a couple of outside ears to listen to them and we kind of decided that we weren`t on the same page really and couldn`t go on with it.
DC: Is that because you had a more definite sound in your head this time. The thing for me about this album is that it`s a very strong sounding album, and the level of intricacy in each track is really impressive. For example - when the first track where it breaks down in the middle and the harmonies start build up and move the song on again.
Paul: Exactly. With the demo`s it was much more complex. We literally threw everything into it. So when we started recording the album it was a case of stripping it down to a more basic track and then start building up again so we had the right mix in it.
Iwan: We spent about a year writing the songs this time so when we went in the studio we had a good idea of what we wanted, more than we did during the first album. When we started with producers we didn`t know how to express ourselves.
DC: And now you can say no to them?
Iwan: Yes. Some of the band were just 19 when we were first in the studio so we didn`t know what to say, but this time we weren`t afraid to question what people were saying. We were mature enough to feel okay with our own decisions.
DC: Did you feel you couldn`t do that this time? I`ve argued with people that the first album is great stuff on it but listening back on it now, especially when compare it to this album, you can tell that the sound was forced upon you.
Iwan: Pretty much. The first album was record in three sessions, three weeks each, over three months. The thing about the first album was that we weren`t happy with the final mix.
DC: You mean it wasn`t really you? Because the sound of Not Accepted Anywhere is okay, it certainly fits in with the sound of the rest of B-Unique`s output, but it`s - well, you`re not the Kaiser Chiefs and they`re pop and you`re not.
Paul and Iwan: Yes!
Iwan: We went into this with a very strong idea of what we wanted it to sound like, last time we didn`t. Now we know when your working with a producer you have to know what you want otherwise they`ll lead you in a direction they want but you don`t or you waste so much time trying to find the sound you don`t get anything.
Paul: And that was the thing about Butch and Rich. We connected with him so well, the chemistry was right there. It makes such a difference in the studio.
DC: And you can tell the difference right from the first single. I have to be honest; when I first heard the single I didn`t know it was you. I thought `That sounds really good, they sound a bit like the Wildhearts`.
(Both laugh)
Iwan: I Wanna Go Where The People Go!
Paul: Yeah! Ah, Ginger! Now there`s a man.
Iwan: I`m not that hard.
DC: But the music has a harder edge, while still understanding melodies and structure.
Paul: That`s right. That`s what we wanted. We`re becoming ourselves again.
Iwan: We`re starting from level one again and hoping we can take people with us. It`s worked with Steve McQueen. I think that song surprised people.
Paul: And the crowds so far have loved it. When we played it at Newcastle the reaction was incredible, really satisfying. When you see the audience act like that you feel that the battle is won. When the audience becomes an extension of you and they understand what you are doing.
DC: And is that the hope for the third album? That you can build up on that feeling and relationship you`re establishing now with this album and build upon that? I presume your not even thinking of recording it yet…
Paul: Well we`ve started writing. There`s nothing in a finished state yet, but we hope to continue working with Butch and Rich and continue what we`ve started. It`s early stages yet but that`s the hope.
Iwan: That`s what we want. Whether that will happen is too early to tell, but it feels positive right now.
DC: Have you had to change any of the songs to work on tour?
Paul: We`ve had to strip down some of the songs to fit on stage. It`s like we were saying before, the songs on the album have a lot of layers we have had to strip them down a bit to fit on stage. But because I`m not a direct replacement for Alex (Pennie - the shouty one) we can structure songs differently. I can play guitar while James (Frost, guitarist) can play a keyboard section or I can play keyboards while trying to fit in riffs.
DC: Do you feel you lost some respect from peers because of your success, or is there anything you`ve said it the past that you regret?
Iwan: Not really, problem is that you say things casually in an interview and they get blown out of all proportion. We don`t mean to cause the offence. We have never really said anything that at the time we thought was that bad, but looking back you do think `What did we say?`
Paul: Yourcodenameis:mile always used to say bad things about bands, but nobody ever listened.
DC: So are there any bands you`d like to promote? What bands out there do you think are doing it right?
Paul: Future of The Left.
Iwan: Definitely. They`re just amazing.
Paul: They create something that is so intense, and they are a great group of people.
Iwan: Dinosaur Pile Up are great. They`re supporting us on tour. They have a grunge feel about them. Mind you, people said that about Nine Black Alps…
DC: That`ll be taken wrong.
Iwan: Probably. We like Opera House too. I`ve not heard much of them but they`re very different. They`re more of a pop band but what I`ve heard is good. They do it very well. They`re playing their first gig on our tour tonight so I`m looking forward to seeing them.
DC: One question for you Paul. YCNI:M…
Paul: Indefinite hiatus. Long-term indefinite hiatus. Very long-term indefinite hiatus. An almost unforeseeably long-term indefinite hiatus.
DC: I get you. That`s a pity for me as I`m a late convert. The last album is totally insane.
Paul: I agree, and that`s probably due to each one of use driving the other insane in a studio in Leeds. It is a great album though. Who knows? We may get back together again soon but then again if this album sells two million copies I may never do anything ever again and go on a binge. You can`t tell about these things.
DC: Well, that`s about half an hour now, should be enough to write up there, so I`ll thanks.
Iwan: You sure?
Paul: Nothing else you want to ask?
DC: I`m sure there is but you want to eat now.
Iwan: Oh yeah! We`re supposed to be going for a Chinese now! Ever heard of Moso Moso? Is it any good?
DC: Pretty good, but push them about service or you`ll still be waiting for your main when you should be on stage.
Paul: Thanks. We`ll keep it in mind…
Dean Coster (View Original Article)
Gigwise held a webchat with guitarist Mike (aka 10000 Marbles - `there`s one for you Animal House fans` - 70`s cinema Ed) from Fucked Up yesterday and CDX`s Adam Gibby logged on to ask the following burning questions and waited patiently as Mike`s typing fingers went into overdrive.
CDX: You`ve got a mysterious aura around you. Is that part of a master plan?
Fucked Up: What master plan?
CDX: Why Fucked Up?
Fucked Up: I think the name helped us get recognition. Even in bigger magazines, I think journalists want to be able to write about us because of the name. It`s a bit of a release I think, getting to sneak one past the ed board.
CDX: Any crazy stories from your gigs?
Fucked Up: Every gig is crazy I guess.
CDX: Why do you seem to end every gig bleeding?
Fucked Up: Sometimes he does the bleeding - it`s getting to be too much. It`s getting unsafe for real.
CDX: Sometimes when your gigs are forced to stop after a few songs do you feel bad for the fans or is it all just part of the show?
Fucked Up: I think fans like it more because its more of an event when a show gets shut down.
CDX: When will you next be in the UK?
Fucked Up: We`re in the UK Nov 6-Nov 21, you can go to the website for the exact dates.
CDX: Cool. How do the crowds here compare to in the US?
Fucked Up: People in the US are dirtier, we like England a lot more.
CDX: Have you got any goals for 2009?
Fucked Up: Goals for 2009 - take the Trans-Siberian express after touring China.
CDX: Why the pseudonyms?
Fucked Up: We had the pseudonyms so we wouldn`t be found out at the US border but they caught us anyhow.
CDX: How would you sell the band to someone who`d never heard your stuff?
Fucked Up: We woudn`t try to really, not everyone has to be into the band.
CDX: Do you think it`s important for bands to address political issues in their songs?
Fucked Up: Nah bands should stay out of politics.
CDX: Isn`t `Year of the Pig` about sex workers in Canada? That`s surely a political statement?
Fucked Up: Sure. I just don`t think people should consider being in a band a form of activism.
CDX: What`s the best thing about doing what you do?
Fucked Up: Best thing is getting to travel for free.
CDX: I`ve seen a few reviewers criticise you for the screaming in your songs. How would you respond to that?
Fucked Up: I mean Damian is the vocalist, that`s how he sings. It`s not gonna change.
CDX: How do you set about writing a song? Jamming? Writing around a riff/lyric?
Fucked Up: We write a riff and then play it out a bit, then make the rest up in the studio. Then write lyrics after the entire song is recorded. We spend hardly any time rehearsing when we write.
CDX: What`s your favourite song that you`ve done?
Fucked Up: Baiting the Public.
CDX: Finally, you support Liverpool. How do you think they`ll do this year?
Fucked Up: I think Liverpool will make it to the Champion`s League final, won`t win the league and I don`t care about the FA or Carling Cup.
Fucked Up tour the UK in November at the following dates.
November 2008
7 - 93 Feet East, London
8 - Freebutt, Brighton
9 - Barfly, Birmingham
10 - The Zodiac, Oxford
11 - Cavern, Exeter
12 - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
13 - Sugarmill, Stoke
14 - Bodega, Nottingham
15 - Kasbah, Coventry
16 - King Tuts, Glasgow
17 - Corporation, Sheffield
18 - Cockpit, Leeds
19 - Roadhouse, Manchester
Adam Gibby (View Original Article)
Dean Coster`s back with part three in a three part series of facts, observations and lessons learned at this year`s In The City music conference in Manchester.
WHAT I LEARNED
That there is a swear word on The Kingsmen’s version of `Louie Louie`. The drummer says fuck just before the false vocal start. Apparently he hit his hand with a drum stick.
The first song Jarvis Cocker wrote was called `Shakespeare Rock`.
That if you are going to hold a conference about how Grime artists don’t get the promotion from record companies to become international stars, don’t let half your panel fail to turn up. Don’t have your big name key speaker (Wiley) become persona non grata. Don’’t complain when you get a poor turnout due to your complete inability to self promote. Don’t be confused by the irony.
That if you hold a conference about dance music, half the people attending will be bald and in their forties. The rest will probably have glasses.
That the children of the head of BBC Introducing at Radio Lancashire do not listen to the radio. In fact, not many people under the age of 21 do anymore. Console games, ‘sync’ (playing your songs on a tv shows/movies), brand affiliation and the Internet are major sources for younger people to hear new music.
That Paul Griffiths, the head of t-shirt company Babycakes, created his first t-shirts by watching how to screen print via a video on you tube. From this he produced 50 shirts, half of which he gave to his friends and the rest he sold on the internet. In the space of a year he has now opened his first shop, organised a series of under-18 club nights and paid of his mum’s mortgage. He’s twenty.
That Jon Grant, the creator of Black Country Grammar, has just found out that he does not own the copyright to anything he’s written on his blog. Technically, as with all blogs on Blogger, it’s owned by Google. He’s thinking of using his own server to run the blog in the future.
That Drowned In Sound will no longer be going into partnership with BSkyB to set up a series of new websites for specialist music. BSkyB have pulled out of the deal. Sean Adams (the founder of the drownedinsound.com) is happy about this.
That Drowned In Sound may never release another record again. They’ve spent thousands of pounds on releasing records and they haven’t seen any come back. They’ve even lost money on the Martha Wainwright album, and that sold 70,000 copies. The main source of money for Drowned In Sound is via web advertising. (`I think we can all learn something from this!` - Penniless Ed)
That the Salford Trinity Church, host to most of Unconventional (the local music scene’’s answer to ITC), is a beautiful venue filled with beautiful people. Well, when it isn’t filled with religious types.
I WAS DISAPPOINTED BY
Pop Justice Night - The website is great. The bands that played the night they hosted at Bar38 weren’t. Let’s just leave it at that, shall we?
I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LIKED
Cats in Paris - not part of the official convention, they were instead part of Unconventional’s night at Salford Trinity Church. They may not be unique but they were the closest thing I heard to unique all weekend.
I MAY FALL IN LOVE WITH
Grammatics - their guitar/keyboard indie-rock just jumps all over the place, as does their lead singer. It sounds phenomenal live. Who knows what it sounds like on record.
I FINALLY WATCHED A GOOD GIG BY
These New Puritans - and it was at Night and Day. Last time I saw them play they said they would never go there again. Clearly they were lying. Good job too as they finally made it all work and produce an exciting show. Maybe it was because they felt they had to after following Grammatics, maybe it was because there were only three of them due to their regular keyboardist not being able to make it. Whatever the reason they finally showed some of the promise I hoped for. Maybe it’s because they got a song played on the BBC…
Dean Coster (View Original Article)
THINGS THAT I HAVE LEARNT
Kevin Cummings once had to do a two day shoot with Duran Duran in NewYork. The shoot started off badly when he arrived and found out that all four band members (this was around the time of their cover album) were staying in different hotels. At first the management said that this was due to security issues, but it soon became clear that the real reason was because they hated each other. After four days trying to get them together it was becoming obvious that the band were not going to attend a photo shoot. Kevin then tried to get Simon Le Bon to do a solo shoot but was told he wouldn’t come down from his hotel room. ‘Okay, then let me take a photo of him while he’s lying in bed.’’
‘Great idea. I’ll fax him and he’ll give you an answer in twenty-four hours.’
‘But he’s in this hotel. Why don’t you just call him?’
‘Simon doesn’t respond to telephone calls. Simon only responds to faxes. We will fax him your idea, he will consider it and will send a reply by fax.’
The fax was sent. Twenty-four hours later a fax was sent by Simon. It said ‘‘No‘.
Peter Hook received a free pair of trainers from Adidas while he was in New Order. While staying at a hotel that The Courteeners were also staying in he notice a van pull up to the front. The van was full of trainers that were being given to The Courteeners for free. Peter though about it for one moment and did the only sensible thing. He nicked the trainers.
Reverend and The Makers have set up a website called www.instigatedebate.com. The intention is to promote discussion about political and social topics. Part of the site includes a set of questions that the band wants people to ask celebrities and politicians, film their answers and put it up on the site. If you manage to do it people like Carl Barat or the Reverends will agree to perform a gig at your house for free.
PP Arnold fucked Mick Jagger. Seymour Stein said it so it must be true.
When Seymour Stein and Richard Gotteher first came over to the UK to get artists to sign onto their labels in the US they used to bring over cheesecake. They would use the cheesecake as an incentive for record company execs to sign over deals to them. It worked. They also found it was very useful to sign deals after lunch, as most record executives would be drunk then and more willing to sign over stuff for less.
Dick Carruthers has filmed a secret gig of Oasis performing their new album. Nothing is finalised as to what will happen with it, but expect it to appear on Channel Four soon.
I HAVE ALSO LEARNED
That one person trying to cover all the bands he wants to see is absolutely impossible and doomed to fail.
That if you put on a forum about how the porn industry has succeeded on the internet and indicated that people from the porn industry will be there, but not say who, the event will fill to capacity very quickly and they have to put announcements on the tannoy to stop more people turning up. It will be the only forum during the whole event that will do so.
That times for events are relative. What time a band says they will start and what time they actually do start are two completely separate things.
That a room filled with people all wearing vintage clothing smells of very strong dry cleaning fluid and Fabreeze.
I WAS KIND OF INDIFFERENT ABOUT
Friends Electric. Another band who said a bit New Order, a bit 80’s electro. Maybe it would have been a better gig if I could have actually heard the singers, but the mics were knackered. So maybe I need to give them another chance. Or maybe that was proof God exists.
I KIND OF LIKED
Data Select Party - Another bleepy band with electro-pop leanings. The little book you get describing the bands say ‘John Hughes 80’s movie soundtrack via the last days of disco, crashing into the most ambitious, catchy post punk singles ever.’ What does that even mean
I ALSO KIND OF LIKED
The Blue skies - more bleepiness. This time the book describes them as ‘…synth and sequencer driven sound that brings to mind the pop sounds OMD would have done if the technology had worked.’ Yeah, that’s about right.
I LIKE THE NAME OF
Zen Arcade - a lot more than the band. I was expecting a Husker Du style wall of noise. There is a wall of noise, but more in the vein of early Goth and Interpol. Not bad though.
I LIKED
Keith - The local lads are finally coming good. Their performance at the Deaf Institute (which from the inside truly has to be the best looking venue in Manchester) still suffered from a couple of songs which sounded like plodding excesses from the baggy/jamming era, but when they hit from the songs they play can hit psychedelic perfection.
I REALLY REALLY LIKED
The Baddies - they were dead good. Garage punk-pop revival by people in matching blue shirts anyone? Sorted.
I COMPLETELY MISSED
Micachu and The Shapes - because they should have been on at the time Keith came on. And if they were going to come on at the time Keith should have come on, they didn’t. So fuck ‘em. Pity that, because her mixtape is good.
I ALSO COMPLETELY MISSED
Johnny Foreigner - whose show I decided to go to after I left The Deaf Institute. Unfortunately they pulled out at the last minute. So that was a waste.
I ALSO WILL PROBABLY MISS
Wiley - he hasn’t turned up for the panel this morning and his manager didn’t turn up to the panel yesterday. What chances him turning up for his show tonight? I wonder if there is a reason for the no-show?
I REALLY WANT THE NEXT TIME TO BE HUGE, BUT THEY PROBABLY WON’T
Fake Kings - they’re from Salford, they’re young, they’ve got the looks, they’ve got a bag full of indie-rock tunes. They’re aces. Unfortunately they have also have brains and are moving onto various universities so they probably won’t last for much longer. But they could be great.
Dean Coster (View Original Article)
Who is he?
Yuksek - that`s YouUsedKosmostoSavetheEternalKnock-out of course AKA Pierre-Alexandre Busson.
Where is he from?
Paris in France.
Three tracks to search out and love:
`Little Dirty Trip`, `Tonight` and `Contact`.
The skinny:
Was it the scintillating electro-hop of `Sorry` or the pulsating, spasticated basslines of `Plastik` from Yuksek`s late 2006 release on Relish that prompted me to recommend Yuksek as one to watch in 2007 and why is the first Yuksek himself has heard of it?
"I didn`t know, thanks a lot for the support!" he says. "[Since then] I`ve spent most of my time playing here and there and producing my first album."
Drawing on disparate from Nirvana and the Flaming Lips to The Beatles and Lou Reed to NWA, Public Enemy and George Clinton to fellow Gallic acts Daft Punk, Air and Phoenix, he`s also found the time to release three further EPs, `Composer`, `It Comes` and last month`s triumphant `Tonight` ("It`s about having fun and partying. On this track I used the vocal like any other sound. It`s more about melodics."). It`s perhaps Yuksek`s vocals which set him aside from many of his peers, being able to sing and play live at the same time is a useful trick and it`s something he`s been doing from the start.
"I use my voice a lot now but I`ve done it since the beginning. Sometimes I start my new track with a vocal idea, sometimes something else. On the stage I love to do things a bit differently, playing keyboard, singing, using the computer. That`s the only way for me to be on stage, giving something real!"
Yuksek took his version of reality to a whole new audience recently when he played the famed Montreux Jazz Festival in July, surely a rarity for an electro act?
"Brodinski was playing with me, Midnight Juggernauts played the day before, and some others. It was fun to be there, the place is wonderful and `chic`, really professional. What would beat it? Playing with my friends, Brodinski, The Shoes, Alb, The Bewitched Hands, Breakbot, Vicarious Bliss, BirdyNamNam at a festival during the summer near the beach..."
As mentioned, Yuksek is working on his debut album, keep your eyes peeled for more news about this truly exciting future release.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Resident Culturedeluxe Manc Dean Coster is attending this year`s In The City conference in Manchester. Here`s how he`s been getting on so far...
THINGS THAT I`VE LEARNED
That Andrew Loog Oldham is shorter than I thought he was. Not short, just shorter.
That the old, happy looking, grey-haired bloke who is sitting across from you can be Seymour Stein, music legend and owner of Sire Records.
That pictures on press passes are terrible to look at.
That Andrew Loog Oldham used to pay Rolling Stones fans to buy records from chart stores. That they had to buy the records on a Thursday or Friday so that the record would look like it was doing well and their record company would then give them more money to promote the record over the rest of the week.
That when members of the music industry drop papers all over the floor it is funny, not matter how big the person is.
That when Kate Nash has to speak to music executives about business she sounds incredibly nervous.
That attending discussions on the music industry is fun, but you get to see less music than you hoped. I thought this was meant to be about the music, stupid?
That Network Rail are scum, because delays with trains meant that Wiley was unable to attend his demonstration of how to recreate “Wearing My Rolex”.
That John Robb is as irritating in person as he is on stage or on television or on radio or in print. How irritating that is entirely depends upon your own preferences.
That the Secretary of State for Culture used to tape stuff of the radio when he was younger. And that he has purchased The Wedding Present’s `George Best` in four different formats.
That I may never see Detroit Social Club, no matter how many times I try to arrange it.
That the guest list is everything.
That an artist coalition formed by managers just feels really iffy, no matter how sound a idea it comes across.
That Mrs Clint Boon makes exceedingly good homemade cakes
That I use the word that too much when beginning sentences.
I WAS KIND OF INDIFFERENT ABOUT
To The Bones - Manchester based rock band with obvious influences from Motorhead and Nirvana. If there is ever a grunge revival they would fit in. But, you know…
I KIND OF LIKED
Tin Soldiers - Pop friendly metal band. Obvious comparisons to My Chemical Romance, Muse and Feeder. Fit perfectly with that sound Kerrang! like so much.
