abstract boy

2008-12-30T12:36:00.002+01:00

Return of Black Box Recorder

Black Box Recorder make a long awaited and slightly unexpected return to the stage in February 2009, with a two night (so far!) stay at the delightful Luminaire in Kilburn. There's no mention of a new album, so I think this is just a special treat for anyone who is still listening to their aloof, icy, misanthropic and very funny music. The first night is sold out already, so get your tickets for night two quickly. You've got to dress smart for the gig, too.

Buy tickets here!

2008-12-29T20:57:00.002+01:00

Albums of the year 2008

2008 was a supreme year for music. After a couple of uninspiring years, London is again home to exciting young blood in the shape of its own budding anti-folk scene. The movement is mirrored over in Scandinavia with a similar rejection of meat’n’two veg, rockin’ with yo’ cock out, bland and tired indie-rock. I welcome the soulful return of acoustic guitars, violins, accordions, sensitive poets and their charming poetry. Following are my top 10 albums released in 2008:

1. Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim

Laura Marling’s debut album showcases a talent and outlook more mature than her tender age. Each song is a delicately crafted wonder, and the album flows perfectly from song to song with very simple, traditional and organic instrumentation and minimal production. This album has so much soul.

2. Shout Out Louds – Our Ill Wills

This is perfect bittersweet pop music, with lovely melodies, powerful choruses and folky charm. Impossible, clocking in at an unprecedented 7 minutes, is a soaring epic masterpiece. What is in the Swedish water? I want some of it.

3. Late of the Pier – Fantasy Black Channel

However great you thought Bathroom Gurgle was, nothing could have prepared you for this bombastic, force of an album. These ain’t just 12 great spiky, punky dance songs; this is a fully integrated journey that hits you like a 12 tonne truck, aided undoubtedly by Erol Alkan’s knob-twiddling whizzery.

4. Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke

Dramatic, sexy, dark, hypnotic is this excellent of debuts from New Zealand’s Ladyhawke. This album guises murky emotions and bittersweet reflections amid epic (almost stadium) rock/pop tunes, all of which could be mega hits if they were released to radio.

5. Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit – A Larum

Johnny Flynn’s debut is a handsome, soulful jaunt, with plenty of foot-stomping and hip-slapping opportunities. The lyrics unravel poetically with the rich, organic folk playing and bittersweet chord changes. Characters are cast, scenes are set, stories are told; you can’t help but fall in love with the old world charm that A Larum exudes.

6. The Faint – Fasciinatiion

A fine fifth album from Omaha, Nebraska’s finest sons, The Faint have still got it when it comes to making slinky, subversive electro. The mood is still critical political, and recent world events and popular trends offer plenty of mileage for these cynics. The music is a successful balance of punchy impact, punk and pop sensibilities and dancefloor readiness.

7. Noah and the Whale – Peaceful The World Lays Me Down

Noah and the Whale are purveyors of pure pop music and this joyous album is a celebration of life and love, the highs, the lows and the fleetingness and impossibility of it all. This sensitive, earnest and wistful debut will charm your pants off.

8. Sons and Daughters – This Gift

This stomping, sweeping and pacey third album from Sons and Daughters is full of strutting, cutting and pouting guitar- and basslines. The band wear their inspiration on their sleeves, with aural reference to sixties girl groups, rockabilly and Morrissey. The combination of dark posturing and timeless harmonies makes this an intriguing and mesmerising album.

9. The Long Blondes – Couples

Their second and final album saw The Long Blondes (RIP) put a brave spin on their kitchen-sink-drama business, with this even more dramatic, radical and retro posturing. The subjects may have occasionally been too avant-garde and ironic for the mainstream listener, but for pop pickers on their wavelength, this is an icy and exotic treat.

10. Emiliana Torrini – Me and Armini

Flitting between charmingly delicate and organically funky, this full-bodied and earthy offering casts Ms Torrini as both the candlelit chanteuse and jive-dancing pixie. The album is free-spirited, full of freely pouring emotion, and showcases a definite leaning towards pop stardom.

Also highly commended: Lykke Li, Bon Iver, Wolf Parade, The Wave Pictures, Vampire Weekend, TV on the Radio...

Hotly anticipated albums for 2009: Mumford and Sons, Jay Jay Pistolet, Peggy Sue and the Pirates, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, No Doubt, Peter Bjorn and John, and many more.

Happy New Year when it comes!

2008-08-31T18:37:00.002+02:00

Get Seduced

I suppose it's possible to call The Faint cult legends. Forming in 1997, they've just released five albums, have a rabid fanbase, play blistering and unique live shows and have made no impact on the mainstream. They are one of my favourite bands and have been for longer than almost any other band, excluding No Doubt, of course. I first saw them playing live with Radio 4 at the Barfly in Glasgow in 2002. It was my first over 18 gig and I was absolutely terrified of getting turned away and having to go back to Edinburgh, unaccomplished.

Six years on The Faint are back with their fifth album Fasciinatiion. The Faint (or not so) quietly pioneered modern electro punk or indietronica or nu wave or no wave or electroclash or nu rave or indie rave or whatever you want to call it. Their 1999 album Blank Wave Arcade meshed the synthetic sounds of new wave with the energy of punk and the beats of dance music, and since then they've made some of the most dark and exhilerating music that's passed through my ears. Fasciinatiion sees them building on their blueprints, pushing their sound forward with even more advanced and experimental production, all the while showcasing pop songs of the highest vintage.

They played at Cargo in London on Friday night and it was WILD. Lately everything has been a bit folky on the gig front and generally very calm and civilised. The Faint were an injection of life, sex, danger. With strobe lighting pointing upwards, video projections, rrrrrrrraw energy and, oh yeah, amazing songs, they tore apart the sold out venue. Lead singer Todd Fink (he married Orenda Fink and took her surname - aw!) was all over the stage, wearing a white lab coat and goggles, while the rest of the band hammered on synths, spat out penetrating basslines and popped their bodies to the incendiary beats. By the end of the gig I was wet from the whole room's sweat. I'll be sure to see them when they're back in November. Meanwhile, check their tour dates and book yourself a date with the night when they hit your town.

2008-08-25T23:25:00.003+02:00

Not too late at the pier

I cannot get enough of Late of the Pier's debut album, Fantasy Black Channel. It is causing me to body-pop involuntarily every time I have it on. The sound is epic, immense, intense. TRASH hero (and fellow Holloway resident!) Erol Alkan produced the album and I think it is his genius touch which has made it the truckload of might that it is. Each belting glam-tinged anthem flows effortlessly into the next, leaving the listener gasping for breath by the time it closes with Bathroom Gurgle, which requires a whole new set of lungs. Phew...

I recommend that you buy this album NOW. You can hear lots of songs over at the LOTP MySpace page.

2008-08-20T20:26:00.002+02:00

Mercury nominated

I've written so many times now about Laura Marling that I don't think there's much left to say, other than I've seen her a couple more times (at St James Picadilly - above, and Field Day festival - below) and she's so still so understatedly, jaw-droppingly amazing. I can only encourage you to buy her album, Alas, I Cannot Swim.

In July I was asked by the Evening Standard to comment on the Mercury Music Prize nominations, and I told Londoners that Laura Marling was the best. I think it was published about three weeks ago - I never saw it in the paper, but a friend's mum did. Here's what I said:

The Mercury Music Prize nominations never cease to stir up a whirlwind of excitement, discovery and controversy. ‘Elitist! Populist! Tokenist! Obvious!’ shout the public, but most music fans have bought a nominated CD on the credibility of the nomination alone. This year will be no different, with such a solid list of nominees.

If the Klaxons’ win last year was a nod to an electronic future, this year’s nominations represent the distinctly earthy, organic character of some of Britain’s best new music. The Last Shadow Puppets and Elbow’s grandiose offerings are laden with sweeping strings, Plant and Kraus’ duets are heavily inspired by American folk, while Rachel Unthank’s album is classic British folk at its haunting best. Even Radiohead have switched off their synths!

Laura Marling’s Alas, I Cannot Swim is my favourite of the bunch. It is earnest, brooding, understated and flows perfectly as an entire work. Laura has accidentally become the figurehead of a young London-based folk scene, and albums from such peers as Johnny Flynn and the Wave Pictures deserve to be on this esteemed list. I wouldn’t be surprised if her friends Noah and the Whale, Slow Club and Mumford and Sons populate next year’s nominees.

2008-08-18T20:21:00.005+02:00

Adriatic waves to Wave Pictures

It's been too long again without an update. I am resigned to updating in flurries, and hope that's ok for you. I've been listening to lots of new music recently and going to lots of gigs, as well as settling in at my new job. I travelled around Montenegro and Croatia for a couple of weeks earlier in the summer and loved the Balkan and Gypsy Folk music. I will do some more research and discovery and share some gems with you in not too long.

One of the best bands to fall under my radar in the last few months is The Wave Pictures. They are three boys who make lo-fi music with poetic, intelligent lyrics. Singer and guitarist Dave Tattershall is an incredibly profilic songwriter, so profilfic, in fact, that the Wave Pictures just released a six-song EP a mere 4 months after they released a full length album on Moshi Moshi.

The music follows simple structures, with basic instrumentation; the production is minimal and bass, drums and guitar have an equal prominence live and on record. The sound is sometimes urgent, sometimes melancholic, sometimes playful. David Tattersall's expressive and powerful voice, with his soft Northern accent and his witty and sometimes strange lyrics take full prominence, give or take the occasional frantic guitar solo.

I first caught them live supporting Laura Marling at St James Picadilly, a vast church in the West End. The band had never before played in such grand surroundings and David sung most of the set unamped to make the most of the natural acoustics. Punters in the rear pews could hear the vocals clearly. Their stage manner was totally unassuming and they seemed a tad fazed by the size and granduer of the hall, but the crowd were won over by their original lyrics and raw, honest sound.

I fully recommend that you skip over to their MySpace to listen to some of their most bestest songs.

2008-06-03T20:33:00.002+02:00

You Crawled Out Of The Sea

A year ago I was in New York, living in a mouse-infested room in Greenpoint, walking wide-eyed through almost every neighbourhood in the big apple, eating delicious food from all over the world, going to great gigs, plodding through galleries, museums, shops. I saw The Long Blondes at the Luna Lounge in Brooklyn and supporting them was Nicole Atkins and the Sea. I was bowled over by her incredible, powerful voice and the sweeping orchestration of her material. I was so enamoured that I forgot to take a single picture and so the experience went undocumented.

Luckily, hints were picked up on and her album Neptune City found its way to me as a Christmas present and then I found out she and her band would be coming to the Soho Revue bar at the end of April. The small venue was only at a quarter of its capacity and the majority of folks were crowded around by the the bar. This meant much of Ms Atkins' grandiose sound, energetic stage show and warm charisma were wasted on the immediate open space in front of the stage. She soldiered on and gave a great performance more suited to a big theatre than these intimate settings. By the time the band played the rousing Brooklyn's On Fire, less self-conscious people made their way to the floor for some fist raising.

I left happy, but frustrated and embarassed by my fellow Londoners. I've noticed increasingly that punters have a lack of respect for artists and have been to several gigs recently where people seem to be happier to stand by the bar and chat (loudly!) than give the band they've paid (or been guestlisted) to see. Perhaps going to gigs has become so de rigeur for people that it's just like to a bar and the live musical is incidental, if not annoying. Nicole said she would be back in June, and judging by the fact that she's already had a full page interview in a national paper and a slot at the uber-corporate O2 Wireless festival, so hopefully some major label muscle will help ensure she gets a more enthusiastic welcome next time.

