Incoming:
I have seen Sebastian Rochford play at least half a dozen times in the last year or so, with some of the various different bands in which he is involved; what an incredible musician. One of these projects, Polar Bear, has a new album coming on March 1st, from which a groovy taster has been floating around for a few weeks:
Polar Bear - Peepers by theleaflabel
Felix, a UK band signed to US label Kranky, are touring in the new year, in support of their recent album release. Quietly interesting. Here is a not-video:
B for Butterfly are a Brit duo starting to build their public profile, as far as I can tell, by putting some songs online and then letting some people know about it, nothing more than that. How refreshing. Two new tracks were added just yesterday, making four in total.
B for Butterfly - Photograph
Timber Timbre are one of those bands who are locally acclaimed (Toronto) but haven't made much impact over here - hopefully now they are signed to a bigger label that might change. Fingers crossed for a visit this year, and in the meantime, because I like it, this:
30 December 2009
26 December 2009
Best of 2009: locals (with added bonus)
I hope you have been thrilled by yuletide loveliness; however whether yea or nay I personally am misty eyed with seasonal joy, but can just about find my way to the keyboard to assemble another little end-of-year combo of favourite things. Here are some UK-based points of interest from the last 12 months, most of whom have been mentioned here before.
There are many more UK acts I would like to add, but haven't spotted new films for - ready when you are, Go Away Birds, Fourtet, Blue Roses, Polar Bear/ Acoustic Ladyland, Beth Jeans Hou
Micachu & The Shapes
There was uniform internet-wide adulation for the album when it came out in the spring, and with good reason, as a witty, experimental and individual sonic approach is rare indeed. Nice people too, no bullshit there despite the hype.
The Leisure Society
With an endless supply of elegant tunes, the strongest of the Wilkommen acts have used their folk-infused pop for the forces of good on several occasions. Slightly reworked version of an album tune, from the EP to accompany the latest re-re-launch:
Magic Arm
Film here is for Outdoor Games, which although not a new song - I have had the track since mid-2007 - was on this year's Make Lists, Do Something album. Marc Rigelsford has a great ear for a tune, and a highly pleasing electro-folk way about him; his talents have lately been called on as support to both Grizzly Bear and Camera Obscura. Top man (in a non-retail sense).
Smoke Fairies
Dark-tinged folky tunes with great hooks, the film is from their recent tour as support for Richard Hawley.
and happily my very Favourite Musical Moment Of The Whole Year was captured by Crazybobbles, at the Union Chapel in September. Wildbirds & Peacedrums are well known to be Swedish but as we are all in the EU now, they qualify as honorary cockernees.
There are many more UK acts I would like to add, but haven't spotted new films for - ready when you are, Go Away Birds, Fourtet, Blue Roses, Polar Bear/ Acoustic Ladyland, Beth Jeans Hou
Micachu & The Shapes
There was uniform internet-wide adulation for the album when it came out in the spring, and with good reason, as a witty, experimental and individual sonic approach is rare indeed. Nice people too, no bullshit there despite the hype.
The Leisure Society
With an endless supply of elegant tunes, the strongest of the Wilkommen acts have used their folk-infused pop for the forces of good on several occasions. Slightly reworked version of an album tune, from the EP to accompany the latest re-re-launch:
Magic Arm
Film here is for Outdoor Games, which although not a new song - I have had the track since mid-2007 - was on this year's Make Lists, Do Something album. Marc Rigelsford has a great ear for a tune, and a highly pleasing electro-folk way about him; his talents have lately been called on as support to both Grizzly Bear and Camera Obscura. Top man (in a non-retail sense).
Smoke Fairies
Dark-tinged folky tunes with great hooks, the film is from their recent tour as support for Richard Hawley.
and happily my very Favourite Musical Moment Of The Whole Year was captured by Crazybobbles, at the Union Chapel in September. Wildbirds & Peacedrums are well known to be Swedish but as we are all in the EU now, they qualify as honorary cockernees.
23 December 2009
Best of 2009: foreigners (getting down to business now)
I am not proposing to do any lists of my preferences, but instead will assemble a few loosely themed favourites which I would happily recommend to anyone new to the artist.
So to demonstrate what I consider to be a loose theme, here are some people from Abroad who have done great work this year.
Sharon van Etten released a quite wonderful album in May, Because I was in Love, full of beautiful and gentle songs that weren't afraid to take their time to tell their stories. In comparison to the earlier home recordings the songs were subtly polished, with very delicate production by Greg Weekes, giving a supportive backdrop to one of the most emotive voices around, and allowing it to shine.
Needing no introduction are this lot, who have had a great year. As discussed previously they are happy to let others work with their output, in this instance a trippy film by Allison Schulnik - check 1:28 into it (but not if you have taken anything). Got a ticket for the Roundhouse yet?
Zola Jesus is the performing name of Nika Danilova, with a home-recorded song that just blasts its way to the centre of attention; huge hooks, huge voice, huge prospects.
ZOLA JESUS "CLAY BODIES" MUSIC VIDEO from FUTURE PRIMITIVE FILMS on Vimeo.
DM Stith I have already written about twice (here and here), but that is clearly not enough. Gently moody, his swirling songs repeat themes and echo each other, with distinctions further blurred by his habit of revisiting songs from Heavy Ghost in alternate versions on a series of EP's. The album is one of those that exists as a whole entity rather than a series of stand-alone tracks, however here is a slice from it.
DM Stith- Pity Dance from Asthmatic Kitty on Vimeo.
Soap&Skin is something rare and wonderful.
Soap&Skin - Thanatos from benjamin & stefan ramirez perez on Vimeo.
So to demonstrate what I consider to be a loose theme, here are some people from Abroad who have done great work this year.
Sharon van Etten released a quite wonderful album in May, Because I was in Love, full of beautiful and gentle songs that weren't afraid to take their time to tell their stories. In comparison to the earlier home recordings the songs were subtly polished, with very delicate production by Greg Weekes, giving a supportive backdrop to one of the most emotive voices around, and allowing it to shine.
Needing no introduction are this lot, who have had a great year. As discussed previously they are happy to let others work with their output, in this instance a trippy film by Allison Schulnik - check 1:28 into it (but not if you have taken anything). Got a ticket for the Roundhouse yet?
Zola Jesus is the performing name of Nika Danilova, with a home-recorded song that just blasts its way to the centre of attention; huge hooks, huge voice, huge prospects.
ZOLA JESUS "CLAY BODIES" MUSIC VIDEO from FUTURE PRIMITIVE FILMS on Vimeo.
DM Stith I have already written about twice (here and here), but that is clearly not enough. Gently moody, his swirling songs repeat themes and echo each other, with distinctions further blurred by his habit of revisiting songs from Heavy Ghost in alternate versions on a series of EP's. The album is one of those that exists as a whole entity rather than a series of stand-alone tracks, however here is a slice from it.
DM Stith- Pity Dance from Asthmatic Kitty on Vimeo.
Soap&Skin is something rare and wonderful.
Soap&Skin - Thanatos from benjamin & stefan ramirez perez on Vimeo.
21 December 2009
Best of 2009: cheating a bit to get things going
FESTIVAL - Valentine from mox pox on Vimeo.
This is only cheating in the sense that it is from 2008, but let's not split hairs. If I had been posting things a year ago they would have been mentioned in dispatches at that time so let's just make the best of it.
As well as developing their individual side projects, the Festival sisters have been back in the studio working on new tracks, and have some European shows due in the spring. I hope these can be arranged, it will be good to see them here again - amazing voices and some fine tunes too. This was the first song of theirs to catch my ear and it is still a favourite.
15 December 2009
Taken by Trees: occidental dearth of an anticlimax
Relentless Garage
14 December 2009
Photo by Anika
There was plenty not to like about this show, yet it was a success.
The less good things included finding seats in place - excellent for comfort, but bad for atmosphere in a room of no great charm which had far too many lights on... except on stage, where the backdrop carried films from TbT's time in Pakistan, so the lighting was kept deliberately low to assist the projection, which all but made silhouettes of the band. And unfortunately Laetitia Sadier, as a very solo support act was strange; almost discordant strumming seemingly not quite aligned with her vocals, and she usually needed to indicate when it was ok to applaud as most of her songs had false endings. Didn't really work.
However, the Taken by Trees set did really work, warming up nicely from a slightly low key beginning. The measured pace of the songs - a characteristic of Studio's Dan Lissvik's production work - was not adjusted for greater dynamic effect, but the instruments all stepped out of the shadows at different times, playing arrangements that were noticeably more animated than on the album. The drumming particularly came forward in the live setting, as did the harmonies from the 3-piece band, and whilst Victoria Bergsman didn't exactly grasp for the limelight in terms of projecting herself, her elegant vocals flirted with the melodic line without ever sliding too far away.
A gentle but involving show from the band, although the venue didn't really help the crowd enjoy themselves - maybe Bush Hall or the Union Chapel next time?
14 December 2009
Photo by Anika
The less good things included finding seats in place - excellent for comfort, but bad for atmosphere in a room of no great charm which had far too many lights on... except on stage, where the backdrop carried films from TbT's time in Pakistan, so the lighting was kept deliberately low to assist the projection, which all but made silhouettes of the band. And unfortunately Laetitia Sadier, as a very solo support act was strange; almost discordant strumming seemingly not quite aligned with her vocals, and she usually needed to indicate when it was ok to applaud as most of her songs had false endings. Didn't really work.
However, the Taken by Trees set did really work, warming up nicely from a slightly low key beginning. The measured pace of the songs - a characteristic of Studio's Dan Lissvik's production work - was not adjusted for greater dynamic effect, but the instruments all stepped out of the shadows at different times, playing arrangements that were noticeably more animated than on the album. The drumming particularly came forward in the live setting, as did the harmonies from the 3-piece band, and whilst Victoria Bergsman didn't exactly grasp for the limelight in terms of projecting herself, her elegant vocals flirted with the melodic line without ever sliding too far away.
A gentle but involving show from the band, although the venue didn't really help the crowd enjoy themselves - maybe Bush Hall or the Union Chapel next time?
12 December 2009
Beak>: chinstrokers and headnodders unite in glorious harmony
Relentless Garage
11 December 2009
I have a half-baked theory that the hipper the gig, the taller the crowd, so it was all too predictable that for most of the set I could see nothing of the musicians for the forest of tall youth between me and the low performance area ( or 'stage', if you are prepared to be generous). A surprisingly large number of these unreasonably tall people in fact filtered away from the action before the end - did some find the event underwhelming? - eventually permitting some sightlines, which was nice.
The performance was a pretty much true rendition of the album, no surprise variations in the live event, with the throbbing and pulsing tracks building in intensity in a way that could be really quite mesmerising at times, so it could not be said that Beak didn't deliver - but it is such a narrow musical vision that you really have to be prepared to buy into the idea in the first place, or you might spend the time waiting for something to happen...
... which might lead you to buying beer shortly before the set finished, only to find that the audience are literally forced out of the room as soon as the music stops, which is really unwelcome.
(Zane Lowe was there, does that make it a hip gig or not?)
