Sigur Rós: November 2005– The Carling Academy, Brixton
It has been said before, but it really is difficult to translate the live experience of Sigur Rós into words. This Icelandic troupe don’t make songs, it releases organically
grown entities, which have been tended by hand and watered with the tears of a thousand angels. Such is their enigmatic beauty. It has therefore been somewhat
surprising to see this band’s album sales climb and climb as it bizarrely registers another presence in mainstream music sales with the recent release of their fourth
album Takk … (Icelandic for Thanks …).
Preferring to sing in their own coined tongue of Hopelandic – a cross between Icelandic and their own language, their lyrics are pretty much unintelligible to most. But it
doesn’t matter. So it is, on another night at The Brixton Academy; the hall is full, and before anyone was really expecting it, the stage warms and is slowly illuminated by
a massive shadowy projection of four humanoid blobs. The effect is astonishing. Much like an eerie, yet beautiful dream, the diminutive figure of Jón Bor Birgisson towers
over the audience as they set about piecing together the first instalment for the evening. When the screen is lifted we wake from our dream to see the band as they are;
standing on the smoke-drenched stage.
The core group of Jón (vocals, guitars), Kjartan Sveinsson (keyboards), Orri Páll Dýrason (drums) and Georg Holm (bass) is joined onstage by the Amina String Quartet,
which has tweaked the formality of its classical sensibility nicely to fit with Sigur Rós ’ freeform style over the years. Add to this an eight piece brass section and the dense
arrangement gains a further layer.
Each song grows out of the gradual stirring of a guitar or keyboard, which slowly grows into a celestial ball of light with a life of its own. Such arrangements are created by
the combination of a multitudinous array of instruments working together. Jon, with his penchant for playing his guitar with a cello bow and his fellow musicians, who
alternate between various instruments between tracks. Still very much a band that spurns the spotlight and trappings of the industry, Sigur Rós provide a performance
which is dynamic and visually stunning, yet sincere and without pretence. The movements of the large cast are choreographed and smooth throughout. At one point, the
stage clears for the horn section to parade across the stage like a band of marching penguins (quite a delicacy in Iceland I’m told).
At times expressing a purity reminiscent of the Cocteau Twins and at others soaring soaring in Mogwai-esque swirls of guitar-based noise, Sigur Rós provide a memorable
performance which leaves behind a truth which will remain long after they are gone.
Toby Moritz
It has been said before, but it really is difficult to translate the live experience of Sigur Rós into words. This Icelandic troupe don’t make songs, it releases organically
grown entities, which have been tended by hand and watered with the tears of a thousand angels. Such is their enigmatic beauty. It has therefore been somewhat
surprising to see this band’s album sales climb and climb as it bizarrely registers another presence in mainstream music sales with the recent release of their fourth
album Takk … (Icelandic for Thanks …).
Preferring to sing in their own coined tongue of Hopelandic – a cross between Icelandic and their own language, their lyrics are pretty much unintelligible to most. But it
doesn’t matter. So it is, on another night at The Brixton Academy; the hall is full, and before anyone was really expecting it, the stage warms and is slowly illuminated by
a massive shadowy projection of four humanoid blobs. The effect is astonishing. Much like an eerie, yet beautiful dream, the diminutive figure of Jón Bor Birgisson towers
over the audience as they set about piecing together the first instalment for the evening. When the screen is lifted we wake from our dream to see the band as they are;
standing on the smoke-drenched stage.
The core group of Jón (vocals, guitars), Kjartan Sveinsson (keyboards), Orri Páll Dýrason (drums) and Georg Holm (bass) is joined onstage by the Amina String Quartet,
which has tweaked the formality of its classical sensibility nicely to fit with Sigur Rós ’ freeform style over the years. Add to this an eight piece brass section and the dense
arrangement gains a further layer.
Each song grows out of the gradual stirring of a guitar or keyboard, which slowly grows into a celestial ball of light with a life of its own. Such arrangements are created by
the combination of a multitudinous array of instruments working together. Jon, with his penchant for playing his guitar with a cello bow and his fellow musicians, who
alternate between various instruments between tracks. Still very much a band that spurns the spotlight and trappings of the industry, Sigur Rós provide a performance
which is dynamic and visually stunning, yet sincere and without pretence. The movements of the large cast are choreographed and smooth throughout. At one point, the
stage clears for the horn section to parade across the stage like a band of marching penguins (quite a delicacy in Iceland I’m told).
At times expressing a purity reminiscent of the Cocteau Twins and at others soaring soaring in Mogwai-esque swirls of guitar-based noise, Sigur Rós provide a memorable
performance which leaves behind a truth which will remain long after they are gone.
Toby Moritz
The Dead Sexy Inc: 'Mixhake' and Demo.
My pen stirs with a renewed lease of life; I've had the pleasure of listening to some damn fine music recently - The Warlocks 'Surgery,' Merz's folk revival, 'Loveheart,'
and the new boys around town that everyone's gasping about - The Dead Sexy Inc. These Parisian trend setters are in the middle of an electronica hurricane. From
dabbling in the dark arts of film and fashion, these boys have now taken up a residency at Paris' trendiest club, Pulp and head to the UK at the end of this week for what
will be storming performances, no doubt. Their 'Mixshake' DJ mix CD for EMI landed on top of me a few weeks ago and is a masterful delight of new, old, new remixed
with old and old sounding new but of course still remaining old. Ermm..the specifications of DJ-ing have never been a forte of mine but let's give it a bash.
From the best love song in the world, 'Just Like Heaven' to 'Sex (I'm A)' by Peaches (my new anthem before I hit the town), this album is a classic who's who of the once
avant garde but now heavily over-sampled. Indochine, The Cult and even Frankie Goes to Hollywood are all given the royal once over by Stefan and Emanuel and come
out the other end of your speakers sounding even more bloody amazing. Although my memories of the 1980s mainly encompass dreaming of Kylie perms and Club
chocolate bars in my lunch box, this album informs my slightly surprised mind that there were some cracking good tunes from the wonderfully peculiar 80s
period...fantastic!
However not content with remixing for the likes of gloopy Marilyn Manson, Dead Sexy kick the groove of rock electronica right in the crotch of its turned up jeans and
brylcreamed coiffed hair and present us with their new EP. 'I Need Love' is a dark, howling SOS call - imagine a crossed phone line leading to a slightly garbled
conversation between Gary Numan, Bonnie Tyler and Jacques Chirac and you have some idea of what this sounds like. That's right, eager ears - pretty hot in an
embarrassing kind of way.
'Blackbox Baby' shows that these boys can sing in an official EU Anglo-French drawl that will drive the post-Berlin wall generation kraazy, I tell you, just kraazy. I mistake
'Born To Lose' for 'Born In Toulouse' but hey, ambigous/indistinct lyrics are my bag, baby. Realising my mistake, I dance out with a new surge of energy..boy, I'm easily
pleased and more easily led. It's about time original electronic bands started hitting the mainstream again especially when it's done so beat funkingly well (the UK has
guntronic Trash Fashion flying the flag). Definitely catch them live from Dec 9-13th in London and I'll see you there with my bouffant perm and rollerskates for a bit of a
laugh before we go round the bike shed...
Dee Sekar
My pen stirs with a renewed lease of life; I've had the pleasure of listening to some damn fine music recently - The Warlocks 'Surgery,' Merz's folk revival, 'Loveheart,'
and the new boys around town that everyone's gasping about - The Dead Sexy Inc. These Parisian trend setters are in the middle of an electronica hurricane. From
dabbling in the dark arts of film and fashion, these boys have now taken up a residency at Paris' trendiest club, Pulp and head to the UK at the end of this week for what
will be storming performances, no doubt. Their 'Mixshake' DJ mix CD for EMI landed on top of me a few weeks ago and is a masterful delight of new, old, new remixed
with old and old sounding new but of course still remaining old. Ermm..the specifications of DJ-ing have never been a forte of mine but let's give it a bash.
From the best love song in the world, 'Just Like Heaven' to 'Sex (I'm A)' by Peaches (my new anthem before I hit the town), this album is a classic who's who of the once
avant garde but now heavily over-sampled. Indochine, The Cult and even Frankie Goes to Hollywood are all given the royal once over by Stefan and Emanuel and come
out the other end of your speakers sounding even more bloody amazing. Although my memories of the 1980s mainly encompass dreaming of Kylie perms and Club
chocolate bars in my lunch box, this album informs my slightly surprised mind that there were some cracking good tunes from the wonderfully peculiar 80s
period...fantastic!
However not content with remixing for the likes of gloopy Marilyn Manson, Dead Sexy kick the groove of rock electronica right in the crotch of its turned up jeans and
brylcreamed coiffed hair and present us with their new EP. 'I Need Love' is a dark, howling SOS call - imagine a crossed phone line leading to a slightly garbled
conversation between Gary Numan, Bonnie Tyler and Jacques Chirac and you have some idea of what this sounds like. That's right, eager ears - pretty hot in an
embarrassing kind of way.
'Blackbox Baby' shows that these boys can sing in an official EU Anglo-French drawl that will drive the post-Berlin wall generation kraazy, I tell you, just kraazy. I mistake
'Born To Lose' for 'Born In Toulouse' but hey, ambigous/indistinct lyrics are my bag, baby. Realising my mistake, I dance out with a new surge of energy..boy, I'm easily
pleased and more easily led. It's about time original electronic bands started hitting the mainstream again especially when it's done so beat funkingly well (the UK has
guntronic Trash Fashion flying the flag). Definitely catch them live from Dec 9-13th in London and I'll see you there with my bouffant perm and rollerskates for a bit of a
laugh before we go round the bike shed...
Dee Sekar
Mozes – So Still (Apace Music)
Forever referred to as “that bloke from Zero 7”, this album should be miles above his former bandmates. If one were to witness Mozez performing, you would conclude
that he is an extremely talented individual with a solid collection of tracks. However the transition from stage to record has been highly unsuccessful.
Where his voice excels in the flesh, the misguided production has filtered out all the passion and drive. Whereas Dido tends to get away with synthetic noises and
submerged beats that cover up her appalling strangulated vocals, such techniques merely neuter the latent power of Mozez’s fantastic range. But that is not to say that
everything is terrible. “Feel free” is a beautifully swaying ballad with some well-layered vocals. The title track, “So Still”, also displays some charm with its gentle guitar
picking and chilled flute. These tracks aside, everything else seems to exist in a non-essential form.
What can be said is that the album is a pleasant way to pass into sleep mode. "So Still" is so inoffensive and harmless that it does literally stay in the background. But
sometimes that is required to send you off into a state of deep slumber. Therefore expect a nice product lacking in energy and overall impact.
Jack Johnson
Forever referred to as “that bloke from Zero 7”, this album should be miles above his former bandmates. If one were to witness Mozez performing, you would conclude
that he is an extremely talented individual with a solid collection of tracks. However the transition from stage to record has been highly unsuccessful.
Where his voice excels in the flesh, the misguided production has filtered out all the passion and drive. Whereas Dido tends to get away with synthetic noises and
submerged beats that cover up her appalling strangulated vocals, such techniques merely neuter the latent power of Mozez’s fantastic range. But that is not to say that
everything is terrible. “Feel free” is a beautifully swaying ballad with some well-layered vocals. The title track, “So Still”, also displays some charm with its gentle guitar
picking and chilled flute. These tracks aside, everything else seems to exist in a non-essential form.
What can be said is that the album is a pleasant way to pass into sleep mode. "So Still" is so inoffensive and harmless that it does literally stay in the background. But
sometimes that is required to send you off into a state of deep slumber. Therefore expect a nice product lacking in energy and overall impact.
Jack Johnson
CITYFOLK @ THE SOCIAL (1ST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH)
To many, the thought of a Folk night is unfortunately, not a worrying issue to lose sleep over. However from the moment I have the pleasure of hearing first band, M. Craft,
the current status of Folk music becomes an insatiable pressing matter. It's amazing that the tunnelled venue that is The Social is brimmed with so many trigger happy
Londoners all up for a bit of Folk on a Sunday night. Packed full of trendy twentysomethings, this venue and night has all the hallmarks of a terrific vibe and night out and
with little of the pretension that surrounds certain London music nights. I know where I'll be heading from now on. M. Craft generate truly beautiful, poignant music. Think
along the veins of Kings Of Convenience and you have some idea of singer Martin's delicate, haunting voice. Definitely a band I want to grow to love even more. Check out:
www.musicforears.com for more info on these delightful songsters.
Next up we have Nancy Wallace. Alongside a percussionist and violinist, Ms Wallace sprinkles the crowd with her own take on pop hits; Country renditions of Elton John's 'Are
You Ready For Love?' and Barry White's 'My First, My Last, My Everything' go down a storm with the designer plaid-shirted crowd. For a wonderful venue, genial staff and
damn good music, it's got to be The Social.
For more info: www.thesocial.com.
Dee Sekar
To many, the thought of a Folk night is unfortunately, not a worrying issue to lose sleep over. However from the moment I have the pleasure of hearing first band, M. Craft,
the current status of Folk music becomes an insatiable pressing matter. It's amazing that the tunnelled venue that is The Social is brimmed with so many trigger happy
Londoners all up for a bit of Folk on a Sunday night. Packed full of trendy twentysomethings, this venue and night has all the hallmarks of a terrific vibe and night out and
with little of the pretension that surrounds certain London music nights. I know where I'll be heading from now on. M. Craft generate truly beautiful, poignant music. Think
along the veins of Kings Of Convenience and you have some idea of singer Martin's delicate, haunting voice. Definitely a band I want to grow to love even more. Check out:
www.musicforears.com for more info on these delightful songsters.
Next up we have Nancy Wallace. Alongside a percussionist and violinist, Ms Wallace sprinkles the crowd with her own take on pop hits; Country renditions of Elton John's 'Are
You Ready For Love?' and Barry White's 'My First, My Last, My Everything' go down a storm with the designer plaid-shirted crowd. For a wonderful venue, genial staff and
damn good music, it's got to be The Social.
For more info: www.thesocial.com.
Dee Sekar
The White Stripes- Carling Hammersmith Apollo November 2005.