2008-06-02T23:45:00.003+02:00

Bags of Gold

Jay Jay Pistolet isn't really called Jay Jay Pistolet: his real name is Justin. But songs that take you to some place else are his speciality, so he's allowed a stage name. Jay Jay (pronounces zjay zjay, like it's French or summink1!1!!!) sings low-key love songs to lucky girls, which evoke lost summers, unreqited romances and foreign places. There are elements of Bright Eyes in there, but without the need to worry for his sanity; there's more than just a glimmer of hope running through his material. Charlie Spink of Noah and the Whale has produced some proper demos for him, some of which are on his MySpace.

I saw him once with Slow Club (see below), and then again a week later with...Noah and the Whale (it's the same names all the time!) and I'm hooked and eagerly anticipating future recordings and gigs.

Ok, have a picture of him in pretend glasses at the NATW gig. Very bookish. Mmmm.

2008-05-26T23:23:00.003+02:00

Crikey.

Where did those two months go? Mine flew by - one minute I was doing job applications, then I was in Berlin, then I had tests, interviews and celebrations and lots of gigs. I was daunted by the sheer amount of photos to process (which is my process of gathering thoughts on the gig), but I've done that now, so it's quick re-cap time.

I saw Slow Club supporting Laura Marling back in February and fell instantly in love with their romantic, folky pop ditties. I made sure I saw them when they did played their residency at the Enterprise in Chalk Farm. The small room up the rickety stairs was an oasis of red velvet, soft lighting and happy punters. After support from the gorgeous Jay Jay Pistolet, Slow Club's Charles and Rebecca took to the stage to make lots of soft noise, making everyone grin ear-to-ear with their sharp lyrics and beautiful boy-girl melodies. It was beautiful. They finished with a truly unplugged rendition of their anthemic 'When I Go'. Hop over to their Myspace to listen to four songs. They might even be playing near you soon...

2008-03-25T20:43:00.003+01:00

Keeping out of Arm's Way

I completely forgot to mention how AMAZING Islands were when they played in London a month ago. They were AMAZING. Do you remember Islands? Islands are made up of ex-Unicorns, who were the first of the eccentric genius Montreal-based bands to get some attention about three years ago. The Unicorns combusted while touring their debut album Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?. Islands rose like a phoenix from the Unicorns' ashes, with their album Return to the Sea. It was a more coherent album, with heartbreaking stringed moments, quirky lyrics, banjos and epic masterpieces. After getting a great studio tan in 2007, Islands emerged earlier this year to do a short, low-key UK tour to roadtest their new material.

Even without much press, their show at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen sold out quickly and a decidedly 'I read Pitchfork' crowd were out en masse to witness this most glorious of returns. Solemly dressed entirely in black as they took to the board, it was quite clear that the band meant business. They played almost entirely new songs, and the crowd were attentive and, for the most part, pleasently surprised. Their new material is darker and harsher than their debut, with sneering alt-country influences. Some of the songs had an air of Murderballands-era Nick Cave with their brooding, almost cinematic sound. The black outfits and singer Nick T's white painted face completed the package; Islands now conjure up thoughts of some dark, perverse circus.

Their new album, Arm's Way, is due out in May and will probably leave some fans who were fond of Return to the Sea's quirkier, dreamier aspects a little bit disappointed. That is, until they learn to love the new direction. To be fair, there dark undertones in the debut so nobody should be too surprised. Nevertheless, it was old favourites like Swans (Life After Death, which had the crowd swaying and cheering most vocally. Once the world has heard the album, all will be clear. There will be no denying Islands this year - just you wait...

p.s. I'm an idiot and seem to have deleted my pictures before saving them to my laptop - they were really good, too!

2008-03-21T13:48:00.002+01:00

Johnny Flynn, no Jing Jang Jong

You might have noticed that things have got a bit folked up over at abstractboy HQ. The possibility has always been there.. the junior Moldy Peaches obsession, all that fawning over Patrick Wolf, Bright Eyes, to the Nico, Vashti Bunyan and Emiliana Torrini records in my collection.

Right now Britain is positively haemorrhaging with folky talent. I loathe to use the word 'scene', but there is one, in that most of the emerging acts and artists are friends, taking each other on tour, stepping in when band members are sick, releasing split 7"S, etc. The chap who I'm writing about today, Johnny Flynn, actually set up an anti-folk night in London

Bands I'm going to be going to see (and reporting back here, obvz) are Noah and the Whale, Mumford and Sons, Slow Club, Jay Jay Pistolet and I'm sure there'll be many more to come. And of course, Laura Marling is the figurehead.

Supporting Laura at her Union Chapel gig was Johnny Flynn and his band, The Sussex Wit. When Johnny and the band stepped on stage I was struck by his undeniable handsomeness; foppish blonde hair, rosy cheeks, sharp features and a good ol' checked shirt. However, the good looks were no distraction from his real asset: unassuming, folky, romantic songs with crafty, witty, poetically heartstopping lyrics that seemed to just slip off his tongue. Their composition was absolutely perfect with banjos, violins, guitars, slide guitars all tinkling away to create a sound that is full, warm and complementary. His sister, Lily, proudly plays keyboard and provides the essential female backing vocals.

As one of the youngest ever Royal Shakespeare Company actors, one might have expected a bit more chatter between songs; instead he fumbled around and muttered awkwardly. Clicheed, but probably true, Johnny Flynn and his band are all about the music. Switcing instruments frequently and playing with calm gusto, Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit are a great band to watch and to listen to. Their single, Leftovers is out now and there's an album coming out in May. I, for one, am very excited.

2008-03-12T14:22:00.002+01:00

Here Comes The Serious Bit

On Monday night The Dead Eyed Bitches played their fourth, and last ever, show. Sporting a picture of that magical night when Britney, Paris and Li-Lo were all drink-driving around LA in the same car, their MySpace announced they'd be splitting up and having 'very successful solo careers'. It was 1am before they took to the stage at Durrr, their unnamed singer was wearing a blonde wig and blew kisses out to the crowd. The backing band looked distantly familiar, but I couldn't quite place them. They played some excellent songs - they opened with one called Century and it was tremendous, sharp, deathly disco. Their other songs were very good, too. There was one about Erin O'Connor, one called Not Clever By Half, then another funky number - Guilt. Unfortunately the sound wasn't very good, so the singer's vocals weren't as clear as they should have been. Mixing vodka and beer meant I was pretty dead-eyed afterwards and rather worse for wear at work the next day!

Alas, I still made it down to New Cross to see The Long Blondes do their comeback show to launch their new album, "Couples". I was there early and sat on the stage, when the LBs' neither long nor blonde singer came up and sat next to me. 'Hi' she said, mentioning that she'd seen me dancing away last night (was she at The Dead Eyed Bitches fourth and last ever gig too?!?!!) and wanted to introduce herself! Very sweet. We chatted for five minutes, mostly about New York, I couldnt think of much else to say!

They were great though, so tight. They opened with their new single, Century; a slab of tremendous, sharp, deathly disco. The band were on fire, with KJ gyrating, pouting, waving, shaking her hips. They were very glad to have come back. They raced through the setlist, hardly gasping for breath. Two weeks of solid interviews had them craving to play live again and it was full throttle. I'd just about forgotten how much I like them as a live band - Dorian, Emma, Kate, Screech and Reenie are all fascinating to watch, each interpreting performing their music in the same way. Their new songs are incredible though. One of my favourites is I Liked The Boys, which is an unpolished, minor-driven, fast paced belter, with moments of wistful urgency that sound like PJ Harvey. Here Comes The Serious Bit was also strong, sounding like early Blondie and Elastica.

They snuck in only two old songs: Lust in the Movies, with it's incredibly filthy, fast-paced bass and scream-along name-droppin' chorus, finishing with Giddy Stratospheres, which is just as earth-shatteringly good as it was the first time I heard it. Their eyes really lit up playing the old songs, like landing back on home turf. Even before they'd released their album, the Long Blondes had at least five songs that would tear up any dancefloor. Based on the gig, the prospects are good for "Couples" to change the world, etc. You've been warned.

2008-03-09T12:28:00.001+01:00

Straight into my arms...

It's amazing how easy it is to slip into obsession. Since Laura Marling's beautiful songbox arrived at my door (and then another one for my flatmate), my flat has been filled with the dangerously dark and sweet sounds of Laura's voice. Luckily the other two flatmates like it, otherwise there'd be some serious issues. The whole thing is beautifully crafted; the album itself flows so perfectly, the order is just right; the songbox is a colourful, quality, oversize trinket of treasures, but this gig was something else.

Union Chapel is the ideal location to see someone with a sound as delicate as Laura Marling's. It is perfectly preserved, classic and not too ornate, grand but not overstated. the acoustics were sublime and the sound guys had it just right. Laura played the album, almost in order and skipping two tracks. With the album so perfectly strucutred, the setlist took the audience on a similarly perfect journey. Laura was noticably more confident than at previous gigs, but still shyed away from eye contact, focusing intently on delivering her songs. After saying that she and her band would incorporate their encore into their set, the crowd gave such a long applause that she came back out to do an impromptu cover of Kimya Dawson's Five Years, which was most excellent.

The songbox idea worked well in practice; only those who bought the song box got to go to a gig. Therefore everyone at the gigs knew and engaged with the album, appreciated the momentos and were respectfully quiet while she was playing. Of course, curious people wanting to check her out would miss the boat - you'd have to make that £20 committment from the outset, but it was well worth it in the end.

2008-03-07T14:41:00.003+01:00

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

The Dead Eyed Bitches are playing Durrr on Monday. They Dead Eyed Bitches might just be a secret name for a very good band, who have been busy recording their AMAZING second album, which is so amazing that I worry society just isn't ready for it yet. I don't want to spell it out (maybe I just have?), but you wouldn't want to miss out on this one.

2008-03-06T14:07:00.002+01:00

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend played an utterly astounding show at ULU a couple of weeks ago. The Brooklyn boys brought their fresh and funky blend of Afro-beat-meets-new-wave-hipster-meets-Ivy-league-preppy insanely danceable top rate pop music to London and London loved it. Propesctive listeners might have been put off by the amount of hype they've received recently, appearing on almost every Top 10 for 2008 list, or the fact that their name makes you think they're going they dress as the Horrors at the weekend. You'd be wrong. These guys are definitely not some here today, gone tomorrow chancers. They even played a NEW song, which is quite daring if you consider they only released their debut album two weeks beforehand.

You'll have to listen to their music to get any proper understanding of how good it is. Words just can't do it justice. So I will describe other things. They came across as refreshingly intelligent, friendly, unpretentious chaps with lots to say. All too often (British)indie bands are too arrogant to give some good banter; they are too busy being serious or looking unwashed. Maybe New York (and Columbia University) produces much more cosmopolitan, confident (but unassuming) people than London (etc), I don't know. But it was nice to hear/see nice music by nice people. I especially liked the singer Ezra Koenig's brown leather deck shoes. Lots of folk in Billyburg were wearing them last summer and I really want a pair, but that's another story.

There was a fire alarm two thirds of the way into their set, just as things were building up to a roaring climax. The band very diligently left the stage and the crowd filtered out through ULU's fire escapes and we all had to wait in the cold for half an hour. Champions that they are, Vampire Weekend had the audience lapping them up within minutes of getting back on stage, regaining their momentum quickly and playing all their best songs. Not even a fire alarm could thwart this most triumphant of gigs. Superb!

2008-03-03T23:42:00.003+01:00

Only real injustice can get me seething. It's fair to say that I'm not quite seething about this, but this definitely deserves a rant.