11 December 2009
I have a half-baked theory that the hipper the gig, the taller the crowd, so it was all too predictable that for most of the set I could see nothing of the musicians for the forest of tall youth between me and the low performance area ( or 'stage', if you are prepared to be generous). A surprisingly large number of these unreasonably tall people in fact filtered away from the action before the end - did some find the event underwhelming? - eventually permitting some sightlines, which was nice.
The performance was a pretty much true rendition of the album, no surprise variations in the live event, with the throbbing and pulsing tracks building in intensity in a way that could be really quite mesmerising at times, so it could not be said that Beak didn't deliver - but it is such a narrow musical vision that you really have to be prepared to buy into the idea in the first place, or you might spend the time waiting for something to happen...
... which might lead you to buying beer shortly before the set finished, only to find that the audience are literally forced out of the room as soon as the music stops, which is really unwelcome.
(Zane Lowe was there, does that make it a hip gig or not?)
11 December 2009
The Lost Cavalry/ Bleeding Heart Narrative/ Quinta/ We Walk On Ice
Wilmington Arms
10 December 2009Even at budget-priced admission which equated to £1.25 per band, openers We Walk On Ice were overpriced.
Bleeding Heart Narrative, usually closer to somewhat quirky experimental folky music, found themselves playing for the first time without a string section and so lined up as a standard issue rock 4-piece, and went on to play a much heavier set than I had anticipated, their approach on the night moving between vaguely Beta Band and Radiohead-ish directions. Not bad but not really representative, I hope to see them again with a more typical line-up.
'Headliners' The Lost Cavalry not only featured fairy lights on their ukelele (not a euphemism) but a set of perky enough songs that loped along sounding rather like Beirut, with an occasional dash of Smiths. Singer has a nice light tenor which floated nicely over the songs. However as a noticeable proportion of the audience had left after Quinta, who were the second act to play, by the time TLC were on they were struggling slightly with a sense of anticlimax.
Quinta were the most interesting act, both musically and and in delivery; it was a full-on performance piece, starting with the band members lurking amongst the audience before gradually moving on stage to play. All very stylised, with the brown outfits, painted faces and matching quiffs, the idea of playing with performance vs being watched reappeared when we were shown our reflections in a mirror, but many of the other details of the act did not offer themselves to obvious interpretation. There was an intimate and sometimes domestic quality, with a feeling of layered history and rememberances, the violins creating a poignant, wistful mood. Best moment was My Sister, Boudicca, which with just four voices and a violin was pretty stunning. Any act that includes a musical saw, glasses of water being tuned, and a story recited in the style of a 1930's BBC continuity announcer is definitely worth further investigation.
6 December 2009
Battles (@ Warp 20th): blinding
The Coronet
5 December 2009
A majestic aura surrounds Battles, which is a bit unlikely as their music is - not hard to listen to exactly, but never obvious, often jarring rhythmically, and any earworms tend to be developed (ie disappear) as soon as they arrive. Nonetheless they have the status many would wish for; maybe the (in)frequency of their live shows helps to build their mystique.
Headlining the London leg of the Warp birthday celebrations, they demonstrated their consummate musicianship with new and old songs, including one new tune that can only be described as a Northern Soul 60's surf song played by Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath with fuzzy guitars borrowed from Girls. Frugging ensued amongst younger elements of the audience, always pleasing to see.
Best received were favourites from Mirrored, unsurprisingly, with Atlas the night's stand out by a distance. There did seem to be an unexpected flavour of the Animal Collective's live vibe to some of the action, partly in the sense that nothing sat still for 2 minutes, and partly in the way the sounds were layered and built up, so that the journey to what the next song was going to be became part of the event. There was also an unsavoury reminder, in Ian Williams' exaggerated body language, of the keyboard player from The National, who grimaces and poses to dramatise the physical challenges of, er, playing some chords on the keyboard. We could all do without such theatrics, but can cast a forgiving eye - just this once, mind - as they are, overall, so far above and beyond most others that we should be pleased to see them at all.
Also worth mentioning were Nice Nice, a duo who seemed to cover most styles, from Krautrock to Rock rock to blues rock to funk rock and more, but without seeming as undecided as this description suggests.
5 December 2009
A majestic aura surrounds Battles, which is a bit unlikely as their music is - not hard to listen to exactly, but never obvious, often jarring rhythmically, and any earworms tend to be developed (ie disappear) as soon as they arrive. Nonetheless they have the status many would wish for; maybe the (in)frequency of their live shows helps to build their mystique.
Headlining the London leg of the Warp birthday celebrations, they demonstrated their consummate musicianship with new and old songs, including one new tune that can only be described as a Northern Soul 60's surf song played by Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath with fuzzy guitars borrowed from Girls. Frugging ensued amongst younger elements of the audience, always pleasing to see.
Best received were favourites from Mirrored, unsurprisingly, with Atlas the night's stand out by a distance. There did seem to be an unexpected flavour of the Animal Collective's live vibe to some of the action, partly in the sense that nothing sat still for 2 minutes, and partly in the way the sounds were layered and built up, so that the journey to what the next song was going to be became part of the event. There was also an unsavoury reminder, in Ian Williams' exaggerated body language, of the keyboard player from The National, who grimaces and poses to dramatise the physical challenges of, er, playing some chords on the keyboard. We could all do without such theatrics, but can cast a forgiving eye - just this once, mind - as they are, overall, so far above and beyond most others that we should be pleased to see them at all.
Also worth mentioning were Nice Nice, a duo who seemed to cover most styles, from Krautrock to Rock rock to blues rock to funk rock and more, but without seeming as undecided as this description suggests.
4 December 2009
Caitlin Rose: vomitin' n warblin'
The Windmill
3 December 2009
Despite having cancelled her lunch-time show due to illness - dodgy prawn in Brighton had laid her exceedingly low, she said afterwards - Caitlin made a good fist of playing this set, half-way through a week of UK shows
She seemed full of confidence and chatted happily between songs, wondering which way to pitch the tone of her set, but despite having some decent, and also funny, songs to call on, the songwriting is secondary compared to the voice. Thrillingly clear, powerful without blaring, and with a range of colours and inflections that sometimes reflected her Nashville background but never fell into predictable country habits - goosebumps were near regardless of how ill she was feeling. Terrific, and I'm sure the songwriting will develop.
And for what it's worth, in a venue of that size she could probably have sung unamplified, and just used the guitar amp and not bothered with the PA at all.
Caitlin Rose - Sinful Wishing Well from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.
3 December 2009
Despite having cancelled her lunch-time show due to illness - dodgy prawn in Brighton had laid her exceedingly low, she said afterwards - Caitlin made a good fist of playing this set, half-way through a week of UK shows
She seemed full of confidence and chatted happily between songs, wondering which way to pitch the tone of her set, but despite having some decent, and also funny, songs to call on, the songwriting is secondary compared to the voice. Thrillingly clear, powerful without blaring, and with a range of colours and inflections that sometimes reflected her Nashville background but never fell into predictable country habits - goosebumps were near regardless of how ill she was feeling. Terrific, and I'm sure the songwriting will develop.
And for what it's worth, in a venue of that size she could probably have sung unamplified, and just used the guitar amp and not bothered with the PA at all.
Caitlin Rose - Sinful Wishing Well from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.
1 December 2009
Dudes of the: Month - Candy Claws' virtual tour
Instead of all that tedious mucking about with airports and customs, and thus bypassing all the costs incurred by touring as relative unknowns, not to mention avoiding the need to scrounge sofa-space from previously unknown hosts; from the comfort of their own homes, Candy Claws are letting their songs struggle with time zones and currencies instead.
The tour consists of using a network of blogs and websites to host specific songs on specific days - in their own words:
We will be touring for our latest album, "In the Dream of the Sea Life."
This tour shall happen online, in the form of videos posted to music blogs of different cities and towns across the entire planet. The first ten dates will feature live footage of acoustic versions of each song on the album. The last ten dates will debut brand new music videos for each song.
So not only is the usual geographical zig-zag maintained in the true spirit of touring, but in an improvement on the more common model ie a real-time live show by actual people, the event for each date stays in place, to be revisited as and when until the hosting site gets bored or something.
This idea is either a) very clever or b) rubbish, and I can find arguments for both, but you will have to discuss those amongst yourselves, as I'm not getting into all that right now. I will offer tentative support for what is quite a funny idea - the online tour has been snowed in on day 6 - by pointing you here, and showing this, because it's good, which despite all of the above, is the main thing:
Catamaran from Candy Claws on Vimeo.
The tour consists of using a network of blogs and websites to host specific songs on specific days - in their own words:
We will be touring for our latest album, "In the Dream of the Sea Life."
This tour shall happen online, in the form of videos posted to music blogs of different cities and towns across the entire planet. The first ten dates will feature live footage of acoustic versions of each song on the album. The last ten dates will debut brand new music videos for each song.
So not only is the usual geographical zig-zag maintained in the true spirit of touring, but in an improvement on the more common model ie a real-time live show by actual people, the event for each date stays in place, to be revisited as and when until the hosting site gets bored or something.
This idea is either a) very clever or b) rubbish, and I can find arguments for both, but you will have to discuss those amongst yourselves, as I'm not getting into all that right now. I will offer tentative support for what is quite a funny idea - the online tour has been snowed in on day 6 - by pointing you here, and showing this, because it's good, which despite all of the above, is the main thing:
Catamaran from Candy Claws on Vimeo.
26 November 2009
Basia Bulat/ Liz Green
Cafe Oto
25 November 2009
Lucky me: this evening allowed both a second chance in the space of a few days to hear Liz Green, and another go at grabbing a clearer picture of her mask. Success! (note: term redefined to include terrible low-res pictures):
I am sure you will agree it is a fine mask, although the risk of hat-hair is high, as well as alliterative. Throwing such stylistic concerns to the wind, the song about doves that requires the mask was the first played, resultant wonky fringe or no. Bravo.
The set felt rather different to last week, perhaps due to the crowd who were mainly there to see Basia. It was also a touch rushed, and although she did start to build a receptive atmosphere it didn't allow time for Liz to create the mood that would happily carry the intense Antony Hegarty song she sang on Friday.
Basia, with mini-band in tow (drums and viola/vocals) was bright and smiley and very professional, especially when working around the sound problems which were many, although the band needed the crowd to tell them about it.
Skip this bit if you don't like grumbling - the piano mic failed two bars into Snakes and Ladders, but apparently the sound guy didn't notice.... and throughout the set there were problems with the mix levels, although there were mostly only 2 or 3 lines to juggle. I don't know if the room is difficult for sound, as I have seen problems there before, or if the equipment isn't up to it, or maybe it's the other thing.
These issues notwithstanding all was well, very well in fact, although as at her solo show in May Basia complained of jet lag, but if her performance was diminished it didn't show, she knows how to deliver a set, no problem there. Someone build an extra day into her schedule next time please, for her sake as well as ours, and what's more I'm sure she is good for more than just a single-show flying visit.
25 November 2009
Lucky me: this evening allowed both a second chance in the space of a few days to hear Liz Green, and another go at grabbing a clearer picture of her mask. Success! (note: term redefined to include terrible low-res pictures):
The set felt rather different to last week, perhaps due to the crowd who were mainly there to see Basia. It was also a touch rushed, and although she did start to build a receptive atmosphere it didn't allow time for Liz to create the mood that would happily carry the intense Antony Hegarty song she sang on Friday.