I REALLY LIKED
Charlene Soraia - Another girly Brit School graduate. But she can sing beautifully, and she can play guitar like a dream. And she can do dirty when she wants to as well.
I LOVED
Radio Luxembourg - Welsh, psychedelic, poppy, incredibly thin. Perfect stuff for a night in listening to Marc Riley, who just so happened to be at the gig.
I REALLY WANT THE NEXT BAND TO BE HUGE
The Foxes - if their live show is anything to go by they deserve it. Moddish, attitude filled, fun and fast.
I HATED
Whoever the band was who hired a truck and played outside the Midland Hotel. Just on general principle.
I LOATHE
Network Rail - bastards made me miss Wiley and Detroit Social Scene, who I would have watched if I knew Wiley wasn‘t going to show.
Dean Coster (View Original Article)
I arrived at the Water Rats at Kings Cross for my interview with The Maybes? feeling quite nervous as it was my first ever interview. We were shepherded downstairs where we found all five members of the band crammed in to what can only be described as an old boiler room, the boiler still in place, watching an old Talking Heads video. The members are Nick Ellis (guitar, lead vocals), Lee Smith (guitar, vocals),Timo Tierney (guitar, vocals), Nick Otaegui (bass, vocals) and Dominic Allen (drums). `You see what they`ve given us?!` Nick, the lead singer, protests. Soon my nerves went as they were all nice blokes and I quickly found that stopping them chatting for long enough to conduct an interview would be the tricky part!
How do you guys feel now you`ve released your debut album?
Lee: `Let`s make another one!`
Are you bored of the first one already?
Lee: `No, not bored we just want to move on and keep moving. We`re developing, you know what I mean, developing all the time.`
Do you find that you develop your songs as you play them live?
Nick E: `Yeah definitely. Like when you`re coming up with new stuff you wanna put it in to practice but sometimes you might just wanna get it down. If you think it needs to get it up to scratch then you`ll take it out but if you`ve got the energy there and the general jist of it then you put that down straight away so it`s fresh. So you then take it from there with what you want to do with the song. Or you put more production ideas in to it you know. That`s kinda where we are at the moment. The second part. We just wanna get it down quick rather than go out and hit the road with it cos we`ve done a lot of that kind of stuff this year. So for a band to stay fresh they need to enjoy what they`re doing. It`s good to cut your year up in to different parts and do different things and that`s where we`re at now. So tonight, we`ll do the set that`s kinda from the summer so it`s like the crowd have maybe seen or heard of the band over the summer and then they`ll see us again now, or a new crowd will.`
Listening to the album you obviously use a lot of different musical styles so we were just wondering who your main influences actually were?
Dominic: `Well we`ve been listening to music for so many years now, all different types and sometimes it just comes out when you`re playing and that`s why the songs sound like that. We`re kinda influenced by eachother. If one of us is getting in to something we`ll say have a listen to this. But we`ve all been playing music since we were pretty young and we`ve listened to so much that you pick up a lot of influences.`
Nick E: Just good songwriters really. Anything with a tune, it doesn`t matter what it is, whether it`s dance or kinda country as long as it`s a good song. I think each song`s got a kind of character and then life stipulates where you wanna go with that character and you wanna get that character in to a song. So if you`re listening to like a Reggae song, you might write a Reggae song, it doesn`t really matter as long as it keeps a character. You know influence is a big thing, an ongoing thing from like just things you see. Like in here now, it`s pretty vivid, you won`t forget it. So influences have sharp contrasts. Like them observations and them influences, all different stuff not just music. It`s like a real representation of what life is.`
So what have you guys been up to over the last 12 months? A few festivals?
Nick O: `Yeah basically. We`ve done a tour with The Rifles a year ago to the day. We did our own tour and then again around may. The single was out in March, `Talk About You`, another single in August with a couple of festivals inbetween. A bit of radio coverage and that`s about where we are now. We would have done a lot more gigs over the last 12 months if they`d been worth our while but they just weren`t there really.`
What`s the best gig you`ve played?
Nick O: `Best gig? There`s all different ones really. There`s different aspects that make it the best one. The best place you`ve played, the best vibe, the best musical performance you`ve played, the best crowd so it varies really.`
What was recording the album like? Where did you go? Who did you do it with?
Dominic: `We went to Monnow Valley in South Wales. We had Head, the guy who`s produced PJ Harvey and Massive Attack and we had Jim Anderson who was engineering it. It was just great because everyone got on together, there was a good atmosphere.
Nick O: It was like going on holiday. Not in terms of we weren`t working, don`t get me wrong by that, just the feeling of kinda getting away, removing yourself from your normal environment. It`s like you can let loose and feel relaxed.`
So how did you do it? Just all in the same room at the same time or different parts?
Nick E: `Yeah we did it live and then maybe we`d do some overdubs or something. The feel we wanted to get on it was live, that`s where we`re at our best we think and when you play it live you can alter the sounds and stuff to get it exactly how you want it.`
So what`s the best song on the album?
Dominic: `I like `Disappear`.`
Lee: `Yeah `Disappear` or maybe `Full Moon`.`
Nick O: `I think `Turn Me Over`, the first track on the LP.`
Nick E: `I think probably `Modern Love`. It`s very removed from the rest of it. It`s a very old song you know what I mean. It was a good feeling nailing that one live. We`re only just learning you see to nail the band live in the studio, that`s where we`re progressing to. How to get our sound across and produce our sound in the studio while playing live. But the album is kinda like that and that`s why I like that song. It just seemed to come out naturally and I liked doing the vocals on it. Just pissing around and singing. I had a laugh doing it.`
How do you guys go about writing a song?
Dominic: `Sometimes it comes from a jam, just playing around, getting arrangements and working on it, putting lyrics to it. Or someone might get an idea at home, they`ll bring it in and we`ll play round that like someone might have a riff or they might come in with a lyric.
Nick O: Also I think that we`re moving on and we`re playing the songs of the album and we`ve been playing them for a while, you can`t help but develop as songwriters, just jamming and collaborating with arrangements and stuff.
Nick E: As a group we`re very strong at songwriting, like on the album `Trick of the Light` was like our band thing. That came out of everyone, just jamming and that just happened, the chords came and then we jushed pushed it and that`s where it starts developing it`s own character. That`s the magic bit.
Lee: I think we`ve made a really good sound on `Promise`. The songs will stand up to the test of time.`
Ok, the next question is an interesting one. You`ve got a million quid for a music video. What do you do?
Dominic: `I`d just get a load of fit birds in!`
Nick E: `I think I`d go somewhere else, you know, just go to Paris for the day, blow a million quid just in Paris. Or Tokyo, just some crazy city.`
Lee: `I`d like to just go see how many different countries we could film in before the money ran out. That would be interesting.`
Nick O: `Or just put a camera on a dogs head and take it for a walk. See what happens.`
Nick E: `See you can do all sorts!`
Timo: `Just give someone a tenner and a video camera and then pocket the million.`
Nick O: `I`d like to get Maradona and Pele and make them have a fight!`
What`s your dream gig? Who are you supporting or who`s supporting you?
Nick E: `The Pope on bagpipes! Nah, actually I`d just like to have a gig in the sea, everybody would just have to go out to sea in boats. No one ever does that.`
Lee: `I don`t know. It would have to be someone dead probably. I`d just like Paul, John, Ringo and George to reform. Just a massive venue I think. Playing somewhere like Goodison Park for 2 nights or something.`
Right, last question on special request. Daddy or chips?
Lee: `What? Daddy or chips? I like my dad.`
Dominic: `Yeah I like my dad.`
Nick E: `My dad`s fucking sound and I could take him over a bag of chips anyway. That`s the fucking maddest question I`ve ever been asked so far.`
In a strange way I`m quite proud of that fact.
Adam Gibby (View Original Article)
Click the headline to unveil the full story
‘Nevereverland’ is billed as a `travelling festival.` It was originally established last year in Australia and featured ‘Daft Punk’ as the headline act, however this year it will be coming to ‘The Coronet’ in London `for one night only` kids, and that night will be November 15, surely a date for your diaries?
With an all-star cast of modern pops finest luminaries both old and new, and starring amongst others the likes of The Presets, Shy Child, Ladyhawke, Van She & Van She Tech, Fred Falke, Lifelike, Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, Zongamin Soundsystem, Aeroplane, Thecocknbullkid [DJ Set], Frankmusik, Lifelike, Pop Justice DJs, FACT DJs, The Voguettes, Modular DJs, Dreamtime and Bushpig. Which means that this will surely be more of a `happening` then your average night on the tiles kids.
The Presets `Apocalypso`, went to number 1 with a bullet upon its release in Australia while New York`s Shy Child will be bringing their unique blend of analogue bleeps and beats to the party. Ladyhawke should already be a familiar name having recently released her debut album of modern pop beats. Next up is the fantastic Henry Smithson, also known as Riton, but here under his krautrock alias of Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, already this writer`s album of the year folks. Henry will be `rescoring a film in the EKNM style in association with Future Cinema, innovators behind Future Shorts and Secret Cinema.` Eine Kleine Nacht Musik`s kraut-tastic themed room will feature `a cinematic otherworld` sound - tracked by some vintage analogue sounds and all manner of sonic diversions.
Add to this already ace line-up a host of DJs that include such upcoming names as New Cross`s very own TheCocknbullkid Rory Phillips,The Voguettes, the excellent Zongamin Soundsystem and some great Modular DJs augmenting a great line up and you have quite an event happening.
Keith Haworth (View Original Article)
The Pet Shop Boys, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, will return with their tenth studio album in 2009, the follow up to 2006`s `Fundamental`.
The first single released is expected to be `Love Etc` and, despite being highly competent producers themselves, the boys have brought in hitmakers Xenomania to assist in the production. Furthermore, Neil`s former Electronic buddy Johnny Marr will guest (as he attempts to make the Guinness Book of World Records for involvement in the most bands at once) along with St Etienne`s Bob Stanley and Final Fantasy man Owen Pallett who has arranged strings on the tracks `Beautiful People` and `Legacy`.
2009 also marks the 25th anniversary of the original release of the duo`s landmark hit `West End Girls` - wow!
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Attic Lights release another single from their very well-received debut album `Friday Night Lights` on 8th December when `Late Night Sunshine` offers, in song title at least, a ray of hope to those of us feeling a bit gloomy now the clocks have gone back.
The band have also teasingly announced that they`ve recorded a theme tune for a `legendary TV show` without saying which show it is. My money`s on the one off Rab C Nesbitt special which is due to be screened soon!
Perhaps a clue can be found tucked away on their setlist at one or two of the shows on this pleasingly Scotland-heavy tour...
October 2008
30 - Leeds Metropolitan University
31 - Sheffield Academy
November 2008
1 - Liverpool Academy
4 - Cardiff University
5 - London ULU
6 - Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
7 - Manchester Ritz
12 - Fort William Fired Art
13 - Inverness Hootanannys
14 - Stornoway Woodlands Centre
15 - Ullapool Arch Inn
16 - Aberdeen Cafe Drummond
21 - Dunfermline Velocity
28 - Glasgow SECC
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
EMI are well known for spending ridiculous amounts securing `talent` such as Robbie Williams and Mariah Carey or indulging the Beta Band`s filmic aspirations but what happens when one of the nation`s hottest new acts form under their very noses working desk jobs in their HQ? That`s right, they release their debut single through hot indie label 50 Bones instead.
We Have Band are Darren Bancroft (vocals, drums, percussion, sampler), Thomas WP (vocals, guitar, bass, programming) and Dede WP (vocals, percussion, sampler) and, despite the awful name, great things are expected of the single `Oh!` released on November 24th and their debut album slated for a Summer `09 release.
The act play twice on November 10th in the capital to support the release - an instore appearance at Puregroove and another later at Durrr.
They`re also the purveyors of the latest mix over at allez-allez where they share their influences in a handy MP3 file including the likes of ESG, Liquid Liquid, Ratatat and M.I.A.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
After even Sweet Maria herself left Tony Christie in the lurch following his stranglehold on the UK charts in 2005 with `Amarillo`, few would have expected the veteran crooner to make such a commendable comeback as he has done with new album `Made in Sheffield`.
Featuring covers of the Arctic Monkeys` `The Only Ones Who Know`, The Human League`s `Louise` and Richard Hawley`s `Coles Corner`, it`s the production expertise of the latter that is the biggest contributive factor the album`s success. Hawley here is Mark Ronson, only without the annoying accent, inflated self-opinion and stupid scarf.
Christie is so happy with the results that he`s planning on working with Richard Hawley on his next album and told Channel 4 teletext service Planet Sound : "I`ve got a large trove of my own songs I haven`t recorded yet, and that`s what Richard wants us to do together next - him to produce an album of songs I wrote."
That`s fine by us Tony, just keep Peter Kay at least fifty feet from the recording studio at all times!
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Outspoken `blog queen` Lily Allen will be releasing her second album `It`s not me, it`s you` in February. It will be preceded by a single `The Fear` which will be released on January the 26th.
According to the press release the album will feature twelve new songs that `celebrate Lily’s supreme pop artistry` and `if Alan Bennett were to be channelled into the body of a 23 year old female pop star then these songs might be the lyrical result.`..
...it has a song titled `Fuck You` on it!
The full track listing is:
Everyone’s At It, The Fear, It’s Not Fair, 22, I Could Say, Go Back To the Start, Never Gonna Happen, Fuck You, Who’d’ve Known, Chinese, Him, He Wasn’t ThereNick Foster (View Original Article)
Over the past four years Diplo has established himself as one of the hottest producers in the world on several occasions. Whether it be through his incendiary DJ sets at his Hollertronix club nights or his much-publicised working and conventional relationships with M.I.A, the man formerly known as Wes Pentz has never failed to thrill.
A retrospective of his best work over this period will be released by Big Dada, the label where he released his debut album `Florida`, on January 26th 2009 entitled `Decent Work For Decent Pay`. Expect to hear such production successes as Kano`s `Reload It` and M.I.A.`s Clash-sampling bonafide hit `Paper Planes`, remixes for the likes of Bloc Party, Spank Rock and Hot Chip and the odd out take from his first album.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Neon Neon cap a successful year that saw their debut LP `Stainless Style` nominated for this year`s Mercury Music Prize in style with a further single release on 8th December through Lex Records.
`Dream Cars` will be released, backed with a cover version of Young Marble Giants` `Mr Right` and two remixes by LA hip hop duo Brother Reade. It concerns the early days of controversial car magnate John DeLorean (famously the muse for `Stainless Style`) in Detroit as he plotted his success and, ultimately, his downfall.
Neon Neon main members Gruff Rhys and Boom Bip precede this release with their UK tour which tonight lands in Brighton. Alongside the boys will be Cate Le Bon, Har Mar Superstar and Yo Majesty who also play full support slots on all dates.
October 2008 (Sold out where asterisked)
28 - Bristol Trinity Centre
29 - London Koko *
30 - Brighton Digital
November 2008 (Sold out where asterisked)
1 - Leeds Brudenell Social Club *
2 - Cardiff Millenium Centre *
4 - Dublin Tripod
5 - Belfast Stiff Kitten
6 - Glasgow Oran Mor *
7 - Gateshead Sage 2 *
9 - Manchester Ruby Lounge *
10 - Birmingham Glee Club *
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Having been available as a digital download since August, and thus propagated around peer to peer networks multiple times over, Bloc Party aren`t waiting with baited breath for this Sunday`s album chart rundown.
Instead, they`re planning to shun the Top 40 further by no longer releasing physical singles (although somebody really should tell them that digital only singles are chart-eligible as long as money changes hands to download them).
The band told BBC6 Music : "I don`t think our digital release was eligible so this is our only shot at the charts - but the kind of band we are, isn`t one you were going to see on Top Of The Pops really."
(you won`t see anyone on Top of the Pops mate - don`t you know it`s all X Factor these days?)
"We`ve never entirely played the game." they continued. "Maybe we`ll find out that it`s a great success, but maybe we`ll find out that people just aren`t buying CDs anymore. Our record company`s been behind our ideas for this record and future singles. We`re talking now about not doing any more physical formats for singles meaning we won`t have any more eligible singles after `Talons`."
`Intimacy` was released physically through Wichita this week.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Long time darlings of the Scottish post-punk and indie world Orange Juice have announced they have reformed for a re-union show in December.
The original line-up of Edwyn Collins (v/g), James Kirk (g/v), David McClymont (b) and Steven Daly (d) will play together for the first time since 1982 at the Nordoff-Robbins awards show in their native Glasgow.
The band were formed in 1979 in Glasgow`s affluent Bearsden area and rose to prominence through celebrated local label Postcard offering a new, happy go-lucky attitude through singles such as `Falling and Laughing` to counter the tired sneer of punk and the post-punk gloom personified by acts such as Joy Division.
It wasn`t until Kirk and Daly had left (Kirk becoming a chiropodist while Daly turned his hand to journalism) due to internal tensions and were replaced by journeyman Malcolm Ross (ex-Josef K and future Aztec Camera guitarist) and Zeke Manyika that the band found themselves on Top of the Pops with the camp funk-pop of `Rip It Up` (famous among technology geeks as the first record to use the new Roland TB-303 synth).
In 1985, with the band reduced to a duo of Collins and Manyika, the Orange Juice carton was finally drained and the act ceased to be. Collins has since scored a number of solo hits including `The Magic Piper (of Love)` and the 1995 smash `A Girl Like You`. In 2005 he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage but has recovered well since and returned to the stage recently as part of Heavenly Records 18th birthday celebrations.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
The Futureheads will end their finest year since the heady days of 2004 in style by releasing a brand new single, `I Wouldn`t Be Like This If You Were Here`, and playing a colossal UK and Irish tour.
`I Wouldn`t Be Like This If You Were Here` was not on this year`s return-to-form LP `This is Not the World` and is released on 1st December through the band`s own Nul imprint. Although recorded at the same time as the other tracks on their album, the band decided to hold this song back to cap a fine year and may well join `The Beginning of the Twist` at the top of many journalists` end of year lists.
The tour kicks off at the end of November and sees the band deliver Christmas cheer to the following venues:
November 2008
29 - London Astoria
30 - Whitehaven Civic Hall
December 2008
2 - Glasgow ABC 2
3 - Glasgow ABC 2
5 - Birmingham Academy
6 - Oxford Academy
7 - Norwich Waterfront
8 - Cardiff Dub 29
9 - Cheltenham Dakota Club
12 - Sheffield Academy
13 - Leeds Academy
15 - Cork Cyprus Avenue
16 - Limerick Dolan`s Warehouse
17 - Dublin Academy
19 - Gateshead Sage
20 - York Duchess
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Even though it`s a virtual gimme that the winner of X Factor, no matter how poor this year`s crop appear to be, will number one this Christmas, it hasn`t stopped some of the UK`s indie acts from having a pop and gaining much needed daytime radio play into the bargain. Hey, it worked last year for Malcolm Middleton when his anti-Claus anthem `We`re All Going To Die` reached a whopping number 31 on last year`s Christmas countdown before dropping out of the charts altogether one week later.
This year there`s an interesting battle between two sets of wee, fluffy creatures. The Wombats release `Is This Christmas?` with special guest Les Dennis on 15th December, the same day that Glasgow`s Frightened Rabbit unleash `It`s Christmas So We`ll Stop`. So, will it be the established yet hibernating marsupials or the highly-rated big-wigged newcomers who attain the highest Yuletide position?
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Bjork has confirmed that Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke has sung backing vocals on a new single `Nattura` hoping that the wonky-eyed messiah won`t do the same for her career as he did for Drugstore back in 1998 (the band were largely unheard of from that point on).
Released today, the single is available through all good digital outlets with all profits being donated towards the `Nattura Campaign` which gives its name to the song. The campaign aims to encourage sustainable environmentally friendly options in Iceland, for more info check here and their official website.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
The Knife singer Karin Dreijer Andersson has announced a solo project under the name Fever Ray with a debut release to come out at some point in 2009.
There`s an instrumental version of a track `If I Had a Heart` up on her new MySpace which, if you imagine her trademark vocals on top of it, should give you an idea of what to expect.
Her brother Olof Dreijer has not announced a reciprocal solo project but will presumably continue his sporadic appearances on the continents turntables as DJ Coolof.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Guru Josh is assured the third hit of his career (only 18 years since the last one) when a remixed, watered-down version of his debut `Infinity` will hit the Top 10. At the moment the single is sitting at number four which is one place higher than the original peaked at in March 1990.
Josh`s real name is Paul Walden and, during a two year career as the Guru, he recorded and released five singles and one album also called `Infinity` before moving into multimedia production and the creation of music videos once his fame had run out.
In 2007 Walden formed the Guru Josh Project with Darren Bailie & Anders Nyman which `Infinity 2008` is officially credited to.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Following a `switchboard jamming` number of calls to The Sun and various radio stations by viewers of the newspaper`s most recent ad campaign to find out `just who has covered Depeche Mode`s `Just Can`t Get Enough`, the answer can now be revealed with the release of Wallis Bird`s, for it was she, stripped down, acoustic version of the popular 80`s pop track.