A couple of weeks ago I was asked by the Evening Standard letters editor, Josh Neicho, to write a piece on Amy Winehouse's Grammy win. It wasn't the first time I was asked to write for the letters page; in February 2006 I got a phonecall from the same guy asking me to write about the rise of the Arctic Monkeys and the internet. I duly responded and had an article published the next day - quite a thrill. He'd written other times, asked me to give my response and did not write back or publish my articles. I didn't hear back from him this time and he didn't publish my letter.

This re-affirmed my attitude towards doing this kind of thing. As a blogger I blog as and when I please. As an amatuer photographer, I take pictures at the gigs I want to go to, when I want to go to them and can upload my pictures when I choose. It stops being a hobby when people give you deadlines, false expectations and want you to do the work of a freelance journalist. So, no more wasting my time writing for bad, mainstream, profiteering newspapers.

This is what I wrote anyway:

It is a real shame that Natalie Cole, after all her experience of the music industry, does not understand the concept of music awards ceremonies. That is, to recognise the musical achievements of artists, not the private conduct of celebrities. It is almost as absurd as it is to assess A-levels on students’ behaviour, or to only award Olympic medals to heterosexual athletes.

Considering Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black is riding high in the charts all over the world 16 months after its release, that it received international critical acclaim and people of all ages are enthusing about Amy’s incredible abilities, it is not at all surprising that she swept the board at the Grammys!

Young women in the limelight, like Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse, are judged on everything they do in their lives; we nod disapprovingly when they smoke (eugh!), when they have a night out (tsk tsk) and even when they have difficulty parking their car (sigh).

Even if you think music awards are only a chance for the music industry to pat each other on the back, you’d be mad to deny the artists who enrich our lives the right to be recognised for their art, not their private life, for just a few days a year.

Robbie de Santos, abstractboy.blogspot.com

2008-02-20T23:25:00.001+01:00

Rave Rave Rave

Sometimes I forget about time, I neglect the bigger picture, I take life one day at a time. I forget that I've been writing this blog for almost FOUR YEARS, that I've been in a relationship for longer than that and that it's now SEVEN YEARS since I fell in love with all those New York bands who changed my life and took my appreciation of music to new stratospheres. With the film Juno getting a whole 'nother generation of indie kids into the Moldy Peaches, I realised holy cow, this music shaped the lives of me and my friends for the summer of 2001. We discovered our own senses of irony and lo-fi and sincerity and pretension all in one year. And that's SEVEN years ago. Sheesh.

The Raveonettes are one of my favourite bands who emerged from that garage rock, throwback scene and have outlasted many of their contemporaries. Sure, they've built their band up and broken it back down to the core: Sune and Sharin. And last year they released their fourth album, Lust, Lust, Lust, with many reviewers declaring it their best album to date. A lack of airplay and buzz round its release would have you thinking that people had stopped caring about the New York/LA-based Danish duo, but their gig at 229 in London last week was a reassuringly rowdy return to the capital.

Playing songs from all of their albums, they had the slightly older crowd eating out of their hands. The venue was quite spacious and people were dancing and swaying freely. Without meaning to be patronising, it was nice to see a whole room of people of all ages unashamedly dancing away and just having a good time.

The Raveonettes just stand there looking super ice cool and playing pricelessly cool music. Songs from their latest album are especially of tha ilk; it sounds even more LA, even more girl-group inspired and is driven by lovely soft melodies over layers of feedback in a modern interpretation of wall-of-sound. Sharin, being impossibly beautiful and glamorous is subject to much male fawning and gazing and it's sad to note the large group of 40 year old males with their camera phones hoisted in the air taking pictures of her like she is a piece of meat.

Sharin and Sune seemed unphased by the attention and played on. On earlier tours their performance has been slightly more intense and dirty, and involved more interaction between Sharin and Sune. I suppose that seems less genuine if the sound of the new material is less intense and more poppy. With the album released last week in the USA, it looks like they'll be on the road for a while, so I hope they will end uo injecting some of their olf bad selves into their performances!

2008-02-16T16:57:00.003+01:00

You love Sons and Daughters

First thing's first, Sons and Daughters' new album, This Gift, is astounding. It's a breathtaking journey of the punchiest, darkest pop music you can imagine. Infused with S&Ds' characteristic Scottish folk influences and combined with some filthy guitar work, pounding drums and soaring choruses, it leaves you breathless and begging for more. If there is any justice in the world, Chains will be the song that makes Sons and Daughters the global superstars that they deserve to be.

Their gig last week at ULU was a real triumph. Usually London crowds are a little shy around Sons and Daughters. There's maybe something a little dark and confrontational about their performance that makes a crowd feel uneasy. It's especially noticable in the fluorescent light of an in-store that an audience can feel exposed and awkward in front of Sons and Daughters' collective menacing stare. For whatever reason, the gig at ULU melted that divide and had the whole front half of the (possible almost) sold out venue bopping along.

The S&Ds tore through a set of old, new and very old. Like their last two albums, which come at you like a speeding lorry of intensity and leave you battered and bruised, the gig was packed full of their meatiest, most powerful songs with hardly a moment's pause for a bit of Glaswegian banter.

It wouldn't be Sons and Daughters if it wasn't so, but it seemed that S&Ds have such a robust backcatalogue of established favourites that they might be slipping into playing a similar 'greatest hits' set night on night. It didn't quite feel like they were tearing through the set to get over with, but it's a real danger when you have a long tour ahead of you and you want to be winning people over every night to fall into a set routine. I have plenty of faith in S&D's artistic and performing integrity to quash any doubts that that might happen.

2008-02-11T20:57:00.000+01:00

Marling-mania

Last weekend I totally fell in love with Laura Marling. I was very excited about her gig at Soho Revue Bar, which sold out in a couple of days without any publicity. She took to the stage all low key and tuned up her guitar, which looked enormous against her slight frame. She greeted the crowd with a nervous, posh-ish estuary English 'hello' and could have been just any eighteen year old girl trying her luck on stage. As soon as she opened her mouth to sing, any doubts were instantly dispelled. Her warm, rich, fragile voice defied her appearance and demeanour; all impressions of a happy-go-lucky teenager were bulldozed by the sheer dark emotional wisdom and experience evoked through the material played in this short set.

Laura Marling's concentration when singing is so intense that she does not move nor make eye contact. She looks possessed as she sings, eyes trained on something in the middle-distance, foot tapping nervously. It's as though focusing all her energy on the emotion of each songs consumes her. She had an excellently dapper band with her, playing fiddle, ukelele, accordian, guitar and bass, bringing out the full Celtic skeletons of her songs. Clearly not expecting the crowd to be so enthusiastic, she hadn't prepared an encore and decided not to play old favourites like New Romantic or London Town. Instead she played a cover of a Kimya Dawson song, which endeared her to me even more.

I had the songs swimming round my head all weekend and I couldn't wait for her album to arrive in the post. On Sunday I went to see Noah and the Whale in Chiswick. It transpired that this would be one of Laura's last few times playing with the band, which is a shame. Noah and the Whale are excellent - the grandiose, eccentric instrumentation of Arcade Fire et al, Celtic influences and London urchiny vocals. Annoyingly, they are all about eighteen years old too. I didn't think the time when my favourite artists were younger than me would come so soon.

Laura stood out of the limelight and NATW came across very much as a unit, playing their soaring, energetic and frantic to the happy but slightly dozy Sunday night West London crowd. They finished on my favourite song, Rocks and Daggers, which I'd been jigging away to all day with my friend Afsi. I saw Noah and the Whale for the first time supporting Feist in July last year. They'd made me and all my friends want to pick up our various instruments and form a band and I got that exact same feeling seeing them again. They are currently touring the UK as part of the Young and Lost tour. You should definitely see them.

As if I hadn't had enough of that whole scene by Monday, I ventured over to Rough Trade West to see Laura Marling do a mini-gig to launch her amazing song box. The song box is her ingenious way of packaging her album, Alas I Cannot Swim in an oversize, colour ful box, with little mementos which relate to each song on the album. You also get a voucher to claim a ticket for her tour - so only people with this nice big song box can go! It's Laura's way of making people listen to CDs and thinking about the content, rather than just ripping the songs onto an mp3 player and listening to the music through bad headphones. Great idea.

The Rough Trade gig was more of the same very, very good stuff. Rough Trade shops give me the musical thrill of libraries. I like to think of them, steeped in history, smelling of old records, dust, and the staff as mines of knowledge doing their job for the love of it. I didn't hang around to get anything signed, I was still waiting for my song box to arrive in the post from Amazon and, besides, I never know what to say to musicians I admire anymore; too self-conscious.

The album is amazing. Absolutely the best thing I've heard for ages and ages. It unravels more with each listen. I want every song to be at least another 340984985 minutes long. Still a few song boxes left on amazon - get one while you can!

2008-01-31T18:37:00.000+01:00

Wolflike change

Patrick Wolf, where has your love gone?

I will never ever forget the day I fell in love with Patrick Wolf. I'm sure I've mentioned it before...I had missed my train up home to Edinburgh by five minutes and couldn't afford to get the next one. I sat in my room in halls of residence and listened to Lycanthropy on repeat and thought about adventure, my rapidly changing life and the propsect of the night Megabus back to an empty house in Edinburgh. I cried for the first time in ages, for myself, and for the sheer naked beauty of that album.

I'm not sure I could pinpoint the day I fell out of love with Patrick Wolf or, indeed, if I ever have. But I wasn't excited for his third album The Magic Position when it came out early last year. Nor could I be bothered getting tickets to see him play at any of his shows this year. When pictures of him arsing around with Peaches Geldof and the underage London party urchins started appearing in the trash press I felt disappointed that he'd seemingly lost some integrity. I later realised that you shouldn't wish obscurity and eternal leftfield undergroundness on anyone, especially someone with bags and bags of talent.

However, at his FINALE SHOW (of the Magic Position tour and he added a second date when this one sold out, so not so much of a finale!) I left feeling empty and unmoved. At previous shows I'd been struck by the intimacy, the drama, the sheer professionalism and how organic the whole thing was (not in the muesli mummy sense). But this context of The Patrick Wolf Show, costume changes, unadulterated egoism and hundreds of screaming 16 year old brats covered in neon and glitter...it's so alien from what I loved and hoped for from him.

The set was arrnaged with three sections; an acoustic first act, a flamboyant main section, and an out of this world encore. The first half was, admittedly, very good. Final Fantasy and Bishi joined him on-stage for duets and the older songs he played were great. The rest of the evening felt like one of those awful ITV 'An Audience With...', with Patrick performing his songs with all the sincerity of a drunken karaoke session. He seemed to lose concentration halfway through some songs and would forget his lyrics while his army of fangirls dutifully screamed the correct words.

Some people have commented that he is increasingly using ze DRUGZZZZ recently, something which he and his management have staunchly denied. However, anyone who had witnessed one of his magical performances around the time of Wind in the Wires could tell you that something is very different with Patrick this time around. I don't wish to comment on how people live their private life, but it saddens me that this performance, and numerous others of Patrick's in 2007, were not up to his previous standards.

Maybe it's healthier to think about it in terms of the bigger picture. The Magic Position is one album in a career of possibly dozens. Artists, especially soloists, go through phases and come out of them; maybe everything's a phase. And, without being patronising, Patrick is comparatively young; he has a lot of metamorphisising ahead of him. While this period leaves me cold, I know there will be great, great things to come from him.