The year 2005 has been an interesting one for the young “ brother and sister” combo from Detroit Michigan. Upon the release of their fifth studio album, “ Get Behind Me
Satan,” questions were asked of the albums lyrical content and if a number of the songs were based around Jack White’s relationship/ break up with Rene Zellwegger. With
song titles such as “ Forever for her( is over for me)” and “ Passive Manipulation”, it is quite easy to see how these songs were taken out of context but as we all know, the
press will do anything for a story.
After the hullabaloo had died down, Jack and Meg returned to British shores to headline a festival by the name of Glastonbury. After a day full of freak weather, drowning
tents and Elvis Costello’s piss poor attempt at crowd participation, The White Stripes gave a performance that will be remembered for a very long time. In front of a packed
pyramid stage crowd, Jack and Meg gave put on a show that alienated and enlightened the crowd in equal measures. Whilst rattling and ravaging their 'hits' they found time
to play, “ Passive Manipulation,” the 45 second Meg lead ode to manipulative family members, three times much to the amusement of the crowd. But what did they expect?
Jack and Meg have never done things the normal way.
November 6h 2005; a date that undoubtedly had been circled by many White Stripes fans as being one of the first chances to hear songs from, “Get Behind Me Satan.” in
an intimate setting instead of a big field on a farm. Gently gliding onto the stage to the sound of “Whose a big Baby?” Jack and Meg furiously raced through, “ When I hear
My Name” to rapturous cheers and applause, followed abruptly by the ever popular bastard offspring of “ Seven Nation Army.” “ Blue Orchid” provoked utter pandemonium
from the audience as they bounced along to Jack’s frantic guitar lines. But then the mayhem stopped, the crowd became deathly silent as Three Quid and Miss Penny
Farthing brought to life long dormant parts of the Stripes back catalogue: “ The Big Three Killed My Baby,” “ Black Jack Davey” and “ Lovesick”. For some unapparent
reason, the majority of the crowd were unsure what to make of the bulk of the Stripes older material, maybe it’s a sign that ipod’s are actually an artist’s death bed in terms
of credibility. Without a care or worry in the world, Meg and Jack possessed the audience’s collective soul with a haunting wistful interpretation of “ Cold Cold Night” in which
Meg proved once again how effortlessly talented, cool and alluring she is.
The White Stripes are a magnificent live band, they bring to life their own creations with renewed vigour and aplomb that very few other bands can match. This review
contains details of less than half the songs performed. Why? Because I do not want to spoil the whole picture. Of course there are moments within songs where certain notes
are out of key or the slightest mishap may occur whilst Meg is pounding out a debilitating drum beat, but apart from those minute details, The Stripes can do no wrong when
performing live. You’ll either love them or hate them and honestly, I don’t think Jack and Meg would have it any other way.
Dan Moore
The year 2005 has been an interesting one for the young “ brother and sister” combo from Detroit Michigan. Upon the release of their fifth studio album, “ Get Behind Me
Satan,” questions were asked of the albums lyrical content and if a number of the songs were based around Jack White’s relationship/ break up with Rene Zellwegger. With
song titles such as “ Forever for her( is over for me)” and “ Passive Manipulation”, it is quite easy to see how these songs were taken out of context but as we all know, the
press will do anything for a story.
After the hullabaloo had died down, Jack and Meg returned to British shores to headline a festival by the name of Glastonbury. After a day full of freak weather, drowning
tents and Elvis Costello’s piss poor attempt at crowd participation, The White Stripes gave a performance that will be remembered for a very long time. In front of a packed
pyramid stage crowd, Jack and Meg gave put on a show that alienated and enlightened the crowd in equal measures. Whilst rattling and ravaging their 'hits' they found time
to play, “ Passive Manipulation,” the 45 second Meg lead ode to manipulative family members, three times much to the amusement of the crowd. But what did they expect?
Jack and Meg have never done things the normal way.
November 6h 2005; a date that undoubtedly had been circled by many White Stripes fans as being one of the first chances to hear songs from, “Get Behind Me Satan.” in
an intimate setting instead of a big field on a farm. Gently gliding onto the stage to the sound of “Whose a big Baby?” Jack and Meg furiously raced through, “ When I hear
My Name” to rapturous cheers and applause, followed abruptly by the ever popular bastard offspring of “ Seven Nation Army.” “ Blue Orchid” provoked utter pandemonium
from the audience as they bounced along to Jack’s frantic guitar lines. But then the mayhem stopped, the crowd became deathly silent as Three Quid and Miss Penny
Farthing brought to life long dormant parts of the Stripes back catalogue: “ The Big Three Killed My Baby,” “ Black Jack Davey” and “ Lovesick”. For some unapparent
reason, the majority of the crowd were unsure what to make of the bulk of the Stripes older material, maybe it’s a sign that ipod’s are actually an artist’s death bed in terms
of credibility. Without a care or worry in the world, Meg and Jack possessed the audience’s collective soul with a haunting wistful interpretation of “ Cold Cold Night” in which
Meg proved once again how effortlessly talented, cool and alluring she is.
The White Stripes are a magnificent live band, they bring to life their own creations with renewed vigour and aplomb that very few other bands can match. This review
contains details of less than half the songs performed. Why? Because I do not want to spoil the whole picture. Of course there are moments within songs where certain notes
are out of key or the slightest mishap may occur whilst Meg is pounding out a debilitating drum beat, but apart from those minute details, The Stripes can do no wrong when
performing live. You’ll either love them or hate them and honestly, I don’t think Jack and Meg would have it any other way.
Dan Moore
Hey Negrita – ‘Old Britannia’
Out 14th November on Fat Fox Records
Rhodes like piano on the opening bars – way cool. The theme tune to ‘Taxi’ always was my fave music to an 80’s sitcom featuring Doc Brown from ‘Back to the Future’.
Unfortunately Hey Negrita only really let the keys speak on the first and last ten seconds of the song… The rest of it is a decent enough pub sing-along touching on some
pretty maudlin subjects – alcoholism, suicide and all that (jazz? Er, no). The thing is the song never really pulls at the old heart strings, it just kind of lopes around in
drunken uncle fashion, knowing it could be better but decides that, actually, on balance, it doesn’t give a shit. Needless to say, after a few jars (try seven) it’ll sound
fantastic.
Track two ‘Come on Jane’ is an uneasy pairing of a stirring bluesy riff and bad ‘rock’ vocals. Musically speaking these guys are pretty tight, but the lyrics and poor chorus
spoil it. This definitely did not rock my boat. Last one, ‘Down the River’, rolls along quite nicely, reminding me a bit of Dire Straits criminally underrated first album. English
blues without any Claptonesque tomfoolery and yet more lyrics about booze – has to be a good thing surely?
www.heynegrita.com
Chapter XIII – ‘Miss Me When I’m Dead’
Out 31st October on Levelsound Records
A Halloween release for these Bristolian rockers seems somewhat apt. An ancient pre-Christian and deeply symbolic celebration that has been warped and tainted by
commercialism and lame gimmickry.. Hmm, much like huge swathes of heavy rock, then (there’s a weird joke in there somewhere). If listening to sub-Sabboth riffs and
cheapo keyboard strings with some bloke shouting ‘and in the end was the beginning’ in trans-Atlantic over the top of it sounds good to you, then rush, rush! If not, go to
bed – it’s far better for you.
The Morenas – ‘Dance For Your Dictator’ EP
The covers got the front of a big car with some legs spread-eagled across it. One of them is denim clad and the other appears to belong to a lady (I’m presuming here, it’s
got high heels on). How raunchy – this is bound to be good??
‘I Just Wanna Be Someone’ bounces around in a dumbo 80’s pop-punk stylee, picking up girls along the way with its non-ironic feel-good nostalgia. That reminds me, where’
s Billy Idol, these days? Oh, he’s back…great. ‘My Violent Femme’ is all about gender politics and the emancipation of women. No, not really, it’s all about fast cars and fast
love. Apparently ‘she’s got it going on’ and ‘there’s no doubt about it’. Brilliant! Rock clichés aside, this band do have some nice harmonies and an ear for an infectious
hook. Bloody hell, I quite like them, despite their horrible yankified accents. I strongly suspect they’re a hit down their local…
‘Leave Me Alone’ starts off with someone dialling a phone number – that’s good. Sadly the track goes off the boil after this. Although some ‘woo woos’ and the line ‘teenage
love with an animal rage’ threaten to bring it back to my radar. ‘Filthy’ sounds a bit like Cheap Trick. This I believe to be a good thing. Makes you want to hide cigarettes
from your mum and sneak out to drink some Thunderbird. Preen-rock, it’s good not very clean fun.
www.themorenas.co.uk
Robert Monk
Out 14th November on Fat Fox Records
Rhodes like piano on the opening bars – way cool. The theme tune to ‘Taxi’ always was my fave music to an 80’s sitcom featuring Doc Brown from ‘Back to the Future’.
Unfortunately Hey Negrita only really let the keys speak on the first and last ten seconds of the song… The rest of it is a decent enough pub sing-along touching on some
pretty maudlin subjects – alcoholism, suicide and all that (jazz? Er, no). The thing is the song never really pulls at the old heart strings, it just kind of lopes around in
drunken uncle fashion, knowing it could be better but decides that, actually, on balance, it doesn’t give a shit. Needless to say, after a few jars (try seven) it’ll sound
fantastic.
Track two ‘Come on Jane’ is an uneasy pairing of a stirring bluesy riff and bad ‘rock’ vocals. Musically speaking these guys are pretty tight, but the lyrics and poor chorus
spoil it. This definitely did not rock my boat. Last one, ‘Down the River’, rolls along quite nicely, reminding me a bit of Dire Straits criminally underrated first album. English
blues without any Claptonesque tomfoolery and yet more lyrics about booze – has to be a good thing surely?
www.heynegrita.com
Chapter XIII – ‘Miss Me When I’m Dead’
Out 31st October on Levelsound Records
A Halloween release for these Bristolian rockers seems somewhat apt. An ancient pre-Christian and deeply symbolic celebration that has been warped and tainted by
commercialism and lame gimmickry.. Hmm, much like huge swathes of heavy rock, then (there’s a weird joke in there somewhere). If listening to sub-Sabboth riffs and
cheapo keyboard strings with some bloke shouting ‘and in the end was the beginning’ in trans-Atlantic over the top of it sounds good to you, then rush, rush! If not, go to
bed – it’s far better for you.
The Morenas – ‘Dance For Your Dictator’ EP
The covers got the front of a big car with some legs spread-eagled across it. One of them is denim clad and the other appears to belong to a lady (I’m presuming here, it’s
got high heels on). How raunchy – this is bound to be good??
‘I Just Wanna Be Someone’ bounces around in a dumbo 80’s pop-punk stylee, picking up girls along the way with its non-ironic feel-good nostalgia. That reminds me, where’
s Billy Idol, these days? Oh, he’s back…great. ‘My Violent Femme’ is all about gender politics and the emancipation of women. No, not really, it’s all about fast cars and fast
love. Apparently ‘she’s got it going on’ and ‘there’s no doubt about it’. Brilliant! Rock clichés aside, this band do have some nice harmonies and an ear for an infectious
hook. Bloody hell, I quite like them, despite their horrible yankified accents. I strongly suspect they’re a hit down their local…
‘Leave Me Alone’ starts off with someone dialling a phone number – that’s good. Sadly the track goes off the boil after this. Although some ‘woo woos’ and the line ‘teenage
love with an animal rage’ threaten to bring it back to my radar. ‘Filthy’ sounds a bit like Cheap Trick. This I believe to be a good thing. Makes you want to hide cigarettes
from your mum and sneak out to drink some Thunderbird. Preen-rock, it’s good not very clean fun.
www.themorenas.co.uk
Robert Monk
Adam Evil and The Outside Royalty: Demos
Hundreds of demos, millions of bands..what on earth can make you shine and really stand out? An original name certainly helps. Being named after the first man God
created (oh but with the edgy surname ‘Evil’) and already having faithful disciples of outcast aristocrats supporting you as a backing band, I get the feeling that perhaps Mr
Evil from Pittsburgh believes he is our slightly demonic new Messiah. I am even more curious as to what a musician under this pretence would sound like. Some would
obviously say Marilyn Manson, the provocative would probably say Cliff Richard, however humble little me would say….Robbie Williams at a guess…
Expectant fuzz guitars and a voice reminiscent of a young Bowie, the 50 second build-up to the magnificent ‘Get Ready’ chorus is certainly worth the wait. Yes, the words
Arcade Fire, T-Rex and Bowie are vomited up by the mini music library in my brain but the rest of my body loves this. Absolutely loves it. To be honest, it’s difficult for a
band to come up with something wholly unique, with sounds that people haven’t heard before but are eager to embrace. We have experimental bands along the Marconi
Union thread and new bands seeking obvious inspirations from the past a la The Blue Van but if a band wants to take on this glam/indie fusion genre, then by god if you
do, please make sure you do it in a high class way along the veins of Evil and his crew because this sounds plausible, memorable and applaudable.
‘Just Past Laughing’ is a bit too glam for me..orgasmic crescendos and dramatic pauses..I can picture Mr Evil and his loyal royal 6 subjects dressed up to the nines,
performing on a lawn in Pittsburgh to the local womenfolk who are sipping afternoon tea and getting excited about evening charades. Oh sorry, that just happens every
Thursday in England…
Final song, ‘Heavy’ starts with a powerful string section and a guitar that sounds like Slash playing the ‘Live And Let Die’ riff. The over-effected and glam produced voice
starts to sound a bit stale like Gary Glitter at this stage and the slower pace is definitely the band’s “come on, kids…get those lighters out and in the air,” type song. I like
the “it’s not good enough” dark bridge in this song and this helps to pull the band out of what could have been a very shallow end to their 3 track demo. Without it, this
song would have been too cheesy for me lyrically and musically. However, not to fear Mr Evil and The Outside Royalty, ‘Get Ready’ shows sparks of genius and I look forward
to more. http://www.adam-evil.com
Dee Sekar
Hundreds of demos, millions of bands..what on earth can make you shine and really stand out? An original name certainly helps. Being named after the first man God
created (oh but with the edgy surname ‘Evil’) and already having faithful disciples of outcast aristocrats supporting you as a backing band, I get the feeling that perhaps Mr
Evil from Pittsburgh believes he is our slightly demonic new Messiah. I am even more curious as to what a musician under this pretence would sound like. Some would
obviously say Marilyn Manson, the provocative would probably say Cliff Richard, however humble little me would say….Robbie Williams at a guess…
Expectant fuzz guitars and a voice reminiscent of a young Bowie, the 50 second build-up to the magnificent ‘Get Ready’ chorus is certainly worth the wait. Yes, the words
Arcade Fire, T-Rex and Bowie are vomited up by the mini music library in my brain but the rest of my body loves this. Absolutely loves it. To be honest, it’s difficult for a
band to come up with something wholly unique, with sounds that people haven’t heard before but are eager to embrace. We have experimental bands along the Marconi
Union thread and new bands seeking obvious inspirations from the past a la The Blue Van but if a band wants to take on this glam/indie fusion genre, then by god if you
do, please make sure you do it in a high class way along the veins of Evil and his crew because this sounds plausible, memorable and applaudable.