The song is available now from iTunes backed with a brand new track `The Sunshine Song` while her debut album `Spoons` is still available from all good stockists.
As for The Sun, good on them. The newspaper may be good for little more than a titillating daily chuckle at the `adult` antics of George and Lynne, but at least their adverts have improved greatly. Remember the bouncing `In The Sun` head? Sheesh!
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Mancunian indie-dance outfit The Whip are back out on tour again next month and, to celebrate, they`ve made a 10 track mixtape available for fans to download featuring some of the music that`s sure to be blasting out in their tour bus from 12th November.
The tracklisting is:
The Whip - `Mix Tape`
1. `Hey Boy Hey Girl` - The Chemical Brothers (Soulwax remix)
2. `Blackout` - The Whip (Shinichi Osawa remix)
3. `Muzzle No.1` - The Whip (The Bloody Beetroots remix)
4.` Mars` - Fake Blood
5. `A Cause des Garcons` - Yelle (Tepr remix)
6. `Bad Runner` - Brodinski
7. `Bodycrash` - Buy Now
8. `Declaration of War` - Hadouken (The Whip remix)
9. `Trash` - The Whip (The Bloody Beetroots remix)
10. `Vuvuvu` – MSTRKRFT
Download it here - http://www.sign-up.to/signup.php?fid=1670&pid=21
...and the tour calls in at the following...
November 2008
12 - Bristol Thekla
13 - Leeds Cockpit
14 - Glasgow Arches
15 - Newcastle Other Rooms
18 - Brighton Concorde 2
19 - London Scala
20 - Oxford Academy 3
21 - Manchester Academy 2
22 - Liverpool Chibuku
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
A new novel entitled `A Nasty Piece of Work` will be released on November 5th through Fortune Teller Press. Written by acclaimed film director Graham Bendel (whose `Billy Childish is Dead` was nominated for a British Independent Film Award in 2005), it concerns a meeting between a `shocking` modern artist and a publisher who becomes embroiled in a series of antisocial acts as the book develops.
Praise for Graham, whose prized possession is a postcard from Fugazi`s Ian Mackaye and of whom Killing Joke`s Jaz Coleman once declared "there are ghosts standing behind you, but don`t worry they like you.", has been flowing including Andrew Weatherall who declared "If I was wearing one, I`d doff my cap". Furthermore, the publishers believe the book is currently being read by none other than cult 60`s film director Robert Downey Sr.
You can pre-order the book now from Amazon, Waterstones, Borders and your local bookshop (if it`s still standing - that`s progress for you, eh?).
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Ooh help, I`ve just spent the last five minutes looking at the cover art for Animal Collective`s `Merriweather Post Pavilion` due for release in January 2009. I`m now sat at my desk feeling punch drunk, rather giddy and with a strange, almost pre-programmed desire to listen to the Collective`s 2007 LP `Strawberry Jam`.
See what effect it has on you...
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
As anyone who has ever played along to The Spinto Band`s fantastic `Brown Boxes` at one of their live shows will testify, the modest kazoo or membranophone, when operated correctly, can produce some magical sounds.
Spare a thought then for Spinto Band frontman Thomas Hughes who found he`d lost his favourite instrument following a recent show in Brooklyn, New York and hastily made the following appeal:
"Hey folks, This is Thomas writing. I lost my kazoo at our last Brooklyn show and haven`t been able to find another one so I was wondering if you`d be so nice as to bring one along if you plan on attending a Spinto Band show in the next couple of days...Your reward will be a pack of new Spinto Band buttons! [while supplies and demand lasts] Love, thomas"
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
`Uncle` Nick Foster is always keen to tell us of the time he saw R.E.M. on their first ever tour back when most of Culturedeluxe`s musical day was provided by Brian Cant and Floella Benjamin on Playaway - those of us who had been born that is.
Well, get ready to explode with excitement Nick, as the band`s debut album `Murmur` is to be given a deluxe 25th anniversary double CD re-release on November 24th.
The first disc comprises a remastered edition of the twelve track album which famously kicks off with `Radio Free Europe` while a second disc contains a concert recorded in Toronto three months after the release of the album.
R.E.M. - `Murmur` (25th Anniversary Release)
CD One
1. `Radio Free Europe`
2. `Pilgrimage`
3. `Laughing`
4. `Talk About The Passion`
5. `Moral Kiosk`
6. `Perfect Circle`
7. `Catapult`
8. `Sitting Still`
9. `9-9`
10. `Shaking Through`
11. `We Walk`
12. `West Of The Fields`
CD Two (Live at Larry`s Hideaway)
1. `Laughing`
2. `Pilgrimage`
3. `There She Goes Again`
4. `7 Chinese Brothers`
5. `Talk About The Passion`
6. `Sitting Still`
7. `Harborcoat`
8. `Catapult`
9. `Gardening At Night`
10. `9-9`
11. `Just A Touch`
12. `West Of The Fields`
13. `Radio Free Europe`
14. `We Walk`
15. `1,000,000`
16. `Carnival Of Sorts (Box Cars)`
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Echo & The Bunnymen lead sing Ian McColloch has opened up an
old feud with U2 by calling them `spud peelers` who wanted to become part of the musical industry elite in an interview for an American magazine.
He told Flaunt magazine he`s always been amazed by U2`s success: "It was like, `Wanted: Spud-peeler who can sing.` And they were like, `Yes! I can peel the spuds (potatoes) and you can tune the guitars.`
"I knew from day one, as soon as I heard them... f**king hell. It`s like, `Let`s all get together and be in the music biz.`"
Guitarist Will Sergeant also shares McCulloch`s dislike for the Irish rockers, who ironically formed in the same year.
He adds, "I still haven`t got one U2 record in my house... To me, they were just boring. They`re a bit goody two-shoes."
McColloch also added that Bono and his band have become just like Bob Geldof, Sting and "all of them c**ts who no one really likes."
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Kate Jackson, lead singer with The Long Blondes until their announced split at the weekend following guitarist Dorian Cox`s continued problems overcoming a stroke, has gone solo it has emerged.
There`s no news yet which direction Kate will take with her new career but it`s pretty unlikely she`ll follow the trajectory of the singer of similar 90`s act theaudience by singing vocals on a hip, White label French dance track, becoming the biggest thing in female pop for one album and marrying the guitartist from a Supertramp tribute band. No, let`s hope Kate`s next steps don`t echo those of Sophie Ellis-Bextor...
You can relive the Blondes at their best with the `Singles` compilation that was coincidentally released this week featuring all their best pre-Rough Trade work.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Ned`s Atomic Dustbin`s show at the London Astoria on December 6th (the first time all five original Neds will have played together since 1995) has just taken on an exciting new dimension with the news that the act made up of former Pop Will Eat Itself members Graham Crabbe, Adam Mole and Fuzz Townshend aka Vile Evils (a band so good they misspelled `Elvis` twice) will support.
"We don`t fear the reaper, we celebrate the good times," said Vile Evils in classic Poppies style. "We don`t sleep `til bedtime, honestly, sometimes..."
Tickets cost £18.50 and can be purchased here.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Very early recordings of the soon to be, former Mrs Ritchie have been posted online by her biographer.
The raw recordings, made in 1980, show a punkier side to songs like `Born To Be A Dancer` and also includes the first song Madonna ever wrote `Tell The Truth`.
The tape, recorded by Madonna`s ex boyfriend Ed Gilroy and his brother Dan, was discovered by biographer Andrew Morton and has been interspersed with lines from Madonna`s 2008 Rock + Roll Hall of Fame induction speech.
You can currently listen to the recordings via website TheDailyBeast.com.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
The Long Blondes have announced that they are to part ways via a post on their MySpace page.
The move comes after guitarist Dorian Cox was hospitalised in June following a stroke.
Cox admits that his illness has forced the band to split up as his recovery is taking longer than expected.
In a statement Cox explains "We have decided to call it a day. The main reason for this is that I suffered from a stroke in June and unfortunately I do not know when/if I will be well enough to play guitar again.On behalf of the band I`d like to say a big thank you to anyone who ever came to one of our shows, bought one of our records or danced to one of our songs in a club.Thank you, if it wasn`t for you the whole thing would have been pointless. Finally on a personal note, thanks for all your well-wishing messages."
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Levi Stubbs lead vocalist for Motown legends The Four Tops died today (Otober 17th 2007) at his Detroit home. He was 72.
Stubbs had been in ill health since being diagnosed with cancer in 1995. He had stopped touring in 2000 due to ill helth.
The Four Tops were one of the bands that performed songs by classic songwriters Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. They scored hits with `Baby I Need Your Loving` in 1964, `I Can`t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honeybunch) and `Reach Out (I`ll Be There).
In 1967, the group had two top 10 hits, `Standing in the Shadows of Love` and `Bernadette`.
Prior to becoming The Four Tops the group were known as the Four Aims who performed regularly with Stubbs` cousin, the great Jackie Wilson.
This is truly a sad loss for music and CDX`s thoughts are with Levi`s family and friends at this time.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Glasvegas are so popular at the moment that James Allan only has to so much as sneeze and it`s reported on NME.com and, with a new Franz Ferdinand album within touching distance, it`s clear Scottish music is on the rise again. Who better then to compile a list of the ten best new acts north of the border than Dundee`s own Clash Magazine? Keep your ears open for the following inpenetrable accents sounding from a stage down south soon.
Clash Magazine`s Top 10 New Scottish Acts
1. The Pictish Trail (Pictured)
2. Sergeant
3. Frightened Rabbit
4. Isosceles
5. Findo Gask
6. The Twilight Sad
7. Errors
8. Dananananaykroyd
9. Copy Hao
10. Attic Lights
For the full article click here.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Now, That`s What I Call Music! is one of the best known brands in the music compilation world as, unsurprisingly, the concept of collecting together the best loved tracks released over the past few months and selling them, sans B-sides, at a fraction of the price of buying them separately has proven a winner. Over the past quarter of a decade the brand has filled stockings, soundtracked birthday parties and had us collectively wondering who the hell thought that a pig in sunglasses was a viable logo.
There`s no better way to celebrate a birthday than to repackage the same songs on a special 3 CD set and sell them back to people, which is exactly what the people at Now have done with this incredibly obvious compilation of tracks still played daily on commercial radio and in trashy clubs up and down the country. "Where`s Maxi Priest`s `Wild World`" I hear you cry? Also "What? No `Amityville (The House on the Hill)` by Lovebug Starski?" and "Hold everything...who forgot `Wiggle It` by 2 In A Room?" All forgotten I`m afraid, and doomed to stay that way.
Disc: 1
1. Backstreet Boys I Want It That Way
2. Belinda Carlisle Heaven is A Place On Earth
3. Beyonce feat Jay-Z Crazy In Love
4. Billy Joel Uptown Girl
5. Black Eyed Peas feat Justin Timberlake Where Is The Love
6. Bon Jovi Livin` On A Prayer
7. Boyzone No Matter What
8. Britney Spears Baby One More Time
9. Cher Believe
10. Coldplay Fix You
11. Crowded House Weather With You
12. Culture Club Karma Chameleon
13. David Bowie Modern Love
14. Diana Ross Chain Reaction
15. Duffy Mercy
16. Duran Duran The Reflex
17. Elton John Are You Ready For Love
18. Eurythmics There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)
19. Fatboy Slim Praise You
20. Feargal Sharkey A Good Heart
21. Frankie Goes To Hollywood Two Tribes
22. Gnarls Barkley Crazy
23. James Sit Down
24. James Blunt You`re Beautiful
25. Jermaine Stewart We Don`t Have To
26. Kaiser Chiefs Ruby
27. Katy Perry I Kissed A Girl
Disc: 2
1. Kylie Minogue Can`t Get You Out Of My Head
2. Leona Lewis Bleeding Love
3. Mark Ronson feat Amy Winehouse Valerie
4. Mika Grace Kelly
5. Natalie Imbruglia Torn
6. Nelly Furtado Maneater
7. New Radicals You Get What You Give
8. No Doubt Don`t Speak
9. Oasis Wonderwall
10. Outkast Hey Ya!
11. Pet Shop Boys It`s A Sin
12. Peter Gabriel Sledgehammer
13. Phil Collins You Can`t Hurry Love
14. Phil Collins / Philip Bailey Easy Lover
15. Queen I Want To Break Free
16. R.E.M. Everybody Hurts
17. Ray Parker Jr Ghostbusters
18. Ricky Astley Never Gonna Give You Up
19. Rihanna feat Jay-Z Umbrella
20. Robbie Williams Angels
21. Roxette It Must Have Been Love
22. RUN DMC feat Aerosmith Walk This Way
23. S Club 7 Reach
24. Shaggy feat Ricardo `RikRok` Ducent It Wasn`t Me
25. Shania Twain That Don`t Impress Me Much
Disc: 3
1. Simple Minds Don`t You (Forget About Me)
2. Sinead O`Connor Nothing Compares 2 U
3. Snow Patrol Chasing Cars
4. Spice Girls Wannabe
5. T`Pau China In Your Hand
6. Take That Patience
7. The Beautiful South A Little Time
8. The Killers Somebody Told Me
9. The Proclaimers I`m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
10. The Scissor Sisters I Don`t Feel Like Dancin`
11. The Sugababes Push The Button
12. The Verve Bittersweet Symphony
13. Timbaland pts one Republic Apologise
14. Tina Turner The Best
15. Tony Christie (Is This The Way To) Amarillo
16. U2 Pride (In The Name Of Love)
17. UB40 Red Red Wine
18. Westlife You Raise Me Up
19. Wet Wet Wet Love Is All Around
20. Wham! Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
21. Whitesnake Here I Go Again (87 Remix)
22. Will Young Leave Right Now
23. Yazz The Only Way Is Up
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Sadly My Morning Jacket have been forced to cancel their upcoming European tour due to injuries sustained by singer Jim James recently in Iowa. A statement from the band reads:
"It is with great regret that we have to announce the cancellation of My Morning Jacket`s up-coming tour to Europe due to injuries suffered by Jim James in Iowa City. For the fans who have purchased tickets, we would like to extend our gratitude for your support and understanding. Our hope was to merely postpone the tour, but as our scheduling does not allow that to happen in the immediate future, we feel it is best to cancel this tour in hopes of re-scheduling at some point. We would also like to say `thank you` to all the fans who have reached out to Jim with their well-wishes as we all hope for his speedy and full recovery."
We at Culturedeluxe would also like to extend our best wishes and hopes to Jim. Get well soon.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
I`ve been wondering for some time what to post as article #5000 on Culturedeluxe - an exclusive mix, a special competition, a signed picture of Dr Nick Foster?
However, it`s just enough to mark the occasion quickly and quietly and say a big thanks to everyone who has contributed or visited to this site over the years. Whether you were fruitlessly looking for some Notorious BIG acapellas, dancing to a maddeningly catchy mix of 50 Cent and Jimmy Shand, venting your anger over the harsh treatment of Kharma 45 (or The Foxes come to think of it), entering a competition to win fabulous signed Protocol gear or contributing a 1000 word essay on the brilliance of Black Box Recorder, it`s with your help that Culturedeluxe still runs today.
Now, if I could just work out where that other 4785 articles have gone I`ll be happy man!
Cheers,
Richie.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Filthy Dukes (AKA Tim Lawton and Olly Dixon) release the electro-throb of new single `Tupac Robot Club Rock` on 3rd November and, to get you interested, they`ve made the rather nifty `Kill Em All` mix of the record available as a free download in exchange for adding your e-mail address to their mailing list.
The mix combines sharp electro arpeggios, opminous synths and crisp disco rhythms and features guest vocals from the soon to be huge Plastic Little. Already released to the more discerning dancefloors, `Tupac Robot Club Rock` looks set to become as popular as the Filthy Dukes highly popular remix of The Maccabees` `X-Ray` which made their name.
Get your e-mail address handy and head over to http://u-download.co.uk/filthydukes to download your copy.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Fucked Up seem to be spending a lot of time on the front page of Culturedeluxe and, no wonder, their brand new album `Chemistry of Common Life` is out now on Matador, we recently dropped in on a little webchat with guitarist 10000 Marbles and now this super Youtube video of the band covering The Ramones `Blitzkrieg Bop` with no other than Moby on guitar has dropped into our laps - well, our laptops at any rate.
Check it out below.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
London scenesters Trash Fashion scored a huge underground hit with the Nathan-Barley-on-wax tune `Rave Dave` in 2006. Few could have expected them to turn out an entire LP some two years later, but they have. Titled `Nights of Error`, the album is released next week and, no doubt, recalls a catalogue of `wrong un` evenings spent living it up with the Shoreditch set.
For a sneak preview of the twelve track collection you`ll need to scoot over to http://www.musicglue.com/trashfashion and whisper the magic password ("Michael Jackson is well bum") to get your very own megamix of the whole album.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Indietracks Christmas Twee (see what they did there) will be held at Butterley Railway Station, Derbyshire on Saturday 6th December 2008, and is headlined by a comeback gig from newly reformed 80’s twee poppers Mighty Mighty.
Other acts on the bill include a solo show from Phil Wilson, once of influential C86 legends The June Brides and up and coming Derby four-piece Mascot Fight.
All bands will be performing at Butterley steam railway station, and there’ll be free steam railway rides for gig-goers between sets. In case it wasn’t surreal enough already, the gig will also come packed with ‘Christmassy fun’, kicks off at 6.30pm and features DJ’s in a ‘disco carriage’ on a vintage train after the bands finish.
Tickets cost £15 (+£1 booking fee) and can be bought from We Got Tickets or by phoning 01773 747 674. For further information check www.indietracks.co.uk.
Dave Allen (View Original Article)
Franz Ferdinand`s third album has been given the typically bombastic title of `Tonight: Franz Ferdinand` which is only a `Matthew we`re going to be...` short of pure brilliance.
The Dan Carey-produced album is released on January 26th 2009 and features the twelve tracks listed below including Internet blog favourite `Lucid Dreams` which soundtracked the latest Madden American football game.
Frontman Alex Kapranos explained the album in more depth via Domino`s website:
"Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is music of the night: to fling yourself around your room to as you psyche yourself for a night of hedonism, for the dance-floor, flirtation, for your desolate heart-stop, for losing it and loving losing it, for the chemical surge in your bloodstream. It’s for that lonely hour gently rocking yourself waiting for dawn and it all to be even again."
All in one album? Phew!
Franz Ferdinand - `Tonight: Franz Ferdinand`
1. `Ulysses`
2. `Turn It On`
3. `Kiss Me`
4. `Twilight Omens`
5. `Send Him Away`
6. `Live Alone`
7. `Bite Hard`
8. `What She Came For`
9. `Can`t Stop Feeling`
10. `Lucid Dreams`
11. `Dream Again`
12. `Katherine Kiss Me`
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Still on self-imposed exile in Paris, Dan Black releases a new single `Yours` on December 1st through his new label A & M after debut white label release `HYPNTZ`, a loose cover of the Notorious B.I.G. hit, made a considerable stir in the late summer. Not least on Culturedeluxe where it was described as the missing link between Spacemen 3 and Akira the Don.
`Yours` comes with a diatribe against love (`I don`t want to be yours no more`) and a video from highly-rated Parisian film-makers Chic et Artistic - already drawing comparisons to New Order`s iconic `True Faith` promo.
Dan`s debut `HYPNTZ` is also now available to download for free and someone`s uploaded a `video` stream of the new single at Youtube which lets you hear it in glorious mufflephonic sound.
MP3 - Dan Black - `HYPNTZ`
Stream - Dan Black - `Yours`
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, last seen waving a very impressive Radiohead-sampling single in the air with understandable glee, have announced one of those tours that journalists love to talk about - one with "a difference".
That difference is the duo`s decision to take their combination of hip hop, beat poetry, scenester sneer and lyrical consciousness to some of the nation`s libraries with highly-rated indie-poppet George Pringle in tow.
It`s all part of the Government-sponsored Get it Loud in Libraries campaign to promote the use of local lending libraries and alliteration involving the letter l. Tickets cost a highly reasonable £6 but, be warned, the local librarian knows you took that copy of `Five Go To Smugglers Top` out in 1984 and haven`t taken it back yet - the fine may be astronomical.
December 2008
5 - Walsall Library
6 - Lancaster Library
7 - Burnley Library
10 - Skelmersdale Library
11 - Poole Library
13 - Thurrock Library
15 - London British Library
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
The Bluetones have promised to play their 1996 album `Expecting To Fly` in full over a five date tour this Christmas aka `The Morriss Brothers Want a Turkey This Year Tour`. However, reports are flying in already that fans of such smashes as `Solomon Bites The Worm`, `If...`, `Sleazy Bed Track` and the classic number 68 hit `My Neighbour`s House` are up in arms that the band will not play their favourite.
`Expecting to Fly` flourished in the post-Britpop charts and, whisper it, actually contains some rather fine tunes in `Bluetonic`, `Slight Return` and, if there`s any justice, the band`s debut single `Are You Blue Or Are You Blind?`will appear in the encore.
So, quite a tasty morsel of nostalgia then - check them out at these venues.