2008-01-30T22:39:00.000+01:00

Ohmigod

The music press have been making patronising claims for years that each year is the 'year for women in music'. Seriously, I've read it about five times. But all sources would suggest that the industry think so too, with 'real' young ladies like Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and Kate Nash being some of 2007's biggest success stories. I suspect that record companies were hesitant before, thinking young female buyers (historically, the most lucrative portion of the market) were more interested in male fronted bands. Without even trying I can reel off a list of several young female singers tipped for the top....Adele, Duffy, Laura Marling... and there'd be plenty more if I had my thinking cap on. Even Amy Studt is on the comeback trail...

Naturally this means that artists from my favourite musical region (Scandinavia) are being pipped for success. One of these ladies is Ida Maria, hailing from the tiny village of Nesna in Norway, though she cut her teeth in the music hotbed of Bergen on the way.

I went to see Ida's first show of a year of many, many shows. Though she was onstage at 9pm, the whole room was full and buzzing about her arrival. She took to the stage and strapped on a bass guitar and exclaimed something along the lines of 'this is the kind of music I used to play before this pop shit!' and proceeded to play a dirty, sexy, bluesy bass driven tune with rich, soulful vocals. Audience = thoroughly enraptured. After finishing she kicked off her (modest) heels and the rest of her band clambered on stage. It was time for 'shit pop music'!

Except Ida's pop music is the opposite of shit pop music (which she obviously knows is the case), it's feisty, punky, raw and highly energised, melody-driven pop music of the finest variety. Ida and her band only played around six songs, but there was a whole show's worth of energy packed into the 30 minute set. Louie bounced along with her powerful, but slightly cigarette-hoarse vocals full of cartoonish emotion. New single Stella had everyone bopping along and mouthing the words back at Ida, while the penultimate tune Better When You're Naked was so frantic that Ida needed to pour a bottle of water over her head and shake her hair like a wet dog over the crowd.

At times, you'd be forgiven for thinking the performance was a bit over-played. Too much enthusiasm, too much quirk, too much energy...could it be insincere? I'm not sure sincerity matters so much when you have melodies as perfect as Ida does, when you can get a Tuesday night crowd in Camden Town bouncing away after playing just two songs and when you're clearly having lots of fun on stage. The closer, Oh My God, was packed with urgency, energy and angst. It starts off a bit like This is our Emergency by Pretty Girls Make Graves and builds up to a chorus which would have Courtney Love envious of croakalicious energy!

I hope that 2008 will be an exciting year for Ida Maria. She's got a crazy schedule already and I'm seeing her in two weeks with the Raveonettes. In the meantime, check out her MySpace and make up your own mind.

2008-01-28T18:46:00.000+01:00

Gift of the Gab

Sons and Daughters release their long awaited (by me, anyway!) third album today. It's called This Gift (very punworthy) and it's very good. It's bolder than their previous work; they have dared to finally embrace the classic pop that they referenced in the last two albums. But it is still dark, with urgent celtic twangs, pentatonic notes and banshee yells emerging above the twisted Americana and Garage Rock. And about 28% of the guitar sounds very Smiths inspired. In other words, this is everything at once while still being classic Sons and Daughters.

Their schedule is all booked up for the next few months. The chances are that they are coming to a town near you. I've been to see them an insane sixteen times now and I never get tired of seeing them. I read a quote the other day from Scott, who said they aim to make going to their gigs like entering into the Sons and Daughters world. I'd never thought about it that way before but I think it's precisely that mesmerising immersion in their music and image and energy which is so thrilling about the S&Ds show. They have so much integrity. They are officially the least lame band ever.

You can download live acoustic versions of Gilt Complex, Iodine and Chains from here:
thanks to Graham for these

(no substitute for the real thing though, mateys!)

2008-01-13T23:24:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year! I have been ironing out some website/server issues and now I'm all good to go for 2008, a 2008 which will see me returning to blogging glory. Yes. This one is about Jens Lekman.

I’d been waiting ages to see Jens Lekman. Ages and ages and ages. I should have seen him in May 2006 in Berlin, but was in Hamburg watching Belle and Sebastian on that evening. But luckily Gothenburg’s finest son pencilled in a handful of headline dates around his support tour for Josh Rouse (I know, who?) and one of those was at the beautiful Luminaire in Kilburn. It was well over two years since Jens Lekman last played in London and this gig had sold out in just two days. Anticipation filled the venue; the crowd were restless during the average support bands and groups of friends could be heard enthusing over what songs he might play.

Jens’ entrance to the stage was very understated. He simply came out from behind the curtain, head down, and began to tune his guitar and test his vocals out on the microphone. He was greeted with a few cheers, but the majority of the crowd stood still, transfixed, attentive. There was no clear transition between Roadie Jens and Singing Jens; the tuning became plucking, which became his first song. He didn’t seem nervous but he did not look once at the audience. As the last note of the song resonated the loudest imaginable screaming came from the crowd, as though they had made some pact to make the most possible noise. After a couple further reactions, bemusement and shyness wore off and Jens was visibly more relaxed and happy to be there.

The set comprised primarily of material from this year’s Night Falls Over Kortedala, but with plenty of songs from the previous two LPs. The gig was so memorable as a result of Jens’ ingenious delivery of the songs. In A Postcard to Nina Jens introduced the song by telling the beginning of the story, which then slowly merged into the first verse. Subsequent verses and choruses were broken up with spoken interludes giving further detail to the story. On Sweet Summer’s Night on Hammer Hill Jens had the whole room making the ‘bombabombabbomb’ sounds and whistling with gusto, recreating the spontaneous party atmosphere of the recorded version.

Performing as a two-piece with his friend Tammy (who mainly did percussion), Jens was unable to re-create the songs with as lush and rich musical textures as on his album. But with technological trickery, Jens gave it his best shot. He re-created the sound of backing singers in Kanske Ar Jag Kar I Dig by recording vocal loops and layering them. For Shirin he ‘ooohd’ softly a harmony to accompany his singing and guitar strumming. Apparently when he tours with his full band he is better placed to emulate the slightly extravagant, romantic, crooner style of his albums, but the ‘stripped down’ version was uniquely magical and intimate. I don’t think it would have been possible to foster the special vibe at this gig with a full band, as annoying as that might be for Jens. I hope when he returns next that he is able to do his compositions justice with a full band.

2007-12-22T13:19:00.000+01:00

2007

I've found it difficult to compile a list of 10 amazing albums for this list. Granted, all 10 of these albums are amazing, but I think quite a lot of new music has slipped past me this year. I have made it an early New Year's resolution to keep my ear to the ground, go to more gigs and buy more records. But here they are:

1. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
Swedish singer/songwriter delivers the year's most romantic and fresh album. For sure. It is twee in places, bittersweet in others, and Jens Lekman is a lyrical genius; every line is like literary syrup.

2. Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight
Rilo Kiley's new album is modern, grown-up pop at its best.

3. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Dark and dramatic second album, altogether undisappointing.

4. PJ Harvey - White Chalk
Haunting and melancholic folky perfection.

5. Interpol - Our Love to Admire
The same grnaduer as previous albums, with a little bit more pomp.

6. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
Patrick Wolf lives out his pop star fantasy and it all comes true!

7. The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
A longing and melodic fourth album from Denmark's finest exiles.

8. Bright Eyes - Cassadega
Conor Oberst seems healthier and less cryptic in 2007, but if you listen close enough the demons are all still there.

9. Justice - Cross
Incredulous and lush soundscapes, Justice push the boundaries of recorded music with their debut album.

10. The National - Boxer
Elegant and heartfelt music; Matt Berginger's deep, clean vocals are something special.

I also thought Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is (EP) was the most excellent collection of five songs ever released, but at five songs, it ain't an album. Sorry.

I'm so so so so excited about new albums from Sons and Daughters, Love is All, Laura Marling, Late of the Pier, Noah and the Whale, These New Puritans to name but a few!

2007-11-26T00:47:00.001+01:00

I was your silver lining, but now I'm gold

I've been to see Rilo Kiley on two occasions this year, once in August and once last week. The show in August was at Islington Academy, a relatively intimate venue. Having only heard Moneymaker from their latest album, Under the Blacklight, I was blown away by their new material. The moment the beat of Breakin' Up started was a definitive moment in my relationship with Rilo Kiley. Their progression from country pop to country-disco-pop was clear. Actually, I'd say their transition was rather to 'the best pop band in the whole world'. I bought the album the next day and was swept away by Jenny Lewis' even dreamier warm vocals, their glistening lyrics (really...), perfectly timed chord changes and west coast horizontalness.

When tickets for their gig at Shepherd's Bush Empire came on sale, I hesitated, wary that too many gigs mixeth not with a full time job. Puting the album on again I quickly changed my mind and bought a ticket. The leaves fell, the wind picked up, it rained, my roof leaked and soon enough it was 19th November.

Three months down the line, Under the Blacklight has failed to sell a huge amount of albums or gain much airplay since the initial critical acclaim it attracted. The gig was nice and full and Shepherd's Bush is a beautiful big venue, with four levels, ornate decor and a big stage. With a glittering gold backdrop, everything was in place for Rilo Kiley to play their landmark UK date. And it was just that. The whole band was astounded by the screams and cheers as they took to the stage, climaxing when the opening guitar of 'It's a Hit' were played. It makes a nice change seeing American bands, the smaller ones tend to be very happy to be playing here and not totally sick of playing the same cities five times a year. Rilo Kiley have never done a vast amount of promo or shows here and I imagine an enthusiastic 2,000 strong crowd must be something of a surprise.

It's so reassuring to watch bands who clearly love playing live, and being in a band together, as much as Rilo Kiley do. Their smiles, interactions, playing guitars body2body make their already convincing pop music all the more convincing. Too often are bands insencere, tired, jaded, uninspired and delivering dull and directionless second albums. On album number four Rilo Kiley keep diversifying, developing and getting it right. If you haven't listened to anything yet, hope over to their myspace and listen to Silver Lining. It's perfect.

2007-11-04T22:31:00.000+01:00

Sons and Daughters still love you

Halloween has always been a big celebration in Scotland. My mum always threw amazing parties when I was small - we 'dooked' for apples, ate doughnuts off string, dressed up in intricate home-made costumes. In the last couple of years it's become a big celebration in England too. As I walked through Jack the Ripper's old stomping ground on the way to Rough Trade East a few witches darted out of taxis and into bars, but it was business as usual in E1. Inside the cavernous shop the punters were dressed as normal and gathered eagerly around the stage. Sons and Daughters, Glasgow's (and Scotland's and the World's) finest exports, were in town to promote their new single, Gilt Complex, which is the lead single to their forthcoming third album This Gift. Compared to the poky little basement of Rough Trade in Neals Yard, East affords more than 10 people into an instore gig - which is handy as quite a few people were there to check out S&Ds.

They were not to be disappointed. Ailidh, Adele, Scott and David walked on stage in Halloween costumes which would put even my mum's to shame. They did not seem at all sheepish that they were the only ones who'd taken this pagan celebration seriously. I had donned a pair of patent black shoes, but I don't think this sufficed. They opened with Gilt Complex, which sounded more menacing live. After a round or two of applause the audience would fall into deathly silence between songs - it reminded me of the few times I had seen Sons and Daughters supporting other bands and the audience were totally taken aback by their banshee-like stage presence. Dance Me In got the crowd swaying, while the new songs encouraged some serious foot-stomping. The only other 'old' song they played was Johnny Cash, which inspired an intense and energetic reaction.