‘Just Past Laughing’ is a bit too glam for me..orgasmic crescendos and dramatic pauses..I can picture Mr Evil and his loyal royal 6 subjects dressed up to the nines,
performing on a lawn in Pittsburgh to the local womenfolk who are sipping afternoon tea and getting excited about evening charades. Oh sorry, that just happens every
Thursday in England…
Final song, ‘Heavy’ starts with a powerful string section and a guitar that sounds like Slash playing the ‘Live And Let Die’ riff. The over-effected and glam produced voice
starts to sound a bit stale like Gary Glitter at this stage and the slower pace is definitely the band’s “come on, kids…get those lighters out and in the air,” type song. I like
the “it’s not good enough” dark bridge in this song and this helps to pull the band out of what could have been a very shallow end to their 3 track demo. Without it, this
song would have been too cheesy for me lyrically and musically. However, not to fear Mr Evil and The Outside Royalty, ‘Get Ready’ shows sparks of genius and I look forward
to more. http://www.adam-evil.com
Dee Sekar
TDK CrossCentral Festival
Ah…the beautifully tragic Kings Cross. Home to such sights, such sounds and such smells, oh sweet lord the smells! London’s grim palace of ruined lives and minds, epitome
of slum glamour, final non-resting place for the lost and out of luck - and, on a lighter note, the venue for this the second TDK CrossCentral Festival.
First up in this sprawling urban jungle of clubs and courtyards were tribal psych-noodlers Dungen. This lot look and sound like they spend a fair amount of time in forests,
which is pretty rock ‘n’ roll, I reckon. Before they could even think about a stoner groove however, the Swedes had to contend with a freaky petrol-head attempting to drive
right through the largely seated crowd. Didn’t anyone tell him there was, like, a happening going down maann?
This totally uncalled for delay, along with some tech problems, obviously put the lads off a bit, as they never really got into their stride. When they did hit it, their mix of
heavy riffs and ethereality (gotta love that flute) sounded pretty ace. These moments were few and far between though and I couldn’t help thinking these guys would sound
better at 3 in the morning…
After such mellowness Ludes came as a bit of a relief. Cutting out a punky skank, which I believe is rather popular around these parts, they injected their set with raw energy
and attitude. They’re not exactly original, or even approaching it, but hey, some of us just aren’t built that way. Can’t say I know what the singer was on about either, but it
was nice to have a bit of a jig. And where’s the harm in that, eh?
Making a brave return to the live arena after dealing with some harrowing remarks from face of ‘This Morning’ (oh, and Top of the Pops) Richard Bacon, were The Magic
Numbers. Their set went down well with the crowd. But then if you like this sort of thing (personally I do) you know what to expect. Jangly sixties pop, sweet harmonies,
introspective lyrics about love and stuff. You know where you are with them. You’re in Niceville US/UK.
Stars, from Montreal, Canada, mix that bittersweet melancholia pop thing as well, but a whole lot more intensely. Likened to The Arcade Fire - presumably because they
come from the same city, use strings and er, there’s quite a lot of them – this lot rocked my world. Admittedly, their album Set Yourself on Fire hasn’t been off my player for
weeks, so I was expecting a lot and they did not disappoint. Any band that introduces a number (album opener ‘Your ex-lover is dead’) with “this song’s for the person you
hate most,” have got to be worth sticking around for. Right?! Like a heavy red wine session with your psychiatrist, Stars go for the emotional jugular and rip it out and then
give it a hug. Ok, not everyone’s cup of meat, but for what it’s worth, I’m sold…
After that dose, Grime/Uk Hip Hop/whatever you call it, MC Lady Sovereign came as something of a shock to the system. I had only (barely) seen her before supporting
Graham Coxon at Goldsmiths University (pretty odd pairing, I thought) and had been less than impressed. Tonight, however, she rocked. Spouting out some whacked out
rhymes about hitting her mate with a broom and ‘getting random’ the diminutive one was in control, despite frequently commenting on the ‘weirdness’ of the occasion.
Rocked out guitars, heavy beats and urban gallows humour all the way – how very ‘street’.
Closing the main stage were Doctor and the Medics copyists (not really, as everyone knows ‘Spirit in the Sky’ was originally done by Norman Greenbaum) Goldfraap. Looking
every millimetre the glam diva, Alison played out the hits to the baying crowd. Strict Machine, Train, Ohh La La all got a good response, but to me the band looked bored
and went through the motions. Much as I love the tunes (let’s face it, T Rex through a synth is always going to sound good), it was all a bit TOTP for my liking. Nice
costumes, sexless raunchiness, crap dancing…
And with that, it was back once more into the long night of Kings Cross, dodging the scammers and the hobos, hoping and praying I’d get out alive… And I did ! Actually, it’s
not that bad, I went to Surbiton recently, now that place is out of control…
Robert Monk
Ah…the beautifully tragic Kings Cross. Home to such sights, such sounds and such smells, oh sweet lord the smells! London’s grim palace of ruined lives and minds, epitome
of slum glamour, final non-resting place for the lost and out of luck - and, on a lighter note, the venue for this the second TDK CrossCentral Festival.
First up in this sprawling urban jungle of clubs and courtyards were tribal psych-noodlers Dungen. This lot look and sound like they spend a fair amount of time in forests,
which is pretty rock ‘n’ roll, I reckon. Before they could even think about a stoner groove however, the Swedes had to contend with a freaky petrol-head attempting to drive
right through the largely seated crowd. Didn’t anyone tell him there was, like, a happening going down maann?
This totally uncalled for delay, along with some tech problems, obviously put the lads off a bit, as they never really got into their stride. When they did hit it, their mix of
heavy riffs and ethereality (gotta love that flute) sounded pretty ace. These moments were few and far between though and I couldn’t help thinking these guys would sound
better at 3 in the morning…
After such mellowness Ludes came as a bit of a relief. Cutting out a punky skank, which I believe is rather popular around these parts, they injected their set with raw energy
and attitude. They’re not exactly original, or even approaching it, but hey, some of us just aren’t built that way. Can’t say I know what the singer was on about either, but it
was nice to have a bit of a jig. And where’s the harm in that, eh?
Making a brave return to the live arena after dealing with some harrowing remarks from face of ‘This Morning’ (oh, and Top of the Pops) Richard Bacon, were The Magic
Numbers. Their set went down well with the crowd. But then if you like this sort of thing (personally I do) you know what to expect. Jangly sixties pop, sweet harmonies,
introspective lyrics about love and stuff. You know where you are with them. You’re in Niceville US/UK.
Stars, from Montreal, Canada, mix that bittersweet melancholia pop thing as well, but a whole lot more intensely. Likened to The Arcade Fire - presumably because they
come from the same city, use strings and er, there’s quite a lot of them – this lot rocked my world. Admittedly, their album Set Yourself on Fire hasn’t been off my player for
weeks, so I was expecting a lot and they did not disappoint. Any band that introduces a number (album opener ‘Your ex-lover is dead’) with “this song’s for the person you
hate most,” have got to be worth sticking around for. Right?! Like a heavy red wine session with your psychiatrist, Stars go for the emotional jugular and rip it out and then
give it a hug. Ok, not everyone’s cup of meat, but for what it’s worth, I’m sold…
After that dose, Grime/Uk Hip Hop/whatever you call it, MC Lady Sovereign came as something of a shock to the system. I had only (barely) seen her before supporting
Graham Coxon at Goldsmiths University (pretty odd pairing, I thought) and had been less than impressed. Tonight, however, she rocked. Spouting out some whacked out
rhymes about hitting her mate with a broom and ‘getting random’ the diminutive one was in control, despite frequently commenting on the ‘weirdness’ of the occasion.
Rocked out guitars, heavy beats and urban gallows humour all the way – how very ‘street’.
Closing the main stage were Doctor and the Medics copyists (not really, as everyone knows ‘Spirit in the Sky’ was originally done by Norman Greenbaum) Goldfraap. Looking
every millimetre the glam diva, Alison played out the hits to the baying crowd. Strict Machine, Train, Ohh La La all got a good response, but to me the band looked bored
and went through the motions. Much as I love the tunes (let’s face it, T Rex through a synth is always going to sound good), it was all a bit TOTP for my liking. Nice
costumes, sexless raunchiness, crap dancing…
And with that, it was back once more into the long night of Kings Cross, dodging the scammers and the hobos, hoping and praying I’d get out alive… And I did ! Actually, it’s
not that bad, I went to Surbiton recently, now that place is out of control…
Robert Monk
BRIAN ENO – HOW MANY WORLDS, OPAL MUSIC. RELEASED OCT 31ST THROUGH I-TUNES AND WWW.ENOSHOP.CO.UK
What immediately strikes me about Eno’s latest single, is the lack of a question mark. Sure, he’s asking us a rhetorical question, but if my memory serves me correctly,
even they require question marks? Anyway, grammar aside, what does this music maestro have in store for us now????????
With Lennon-esque lyrics (Our little world/Turning in the blue/As each day goes/There's another one new/Another one new), this is a gleaming jewel which forms an
affirmative version of Gary Jules’ ‘Mad World.’ The highlight of this track is the delicate musical interlude - strings, percussion and keys which seriously lift you into the
higher realms of Eno’s genius. This is wonderful atmospheric music; ideal for a lazy, winter Sunday afternoon or even for an uplifting start to your day before you head out to
join the rat race. Something beautiful, magnificent and fragile which reminds you that there is life outside your own life - don't be scared to go out and search for it. And your
companion on this journey? Why of course, take Mr Eno with you. I'm sure he'll have plenty a great story to tell. I love it.
Dee Sekar
What immediately strikes me about Eno’s latest single, is the lack of a question mark. Sure, he’s asking us a rhetorical question, but if my memory serves me correctly,
even they require question marks? Anyway, grammar aside, what does this music maestro have in store for us now????????
With Lennon-esque lyrics (Our little world/Turning in the blue/As each day goes/There's another one new/Another one new), this is a gleaming jewel which forms an
affirmative version of Gary Jules’ ‘Mad World.’ The highlight of this track is the delicate musical interlude - strings, percussion and keys which seriously lift you into the
higher realms of Eno’s genius. This is wonderful atmospheric music; ideal for a lazy, winter Sunday afternoon or even for an uplifting start to your day before you head out to
join the rat race. Something beautiful, magnificent and fragile which reminds you that there is life outside your own life - don't be scared to go out and search for it. And your
companion on this journey? Why of course, take Mr Eno with you. I'm sure he'll have plenty a great story to tell. I love it.
Dee Sekar
MARCONI UNION - DISTANCE, ALL SAINTS RECORDS, RELEASED OCT 3RD.
I am presented with a beautifully packaged CD entitled ‘Marconi Union – Distance’ and sit back with a cup of coffee, intrigued by it all. There was an accompanying piece of
press info on this band, but unfortunately it got lost somewhere between my record collection and A level Religious Studies books (moving house is hard).
Anyway, what better way to kick back from my frenzied packing than with a bit of Marconi. This 7 track album is ambient, cooling and relaxing as hell. With the shortest track
being 4 mins and 56 seconds, it’s also quite a meaty album and good on the band for this. That’s what I love about the experimental; they’re not afraid to test your ears
for as long as they think is necessary. First track ‘Sleepless’ does not do exactly what it says on the cover. Definitely as soothing as a bottle of Night Nurse, bung this on
when you experience insomnia, and it is bound to relax the mind, body and soul. Fabulous.
‘These European Cities’ serves as a wonderful track to have on your i-pod if you’re heading out on a journey or even just popping down to the shops. The beginning of
‘Through Glass’ sounds like a guitar being tuned, echoed and vibrated back through your speakers. Impending drum beats follow suit and in all, this again is remarkable.
‘Buildings and People’ is a homage to Mike Oldfield and will go down a storm with keyboard lovers. I’m beginning to visualise a film which would go well with Marconi Union’s
soundtrack..hmmm…great music helps great creativity…
‘Suburb 27’ begins with an eerie whistle and I can almost see Mulder and Scully having this song as the first dance at their wedding. Followed by ‘Inter,’ and final track ‘ A
Temporary Life,’ surprisingly this instrumental album has retained my utmost interest. Marconi Union are good at making the experimental ear-friendly but without sounding
too commercial. Yes, I’m sure a hoard of advertising execs will rub their hands with glee when they come across this band, but until then, embrace ‘Distance’ and keep this
band as your dirty little secret. That is, until the whole world jumps on them and steals them away.
Dee Sekar
I am presented with a beautifully packaged CD entitled ‘Marconi Union – Distance’ and sit back with a cup of coffee, intrigued by it all. There was an accompanying piece of
press info on this band, but unfortunately it got lost somewhere between my record collection and A level Religious Studies books (moving house is hard).
Anyway, what better way to kick back from my frenzied packing than with a bit of Marconi. This 7 track album is ambient, cooling and relaxing as hell. With the shortest track
being 4 mins and 56 seconds, it’s also quite a meaty album and good on the band for this. That’s what I love about the experimental; they’re not afraid to test your ears
for as long as they think is necessary. First track ‘Sleepless’ does not do exactly what it says on the cover. Definitely as soothing as a bottle of Night Nurse, bung this on
when you experience insomnia, and it is bound to relax the mind, body and soul. Fabulous.
‘These European Cities’ serves as a wonderful track to have on your i-pod if you’re heading out on a journey or even just popping down to the shops. The beginning of
‘Through Glass’ sounds like a guitar being tuned, echoed and vibrated back through your speakers. Impending drum beats follow suit and in all, this again is remarkable.