December 2008
9 - Lincoln Engine Shed
10 - Manchester Academy 2
11 - Sheffield Leadmill
12 - Birmingham Academy
19 - London Astoria
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
During a highly enjoyable show at the Manchester Academy to promote their forthcoming album, Kaiser Chiefs were joined on stage by Peter Kay twice, neither time intentionally. Well, possibly the first time, definitely not the second.
Standing at the side of the stage at the beginning of their gig, Ricky Wilson invited Peter to the front as the crowd shouted "PETER! PETER!" When he finally came to the microphone he threw a towel over Ricky who then staggered across the stage like James Brown. As Peter grabbed the microphone stand, the crowd again started chanting, this time the `Mana mana` song (which Ricky had performed with Peter on a Channel 4 special the previous night). Ricky asked the audience "Did anyone see his show last night? Bloody fantastic." Peter responded with "Thanks. If anyone wants me I`ll be at the side of the stage," and left to cheering. He remained at the side of the stage for the next three songs, singing along with the audience.
Two-thirds of the way into the set Andrew White had a guitar malfunction and couldn`t play. Ricky said "Normally this is where I do jokes. But seeming as we have a world class comedian in the building…" and the chants started again. Peter returned to the stage with a mobile phone in his hand, explaining that "I was round the back texting." He proceeded to exchange banter with the audience for five minutes until everything was fixed and left the stage again by introducing the next song, which happened to be `Ruby`.
A full review of the gig will appear on the site soon.
Dean Coster (View Original Article)
`Kids Aflame`, the title track from the album of the same name (an editor`s choice back in June) will be released as a new single from Arms AKA 26 year old Brooklyn musician Todd Goldstein next month. The single will be out on 10th November through Melodic Records.
The critically-acclaimed album was recorded over a three year period by Goldstein, playing most parts himself.
"I`m self-taught in this home-recording business," he says. "So I didn`t really know what I was doing – except that I wanted to make the kind of music I`ve always wanted to hear but haven`t. It was written and mixed mostly at night, after I`m done with everything else, and most people I know are asleep."
Now the celebrated insomniac has announced a trio of English dates to promote the new single. Mancunians and Londoners can check him out here...
November 2008
7 - Manchester Dulcimer
9 - London Brixton Windmill
10 - London Chess Club
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Fields will follow up last year`s highly enjoyable debut `Everything Last Winter` in March 2009 with new album `Hollow Mountains` and fans can hear the new songs as early as next month during an extensive English tour.
If you can`t make it then you can check out some new demos now on their MySpace.
November 2008
14 - Korova, Liverpool
15 - Moles, Bath
16 - Fat Fox, Portsmouth
18 - Audio, Brighton
19 - Brudenell, Leeds
20 - Fuzz Club, Sheffield
21 - Stonelove, Newcastle
22 - The Deaf Institute, Manchester
24 - Louisiana, Bristol
25 - Water Rats, London
26 - Soul Tree, Cambridge
27 - Bodega, Nottingham
28 - 444 Club @ The Rainbow, Birmingham
The band release a brand new single `Are You Ready Yet?` immediately after the tour on 1st December.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Big things on the underground dance circuit for the past couple of years, South Central are still largely unknown by the CD purchasin`, iTunes downloadin` set who don`t spend their weekends frugging in a dingy basement. However, all that should change with the release of the camera-shy duo`s first five singles - together for the first time as full-scale long-player `The Owl of Minerva`.
The release is designed to `bring the South Central story right up to the present and pave the way for the South Central debut album in 2009` and is essential entry-level listening for anyone planning to get on the bandwagon of one of the hottest acts in dance next year.
South Central are on tour now with Does It Offend You, Yeah? and play the following venues. You can come too if you can just keep the words `new rave` off your lips.
October 2008
13 - York Duchess
15 - Leicester Charlotte
16 - Leeds Stylus
17 - Sheffield Leadmill
18 - Birmingham Custard Factory
20 - Brighton C2
21 - Portsmouth Wedgewood Room
23 - Bristol ACD
24 - Swansea Sin
25 - Liverpool Academy 2
27 - Glasgow Oran Mor
28 - Oxford Regal
29 - London Electric Ballroom
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Alton Ellis, reggae pioneer and creator of the `rocksteady` sound passed away on Friday night at the Hammersmith hospital in West London. He was 70 years old.
Ellis was born and raised in the infamous Trench Town district of Kingston, Jamaica. Beginning his career as an R`n`B singer in 1959, he quickly became influenced by the rise of ska and its metamorphosis into the slower sound of rocksteady - a movement which took its name from Ellis` song `Get Ready - Rock Steady`. It was around this time that he created the `Mad Mad` riddim which helped influence the sound of future reggae stars such as Scientist, Barrington Levy and Beenie Man.
In 1972 Ellis moved permanently to London and opened the Alltone record shop and label of the same name. He continued to perform in his adopted homeland until this August when he collapsed on stage during a London performance. In 2007 he had received chemotherapy for lymphatic cancer and this is likely to have directly caused his death.
Ellis leaves a legacy of nearly twenty albums and well loved songs such as `Girl I`ve Got a Date`, `Deliver Us`, `Back to Africa` and, naturally, `Get Ready - Rock Steady`.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
With the nation of Iceland about to sink into the sea for good (financially at least), rumours have been flying around regarding the future of the Iceland Airwaves festival which is due to take place in Reykjavik between October 15th and 19th. The organisers have released the following statement to confirm that it definitely will be going ahead.
"In spite of economical difficulties in Iceland at the moment the Iceland Airwaves festival will take place next week just like it has done for the past 10 years. The economical crisis does not affect the planning and promoting of the festival. Ticket sales have been going well and with the festival less than one week away, there are only a few tickets still available. Among the bands playing the festival this year are CSS, Vampire Weekend, Biffy Clyro, Junior boys, White denim, Boy Crisis, Simian Mobile disco, Pnau, Florence and the Machine and the Young Knives."
"The organizers (Mr.Destiny) are looking forward to lifting the spirits of the Icelandic people and would like to point out to international guests that Iceland not only has the best beer in Europe it`s now also the cheapest one."
For more information go to www.icelandairwaves.com.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
2007`s `Strawberry Jam` was a hugely sweet, esoteric mix of the wild fruits of the imagination of a band at their most potent. Scratch that fine talk...it was good, real good. Now, the good news is that Animal Collective have wasted little time in writing a follow up and `Merriweather Post Pavilion` will be with us in January 2009.
Domino expect to release the album which was produced by Ben Allen at the Sweet Tea recording studio in Oxford, Mississippi on January 12th and here`s how that tracklisting`s looking:
Animal Collective - `Merriweather Post Pavilion`
1. `In the Flowers`
2. `My Girls`
3. `Also Frightened`
4. `Summertime Clothes`
5. `Daily Routine`
6. `Bluish`
7. `Guys Eyes`
8. `Taste`
9. `Lion in a Coma`
10. `No More Runnin`
11. `Brother Sport`
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Art Brut`s Eddie Argos is fronting a new band this Christmas as they attempt to bring a bit of festive cheer back to the charts.
Glam Chops are a ten piece outfit and release double A side single `Countdown to Christmas / Baby Jesus Was The First Glam Rocker` on November 24th - a release date which probably takes them out of the running for the Christmas number one slot...but then, do they really have a chance?
The song features "a children`s choir, sleigh bells and bagpipes for maximum Christmasity".
Joining Glam Chops in the race for Christmas number one will be two singles from this year`s X Factor competition - the winner, rush-released in the wake of the always anticlimactic final, and a special charity recording of Mariah Carey`s `Hero` by all twelve of the final acts. No, I`m not making this up - that`s really what it`s come down to.
Also in the running are Bob the Builder (whom I thought had gone to the broom cupboard in the sky) and Mancunian boxer Ricky Hatton who has recorded a cover of Jeff Beck`s `Hi Ho Silver Lining` for some reason. With news that Hatton is also planning to front a digital TV talk show, don`t you think somebody should look him in the eye and say "stick to boxing you twat. Who do you think you are? Frank Bruno?" Not me, obviously.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
It`s been an amazing 32 years now since The Damned released `New Rose`, generally accepted as the first ever UK punk single, and on October 28th unleash their tenth studio album called `So, Who`s Paranoid?` digitally with a full physical release to follow in December.
The band still boast original members singer Dave Vanian and guitarist Captain Sensible and spent the summer rekindling the heady days of many a former punk at summer festivals around the UK.
The Damned - `So, Who`s Paranoid?`
1. `A Nation Fit For Heroes`
2. `Under The Wheels`
3. `Dr. Woofenstein`
4. `Shallow Diamonds`
5. `Since I Met You`
6. `A Danger To Yourself`
7. `Maid For Pleasure`
8. `Perfect Sunday`
9. `Nature`s Dark Passion`
10. `Little Miss Disaster`
11. `Just Hangin"
12. `Nothing`
13. `Dark Asteroid`
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Having dropped off the music radar for what seems like a century, much-loved indie act The Rakes have announced they are recording their third album, their first since the largely forgotten `Ten New Messages`, at the moment in an ex-Soviet radio station in East Berlin.
Rakes singer Alan Donohoe explained the move to Germany : "The London music scene is so dull right now - it`s like wading through a swamp of shit. We just wanted to be somewhere more inspiring. Someone suggested Berlin. It didn`t take long for everyone to agree, we packed our bags and moved here just like that. We love it."
"The album is raw, playful, exciting, complex and schizophrenic" he continued, "much like the personality of Berlin itself. It couldn`t be more of a fitting place to record it. Chris (Zane - producer) has found this raw but massive sound, it`s sharp like razors; like pouring boiling bleach on our peers."
Ouch! The album is untitled as yet and is expected in Spring 2009.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Everyone`s favourite Pipette announced she was quitting the band she formed four years ago this April and, now, Rose Elinor Dougall is striking out alone with her new single `Another Version of Pop Song`, released through Scarlett Records on December 8th.
Eschewing the retro glam of her previous band, Rose`s new material takes a much subtler approach and sees her working with producers Lee `Muddy` Baker (the My Federation frontman who also produced the latest James album) and Chris Rotter who has remixed the new single.
A full album from Rose is expected in the summer of 2009, meanwhile she`ll be introducing some of that material to London and Leeds audiences this week with shows at The Old Queen`s Head in the capital tonight and supporting British Sea Power at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds on the 13th.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
As revealed last month, Justice release a tour documentary DVD cunningly titled `A Cross The Universe` through Ed Banger / Because on 24th Novemebr. Now we can reveal the film will be premiered one month before for London`s Electric Proms at the Koko venue in Camden on October 25th.
Both Justice and the film`s directors (Romain Gavras and So-Me) will be on hand to introduce the film with the French act teaming up with a host of Ed Banger DJs to keep the party going once the reels have stopped running. They then head on to Matter for a show with label-mates Busy P, DJ Mehdi and So-Me.
The film follows the French duo throughout their second US tour and, by the sound of it, should be a suitable companion to the Soulwax DVD `Sometimes the Weekend Never Ends` which was released earlier this year. The fact it comes with a bonus CD of live tracks should be just one of many reasons why you`ll be adding this to your Christmas list this year. If not, check out the teaser trailer below.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
To coincide with the release of their latest single `Be The One` on Monday 13th October, the Mancunian pop duo, Ting Tings are giving fans the chance to go behind the scenes of their latest video on new music video platform, www.muzu.tv
This previously unseen clip was shot on location in Chicago when the band toured there earlier this year. Narrated by the band, the footage gives fans an insight into the on set action and demystifies the concept of the video. Vocalist Katie White, explains the concept, “We knew we wanted a melancholy video or something that wasn’t jokey or was quite transitional and strange".White also revealed that the new video starts off in a hospital because “it’s a continuation of the last video when we had a kung fu fights so it seemed fitting to start this one in a hospital after Jules has whupped my ass at kung fu”.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
The third annual Festive 50 from Dandelion Radio is now open for voting. When revered DJ John Peel tragically died in 2004 his highly respected line-up of the Top 50 records of the year survived, firstly through DJs Huw Stevens, Ras Kwame and Rob Da Bank and One Music on Radio 1 and, since 2006, through the online radio station named after Peel`s label.
Peel`s musical influence continues to shine through and last year`s chart was peppered with the acts he helped champion including The Fall, Bearsuit, The Beatnik Filmstars and, certainly with him in spirit, Battles whose `Atlas` was voted track of the year.
You can cast your vote in the rundown now by visiting http://www.dandelionradio.com/festive50.htm. Voting ends on 30th November at 23:59, after which the station will collate the votes, compile the rundown and prepare a show which will run from Christmas Day until the end of January revealing the best tracks of the year.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Following in the galloping footsteps of LCD Soundsystem, Simian Mobile Disco have become the latest act to produce a mix for Nike for the discerning gym-goer to work out to.
The mix is called `Run` which pretty much describes what you should do while listening to it and it clocks in at a sweat-inducing 27 minutes and 37 seconds. Pretty long, eh? Well, that`s why there`s an `unfit bastard` edit which lasts a tamer 5 minutes and 42 seconds. Neither is as long as LCD Soundsystems self-describing `45:33`, however, which allowed plenty time for listeners to include other gym activities such as boasting about your new shoes at the water cooler or trying and failing badly to chat up the enigmatic, fit Czech lass who always hogs the cross-trainer.
Simian Mobile Disco also have a number of UK dates between now and Christmas, so get your trainers on and run down to (DJ set unless stated).
October 2008
11 - Brighton Digital
18 - Birmingham Custard Factory
18 - Liverpool Chibuku
November 2008
14 - Newcastle Wax On
21 - Nottingham Dollop
22 - Sheffield Plug
December 2008
6 - Portsmouth Sumo
12 - London Heaven Christmas Party (Live)
13 - Manchester Warehouse Project (Live)
14 - Glasgow Optimo @ The Sub Club (Live)
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
The results are in from this year`s Q Awards and this year they`ve taken yet another sleepy step towards snoresville.
Coldplay have taken home two gongs being voted `Best Act in the World Today` (but not tomorrow) and gaining best album for `Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends` (and not `worst album title` which they`d been touted for).
Duffy won `Best Breakthrough Artist` for her highly generic Welsh pop debut while, at the other end of the spectrum, Dave Gilmour was given the `Outstanding Contribution To Music` award (but only for the first fifteen years of his career).
Other winners included Meatloaf whose `Bat Out Of Hell` became a `classic song`, Kaiser Chiefs who, despite lukewarm reviews for festival shows, picked up Best Live Act (presumably based on recollections of when they were on top of their game) and Keane`s `Spiralling` which won Best Track for fuck knows what reason.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Another Oasis album, another accusation of ripping off an act from the yesteryear - only this time it`s a most unlikely source of complaint. Fans of Cliff Richard are apparently angry that `The Turning`, the second track on new album `Dig Out Your Soul`, sounds similar to the aging popster`s 1976 Top 10 hit `Devil Woman`.
Cliff now joins the considerably cooler company of The Beatles, T-Rex, Stevie Wonder and The Beta Band, all of whom have had singles ripped-off wholesale by the nation`s favourite Britpop act.
However, it`s not Cliff`s first dip into British guitar rock. In 1995, Dundee act Spare Snare recorded a song called `Wired For Sound` which featured on their `Live at Home` LP. Presumably sick of people asking them if it was a Cliff cover, the band recorded the actual Cliff original for a Christmas single before, very confusingly, releasing their own track of that name as the follow up.
Oasis` `Dig Out Your Soul` is released today and is an absolute shoo-in for the album chart number one come Sunday.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Glasgow act Remember Remember, essentially the solo project of former Multiplies and Royal We member Graeme Ronald, will release a self-titled debut album in November through the Rock Action label.
Compared to Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Animal Collective and even Michel Gondry, Ronald has received acclaim for his unique live shows where everything from hand-claps to Irn Bru are sampled, looped and blended into the performance.
Furthermore, the album is described as classical in feel where epic sounds meet non-contemporary techno in a truly unique experience and ought to be well worth a listen later this autumn.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
One of my favourite books as a youngster was an adventure book called something like `Richard and the Yellow Eyed Monster` and it was one of those `printed while u wait` books where a child`s name, that of their siblings and friends and their hometown were inserted into a generic story. I received one for Christmas one year and fully believed that I was the main character in the book, even though I looked nothing like him and I`d never been best friends with a talking crocodile. Nevertheless, it was one of my most treasured presents that year.
Attic Lights, who release their new single `Wendy` through Island tomorrow, have now applied the concept of personalisation to their music with multiple new versions of the single available to download with your name in it. Well, providing your name isn`t Felicity, Sebastian, Alexander or something equally syllable-heavy.
"It’s such a simple idea; I can’t believe no-one’s thought of doing it before." said singer Kev Sherry. "Just imagine your own personal versions of ‘Ruby’, ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Mandy’, the list is endless!” he continued as the sound of record label executives hastily phoning up sound-a-like singers in could be overheard a few miles away.
Hop over to http://www.yournameinasong.com/ now and see if your name`s on there. Since mine is it`ll be a happy Christmas this year.
Attic Lights` debut album `Friday Night Lights` is released a week later on October 13th and the band are now on tour with Paul Heaton at the following venues.
October 2008
25 – Glasgow, ABC
26 – Newcastle, University
29 – Norwich, Waterfront
30 – Leeds, Metropolitan University
31 – Sheffield, Academy
November 2008
1 – Liverpool, Academy
4 – Cardiff, University
5 – London, ULU
6 – Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall
7 – Manchester, Ritzy
9 – Hull, University
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
With their seventh album `Snowflake Midnight` in the shops this week (and now in the CD players of many discerning punters), Mercury Rev will further promote it with a new single release and a November tour.
`Butterfly`s Wing` is released on November 17th backed by a number of remixes. Isan and Carlos Anthony Molina do the knob-twiddling on the standard release and a special remix package will add two remixes of previous single `Senses on Fire` from Fujiya and Miyagi and James Holden.
The tour calls in at a generous nine locations, but those of you living in Scotland or Wales will need to book your travel too.
November 2008
4 - Belfast Mandela Hall
5 - Manchester Academy
6 - Leeds Academy
7 - Birmingham Academy
9 - Newcastle Academy
11 - Brighton Corn Exchange
12 - Bristol Academy
13 - London Shepherds Bush Empire
14 - Oxford Academy
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
With 2009 being an odd year we can expect the nation`s comedians to unite in the name of charity (namely keeping Lenny Henry`s career alive) and a number of mildly-titillating, thin parodies to be released as singles - both official and unofficial.
We understand that The Ting Tings have been approached to perform the official single next year (presumbaly a pastiche of their 2008 number one hit `That`s Not My Name`) which is highly encouraging given the lethargic cover of `Walk This Way` by Sugababes and Girls Aloud in 2007.
Rumour has it, however, that the unofficial ticket is the one to get on next year with Noel Fielding and Russell Brand reprising the Goth Detectives double act they initiated on 2006`s TV show The Big Fat Quiz of the Year. The track they`ll be releasing? A 2009 update of Adam and the Ants` `Prince Charming` - call Alexander `Pimms` Armstrong, we need a choreographer!
R K Starstedt (View Original Article)
Due to unforeseen licensing restrictions imposed upon Hearne Street Car Park by Hackney Council the organisers behind Concrete and Glass have had to, at the last minute, move the TV on the Radio show to Cargo on Friday 3rd October
A reviewed line up and timings will be posted as soon as possible on the Concrete and Glass website.
A statement from the G&G organisers reads "Whilst this is slightly more trying a situation than we`d like at this stage - we`re still really happy that TV On The Radio and everyone involved has been so flexible and we look forward to a (very sweaty) and legendary show"
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
As part of In The City`s new band`s line-up, Lucky Number are hosting a night called Mixed Messages. They claim that they will be trying something a bit different with bands who don`t conveniently "fit into a box" so to speak. Namely Keith, Micachu and The Shapes and Your Twenties. Horsemeat Disco will be djing.
We thought Keith were dead as we hadn`t heard anything from them since 2006, but we were wrong, so wrong. `Up In The Clouds` is their new single and the first taste of `Vice & Virtue`, their astonishing new album. `Vice & Virtue` sees Keith working with white-hot producer Dan Carey, whose varied credits include Hot Chip, Kylie, Kelis, Sly & Robbie and the forthcoming Franz Ferdinand album. This is the guy that Franz Ferdinand ditched Xenomania for, fact fans.
Michachu and The Shape we think we`ll like. The twenty-one year old songwriter and producer Micachu has been making waves due to the success of her mixtape and the London Philharmonic Orchestra recently playing one of her original compositions. So she better be good or we`ll be liars
Mixed Messages will be happening Monday 6th October at The Deaf Institute, Manchester.
Dean Coster (View Original Article)
Planetarium of the Soul is a new collaboration between Domino act Clinic and animator Clemens Habicht which will see the two combine to produce a real sensory treat this November as part of the label`s ongoing 15th anniversary celebrations.