The bulk of the set was new material and it was all brilliant. It seemed a little less celtic, a bit more classic rock'n'roll - and I don't mean as in Classic Rock magazine. The sound was bigger and bolder. Adele did some interesting things with her vocals. There was less mandolin. The second last song they played was called Chains and is their 'pop song'. It was amazing. It had a bittersweet, bouncy, punky feel to it. I was grinning all over - it was as though I saw the band transform in front of me. With a tour blog for NME, Bernard Butler twiddling the nobs on the new album and this big, more developed sound I have a quiet confidence that Sons and Daughters are going to be skipping up a league in the not too distant future. I'm seeing them again on 21st November (come! come!) so I'll have some more concrete views then.

2007-10-23T22:34:00.000+02:00

Shame on me!

It's almost three months since I last wrote here. Shameful. It's been a long three months and seems a whole world away since I was strolling the streets of downtown Manhattan, riding the L and looking up at tall buildings. I started temping at the Ministry of Justice almost as soon as I got back - the work was menial and the hours were long. My search for a graduate job was a job in itself and I would spend every evening investing in application forms. It was all going nowhere until I was invited for two interviews; one in Brussels and one in London. I did a lot of soul searching about what I wanted out of a job and my life and ended up getting the job in London before the European Parliament interview, and decided to deliberately screw up Brussels.

But now I'm mostly happy and definitely employed. And I have my evenings free and I can think about blogging again. I've been to a fair few sublime gigs this summer and I want to give them all a mention. But I'll start with the one where I took the best pictures:

Oh hi, Gwen.

I loved No Doubt more than any band ever. My teenage bedroom's walls were plastered floor to ceiling in No Doubt posters, vinyls, merchandise and homemade shrinage. At the time they were the least cool band imaginable. Their follow up to Tragic Kingdom, Return of Saturn, bombed critically and commercially and Gwen's pink hair and braces left her at the mercy of the gutter press. When Rock Steady came out people started paying attention again and the band played their first UK shows in five years. I skipped school and got the train down to London to see them a fair few times that year. And now, five years on from then, Gwen played two nights at Wembley Arena as a solo artist.

The whole thing reminded me exactly why I love Gwen Stefani (and all the related shit she puts out). Even if what she sings is a little bit silly and her constant self-branding is a little bit painful, she means and believes EVERYTHING. There was a moment at the concert when she was singing Hollaback Girl and she looked almost ready to cry at the line 'few times I been around the track...cos I ain't no hollaback girl'. Even though it seems totally nonsensical and the idea behind it might be lost in translation, Gwen still feels it when she has sung it hundreds and hundreds of times. Her voice carries with it so much emotion and expression that she just transforms a disposable pop song into something more sophisticated. And what could be more sophisticated than emotion?

Well, the visual elements of the show were certainly sophisticated - her Harajuku Girl dancers had just about as many outfit changes as the lady herself and their routines were very creatively interpretative of the lyrics and the themes of her songs. The stage set up was equally themed - from the Gwen styled wall paper to the gold cage that became a safe that became an oven, out of which she bursts with a burst of flour for the food themed Yummy:

She prove that she's no squeamish pop tart by running around the arena, clambering over people, sitting on fan's laps, trying on pink fluffy cowboy hats. And getting sweaty and telling everyone about it. This is her edge on all the other production line popstrels - she's totally human and she doesn't pretend otherwise. But at the same time she's superhuman, cavorting around in leopard print catsuits and inexplicable heels. Oh and she is 38 years old. The age and social strata range of the crowd reflected her universal appeal - for many of the middle-aged suburban women grinding away in aforementioned pink fluffy cowboy hats she is proof that having kids and nearing big old horrible 40 doesn't mean you have to pack in your exuberance and vitality. She did tell that a No Doubt album was on its way and that made me very excited. It will be 7 years since their last studio album came out. Things have changed a lot since then - what will they sound like in 2008?

2007-07-28T01:17:00.001+02:00

Winterpol

It seems like an age ago that I saw Interpol play what is known as a 'club date' at the Astoria. It's only 25 days, but these 25 days have involved taking the megabus to Edinburgh and back, signing on the dole, signing up with a ton of temp agencies, puting my heart into many an application form and covering letter, getting temp work in a central government department, signing off, and working 40 hours a week for two weeks. Work really does get in the way if you let it and once this transition period is over, I intend to reclaim my life. Because it's important to have one. It's certainly been a wintery July, with floods left, right and centre. I do wonder if NYC's eternally winter-dressed masterminds had anything to do with it. Go figure...last summer was a scorcher in Northern Europe and Interpol were in the studio. This summer they've done the festival rounds and look what's happened; Umbrella was #1 for the tenth week.

But I don't want Interpol to go back into the studio yet, it is time for them to bask in the glory of their new album, Our Love to Admire. I wasn't instantly filled with the same relief that I experienced when I first listened to Antics, the production threw me a bit and the lyrics seemed more obvious than on earlier work. To this day I still mumble along imagined lyrics to old Interpol songs, I like their abstract quality; you can project what you want on to most of their grand soundscapes and evasive texts. But after three back-to-back listens, I was reassured that they still have it.

S and I watched it from the front row of the balcony, which was perfect. I love watching each member of Interpol doing their own thing on stage and sometimes coming together. Paul stands almost statically, hair over his face; Carlos, now sporting a bushier moustache and longer hair than before looks less like a member of the gestapo and more like an eccentric Eastern European duke - still he plays his bass like a machine gun; beautiful Daniel, so petit, shimmies in a sharp suit and looks incredibly suave as he slinks around his corner of the stage and Sam is the understated powerhouse, behatted and looking like he's straight out of a Brooklyn-Italian mob flick. They are so New York. They played NYC, too, in the encore and I wept a silent tear at the thought that I won't be back there for a long while. I still don't know why the subway is a porno, but the streets are a bit messy...all those rats...

I'm fortunate enough to have a ticket to see them at Ally Pally in November when it truly will be time for Winterpol and I can walk back through North London with rosy cheeks in my long, smart black jacket with my gloved hands in the pockets and feel secretly happy that the winter is upon us. Before then I'd quite like some summer please!

2007-07-18T22:34:00.000+02:00

The last of the holiday pictures...

Montreal!!!!

Some of the amazing food I ate!!!!

Some reflections!!!

2007-07-13T19:00:00.000+02:00

Photos of Music in New York
Click pictures for the full set!

Bright Eyes (W/ Nick Zinner + Maria Taylor + Ben Gibbard)

Bright Eyes (W/ Steve Earl + Maria Taylor + someone from the Like)

Yo! Majesty

CSS

The Pipettes (instore)

Marit Bergman (w/ Nina Peerson of the Cardigans)

Smoosh (+ even younger sister!)

The Pipettes

The Horrors

We are Scientists

The Long Blondes

The Long Blondes

Franz Ferdinand

2007-07-03T20:21:00.000+02:00

New York!

I've finally processed and uploaded my pictures of New York. Click the pigeon to see the full set. Bands, food, reflections and Montreal in the next few weeks. I'm going home to Edinburgh this evening and will be back on Monday.

2007-06-27T14:08:00.000+02:00

Montréal

I had very few preconceptions about Montreal. I knew I liked a lot of bands who formed or live there. I knew it was French-speaking (primarily) and famed for its many restaurants and café culture and that was about it. I had been trying not to think about my stay in New York coming to an end, taking each day for what it was and not counting down any time. Soon it was the day before our train to Montreal and we decided to go to Barnes & Noble and pick up the Rough Guide. I spent the 13 hour train journey through upstate New York and the beautiful Adirondack National Park reading the guide, my mouth watering at the restaurant descriptions. I should add that the journey was only supposed to take 10 hours, but some delays along the route and 2 hours at the Canadian border slowed us down somewhat.

Precisely because I didn't know what to expect from it, has meant that my stay in Montreal has been an eye-opening and fascinating experience. It is such a meeting point of different cultural and historical influences. Architecturally it's very Scottish, which surprised me at first. Here I am in North America and the gothic Victorian sandstone buildings are like the ones where I lived in Edinburgh but with brightly coloured balconies! Then, of course, I remember that Scottish and Irish people came in the thousands to Canada at various points of hardship in their respective histories and naturally built in the styles they were used to. But to make things more strange, these buildings are primarily in Francophone areas with North American style cars, streets and chain stores - all very confusing.

The way of life - in the Francophone areas of Plateau Mont Royal, Mile End, Outrement and Quartier Latin at least - seems very relaxed and - dare I say - European, while the more Anglophone downtown definitely seems more like a North American city. Of course, my inclination was to the Plateau! I pictured myself living, eating, shopping, partying up in the Plateau or Mile End and studying with les anglos at McGill. Something to think about, though I don't know if I'd survive the lengthy and freezing Montreal winter - apparently, colder and longer than even Moscow's winter! On a summer evening the terasses on st Denis were packed with young people, people watching and being watched - the classic summer pastime! It felt refreshingly unpretentious and laid back. Visiting Montreal for me was less about sightseeing and more about enjoying this vibe, promenading the avenues and wandering down the side streets.

While we were there it was the Quebec national day and my friend Catherine took us to see and then participate in the parade. It was really interesting to see the highly emotional separatist sentiments and identities in practice, but it got a bit scary when a minority of the paraders started chanting for everything from the internet to the whole of Montreal to be en francais, which seems to me to undermine the curious dynamic which makes Montreal so unique. The parade was definitely enjoyable and we got to try the Quebecoise speciality of Poutine - the ultimate comfort food! My stay in Montreal was a cullinary extravaganza too - more expensive than New York, but lots and lots of amazing French-inspired food - Moules Frites, Confit de Canard, crepes, mousse au chocolat, pain au chocolat...my mouth is still watering.

Of course, a major reason for making Montreal the second stop on my adventure was my love for several bands based there, namely Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade and Islands and so I'd hoped to go to a few gigs and see what was going on, especially at Casa del Popolo, but none of the line-ups were that good for while we were there. We did find a lovely little cafe bar on the corner of Boulevard St Laurent and St Viateur Ouest where a band with lots of different instruments (check!) were playing. In this respect it was like the first time I visited Berlin and we were looking for all the 'cool' things but just spent hours wandering around in vain, failing to find anything. It seems much more insider and harder to access than much of NYC, which is well documented in blogs, guidebooks and reputation. Finding all the exciting stuff in Montreal requires more digging than we had time to do.

People keep asking me whether I prefered New York or Montreal. I really couldn't say! They are definitely incomparable and are great for different reasons. I liked having the balance of hectic, fast-paced and gigantic New York and relaxed, compact Montreal in my itinerary - and it was nice to finish my trip on a slow-pace before everything speeds up back here in London. If I was to go to Montreal again (and I certainly hope to!) then I'd do some more research and make more contacts first, but otherwise, it's a brilliant city just to stroll and absorb!

2007-06-25T15:50:00.000+02:00

Lists

I can't be bothered to write about everything I did or saw, so I'll resort to a stream of consciousness list:

-Lunch at Wholefoods, Union Square x 48478475 - why don't we have supermarkets like this in Britain? Oh wait, one has just opened in Kensington and they own Fresh'n'Wild.

-Cupcakes from Magnolia on Bleecker - heavenly!

-Rooftop party in Bushwick, Brooklyn - the view of the Manhattan skyline at 1am and the distance. Also watching Americans dance...hilarity. Even hipsters dance like they are in a teen movie.

-Franz Ferdinand at the Bowery Ballroom - a fairly short set, but I was taken aback by their terrific showmanship; a truly entertaining live band.

-Watching a thunderstorm attack Manhattan from a pier in Long Island City.