‘Buildings and People’ is a homage to Mike Oldfield and will go down a storm with keyboard lovers. I’m beginning to visualise a film which would go well with Marconi Union’s
soundtrack..hmmm…great music helps great creativity…
‘Suburb 27’ begins with an eerie whistle and I can almost see Mulder and Scully having this song as the first dance at their wedding. Followed by ‘Inter,’ and final track ‘ A
Temporary Life,’ surprisingly this instrumental album has retained my utmost interest. Marconi Union are good at making the experimental ear-friendly but without sounding
too commercial. Yes, I’m sure a hoard of advertising execs will rub their hands with glee when they come across this band, but until then, embrace ‘Distance’ and keep this
band as your dirty little secret. That is, until the whole world jumps on them and steals them away.
Dee Sekar
KAT VIPERS - MOTHER SUPERIOR, PY RECORDS
‘Mint Tastes Like Lemon’ begins with sullen piano chords, a Shirley Bassey-esque warble, what sounds like ominous mafia guitar strumming and falsetto backing vocals. Now
that’s a cracking start if I ever did hear one. ‘Cracking’ in the way that I’m left feeling rather uneasy and apprehensive of what is to follow. I don’t know what tricks Miss
Vipers has up her black-laced sleeves but her dark, operatic and menacing voice hurls me and my perturbed thoughts towards an imaginary episode of ‘Eerie Indiana’
directed by Takashi Miike, where I am forced to act out a love scene with The Count from Sesame Street. I can’t describe ‘Mint Tastes Like Lemon’ as a ‘song’ in the
conventional sense; it is an experience more consistent with being in the song rather than being an outsider/listener. Miss Vipers is certainly a woman born in the wrong era
(a starlet heroine in 1940s film noir and hanging out with the Black Dahlia would be most appropriate), and her collage of literature (Vipers draws from Rainer Maria Rilke),
jazz, goth and opera will certainly appeal to the curious, bored and patient.
‘Lady Purple’ is along the similar piano-based vein (and boy, does the Viper have nimble fingers) and confirms that Miss Vipers is truly content in being the narrator, actress
and singer in her own bizarre thriller movie. By now, my panic has somewhat subsided and I’m beginning to feel a bit more at ease with my new eccentric guru who continues
to lead me through a fabulously new musical experience which in our current era of music, is a damn fine accomplishment. Vipers truly sounds like no one else out there and
threads together a multitude of styles of music (defiant marching drums make a powerful appearance in final track ‘This Soldier’s Gone To War’), and gains my immediate
respect for believing in the avant-garde and not conforming to the commercial (move over, Mr Marilyn Manson. Your contrived freak show is officially dead). ‘Mother Superior’
is definitely not for the devotees of contemporary rock and will probably alienate and terrify you on first listen. But, if you want to listen to a unique, dark, experimental
artiste, Miss Vipers is certainly your woman.
For more info: www.katvipers.com
Dee Sekar
‘Mint Tastes Like Lemon’ begins with sullen piano chords, a Shirley Bassey-esque warble, what sounds like ominous mafia guitar strumming and falsetto backing vocals. Now
that’s a cracking start if I ever did hear one. ‘Cracking’ in the way that I’m left feeling rather uneasy and apprehensive of what is to follow. I don’t know what tricks Miss
Vipers has up her black-laced sleeves but her dark, operatic and menacing voice hurls me and my perturbed thoughts towards an imaginary episode of ‘Eerie Indiana’
directed by Takashi Miike, where I am forced to act out a love scene with The Count from Sesame Street. I can’t describe ‘Mint Tastes Like Lemon’ as a ‘song’ in the
conventional sense; it is an experience more consistent with being in the song rather than being an outsider/listener. Miss Vipers is certainly a woman born in the wrong era
(a starlet heroine in 1940s film noir and hanging out with the Black Dahlia would be most appropriate), and her collage of literature (Vipers draws from Rainer Maria Rilke),
jazz, goth and opera will certainly appeal to the curious, bored and patient.
‘Lady Purple’ is along the similar piano-based vein (and boy, does the Viper have nimble fingers) and confirms that Miss Vipers is truly content in being the narrator, actress
and singer in her own bizarre thriller movie. By now, my panic has somewhat subsided and I’m beginning to feel a bit more at ease with my new eccentric guru who continues
to lead me through a fabulously new musical experience which in our current era of music, is a damn fine accomplishment. Vipers truly sounds like no one else out there and
threads together a multitude of styles of music (defiant marching drums make a powerful appearance in final track ‘This Soldier’s Gone To War’), and gains my immediate
respect for believing in the avant-garde and not conforming to the commercial (move over, Mr Marilyn Manson. Your contrived freak show is officially dead). ‘Mother Superior’
is definitely not for the devotees of contemporary rock and will probably alienate and terrify you on first listen. But, if you want to listen to a unique, dark, experimental
artiste, Miss Vipers is certainly your woman.
For more info: www.katvipers.com
Dee Sekar
THE WHITE STRIPES: My Doorbell. UK Release: Aug 22 on XL/Third Man Recordings
From the beginning frenetic piano chords and Mr White’s hyperactive screech, it’s pretty clear that this is a track from the one and
only Stripes. Despite any backlash towards this band, they can do no wrong in my ears. Like it or not, they have achieved something
phenomenal (and continue to do so), sound like no one else on the current music/‘imitation’ circuit and have changed the sound
and physical set-up of modern music. Surely that is a commendable feat?
This song is simple in its structure, melody and message. A dumped Jack repeatedly tells himself and his ex-girl that he doesn’t
need her anymore yet dreams of her and his many friends that seem more imaginary than real coming round to see him. It’s an
honest little number however this seemingly straightforward track has quite poignant lyrics: ‘But I don't need any of your pity/I got
plenty of my own friends/They're all above me/And I've been thinkin' about my doorbell/When they gonna ring it?/When they gonna
ring it?’ Now don’t tell me that you’ve never sat around feeling broken, waiting for friends and lovers that have failed to show or call.
This is definitely a nursery rhyme for the post-teen generation and bitter-hearted who unfortunately, put such harrowing times down
to ‘learning’ and ‘experience.’ Bah, humbug! Put on this record, bounce around and share your heartache with The Stripes.
It’s not only the effortless but powerful lyrics (my favourite being ‘your words seem so obtuse’) that confirm the deserved ‘big band’
status of The Stripes, but also their production. Or by hearing this track, what seems to be the lack of it. Despite millions in record
sales and no doubt millions in cash to propagate their music, the band still have that raw, edgy sound which comes across so well in
their live performances. It's no surprise then that the track's produced by a certain Mr J. White. I can imagine a restless Jack running
around and stalking 35 mics in the studio while a lethargic, puppet-like Meg bashes away wistfully, dreaming about something
random like getting ice-cream on her knees.
Dee Sekar
From the beginning frenetic piano chords and Mr White’s hyperactive screech, it’s pretty clear that this is a track from the one and
only Stripes. Despite any backlash towards this band, they can do no wrong in my ears. Like it or not, they have achieved something
phenomenal (and continue to do so), sound like no one else on the current music/‘imitation’ circuit and have changed the sound
and physical set-up of modern music. Surely that is a commendable feat?
This song is simple in its structure, melody and message. A dumped Jack repeatedly tells himself and his ex-girl that he doesn’t
need her anymore yet dreams of her and his many friends that seem more imaginary than real coming round to see him. It’s an
honest little number however this seemingly straightforward track has quite poignant lyrics: ‘But I don't need any of your pity/I got
plenty of my own friends/They're all above me/And I've been thinkin' about my doorbell/When they gonna ring it?/When they gonna
ring it?’ Now don’t tell me that you’ve never sat around feeling broken, waiting for friends and lovers that have failed to show or call.
This is definitely a nursery rhyme for the post-teen generation and bitter-hearted who unfortunately, put such harrowing times down
to ‘learning’ and ‘experience.’ Bah, humbug! Put on this record, bounce around and share your heartache with The Stripes.
It’s not only the effortless but powerful lyrics (my favourite being ‘your words seem so obtuse’) that confirm the deserved ‘big band’
status of The Stripes, but also their production. Or by hearing this track, what seems to be the lack of it. Despite millions in record
sales and no doubt millions in cash to propagate their music, the band still have that raw, edgy sound which comes across so well in
their live performances. It's no surprise then that the track's produced by a certain Mr J. White. I can imagine a restless Jack running
around and stalking 35 mics in the studio while a lethargic, puppet-like Meg bashes away wistfully, dreaming about something
random like getting ice-cream on her knees.
Dee Sekar
Doing it for the kids and timpani: The Stripes
WalkerMan – ‘Listen To Mama’
Although our two weeks of summer seem to be fading into obscurity, there are songs that can keep us hanging onto that ray of sunshine for a
little longer. ‘Listen To Mama’ is one such record. It probably won’t get much airplay on your home stereo or in your car as autumn pushes its
way in, but for now, it’s alright. With the same sort of ‘classic’ appeal as Richard’s Blackwood’s ‘Mama Used To Say’, it is a fun, chilled out
reggae tune brought to our attention by duo WalkerMan.
The producer behind the pair has worked with urban talent such as Warren G, Missy Elliott, Redman, Jimmy Cliff and Ashanti, while the sexy
male model/dancer frontman has worked with big brands such as Nike, Converse and Ellesse and strutted his stuff many-a-time on fashion
runways.
The video for the track is set in Jamaica and comes in the form of a pair of cartoon crows going about their business trying to hook up with
some hot female birds (sorry, but that pun was just too good to resist). WalkerMan have also had some of their tracks used for Gizmondo
Games Consoles. With a blend of Reggae and pop, these guys offer a friendly, unintimidating tune that will probably remind of a BBQ you had
at mate’s house in the summer of 2005.
Rouge – ‘Don’t Be Shy’
Economics, Medicine and Dentistry don’t shout out singing sensation but then again, people didn’t think a deaf man could compose some of
the greatest symphonies on earth or that a computerised frog could dominate the music charts for as long as it did. What have we learnt from
this anecdote? Well, only that musical talent can stem from anywhere and everywhere.
It’s hard to categorise these girls, whose music stems from a mix of influences. Offering a fusion of Eastern sound with sexy RnB, girl trio
Rouge are surely destined to spice up the charts. Amrita, Legha and Laura hailing from Indian, Persian and Egyptian backgrounds, bring an air
of mystique, intelligence and sexiness to their music. These girls differ from the usual run-of-the-mill threesome, and I don’t mean the messy
kind, in that they provide the goods, both on a musical and intellectual level, and not to mention their stunning looks.
No stranger to the entertainment industry, Rouge have a Miss India in their midst, an actress, a choreographer and a songwriter. What great
qualities to have when you’re just starting out. Their latest track ‘Don’t be Shy,' produced by Zeus is very catchy indeed. Soft and sultry voices
sing over an addictive hook, accompanied by a strong bass line that you just can’t get out of your head once you’ve gotten out of the shower. It’
s a fairly chilled out track that I can hear being played at the start of the night to get people in the mood for a good time out.
Reviews by SJ
Although our two weeks of summer seem to be fading into obscurity, there are songs that can keep us hanging onto that ray of sunshine for a
little longer. ‘Listen To Mama’ is one such record. It probably won’t get much airplay on your home stereo or in your car as autumn pushes its
way in, but for now, it’s alright. With the same sort of ‘classic’ appeal as Richard’s Blackwood’s ‘Mama Used To Say’, it is a fun, chilled out
reggae tune brought to our attention by duo WalkerMan.
The producer behind the pair has worked with urban talent such as Warren G, Missy Elliott, Redman, Jimmy Cliff and Ashanti, while the sexy
male model/dancer frontman has worked with big brands such as Nike, Converse and Ellesse and strutted his stuff many-a-time on fashion
runways.
The video for the track is set in Jamaica and comes in the form of a pair of cartoon crows going about their business trying to hook up with
some hot female birds (sorry, but that pun was just too good to resist). WalkerMan have also had some of their tracks used for Gizmondo
Games Consoles. With a blend of Reggae and pop, these guys offer a friendly, unintimidating tune that will probably remind of a BBQ you had
at mate’s house in the summer of 2005.
Rouge – ‘Don’t Be Shy’
Economics, Medicine and Dentistry don’t shout out singing sensation but then again, people didn’t think a deaf man could compose some of
the greatest symphonies on earth or that a computerised frog could dominate the music charts for as long as it did. What have we learnt from
this anecdote? Well, only that musical talent can stem from anywhere and everywhere.
It’s hard to categorise these girls, whose music stems from a mix of influences. Offering a fusion of Eastern sound with sexy RnB, girl trio
Rouge are surely destined to spice up the charts. Amrita, Legha and Laura hailing from Indian, Persian and Egyptian backgrounds, bring an air
of mystique, intelligence and sexiness to their music. These girls differ from the usual run-of-the-mill threesome, and I don’t mean the messy
kind, in that they provide the goods, both on a musical and intellectual level, and not to mention their stunning looks.
No stranger to the entertainment industry, Rouge have a Miss India in their midst, an actress, a choreographer and a songwriter. What great
qualities to have when you’re just starting out. Their latest track ‘Don’t be Shy,' produced by Zeus is very catchy indeed. Soft and sultry voices
sing over an addictive hook, accompanied by a strong bass line that you just can’t get out of your head once you’ve gotten out of the shower. It’
s a fairly chilled out track that I can hear being played at the start of the night to get people in the mood for a good time out.
Reviews by SJ
GRAVY: 'GRAVY' ALBUM REVIEW, PONY RECORDS/VME.
A lot of people question my interest in Scandinavian music. To be honest, I think it all started when I went to my first gig. I’d seen The Wannadies supporting Belly back in
1994 and felt something magical when I heard their cute and kitsch melodies and quirky boy-girl pop. I was also listening to The Cardigans and Psyched Up Janis at the
time and it didn’t strike me that all these bands were Scandinavian for a while. Although these bands all claim that they found their local music scenes uninspiring, for me,
they were creating something new and remarkable compared to the over-saturated Britpop scene at the time.