Basia, with mini-band in tow (drums and viola/vocals) was bright and smiley and very professional, especially when working around the sound problems which were many, although the band needed the crowd to tell them about it.
Skip this bit if you don't like grumbling - the piano mic failed two bars into Snakes and Ladders, but apparently the sound guy didn't notice.... and throughout the set there were problems with the mix levels, although there were mostly only 2 or 3 lines to juggle. I don't know if the room is difficult for sound, as I have seen problems there before, or if the equipment isn't up to it, or maybe it's the other thing.
These issues notwithstanding all was well, very well in fact, although as at her solo show in May Basia complained of jet lag, but if her performance was diminished it didn't show, she knows how to deliver a set, no problem there. Someone build an extra day into her schedule next time please, for her sake as well as ours, and what's more I'm sure she is good for more than just a single-show flying visit.
23 November 2009
Tune Yards - Hatari
Super-nice film that everyone else is posting, so why not.
Einstein, a dinosaur and a loop pedal, what more does a music video need? I'm pleased to see that Merrill has finally found a shirt that coordinates with her make up.
tUnE-YaRdS "Hatari" from dublab on Vimeo.
Einstein, a dinosaur and a loop pedal, what more does a music video need? I'm pleased to see that Merrill has finally found a shirt that coordinates with her make up.
tUnE-YaRdS "Hatari" from dublab on Vimeo.
21 November 2009
Liz Green/ Homelife/ Denis Jones: Passion, drama, knitting
Downstairs @ The Kings Head
20 November 2009
A home-made pack of Liz Green CD's that I bought at a show in February. Nice, you may think, but what of it? All will become clear.
I usually try not to describe acts by making comparisons to others, unless it's a key point of reference. So:
Denis Jones could be described as Magic Arm's slightly wonky older brother, who has been through a few things but has emerged smiling, more or less, the other side, and has kicked the habit but still sees the crew from time to time, and has a restless need to pursue the next sound, the next rhythm, the next tune, to which end he has refined his guitar, looping and processing skills to such an extent that it really seems he can call into being the exact tone or rhythm he is looking for without a pause, and when he finds it he turns it into surprisingly soulful songs that speak of something entirely other than a pub basement in Crouch End. There is a new album cooking, look out for it.
Homelife could be described as sounding like a nasal Glenn Tillbrook if he forgot how to write good songs*, with seriously grating unsupported tenor vocals and a lamentable fondness for 1970's synth sounds. Ye gods! Although if they chose to work with a decent singer then it could be quite a different matter.
Liz Green, I have finally realised, sounds like a scratchy 78rpm blues record, all covered in dust so you can't tell if the vibrato in her voice is due to the age of the recording or is there on purpose. It's a mesmerising sound, her voice has an amazing, stylized, rich timbre and she generally sings about death and destruction which is a good use for a nice voice. When I have seen her play before she has been a bit bolshy, this time she was rather shy and uncertain and maybe a bit more open - perhaps the bolshiness came from not having the confidence to relax, and maybe she is now on the way there; making your own pigeon head mask to wear when singing about pigeons would suggest that day is at hand. Final encore was a cover of Antony's Hope There's Someone which was quite literally fantastic, and for the first time that voice was really used properly, not just in the stylized 'Liz Green' way, a real pleasure at the last.
* I'm talking about 30 years ago
20 November 2009
A home-made pack of Liz Green CD's that I bought at a show in February. Nice, you may think, but what of it? All will become clear.
I usually try not to describe acts by making comparisons to others, unless it's a key point of reference. So:
Denis Jones could be described as Magic Arm's slightly wonky older brother, who has been through a few things but has emerged smiling, more or less, the other side, and has kicked the habit but still sees the crew from time to time, and has a restless need to pursue the next sound, the next rhythm, the next tune, to which end he has refined his guitar, looping and processing skills to such an extent that it really seems he can call into being the exact tone or rhythm he is looking for without a pause, and when he finds it he turns it into surprisingly soulful songs that speak of something entirely other than a pub basement in Crouch End. There is a new album cooking, look out for it.
Homelife could be described as sounding like a nasal Glenn Tillbrook if he forgot how to write good songs*, with seriously grating unsupported tenor vocals and a lamentable fondness for 1970's synth sounds. Ye gods! Although if they chose to work with a decent singer then it could be quite a different matter.
Liz Green, I have finally realised, sounds like a scratchy 78rpm blues record, all covered in dust so you can't tell if the vibrato in her voice is due to the age of the recording or is there on purpose. It's a mesmerising sound, her voice has an amazing, stylized, rich timbre and she generally sings about death and destruction which is a good use for a nice voice. When I have seen her play before she has been a bit bolshy, this time she was rather shy and uncertain and maybe a bit more open - perhaps the bolshiness came from not having the confidence to relax, and maybe she is now on the way there; making your own pigeon head mask to wear when singing about pigeons would suggest that day is at hand. Final encore was a cover of Antony's Hope There's Someone which was quite literally fantastic, and for the first time that voice was really used properly, not just in the stylized 'Liz Green' way, a real pleasure at the last.* I'm talking about 30 years ago
19 November 2009
Dan Mangan/ Hafdis Huld/ Sweet Baboo: an evening in 3 moods
The Lexington
18 November 2009
Sweet Baboo - grumpy
As most of SB's pithy songs contain some humorous aspect, even if only of the gallows variety, it seems odd that he should have a song chastising a reviewer for finding his songs funny. Takes himself quite seriously, does this one. Pretty good chops on the guitar, but as he himself observed, not much variation in style throughout his body of work. He should listen to Liz Green; she does something similar, but rather better.
Hafdis Huld - hyperactive
Almost manic, to be honest - although great fun - but nobody should ever give her a strong coffee. Despite being unable to persuade her guitarist to join her dance routine, boundless energy and good humour radiate from the petite singer. Great voice and all the personality in the world go a long way for her - to no.1 in Iceland, only to be the (other) victim of Michael Jackson's demise - but the songs all seem charming if a bit twee. Called back for an encore, even though not the main act - score!
Dan Mangan - happy
Very well supported by a large Canuck contingent, DM was almost playing to a home town crowd, and knew it from the start; his smile was from relief as much as anything. Unpretentious and also quite funny, he hopes to return with a band next time, which would be worth seeing, as decent arrangements might lift his songs above and beyond being mostly pleasant. Stand-outs were Sold, Indie Queens and an as-yet untitled tune, but overall it felt as if each strong song was followed by something slightly indeterminate, but that may be the drawback of trying to imply a band with just a six-string.
Mood-based accounting method for this show rendered not entirely successful at the last, as Mr Happy had a proper, miserable Smiths cover as his second and final encore.
18 November 2009
Sweet Baboo - grumpy
As most of SB's pithy songs contain some humorous aspect, even if only of the gallows variety, it seems odd that he should have a song chastising a reviewer for finding his songs funny. Takes himself quite seriously, does this one. Pretty good chops on the guitar, but as he himself observed, not much variation in style throughout his body of work. He should listen to Liz Green; she does something similar, but rather better.
Hafdis Huld - hyperactive
Almost manic, to be honest - although great fun - but nobody should ever give her a strong coffee. Despite being unable to persuade her guitarist to join her dance routine, boundless energy and good humour radiate from the petite singer. Great voice and all the personality in the world go a long way for her - to no.1 in Iceland, only to be the (other) victim of Michael Jackson's demise - but the songs all seem charming if a bit twee. Called back for an encore, even though not the main act - score!
Dan Mangan - happy
Very well supported by a large Canuck contingent, DM was almost playing to a home town crowd, and knew it from the start; his smile was from relief as much as anything. Unpretentious and also quite funny, he hopes to return with a band next time, which would be worth seeing, as decent arrangements might lift his songs above and beyond being mostly pleasant. Stand-outs were Sold, Indie Queens and an as-yet untitled tune, but overall it felt as if each strong song was followed by something slightly indeterminate, but that may be the drawback of trying to imply a band with just a six-string.
Mood-based accounting method for this show rendered not entirely successful at the last, as Mr Happy had a proper, miserable Smiths cover as his second and final encore.
15 November 2009
Lucky Dragons do it for the kids
ICA
14 November 2009
The most artistically fashionable assembly I have been at in a good while, quite different to a muso crowd, were able to join in with rattling shaking squeezing and generally mucking about with Lucky Dragons' lucky dip method of performance, which involves passing interactive musical tools to the crowd for experimentation to combine with artist-controlled electronic fiddlings; lo-5's between adjacent folk turn out to be musical contributions rather than dubious greetings. Swelling and pulsing rhythms build up, with plenty of reverb to paper over the cracks, often sounding similar to Julianna Barwick's layered compositions for a while, then moving on to some new improvised territory.
Unlike last time I saw him perform, there was also a nameless vocalist (yes, I accept she probably does have an actual name but it was not made known to we mortals EDIT: Sarah Rara would be the singer, thanks for that!) adding wordless chants to the mix, which worked well, and a pair of screens showing visuals of, alternately, aloe plants or hillside villages wobbled in and out of focus for added ambient wooziness.
14 November 2009
The most artistically fashionable assembly I have been at in a good while, quite different to a muso crowd, were able to join in with rattling shaking squeezing and generally mucking about with Lucky Dragons' lucky dip method of performance, which involves passing interactive musical tools to the crowd for experimentation to combine with artist-controlled electronic fiddlings; lo-5's between adjacent folk turn out to be musical contributions rather than dubious greetings. Swelling and pulsing rhythms build up, with plenty of reverb to paper over the cracks, often sounding similar to Julianna Barwick's layered compositions for a while, then moving on to some new improvised territory. Unlike last time I saw him perform, there was also a nameless vocalist (yes, I accept she probably does have an actual name but it was not made known to we mortals EDIT: Sarah Rara would be the singer, thanks for that!) adding wordless chants to the mix, which worked well, and a pair of screens showing visuals of, alternately, aloe plants or hillside villages wobbled in and out of focus for added ambient wooziness.
13 November 2009
Reach for the sky: Go Away Birds
Windmill
12 November 2009
With just an electro-acoustic guitar - no effect pedals, no loops - this is an exercise in singing and songwriting pure and simple. Thematically the main concern is love, generally seen in the past tense, feeding many elegantly phrased, often wistful observations on the splashes encountered in paddling in the murky depths of relationships.
What to praise first? There seems to be a perfect balance to the songs, an equal importance for both words and music, a surprisingly rare achievement. And the songs are delivered so wonderfully, with a musician playing and a singer singing; again, not so common as might be supposed. But the singing! Catherine Ireton's voice is expressive, clear and well articulated; it simply shines. Outstanding.
All the songs aren't perfect, and the constraints of the duo format only allow a certain amount of ground to be covered, but that seems to be more of a creative constraint than a handicap. The recordings add extra layers of sound, but the songs are clearly good enough to travel light.
I can only guess that geography counted against them on the night, as on merit they should be top of any bill they play.