-Finally getting to Misshapes on my last Saturday - the music was unfailingly brilliant, I got my picture taken against the mystical white brick wall (!!), but the club was emptier than usual apparently, so the ambience was slightly disappointing.

-Becoming addicted to walking along Brooklyn Promenade and watching the sun set behind Manhattan from Fulton Landing. Then going for amazing Pizza at Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge.

-Exploring Brooklyn lots - I love Park Slope, I could quite happily live there. I love Fairways supermarket in Red Hook - in fact, I love all the gourmet faux-hippy ueber grocery stores. Brooklyn Heights is stately and feels like posh West London and even has simialr architecture (and then some skyscrapers, of course). I think I'm definitely a Brooklyn boy.

-But Queens is great too. People may turn their noses up at Queens, but it's so vibrant and multcultural that it is more exciting than some staid Manhattan neighbourhoods. I love Jackson Heights which is where Betty Suarez in Ugly Betty is supposed to live. I went there twice and each time it was like stepping into those scenes, the latino music on the streets, the smells of greasy street food, the well-kept latina-chiquitas, the neon lights, the occasional glimpse of the Manhattan skyline reminding you which part of the world you are actually in.

-Each time I saw steam coming from manhole covers I smiled.

-Central Park is a wonderful place to get lost for the day.

-But not on Friday afternoons, as that is when it's free entry to MOMA, Guggenheim and most other museums and galleries. Save yourself some $$$$!

-All the clichees about shopping in New York are true. It is 'great for shopping', the shops are far less busy than in London, they have better stock and better layouts. And they are nicely consolidated in areas like SoHo. There's something about seeing people with lots of shopping bags which makes you want them too. For the best savings visit Levis or other All American brands.

-The L and the G trains! They both had their failings (30 minute waits at night, the L is almost always packed, being stuck in tunnels) but they both delivered me from where I was to where I wanted to be; inevitably Greenpoint, Williamsburg, East Village, Union Square or the West Village.

-Gigs in New York were strange. People applauded every single thing the bands did - ooh a solo! WOOOOO! Oh they had a sip of beer! WOOO BEER! Ooh they said something I couldn't understand! WOO THEY SAID SOMETHING. That was really strange and just a bit too full on. Then other gigs were really staid and nobody danced - that was also strange. Even more strange was how the first four rows was entirely CAMERAS ALOFT, and not just any old cheapy digital cameras - no, SLRs, everyone has one and they are not afraid to snap and flash away for the duration of the set. I think there's an art to taking some good pictures AND getting into a 'show' which needs to be learned. I therefore call for DANCING PHOTOGRAPHERS!

-New York feels amazingly safe. My dad lived there in the late 90s and the NY he painted seems completely different to the present reality. My trusty Time Out 2007 guide is full of the word gentrification but I don't feel like it' been a negative process like it has been in some cities. I also got the feeling that New Yorkers really look out for each other - and tourists too - out of pure pride in NY. So many times in my first few days there when I was frantically trying to find where I was on the map or where the Uptown subway entrance was, people came up and helped me. That would not happen in London.

-Deborah and I saw Maggie Gyllenhall in Williamsburg and I spotted Chloe Sevingy at Misshapes.

-I loved staying in Greenpoint but I wouldn't recommend the YMCA there - we had a MOUSE PROBLEM, which is admittedly better than a rat problem, but it's not nice to hear them scuttling around at night. I became quite OCD about having nothing on the floor (so that they couldn't make any noise) and making lots of noise as I entered the room to give them a chance to get down their hole before I had to see them. Furthermore, the Y didn't have proper curtains and there was roadworks every morning but Sunday, which does not make for good sleeping. It was really cheap to stay there and I probably couldn't have done it any other way (apart from a good sublet or house swap) and it really wasn't all that bad - but if you were to do the same thing, prepare yourself mentally for the possibility of mice (we only saw one!) and maybe call in advance to see if they have sorted it out by then!

-I could quite happily live in New York, but - unless I do a Masters there - I don't think I'll be back for a while so that I can keep it the special place where I had some great adventures after I finished my degree.

2007-06-24T18:36:00.000+02:00

Eye behind a camera, pass the city music hall

Here are a few random pictures from my first 10 days:

2007-06-23T15:52:00.000+02:00

I'm not in NY anymore

The rest of my stay in New York went so quickly that I hardly had any time to check my e-mail, let alone think about what I'd seen, experienced and felt and convert those musings into a blog entry. I had an absolutely incredible time and I really feel like I gave it my best shot.

Some of the things I did:
Coney Island and Brighton Beach was a super day out. Coney Island lies at the southernmost tip of Brooklyn (and therefore also Long Island) and was a crazy experience. It is often referenced in pop culture, from films like Pi to songs by Franz Ferdinand (see: Eleanor Put Your Boots Back On). We took a long ride there via Staten Island ferry and then a bus over the Verrazano Narrows bridge before we arrived at the faded pastels of the eccentric peninsula community. We rode the Wonder Wheel and opted for the swinging capsules, which had some swing, but we had some beautiful views of the seafront and Manhattan in the distance. We also plucked up the courage to ride the Cyclone Rollercoaster - a wooden rollercoaster with several near vertical drops. I hadn't been on a proper rollercoaster in 7 years so it was really exihlerating. Pete bought the photo of us as we went down the first big drop and it's hilarious. I didn't realise how brown I was until I didn't recognise myself in the picture. Haha!

Brighton Beach is the next nabe along the coast from Coney Island and it could not be further removed from the Brighton we all know and love (apart from the fact that it has a beach). It is THE Russian neighbourhood in NY, everything is Russian, the people, the clothes, the lettering, the fashions, the restaurants. It was amazing. We went into a couple of shops and they spoke Russian at us - the community is so insular that it's hard to imagine why anyone non-Russian would be there. Luckily some of the useful Russian phrases I'd learnt in Moscow would come in use. We ate in a Georgian restaurant that evening - a delicious three course gigantic meal with wine for a mere £10. Incroyable!

Another really interesting thing was visiting the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, recommended to me separately by my friends Deborah and Beth. The Lower East Side is a pretty hip area these days, with lots of great bars and clubs, snazzy vintage shops and y'know interesting graffiti and good ethnic cheap eats. Like all the 'cool' areas in New York it hasn't always been cool (OMG) and it has been an immigrant area since the 1860s. The museum consists of two preserved tenements with rooms kept as they would have been at different stages in LES' immigration history. There are two tours and ours followed the lives of a family of German Jews who stayed in the building in 1890 and then an Italian family who lived there in the 30s. I'd highly recommend it if you are interested in that kind of thing.

I'll update some more soon. Where we are staying in Montreal (lovely, btw!) has free wi-fi so I'll be updating in my free windows of time more freqently!

2007-06-12T21:07:00.000+02:00

The Big Apple (Store)

I'm in the apple store again because it's raining. I'm slowly becoming a MacPerson, maccing away, being creative, y'know. It's very clever marketing. You pop in out of curiousity - it's a prime retail location, a nice design and voila - you can surf the internets for free (apart from MySpace, strangely - I'm behind on the ol' MySpace) and you learn that the beautiful, clean aesthetics of the Mac are not a compromise of style over function. And they do look good. It's also raining again, crazy style raining. It's hardly rained since I last posted when it was raining, I wouldn't want to under-sell the New York weather because it's been lovely - and not tooooo hot the last few days.

In terms of gigs, I've been to a couple and they were both the Long Blondes. My interest has never waned with the Long Blondes, but these two gigs have been a 'return to form' of the early gigs. Maybe it's because they aren't as big over here, or maybe they realise that pencil skirts are cooler than hot pants, but they were both excellent and convinced me that the LBs are going to be around for a long time, if their new song Guilt is anything to go by! Tomorrow it's Franz Ferdinand at the Bowery Ballroom. It sold out in 20 seconds (!!) and it's an absolutely tiny, beautiful venue. I doubt there is a bad place to stand in the whole room. I'm sure there'll be an exciting support too!

I've swapped bed-guests too. Deborah is back in Denver and Pete is over from London. D and I went to Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Brooklyn Heights on Thursday night - the best pizza I've ever tasted, complete with some mafia-style Italian Brooklyn service. We followed it with some good authentic Italian ice-cream by the East River, watching the Lower Manhattan Skyline glistening on that warm June evening. The sunset before the meal was even more beautiful! On Sunday Pete and I went to Katja's sexy Bushwick warehouse/loft space - it was the dream, views of Manhattan, high ceilings, cool decor and a roof terrace. It was also Puerto Rico day and Bushwick is a big Puerto Rican neighbourhood. The celebrations were crazy, all blue, white and red, music in the streets and the smell of barbecuing...super.

I only have a week left in NY and I've still got loads to do. Hopefully I'll be going to Coney Island on Thursday, Guggenheim on Friday, Top of the Rock on some evening, Little Italy in the Bronx, Soul Food in Harlem...in fact...what the hell am I doing in the apple store?!?!?! I'll write soon.

2007-06-06T19:02:00.001+02:00

Concert Marathon

Last night I pulled off a three gig's in one evening bonanza, starting at the Pipettes instore at Other Music (SoHo), then on to the Pipettes main gig at the Highline Ballroom (Meatpacking District) before heading down to the Horrors secret last minute show at Pianos (Lower East Side). Very exhausting. The gigs were all interesting - the instore was short, but sweet. Their headline gig featured excellent support in the shape of Marit Bergmann, a Swedish singer-songwriter who was joined by Nina Peerson (of the Cardigans) on back vocals, which was a nice surprise. Smoosh were the main openers and were more confident than when I saw them support the Go! Team last year. The youngest of the Smoosh family came and joined them on bass duties for a couple of songs - so sweet. The Pipettes were good, but the new songs they played lacked the catchy genius of their earlier songs. Whether their success will continue depends greatly on their ability to come up with the magic a second time round. Let's hope they can do it.

The Horrors were loud and frightening. Really scary. I saw them last summer in Berlin and they were very intense, but not really terrifying. This time Faris Rotter was swinging from lighting rigs, lashing out into the crowds, jumping across like some praying mantris. There were hardly any stage lights, just a strobe effect caused by the many photographers trying to document this unbelievable and 'you had to be there' show. The Horrors definitely aren't for everyone, but if you want some theatrics and you don't have a low fear threshold, it should be enjoyable. On an OMG note: Nick Zinner + gf were there as were Dorian and Emma from the Long Blondes, who I am seeing tonight with We are Scientists as not-so-secret openers!

One thing that has really struck me about going to gigs in NY is that people are obsessed with 'hipsters'. In the queue for CSS, the Pipettes instore and also inside the CSS gigs I heard the people behind me discussing the merits of hipsterdom and constantly referring to 'hipsters' as a groups, making them into these unattainable super-beings, yet at the same time identifying themselves as on the peripheries of this intangible movement that isn't a movement. I heard two talking about how hard getting into MisShapes so I turned round and asked how hard it was. They were two gawky 16 year old boys, very nice though, and they quickly explained that they wouldn't know and they only go to free things. I realised then that NY hipsterdom was a very aspirational thing - something that was there for you when you turn 21 and can get into these places, but until then you observe from too far away. When I turned around at the Pipettes main gig to see who was obsessing over hipsters I realised it was the same people who were behind me in the CSS queue, making fun of hipsters yet at the same time identifying as them! The same people! Still talking about it! Hipsters don't exist, they are social constructs evident only when sufficient people believe in them to be a social reality. Don't worry about it all y'all!