So, have no surprise when I tell you about another ‘new’ and ‘remarkable’ Scand band that deserve a mention- Gravy who are signed to Danish independent label, VME (also
home to Brian Eno and Juliette and The Licks). Their debut album is definitely a good reason for a trip to Denmark and back especially if Denmark’s beautiful people and
wonderful coffee don’t appeal.
A lot of people question my interest in Scandinavian music. To be honest, I think it all started when I went to my first gig. I’d seen The Wannadies supporting Belly back in
1994 and felt something magical when I heard their cute and kitsch melodies and quirky boy-girl pop. I was also listening to The Cardigans and Psyched Up Janis at the
time and it didn’t strike me that all these bands were Scandinavian for a while. Although these bands all claim that they found their local music scenes uninspiring, for me,
they were creating something new and remarkable compared to the over-saturated Britpop scene at the time.
So, have no surprise when I tell you about another ‘new’ and ‘remarkable’ Scand band that deserve a mention- Gravy who are signed to Danish independent label, VME (also
home to Brian Eno and Juliette and The Licks). Their debut album is definitely a good reason for a trip to Denmark and back especially if Denmark’s beautiful people and
wonderful coffee don’t appeal.
‘Meltdown’ is a superb opening track and is quirky, intelligent; lo-fi at its best. A great setter for next song, ‘That Girl,’
which features one of the finest riffs I’ve heard in a while. Definitely my favourite track. With its appealing backing
harmonies, hand-claps and sonic keyboards, this is a real winner. It’s unbelievable that this band are not part of the
American Champion league for this genre of music. They are definitely able to stand alongside the Lo-Fi Kings that are
Pavement and Sebadoh. Love it.
Next we come to ‘Shine On Us,’ which takes a bit of a breather from the fast-pace of ‘That Girl.’ ‘I want to
disappear/like a blue sky’ is the opening line and is accompanied by lullaby guitar-picking and wonderful layers of
singing from the boys. Great, they can also take the tempo down a peg or two if called upon.
‘Party In The Mensroom,’ begins with very electronic guitars and again, the wonderful keyboards are back again.
Hmmm…definitely have to put this one on repeat. Can’t You See with its cute enough and matter-of-fact vocals almost
fool you into believing this is a happy-go-lucky song…but listen to the lyrics and we hear singer Nikolaj pleading for
some acknowledgement, some attention, some reason to go on.. ‘Can’t you hold/don’t deny/Me to your heart/
which features one of the finest riffs I’ve heard in a while. Definitely my favourite track. With its appealing backing
harmonies, hand-claps and sonic keyboards, this is a real winner. It’s unbelievable that this band are not part of the
American Champion league for this genre of music. They are definitely able to stand alongside the Lo-Fi Kings that are
Pavement and Sebadoh. Love it.
Next we come to ‘Shine On Us,’ which takes a bit of a breather from the fast-pace of ‘That Girl.’ ‘I want to
disappear/like a blue sky’ is the opening line and is accompanied by lullaby guitar-picking and wonderful layers of
singing from the boys. Great, they can also take the tempo down a peg or two if called upon.
‘Party In The Mensroom,’ begins with very electronic guitars and again, the wonderful keyboards are back again.
Hmmm…definitely have to put this one on repeat. Can’t You See with its cute enough and matter-of-fact vocals almost
fool you into believing this is a happy-go-lucky song…but listen to the lyrics and we hear singer Nikolaj pleading for
some acknowledgement, some attention, some reason to go on.. ‘Can’t you hold/don’t deny/Me to your heart/
Are you afraid?/Of what?/Once you start.’ Behind My Walls continues with this theme of disgruntled and dying love which ends in ‘silence wept.’
'Do I Feel Free' is one of the songs that speaks to me the most. The main reason being its lyrics which make a hell of a lot of sense as I approach my
25th birthday in November, ever so reluctantly: ‘In an age of 25/The light is changing in my life/Give me a pill so I can stand still/Let me be/Let me go.’
So it is true, once you hit the big 2 5 it’s all downhill from there..as of now, all birthday celebrations are firmly cancelled and I’m going to sit at home with
this song on repeat. For any of my friends who may turn up to wish me a good day, please refrain from using the terms ‘old,’ ‘happy’ and ‘quarter of a
century’ around me. Thank you.
On a cheery note, ‘In Love With Me,’ is a little diamond of a song which is reminiscent of the quirkiness and power of The Cure. Gravy are doing
something so good and so right now but with all the talent and vision of a well-established act. I really hope they do well and like many of the bands we
champion here at SSScene, receive the accolades they deserve. We’re thinking of you, boys.
'Bored and Lazy' is a 50s retro-sounding track and hearing this feels like you’re in the back of a Cadillac at an open-air cinema show sitting alongside
Sandy and Danny in Grease. However what brings this cracker of a song right back into the year 2005 is its opening line, which is one of the best I’ve
heard recently: ‘Summer is the time for sex and crime/ I ain’t crazy just bored and lazy.’ Fabulous. After That Girl, this is one of my favourite album
tracks. This is what I love about this band. You can experience the lows of love, life (and age) with Nikolaj and the boys but then you can feel the
cheekiness and honesty of our life’s experiences through songs like ‘Bored and Lazy’ and the Beach Boys sounding final track, 'Remember Me.' I’m doing
my best to pester Nikolaj to head over this way so hopefully, some of us will be able to catch this band in all their glory and of course, with their unique 2
drummer line-up. We’ll keep you posted. This album is delightful, full of glee, promise and talent. Please give these guys a listen…you won’t regret it and
will soon be planning your next flight out to Copenhagen to catch them live. For info: http://www.gravyband.dk
Dee Sekar
'Do I Feel Free' is one of the songs that speaks to me the most. The main reason being its lyrics which make a hell of a lot of sense as I approach my
25th birthday in November, ever so reluctantly: ‘In an age of 25/The light is changing in my life/Give me a pill so I can stand still/Let me be/Let me go.’
So it is true, once you hit the big 2 5 it’s all downhill from there..as of now, all birthday celebrations are firmly cancelled and I’m going to sit at home with
this song on repeat. For any of my friends who may turn up to wish me a good day, please refrain from using the terms ‘old,’ ‘happy’ and ‘quarter of a
century’ around me. Thank you.
On a cheery note, ‘In Love With Me,’ is a little diamond of a song which is reminiscent of the quirkiness and power of The Cure. Gravy are doing
something so good and so right now but with all the talent and vision of a well-established act. I really hope they do well and like many of the bands we
champion here at SSScene, receive the accolades they deserve. We’re thinking of you, boys.
'Bored and Lazy' is a 50s retro-sounding track and hearing this feels like you’re in the back of a Cadillac at an open-air cinema show sitting alongside
Sandy and Danny in Grease. However what brings this cracker of a song right back into the year 2005 is its opening line, which is one of the best I’ve
heard recently: ‘Summer is the time for sex and crime/ I ain’t crazy just bored and lazy.’ Fabulous. After That Girl, this is one of my favourite album
tracks. This is what I love about this band. You can experience the lows of love, life (and age) with Nikolaj and the boys but then you can feel the
cheekiness and honesty of our life’s experiences through songs like ‘Bored and Lazy’ and the Beach Boys sounding final track, 'Remember Me.' I’m doing
my best to pester Nikolaj to head over this way so hopefully, some of us will be able to catch this band in all their glory and of course, with their unique 2
drummer line-up. We’ll keep you posted. This album is delightful, full of glee, promise and talent. Please give these guys a listen…you won’t regret it and
will soon be planning your next flight out to Copenhagen to catch them live. For info: http://www.gravyband.dk
Dee Sekar
My Bloody Valentine: Loveless
One of the most innovative bands to ever push the limits of the recording studio is My Bloody Valentine and their masterpiece
'Loveless.' The sonic layers are so dense you almost need an aural machete to hack through it all. Yet, somehow this disquiet
manages to be quite soothing. Lyrics are indistinct; emotions, as in real life, murky and convoluted. Vocals are mixed low to form
another brick in the wall of sound A lot may have been written about them at the time of this release, but adventurous music
listeners today clearly need to find this record.
Telstar Ponies: Voices From The New Music
'Voices From The New Music' came out of Ca Ca Studios, Glasgow, Scotland in the summer of 1996. The band consisted of: David
Keenan (vocals, whistling, electric & bowed guitars, mandolin, bells, bucket, keys, amp-heat, reverb unit, glvoe, bottle-opener,
bottle); Rachel Devine (vocals, guitar, violin, tin whistle, piano, keyboards, metal percussion, gong, tin can, headphones, hairbrush);
Richard Youngs (vocals, guitar, table-top violin, piano, Hammond B-3 organ, bagpipe chanter); Gavin Laird (vocals, guitar, tin
whistle, electric & bowed basses, metal percussion, brush handle); Brendan O'Hare (vocals, piano, keyboards, drums, metal
percussion, gong, bucket, switch, reverb unit). Highly recommended.
The Gun Club: Miami and The Las Vegas Story
One band that never got their proper due yet produced not one, but two albums that should not have been overlooked is The Gun
Club. Both 1982’s breakthrough “Miami” and 1984’s masterpiece “The Las Vegas Story” capture an original band at their peak of
creativity.
Lead man Jeffrey Lee Pierce's tribal, psychobilly blues meets bayou-swamp rock with swaggerific hell-bound lyrics, and a measure of
gothic country still sounds just as fresh and honest today. Miami’s opening track “Carry Home” asks the question, “do you still want
me - now that I’m home?” and adds “I have howled across fields and my eyes are still grey - are yours still the same?”
“Like Calling Up Thunder” moves quickly to the mania that motivates the central character - “to hear myself. to kill myself - I’m
calling up thunder.” On the track “Brother and Sister”, Pierce again presents a question - “all these little skeletons, why you do keep
bringing them back to me?” While their cover of Creedence Cleerwater Revival’s “Run Through The Jungle” has the band taking
what was already something of a humorously ominous song and makes it even spookier. Pierce implores “I’ve never been no
Christian, I don’t’ want to be baptized.” Their version here sounds like something both Iggy’s Stooges *and* the Cramps would be
right at home with.
“A Devil In The Woods” has Pierce again presenting a question “how dark can an animal be?” Well, Jeffrey, how dark indeed? While
on “Texas Serenade”, the story of the sudden passing of a war veteran is told. “He’s dead on the lawn. In front of the house that
he owned” - more questions - “but what will they say about him?” “He was the violent kind. He saved me once or twice. But, what
will I say about him?”
On their follow-up album, “The Las Vegas Story” takes this raw clatter to a new level, wrapping it in a much fuller sonic envelope.
The guitars now rumble with a power that lacked on their prior outing. Lyrically, it gets even darker. “Walkin’ With the Beast”
merges American iconography with voodoo ritual and junkie-sex overtones:
“I pray to Elvis on my knees,
to take the snake from around me
I’ll stab it with a thundercrack
and change my blues to black.”
“I’m not alone there’s trucks outside,
“my body hurts, there’s trucks outside,
“you get lucky in the bar,
you’re down and lucky in the dark."
While “The Stranger In Our Town” outlines the sometimes harsh realities of interpersonal relationships. With a Peter Gunn-like
descending guitar line, Pierce spits out the gritty tale: “He’s got a burning heart. He wants to get off on you.. He’s going to break
your heart - and then get over you.” In essence, these two albums are utterly primal. No pretence. No attempt at any kind of
manufactured, commercialized popularity. Pure, rock and roll, tapping into all the sources that spawned rock music in the first
place. Find these treasures and be rewarded.
By Dave H
One of the most innovative bands to ever push the limits of the recording studio is My Bloody Valentine and their masterpiece
'Loveless.' The sonic layers are so dense you almost need an aural machete to hack through it all. Yet, somehow this disquiet
manages to be quite soothing. Lyrics are indistinct; emotions, as in real life, murky and convoluted. Vocals are mixed low to form
another brick in the wall of sound A lot may have been written about them at the time of this release, but adventurous music
listeners today clearly need to find this record.
Telstar Ponies: Voices From The New Music
'Voices From The New Music' came out of Ca Ca Studios, Glasgow, Scotland in the summer of 1996. The band consisted of: David
Keenan (vocals, whistling, electric & bowed guitars, mandolin, bells, bucket, keys, amp-heat, reverb unit, glvoe, bottle-opener,
bottle); Rachel Devine (vocals, guitar, violin, tin whistle, piano, keyboards, metal percussion, gong, tin can, headphones, hairbrush);
Richard Youngs (vocals, guitar, table-top violin, piano, Hammond B-3 organ, bagpipe chanter); Gavin Laird (vocals, guitar, tin
whistle, electric & bowed basses, metal percussion, brush handle); Brendan O'Hare (vocals, piano, keyboards, drums, metal
percussion, gong, bucket, switch, reverb unit). Highly recommended.
The Gun Club: Miami and The Las Vegas Story
One band that never got their proper due yet produced not one, but two albums that should not have been overlooked is The Gun
Club. Both 1982’s breakthrough “Miami” and 1984’s masterpiece “The Las Vegas Story” capture an original band at their peak of
creativity.
Lead man Jeffrey Lee Pierce's tribal, psychobilly blues meets bayou-swamp rock with swaggerific hell-bound lyrics, and a measure of
gothic country still sounds just as fresh and honest today. Miami’s opening track “Carry Home” asks the question, “do you still want
me - now that I’m home?” and adds “I have howled across fields and my eyes are still grey - are yours still the same?”
“Like Calling Up Thunder” moves quickly to the mania that motivates the central character - “to hear myself. to kill myself - I’m
calling up thunder.” On the track “Brother and Sister”, Pierce again presents a question - “all these little skeletons, why you do keep
bringing them back to me?” While their cover of Creedence Cleerwater Revival’s “Run Through The Jungle” has the band taking
what was already something of a humorously ominous song and makes it even spookier. Pierce implores “I’ve never been no
Christian, I don’t’ want to be baptized.” Their version here sounds like something both Iggy’s Stooges *and* the Cramps would be
right at home with.
“A Devil In The Woods” has Pierce again presenting a question “how dark can an animal be?” Well, Jeffrey, how dark indeed? While
on “Texas Serenade”, the story of the sudden passing of a war veteran is told. “He’s dead on the lawn. In front of the house that
he owned” - more questions - “but what will they say about him?” “He was the violent kind. He saved me once or twice. But, what
will I say about him?”