12 November 2009
With just an electro-acoustic guitar - no effect pedals, no loops - this is an exercise in singing and songwriting pure and simple. Thematically the main concern is love, generally seen in the past tense, feeding many elegantly phrased, often wistful observations on the splashes encountered in paddling in the murky depths of relationships.
What to praise first? There seems to be a perfect balance to the songs, an equal importance for both words and music, a surprisingly rare achievement. And the songs are delivered so wonderfully, with a musician playing and a singer singing; again, not so common as might be supposed. But the singing! Catherine Ireton's voice is expressive, clear and well articulated; it simply shines. Outstanding.
All the songs aren't perfect, and the constraints of the duo format only allow a certain amount of ground to be covered, but that seems to be more of a creative constraint than a handicap. The recordings add extra layers of sound, but the songs are clearly good enough to travel light.
I can only guess that geography counted against them on the night, as on merit they should be top of any bill they play.
10 November 2009
Those who live by Camille, die by Camille: Majiker/ Ebb
ICA
9 November 2009
The staging of Majiker's high concept Body-Piano-Machine (the last is a 1986-vintage synth) album was highly polished, endlessly inventive and packed full of clever ideas both musically and visually.
It would take a major essay to describe the show as so much was included, although that is not going to happen here; briefly - close up video footage was projected on screen, all kinds of lighting scenarios including wrist- and head-mounted LED's, bad jokes, telephone calls taken mid-song, a mask, role playing, hats, body paint etc. Lots of Stuff, all of it as camp as a row of tents.
Best known for producing Camille's last two albums, as well as touring as part of her live act to promote Le Fil, there is much common ground in his music with the clever body-centric techniques used for those recordings.
Majiker, however, is no singer, unlike Camille who is quite possibly the best performer I have ever seen, and more crucially the songs just aren't as good. If they were better then the whole theatrical staging would surely not be needed - the first couple of times I saw her, Camille's stage set was a simple length of string at waist height across the front of the stage. The convincingly articulated driving concept was there, but rather than becoming the defining element of the album, and performance, it underpinned the work, which could speak for itself. Majiker seemed to need to use his concept as a crutch to support an end product that was clever and well done, but not really engaging. If you ask people to dance, as he did, and they don't, then that is surely the most telling measure.
Support act, label-mate Ebb was unfeasibly dreary; Sweden's Manifest prizes would seem to be as meaningful as the Mercury's. My heart sank every time he started another song.
9 November 2009
The staging of Majiker's high concept Body-Piano-Machine (the last is a 1986-vintage synth) album was highly polished, endlessly inventive and packed full of clever ideas both musically and visually.
It would take a major essay to describe the show as so much was included, although that is not going to happen here; briefly - close up video footage was projected on screen, all kinds of lighting scenarios including wrist- and head-mounted LED's, bad jokes, telephone calls taken mid-song, a mask, role playing, hats, body paint etc. Lots of Stuff, all of it as camp as a row of tents.
Best known for producing Camille's last two albums, as well as touring as part of her live act to promote Le Fil, there is much common ground in his music with the clever body-centric techniques used for those recordings.
Majiker, however, is no singer, unlike Camille who is quite possibly the best performer I have ever seen, and more crucially the songs just aren't as good. If they were better then the whole theatrical staging would surely not be needed - the first couple of times I saw her, Camille's stage set was a simple length of string at waist height across the front of the stage. The convincingly articulated driving concept was there, but rather than becoming the defining element of the album, and performance, it underpinned the work, which could speak for itself. Majiker seemed to need to use his concept as a crutch to support an end product that was clever and well done, but not really engaging. If you ask people to dance, as he did, and they don't, then that is surely the most telling measure.
Support act, label-mate Ebb was unfeasibly dreary; Sweden's Manifest prizes would seem to be as meaningful as the Mercury's. My heart sank every time he started another song.
6 November 2009
Beth Jeans Houghton's tales of germs and the sexual mores of the nation's teenagers
The Windmill
5 November 2009
After the first song of the set, a fine version of The Barely Skinny Bone Tree, with reduced band as with the first few times I saw her play, Beth decided to share a 'fact' with us. Grinning hugely, she advised that if you lick someone's arse you will contend with less germs than if you kiss their mouth, which - ooh ooh! - reminded her that a friend of hers has a boyfriend who likes to apply a rectal digit during moments of intimacy; the friend who possesses the invaded bottom isn't actually too keen on this, but failed to mention it to the boyfriend at an early enough point in the relationship and now has decided it is simplest just to live with it.
An entertaining and unexpected way to build rapport with an audience. 10/10.
As usual the set was great fun. Beth was running at about 70% of full power which was probably about right for the Windmill, not a venue I would automatically think she would suit. She has continued to iron the kinks out of her live performances and looked calm and in control, showcasing new songs Janet (abbreviation?) and Sicko, due on the forthcoming album. All sounding good, possibly the best show I have seen from the band, despite the absence of violin and trumpet.
An audience vote on whether to call the album Little Veal (Sicko) was split, with a not unreasonable shout for Sicko gaining credence with part of the crowd. The nation holds its breath.
5 November 2009
After the first song of the set, a fine version of The Barely Skinny Bone Tree, with reduced band as with the first few times I saw her play, Beth decided to share a 'fact' with us. Grinning hugely, she advised that if you lick someone's arse you will contend with less germs than if you kiss their mouth, which - ooh ooh! - reminded her that a friend of hers has a boyfriend who likes to apply a rectal digit during moments of intimacy; the friend who possesses the invaded bottom isn't actually too keen on this, but failed to mention it to the boyfriend at an early enough point in the relationship and now has decided it is simplest just to live with it.
An entertaining and unexpected way to build rapport with an audience. 10/10.
As usual the set was great fun. Beth was running at about 70% of full power which was probably about right for the Windmill, not a venue I would automatically think she would suit. She has continued to iron the kinks out of her live performances and looked calm and in control, showcasing new songs Janet (abbreviation?) and Sicko, due on the forthcoming album. All sounding good, possibly the best show I have seen from the band, despite the absence of violin and trumpet.
An audience vote on whether to call the album Little Veal (Sicko) was split, with a not unreasonable shout for Sicko gaining credence with part of the crowd. The nation holds its breath.
3 November 2009
Guitar Hero II: John Vanderslice/ Choir of Young Believers (but no Basia Bulat)
Relentless Garage
2 November 2009
I don't get it, although I am sure it is just one of my many failings.
Go and see The Acorn, same thing happens. Glory Hope Mountain is a thoughtful and carefully constructed album, but they play the songs live and suddenly it's all wailing licks.
Similarly, JV starts with Too Much Time, his new single, a poignant and beautiful track. Nicely done, but why peak so soon? And then it all goes guitar-centric.... maybe all the sensitive singer-songwriters are really just frustrated rockers? There is a film somewhere on The Internet of the JV band playing quite recently in a bookshop (?) in Montreal/Quebec/somewhere, which of course I can't now locate, that I happily watched all the way through. Unlike last night....
COYB do some niceish things, albeit predictably - harmonies, cello - but are mainly going for epic hugeness, baby. *looks elsewhere*
EDIT: I forgot! Where was Basia? If you fuckers sell and promote gigs with performers names attached, why is it ok for the bands to be changed at the last minute with no publicity? Nice! (or should that be Wankers!)
2 November 2009
I don't get it, although I am sure it is just one of my many failings.
Go and see The Acorn, same thing happens. Glory Hope Mountain is a thoughtful and carefully constructed album, but they play the songs live and suddenly it's all wailing licks.
Similarly, JV starts with Too Much Time, his new single, a poignant and beautiful track. Nicely done, but why peak so soon? And then it all goes guitar-centric.... maybe all the sensitive singer-songwriters are really just frustrated rockers? There is a film somewhere on The Internet of the JV band playing quite recently in a bookshop (?) in Montreal/Quebec/somewhere, which of course I can't now locate, that I happily watched all the way through. Unlike last night....
COYB do some niceish things, albeit predictably - harmonies, cello - but are mainly going for epic hugeness, baby. *looks elsewhere*
EDIT: I forgot! Where was Basia? If you fuckers sell and promote gigs with performers names attached, why is it ok for the bands to be changed at the last minute with no publicity? Nice! (or should that be Wankers!)
1 November 2009
Grizzly Bear/LSO: Democracy in action
Barbican
31 October 2009
Photo:Anika
Half the internet are elsewhere arguing about whether it was OMFG or half-arsed; it should be remembered that most GB songs climax well before the music finishes, which doesn't necessarily help those looking for "epic gig moments" (hello Twitter!).
I thought it was great, almost prize-winning, but not quite. The specially contrived arrangements, which did create terrific effects in places, were not always successful; as the Grizzlers are SO tight as a live band, when the focus was shifted it occasionally destabilised the power and intensity they generate.
Obvious candidates like Southern Point and Foreground worked brilliantly with the orchestra, and perhaps less predictable successes were Dory and He Hit Me, while the nominally band-only Two Weeks, with the addition of only Nico Muhly's piano and some magic dust from the harp, gained a subtle and effective embellishment.
Less successful was a skittering strings effect used in some in- and outro's, and although While You Wait was also noted as 'band only' on the set-list, the admittedly minimal additions to it weren't beneficial. At times the orchestra couldn't be heard that well (were they amplified to match the band?), which would clearly have undermined their efforts.
The band tend to let their music do the talking by not accentuating themselves as personalities on stage - no spotlights on lead vocalist, for example - and certainly no attention-grabbing behaviour, just a few friendly comments from whoever feels like it. Perhaps their well-documented democratic ethos generally, and musical methodology specifically, further extended by opening their work to Nico Muhly for adaptation, doesn't always help them maintain an easy identifiable central focal point for those who need it.
9.5/10
EDIT: as if by magic a film of Southern Point from Saturday has appeared; sound is not that great - use headphones if you can - but it does give a fair idea of proceedings. Share & enjoy.
31 October 2009
Half the internet are elsewhere arguing about whether it was OMFG or half-arsed; it should be remembered that most GB songs climax well before the music finishes, which doesn't necessarily help those looking for "epic gig moments" (hello Twitter!).
I thought it was great, almost prize-winning, but not quite. The specially contrived arrangements, which did create terrific effects in places, were not always successful; as the Grizzlers are SO tight as a live band, when the focus was shifted it occasionally destabilised the power and intensity they generate.
Obvious candidates like Southern Point and Foreground worked brilliantly with the orchestra, and perhaps less predictable successes were Dory and He Hit Me, while the nominally band-only Two Weeks, with the addition of only Nico Muhly's piano and some magic dust from the harp, gained a subtle and effective embellishment.
Less successful was a skittering strings effect used in some in- and outro's, and although While You Wait was also noted as 'band only' on the set-list, the admittedly minimal additions to it weren't beneficial. At times the orchestra couldn't be heard that well (were they amplified to match the band?), which would clearly have undermined their efforts.
The band tend to let their music do the talking by not accentuating themselves as personalities on stage - no spotlights on lead vocalist, for example - and certainly no attention-grabbing behaviour, just a few friendly comments from whoever feels like it. Perhaps their well-documented democratic ethos generally, and musical methodology specifically, further extended by opening their work to Nico Muhly for adaptation, doesn't always help them maintain an easy identifiable central focal point for those who need it.