The tour, with support from Threatmantics, kicks off in Dublin on the 12th and ends just under a fortnight later in London, the day before Clinic release new single `Tomorrow` which will be backed up by a DFA remix and promoted with a video by legendary indie promo director Wiz (responsible for Flowered Up`s `Weekender` among others).
November 2008
12 - Dublin Village Green Synergy
13 - Bristol Thekla
14 - Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach / Swn
18 - Manchester Deaf Institute
19 - Glasgow Arches
20 - Birmingham Factory Club
21 - Leeds Brudenell Social Club
23 - London Scala
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
80`s pop star Rick Astley has become a shock nominee for Best Act Ever at the MTV Europe Awards this year. The one-off special award is voted for exclusively by Internet users thus nullifying any kudos attached to the statuette from the get go.
Astley lines up surprisingly well against fellow nominees Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Green Day, U2 and German act Tokio Hotel with only the Irish act realistically within a whisker of the title `Best Act Ever`.
"Rick`s fans have obviously decided that he deserves recognition as a pop icon and no doubt they are determined to make sure he wins on the night," said the award show`s producer Richard Godfrey somewhat naively."It`ll be great if he wins." said Maxwell Sampson, a fat, twenty two year old virgin who had paused a World of Warcraft session to take the time to vote a few hundred times from various IP addresses. "The reason it`s funny is because he isn`t actually very good at all. I don`t really like him though."
Rick enjoyed worldwide success with his debut single, 1987`s Stock, Aitken and Waterman penned `Never Gonna Give You Up`, which topped the chart in 16 countries. The video for the song became another Internet sensation earlier this year for no apparent reason.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Simply Red release yet another compilation this Christmas with the sole intention of giving Mick Hucknall a bigger turkey to munch down, laughing as he imagines the look on thousands of faces as people open their presents from `well-meaning` relatives on December 25th.
`Greatest Hits 25` is so-called because it will be the 25th time Mick and co have released `Money`s Too Tight To Mention` and got away with it. Joining `Money...`, the insipid `Stars` and Goodmen ripoff `Fairground` for the first time will be a cover of the Moody Blues `Go Now`, no doubt recorded in the same cod-soul style as the `Red`s infamously poor cover of `If You Don`t Know Me By Now`.
The band arrogantly revealed they would split in 2010 recently, so expect further guff rolled out in the name of `entertainment` over the coming 2 years including a gigantic arena tour to `support` the Greatest Hits.
R K Starstedt (View Original Article)
Carl Barat`s post-Libertines moneymaker The Dirty Pretty Things have split up. The band issued an exclusive statement to the only online publication who still really give a shit - nme.com - yesterday.
"It is with some sadness we announce the farewell of the Dirty Pretty Things," the statement read. "It`s been a glorious three years which we all would gladly live out again, but it is time for us to try new things (not The Libertines)."
Dirty Pretty Things formed in 2005 at the height of Carl`s former bandmate Pete Doherty`s tabloid notoriety, enjoying a short career that mirrored almost exactly that of former Stone Rose John Squire`s The Seahorses.
NME.com have also put together a look back at the band`s career, which is like Empire running a 16 page full colour supplement on the film career of Steve Guttenberg - completely unnecessary.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Cass McCombs follows up the excellent single `That`s That` and accompanying album `Dropping the Writ` (his third) with a new download only single `Crick in my Neck` released through Domino on November 17th.
The American singer leaves Los Angeles around the same time to play a handul of shows in the UK and Ireland. Check him out at:
November 2008
15 - Dublin Whelans
16 - Bristol Thekla
18 - Leeds Faversham
19 - London Luminaire
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Suicide frontman Martin Rev released his new album `Les Nymphes` exclusively through File 13 Records yesterday. The new abum contains eleven tracks, one of which, `Narcisse`, the label has kindly made available as a taster download. Click the link on the tracklisting below to try it for yourself.
Martin Rev - `Les Nymphes`
1. `Sophie Eagle`
2. `Narcisse`
3. `Triton`
4. `Venise`
5. `Valley of the Butterfly`
6. `Les Nymphes et la Mer`
7. `Dragonfly`
8. `Phaetone`
9. `Nyx`
10. `Daphne`
11. `Cupid`
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Anni Rossi - 'Afton EP' (4AD)
Anni Rossi is a slippery fish when it comes to definition. On paper she`s a classically trained multi-instrumentalist who is 22-years-old and comes from Los Angeles. However, in reality she pretty much abandons anything that could be deemed classical in terms of her viola playing, her song writing shows maturity beyond her years, and she now resides in Chicago. (Yeah, where she lives isn`t really that important but three is a nice number.)
`Afton` is a collection of endearingly quirky musical outbursts with occasional flashes of schizophrenia. Pick any adjective to describe it and you`re probably right. Rossi`s whole style is distinctive -- While she sings most of the time, it doesn`t come as a surprise to hear her yelp, gasp and growl.
I do have two complaints about `Afton` though. Firstly, there aren`t enough songs. This isn`t really a legitimate complaint because, and this is where the eagle-eyed among you can pat yourselves on the back, it`s an EP. Plus, she`s in the studio, as I type and you read, working on her debut album, "slated for release on 4AD in the New Year". My second complaint is that I think there needs to be more variation in dynamics...I need bigger and bolder crescendos.
However, while Anni Rossi throws a few curve balls, she isn`t a try-hard. The music`s something a little different - it won`t change the world but for 19 minutes and 6 seconds you can ponder why it`s so rare for music to grab your attention like this.
Ash Carter (View Original Article)
Attic Lights - 'Friday Night Lights' (Island)
There seems to have been a bit of a resurgence in the Scottish music scene in the last year or so and Attic Lights, from Glasgow, are amongst the latest wave to break. First of all, let`s get the formalities out of the way. Attic Lights` main influences are glaringly obvious; so much so that I haven`t seen an article on them yet that hasn`t mentioned the debt that they owe to Teenage Fanclub and The Beach Boys. Although, this seems to be the case with many recent bands that have emerged, how many of those bands actually followed that up by getting their album produced by one of their heroes (Teenage Fanclub`s Frances MacDonald)? Not many I`d bet, and it`s a sign of their talent that they`ve managed it. Now, with that out of the way we can move on to the actual music.
The album opener, `Never Get Sick of the Sea` hits you instantly with its infectious verses with harmonised ba ba ba dah ba ba dah`s, which you won`t get out of your head for days. Next comes `Bring You Down`, which, despite its sombre title, is still full of life and the band`s cheery outlook shines through cf. `I can`t tell you `cos I don`t wanna bring you down [...] it`s not as bad as some people wanna make it`. `Wendy`, the latest single, is the first sign of the Attic Lights slowing things down and is also the subject of a novel present idea! However, despite all of the light hearted, jingly rock fun, it`s arguably the ballads that produce some of the album`s highlights. `Dark Eyes` and album closer `Winter On`, which showcase Kevin Sherry`s soft Glaswegian lilt being, noticeable examples.
While Attic Lights may not win any awards for originality they certainly deliver well-crafted, catchy songs that will keep you coming back and, on this basis, we should be able to look forward to a decent sophomore album in the future.
Adam Gibby (View Original Article)
Bloc Party - 'Intimacy' (Wichita)
I want to start of by saying that I know a lot of other reviewers across the intrawebs have been very harsh in saying that they are disappointed in the bands new album and sound. I understand where they are coming from as I too noticed the disappearance of a lot of the guitar and bass guitar and the bands push towards a more electronic sound. All I can say is that unlike them, I love the new direction and sound. I know that sometime you fall in love with a band and it`s sound at a certain moment, but for me it`s how the band grows that makes the biggest difference. With Intimacy, Bloc Party has shown that they are growing and are not afraid to go out on a limb to do so.
The album starts off with the quieter `Zepherus` before going into the drum crazed `Ares`. Each song on the album almost builds up the animal ferocity as the tracks go buy until it reaches a fever pitch before going into songs like `Biko` and `Signs" where it seems to left off some the wildness and show a gentler side. Then the album goes right back into the animal savagery that tracks like `Trojan Horse` bring to the album. `One Month Off` seems to be the only track on the album that harkens back to the `Silent Alarm` feel and sound. The album closer, `Ion Square`, mixes a little bit of everything that came before to have one of the most well rounded tracks on the album. A great way to end a great album.
In this reviewers opinion, Bloc Party have gone out and grabbed a lot of the same tools that other bands are using these days. Having said that, they also have come back after using those tools and presented an album that is better and different then most of the sounds out now. I am eager to see where the band goes after this as I consider this one of the their best albums to date. There is so much energy pent up in the album you can`t help but tap your foot or bang your head. Yet another in my list for album of the year. Get it now!
Phil Russell (View Original Article)
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - 'Is It The Sea?' (Domino)
Bonnie `Prince` Billy`s live album, recorded on his 2006 sell out tour of Scotland and Ireland, sees Billy, aka Will Oldham, teaming up with Edinburgh`s Harem Scarem, who provide vocal harmonies and accompanying instrumentation. The album consists of an impressive range of songs from Oldham`s songbook, from the early days of `Viva Last Blues` to the then-future release `The Letting Go`, but with an authentically Scottish sound.
The recording and production is remarkable – without the audience`s clapping and cheering you`d be hard pushed to convince yourself it wasn`t done in a studio. Harem Scarem`s input is balanced perfectly with Oldham`s guitar and vocals. Simply replacing the accompanying instruments in the studio versions of the songs with their own goes a long way to ensure the sound isn`t forced or unnatural.
The only downside to the album is that it may not appeal to everyone, especially those accustomed to Oldham`s American folk sound. The music suits the environment it was created in perfectly, but this may not transfer well to his overseas fans perhaps. That said, it`s not really the music that`s changed, just its accent. If Oldham is the egg, Harem Scarem is the meat and breadcrumbs wrapped around him.
Ash Carter (View Original Article)
Chase & Status - 'More Than Alot' (Ram)
2008 was an odd year from Drum & Bass. There was disappointment for some in Pendulum`s movement towards Heavy Metal, whilst some of us fiddled our fingers impatiently waiting for a new Cyantific album with only Sub-Focus presenting anything remotely bridging that particular gap. Then there was Chase & Status.
2008 was undoubtedly a great year for the duo. Having picked up a lot of club and radio support for `Smash TV` and their singles `Take Me Away` and `Pieces`, it was a welcome relief that when the album dropped, it was every bit as good as we had expected it to be.
It`s the Hospital-ish sound of `Can`t Get Enough` that may open the album, but we`ve got some serious Shy FX `Bambaataa` stylings to contend with on the piss-taking `Music Club` that really sets the album up proper - it`s not going to be one identikit track after another, and all the better for it.
Sure, there`s familiar Apache-breaks to be found (as are on, let`s face it on a fair proportion of drum & bass tracks) in `Against All Odds` but the bravery lies in creating a straight up rap track rather than a D & B monster. This kind of versatility continues with much of the album, from the clownstep monster that is `Smash TV` (love those Guns `N` Roses samples) through to the heavy heavy monster sound dubsteps of `Eastern Jam` and `Running`.
Still if it`s more convential drum & bass you`re after, there`s enough in here to keep you happy - from the nu-tech sounds of aforementioned single `Take Me Away` to the Reese tear ups of closer `Is It Worth It`. Don`t dismiss this as a drum & Bass album though - there`s a lot more to `More Than Alot.`
Andy J (View Original Article)
The Clash - 'Live at Shea Stadium' (Sony)
At the time home to both the NY Jets and the NY Mets, for two nights only (this is the second) Shea Stadium in New York was home to the UK frets of a band at the very height of their game...and let`s not forget, they were only the support act playing under The Who. After changing hands as a bootleg for 26 years, The Clash`s best known concert `Live at Shea Stadium` is now available as a remastered CD.
After a brief and entertaining introduction by promoter Kosmo Vinyl, The Clash take to the stage with `London Calling` - the title track to the album that would eventually be voted the greatest of the 1980`s by Rolling Stone, undoubtedly with this show to thank for generating some of its mystique and late scheduling by CBS to thank for being eligible at all. Although lead singer Joe Strummer doesn`t stress it any more than usual, the line `phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust` makes perfect sense in this context as The Clash blow the act that famously headlined the same stadium seventeen years earlier out of the water.
Passing the baton to Mick Jones for `Police on my Back` and Paul Simonon for `Guns of Brixton` (drummer Topper Headon would get his spot in the limelight during `Rock the Casbah` later on), Strummer introduces and puts across his cohorts with a magnanimity rare in rock frontmen.
There`s scant inclusion of early Clash material with only `Career Opportunities` and the Bobby Fuller Five cover of `I Fought The Law` making appearances from the band`s debut album and `Tommy Gun` from their American-sounding sophomore effort. It is, in fact, a real representation of how far the band had progressed from the stuttering start to their US adventures which only finally made sense with the release of `London Calling` and, by now, the huge-selling `Combat Rock`. For this reason, you may look to the excellent live compilation album `From Here To Eternity` for a true career retrospective of this seminal band. But, with excellent versions of `Clampdown`, `Train in Vain` and two bursts of the immense `Magnificent Seven` bookending `Armagideon Time` presented crystal clearfor the first time, `Live at Shea Stadium` is a classic gig quite rightly preserved for eternity - `anybody feel like being a biological experimentation?` Yes!
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
The Dears - 'Missiles' (Dangerbird)
The Dears, which currently consist of Murray Lightburn (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards) and Natalia Yanchak (keyboards, backing vocals), have made a wonderfully emotional and somewhat uplifting album with their newest outing ` Missiles`. I would even go so far as to call a lot of the album dark, symphonic pop, just based on all the parts that make up each song - it`s obvious that a lot of heart and feeling went into the making of this album. The perceived pain in some tracks may take root in the fact most of the band left during the recording.
`Missiles` is by far a better album as a whole then anything they done before. There are hints of Jarvis Cocker and Damon Albarn in there as well as nods to shoegazers Ride and Catherine Wheel. Songs like `Disclaimer` (which is loaded with wonderful saxophone) and `Money Babes (which builds to a very fulfilling peak before bringing you back down to earth) are perfect examples of the band`s growth. `Dream Job` and Berlin Heart` sound like Blur b-sides but doesn`t take away from the warmth and emotion that The Dears manage to get out of almost every song. Whether using subtle strings or a soft voice to do it, The Dears know how to make an album that will make the listener feel better, richer for having heard it. `Lights Off` is an eight minute long journey that could be compared to Radiohead`s `Paranoid Android` in feeling and complexity. Natalia sings lead vocals on `Crisis 1 & 2` and really helps add to the richness of the album. The albums namesake `Missiles" builds softly until the fuzzy bass kicks in and the reverb vocals build into a wall of sound - a truly enjoyable listen. The rest of the album is perfect for those long, rainy Sunday drives when you do a lot of soul searching and thinking about your life.
Phil Russell (View Original Article)
Deerhoof - 'Offend Maggie' (ATP)
`Offend Maggie` begins with a knowing rip off of Free`s `All Right Now` called `The Tears And Music Of Love` and it`s a peculiarly idiosyncratic choice of opener, as we have come to expect, but gives way to the familiar Deerhoof spunky skiffle beat and frenetic energy of `Chandelier Territory`. Later the title track `Offend Maggie` proves itself to be another protean folk pop wonder hinting at the rather lovely whimsical nature of the band.
However, the punk pop soon runs out of steam before the end of the album. Although `Basket ball Get Your Groove On` and `This Is God Weeping` are ace titles, the songs themselves are less than thrilling. `Family Of Others` and `Buck And Judy` also come up short, the latter sadly lacking the flair and panache that, say, The Boredoms could have given it.
You really want to like and cherish these perpetual outsiders yet, on this outing, they so often fail to deliver that one begins to think they may have a touch of lazyitis. I`m all for experimentation and cross-pollination as it often offers unexpected pop thrills and chills. However, it`s sad to say this album is lacking in both (with notable exceptions in `Nomina O` and `Jagged Fruit` that end the album in style) and you can`t help but feel other new Japanese acts such as `Issey K` do this thing so much better. `Offend Maggie` makes a good, late start but suffers a rather early finish.
Keith Haworth (View Original Article)
Deerhunter - 'Microcastle' (4AD)
You may be reading in surprise this thinking "has this only been released now?" and, given that Deerhunter`s third album leaked onto the Internet some six months ago, you`d be right. Many of you, however, may question why you should shell out now for an album that no longer appears in the `recently added` search on your iPod? Let`s see, shall we?
After the bold overture of `Intro`, `Agoraphobia` successfully conjures images of Deerhunter singer Bradford Cox holed up with Stephen Malkmus and Kevin Shields staring at four concrete walls and writing soft yet complex reverb-soaked soundscapes such as this one. `Never Stops` meanwhile finds a comparatively happy-go-lucky band performing a rain dance and being rewarded with a shower of feedback. The bittersweet melody of the title track then provides another highlight particularly when the fully-grown electric version erupts from the primitive cocoon formed by the earlier bars.
Next, the peculiar percussion of the short, beautiful `Cavalry Scars`, the lonely formlessness of `Green Jacket` and the eerily reverse-telling of `Activia` provide a five minute intermission. It`s an awkward trilogy but one that`s essential in shaping the album and as this temporary ghost returns to the body for `Nothing Ever Happened` it only makes this former single appear more powerful.
Culminating with the cosmic waltz of `These Hands` (which irresistably brings to mind, again, Kevin Shields` recent soundtrack work for Sofia Coppola) and the shimmering, epic finale to `Twilight at Carbon Lake`, `Microcastle` is one of the most involving and fascinating big dipper rides you`ll take this year and, at just over forty minutes in length, there`s plenty time to take it again and again.
So, to the question begged earlier - why pay for an album you downloaded for `free` months ago? The answer here is simply "because you should...and you will". Just as the mantra `to get older still` of `Little Kids` becomes further and further entrenched in layer upon layer of fuzz, so your hand reaches irrestistably closer to your wallet as the realisation that to do anything less than actually part money for this album would show huge disrespect on your part.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
El Guincho - 'Alegranza' (Young Turks)
El Guincho (or Pablo Diaz – Reixa to his folks) makes sampledelic, eclectic, mashed up tunes in the same way that Quentin Cook (or Fat Boy Slim to everybody else) used to in his heyday.
However El Guincho draws much more on his Spanish heritage when it comes down to choosing samples and, although he does literally throw every musical combination into the El Guincho musicmixero (which I imagine is something like a giant food mixer, with a sombrero instead of a lid an a large bandito ‘tache), the overall sound that pops out is one of a colourful, street fiesta in full swing.
Some tracks that rely on looped rhythms to make up most of the song (second track `Antillas` for example) render the home listening experience redundant but, stick them on in a street party and watch the revellers shake their maracas! Although there is something of a sloppy, bedroom production manner to the way the samples and rhythms are thrown together, which can sound a bit amateurish at times, due to the upbeat nature of the album the mañana feel to mixing helps make it that much more endearing.
Tomorrow we work … today we dance!!!
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Eugene McGuinness - 'Eugene McGuinness' (Domino)
It’s the weekend surgery and the doctor is definitely in. So let’s have a look at this young lads record. Eugene McGuinness eh, the third archbishop of Oklahoma ..ah that doesn’t sound right ..oh here we are, a London born, young singer songwriter, alumni of LIPA (two thumbs up Macca’s arts and performance collage) none the less.
OK, so lets see what we’ve got here then..
Well from the first two songs we definitely have signs of erratic playing, an almost childlike play on word lyric, wacky song titles and a marmite, love or hate it vocal from the young lad. Certainly sounds like all the symptoms of Quirky Singer, Songwriter Syndrome and quite a nasty dose of it to.
Luckily the young chappy seems to have self medicated by the third track ‘Wendy Wonders’ in all its sixties, lounge singer glory and it’s all plain sailing through the Monochrome Set alike ‘Moscow State Circus’, the lovely ‘Those Old Black & White Movies were True’ and short, psychobilly oddity ‘Nightshift’.
Oh there seems to be a slight case of eightiesitis with ‘Atlas’ that sounds almost like late signs of Madness kicking in, however the plucky boy pulls himself back with the stripped down ‘Knock Down Ginger’ and the rest of the album is sounding in rude health.
So my prescription for the next album is a bigger budget, maybe get a large orchestra in ala LSP and concentrate more on the songs and less on trying to be quirky, then I believe that this is an act that could live a long and musically healthy life
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Fucked Up - 'Chemistry of Common Life' (Matador)
Fucked Up`s `The Chemistry Of Common Life` is a really interesting album. It is full of full, well made, thoughtful music and interesting lyrics. It`s just that the lyrics are screamed and the music is played at almost a thrash level. Even with all that it still comes across as real, honest, enjoyable music. While often described as being `punk`, they don`t let themselves get pigeon-holed into the normal punk sound - which allows for some very interesting sounds to emerge.
The album starter `Songs of the Father` even starts out with a flute before building into a guitar and drum frenzy. `Golden Seal` later shows the band`s more creative side as they make one of the album highlights, filled with piano and weird guitar noise. `Crooked Head` begins as a Sonic Youth track before moving into Modest Mouse territory. Songs like `No Epiphany` and `Looking for God ` continue to show how, musically, Fucked Up are a great band with serious talent. They could be even better is if they shy away from the yelling and actually sing.