On their follow-up album, “The Las Vegas Story” takes this raw clatter to a new level, wrapping it in a much fuller sonic envelope.
The guitars now rumble with a power that lacked on their prior outing. Lyrically, it gets even darker. “Walkin’ With the Beast”
merges American iconography with voodoo ritual and junkie-sex overtones:
“I pray to Elvis on my knees,
to take the snake from around me
I’ll stab it with a thundercrack
and change my blues to black.”
“I’m not alone there’s trucks outside,
“my body hurts, there’s trucks outside,
“you get lucky in the bar,
you’re down and lucky in the dark."
While “The Stranger In Our Town” outlines the sometimes harsh realities of interpersonal relationships. With a Peter Gunn-like
descending guitar line, Pierce spits out the gritty tale: “He’s got a burning heart. He wants to get off on you.. He’s going to break
your heart - and then get over you.” In essence, these two albums are utterly primal. No pretence. No attempt at any kind of
manufactured, commercialized popularity. Pure, rock and roll, tapping into all the sources that spawned rock music in the first
place. Find these treasures and be rewarded.
By Dave H
The Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas
An essential album that should not have been overlooked is the shimmeringly gorgeous “Heaven Or Las Vegas” by The Cocteau
Twins. Released in the early 90’s, it still sounds as fresh today as it did then. I try not to throw the word “genius” around too much,
but there is no better description for Robin Guthrie, one of the most creative sound manipulators ever to record.
But if a band is truly to be a collaboration of ideas, then Guthrie found the perfect frontperson in Liz Fraser. Despite the knock
against Liz’s propensity to be extremely “vague” with her lyrics on previous recordings, one can clearly make out the sheer joy over
the birth of her first child throughout many of the songs. Warm, magical tracks like “Iceblink Luck”, “Fifty-Fifty Clown” and the title
track, give insight to the personal relationship Robin and Liz had together.
Their sound can reasonably be described as “otherworldly”. Like the sheer uniqueness that Kevin Shields created with MBV’s
“Loveless”, Guthrie and the rest of his “twins” consistently created a sound that previously did not exist. What is just as remarkable,
is that no one else has ever been able to accurately recreate it since. Ms. Fraser harmonizes with herself in such a lush and sugary-
sensual way, that you can’t help but fall in love with each song. Tracks like “I Wear Your Ring” (written at a time when they were still
happily together) comes complete with the amusing lyrical hook “so useful”. Well, yes -- I suppose that is one way to appreciate
your significant other. Other songs like “Wolf In The Breast” provide additional audible snippets into their world, when she sings -
“my baby cries - I pretended to snooze away” - adding to a charm that is undeniable. But what Cocteau Twins album can exist
without a song title that is so mysterious that it defies any definition? Here we have “Frou Frou Foxes In Midsummer Fires”, who’s
cascading guitars-like-sleighbells with long feedback notes for agreeable dissonance. A must have.
Dave H
An essential album that should not have been overlooked is the shimmeringly gorgeous “Heaven Or Las Vegas” by The Cocteau
Twins. Released in the early 90’s, it still sounds as fresh today as it did then. I try not to throw the word “genius” around too much,
but there is no better description for Robin Guthrie, one of the most creative sound manipulators ever to record.
But if a band is truly to be a collaboration of ideas, then Guthrie found the perfect frontperson in Liz Fraser. Despite the knock
against Liz’s propensity to be extremely “vague” with her lyrics on previous recordings, one can clearly make out the sheer joy over
the birth of her first child throughout many of the songs. Warm, magical tracks like “Iceblink Luck”, “Fifty-Fifty Clown” and the title
track, give insight to the personal relationship Robin and Liz had together.
Their sound can reasonably be described as “otherworldly”. Like the sheer uniqueness that Kevin Shields created with MBV’s
“Loveless”, Guthrie and the rest of his “twins” consistently created a sound that previously did not exist. What is just as remarkable,
is that no one else has ever been able to accurately recreate it since. Ms. Fraser harmonizes with herself in such a lush and sugary-
sensual way, that you can’t help but fall in love with each song. Tracks like “I Wear Your Ring” (written at a time when they were still
happily together) comes complete with the amusing lyrical hook “so useful”. Well, yes -- I suppose that is one way to appreciate
your significant other. Other songs like “Wolf In The Breast” provide additional audible snippets into their world, when she sings -
“my baby cries - I pretended to snooze away” - adding to a charm that is undeniable. But what Cocteau Twins album can exist
without a song title that is so mysterious that it defies any definition? Here we have “Frou Frou Foxes In Midsummer Fires”, who’s
cascading guitars-like-sleighbells with long feedback notes for agreeable dissonance. A must have.
Dave H
The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema, Matador Records released Aug 22
Some of you reading this may have already heard of Matador’s Canadian signings, The New Pornographers. I’m aware that a lot
of you have your ears pressed firmly against the pulse of new, exciting music. Good on ya!
This title-track from their third album, finds it’s way into my ears, into my mind and under my skin and is still circling my funny,
grey matter several hours after I first came across it. Whether good or bad, I guess it’s a great start for a band to crawl under
your skin and stay there…there are many fragments of songs, lyrics and even stubborn people that lie under my skin and
unfortunately, the vast many of them will stay there till my dying day…that’s the beauty of our minds..they pick out the most
random, non-sensical experiences and remind us of them most often, at the most inappropriate times e.g. happily dreaming
about the evil love of your life when things are going superbly well with a new love interest. Our minds are definitely bastard parts
that at times, are wholly alien to the rest of us.
Why oh why I just came out with that ‘spiel’ is just another reminder that I should’ve taken my pills marked ‘concentrate’ today. ..
sorry…The beginning discordant riff on this track sounds a bit like a band that don’t go down very well in my books; Garbage.
However as soon as A.C. Newman’s vocals kick in, my ears spontaneously dilate and long for more. With female backing vocals
and a lot of pace and momentum in this song, I’m reminded more of The Pixies than the aforementioned Garbage. The band are
a mighty 9 piece who have elements of rock, pop, indie and bags of fun. Newman’s vocals are confident, endearing and refreshing
to hear. I’m not sure which of the many female band members are singing alongside but again, this forms a complimentary
sound. A fast-paced, summer tune which will definitely keep the peculiar memories under my skin great company.
'Twin Cinema' is available from the band's website. Go listen: http://www.thenewpornographers.com/
Dee Sekar
Some of you reading this may have already heard of Matador’s Canadian signings, The New Pornographers. I’m aware that a lot
of you have your ears pressed firmly against the pulse of new, exciting music. Good on ya!
This title-track from their third album, finds it’s way into my ears, into my mind and under my skin and is still circling my funny,
grey matter several hours after I first came across it. Whether good or bad, I guess it’s a great start for a band to crawl under
your skin and stay there…there are many fragments of songs, lyrics and even stubborn people that lie under my skin and
unfortunately, the vast many of them will stay there till my dying day…that’s the beauty of our minds..they pick out the most
random, non-sensical experiences and remind us of them most often, at the most inappropriate times e.g. happily dreaming
about the evil love of your life when things are going superbly well with a new love interest. Our minds are definitely bastard parts
that at times, are wholly alien to the rest of us.
Why oh why I just came out with that ‘spiel’ is just another reminder that I should’ve taken my pills marked ‘concentrate’ today. ..
sorry…The beginning discordant riff on this track sounds a bit like a band that don’t go down very well in my books; Garbage.
However as soon as A.C. Newman’s vocals kick in, my ears spontaneously dilate and long for more. With female backing vocals
and a lot of pace and momentum in this song, I’m reminded more of The Pixies than the aforementioned Garbage. The band are
a mighty 9 piece who have elements of rock, pop, indie and bags of fun. Newman’s vocals are confident, endearing and refreshing
to hear. I’m not sure which of the many female band members are singing alongside but again, this forms a complimentary
sound. A fast-paced, summer tune which will definitely keep the peculiar memories under my skin great company.
'Twin Cinema' is available from the band's website. Go listen: http://www.thenewpornographers.com/
Dee Sekar
Patti Smith: Horses
It’s a discussion that loyal music fans often have; is it really better for our idols to give up while on top and fade away into a
special little part of our brain reserved for music and gig nostalgia, or should they continue on and on until their creative fuels
empty and leak out like an ageing rock star suffering from incontinence on stage? Hmmm…it’s a tough one…but for any young,
bright musician who may be reading this and is contemplating whether to take early retirement at the grand old age of 30 after a
string of freaky lovers and early signs of facial wrinkles, listen to this album and you may decide that to keep on rollin’ is the only
way to really create music. 'Horses' was written and performed 30 years ago and Smith who has recently released Trampin' (review
coming soon), proves that if you've got the passion fuel swimming in you, the tide will be as strong as ever no matter how old you
are. Yes it's a bit random reviewing an old, old album but this page is not only about new artists we like, but also sharing some of
our thoughts on older artists that may interest you.
I’m not sure what the words ‘Patti Smith’ conjure up for you, but for me, they are synonymous with a true heroine of music. OK so
she’s been tarnished with the angst-punk-poet stain, but to her credit, she’s a hell of a lot more than this; not only in her
influences but also her styles. From the first quiet chords of ‘Gloria’ and Patti sleeptalking, ‘Jesus died for somebody’s sins/but
not mine,’ to the reggae beats of ‘Redondo Beach,’ it’s difficult not to sit up and take note. Smith’s strong grainy voice is also
remarkably sweet at times in songs such as ‘Birdsong’ and you can hear how she has influenced the likes of PJ Harvey and
Courtney Love. To be honest, I think it’s a sad change of our times that the strong affiliation of poetry and music has somewhat
disappointingly, subsided. This is a shame as I can’t think of one of our present day musicians who will be acclaimed and
remembered for being a true poet…perhaps Kurt Cobain and even Pete Doherty (both consumed by plenty of poetry and
literature..and of course, hard drugs) but there is a severe lack of truly beautiful words, sounds and images circling our i-pods.
Yes I’m a fan of a lot of contemporary rock bands but this is because one can’t really afford to be too selective in our current age.
It’s important to be open-minded but I still feel that maybe we’re settling for things now rather than being overwhelmed by
material that genuinely speaks to us. I can’t remember the last time I read a review or article where an artist’s lyrics were broken
down, shared and consumed among the masses. Some journalists attack the simplicity of lyrics (Noel Gallagher and Johnny Borrell
have been on the receiving end of this) but don’t really suggest or make a big deal out of the lack of memorable lyrics across the
chessboard of musicians.
Anyway, back to the subject matter at hand. One of the highlights for me on 'Horses' is ‘Kimberly.’ The beginning simple drums
and chords sound a bit like an 80s movie soundtrack song (think along the lines of ‘Back To The Future’) but once Smith’s vocals
kick in and she tells us that she’s feels like ‘a misplaced Joan Of Arc,’ I’m not sure whether I’ve jumped back in time to the mid-
70s or zoomed 15 years into the future when all my dreams of how music should really be have come true. That is why you should
hear this Smith woman out. She sings the line ‘in your starry eyes baby’ about 20 times towards the end but each time, she
emphasises a different word; makes her words completely indistinct and epitomises how her voice is really her instrument.
Wonderful.
The entire album marks Smith’s stance on religion, politics, love and the state we’re in, however the epic ‘Land’ is a strong web of
all of her commentary. The beginning lyrical recital is haunting and this smashes into a pent-up story-telling of tragic character
Johnny and his fascination with knives which leads to his suicide; Johnny has ‘given in/to the sea of possibilities.’ This song is a
terrific mesh of poetry, anger, poignancy and music with fades out back to Smith’s spoken word ( having ex-Velvet Undergrounder
John Cale producing is another attribute of the album). I recommend you lie down with your eyes closed, draw the curtains and
turn it up loud. Hear the echoes of Johnny’s emotions pulsing in your head and I assure you that what you feel is nothing less
than a spiritual experience. Who needs hallucinogenics when you have Patti Smith?
With references to her idols Rimbaud and the Beats in her unique, ground-breaking style, this female Beat poet’s debut album
ends with a storming version of The Who’s ‘My Generation,’ (nothing like Oasis’ current wholly impassive version) with Smith
shrieking ‘Im so damn young!’ Her final words on the album are inspirational to us all, ‘we created it, so let’s take it over!’ Come
on guys, the world is yours…
Dee Sekar
It’s a discussion that loyal music fans often have; is it really better for our idols to give up while on top and fade away into a
special little part of our brain reserved for music and gig nostalgia, or should they continue on and on until their creative fuels
empty and leak out like an ageing rock star suffering from incontinence on stage? Hmmm…it’s a tough one…but for any young,
bright musician who may be reading this and is contemplating whether to take early retirement at the grand old age of 30 after a
string of freaky lovers and early signs of facial wrinkles, listen to this album and you may decide that to keep on rollin’ is the only
way to really create music. 'Horses' was written and performed 30 years ago and Smith who has recently released Trampin' (review
coming soon), proves that if you've got the passion fuel swimming in you, the tide will be as strong as ever no matter how old you
are. Yes it's a bit random reviewing an old, old album but this page is not only about new artists we like, but also sharing some of
our thoughts on older artists that may interest you.
I’m not sure what the words ‘Patti Smith’ conjure up for you, but for me, they are synonymous with a true heroine of music. OK so
she’s been tarnished with the angst-punk-poet stain, but to her credit, she’s a hell of a lot more than this; not only in her
influences but also her styles. From the first quiet chords of ‘Gloria’ and Patti sleeptalking, ‘Jesus died for somebody’s sins/but
not mine,’ to the reggae beats of ‘Redondo Beach,’ it’s difficult not to sit up and take note. Smith’s strong grainy voice is also
remarkably sweet at times in songs such as ‘Birdsong’ and you can hear how she has influenced the likes of PJ Harvey and
Courtney Love. To be honest, I think it’s a sad change of our times that the strong affiliation of poetry and music has somewhat
disappointingly, subsided. This is a shame as I can’t think of one of our present day musicians who will be acclaimed and
remembered for being a true poet…perhaps Kurt Cobain and even Pete Doherty (both consumed by plenty of poetry and
literature..and of course, hard drugs) but there is a severe lack of truly beautiful words, sounds and images circling our i-pods.
Yes I’m a fan of a lot of contemporary rock bands but this is because one can’t really afford to be too selective in our current age.