9.5/10
EDIT: as if by magic a film of Southern Point from Saturday has appeared; sound is not that great - use headphones if you can - but it does give a fair idea of proceedings. Share & enjoy.
29 October 2009
Mountain Man @ CMJ: Headphones on, please
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner: Mountain Man [Part 2 of 14] from Ray Concepcioñ on Vimeo.
Not only am I not sure that the world needs another blog, I am also not sure it needs two posts in the same day.
However, the first Dude of the Week has hit the jackpot again, and who am I to resist such bounty.
Mountain Man are a joy, and this film is a treat. Yes.
The Predictable Mr Tet
Some things you don't even need to hear to know it'll be good. Although it does help, to be fair.
Pitchfork call him a "laptop experimenter", which is true in itself, but that's not really where this is at. I think he's going for the office Xmas party market with this one, aimed for just before the fighting starts.
28 October 2009
If I was a Richmond: Broadcast 2000's parlour game
Roundhouse Studio Theatre
27 October 2009
The BBC Emerging Prom organised by Platforms:live featured, in order of appearance, Mariner's Children (not bad, a bit nervy, need voice training quick, one good song), Stars of Sunday League (don't really do it for me so sat that one out), Broadcast 2000 (vibrant, really know what they are doing, best ever use of a stepladder for musical purposes in Chalk Farm on a Tuesday evening*) and Stornoway (sound problems unsettled them, basically fine although least convincing set I have seen from them).
So far, so.... fine, y'know. No surprises, generally.
Except that when B2K were on, during a pause for Joe to retune, Louise was eventually persuaded to share with us a game they play: replace a word or phrase in a song with the name of a tube station, and after giving a couple of examples she invited any contributions up on stage; one girl did jump up, curled her lip and did a fair impression of Billy Idol - "It's a nice day for a Whitechapel". Quick on the draw, well done to her, although she did decline her prize of a participating role in the next song which was a disappointment.
Oh yeah - and they used a stepladder as a strikingly effective percussion instrument; check the photo again.
* Probably, but how can I know for sure?
EDIT: well The Internet has been very kind today and thrown up a second film to add to one of my little post-ettes; here in all their glory are the B2K mob playing name games and singing a song. And I didn't quite recall it all word-for-word but managed a reasonable version, I'm sure you will agree. If you can wait until 5 mins in, you get a close-up of the ladder doing what ladders usually don't.
27 October 2009
The BBC Emerging Prom organised by Platforms:live featured, in order of appearance, Mariner's Children (not bad, a bit nervy, need voice training quick, one good song), Stars of Sunday League (don't really do it for me so sat that one out), Broadcast 2000 (vibrant, really know what they are doing, best ever use of a stepladder for musical purposes in Chalk Farm on a Tuesday evening*) and Stornoway (sound problems unsettled them, basically fine although least convincing set I have seen from them).So far, so.... fine, y'know. No surprises, generally.
Except that when B2K were on, during a pause for Joe to retune, Louise was eventually persuaded to share with us a game they play: replace a word or phrase in a song with the name of a tube station, and after giving a couple of examples she invited any contributions up on stage; one girl did jump up, curled her lip and did a fair impression of Billy Idol - "It's a nice day for a Whitechapel". Quick on the draw, well done to her, although she did decline her prize of a participating role in the next song which was a disappointment.
Oh yeah - and they used a stepladder as a strikingly effective percussion instrument; check the photo again.
* Probably, but how can I know for sure?
EDIT: well The Internet has been very kind today and thrown up a second film to add to one of my little post-ettes; here in all their glory are the B2K mob playing name games and singing a song. And I didn't quite recall it all word-for-word but managed a reasonable version, I'm sure you will agree. If you can wait until 5 mins in, you get a close-up of the ladder doing what ladders usually don't.
25 October 2009
Go Away Birds
Proper songs, properly sung; Catherine Ireton has such a wonderful clear voice.
They even have a tour-ette coming up; I'll be there, although I won't be staying for the headliners in case you were wondering.
21 October 2009
Hide behind the shriek: Soap&Skin
Purcell Room
20 October 2009
Photos: Anika
Coming, as she does, with so much diva-style baggage attached, it was with a degree of hesitancy that I dared take my seat after the interval, awaiting the arrival of Anja Plaschg. The Steinway grand had in the interim been adorned with white lilies, the smoke machine was blowing, the incense burning, the lights dimmed and a tiny shy girl with back-combed hair emerged from behind the curtain and glided over to the piano....
Whilst not wishing to delay anyone's gratification in any way, there is also the requirement of addressing Jon Hopkins' performance which came before the interval; it was confusing.
Anyone who had been at, say, the Ninja Tune-hosted Stealth nights at what was the Blue Note in Hoxton Square would have seen scratched-up broken beat mixing, sometimes house-y sometimes jungletastic beats being split there and then - but that was 1995 (or was it '96?). So it was hard to tell why this guy was doing essentially the same thing so many years later, only with the addition of all his dramatic posturing, which isn't, of course, actually needed when twisting or sliding a few dials or controls on a console. Confusing, in a WTF way. Although luckily JH appears to count Natalie Imbruglia - wearing a short red dress to help her remain inconspicuous - amongst his friends, so that's alright then.
Now where were we....
It seemed that she was in fact in a good mood from the first, with a tiny quarter-smile as she took her seat suggesting all was well, and it was. The performance was compelling and she was in fine voice, her playing was dynamic, the venue and simple but dramatic staging suited her well, and any concerns about moody unpredictability were baseless.
Anja was a curious creature to see; it took at least four songs before she even looked at the audience, and when she acknowledged applause it was generally with an all but inaudible murmur, in marked contrast to her singing, which rose to an abandoned all-out wail, an outpouring of the tortured emotions behind her songs. Poor old mum, one may suspect, but lucky us.
There was also a contrast between her apparent awkwardness and her surprising bolt away from the piano to head off for a lap around the front of the stalls, howling as she ran, arriving back at the piano in perfect time to coordinate with the laptop-based accompaniment; clearly some kind of pre-planned spontaneous moment, the realisation of which slightly spoilt the effect.
So, a glowing performance, but how much of the moodiness is for effect is hard to gauge - next time I want to see her in a bad mood.
20 October 2009
Photos: Anika
Coming, as she does, with so much diva-style baggage attached, it was with a degree of hesitancy that I dared take my seat after the interval, awaiting the arrival of Anja Plaschg. The Steinway grand had in the interim been adorned with white lilies, the smoke machine was blowing, the incense burning, the lights dimmed and a tiny shy girl with back-combed hair emerged from behind the curtain and glided over to the piano....
Whilst not wishing to delay anyone's gratification in any way, there is also the requirement of addressing Jon Hopkins' performance which came before the interval; it was confusing.
Anyone who had been at, say, the Ninja Tune-hosted Stealth nights at what was the Blue Note in Hoxton Square would have seen scratched-up broken beat mixing, sometimes house-y sometimes jungletastic beats being split there and then - but that was 1995 (or was it '96?). So it was hard to tell why this guy was doing essentially the same thing so many years later, only with the addition of all his dramatic posturing, which isn't, of course, actually needed when twisting or sliding a few dials or controls on a console. Confusing, in a WTF way. Although luckily JH appears to count Natalie Imbruglia - wearing a short red dress to help her remain inconspicuous - amongst his friends, so that's alright then.
Now where were we....
It seemed that she was in fact in a good mood from the first, with a tiny quarter-smile as she took her seat suggesting all was well, and it was. The performance was compelling and she was in fine voice, her playing was dynamic, the venue and simple but dramatic staging suited her well, and any concerns about moody unpredictability were baseless.
Anja was a curious creature to see; it took at least four songs before she even looked at the audience, and when she acknowledged applause it was generally with an all but inaudible murmur, in marked contrast to her singing, which rose to an abandoned all-out wail, an outpouring of the tortured emotions behind her songs. Poor old mum, one may suspect, but lucky us.
There was also a contrast between her apparent awkwardness and her surprising bolt away from the piano to head off for a lap around the front of the stalls, howling as she ran, arriving back at the piano in perfect time to coordinate with the laptop-based accompaniment; clearly some kind of pre-planned spontaneous moment, the realisation of which slightly spoilt the effect.
So, a glowing performance, but how much of the moodiness is for effect is hard to gauge - next time I want to see her in a bad mood.
16 October 2009
Micachu & The Shapes/ The Invisible/ Connan Mockasin
The Scala
15 October 2009
Let us start at the end.
M&TS are so completely in control that they can even get away with a lengthy and noodley cover of McCartney curio Temporary Secretary as an encore, joined in the gleeful show of willfulness by all members of the support acts. Fuck it - on home turf and obviously pleased to be there, so why not? Throughout the set they took their already deconstructed songs and pulled them around to fine effect - Guts especially - making LOTS OF NOISE (sometimes) or being very quiet (sometimes).
They have been gigging constantly for quite a while now and the benefit of this experience is apparent, as each time I have seen them play there have been new variations of some kind, and what's more they look like they love it, with lots of smiles and winks across the stage as the games and tweaks are pulled off.
Partly for the maintenance of their own sanity, I'm sure, the ongoing variations are being followed into the armoury by new songs, which are not all as instant as the album tracks, although one - forgot the name, curses! - was a stormer and bodes well for the next round. In summary I would like to say something chunky and concise like 'Fuckin' A!', but I can't remember whether or not that is a compliment these days.
(There should be a better photo here, but my feeble iphone camera can't cope with the lights at the Scala. This picture is so bad that it is quite funny.)
The Invisible were better than I thought they would be, based on what little I had heard before; informed by a post-Factory minimal rhythmic thing that seems to be popular at the moment, there is more to them than that but it doesn't quite convince. I can't help wondering what we would hear if they didn't have a mixing-desk's worth of effects pedals; they were due to do the last Bandstand Busk but pulled out due to illness - unfortunate, as that would have shown the songs in plain view. M&TS comfortably showed what their songs can be distilled to when they did a BB set in August.
Connan Mockasin had some quirky off-stage presentation stylings, and an occasional throat tapping gimmick, but were most comfortable knocking out very slightly unconventional bluesy rock which was ok for the most part.
15 October 2009
Let us start at the end.
M&TS are so completely in control that they can even get away with a lengthy and noodley cover of McCartney curio Temporary Secretary as an encore, joined in the gleeful show of willfulness by all members of the support acts. Fuck it - on home turf and obviously pleased to be there, so why not? Throughout the set they took their already deconstructed songs and pulled them around to fine effect - Guts especially - making LOTS OF NOISE (sometimes) or being very quiet (sometimes).
They have been gigging constantly for quite a while now and the benefit of this experience is apparent, as each time I have seen them play there have been new variations of some kind, and what's more they look like they love it, with lots of smiles and winks across the stage as the games and tweaks are pulled off.
Partly for the maintenance of their own sanity, I'm sure, the ongoing variations are being followed into the armoury by new songs, which are not all as instant as the album tracks, although one - forgot the name, curses! - was a stormer and bodes well for the next round. In summary I would like to say something chunky and concise like 'Fuckin' A!', but I can't remember whether or not that is a compliment these days.