Phil Russell (View Original Article)
James Yuill - 'Turning Down Water For Air' (Moshi Moshi)
If Iron & Wine used more electronica or if The Postal Service employed more folk then the result would be the sound of James Yuill. James Yuill is a twenty-something singer/songwriter from London who has been quietly crafting fantastic "Folktronica" on his laptop over the last couple of years. With `Turning Down Water For Air` James has made an album where acoustic guitars collide with bleeps and blips that should entice any fan of `modern` music. `Head Over Heels` and `The Ghost` are perfect examples of this new genre while `No Pins Allowed` (the first single) is the most dancefloor-friendly track on the album. `How Could I Lose?`, on the other hand, is lo-fi bliss and its use of strings is wonderful. James combines the emotional depth of Radiohead with the beat craftsmanship of The Chemical Brothers and, between great songwriting and slick production, James has made a useful niche for himself and I look forward to seeing how he grows with future releases.
Phil Russell (View Original Article)
Juana Molina - 'Un Dia' (Domino)
If you are a fan of females artists such as Bjork, Santogold, MIA, Feist or of male artists like Radiohead, David Byrne, Peter Gabriel, and if the `Mali Music` or `Monkey: Journey to the West` phase of Damon Albarn musical career is something you enjoyed, then Juana Molina should be right up your street (phew).
Her newest release `Un Dia` is filled with songs that range anywhere from the sweet and heartfelt like `Vive Solo` (where there`s a hint of Jane`s Addiction) and `Los Hongos De Marosa` to the more experimental tribal jazz drones laced with electronica of the title track and `No Llama`. It doesn`t matter if you can`t understand what she is saying half the time because the music takes over and tells you all you need to know. This is such a "sweet" little album, you can`t help but like it. It`s experimental enough to be cool but put together with enough skill and care that you truly appreciate sitting back and listening to it. Juana uses her voice as a real instrument as well as the glue that helps to hold all the odd percussion and random sounds that fill the album. Throw in a little pop sensibility and it all adds up to a lot of fun.
As the lyrics to `Un Dia` say (translated) "One day I will sing the songs with no lyrics and everyone can imagine for themselves if it`s abut love, disappointment, banalities or about Plato" and Juana Molina has done just that. She has made an album that anyone anywhere can listen to and enjoy regardless of what language you speak. The music (wait for it) speaks for itself.
Phil Russell (View Original Article)
Kaiser Chiefs - 'Off With Their Heads' (B-Unique)
The Kaiser Chiefs have side stepped the usual problems that dog bands when trying to record their ‘difficult’ third album by simply recycling songs from their first two.
Even guest appearance from Sway, Lily Allen and Mark Ronson on co - production duties haven’t managed to shift The Chiefs far from their Bluresque blueprint and although there are some strong songs present it just feels that you’ve heard it all before ..at least twice!!
Starting off with ‘Spanish Metal’ with its grungy styling’s, the first three tracks show great promise with the fun first single ‘Never Miss a Beat’ followed by album stand out track ‘Like It Too Much’, unfortunately it then becomes Kaisers on default mode, which although may still be better than a lot of their contemporaries, it’s hardly going to propel them into legendary status.
So it’s another mildly diverting album from the Bradford boys but like having crisps for tea, it’s fun for a little while but soon you’ll be desperate for something with a bit more substance.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Lambchop - 'OH (Ohio)' (City Slang)
If you didn`t like Lambchop`s last nine albums then the odds are this one isn`t going to change your mind. If you are, like me, a fan then their latest release may be one of their best yet. One of the things I respect most about this Nashville-based band is that they go seamlessly from Blues to Country to Folk to Jazz and Rock without breaking a sweat.
Lambchop through the years has consisted of a large collective of musicians (as many as twenty three members on previous albums) but always focused around front man Kurt Wagner. His distinctive songwriting is very minimalistic but, setting him apart from other minimalist songwriters, is the large group of backing musicians and the range of instruments and styles that come with having such a diverse collection of players. Wagner`s voice (that is already hit or miss to some) is used very well here, sometimes as background and sometimes as the main driving force. The opening track `Ohio` kicks off with a sweet piano and guitar melody then adds background vocals that accompany Wagner as he sings one of my favorite lines on the album `green doesn`t matter when you`re blue`.
Some of the more upbeat songs like the awesomely titled `National Talk Like a Pirate Day`, `I`m Thinking of a Number (Between 1 and 2)` and `Sharing a Gibson with Martin Luther King Jr.` provide a nice change of pace for the mostly laid back album. In the song `A Hold Of You` Wagner sings (and talks) of a pencil and makes it sound deep and interesting with lyrics like `It looks like others in our hands/It writes crazy things instead/It can make a list or describe a thought/Can draw a line or route/But it can`t make you respond to this.`
Musically, for Lampchop fans, this album may be nothing new but, of all the Indie Folk that has been released lately, this definitely rises to the top. After almost twenty years in the music business Lampchop have honed their skills and produced an album that is highly recommended.
Phil Russell (View Original Article)
Los Campesinos! - 'We are Beautiful, We are Doomed' (Wichita)
If I could party with one band in the world it would probably be Los Campesinos! If you’ve heard their joyfully exuberant music before then you might understand what I mean. It’s partly also because there’s so many of them!
When the opening lines of opening number `Ways to Make it Through the Wall` kick in it is clear that Los Campesinos! aim to make their audience smile. Tinkly synths and witty Eddie Argos style observations punctuate most of the songs, particularly on the standout title track `We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed` where lead singer Gareth Campesinos! juxtaposes stereotypical ideas of love with his own macabre insights - `They say the future’s bright as halogen / We know it’s pretty bleak`.
Los Campesinos! have, in the past, toured with Johnny Foreigner and their common use of synth sounds will always provoke a comparison, however as with their strength in numbers, Los Campesinos! are able to experiement with different vocal contrasts - sometimes one, two, or three singers or sometimes the whole band. An effect that packs a `fantastic feeling` punch. Keyboardist Aleksandra also has such a delicate voice in comparison to Gareth, that the contrast of the two together is quite unique, and oddly calming. It does take a while to get used to, but I grew to like it within hearing a couple of songs.
It isn’t all fast and furious however. Tracks such as `You’ll Need Those Fingers For Crossing` involve charming glock and violin lines but still don’t drop the pace of the album. At ten tracks long, the record plays at little over half an hour. It seems Los Campesinos! have chosen quality over quantity and fans will not be disappointed.
Frankie Ward (View Original Article)
Max Tundra - 'Parallax Error Beheads You' (Domino)
Somewhere in Max Tundra’s imagination there is an LCD screen, reminiscent of the green data stream bit in the matrix, with a never ending cascade of Tetris blocks. Except Max Tundra’s scene isn`t the same as any you remember from your Gameboy days. This one has Prince jumping from block to block, and Guided by Voices are playing the soundtrack using pocket calculators and 8-bit keyboards, while slurping smoothies laced with acid. And it’s through this cerebral filter that `Parallax Error Beheads You` takes us through a lo-fi tale of relationship break-ups, unfashionable shoes and er, glycaemia index blues.The thing is, Max Tundra is undoubtedly a studio genius and the production on this album is at times breathtaking. But therein lies the rub, Tundra often comes off like Prefuse 73 converted for the Sega Master System, there is often so much going on that listening to the songs is an exhausting process. The first few tracks are excellent, and anyone who is fond of the kind of teenage maelstroms exhibited in films like Empire Records or Mallrats will probably find something to enjoy here. But the relentless mechanised nature of the sonic palette employed by Tundra eventually obliterates even his considerable pop sensibilities and congeals into a bit of a mess.
It’s a real shame that he couldn`t find the discipline to restrain himself a bit more, because there are some really touching and soulful moments on this album, several of them coming on final track `Until We Die`. Unfortunately though, when listened to as a whole, this album leaves you feeling like you’ve just playing Tetris on a roller-coaster.
Bob Ferguson (View Original Article)
Peter, Bjorn and John - 'Seaside Rock' (Wichita)
Peter, Bjorn and John’s new album ‘Seaside Rock’ ignites with the lush sonics of ‘Inland Empire’, an audacious audio-montage of music concrete and film soundtrack, that vividly paints a cinematic picture in the imagination of the listener with it’s wailing guitars and frenetic percussion. Second track ‘Say Something (Mukiya)’ builds up on a deep tom and calypso groove. It’s slow grind, mid tempo and dynamics are like a theme tune from some long forgotten kids TV program or a more upbeat Tindersticks. This leads us into’ Favour Of The Season’, which is a heady dulcimer and deep bass driven piece, evolving around a synth-drum-echoing motif of low-key spectral beauty. These are not so much songs as mood pieces, designed to enhance the natural beauty of the world about us. ‘Next Stop Bjursele’ is another weird guitar driven piece, augmented by flute and big brass stabs, which is as far away from ‘young Folks’ as one can possibly imagine. This is Peter, Bjorn and John in highly experimental mode, guaranteed to shock and alienate the few of us who have been drawn to them on the strength of that earlier hit. However, this is also a rewarding album that bears fruit with repeated listening. ‘School Of Kraut’ is a thrillingly propulsive piece of krautrock that suggests new and unexplored sonic territories. Brass and steel drums once again duel it out over a speedily propulsive bass and drum pattern, before delivering an authenticity that recalls the ghost of Cluster lurking in its grooves. ‘John Erik’s Fishing Trip’ starts up slowly over a spoken word passage and some light acoustic guitar accompaniment, which once again brings to mind, kids TV of the seventies, as does next track ‘Needles And Pills’. ‘Norlands Riviera’, meanwhile, is a spoken word and harpsichord affair. Despite its initially rather sparse arrangement, it eventually is brought to life with the added inclusion of a musical concrete soundscape consisting of distant seagulls and a rather sloppy but ultimately not bad bout of tea drinking at one point.
The album ends on a highpoint with ‘Barcelona’, which is simply beautiful, building up momentum with its gorgeous vibes and cymbal swathes. These eventfully give way to the tranquil sound of lightly plucked acoustic guitar and the incoming gentle waves that welcome closer ‘At The Seaside’, an altogether jauntier affair enhanced by the inclusion of a beautiful harmonica coda that resonates with those steadily encroaching waves. This is not what one would have expected from Peter, Bjorn and John, maybe not-so-young folks anymore. In these rather uninspiring times, its nice to see bands taking a chance and exploring new frontiers of sound.
Keith Haworth (View Original Article)
The Peth - 'The Golden Mile' (Strangetown)
The first material from Rhys Ifans since his early demos with the Super Furry Animals have been eagerly-awaited by both fans of his former band and celebrity-mad publications, no doubt hoping to hear some lyrical tidbits regarding his relationship with Sienna Miller. Both may be slightly disappointed as `The Golden Mile` contains none of the slick sonic perversity of the former and, unless schoolboy-humour titles such as `69 Fanny Street` have anything to do with Ms Miller, no insight into the latter.
First single `Let`s Go Fucking Mental` does recall very early Super Furry Animals with the guitar work of a young Noel Gallagher which appears to be `job done` for The Peth who seem to have entered the studio with a plan to come out with an album that sounds precisely like that, even if it is over a decade late.
`Shoot on Sight (Flock of Zeigheils)` isn`t too far removed from Status Quo`s `Pictures of Matchstick Men`, `69 Fanny Street` hints at a departure into cloud-surfing psychedelia but is dragged back into a murky stomp-swamp all too soon while `Stonefinger` stinks of stodgy dad rock.
`Honey, Take a Bow` is a real highlight, however. Gone are the puerile jokes and the sub-Oasis posturing and, in their place, a yearning psyche-ballad The Aliens would kill for on their new LP.
He seems a lovely feller does Ifans, but his vocal falls way below either the early snarl of a hungry Liam Gallagher or the other-worldly mumbled idiosyncracies of a classic Gruff Rhys chorus. It`s perhaps wrong to compare The Peth to Oasis and the Super Furry Animals, however that`s whom Ifans and co have set out to equal and therefore whom they must be measured against. While it`s still an enjoyable facsimile of both bands spliced rather clumsily together, `The Golden Mile` is somewhat closer to `Don`t Believe the Truth` than `Definitely Maybe` or `Fuzzy Logic`.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
SebastiAn - 'A Fine Selection of Remixes' (Because)
This is an album of remixes designed to give the indie mafia a much-needed makeover, and on the evidence here, in many instances surpassing the original. This is electro clash for the indie disco, as SebastiAn transforms once-familiar songs into stuttering elliptical glitch hop. Daft Punk’s ‘Human After All’ is a case in point where their often-predictable four to the floor beats are mutated into something all together more interesting. SebastiAn even manages to make Mylo listenable at one point, putting an almost Bernard Hermann type spin on proceedings, which is, in fact, quite excellent. Better still is the remix of Kelis, whose attitude and naturally adrenalinised performance results in a wonderful symbiosis of the remade and remodelled.
His remix work on The Rapture, however, fares less better, as does his Editors retouch, where a piano and techno reworking fails to hit the target, despite some nice ideas. Bloc Party’s ‘I Still Remember’, however, sounds rather ace, and it`s no surprise that Sebastian Tellier’s ‘Sexual Superstar’ is another highlight, as is Annie’s ‘Happy Without You’, where once again we are situated firmly in electro-clash territory.
The best track, however, is Nadiya’s ‘Tous Ces Mots’, which is a fine example of high-octane electronica, and a fitting way to end the album.
Keith Haworth (View Original Article)
Steinski - 'What Does It All Mean?' (Illegal Art)
Before the Beastie Boys released `Paul`s Boutique` and before DJ Shadow began diggin` through crates to make `Endtroducing`, there was Steinski. `What Does it All Mean?` is a collection of bootleg mixes by Steinski that range from 1983 to 2006. As a whole, the album is just as important today as `Lesson 1- the payoff mix` was when it hit the airwaves in 1983 and it`s still funny that a record produced by a pair of nerdy white guys remains one the greatest hip-hop singles ever released.
In 1983 Steve Stein ("Steinski") and audio engineering partner Doug DiFranco ("Double Dee") assembled `The Payoff Mix` for a Tommy Boy Records remix contest. Taking the new `Play That Beat Mr. D.J.` and drawing on both DiFranco`s tape-editing skills and Steinski`s encyclopedic knowledge of not just hip-hop but popular music in general, they threw in everything from `Rockit` and `I`ll Tumble For You` to audio snippets of popular movies. The judges, who included Afrika Bambaataa and Jellybean Benitez among others, unanimously selected the mix as the contest winner and distributed copies to radio stations. This was a real coup since Double Dee and Steinski, unlike their new peers, were not actual DJs per se.
Besides containing all three "lessons" (`The Payoff Mix`, `James Brown Mix` and `History of Hip Hop`) it also has the Kennedy themed `The Motorcade Sped On`, the Desert Storm themed `It`s Up To You`, the 911 inspired `Number Three On Flight Eleven` and many more classic Steinski tracks that you may or may not have heard before. Besides becoming part of hip hop history, with the tracks he sampled showing up in loads of other pioneering hip hop artists tracks, Steinski has been named as an important influence to artists such as Coldcut, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, the Avalanches, and Girl Talk who are try to take his ideas into the future.
`What Does it All Mean?` literally has a little bit of everything in it, from funk, disco, hip hop to movie clips and more. Part of the fun for me is trying to figure out where all the samples were pulled from. Outside of a few tracks like `I`m Wild About That Thing`, a cheesy track about sex, and `The Big Man Laughs, a scratch heavy track about a man laughing (which likely won`t be getting a lot of repeat plays), the album is a great place for someone with an interest in hip hop and sampling to start their collection. This is truly art and it is great to have these tracks released so younger generations can see where the music they listen to started out. `What Does it All Mean?` really shows how making good music should be more important that what you use to make it. As Steinski once said "The truth of the matter is, the legality of this doesn`t really make any difference to me, I mean, I`m gonna make the records no matter what. It`s like saying, `If you use that color blue in your painting, that`s not legal.` Well, what does that have to do with anything? It would be great if it was legal, it`s too bad it`s not, and so what?". Pick this up and get your bootleg on people!
Phil Russell (View Original Article)
Streetlab - 'NYSound EP' (RCRD LBL)
It`s very rare to find something that you can`t put down musically these days. OK, I`ll admit you literally can`t put this down as it available either digitally through a variety of digital distributors or as a natty USB-wristband combination (full details can be found on www.streetlab.net). The wristband is Very Cool but more importantly, The Music Is Very Very Cool. It`s electro-rock at it`s best - nothing more nothing less. Highlights of the 7 tracks EP include `Mountains` where it sounds like a modern day Junior Reid taking on an updated `Pretty Hate Machine` period Nine Inch Nails. There`s the MSTRKRFT influenced `NYSound` which deserves to be a huge single in its own right, but when joined together with tracks such as the industrial Siouxsie infused `What Is It For?` and the slowed down new-beat sound of `Supernatural` it becomes clear that the EP is pretty much essential listening. Miss this at your peril.
Andy J (View Original Article)
Sway - 'The Signature LP' (DCypha Productions)
I like most of Sway`s output but this album suffers from the same thing that affected his debut LP - the wit, invention and playfulness that make his mixtapes such essential listening are, for the most part, absent.
Given past form, it`s surprising how much of the material here is serious and personal - `Look After My Girl`, `Pray 4 Kaya` and the character he plays in `Jason Waste` show some depth to his style but don`t play to his strengths of wordplay and irreverence.
Sway`s been upfront about his desire for more mainstream success, hence the heavy-sampling `Saturday Night Hustle` featuring Lemar and, away from this album, collaborations with Madness and the Kaiser Chiefs. However, I don`t think there`s enough quality on `The Signature LP` to showcase what he`s about and do him justice.
The low-point is `Upload` - another tiresome, anti-pirating diatribe. Considering he puts his best material, the mixtapes, online for free that`s where I`d head if I were you.
Chris Unitt (View Original Article)
Those Dancing Days - 'In Our Space Suits' (Wichita)
Scandinavian synth pop outfit Those Dancing Days have been doing the festival rounds this summer, charming muddy crowds with their sweet, girly sounds. This time last year they released the eponymous single `Those Dancing Days` - a catchy electro fest with some impressive drumming. The album, which features both this single and Swedish favourite `Hitten`, delivers more of the same style. Simple, unfussy guitars, keyboard-driven melodies and infectious energy makes this release a must for girly pop fans.
The joyfully innocent nature of the album highlights the age of the group, who are all still in their teens, making the fact this is their debut album seem all the more impressive and in singer Linnea Jönsson they have an ‘indie Rhianna`, her voice sounding sweet but not overly saccharine. The album may feel a little low key for some but, for anyone desperate to relive the Summer, a listen of this album may just do the trick.
Frankie Ward (View Original Article)
Tim Ten Yen - 'Everything Beautiful Reminds Me Of You' (Pointy)
Unashamedly branding his music as `karaoke pop` and with one foot in the suited era of 80`s pop, another in the knowingly tawdry kitsch easy listening market, the question that needs to be asked is if the nation is ready yet for a whole album`s worth of Tim Ten Yen`s particular formula?
`When the Song Applies To You` and `Sea Anenome` are the bright new bulbs among this dusty set of Christmas tree lights while the self-describing `M.O.R.` and the utterly unnecessary demo-come-jingle `Radio Nowhere` have long since expired. Leaving the best until later though, `Something Sinister` harks back to a care-free childhood spent taking in visits to a Casio circus and winning time and again on the coconut shy of life and, immediately afterwards, the Teardrop Explodes recalling joy of `Runaround Getaround` brilliantly combines contemporary indie jangle with sampled r n b shout outs.
At times showing the refined panache of The Divine Comedy at others the wonky rigidity of a twee Human League, Tim never drops the sophisto-pop baton despite the fact he`s clearly running in a relay race not fancied by many others. Like supermarket brand Cherryade, it`s fabulous tooth-rotting fun in small doses, but drink the whole bottle in one sitting and you`ll nauseously resolve not to go near it again for some time.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Attic Lights - 'Wendy' (Island)
This will either be number one until 2009 or completely ignored due to being both `too indie` and `too pop` at the same time. The single`s constituents can be boiled down to the simple Caledonian melody of Teenage Fanclub, the sumptuous string of mid-career Manic Street Preachers, harmonic Gruff Rhys-like backing vocals and the mass pop appeal of McFly. It`s that final, key ingredient which may put many off but, when done right like this is, the final results are drunk-singalong fantastic and more than just a guilty pleasure to us `hardcore indie fans`.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Bloc Party - 'Talons' (Wichita)
This starts of smartly enough with a light splattering of electronica before settling into an inevitably pedestrian indie groove. Bloc Party are surely capable of much more than this, but on the evidence of `Talons`, it’s a case of not now, not yet. Not exactly speaker shredding kids, more of a light tear in the fabric of the air maybe?