It’s important to be open-minded but I still feel that maybe we’re settling for things now rather than being overwhelmed by
material that genuinely speaks to us. I can’t remember the last time I read a review or article where an artist’s lyrics were broken
down, shared and consumed among the masses. Some journalists attack the simplicity of lyrics (Noel Gallagher and Johnny Borrell
have been on the receiving end of this) but don’t really suggest or make a big deal out of the lack of memorable lyrics across the
chessboard of musicians.
Anyway, back to the subject matter at hand. One of the highlights for me on 'Horses' is ‘Kimberly.’ The beginning simple drums
and chords sound a bit like an 80s movie soundtrack song (think along the lines of ‘Back To The Future’) but once Smith’s vocals
kick in and she tells us that she’s feels like ‘a misplaced Joan Of Arc,’ I’m not sure whether I’ve jumped back in time to the mid-
70s or zoomed 15 years into the future when all my dreams of how music should really be have come true. That is why you should
hear this Smith woman out. She sings the line ‘in your starry eyes baby’ about 20 times towards the end but each time, she
emphasises a different word; makes her words completely indistinct and epitomises how her voice is really her instrument.
Wonderful.
The entire album marks Smith’s stance on religion, politics, love and the state we’re in, however the epic ‘Land’ is a strong web of
all of her commentary. The beginning lyrical recital is haunting and this smashes into a pent-up story-telling of tragic character
Johnny and his fascination with knives which leads to his suicide; Johnny has ‘given in/to the sea of possibilities.’ This song is a
terrific mesh of poetry, anger, poignancy and music with fades out back to Smith’s spoken word ( having ex-Velvet Undergrounder
John Cale producing is another attribute of the album). I recommend you lie down with your eyes closed, draw the curtains and
turn it up loud. Hear the echoes of Johnny’s emotions pulsing in your head and I assure you that what you feel is nothing less
than a spiritual experience. Who needs hallucinogenics when you have Patti Smith?
With references to her idols Rimbaud and the Beats in her unique, ground-breaking style, this female Beat poet’s debut album
ends with a storming version of The Who’s ‘My Generation,’ (nothing like Oasis’ current wholly impassive version) with Smith
shrieking ‘Im so damn young!’ Her final words on the album are inspirational to us all, ‘we created it, so let’s take it over!’ Come
on guys, the world is yours…
Dee Sekar
LIVE REVIEW: ESKIMO SQUAD AND KAPS, CAFE 1001 BRICK LANE
Now going along to this event was down to 3 main reasons:
1) Kaps is a great friend of SSS,
2) The night was taking place at the spiritual home of SSS,
3) I have a close affiliation with eskimos as I was often mistaken for one when I was younger. This led to many a great joke at my
expense ("Ice, ice, baby" etc etc). Anway, off I head in the rain down to meet the rest of the gang for a night of new and pretty unfamiliar
music. Kaps is on the decks and a mix of dub and jungle fills the emancipated coffee-loving crowd with some life. To my untrained ear,
Kaps' fuel of ragga, dub and jungle is not as threatening as I thought it would be. It sounds a bit like speed garage an unhygenic
flatmate of mine used to play in halls and the faster it gets, the more I like it. A true reflection of London's diverse international scene,
the Eskimo Squad are next in the firing line and hail all the way from the Caribbean. I love their tongue n' cheek name and it reminds me
of a film I used to love in my younger days, around the time I looked like an eskimo. The film is 'Cool Runnings' and is about a
Jamaican bob-sleigh team. Nostalgia aside, the Eskimo DJs warm up the crowd with slices of Lauryn Hill, Nelly and Sean Paul instructing
me to 'Get Busy.' My pathetic attempt to, is a mere trip to the bar and back but at least I tried. The Eskimo MCs devour the mic and take
to rapping over well-known Urban tunes in their unique Caribbean way much to the delight of the caffeine-intoxicated audience. Fun, fun
baby.
Dee Sekar
Now going along to this event was down to 3 main reasons:
1) Kaps is a great friend of SSS,
2) The night was taking place at the spiritual home of SSS,
3) I have a close affiliation with eskimos as I was often mistaken for one when I was younger. This led to many a great joke at my
expense ("Ice, ice, baby" etc etc). Anway, off I head in the rain down to meet the rest of the gang for a night of new and pretty unfamiliar
music. Kaps is on the decks and a mix of dub and jungle fills the emancipated coffee-loving crowd with some life. To my untrained ear,
Kaps' fuel of ragga, dub and jungle is not as threatening as I thought it would be. It sounds a bit like speed garage an unhygenic
flatmate of mine used to play in halls and the faster it gets, the more I like it. A true reflection of London's diverse international scene,
the Eskimo Squad are next in the firing line and hail all the way from the Caribbean. I love their tongue n' cheek name and it reminds me
of a film I used to love in my younger days, around the time I looked like an eskimo. The film is 'Cool Runnings' and is about a
Jamaican bob-sleigh team. Nostalgia aside, the Eskimo DJs warm up the crowd with slices of Lauryn Hill, Nelly and Sean Paul instructing
me to 'Get Busy.' My pathetic attempt to, is a mere trip to the bar and back but at least I tried. The Eskimo MCs devour the mic and take
to rapping over well-known Urban tunes in their unique Caribbean way much to the delight of the caffeine-intoxicated audience. Fun, fun
baby.
Dee Sekar
URBAN SESSIONS
Urban Sessions had its launch night on Saturday 25th June at the Backpackers in King’s Cross. With a great line up of artists and DJs, the
night did not waver on its promise to deliver an eclectic selection of urban music. Sadly, there were not many people who turned up to
enjoy the amazing sounds of the performers, yet this did not seem to faze the performers in the slightest. Delivering performances
deserving of standing ovations, the numerous acts gave their all and proved that UK urban talent is certainly alive and kicking.
Urban Sessions was launched to give UK Urban acts a forum to express their talents and to enhance their exposure. Often it is the case
that great talent goes unnoticed or remains in the confines of four bedroom walls. The launch line-up ranged from singers to rappers,
from hip hop lyricists to DJs. Kicking off the night was Con Amore, a 23 year Hip Hop lyricist, who has been working on his music for the
past two years. Performing his track ‘Lights, Camera, Action’, it is obvious that there is a real love for the music. He has appeared on
Choice FM and performed on various cable channels. Currently, he is working on a number of projects and hopes to get something out
very soon.
Second up were Rachel, Tasha and Charlene, who go by the name Soultré. These three ladies, who collectively hail from both sides of the
equator hit us hard with the upbeat “I don’t care”, then chilled it down with their second track “Subconsciously”, reflecting just how diverse
their sound is. They are currently working on their debut album, on which they write their own material, and are touring around the country,
getting noticed. And there is no doubt that these girls should be taken notice of.
Next up was 26 year old Tito, who performed his track “Let’s Build It”, which you can hear if you visit http://www.eloxion.co.uk/build_This.
htm . With an infectious smile, he describes to me what his track is about: “it’s all about having dreams and visions, and building them
and actually achieving what you set out to do”. Specialising in rap, he says he loves performing in front of a live crowd, and is hoping to
get his single out sometime in the very near future.
Fourth up and taking the night to a different level was Jurne (pronounced Journey) Azubiah, who blessed us with her lyrical poetry and
doubled up to help introduce the acts and if I’m not mistaken, was seen in the DJ booth, spinning some fly tunes to keep crowd hyped up
as well. As varied as her name may suggest, this lady is currently out there doing a bit of everything including radio presenting. You can
catch her as DJ Soulfire on 99.0 Real FM on Sundays between 9-11am. If you want to know more, you can check her out on www.freewebs.
com/djsoulfire990.
Fifth up was brothers Daniel and MarQues, who form Kase Klosed. This RnB duo has been performing together for six years and recently
performed at the Scala at a Kiss FM night. They performed a hat trick of tunes for the Urban Sessions crowd, starting off with a cover of
the Whitehead Brothers’s sexy ‘187’ , followed by ‘Ups Down Highs n Lows’ then ended their mouth-watering medley with ‘Rolling’’. Hoping
to play to big crowds at events such as the Prince’s Trust, there is no doubt that these brothers are destined for success. With voices and
looks to match, we can only wait in anticipation for their next live performance.
Last up but by no means least were Alim and Hannah, who form part of atgempire.com. Opening their set with a lyrical explosion, Alim
wowed the crowd with his MC-ing then introduced an amazing a cappella entrance from Hannah. Together, they performed ‘Two into One’,
which had the crowd amazed and begging for more. The two met two years ago and believe performing live ‘is the epitome of what they
do in the studio.’ Alim hopes to have some material out in the next two weeks and you can read more about their stuff at www.atgempire.
com.
In between acts, Djs G, Sarah J, Devil Destroya and Soulfire provided the crowd with tracks from back in the day to the present day. With a
mix of Motown, Soul, Jazz, Rnb, Bashment and Hip Hop, the vibe never faltered. Although the night would have been much improved with
a bigger crowd, the artists and DJs gave 100% performances and are definitely raising the bar for UK talent.
Urban Sessions will be organising another night very soon so if you would like more information or would like to perform at one of their
nights, you can contact them at urbansessions@gmail.com.
SJ
Urban Sessions had its launch night on Saturday 25th June at the Backpackers in King’s Cross. With a great line up of artists and DJs, the
night did not waver on its promise to deliver an eclectic selection of urban music. Sadly, there were not many people who turned up to
enjoy the amazing sounds of the performers, yet this did not seem to faze the performers in the slightest. Delivering performances
deserving of standing ovations, the numerous acts gave their all and proved that UK urban talent is certainly alive and kicking.
Urban Sessions was launched to give UK Urban acts a forum to express their talents and to enhance their exposure. Often it is the case
that great talent goes unnoticed or remains in the confines of four bedroom walls. The launch line-up ranged from singers to rappers,
from hip hop lyricists to DJs. Kicking off the night was Con Amore, a 23 year Hip Hop lyricist, who has been working on his music for the
past two years. Performing his track ‘Lights, Camera, Action’, it is obvious that there is a real love for the music. He has appeared on
Choice FM and performed on various cable channels. Currently, he is working on a number of projects and hopes to get something out
very soon.
Second up were Rachel, Tasha and Charlene, who go by the name Soultré. These three ladies, who collectively hail from both sides of the
equator hit us hard with the upbeat “I don’t care”, then chilled it down with their second track “Subconsciously”, reflecting just how diverse
their sound is. They are currently working on their debut album, on which they write their own material, and are touring around the country,
getting noticed. And there is no doubt that these girls should be taken notice of.
Next up was 26 year old Tito, who performed his track “Let’s Build It”, which you can hear if you visit http://www.eloxion.co.uk/build_This.
htm . With an infectious smile, he describes to me what his track is about: “it’s all about having dreams and visions, and building them
and actually achieving what you set out to do”. Specialising in rap, he says he loves performing in front of a live crowd, and is hoping to
get his single out sometime in the very near future.
Fourth up and taking the night to a different level was Jurne (pronounced Journey) Azubiah, who blessed us with her lyrical poetry and
doubled up to help introduce the acts and if I’m not mistaken, was seen in the DJ booth, spinning some fly tunes to keep crowd hyped up
as well. As varied as her name may suggest, this lady is currently out there doing a bit of everything including radio presenting. You can
catch her as DJ Soulfire on 99.0 Real FM on Sundays between 9-11am. If you want to know more, you can check her out on www.freewebs.
com/djsoulfire990.
Fifth up was brothers Daniel and MarQues, who form Kase Klosed. This RnB duo has been performing together for six years and recently
performed at the Scala at a Kiss FM night. They performed a hat trick of tunes for the Urban Sessions crowd, starting off with a cover of
the Whitehead Brothers’s sexy ‘187’ , followed by ‘Ups Down Highs n Lows’ then ended their mouth-watering medley with ‘Rolling’’. Hoping
to play to big crowds at events such as the Prince’s Trust, there is no doubt that these brothers are destined for success. With voices and
looks to match, we can only wait in anticipation for their next live performance.
Last up but by no means least were Alim and Hannah, who form part of atgempire.com. Opening their set with a lyrical explosion, Alim
wowed the crowd with his MC-ing then introduced an amazing a cappella entrance from Hannah. Together, they performed ‘Two into One’,
which had the crowd amazed and begging for more. The two met two years ago and believe performing live ‘is the epitome of what they
do in the studio.’ Alim hopes to have some material out in the next two weeks and you can read more about their stuff at www.atgempire.
com.
In between acts, Djs G, Sarah J, Devil Destroya and Soulfire provided the crowd with tracks from back in the day to the present day. With a
mix of Motown, Soul, Jazz, Rnb, Bashment and Hip Hop, the vibe never faltered. Although the night would have been much improved with
a bigger crowd, the artists and DJs gave 100% performances and are definitely raising the bar for UK talent.
Urban Sessions will be organising another night very soon so if you would like more information or would like to perform at one of their
nights, you can contact them at urbansessions@gmail.com.
SJ
| No conferring please! Lara and Matt try our new experimental approach to reviews in Parallel Sounds...Step up Undercut and British Beef... |
Undercut: To Die For
Though the first seconds of the song consist of only a single choppy guitar, a high, drawn out voice and, after a brief wait, drums, the tune
sounds remarkably full from the on-set. Guitars kick in at that critical moment that makes you want to nod in satisfaction, and then the
song deepens to a cushion of melody that’s stuffed just enough. Though it may be too poppy (which is to say, too Cold Play-esque) for
some, this is the type of song that when listened to in the correct, calm frame of mind, can feel like flying. Unfortunately, the clip
available on the band’s website is rather brief. Yet, from the minute or so I repeated over and over again, I discovered that, for me, this
is a song that can grow on you. It is the a tune that, due its lack of fuss, can slip under your radar and barely register the first few times,
but eventually you find yourself cranking it all the way up because listening to its simple depth feels like breath of fresh, clean air. LARA
McCLEARY
~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Martin has been a busy boy…oh, hang on, this isn’t Coldplay….my mistake. But I can be forgiven for making such as assumption, for
the very first line singer Johnny Benn utters is like a prize winning performance on ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ of the front man himself. I guess
Undercut will have to get used to such comparisons. On ‘To Die For’ in particular, this Bristol based band clearly harbour a huge debt in
regards bands such as U2, and more recently, rain soaked melody merchants, Snow Patrol. This brand of ‘stadium’ sized anthem rock
seems anything but relevant in the current music scene, a scene ruled by scuzzy boys with ripped jeans and ‘cool’ haircuts. But this isn’t to
say Undercut haven’t penned a decent song with ‘To Die For’; at times the band display a mature beauty in their lyrics and are clearly
competent in structuring strong, consistent, melodies throughout.