(There should be a better photo here, but my feeble iphone camera can't cope with the lights at the Scala. This picture is so bad that it is quite funny.) The Invisible were better than I thought they would be, based on what little I had heard before; informed by a post-Factory minimal rhythmic thing that seems to be popular at the moment, there is more to them than that but it doesn't quite convince. I can't help wondering what we would hear if they didn't have a mixing-desk's worth of effects pedals; they were due to do the last Bandstand Busk but pulled out due to illness - unfortunate, as that would have shown the songs in plain view. M&TS comfortably showed what their songs can be distilled to when they did a BB set in August.
Connan Mockasin had some quirky off-stage presentation stylings, and an occasional throat tapping gimmick, but were most comfortable knocking out very slightly unconventional bluesy rock which was ok for the most part.
13 October 2009
Dude of the: Week
A couple of fine Ray Concepcion films are now floating around these pages, so in appreciation of this he has been selected to be the very first Dude of the Week. *applause*
Well done sir! I hope that in return he will feel free to copy and paste anything interesting that he finds around here. Ahem. (EDIT: He did! Haha, brilliant! Mind you, the old internet is in danger of going round in circles if this keeps happening.)
But here, with quite literally perfect timing, is a trademark zoomed-in piece from last week, when the sublime Julianna Barwick was support to Micachu & The Shapes in NY.... I wish she was going to be support on Thursday too. Layered and dreamy, simple adjectives that they are, are usually also compliments in my personal lexicon, and nothing is more l & d than this, in the best possible way:
Sunlight, Heaven: Julianna Barwick from Ray Concepcioñ on Vimeo.
Well done sir! I hope that in return he will feel free to copy and paste anything interesting that he finds around here. Ahem. (EDIT: He did! Haha, brilliant! Mind you, the old internet is in danger of going round in circles if this keeps happening.)
But here, with quite literally perfect timing, is a trademark zoomed-in piece from last week, when the sublime Julianna Barwick was support to Micachu & The Shapes in NY.... I wish she was going to be support on Thursday too. Layered and dreamy, simple adjectives that they are, are usually also compliments in my personal lexicon, and nothing is more l & d than this, in the best possible way:
Sunlight, Heaven: Julianna Barwick from Ray Concepcioñ on Vimeo.
9 October 2009
Dudes of the: Year
It is only October, but I can't see much chance of the Grizzlies being out-duded.
Here are two things via Pitchfork that demonstrate their resplendence. Firstly, from the Cemetary Gates (sorry, can't go with cemetery) series:
and secondly a candidate for alternative version of the year, of a candidate for song of the year, so it's all making with the happy as far as I am concerned:
Here are two things via Pitchfork that demonstrate their resplendence. Firstly, from the Cemetary Gates (sorry, can't go with cemetery) series:
and secondly a candidate for alternative version of the year, of a candidate for song of the year, so it's all making with the happy as far as I am concerned:
Grizzly Bear - "All We Ask" @ The Pabst Theater: Blue Ribbon Vision #9 from Pabst Theater on Vimeo.
8 October 2009
Word of the moment 3: Thee
A sorry tale of a sorely mistreated pronoun; this edition of WOTM is an unhappy muddlefudger. With a heavy heart it is time to record for posterity - as it is well documented that The Internet lives forever - some of the abuses that have been inflicted. Witness the following:
Thee Intolerable Kid (band)
Thee Single Spy (band, quite good actually, based on one viewing)
Thee Oh Sees (band)
TheeRamJams (song - Bootsy Collins)
Thee only one (song - Frankie Rose and the Outs [yes I know you don't know them, they're new])
I could go on, but it's getting me down. Pffffff......
Thee Intolerable Kid (band)
Thee Single Spy (band, quite good actually, based on one viewing)
Thee Oh Sees (band)
TheeRamJams (song - Bootsy Collins)
Thee only one (song - Frankie Rose and the Outs [yes I know you don't know them, they're new])
I could go on, but it's getting me down. Pffffff......
5 October 2009
Joan As Policewoman
Union Chapel
4 October 2009
After the first song Joan Wasser was obviously warming up nicely, as she removed her jacket to reveal, in its full glory, her pink leopardskin-print off the shoulder jumpsuit. The red and blue striped boots added a nicely judged vertical accent to the ankle area.
Partner-in-crime Timo Ellis sported an ankle-length jacket in a matching print - on a neutral backing, thankfully - and thus a kitsch theme was well established, and in danger of running away with things, given that Britney (well, Team Britney, presumably) was the origin of song 2. This was followed by an Iggy Pop tune and a rising fear that the whole evening was going to be unmemorable covers of songs I don't know, as - ta dah! - Joan explained her new covers album, called, er, Cover.
In fact she explained not only that, but also the splendidly post-modern cover version of her covers album which, if I understood correctly, is only on sale at the live shows. As I was there on the basis of her two previous albums, the gorgeous ones without any covered tunes, the next hour was threatened by rain clouds....
Happily the sun shone through instead, and there followed a mix of new and familiar JAPW tracks alongside some better-judged Hendrix and Bowie tunes, and a drums-and-vocals cover of recent Sonic Youth track Sacred Trickster which was reminiscent of the recent Wildbirds & Peacedrums set at the same venue.
Not all clear blue skies though; before playing a song based around She Watched Channel Zero, Joan was caught out trying to unearth anyone who had been to see Public Enemy 20 years ago, as she had - a slightly awkward moment as she was clearly anticipating a greater response, but a couple of stifled cheers suggested not many had been down with that particular shizz. I think she was mistaking a JAPW crowd for JAPW herself; in my experience musicians are often open to all flavours, but that doesn't mean their fans are.
Best cover of all was the third and final part of the encore, Nina Simone's Keeper Of The Flame, featuring a fine mariachi-style baritone ukelele solo. Joan has an amazing voice, ranging from almost falsetto down to contralto, as some of the simplest arrangements helped to demonstrate; the singer playing the keyboard was the surest bet of the various combinations the duo tried during the set. Ultimately it felt as if there had been some fine moments, but the performance didn't quite hit the heights one suspects it might be able to, and so the mood in the venue likewise didn't respond as I have seen it do on other occasions.
The careful reader may notice that a number of the features of the evening mentioned above do not, typically, occur at shows. There were also, to balance the books, a selection of gig tropes to be found:
- unsatisfactory support act who were pleased to be there
- terrible sound mix for the support act, much better for the headliner
- endless pauses for guitars to be retuned
- everyone thanking everyone else for everything (support act, sound engineer, the audience etc)
- everyone being expected to applaud any mention of London, the existence of the Union Chapel etc
- preordained understanding that there would be an encore
- unconvincing attempt at a standing ovation from a few hardcore Joansters, when the atmosphere just wasn't really there
4 October 2009
After the first song Joan Wasser was obviously warming up nicely, as she removed her jacket to reveal, in its full glory, her pink leopardskin-print off the shoulder jumpsuit. The red and blue striped boots added a nicely judged vertical accent to the ankle area.
Partner-in-crime Timo Ellis sported an ankle-length jacket in a matching print - on a neutral backing, thankfully - and thus a kitsch theme was well established, and in danger of running away with things, given that Britney (well, Team Britney, presumably) was the origin of song 2. This was followed by an Iggy Pop tune and a rising fear that the whole evening was going to be unmemorable covers of songs I don't know, as - ta dah! - Joan explained her new covers album, called, er, Cover.
In fact she explained not only that, but also the splendidly post-modern cover version of her covers album which, if I understood correctly, is only on sale at the live shows. As I was there on the basis of her two previous albums, the gorgeous ones without any covered tunes, the next hour was threatened by rain clouds....
Happily the sun shone through instead, and there followed a mix of new and familiar JAPW tracks alongside some better-judged Hendrix and Bowie tunes, and a drums-and-vocals cover of recent Sonic Youth track Sacred Trickster which was reminiscent of the recent Wildbirds & Peacedrums set at the same venue.
Not all clear blue skies though; before playing a song based around She Watched Channel Zero, Joan was caught out trying to unearth anyone who had been to see Public Enemy 20 years ago, as she had - a slightly awkward moment as she was clearly anticipating a greater response, but a couple of stifled cheers suggested not many had been down with that particular shizz. I think she was mistaking a JAPW crowd for JAPW herself; in my experience musicians are often open to all flavours, but that doesn't mean their fans are.
Best cover of all was the third and final part of the encore, Nina Simone's Keeper Of The Flame, featuring a fine mariachi-style baritone ukelele solo. Joan has an amazing voice, ranging from almost falsetto down to contralto, as some of the simplest arrangements helped to demonstrate; the singer playing the keyboard was the surest bet of the various combinations the duo tried during the set. Ultimately it felt as if there had been some fine moments, but the performance didn't quite hit the heights one suspects it might be able to, and so the mood in the venue likewise didn't respond as I have seen it do on other occasions.
The careful reader may notice that a number of the features of the evening mentioned above do not, typically, occur at shows. There were also, to balance the books, a selection of gig tropes to be found:
- unsatisfactory support act who were pleased to be there
- terrible sound mix for the support act, much better for the headliner
- endless pauses for guitars to be retuned
- everyone thanking everyone else for everything (support act, sound engineer, the audience etc)
- everyone being expected to applaud any mention of London, the existence of the Union Chapel etc
- preordained understanding that there would be an encore
- unconvincing attempt at a standing ovation from a few hardcore Joansters, when the atmosphere just wasn't really there
2 October 2009
Champion Lyricists: Tom Brosseau
Due to a dearth of impressive individual words this week, we revert to option B - it's not how big it is, it's how you use it; no attention-grabbing prize-winners here, but take some ornery critters and stick them together in the right way and away we go....
The track Favourite Colour Blue from Tom Brosseau's recent album Posthumous Success holds many lyrical delights, and although it's not exactly the most elegant use of language there is an endearing charm.
An early gambit runs as follows:
"I went to church last Sunday and let me tell you what -
when I got through it gave me back my strut"
but the honours go to this quatrain:
"I'm secretly in love with my best friend's older sis
I have been ever since I saw her doing the twist
I really believe she is the lock and I'm the key
Ah but holding it all in is really killing me"
Channel the groin-led hopeless romanticism of your inner teenager, Mr Brosseau; naïve charm is the best kind.
The track Favourite Colour Blue from Tom Brosseau's recent album Posthumous Success holds many lyrical delights, and although it's not exactly the most elegant use of language there is an endearing charm.
An early gambit runs as follows:
"I went to church last Sunday and let me tell you what -
when I got through it gave me back my strut"
but the honours go to this quatrain:
"I'm secretly in love with my best friend's older sis
I have been ever since I saw her doing the twist
I really believe she is the lock and I'm the key
Ah but holding it all in is really killing me"
Channel the groin-led hopeless romanticism of your inner teenager, Mr Brosseau; naïve charm is the best kind.
30 September 2009
David Sylvian - Small Metal Gods
David Sylvian "Small Metal Gods" from Samadhisound on Vimeo.
When I was a small child of about 16 or 17 years, David Sylvian was just about le dernier cri when it came to fashionable artistic types; The Art of Parties 12" vinyl still sits in my collection. Almost unbelievably it is apparently 21 post-Japan albums down the line that we come to Manafon, and this understated and elegant film for the wonderful track Small Metal Gods.With resonant spaces between the sparse musical elements and the emotive vocal line, a minor miracle has happened here with an all-too-rare balance between the eloquent, poetic lyrics and the minimal accompaniment.