Keith Haworth (View Original Article)
Chris T-T - 'We Are The King Of England' (Xtramile)
To quote one of my favourite Baldrick lines from Blackadder`s Christmas Carol - `we are Queen Victoria - what, all three of you?` - the new single from Chris T-T shows none of history`s favourite hangdog`s hereditary stupidity but instead glints with shiny guile very much like the proverbial fox picking up an honourary doctorate from Cunning College, Cambridge. Following a steady, driving rhythmical course signposted by hypnotic Pulp-esque piano and thrilling operatic samples, Chris reels off all you need to know about this very exciting new musical prospect.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Copy Haho - 'You Are My Coalmine' (Teenage Lust!)
The best, surely the only, band to ever rise out of Stonehaven look set to become the biggest thing out of Aberdeenshire since The Shamen or Donald Trump`s spare wig jet. Locked at the moment in a big contract tug of war with a number of labels, the Dinosaur Jr meets early Snow Patrol joy of `You are my Coalmine` will surely be their last on an indie. It`s no surprise they`re hot property either given such romantic lyrics as `I`m the dirt in your nails / you`re the dirt in mine...I`m the shit on your shoes / You`re the shit on mine` and the typical Alba spirit of locking themselves in a remote but n ben-style portacabin in a cow field to write and rehearse.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
The Count & Sinden - 'Hardcore Girls EP' (Domino)
Although the streetwise female rappers sound raw in the lead track, `Hardcore Girls` is all about the bass. You probably could tell what this would sound like if you hadn`t already heard it - largely twisted analogue bass lines that can`t decide which note to sit on. Thankfully the backers on the EP are not only very different, but also very strong. From the smooth vocal drum abd bass stylinhs of `Fool In Love` to the grimy and pretty funny `Industry` which may or may not take a swipe at recent chart MCs. On the evidence of the EP `filler`, it seems that there is more than bassline to the Count & Sinden.
Andy J (View Original Article)
CSS - 'Move' (Sub Pop)
Brazil’s finest exponents of funky, indie pop return with another slice of disco that thankfully is more Chic than Tina Charles.
Arguably their best song since the oddly titled, top 40 hit ‘Lets Make Love and Listen to Death From Above’ it’s the ideal tune to put on your hi-fi whilst squeezing into your day-glo skinny jeans or glittery boob tubes, readying yourself for a weekend of partying.
I can’t honestly think of a better recommendation for loving a band than that the fact that they’ve called their new LP (which this single is lifted from) ‘Donkey’ and they make ace videos like the one which accompanies this - check it out.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Deerhunter - 'Nothing Ever Happened' (4AD)
Taken from brand new album `Microcastle`, `Nothing Ever Happened` clocks in at just under six minutes having taken the listener on a sprawling trip back to the early 90`s where Deerhunter pick up tasty off-cuts from the likes of Pavement, My Bloody Valentine and Guided By Voices and boil them together in a cosmic stew. After a small helping of Bradford Cox`s vocals, the track eventually builds prog-like into something akin to the last Holy Fuck album - and, if that`s not a reason to get excited about them, then I don`t know what is.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Eugene McGuinness - 'Moscow State Circus' (Domino)
Not half as serious as the look afforded by the burly, bearded strongman on the front cover of this single, the always bankable Eugene McGuinness` introduction to his self-titled album is a pleasant three and a half minutes of piano-led indie pop. It`s like listening to Keane without needing to constantly keep yourself from falling asleep. Not the greatest thing you`ll ever hear then but, as he states clearly in `Moscow State Circus`, Eugene couldn`t give a flying ffff... anyway.Richard Brown (View Original Article)
The Faint - 'The Geeks Were Right' (V2 / Co-Op)
The meek shall inherit the earth, but we don`t have to take it lying down do we? `The Geeks Were Right`, the Faint`s first single from album `Fasciination`, is a coldly funky diatribe about the fact that nerds are now holding all the aces. "Egghead boys with modified features and software brains" are the main targets for a tongue-lashing in front man Todd Fink`s punctuated vocal style. The Faint are the kind of band who polarise opinions, and the chances are if you are already a fan you won`t be disappointed by this one. That said, this is notably poppier than some of the foursome`s previous work and the vicious polemic of `Danse Macabre` seems a distant memory after listening to `The Geeks Were Right`. Rest assured though, the guitars are as angular as ever and the sine-wave bass is more than capable of generating some digital love on the floors of indie clubs across the land.
Bob Ferguson (View Original Article)
The Foxes - 'Trauma Town' (Room 10)
How disappointed am I by this song? Very. In fact, I would wonder if I had been watching another band at In The City, but how many bands use the word twat in the first line of their songs? It`s not all bad - there`s a decent mod edge, the production is good, the song has a decent change of style at one point. Unfortunately the vocals are poor, the lyrics are variable and the pathetic guitar bit at the very end is beyond bad. I can only hope that the next single is much better.
Dean Coster (View Original Article)
Frank Turner - 'Long Live The Queen' (Xtramile)
Thank God for the chorus in Frank Turner`s new single, without it this would be little more than a very irritating yelp accompanying a ridiculous guitar style more suited to death metal than acoustic tunesmithery. So much for the verse then, and it`s a shame as Frank`s vocal dexterity is worth a passing wow of appreciation even if he does sound just a little too enthusiastic. But the chorus sounds like it has been plucked from another song altogether and that`s the song that Noel Gallagher thinks he`s capable of writing, only it`s outwith his guitar skill. If Frank can tone down the faux `look at me, I`m really passionate` side to his music then there`s a great future ahead of him.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Gemma Ray - 'Rise of the Runts' (Bronzerat)
Gemma Ray is so much more than a smart play on the phrase `Gamma Ray`, she`s quite possibly the brightest new light on a hibernating anti-folk scene and after two years fighting a `mystery illness` she finally completed her album `The Leader` earlier this year. `Rise of the Runts` is the pick of the bunch from that album, finding strong, melancholic, minor melodies mixed with subtle percussion and Gemma`s beautiful bittersweet vocals swimming in gentle echo. If all runts were as naturally strong as this they`d have no trouble rising at all.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Guillemots - 'Kriss Kross' (Polydor)
Unfortunately the Guillemots have not chosen to wear their clothes backwards and "Jump, jump" but have instead decided to use an exotic 8o`s synth riff to good effect, placing it over a pounding drum beat and heavy bass line, coming up with something that is actually, really pretty good (although the chorus does stray very close to Prefab Sprout territory for comfort).
"When the moons in the sky we like it" sings Fyfe Dangerfield and you know the moon is indeed in the sky and we do (quite) like it.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Jeremy Warmsley - 'Dancing With The Enemy' (Transgressive)
There’s a good song in here, and if played straight perhaps could’ve have grown into a great song overtime but unfortunately the reliance on shifting rhythms, a spurious, cheap casio bossanova backbeat, farty trumpet and plonky piano make the whole experience just that little bit too quirky for comfort. Like one of the more annoyingly, ain’t we clever, album tracks from early They Might Be Giants, its fun as a curio but would soon become the song you skip over to get to the more standard fare.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Kaiser Chiefs - 'Never Miss a Beat' (B-Unique)
Ah, a tribute to childhood rebellion from a bunch of thirtysomethings along the lines of `What did you learn today / I learned nothing / What did you do today / I did nothing / It`s cool to know nothing`. However, rather than dismiss this as an attempt to be still "down with the kids", let`s hail `Never Miss a Beat` as the Kaisers` most electric single since the days when they still qualified for Club 18 - 30 holidays. They may alienate the `Ruby` bandwagon-jumpers, but this bold move back to the guitar-stomp and shoutalong choruses that made their name is much better than I expected it to be.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Keith - 'Up in the Clouds' (Lucky Number)
`Up In The Clouds` was produced with producer-du-jour Dan Carey, the chap whose stock has risen incredibly due to the fact Franz Ferdinand dumped Xenomania in favour of him. With this thought in mind, expectations are high for the new single from the 2006 Road to V winners and, proclaim hooray, the boys appear to have gone and bloody done it. Carey presides well over a maelstrom of beats, bendy juddering bass, circular guitar riffs and licks and Oli Bayston`s almost pained vocals begging you to `come up into the clouds...with me`. The overall effect is something like Mansun being thrown from pillar to post through time, particularly in the closing bars where you expect a troupe of Medieaval monks to burst out of the stereo and offer you a suspiciously bubbling beverage. Yes, trippy.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
The Last Shadow Puppets - 'My Mistakes Were Made For You' (Domino)
This is a stealth assault on the ballad front, which lifts the bass line from Scott Walker’s ‘the old man’s back again’ to great effect. It’s spaghetti western for disaffected romantics, and whilst it isn’t quite on a par with The Divine Comedy’s more thrilling moments, it’s nevertheless a great track that will get you through those lonely nights of heartache and tears (`speak for yourself!` - `popular` Ed)
Keith Haworth (View Original Article)
Late of the Pier - 'Bathroom Gurgle (Re-issue)' (Parlophone)
Late of the Pier have managed to dodge Culturedeluxe up until now. Oh, we`ve been aware of them, but their glue-like grip to the NME front cover has filled us with an understandable dread.
`Bathroom Gurgle` is back out again just over a year after its first outing (as is a major label`s wont - re-release the song that made you sign them in the first place) and it`s certainly good value for money as it`s not far from being three tracks in one. Three very short and not particularly clever tracks, yes, but three in one nonetheless.
One track finds singer Samuel Dust impersonating Mike Patton, one sounds like a Gorillaz nightmare while the final track sounds like Dr Frank N Furter mincing over the top of a Pendulum demo. The kids will love it, after all, who actually is buying the NME these days? But for those who ignored it on its first release, as you were.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Liquid Liquid - 'Optimo (Remixes)' (Domino)
Never meet your heroes they say. Therefore, Optimo founders JD Twitch and JG Wilkes have approached the opportunity to remix the song that their entire brand pays tribute to with some trepidation. What we get is a very sympathetic mix gleaming with 21st century shine, boasting brand new percussion and brass blasts and resonating with a clarity that the original production could have never managed. Matthew Dear`s mix of the same track strips it down and reassembles it progressively into an eleven minute opus. It may be the length that`s the problem as, although the perceived switch in pace suits it, it can prove a trial for the casual listener. DJ Sample`s chunky mix again pays suitable tribute to the original applying hypnotic organ pulses and esoteric post-production noodlings - like a good soup, it`s substantial and assuages your hunger even if it isn`t presented that attractively. Completing the release is The Loving Hand`s progressive mix of `Rubbermiro` which builds into a modern `Theme to Bullitt` over six and a half intoxicating minutes. It`s rare for a remix package to exude such a sense of time, care and thought, but it`s not every day that true musical pioneers allow their work to be re-imagined in such a way.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
The Loose Salute - 'Why’d We Fight' (Heavenly)
At a generous five and a half minutes, one of The Loose Salute`s personal favourites from their `Tuned to Love` is a mite long for the kind of gentle, daytime, Radio 2 airtime it deserves. A fine example of Brit-country, a ballad soaked in subtle banjo and pedal steel, `Why`d We Fight` feels at home soundtracking a heartbreaking montage on Hollyoaks as it does playing wistfully in the background as you lazily tuck into this week`s Sunday papers. This is further proof that The Loose Salute are one of the nation`s uncovered treasures - probably buried under an ornate shell on their beloved Cornish seaside.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
MGMT - 'Kids' (Sony)
Although not as instantly catchy as `Time To Pretend` or as princetastic as `Electric Feel`, `Kids` is still another reason why you should kneel at the pyschedelic altar of messers Goldwasser and VanWyngarden and give praise.A more laid back offering than the first two singles it may take a couple of listens but once it`s sunk in you`ll find it hard to shift this one from your (dead) head.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Ra Ra Riot - 'Ghost Under Rocks' (V2)
I was pretty hooked on this song from the first time I heard it. Opening with delicate string arrangements led by a perversely pulsating bass line, `Ghost Under Rocks` develops into a steady yet bustling verse which, in turn, erupts into a leg-twitchingly busy chorus. Ra Ra Riot have achieved something far too rare in mainstream indie – a song that`s wholly unpretentious, and catchy enough to be heard on alternative dance floors. When reviewing their debut album for CDX, Adam Gibby said Ghost Under Rocks "bursts in to one of the most engaging choruses I`ve heard for a long time," and I couldn`t agree more.
Ash Carter (View Original Article)
The Research - 'I Think She's The One I Love' (This is Fake DIY)
The first single from new album `The Old Terminal` marks the return of the heroes of twee Russell, Georgia and Sarah aka The Research - see even their name screams `bookish`. `I Think She`s The One I Love` recalls bittersweet 80`s paeans to geeks planning to love `out of their league`, all high-pitched riffage, drowned in treacle-coated strings and only a Yorkshire accent away from being The Wedding Present. This really needs to be listened to on crackly seven inch vinyl, however. Only then can you enjoy the Peel-inspired bubblegum existence of picking up the record player arm time after time and returning it to the opening grooves of this highly addictive sugary treat.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Roots Manuva - 'Let the Spirit' (Big Dada)
Cool and funky, `Let the spirit` gets you bopping up and down and nodding your head, but seems all to formulaic - special K to the crunchy-nut moreishness of their previous release `Again and Again`. Couldn`t help humming the Men in Black theme over the chorus first time I heard it. I`d think more if there was an amusing film to go with it...Listen to the Hot Chip`s top notch remix instead, it sticks banaba slices and honey on top.
Chris Jones (View Original Article)
Sky Larkin - 'Fossil, I' (Wichita)
Blessed with a voice that combines the high points of Kate Nash with the exciting trill of Bjork, Katie Harkin of Sky Larkin (gotta have a system don`t you?) presides impressively over this inexplicably-titled mix of The Strokes-style riff-pop with early 90`s indie standards. This taster for their debut album, recorded in Seattle despite the band hailing from Leeds, suggests you`ll be wanting to keep your eyes and ears on this three-piece.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Tricky - 'Slow' (Domino)
This is the perfect antidote to anyone sick to death of post-modern cover-versions or lazy lunch time renditions of other people`s signature tunes by smelly male indie quartets simply to placate the giggling Jo Whiley. Tricky`s cover version of Kylie Minogue`s former number one hit manages that rare feat of being better than the original. Failing to take the title or lyrics literally, Tricky adds a few bpms, a clutch of neo-metal clanks and a wham-bam (thankyou mam) attitude to deliver his finest cover since the untouchable `Black Steel`.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Vampire Weekend - 'A-Punk (Re-issue)' (XL)
OK it`s a re-issue and mixing African influenced guitar styles and rhythms with modern pop has been done before, so maybe it`s the lack of interesting alternatives in indieland that makes the second single from Vampire Weekends self titled album sound so vital at the moment.
Vibrant, fun and intelligent, `A - Punk` helps confirm why Vampire Weekend deserve their growing popularity.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Wild Beasts - 'Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants' (Domino)
Whether the title is a tribute to portly stargazer Russell Grant or simply a bunch of random semi-rhyming words which met the required syllable count to narrate this infectious, almost baggy, new melody from Wild Beasts. Taken from their equally impressive `Limbo, Panto` album, this release should attract many new fans to the delights of Hayden Thorpe`s unique falsetto delivery.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
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Flicking through Bombay Bicycle Club’s (BBC) plain but friendly website earlier in the day, it’s easy to be impressed by the cracking selection of tender yet raucous tracks beaming from the home page, particularly for a band only just out of school. Jack Steadman’s vocals echo that of a young, less gay, Brian Molko, whilst the stop-start guitar antics of the rest of the band, draw comparisons with The Strokes and even Pavement.
And on the night, as the fresh-faced teenagers play to the jail-bait muddle crammed inside an upstairs room in a former Methodist church turned garishly daubed indie-club known as ‘The Sanctuary’, their already distinctive quiet / loud dichotomy simmers a likeable set along at this Levi’s Ones to Watch gig.
Yet simmer is the correct word, for despite a clutch of likeable, tight tracks on record, tonight’s gig just feels a tad undercooked. The young band clearly have talent, but the blistering energy of support act Flashgun is never truly matched by the headliners, with the melodic, raucous frenzy onstage never quite spilling over (that’s enough cooking analogies). It all feels a bit detached.
Which is a shame, because as much as I want to love and get excited by BBC, the gig struggles to really excite, as the baying crowd wait patiently for a killer track to grab us all by the collective gonads and scream ‘DANCE BITCH’. Sadly, it never comes, effectively relegating a capable live set to the level of musical muesli - good for you, but extraordinary hard work.
Dave Allen (View Original Article)
Blood Red Shoes step into the limelight, or should I say lamplight (strangely the band are flanked by two standard lamps tonight) of an Aberdeen stage - and not for the first time this year. However, this is the first time the talented duo have had to play a gig on the same night as national heroes Glasvegas - a fact which affords them a rather late stage time and, thankfully, a crowded venue with many still glowing with the combined sweat and tears of another show. So, time for the blood then?
Opening the set as they did on this year`s fine debut with the electric stomp of `Doesn`t Matter Much` the band herald their arrival with typical energy, Laura-Mary Carter`s new Dee Dee Ramone fringe is just visible above an energetically jumping front-of-crowd with drummer Steven Ansell hidden to all but those of a generous height. Which is, of course, not a problem for an extended arm and an accurately aimed phone-camera snap - a technique used by many of the younger male members of the crowd in the direction of guitarist Laura-Mary.
An early opportunity to introduce a new track with is taken by Steven declaring "this goes out to anyone that`s seen us before". The track itself suggests the duo may be heading in a poppier direction with their new material while maintaining the murky stranglehold over their music that has slowly but surely made their name. This is perfectly exemplified by former single and crowd favourite `Say Something, Say Anything` which follows immediately afterwards.
Taking stock of the crowd tonight, it`s not surprising the `Shoes have successfully crossed at least two generations tonight given easily the audible influence of Wire-via-Elastica and, on another new track, it`s possible to pinpoint Lush at the exact point they crossed the good sea of commerciality from the land of shoegaze to the promised new world of shiny indie pop, pausing for a middle-eight with an effortlessly Scot-pleasing tinge of Big Country.
The set comes to a close with a sharp pairing of `This is Not For You` and `I Wish I Was Someone Better` which send the crowd crazy and sees one fan literally hugging the speakers with joy. It`s not surprising either - this is championship-winning stuff and a cutting reminder of how good The Subways really should have been.
Glas-who?
Photographs by Andy Thorn
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Let’s do this quick. You know and I know that I was always going to love this gig. The Kaiser Chiefs are showmen. They were always going to put on a great show. So let’s just take that as written and we’ll concentrate on the details later. At this moment we’ll take some time to talk about the support bands.
First on are The Hair. Great band, terrible name. Part of the problem is that the name is a misnomer. They have bad hair. Well, the hair I can see is bad hair. Of the four band members, two are wearing hats and one is wearing a head band. If you were going to base the name of your band on a part of your body then you better put it on show. The lead singer does. Unfortunately he is the one with terrible hair. It doesn’t even look washed. Honestly, the youth of today…
It’s a good job then that they play some damn fine music. Their dance influenced indie is filled with pounding rhythms and stonking guitar work. They know a great tune when they hear it and they aren’t afraid to use it. “We’re from York, in Leeds.” It not a particularly good line, but when an initially disinterested audience start to prick their ears up and start dancing to your beats you can get away with terrible jokes.
In fact I begin to really like this group. They create the noise that I hoped The Cribs would but have so far failed miserably to do. They make genuinely interesting pop. And the kids put on a show. By the time they all play the drum kit at the same time the audience is wanting more. Johnny Marr should join this lot instead.
From a band that starts off with a disinterested audience that slowly unites them into an appreciative whole, to a band that creates an almost completely opposite reaction. Late of The Pier has largely been ignored by this and many other websites until very recently. That is in no small part to their recent album getting a lot of plugs and rave reviews. Again, this probably explains the crowd’s reaction to them. The audience goes through three stages of ‘bloody hell’. Stage one is ‘bloody hell, who are this lot?’ It’s a totally understandable reaction. They start with a low rumbling noise that increases in volume until it roars through the auditorium as the band walks on stage. During the next two songs the audience reaction turns into stage two. Slowly at first, and some parts never completely get it, but it’s there.
Stage two is ‘bloody hell it’s Late of The Pier’. People start to recognise who they are as the prog styled funky noise kicks in. They do love their prog, this lot. If The Hair are influenced by late eighties and nineties dance music, then Late of The Pier are definitely influenced by Gong. And Neu! And Yes. And Faust. Have I put you off yet? Or has that interested you more? Congratulations, you’ve entered the audience’s stage three reaction: ‘bloody hell, what the bloody hell is this?’