2007-06-04T17:21:00.000+02:00

Singing in the Rain

A storm descended over NYC yesterday afternoon and 24 hours later it's raining heavier than ever. It's quite incredible seeing how a sudden change in the weather can transform the idyllic sunkissed, blue-skyed city of tree-lined avenues and beautiful people into a haggard, chaotic and unbearable cacophony of beeping-horns, grid-locked traffic and foot deep puddles. Gross. Maybe it's the fact that I woke up at 6am with the sound of the rain or perhaps that I don't have any suitable attire for this weather (why do I only own canvas shoes?). The good news is that it should hopefully be gone tomorrow and we will see a reutnr to the 28degree heat to which we have become accustomed.

D and I went to a couple more gigs last week. We saw Bright Eyes' show 6 of 7 at Town Hall and it was not as good as the previous night, despite our Row A seats. The guest was off our pop-culture radar (Steve Earle...some old hippy) and then Zea from The Like came on to embarrass herself not knowing the words to the song she was supposed to sing. We saw Cansei de ser Sexy at Irving Plaza, or should I say 'The Fillmore(TM) at Irving Plaza' as it was rebranded last month. That was excellent - they through food out into the crowd (always a winner), did a couple of great covers and were exciting to watch. I got some really good pictures which you'll get to see...in a month. Or sooner if my boyfriend brings over his laptop when he comes on 9th June.

On Saturday we went up to Morningside Heights where Columbia University is - I conteplated the merits and costs of doing a masters there rather than in London. Hmm. Something to keep pondering, but it is quite beautiful up there - one of the only hills in Manhattan and only a stone's throw from Harlem. We went to Harlem too - it was lovely, which isn't the first thing you expect people to say of Harlem. There's so much life on the streets and its political spirit is still alive and well. We saw lots of different groups and individuals preaching - Nation of Islam, the one about Israel, Christians, anti-war people, anti-slavery. We then walked through a park between Harlem and Spanish Harlem where they were having an Afrikafest. There was such a great, positive community spirit there - everyone was out, using the park, having barbecues, banging drums, playing in the playpark. Although it's still riddled with social problems, I think there are some real lessons to be learned from Harlem.

We also took the Staten Island Ferry, explored some more of Brooklyn - including Red Hook which is brilliant, walked up the East Rver from Battery Park to thge East Village - with lots of bench stops to rest our tired feet! Today we are going to take a tour of the UN and see the place where all my essays happen, or something. I'll be seeing the Pipettes at Highline Ballroom tomorrow night and the Long Blondes at our local (kinda) venue, the Luna Lounge on Wednesday. Exciting.

2007-05-31T22:29:00.000+02:00

I'm in New York, It's Thursday

New York hasn't been short of adventure, that's for sure. I was hit two days ago by a whirlwind of of technological disasters. The first wasn't really technological, but it was a minor disaster. Between catching the L train in the morning to the city, walking around the financial district, chilling in Battery Park, finding my way north up to China Town and Little Italy and then into Soho before heading onto Greenwich Villiage...I lost my Metrocard. My 30 day Metrocard which I had only bought the previous day. Which cost $76. My feet were in no position to stomp home so I bit the bullet and bought another one. I should say something about Metrocards before I carry on documenting my technological disasters. Metrocards are really hard to swipe. With Oyster you just hit it near the sensor and voila! you're in. Metrocards need to be swiped lengthwise to access the turnstile. I've learnt that it's all about the motion, following it through, believing in yourself, being confident. You need to focus but it needs to be natural. I'm getting there - I've had a run of three first times today.

The technlogical problems are that my UK>US plug adaptor does not convert voltage and so all my various chargers are unable to work. This leaves me phone-battery-less and needing to by batteries for my camera shortly. The final technlogical blunder is that the lens protector on my camera is not closing properly. Canon will be getting a strongly worded letter on my return. So it's really not all that bad, it just means I have to be more selective with my snapping and take more care to protect my lens in the short term.

Last night Deborah and I went to see Bright Eyes at the NY Town Hall. It was his fourth of seven dates there and at each of the three dates he had had special guests on stage - Lou Reed, Ben Kweller, Norah Jones and Jenny Lewis. Halfway through Conor announced our special guest...NICK ZINNER OF YYYS. Deborah and I squealed! And got over our respective jetlags. And then Maria Taylor (of Azure Ray and also Conor's girlfriend) came out. And when we thought it was all over in terms of surprises BEN GIBBARD of DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE and POSTAL SERVICE came out to sing We Will Become Silhouettes, 4.05 and I Will Follow You Into The Dark! And then everyone came back on for a crazy encore. It was the best Bright Eyes gig I've ever been to - and it was nice to come out feeling elated rather than a bit depressed. It goes to show how much has changed over these past few years. D and I are also going again tonight and have row A seats. We are excitedly guessing who the secret guest(s?) will be.

2007-05-30T03:08:00.000+02:00

It's hard to adjust your sleeping pattern to the city that never sleeps

New York is awesome so far. I have spent hours and hours walking to the extent that I wish I had brought more supportive shoes than my lovely canvas plimsols. I am staying in Greenpoint, just North of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. It is a real traditional working class Polish nabe and provides me with endless smiles - on the street I hear people speaking Polish all the time and all the shops' signage is also in Polish. It reminds me of those Higher Modern Studies classes when we learned about Salad Bowl and Melting Pot theories of integration in the American perspective. It's crazy that you can walk from one block to the next and be on another leaf in the bowl, or maybe a lump of feta, or even some cold rice. For there are many different variations of salad, after all.

What is most surprising is how friendly everyone is. I'd always had the estimation that New Yorkers were all fast-paced and hardened, but you get some amazing banter on the subway, behind you when you are eating breakfast in the diner and just crazy people on the street. I love the Brooklyn twang, being asked if I want any more cawffee and melting their hearts with my British accent and awkward tips (I am still a bit unsure about all the ettiquette). Other teething difficulties include managing to swipe my (My My) Metrocard right - it's all about a motion in time with your body, but it isn't as easy as Oyster, that's for sure.

I am so excited to have another three weeks here. Wow. More soon!

2007-05-25T17:30:00.000+02:00

In defence of Patrick Wolf

Much has been written about Patrick Wolf in the last few months. It has, indeed, been a strange couple of months for young Patrick. Having signed to Polydor's 'indie' imprint, Loog last year, Patrick has been receiving more attention and praise than ever before; he's also been touring more, doing more interviews and even appearing on the Charlotte Church show. Things got a bit crazy when he played at Miss-Shapes (NY) and hit and sacked his drummer on stage, announcing two weeks later on his messageboard that he would be retiring from this kind of way of musicking at the end of the year. Cue: the story spreading like wildfire around the internets, Record Company Men calling up Patrick and bringing him to his sense, an explanation to Pitchfork and commencing the touring. Phew!

As a long time fan of Patrick Wolf I thought it important to point out a couple of things in the face of the criticism he has received. Patrick is a human and a young one at that. Self-doubt and insecurity are inevitable traits, as are reactions and actions in the heat of the moment which may later be regretted. As a multi-instrumentalist solo artist he is used to having full control over everything; it is conceivable that the pressure of promotional schedules, conquering markets and making public appearances takes a while to get used to. Finally, the stress of meeting all the high expectations placed upon him is clearly affecting. For these reasons, I say don't judge Patrick Wolf on his recent actions. Listen to his music instead.

And what wonderful music he has given us. Three fantastic albums: 2003's Lycanthropy electro-y folk (my favourite), 2005's Wind In The Wires - a luscious, sweeping and mystical folk record, and 2007's Magic Position which is a carnival of different pop sounds. He's playing festivals all over Europe and Britain this summer and some more US dates in the next few days.

2007-05-24T00:12:00.000+02:00

We're all cold war kids

It is absolutely shameful how long it's taken me to blog about Cold War Kids' excellent show at ULU on 5th May. When I read a review of their 21st May Koko gig I realised I'd gotten too far behind with this whole thing. On a personal note, I am now finished my finals at UCL and am very excited about flying off to New York and Montreal for a month of discovery...in 4 full days, wow. I'll be seeing the Pipettes, the Long Blondes, Bright Eyes, CSS, maybe the Horrors, maybe Keren Ann, maybe Au Revoir Simone, maybe Loney Dear!

Cold War Kids though. I hadn't known what to expect. Their tour sold out in a matter of days, but then there were hundreds of surplus tickets floating around on eBay. Five minutes before doors were supposed to open at their first "proper" headline London show and only a small group of non-plussed attendees had gathered; sure, there was a big football match on, but this was strange. No bands came on until 9pm and the first support act came in the form of Derrick Brown, a poet, reading his involving, funny and then suddenly touchingly bittersweet writings to the growing crowd. He came on again, just before Cold War Kids took to the stage and prove the most warming of warm-up acts. People booking dire and derivitive support acts take note: this is much better.

There remained a slightly staid atmosphere in the venue and my feelings during the first few songs were mixed. CWK's stage show was very Californian, based on all the Californian bands I used to watch live; lots of motion, lots of skulking around stage, lots of bass, lots of showmanship. When you are so used to seeing twee indie-pop or shambolic indie-rock bands, this kind of professionalism can seem disingenuous and detached from the music. But their songs are so consumingly emotional and Nathan Willet's vocals are so soulful and powerful that this culture-clash was soon over-ridden. I forgot that there were other people around me and was completely absorbed by their on-stage antics, all four members occupying their own little worlds and occasionally re-surfacing to perform a guitar dual or swap instruments.

If you are anything like me, you have probably gone in phases with Cold War Kids - I loved the album when I first heard it, then I doubted its sincerity, but since giving it a second burst, there's no turning back.

2007-04-26T18:31:00.000+02:00

Let's Get Out Of This Country

I've been so busy writing assessed essays, revising for exams, speaking German to myself in my bedroom and buying fondue sets on eBay that I forgot that I'd not yet blogged about Camera Obscura when I was up in Edinburgh at the end of March (the last gig I went to, how rubbish!).

Their latest album is the astounding Let's Get Out Of This Country and was a big success in the end of year blog charts, if nowhere else. They are a Scottish band and their singer, Tracyanne Campbell sings with a strong, bittersweet, crystal clear Scottish accent. I love it. Considering the name of their album, it seems ironic and yet fitting that I saw them in Edinburgh, my hometown and at the Liquid Rooms which is just 50 metres from the Camera Obscura I first knew. Their songs fill me with that wistful feeling of longing for escape, of being half in love and half ready to blow the whole place up. That's what Edinburgh/Scotland does to me.

The gig was wonderful, the beautiful songs were coupled with Tracyanne's very dry wit which rubbed off well on the usually stale Edinburgh crowd. The live instrumentation reminded me of when I saw Bright Eyes on the I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning tour when he had an 11 piece band with him and the sound was just immense. Every twang, horn, slide guitar, tambourine shake made my arm hairs stand on end. The climax of the show was the encore, they played a cover of Abba's Super Trooper in their own style. People were humming along trying to figure out how they knew the song and then as the first line kicked in, wry smiles spread across all faces. The band finished on Razzle Dazzle Rose, which was was superbly epic, building to a huge orchestral climax at then end - it was absolutely perfect.

You can stream their cover of Super Trooper here or hear it on the b-side of their current single, Tears For Affairs, which is out this week.

Speaking of getting out of this country I will be flying off to New York in exactly 30 days! VVVVery exciting it is and the fact that The Long Blondes will be playing twice when I'm there! And CSS! And Bright Eyes! And many more, I'm sure.