What a joy.
26 September 2009
Widths and Heights - The Movie
I seem to have been previously unaware of this rather pleasing fillum - how did this happen? I should probably spend more time online.
Delights include:
a - landscapes, and trees.
b - origami
c - silhouettes
Marvellous.
25 September 2009
Golden Girl: Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny
Slaughtered Lamb
23 September 2009
There were two other acts playing, and there was also the Hooves of Destiny, but there was no doubting the real centre of attention at a busy Electro Acoustic Club.
For the record, act 1, Emit Bloch, not entirely predictably a Jewish Cowboy from Utah who said he has 178 cousins, seems to be more a part of Devendra Banhart's away-with-the-fairies freak-folk extended family than he is a kosher rancher. Act 2 was a band that even the promoter's website doesn't name (and which I forgot to note from the set times poster) who played downbeat but pretty enough straight folk that was fine but didn't command attention.
Then came Beth, who by her own exuberant standards didn't let her personality blaze from the beginning - despite the two-foot tall hedge/backwards wig, atop a frock coat with lashings of gold braid and a layered mini dress. Funny thing was that she had been sporting pink hot-pants and a bra top an hour before playing; fool that I am, I had taken that to be the stage outfit. Nay, nay and thrice not.
After a low-key start to the set, Beth warmed to her task and gradually added her trademark banter, with practised stories of the songs' genesis and improvised deviations for everything else. It was good to see that the sometimes amusing but also rather self-indulgent and amateurish attitude to live shows, which has previously led to tunes being endlessly restarted or even abandoned altogether, is now a disappearing trait.
As mentioned previously, not all the songs are of equal merit, and although they are always fun to watch, the too-frequent oompah rhythm is in danger of mistaking 'jolly' for 'worth hearing'; however some songs are wonderful so let us not dwell on the quibbles. Most intriguing is the way Beth sings, suddenly switching from her hyper-animated chatter to a static almost trance-like state when The Voice flows, to wonderful effect, as on Golden, reluctantly played but I can't think why, it is fantastic. The muted trumpet worked a treat.
So: lots of the BJH back- and current catalogue and a couple of covers, all neatly rendered by the well-practised Hooves of Destiny; Nightswimmer, Veins and Golden were the stand-outs. Team Beth are ready to move up the ladder.
23 September 2009
There were two other acts playing, and there was also the Hooves of Destiny, but there was no doubting the real centre of attention at a busy Electro Acoustic Club.
For the record, act 1, Emit Bloch, not entirely predictably a Jewish Cowboy from Utah who said he has 178 cousins, seems to be more a part of Devendra Banhart's away-with-the-fairies freak-folk extended family than he is a kosher rancher. Act 2 was a band that even the promoter's website doesn't name (and which I forgot to note from the set times poster) who played downbeat but pretty enough straight folk that was fine but didn't command attention.
Then came Beth, who by her own exuberant standards didn't let her personality blaze from the beginning - despite the two-foot tall hedge/backwards wig, atop a frock coat with lashings of gold braid and a layered mini dress. Funny thing was that she had been sporting pink hot-pants and a bra top an hour before playing; fool that I am, I had taken that to be the stage outfit. Nay, nay and thrice not.After a low-key start to the set, Beth warmed to her task and gradually added her trademark banter, with practised stories of the songs' genesis and improvised deviations for everything else. It was good to see that the sometimes amusing but also rather self-indulgent and amateurish attitude to live shows, which has previously led to tunes being endlessly restarted or even abandoned altogether, is now a disappearing trait.
As mentioned previously, not all the songs are of equal merit, and although they are always fun to watch, the too-frequent oompah rhythm is in danger of mistaking 'jolly' for 'worth hearing'; however some songs are wonderful so let us not dwell on the quibbles. Most intriguing is the way Beth sings, suddenly switching from her hyper-animated chatter to a static almost trance-like state when The Voice flows, to wonderful effect, as on Golden, reluctantly played but I can't think why, it is fantastic. The muted trumpet worked a treat.
So: lots of the BJH back- and current catalogue and a couple of covers, all neatly rendered by the well-practised Hooves of Destiny; Nightswimmer, Veins and Golden were the stand-outs. Team Beth are ready to move up the ladder.
19 September 2009
17 September 2009
More bagel in the monitor, please. And less reverb for the A-Z.
Cafe Oto
16 September 2009
Dana from AU is brought to his knees by the revelation that he has developed a bumstick Photos: Anika
The Good Anna, unknown (and un-researched) by me, were presumably going to be a girl and a guitar - but by golly no. Some young men stepped up, and reading from left to right, they offered guitar, drums and violin, while a fourth, seated, contributor in front of the others read an A-Z. Opening with a shriek, he then ate a bagel at us, often whilst reading from the A-Z, sometimes whilst drinking orange juice too. The band busied themselves with semi-improvised skronkiness, melody clearly not central to their concerns, and after a while the front-man read jokes from a jazz mag, apparently purchased earlier at a service station. He claimed not to be too impressed with the magazine, but it did appear to be tidied away with the rest of their kit at the end of the set....
Highlights included the vocalist hurling himself to the floor, to the evident discomfort of the neat young man seated nearby who, taking no chances with such potentially hazardous improvisational art, quickly gathered up his glass of wine in a rather fey protective manoeuvre; some fairly vigorous seated dancing; and the fact that they stopped after 15 minutes or so.
Best quote: "I tried some of that meze stuff; I quite liked it but I didn't understand it". Second best quote, reviewing an unclad female person in the magazine: "Look! This girl here is never 18! Fucking disgrace I call it!"
For any other performance artists who might ever happen to see these words, it should be noted that The Good Anna didn't pause between numbers, which was a good tactic as there would likely have been awkward silences.... happily some polite applause was offered at the conclusion of events, mainly from relief it seemed. The number of emptied seats in front of the stage offered some insight into the true feelings of the audience - Dalston not up for anything more challenging than a lopsided hair-cut, perhaps?
After this, Mr Monk (promoting) felt the need to regain control of the evening by personally introducing Twi The Humble Feather, the second band, an acoustic guitar trio playing rhythmic, layered and rather ambient tunes with hooting non-verbal singing, which was pleasing and quite absorbing but also quickly led to wondering whether there wasn't something else that needed adding, like a lead guitar line or focal vocal.
Happy-go-Luke-y
AU, headlining, have translated the ethereal and often floaty sound of Verbs into something altogether punchier and considerably more vigorous for their live shows, demonstrated by opener Ida Walked Away, which was written to reflect their current format as a duo, and which bodes well for the forthcoming EP. Something of the lightness of touch of the album is lost in performance as there simply aren't enough pairs of hands available, nor any female voices. All good energetic fun though, and some of the tracks lost less than others, particularly encore Are Animals, which had the crowd on their feet and screaming - albeit at Luke's request; we weren't quite moved to an artsy coffee-shop version of speaking in tongues.
Check out the loveliness:
16 September 2009
Dana from AU is brought to his knees by the revelation that he has developed a bumstick Photos: AnikaThe Good Anna, unknown (and un-researched) by me, were presumably going to be a girl and a guitar - but by golly no. Some young men stepped up, and reading from left to right, they offered guitar, drums and violin, while a fourth, seated, contributor in front of the others read an A-Z. Opening with a shriek, he then ate a bagel at us, often whilst reading from the A-Z, sometimes whilst drinking orange juice too. The band busied themselves with semi-improvised skronkiness, melody clearly not central to their concerns, and after a while the front-man read jokes from a jazz mag, apparently purchased earlier at a service station. He claimed not to be too impressed with the magazine, but it did appear to be tidied away with the rest of their kit at the end of the set....
Highlights included the vocalist hurling himself to the floor, to the evident discomfort of the neat young man seated nearby who, taking no chances with such potentially hazardous improvisational art, quickly gathered up his glass of wine in a rather fey protective manoeuvre; some fairly vigorous seated dancing; and the fact that they stopped after 15 minutes or so.
Best quote: "I tried some of that meze stuff; I quite liked it but I didn't understand it". Second best quote, reviewing an unclad female person in the magazine: "Look! This girl here is never 18! Fucking disgrace I call it!"
For any other performance artists who might ever happen to see these words, it should be noted that The Good Anna didn't pause between numbers, which was a good tactic as there would likely have been awkward silences.... happily some polite applause was offered at the conclusion of events, mainly from relief it seemed. The number of emptied seats in front of the stage offered some insight into the true feelings of the audience - Dalston not up for anything more challenging than a lopsided hair-cut, perhaps?
After this, Mr Monk (promoting) felt the need to regain control of the evening by personally introducing Twi The Humble Feather, the second band, an acoustic guitar trio playing rhythmic, layered and rather ambient tunes with hooting non-verbal singing, which was pleasing and quite absorbing but also quickly led to wondering whether there wasn't something else that needed adding, like a lead guitar line or focal vocal.
Happy-go-Luke-yAU, headlining, have translated the ethereal and often floaty sound of Verbs into something altogether punchier and considerably more vigorous for their live shows, demonstrated by opener Ida Walked Away, which was written to reflect their current format as a duo, and which bodes well for the forthcoming EP. Something of the lightness of touch of the album is lost in performance as there simply aren't enough pairs of hands available, nor any female voices. All good energetic fun though, and some of the tracks lost less than others, particularly encore Are Animals, which had the crowd on their feet and screaming - albeit at Luke's request; we weren't quite moved to an artsy coffee-shop version of speaking in tongues.
Check out the loveliness:
AU - RR vs. D from Rainbow Dropshadow on Vimeo.
15 September 2009
Word of the moment 2: Oblation
I am pleased to report that some excellent words have been used lately, 'oblation' being one of these in case you haven't gathered what is happening here.
ob‧la‧tion [uncountable and countable] formal
a gift that is offered to God or a god, or the act of offering the gift
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Used in Pity Dance by DM Stith - "to descend again in sweet oblation" - the word itself (score: 8/10) is not best served by being rhymed with 'obliteration', which is hardly an elegant resolution as it is basically the same word with some extra letters in the middle.
Nonetheless, we applaud Mr Stith's efforts.
And as no visual stimulus was added to the review of his fantastic show in July, this seems to be a suitable point to add a nice film of another track, BMB, also on the recent album Heavy Ghost, where a beautiful lady turns into hexagons.
ob‧la‧tion [uncountable and countable] formal
a gift that is offered to God or a god, or the act of offering the gift
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Used in Pity Dance by DM Stith - "to descend again in sweet oblation" - the word itself (score: 8/10) is not best served by being rhymed with 'obliteration', which is hardly an elegant resolution as it is basically the same word with some extra letters in the middle.
Nonetheless, we applaud Mr Stith's efforts.
And as no visual stimulus was added to the review of his fantastic show in July, this seems to be a suitable point to add a nice film of another track, BMB, also on the recent album Heavy Ghost, where a beautiful lady turns into hexagons.
DM Stith - BMB from Asthmatic Kitty on Vimeo.