But when listening, it’s hard to shake the feeling that we have been here before. Originality seems somewhat of a holy grail in
contemporary music, and Undercut, unfortunately fall at the first hurdle on their quest for it. Without any personal sniping at the bands
credibility, the music world won’t be falling at their feet, but it should undoubtedly turn round, behave, and listen intently to what Undercut
have to say.
In summary, the band’s album, when released on the 27th of June, may prove me wrong. We may see the boys drift into obscure ‘Kid A’
territory, mapping out musical mindscapes of intrinsic discovery and remoulding music as we know it….or perhaps not, and quite right to.
Undercut should stick to what they know, and that, in my opinion, is to write melody tinged anthems that, although unoriginal, serve their
purpose, and make you glad bands such as Undercut exist! So, with the festival season almost upon us, it is my firm belief that all the
Keane and Athlete fans (no offence intended) will be looking for a new summer highlight to sing along to…step up Undercut. MATT
SMITHURST
British Beef: 'Without Me'
Punk’s not dead! Punk is dead!! Punk’s dead?….well, at least to the elitist fans it is. But where is the invisible line separating ‘genuine’
punk rock and the so-called ‘pop’ punk? The Clash or Blink 182 in terms of authentic punk ideology? Let’s not even go there…In my
opinion, the last few years of reigning American bands, such as Good Charlotte, New Found Glory and Sum 41, have throttled every
visceral slice of anger and integrity that punk was supposed to represent in it‘s prime, correct? Well, yes, but sometimes, lets face it, this
can be SO much fun!
This leads flawlessly into describing the sound of British Beef….FUN! Ok, they may not be breaking into the realms of musical innovation
with their latest release, ‘Without Me,' but it does show promise. After witnessing their live performance at Nottingham’s Stealth Club
earlier this year, I remember being captured, if not a little amused, by the energy and sheer enjoyment they exude as a live act. On
record, a little of the initial kick is lost somewhere between the baron land of Blink 182 and Green Day, at their most mediocre. This isn’t
to say British Beef aren’t worth their salt as a promising rock act, there is still a market, and mosh-ready audience, for this sound.
‘Without Me’ has hooks, a driving chorus, and a pummelling melody prevalent throughout the entire track, but nothing that sets the heart
alight in terms of originality. But yet another factor working for British Beef is the distinct British (ahem…) twist they offer to the ‘pop’ punk
genre. There could be a lot to relate to in this short punch of pogo rock, as gone are the notions of the sun drenched beaches of a
blissful, yet distant, Californian surfing community, and in are the beer stained, urine soaked clubs of the British music scene. Yes, the
broken hearts appear not yet to be mended, the melody is yet to change, and the repetitive four chords are still a little exhausted….but
hey, it’s fun!!! MATT SMITHURST.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Something in the polished, poppy and driving tempo and just-smooth-enough vocals brought to mind a strange brew of bands I
discovered in my high school and early college days: NOFX, Alkaline Trio and Burning Airlines. The tune begins with kicking guitars and
drums and evolves into punchy, catchy verses and an equally catchy chorus. The chorus eventually slows into the requisite break-down,
complete with slightly distorted, slightly angst-filled vocals, followed by a soaring guitar solo. However, the song’s catchiness can also been
seen as one of its flaws; from the first time I clicked play I knew exactly where it was going. I kept fighting against drawing comparisons
to the pop thinly disguised as “punk” that has taken a stranglehold on American radio. The songs wanders around that sometimes
deceptively narrow line that separates subtly fresh from been-there-done-that, and falls slightly on the latter side. Still, I would definitely
put this song on a mix tape—it’s the type of upbeat tempo perfect to cruise along to on a road trip. Here’s hoping that British Beef takes
a big step to the good side on their new release (due out in August, according to their website), and backs slowly away from the Good
Charlotte. LARA McCLEARY
Though the first seconds of the song consist of only a single choppy guitar, a high, drawn out voice and, after a brief wait, drums, the tune
sounds remarkably full from the on-set. Guitars kick in at that critical moment that makes you want to nod in satisfaction, and then the
song deepens to a cushion of melody that’s stuffed just enough. Though it may be too poppy (which is to say, too Cold Play-esque) for
some, this is the type of song that when listened to in the correct, calm frame of mind, can feel like flying. Unfortunately, the clip
available on the band’s website is rather brief. Yet, from the minute or so I repeated over and over again, I discovered that, for me, this
is a song that can grow on you. It is the a tune that, due its lack of fuss, can slip under your radar and barely register the first few times,
but eventually you find yourself cranking it all the way up because listening to its simple depth feels like breath of fresh, clean air. LARA
McCLEARY
~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Martin has been a busy boy…oh, hang on, this isn’t Coldplay….my mistake. But I can be forgiven for making such as assumption, for
the very first line singer Johnny Benn utters is like a prize winning performance on ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ of the front man himself. I guess
Undercut will have to get used to such comparisons. On ‘To Die For’ in particular, this Bristol based band clearly harbour a huge debt in
regards bands such as U2, and more recently, rain soaked melody merchants, Snow Patrol. This brand of ‘stadium’ sized anthem rock
seems anything but relevant in the current music scene, a scene ruled by scuzzy boys with ripped jeans and ‘cool’ haircuts. But this isn’t to
say Undercut haven’t penned a decent song with ‘To Die For’; at times the band display a mature beauty in their lyrics and are clearly
competent in structuring strong, consistent, melodies throughout.
But when listening, it’s hard to shake the feeling that we have been here before. Originality seems somewhat of a holy grail in
contemporary music, and Undercut, unfortunately fall at the first hurdle on their quest for it. Without any personal sniping at the bands
credibility, the music world won’t be falling at their feet, but it should undoubtedly turn round, behave, and listen intently to what Undercut
have to say.
In summary, the band’s album, when released on the 27th of June, may prove me wrong. We may see the boys drift into obscure ‘Kid A’
territory, mapping out musical mindscapes of intrinsic discovery and remoulding music as we know it….or perhaps not, and quite right to.
Undercut should stick to what they know, and that, in my opinion, is to write melody tinged anthems that, although unoriginal, serve their
purpose, and make you glad bands such as Undercut exist! So, with the festival season almost upon us, it is my firm belief that all the
Keane and Athlete fans (no offence intended) will be looking for a new summer highlight to sing along to…step up Undercut. MATT
SMITHURST
British Beef: 'Without Me'
Punk’s not dead! Punk is dead!! Punk’s dead?….well, at least to the elitist fans it is. But where is the invisible line separating ‘genuine’
punk rock and the so-called ‘pop’ punk? The Clash or Blink 182 in terms of authentic punk ideology? Let’s not even go there…In my
opinion, the last few years of reigning American bands, such as Good Charlotte, New Found Glory and Sum 41, have throttled every
visceral slice of anger and integrity that punk was supposed to represent in it‘s prime, correct? Well, yes, but sometimes, lets face it, this
can be SO much fun!
This leads flawlessly into describing the sound of British Beef….FUN! Ok, they may not be breaking into the realms of musical innovation
with their latest release, ‘Without Me,' but it does show promise. After witnessing their live performance at Nottingham’s Stealth Club
earlier this year, I remember being captured, if not a little amused, by the energy and sheer enjoyment they exude as a live act. On
record, a little of the initial kick is lost somewhere between the baron land of Blink 182 and Green Day, at their most mediocre. This isn’t
to say British Beef aren’t worth their salt as a promising rock act, there is still a market, and mosh-ready audience, for this sound.
‘Without Me’ has hooks, a driving chorus, and a pummelling melody prevalent throughout the entire track, but nothing that sets the heart
alight in terms of originality. But yet another factor working for British Beef is the distinct British (ahem…) twist they offer to the ‘pop’ punk
genre. There could be a lot to relate to in this short punch of pogo rock, as gone are the notions of the sun drenched beaches of a
blissful, yet distant, Californian surfing community, and in are the beer stained, urine soaked clubs of the British music scene. Yes, the
broken hearts appear not yet to be mended, the melody is yet to change, and the repetitive four chords are still a little exhausted….but
hey, it’s fun!!! MATT SMITHURST.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Something in the polished, poppy and driving tempo and just-smooth-enough vocals brought to mind a strange brew of bands I
discovered in my high school and early college days: NOFX, Alkaline Trio and Burning Airlines. The tune begins with kicking guitars and
drums and evolves into punchy, catchy verses and an equally catchy chorus. The chorus eventually slows into the requisite break-down,
complete with slightly distorted, slightly angst-filled vocals, followed by a soaring guitar solo. However, the song’s catchiness can also been
seen as one of its flaws; from the first time I clicked play I knew exactly where it was going. I kept fighting against drawing comparisons
to the pop thinly disguised as “punk” that has taken a stranglehold on American radio. The songs wanders around that sometimes
deceptively narrow line that separates subtly fresh from been-there-done-that, and falls slightly on the latter side. Still, I would definitely
put this song on a mix tape—it’s the type of upbeat tempo perfect to cruise along to on a road trip. Here’s hoping that British Beef takes
a big step to the good side on their new release (due out in August, according to their website), and backs slowly away from the Good
Charlotte. LARA McCLEARY
MORE REVIEWS/DEMOS HERE
| All images, words, site design Copyright © Soma Soma Scene 2005 unless otherwise stated All Rights Reserved |
DEMOS/REVIEWS
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DEMOS/REVIEWS
DEMOS/REVIEWS
Æon Spoke- Emmanuel
Æon Spoke’s lead singer Paul Masvidal’s sonorous vocals give me hope that there are still bands out there that understand the
delicate art of singing about spiritual and often sad subjects. Their single “Emmanuel” strikes a satisfying balance of pop and
indie sensibilities, spiced with tenderness and power -- without making it overly whiney or trite. That said, the song is radio-
friendly, and it can, like roughly 47% of the music being produced today, be compared to Coldplay in its full, breathy sound.
Despite a slightly snobby suspicion of items resembling the work of Chris Martin, I wasn’t dissuaded. At its core, “Emmanuel” is
pretty simple; guitars and vocals without any of the annoyingly unnecessary orchestral break-downs that seem to be the standard
more often than not.
The guitars and lyrics bleed together in a bitter-sweet texture that is reflective, wondering and hypnotic, tinged with sadness. The
song always stays in the moment and fully embraces it. Yet even though the lyrics reflect on frustration and sadness, this isn’t a
tune that makes me want to wallow in self-pity. Though it’s a song perfect for a gray drizzly day, its tone is thoughtful rather than
self-indulgent. The single was featured in the film “What the Bleep Do We Know”, a flick that questions life, death, quantum
physics-- everything. To quote from the movie, “The real trick of life is not to be in the know, but to be in the mystery”. Not to get
too deep here, but for me, this seems to be something Æon Spoke recognizes with “Emmanuel”. Yeah, it’s sad and it’s lonely out
there, but it’s okay to reflect on these moments, if only for the sake of pure human experience. This struck me as something
unique about Æon Spoke. The music and the words are just on the cusp of being thoughtful yet not over-wrought-- and hopefully
they won’t be too over-produced in the future. For now, they are just there to be felt.
INTERVIEW COMING SOON
Lara McCleary
Æon Spoke’s lead singer Paul Masvidal’s sonorous vocals give me hope that there are still bands out there that understand the
delicate art of singing about spiritual and often sad subjects. Their single “Emmanuel” strikes a satisfying balance of pop and
indie sensibilities, spiced with tenderness and power -- without making it overly whiney or trite. That said, the song is radio-
friendly, and it can, like roughly 47% of the music being produced today, be compared to Coldplay in its full, breathy sound.
Despite a slightly snobby suspicion of items resembling the work of Chris Martin, I wasn’t dissuaded. At its core, “Emmanuel” is
pretty simple; guitars and vocals without any of the annoyingly unnecessary orchestral break-downs that seem to be the standard
more often than not.
The guitars and lyrics bleed together in a bitter-sweet texture that is reflective, wondering and hypnotic, tinged with sadness. The
song always stays in the moment and fully embraces it. Yet even though the lyrics reflect on frustration and sadness, this isn’t a
tune that makes me want to wallow in self-pity. Though it’s a song perfect for a gray drizzly day, its tone is thoughtful rather than
self-indulgent. The single was featured in the film “What the Bleep Do We Know”, a flick that questions life, death, quantum
physics-- everything. To quote from the movie, “The real trick of life is not to be in the know, but to be in the mystery”. Not to get
too deep here, but for me, this seems to be something Æon Spoke recognizes with “Emmanuel”. Yeah, it’s sad and it’s lonely out
there, but it’s okay to reflect on these moments, if only for the sake of pure human experience. This struck me as something
unique about Æon Spoke. The music and the words are just on the cusp of being thoughtful yet not over-wrought-- and hopefully
they won’t be too over-produced in the future. For now, they are just there to be felt.
INTERVIEW COMING SOON
Lara McCleary
B-Side ‘Screwdriver’ is a live performance of the blues-rock explosion track from debut 1999
album, ‘The White Stripes.’ Performed with the vengeance and fury that this band do so well,
the only upsetting thing about this track is what seems to be the lack of audience enthusiasm
(a few measly cheers at the start). However by the time you hear all 5 minutes and 42
seconds of this mesmerising recital, it’s quite easy to understand why the crowd were so
astonishingly quiet. They were blown into oblivion by what they were witnessing. With a UK tour
kicking off in a couple of months, I look forward to where else this band can levitate us.
album, ‘The White Stripes.’ Performed with the vengeance and fury that this band do so well,
the only upsetting thing about this track is what seems to be the lack of audience enthusiasm
(a few measly cheers at the start). However by the time you hear all 5 minutes and 42
seconds of this mesmerising recital, it’s quite easy to understand why the crowd were so
astonishingly quiet. They were blown into oblivion by what they were witnessing. With a UK tour
kicking off in a couple of months, I look forward to where else this band can levitate us.