It’s an understandable reaction. I don’t think Late of The Pier will ever totally capture the heart of the nation. I’m not sure they’ll totally capture the heart of all music fans. That’s the problem with prog rock. The crimes that wretched music has done to humanity are so great it becomes difficult to accept that sometimes it can be really good. Add to that the fact that the people who are involved in it can take themselves far too seriously. You begin to think that maybe they don’t realise how stupid they can look. When keyboard player Sam Potter (the keyboard-playing, slightly pretentious looking one) says after one song "It’s not about the lyrics, never the lyrics, it’s about the song man, all about the song, just the song, that’s what we want, we don’t need the lyrics it’s all about the song you understand," well you hope that he’s joking - but you know deep in your heart he probably isn’t. And it’s hard to take a rock stance from a bass player who asks for his inhaler to be brought onto the stage. Unless the inhaler is full of crack, that is. I don’t think it was…
But still, they’ve got the funk. They can boogie and shake their asses with the best of them. And by the end of the set enough of the audience is behind them for the Sam Eastgate to say as they come off the stage "Our time has come." Well, not quite, but it’s bloody close.
And so to the Kaiser Chiefs. What can I say that probably hasn’t already been said in other reviews elsewhere? Not a lot in all likelihood but that isn’t going to stop me. For a start, let’s clear up one rumour that is going around at the moment. Peter Kay DID NOT dress up as the character he played in his latest Channel Four show when he appeared on stage with them. He DID sing part of ‘The Winner’s Song’, but that was only as a way of getting the audience to sing something other than ‘Mana Mana’. Look at the picture on the other article I wrote about this gig. Can you see him wearing a dress there? No. That’s because he didn’t.
Nor did the Kaiser’s, but I suspect that they would do if they thought that they would get a good enough response by doing it. Tonight they act and sound like a band that is at the top of their game. No trick to please the audience is left unused. No sing-along left unsung. With the new album about to be released I guess they have a right to feel that way. Opening the set with the sounds of ‘Spanish Metal’ the band and the crowd start as they mean to go on. Drums blaze in all directions, guitars are crashed in wild abandon. And the crowd ROAR! The pogo-ers jump up and down. Dancers move their feet. Everybody, and I mean everybody, sings. It’s not a particularly old crowd either. Sure, there are some of us old fogies at the front trying to relive our youth, but most of the crowd are in their teens to early twenties. But everybody is in one with what is happening around them. As the Kaiser’s start the intro to ‘Never Miss A Beat’ the crowd push to the front and keep on pushing while joining in on every line of the chorus. And it’s true, they really don’t miss a beat.
You can tell that the band are enjoying this too. As they mix all the songs from the new album with older tracks the audience enthusiasm doesn’t let down. The band feed off it and push themselves a little further. Ricky spends a lot of time crowd surfing and jumping up and down at the front. Even Whitey starts to move around. Now that is amazing. The set pieces become a little bit more special. When Ricky jumps over Peanut and Nick, he almost jumps further than he needs and reaches the edge of the front of the stage. When he runs to the back of the crowd and crowd-surfs to the front, the crowd are literally making him fly over them. Near the front of the stage he loses his belt. He asks for it back and much to his surprise he gets it. "Bloody hell. I’m touched. You’ve made my day. I didn’t think you’d do it. I thought that was going to be a fifteen quid job on e-bay. I got it from Australia. It’s my lucky belt. That’s the story. Did you expect more?" He keeps referring back to the belt for the next three songs. He’s a happy man.
And so he should be. This gig, the way they perform and the crowd’s reaction to it, is going down like the album. Yeah, they’ve moved on - but not so much that they are losing any of their core fans. ‘Half The Truth’ may not have Sway doing the rap, but the audience latch onto the chorus and are singing along by the second time it’s sung. In fact it sounds much better live than it does on the album. ‘Like It Too Much‘ may not have David Arnold‘s orchestra playing along in the background but the crowd responds to the power of it all. ‘Addicted To Drugs’* has everybody moving from side to side like it’s a ballad. When the gig finishes and we all leave to the sound of The Stranglers `Waltzinblack`, we are a happy bunch of people indeed…
‘I want crisps’ is still a terrible line though.
Enough of that. Here’s a link to Peter Kay swearing at the audience
* - although I could be very wrong about this. You try remembering song titles when you`re drunk and getting lost in the moment...
Dean Coster (View Original Article)
For an unmitigated prole such as myself, this was a strange one, surrounded by beautiful music industry people, handed as much booze and gut fuel as I could consume, but the feeling prevailed that there is no such thing as a free lunch. And so it proved…
Das Pop and Scouting for Girls were the acts recruited to play at this party, launching a new music downloading service called Datz Music Lounge. The scale of the freeloading opportunities offered to guests at the party and the trendy Billingsgate Market venue indicate there is a serious amount of money behind this project, and it could well turn out to be a DRM-free rival to iTunes. But guys, guys, guys, Scouting for Girls headlining your soiree, come the fuck on.
Between the compere for the evening and the awful banter from the band themselves it emerged the band have sold over 600,000 copies of their debut album and been touring countries as far afield as Japan. This basically indicates that the world has lost a tiny piece of its collective sanity. Scouting for Girls are so bland after listening to them music in general seems like a slightly less good idea than it used to. They mix keyboards, bass, guitar and vocals to such guileless effect, that it is tempting to view their whole existence as a situationist prank par excellence. Alas friends, I fear they are just not very good.
In light of this I propose an annex to the “stranger danger" style safety information doled out to countless schoolchildren over the years; next time the nice man offers you treats to come to his website launch, JUST SAY NO!
Bob Ferguson (View Original Article)
Every time I go to the 229 Club, the entrance seems to be in a different place. I could put this down to confusion experienced through encroaching old age, or possibly just refurbishment works, but whatever the reason it tends to lend a certain Neverwhere-like surrealism to the whole experience. Added to this there was some confusion on the door as to whether I existed (a common problem for a Philosophy graduate, so didn’t unduly faze me), and my camera mysteriously decided it was having a night off and didn’t want to take any photos. I suppose I could put that down to technical difficulties, but if I turn it on next time I’m out and find lots of photos I never took of people I don’t know, I’m definitely going to start freaking out a bit. Unless someone borrowed it to take to a party, which would be the rational explanation I suppose.
There’s nothing really about Post War Years to trigger this sort of existential angst, apart from a slightly fey feel to the music I’ve heard from them so far which does generally make the listener (me) feel a little bit like they’re being led by the hand through some faerie forest. Not the description you’d generally attribute to a supposedly ‘synth based indie’ band – their recorded music has been likened to a bevy of New Wave, indie and modern music of the likes of Joy Division, Radiohead and Battles, but somehow none of these descriptions really cut it. Whatever the sound, it’s obviously been working for them though – they’ve toured with Tom Vek, DIOYY and, most recently, White Lies, and have had critical acclaim flung at them haphazardly from all directions both for their live and recorded performances. All this should make for an interesting and entertaining live set.
And indeed it does! Although at several points in the evening, I get the decided feeling someone has sliced my ears into pieces and put them back on the wrong way round, somehow PWY still managed to avoid the aural confusion you generally get when you use a host of samples and frequent changes of pace. The tracks which on record have an almost dreamy, mathematical feel to them become sharply barked, snatched pieces of instrumentals. Somewhere in between the time when I was trying to work out what was going on, and the point at which I realised I didn’t care, I and the rest of the steadily more interested-looking crowd had been pelted from all directions with a hail of confusing sounds. It all made sense somehow. All I can safely say is that I can see why these lads have been causing ripples – they’re utterly unignorable, and in a time when most new bands (lets be honest here) pretty much sound similar, it’s refreshing not to have to put any effort into paying attention.
Although I wasn’t exactly humming anything catchy on the bus home (even their single ‘The Black Morning’ is more of a thought experiment than a song), I was left with an assorted goody bag of exciting random sounds to play with in my head, and a vague sense that if I ever heard them again they might sound utterly different, which is completely fine by me.
Bryony Jones (View Original Article)
Walking into the Academy tonight was both confusing and an assault on the senses. I spent the first ten minutes convincing myself I wasn`t at a PTA Meeting, and the next ten minutes adjusting to the foul, sweaty humidity – here`s a riddle for you: why does a room full of adults smell like a teenagers bedroom?
Cosmo Jarvis was already playing when we arrived. His laid-back acoustic, semi-narrative songs can, at times, come across a little try-hard but otherwise his music is inoffensive and manages to keep everybody entertained during his tenure. I imagine he was hoping for a younger crowd though, especially having just come off tour with emo/hip-hop crossover crusaders, Gym Class Heroes.
We waited a long time for Gabriella Cilmi to come on stage, during which the venue staff got everyone to move back while they fixed the leak in the roof. However, it wasn`t raining outside, so... it could have been sweat collecting on the ceiling and dripping down into the drinks of those unfortunate enough to be standing underneath...
Gabriella finally came on and opened with `Sanctuary` and there was definitely a hint of relief in the applause. After a handful of songs she had the crowd participating, having them clap along in time – making the average age of the room feel like it was sky-rocketing. Gabriella has a good presence on stage though: she`s confident whilst singing yet ever so slightly shy when talking to the crowd, but that gradually disappeared throughout the night.
The highlight of the evening was perhaps a cover of Justin Timberlake`s `Cry Me A River.` You may be groaning, but both she and the band seemed to get into it more than any of their own songs. She was also able to get a little of her own influence in there as well which made it better than the tired, pretentious Timberlake covers rife at every pub`s Sunday night `acoustic session.`
It`s obvious to anyone that Gabriella Cilmi can sing, but her songs seem to really lack substance, her lyrics can come across a little clichéd and the music never grabs your attention. Given time though, she may find some elbow room and still be around in a couple of years, perhaps a little wiser and with a few more hooks.
Ash Carter (View Original Article)
When Radiohead`s Thom Yorke performed a spine-tingling acoustic rendition of the band`s soon to become signature tune `Creep` for Los Angeles radio station KROQ on July 13th 1993, he`d surely never have dreamt it would make up part of a twenty five minute dance homage to his then fledgling act some fifteen years later.
`Rage the Beast`, a piece by New Jersey choreographer Stephen Petronio making up the first part of a spectacular and very different triptych, takes the sometimes analogue angst, the sometimes mechanical melancholy and the always difficult and very personal diatribes of the Radiohead songbook and sets it to mesmerising contemporary dance.
A peculiar dance duel accompanies the stark, vocoded `Fitter, Happier` before Petronio himself leaps physically and psychologically into the role of Yorke for that very special version of `Creep`. Preening awkwardly, his tightly-choreographed advances towards two withdrawn, inaccessible female partners are constantly rebuked, successfully conveying the feeling of desperate seclusion delivered by the song in the performance`s most literal depiction.
It is the optical extravaganza of an ensemble envision of `Idioteque`, however, that glows. At the time of release on the band`s `controversial` fourth album `Kid A`, it gleefully shocked fans by revealing both an experimental and an electronic side to Radiohead`s music. Over the five minute length, dancers dressed symbolically in three sets of different colour appear and disappear with cyclic motion combining very hard, deliberate, digital motions and patterns with the natural airy grace of ballet.
Postmodernist Aberdeen-born (that`s Aberdeen, WA) choreographer Trisha Brown`s `For MG: The Movie` follows providing an intriguing contrast to the opening piece. Soundtracked by bare piano and atmospheric, sampled natural sounds, the company appear with a range of measured motions (a girl running, first with and then against the wind) or not (one man stands stock still for the duration not facing the audience and receives the night`s biggest cheer for his travails). It should be pointed out that local actress and namesake Trish Brown caused an equally impressive stir this weekend with her portrayal of Annie Frig in popular local musical `Lady Lane`. Postmodern, no...but a credit to the company nonetheless.
The biggest draw tonight, however, is Scottish ballet director Ashley Page`s tribute to the music, fashion and surprisingly fast living of post-depression 1930s America. Named `Pennies from Heaven`, the show features various visitors to a typical post-prohibition bar, be it two sailors on shore leave for one boozy night only, a velvet-clad cad taking his pick from `the dames` or a troupe of gunslinging, hipswinging cowboys. By combining classical ballet techniques with ballroom finesse or even proto-jitterbug, `Pennies from Heaven` with its wonderfully wheezy monophonic (and therefore authentic) soundtrack is the hit of the night with the audience. Special mention must go to Tomomi Sato and Adam Blyde who dance the title song with a coy, chic and highly spiritual elegance.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
An event that defies simple categorisation is always going to be a little tricky for a reviewer but, for an `omnimedia` event as dazzling, varied and yet cohesive as Project X Presents... Digital Dystopia, an attempt should be made.
The promoters took over both floors of BUSK, Birmingham`s newest venue, with the downstairs providing beanbags, visuals and soothing electronica. The action was upstairs, with stages at either end of the room and a third in the middle. The acts all played short sets, overlapping the start and end of their sets across the stages to keep the music flowing.
As I arrived the classically trained singers/percussionists of Aa`shiq Al Rasul were halfway through a set of mesmerising Arabic/Urdu/English vocalisations. They gave way to Daz & Ann`s romany punk which was, in turn, followed by Shana Tova`s indie-pop.
Lil Ms Vix Buzzfox upped the glamour quotient a few notches with feisty, kitsch rockabilly before giving way to audience participation in the form of the buzzboxes. which were manipulated to create a squalling, raucous cacophony. Rich Batsford calmed things down with some meditative piano before the energy swung back up with 360`s ska, Mark Reck`s party tunes and Subsource`s live breakbeat.
Describing the acts in the order they appear is one thing (and I still missed plenty), but it`s the overarching concept and themes that bring everything together. So it makes absolute sense for the organic feel of Aa`shiq Al Rasul and Daz & Ann to sit on the same bill as the pounding electronics of Subsource.
The warped machinery and pyramids of light placed around the venue were great additions but it was the cyborg ushers that intrigued me most. They started off as a benign and curious presence - ushering people around, handing out buzzboxes and learning dance moves from the crowd - but showed a more sinister side during Rich Batsford`s set of meditative piano, dragging captive dancers through the crowd and imprisoning them in a confined space - a strong evocation of the dark side of digital.
Chris Unitt (View Original Article)
When was the last time you saw well-heeled (let`s be generous and call them middle-aged) couples and baggy-trousered b-boys at the same venue? The team at resonance events (no caps please) have made it their mission to find the middle ground between jazz and hip hop, mixing the audiences as much as the music.
For the first couple of hours local stalwart DJ Cro had assembled a cast of local MC talent - Kosyne, Vice, Redbeard and others - to provide a showcase of the second city`s hip hop scene.
Lizzy Parks is a recent signing to Brighton`s Tru Thoughts label (and graduate of the nearby Conservatoire) and the night provided the launch for her album `Raise The Roof`. Along with a smattering of covers, the album was faithfully reproduced in what was, apparently, the first time the band had played the new set live. You wouldn`t have known. Lizzy`s clear-as-a-bell voice and easy charm held the crowd`s affection from the outset, even before she started dispensing goodie bags.
What surprised me about The Heritage Orchestra was the sheer number of them. Naively I`d taken their name to be figurative (probably from that time I saw the much smaller Cinematic Orchestra) but no, there were loads of them on stage.
As if the stage wasn`t filled with enough musical talent, Ninja Tune saxophonist Chris Bowden picked his way through the performers (eventually) to lend a hand on a couple of songs, as did Lizzy Parks - adding her vocals to the mix.
At the forefront of the evening`s set were arrangements of songs by Amon Tobin, whose brooding, jazz-sampling electronica has been adapted to the Orchestra`s sound with spectacular results, drawing out and bolstering the strong filmic elements. It was engrossing stuff.
After the Heritage Orchestra`s set, DJ Cro and the MCs took the stage again to finish off what was an excellent evening with another round of beats and rhymes.
The only downer on the evening was the relatively sparse crowd. The venue was a third full but, with people sat up in the balcony seats away from the action, it seemed emptier still.
Still, the Town Hall, easily one of Birmingham`s most beautiful and prestigious venues (with the most amazingly helpful staff - honestly, ask them anything), has to be applauded. I can only hope that the venue`s owners appreciate the quality of the resonance events and give the promoters the time and space they need to build it further.
Chris Unitt (View Original Article)
Birmingham based promoters 444 Club love their local acts. Now that they’ve build up a good rapport with acts and audiences alike they have started to pull in international acts, such as The Presets and Aussie rock chick Ladyhawke.
Ladyhawke was on interest to me because I found her most recent release, `Paris is Burning` intriguing. It made me wonder what all the fuss was about. Often live performances bring songs alive as they escape studio compression, plus they showcase any virtuoso abilities a performer may have.
Unfortunately, despite being a wholly credible lady of rock, Ladyhawke’s lo-fi, new wave style didn’t grab me at all. Perhaps it was her soundman, but due to subtle vocal amplification I found it rather difficult to make out any lyrics. It simply felt like pleasant humming to me. Previous single `Dusk ‘Til Dawn` proved a hit with the packed out audience and served as my personal set highlight.
Another issue I have with the performance is that there really isn’t that much to say about it. There was no real connection between the band and their crowd, nor was there any spontaneity in their performance. It all just seemed overly low-key and polite. The band were also guarded closely on their journey to the stage and were watched over by suspiciously burly men by the side of the short performance area.
Supporting Ladyhawke were Birmingham based acts Electrilikers, Death Ohh Eff and Deluka. All of these acts perfectly complimented each other with their electronic based stylings, with Electrilikers probably providing the evening’s most interesting entertainment. Singer songwriter Stavrini Koumi who fronts the double act was gloriously unpredictable onstage, using percussion instruments rarely seen outside a school and putting bags of energy into her vocals. Deluka, a surprisingly unsigned act who were featured on the latest Grand Theft Auto edition were, as always, a solid support and Death Ohh Eff, who normally perform in a circle to each other managed not to ignore their audience as much as they usually do.
The thing I did notice about the support acts however, is that they all depended on click tracks. This keeps things predictable and experiment free. All it would take is the addition of a live keyboard player, or in Death Ohh Eff’s case, a drummer. I hope that this computer craze starts to die out, so gigs can be truly about the fully live elements once more.
Frankie Ward (View Original Article)
The Maybes? have spoken about their struggle in trying to capture the energy and sound from their live performances and then take that and recreate it within the studio. With this in mind, it was with much anticipation that I headed to the Water Rats to take in what promised to be an electric show. It turns out that they needn`t have worried as they`ve handled the transition between live performance and its recorded counterpart pretty well. They kicked off what was a surprisingly short set (I`m sure the previous band had played more songs) with `Turn Me Over`, also the album opener, layers of guitars washing over the audience as all three parts combine beautifully. This was followed by the catchy sing-along singles that have captured the imagination of their fans over the summer - `Boys`, `Summertime` and `Talk About You`. I was impressed by the amount of energy that was put into every song, Nick Ellis bobbing infectiously along to the music.
The short set thus far was to make room for their final song, `Promise`, a 10 minute long, instrumental prog rock/dance/freak out sonic mash up. In my album review I was heavily critical of this, which has been described as the highlight of their debut album, and I stick to my opinion that, on a short album full of catchy songs, it simply doesn`t work. However, when it is played live it takes on another life. I couldn`t help but be impressed by the musical technicality of the song (their fingers were making shapes on the fret board that mine could only dream of) and it`s amazing what sounds can be made with three guitars and a wide assortment of pedals. This had the majority of the crowd dancing enthusiastically but, as much as I admired their skill I, again, found it dragged, which is the only fault I can find with the evening. If you find The Maybes? gracing a stage near you then it would be well worth checking them out.
Adam Gibby (View Original Article)
Brett Anderson’s new album ‘Wilderness’ is a stark and compelling record of beautiful baroque ballads and sparse arrangements and tonight’s appearance sees him looking svelte and stylish as ever. He takes to the stage quietly with little fanfare, wearing an immaculate grey suit before rolling out the first of his gorgeous piano melodies - demonstrating that, not only is he a great singer but a great musician too. This claim is ratified when he effortlessly switches from piano to acoustic guitar, accompanied only by solo cellist Amy Langley (think Susan Sarandon in The Witches Of Eastwick) who adds an air of gothic romanticism to the proceedings. All the while Anderson seems to be attempting to avoid eye contact with the audience. He appears lost in himself, totally inhabiting the songs and bringing them to life in these intimate surroundings.
Anderson has always created his own unique universe so it is no surprise that his new songs still echo the recurrent themes of Ballardian concrete nightmares and promiscuous teenagers, high on drugs as they haunt the city’s nocturnal neon lights - adding a few of their own nocturnal emissions to the proceedings. How many ballads have you heard that mention a day trip to Crystal Palace in order to sit and watch the dinosaurs? Anderson is on fire tonight, as these beautiful ballads spark and ignite like a forest fire in the wilderness of the audience’s imagination.
While some may mourn the demise of Suede, it is important to acknowledge that all great artists need to be allowed to evolve, to metamorphosise, and to follow their own unique trajectories irrespective of an audience’s expectation. Anderson does this in fine style, simultaneously pleasing the die-hard fans and winning over a whole new audience at the same time. Whilst the first of his two sets demonstrates where his head is at now, the second is a flawless collection of hits and seldom played obscurities, highlights being `Pantomime Horse`, `The Wild Ones`, `So Young`, `Europe Is Our Playground`, `Saturday` and a simply stunning version of `Still Life` before a classic version of `Trash` ends the evening in a superb way.
Keith Haworth (View Original Article)