11 September 2009
Loney Dear's Word of the Moment: Pedagogic
Union Chapel
10 September 2009
Maybe I'm a soft touch these days, but it is hard not to be impressed when presented with a Swedish singer who, when attempting to make the initially hesitant audience sing a refrain, apparently felt he was in danger of behaving in a rather teacherly manner, and described himself as such.
Clearly not caused by any linguistic inadequacies, his difficulty with nudging the crowd into life was mainly due to what had come before. The issue was not The Whispertown 2000, who tried to be perky but suffered badly from an unhelpfully early 7.30 start, and also seemed to struggle to make their performance fill the charming but slightly imposing venue - unlike Wildbirds & Peacedrums who were next to play, and who had no problems whatsoever with commanding the stage.
Wilbirds & Peacedrums take a break from making sweet sweet music off-stage to make sweet sweet music on-stage. Photo: Anika
Mariam has acknowledged in interviews that she is very responsive to the emotional energy of the audience, and clearly also to her environment, as in introduction she advised that, feeling it to be a special venue, she knew they were going to have a better time than us; if they did then they must still be in the afterglow....
W&P were both absolutely electrifying and really quite moving, a sensual, soaring and abandoned channelling of lust and love; they absolutely give the lie to all the posers and fakers, this is the real thing. Their qualities have already been acclaimed in the very first post on this blog, and this performance was all of those things and more, an ecstatic improvised dance through their repertoire, rampaging from delicate to dynamite in seconds. Heart- and show-stopping it was; and so back to Loney Dear, whose softly swelling folky roving was always going to struggle to impress after such intoxicating delights.
And so it proved - a very engaging and witty personality, his gently uplifting songs on on any other night would be a fine finale to the evening; this time, despite generous approval from a still receptive crowd, the fireworks had already been and gone and it was just a bit post-climactic.
10 September 2009
Maybe I'm a soft touch these days, but it is hard not to be impressed when presented with a Swedish singer who, when attempting to make the initially hesitant audience sing a refrain, apparently felt he was in danger of behaving in a rather teacherly manner, and described himself as such.
Clearly not caused by any linguistic inadequacies, his difficulty with nudging the crowd into life was mainly due to what had come before. The issue was not The Whispertown 2000, who tried to be perky but suffered badly from an unhelpfully early 7.30 start, and also seemed to struggle to make their performance fill the charming but slightly imposing venue - unlike Wildbirds & Peacedrums who were next to play, and who had no problems whatsoever with commanding the stage.
Wilbirds & Peacedrums take a break from making sweet sweet music off-stage to make sweet sweet music on-stage. Photo: Anika
Mariam has acknowledged in interviews that she is very responsive to the emotional energy of the audience, and clearly also to her environment, as in introduction she advised that, feeling it to be a special venue, she knew they were going to have a better time than us; if they did then they must still be in the afterglow....
W&P were both absolutely electrifying and really quite moving, a sensual, soaring and abandoned channelling of lust and love; they absolutely give the lie to all the posers and fakers, this is the real thing. Their qualities have already been acclaimed in the very first post on this blog, and this performance was all of those things and more, an ecstatic improvised dance through their repertoire, rampaging from delicate to dynamite in seconds. Heart- and show-stopping it was; and so back to Loney Dear, whose softly swelling folky roving was always going to struggle to impress after such intoxicating delights.
And so it proved - a very engaging and witty personality, his gently uplifting songs on on any other night would be a fine finale to the evening; this time, despite generous approval from a still receptive crowd, the fireworks had already been and gone and it was just a bit post-climactic.
10 September 2009
The Tallest Man On Earth
Barden's Boudoir
9 September 2009
Unsurprisingly, humour being what it is, TTMOE is not only not the tallest etc but is probably all of 5'4", including 2 inches of quiff. So irony was layered upon irony when, from the low stage at Barden's, he couldn't give the nod to the sound guy that he was ready to roll - because he couldn't see over the crowd to catch his eye....
He was, when he did get going, pretty good; indeed half the crowd seemed to think him a demi-god - knew all the words and were happy to sing along, uninvited; not bad for a debut UK gig. Some fun was had with this, with choruses missed and crescendos adapted, just to wrong-foot the choir in the crowd. TTMOE was clearly flattered, despite the games.
Video below is of one of the songs from the set.
They weren't helped, admittedly, by the sound problems, which were pretty much inexcusable for such simple set-ups, unless the equipment was at fault; either way, Barden's please take note.
9 September 2009
Unsurprisingly, humour being what it is, TTMOE is not only not the tallest etc but is probably all of 5'4", including 2 inches of quiff. So irony was layered upon irony when, from the low stage at Barden's, he couldn't give the nod to the sound guy that he was ready to roll - because he couldn't see over the crowd to catch his eye....
He was, when he did get going, pretty good; indeed half the crowd seemed to think him a demi-god - knew all the words and were happy to sing along, uninvited; not bad for a debut UK gig. Some fun was had with this, with choruses missed and crescendos adapted, just to wrong-foot the choir in the crowd. TTMOE was clearly flattered, despite the games.
Video below is of one of the songs from the set.
The Tallest Man on Earth: Where Do My Bluebird Fly from shoottheplayer.com on Vimeo.
If the headline act was a roaring success and highly enjoyable, the opposite can be said of the support acts. Dismal, dull and pretty much devoid of interest, they shall not be named here (but are here if you are feeling spiteful). I can't imagine what they think they are doing, or why anyone would book them for gigs.They weren't helped, admittedly, by the sound problems, which were pretty much inexcusable for such simple set-ups, unless the equipment was at fault; either way, Barden's please take note.
6 September 2009
Where are you now, Simon Jeffes?
King's Place
5 September 2009
The Leisure Society look very clean, and polite, and are charming on stage. Funny asides are likely to come from Slightly Cheeky Christian, and at Green Man singer Nick Hemming speculated, after having seen Messrs Rossen, Droste & co backstage, on "how great it must be to be in a band that is more amazing than an actual Grizzly Bear".
Well I laughed, anyway.
They wear nice clothes, as if they are going to tea with mum later, sing with nice clear voices, and have a flute, uke, glock and string section in their armoury. Helpfully, they also have really lovely songs - no but REALLY lovely, earning, and deserving, compliments from a lot of the good Guys, including Garvey.
The aforementioned lovely songs feature gentle lilting melodies, occasionally with a slight wistful twang, some judicious borrowings from other folk music cultures for a bit of spice, and with witty and elegant, softly spoken arrangements that explore and make intelligent use of the available options.
At times they are almost capturing the spirit of the Penguin Cafe; often mentioned as an influence by a certain type of musician, I can't think of any other act that achieves similar qualities - and unfortunately that includes the current incarnation of Penguins, led by Arthur Jeffes, son of - so for what it's worth, that is high praise indeed.
Watching The Leisure Society is like having a cuddle; and so it was at King's Place yesterday.
Video below may or may not stay once Ulla has sent me those pics. :-)
5 September 2009
The Leisure Society look very clean, and polite, and are charming on stage. Funny asides are likely to come from Slightly Cheeky Christian, and at Green Man singer Nick Hemming speculated, after having seen Messrs Rossen, Droste & co backstage, on "how great it must be to be in a band that is more amazing than an actual Grizzly Bear".
Well I laughed, anyway.
They wear nice clothes, as if they are going to tea with mum later, sing with nice clear voices, and have a flute, uke, glock and string section in their armoury. Helpfully, they also have really lovely songs - no but REALLY lovely, earning, and deserving, compliments from a lot of the good Guys, including Garvey.
The aforementioned lovely songs feature gentle lilting melodies, occasionally with a slight wistful twang, some judicious borrowings from other folk music cultures for a bit of spice, and with witty and elegant, softly spoken arrangements that explore and make intelligent use of the available options.
At times they are almost capturing the spirit of the Penguin Cafe; often mentioned as an influence by a certain type of musician, I can't think of any other act that achieves similar qualities - and unfortunately that includes the current incarnation of Penguins, led by Arthur Jeffes, son of - so for what it's worth, that is high praise indeed.
Watching The Leisure Society is like having a cuddle; and so it was at King's Place yesterday.
Video below may or may not stay once Ulla has sent me those pics. :-)
3 September 2009
I Will Return, I Promise
A quite beautiful video - washed out and dreamy, to match her best songs; this rather plinky-plonky effort, however, isn't really one of them, truth be told. Beth has an effortless silky voice, seemingly boundless energy, and some much better songs up her sleeve - when she remembers to put her shirt on, at any rate....
Looking forward to the album, but the new EP feels a bit like a temporary measure.
1 September 2009
Beak> : Iron Action
Straight out of Manchester 1979, via Bristol 1994 > 2008; here we are a quick and easy 30 years down the line.
It is punching way above even my weight to criticise Geoff Barrow, but imagine how much better this could have been if the drums did something more than just keep time....
I Know, the other track from the forthcoming album that has so far been set free, works with a similar metronomic and minimal structure but has a few more wiggles going on which make it that (important) bit more human.
Album stream here.
29 August 2009
For cleaner, bluer, whites you need....
The Flowerpot
28 August 2009
WD contain SO MUCH ROCK they can be in two places at once. Photo: G Tothedogs
White Denim were incendiary*; they launched straight into a blistering set and barely paused for breath from s to f. Some of the finer points of the songs as recorded were lost in a haze of effects, but the energy of the performance carried all before it; glowing live reputation is fully deserved.
*Please note that they didn't start any actual fires.
28 August 2009
WD contain SO MUCH ROCK they can be in two places at once. Photo: G Tothedogs
White Denim were incendiary*; they launched straight into a blistering set and barely paused for breath from s to f. Some of the finer points of the songs as recorded were lost in a haze of effects, but the energy of the performance carried all before it; glowing live reputation is fully deserved.
*Please note that they didn't start any actual fires.
28 August 2009
26 August 2009
Green grow the rushes, oh! No.3
Green Man, Glanusk Park
21-23 August 2009
What is it with guitars? (aka Rock Will Have Its Way)
Amazing fact: you can hear a guitar just as well when you are sitting as when you are standing.
Photo of SKB @ Luminaire: Anika
When She Keeps Bees started playing fuzzy bluesy guitar in the relaxed setting of a mid-afternoon slot on the Pub stage, some misguided Festival Rock Fan (at the Green Man?) had to go and stand front centre, and lo, The Sheep did follow. So nobody else could see. Genius at work.*
Perhaps it should also be noted that SKB were thrilled with the crowd response, so I suppose it's ok** as Music Is The Winner.
*Not
** Also not
21-23 August 2009
What is it with guitars? (aka Rock Will Have Its Way)
Amazing fact: you can hear a guitar just as well when you are sitting as when you are standing.
Photo of SKB @ Luminaire: AnikaWhen She Keeps Bees started playing fuzzy bluesy guitar in the relaxed setting of a mid-afternoon slot on the Pub stage, some misguided Festival Rock Fan (at the Green Man?) had to go and stand front centre, and lo, The Sheep did follow. So nobody else could see. Genius at work.*
Perhaps it should also be noted that SKB were thrilled with the crowd response, so I suppose it's ok** as Music Is The Winner.
*Not
** Also not
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