2007-03-25T22:06:00.000+02:00

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I really effin' love Love Is All. They keep coming back to London and get more and more love with every visit. Last week they played at Cargo, which is where they played their second ever London show almost a year ago. It wasn't sold out but everyone really loved it, the crowd was ecstatic and going crazy on the dancefloor for the fuzzy, jazzy climaxes of LIA's repertoire. They hadn't been expecting such a response and were gushing between songs and even came back on for a four song encore. Josephine confessed that they'd put all their best songs in the main set and performed "their worst songs" for the encore. The songs weren't at all bad, but that wouldn't have made a difference - such was the mood that evening. The band supported Maximo Park on their recent UK tour, which will hopefully have won them some new fans. Some may even buy their new single, out tomorrow on 7". It's a double A-side! It's Ageing Had Never Been His Friend on one side and a cover of The Pastel's Nothing to be Done on the other.

2007-03-20T22:12:00.000+01:00

Sugar Sugar Honey

The Sugars are rock'n'roll. They work crappy day jobs and gig by night. When I saw then A MONTH AGO (this is how behind I'm getting!) at Bloomdbury Bowling Lanes they had already done a full day's work back in Leeds and were driving up first thing the next morning to do another one. That is rock'n'roll. Also rock'n'roll (in the classic sense) was the venue...an on-site diner, karaoke rooms, swirly carpets, loads of fit fifties rocker boys, rocker girls and housewives. Hairnets and high-waists galore. It's definitely my favourite subculture at the moment - everyone is so immaculate and sexy. The Sugars played a blistering 25 minute set of their signature garage rock with call-and-response vocals ending on their single (#6 in the Indie charts they told us) Monsters, which was, as previously stated, monstrous. Look how good they look:

Wow. Hot stuff.

2007-03-19T00:45:00.000+01:00

15 cans of spray-paint

Oh Conor Oberst. You were the most fly of the angst-ridden indie poster boys, but something was different on Friday night at Koko. Your hair was longer, your shirt smarter, your back more hunched. You seemed even more angst-ridden than before, more under-the-influence. When you last played in London it was 5 days after 7th July 2005 and there was a bomb scare outside the venue before the gig. You put on one of the strongest, most emotional shows I've ever witnessed, especially the climax of Easy/Lucky/Free when you told us to be brave. Friday was strange, you seemed less in touch, a little less passionate. I hope it was just jetlag, in fact, I'm sure it was because your new songs are so good. I was worried you were turning soft after reading that this would be the album that would take you to the mainstream. They were so dark, wow. I can't wait to see you again in New York at the Town Hall in May! Oh yes!

Robbie
xx
p.s. I love Four Winds. Listen to it here.

2007-03-13T22:06:00.000+01:00

What's up with Miss Jackson?

With only two weeks of teaching left of my academic career and finals and deadlines approaching, my blogging drive is somewhat lacking. Nevertheless, I present to you The Long Blondes at the Astoria. Almost a month ago. When I saw them at the Mean Fiddler in October I left happy that they were getting big and sad, as I felt that they had compromised a bit of integrity to be a bit sluttier. I left their biggest ever headline show at the Astoria squashed but elated. I'd been worrying it was fizzling out for them when the epic Giddy Stratospheres failed to get in the Top 30. But the crowd went mad for them, everyone was singing the lyrics back at Kate with as much attitude as she was giving out. I felt that the gig was some kind of transition. Confident, assured, arena-style lighting and stage set up, glitter balls everywhere, they emphasised the Blondie-esque disco moments more than before, with epic-disco B-side Five Ways To End It taking pole position as the second last song to be played.

More than ever Kate was singled out as the focal point of the band. In fact, for most of the gig there was hardly any lighting on Emma, Reenie, Screech and Dorian who are all every bit as cool as Kate. I guess they're going for the classic iconic frontperson idea, which is fine, but it seems a shame to have the others in the background. Anyway, that tour pretty much marked the end of promoting UK releases from Someone To Drive You Home and the LBs will be focusing their energies on the rest of Europe this Spring. Hop over to their MySpace for the dates.

2007-02-26T18:35:00.000+01:00

LISTEN UP!

Since I last saw The Gossip at a crazy gay warehouse party in Berlin last summer, they have been causing quite a stir in Britain. For years they had been coming over to play and meeting a muted and sometimes even nasty response from a closed-minded music press. Something happened - whether it was all the DJs spinning Standing In The Way of Control in every disco across the country, or a VIP like Conor McNicholas actually going to see one of their intense live shows before slating them, I don't know. But it happened and now that song is everywhere, notably on every advert for ridiculous but excellent E4 teen series, Skins, The Gossip have been on all the peak time TV chat shows and spread across the pages of every broadsheet colour supplement. They are everywhere. My boyfriend, who saw them for the first time three years ago at a party asked me if I thought they'd sold out. I replied with a laugh, and a "No". Their huge big sell-out gig at the Astoria on Saturday was a confirmation of this.

They opened with Listen Up!, Beth Ditto walked on stage wearing a cobalt-blue shiny cat suit with a bin bag over her. In her patent high-heel shoes she was a picture of uncompromising glamour, defiant, strong and not ready to take any shit. After the song she started to thank NME for making her numero uno on their 2006 Cool List (cue: everyone whooping and murmering about that being how they discovered the band) before going on for a scathing attack of how the NME chickened out of the women only cover for that issue at the last minute, puting safe-option Muse on instead. Right back at you NME! At your own fabled Awards Shows! Without much further ado, the band played on, Beth shedding the bin bag once the 20-strong photographer ensemble had left the photopit to reveal the full blue catsuit. She might not conform to catwalk standards, but Beth can walk/dance in heels with more confidence than most other women, and is more confident in her own skin than almost anyone. The catsuit was proof of that. And therefore she is undestroyable. No amount of hype or nasty fat jibes can break that.

All the attention has not changed the band whatsoever. They seemed so humbled to be playing to this huge crowd, with Beth saying that more people were in the (sold-out) venue than reside in her Arkansas hometown. But the crude onstage banter was at the same level as it was for the aforementioned 4am Berlin gay warehouse party...she spoke about her desire to have as big a Cameltoe as possible, sharing her and drummer Hannah's swamp-pussies resulting from long flights from their base in Portland, Oregon, to London, showing that they come as they are and you have to love them or lump them. Unsurprisingly the "checking them out" crowd loved them, though many were slightly bemused by the banter at first. I had expected the crowd to be a bit more moshy, but they were quite calm for a Saturday night crowd. I, however, was uncontrollable. The Gossip's music, old, new, present is so electric, deep-cutting and positive that I couldn't help but spaz out. I love them and I'm so happy that they have this platform now. I am sure they will use it wisely.

On a music front, they played three new songs; Tribal Best, Makeshift Promise, Spare Me From The Mold. All of them sounded brilliant. Slightly faster, slightly poppier, but strong, dangerous, confrontational and beautiful. They sounded finished - the Gossip have been in the studio and I'd guess they'll put a new album out before the end of the year. 2007 has their name all over it already.

2007-02-20T13:05:00.000+01:00

A Spektor is haunting Europe

I finally got to see Regina Spektor live last Friday after lots of failed/sold-out/clashing attempts. The wait was totally worth it. I hadn't really know what to expect - truth be told - I don't know her music so well, but I knew she'd be special. In preparation for her live set, the cluttered stage was transformed from a chaotic mess to an arena-like space in 30 minutes, with her beautiful grand piano right in the middle. She came on stage to screaming and the huddle of photographers followed her every motion. The screams died down and the only noises to be heard was her acapella rendition of Ain't No Cover and the clicking of DSLR cameras.

She spent most of the rest of the gig sat at the piano and was accompanied by a band for about 6 songs. I've never heard a big venue on a Friday night as quiet and respectful as they were for Regina. She had the whole room enchanted for her set's long duration. There were no lulls or fillers; every song, whether you knew it or not, was as laden with hooks, lovely and often funny lyrics, and her beautiful and idiosyncratic voice. You had no option but to listen intently. There is a certain darkness which looms under the sheer beauty of her songs, a hopelessness, a sense of being lost.

When I listen to Regina Spektor I like to think about her crazy life, her identity and how her exciting background (New York - Russian - Jewish - lived in the Bronx and Moscow) and how this marries with her incredible musical and song-writing skills to create such wonderful, personal, emotional and exotic music. I love her thick New Yoik pronounciation of every vowel and her totally un-Bronx demeanour. The last song of her five song encore was a country song called Hotel Room, where she finally got to stand up and dance and sing. Seeing her performing this completely different kind of song revealed a further side to her - a bit more American, brash, daring, loud.

There's no denying it. Regina Spektor is one of the most enigmatic musicians to come out of New York in a long time. Now she's finally getting the attention she deserves and it looks like she'll be around for the long term.

2007-02-18T14:08:00.000+01:00

Busy Doing Nothing

Love Is All were back in town on Friday night for the NME Awards gig. Regina Spektor was headlining this early night night at the Astoria and Love Is All were second in command. Despite most of the audience not having heard the band, and them only having half the stage to play with (Regina's gigantic grand piano sat in the middle of the stage for the whole gig), the band impressed the crowd more than they did at their own headline show at Kings College in September. It made me realise how much better the Astoria is as a venue than that poxy student union!

Love Is All have lots of new songs to play too. My setlist has titles listed as New Bes, NYA and White Cats. They also played a cover of The Pastels' Nothing To Be Done, which they will release as a Double A Side (!!) with Ageing Had Never Been His Friend on 26th March. Around that time they will be supporting The Rakes on tour, as well as doing a couple of their own headline gigs. You'd be a fool to miss them!

2007-02-15T17:27:00.000+01:00

Soy milk and TH(re)E SUGARS

This week The Sugars released their second single. It's also definitely the best song released this year so far. It is called Monsters and, yes, it is indeed one. You can hear the demo version of it (I prefer the demo) on their MySpace and buy the final version here. It's also available in real record shops on 7" and CD.

Their sound is very 50s inspired and their style and stage-show are, naturally, in keeping. I caught them supporting The Long Blondes the day my old camera died on me (hence lack of original pictures) and was blown away by their boy/girl call/response intense performance, with old-fashioned microphones, quiffs and attitude. They are playing next Thursday at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, so I hope to see them again then. With my camera.

2007-02-14T19:14:00.000+01:00

To The Graves

I didn't realise until today (the news is about two weeks old) but Pretty Girls Make Graves are splitting up! The Seattle five-piece had released three albums, the most famous was 2003's The New Romance. In 2006 they released Elan Vital which failed to live up to its predecessor's word-of-mouth success. This is somewhat typical of many bands which found success in the 2002-2003 wave of American bands, who were burried under the Franz Ferdinand (et al) fever which ensued in 2004. A glance at the NME's Best Albums of 2003 list serves as a reminder of all the bands that have since been forgotten. The New Romance is an excellent album. Here is All Medicated Geniuses from it:

Pretty Girls Make Graves - All Medicated Geniuses

2007-02-07T23:03:00.000+01:00

THE FEAR KEEPS ME MOVING

I am now free to blog. No more dissertation, no more job interviews for a bit, only 9 weeks til the next killer extended essays are due. So I will talk about the most amazing gig I've been to...The Arcade Fire at Porchester Hall last Thursday. Eliz had flown over from Berlin especially for it and we spent the evening prior to the gig lying on my bed and listening to the band's forthcoming new album, Neon Bible, before the rest of the world. That sent anticipation levels through the roof.

We headed over to West London (blergh!) at the respectable time of 4.30pm, expecting there to be a queue snaking round the block. There wasn't. We were first. An excellent feeling. After three hours we were finally let in and ran for pole position at the front of the stage, waited another hour and a bit and the band came on. The audience's reaction was a little bit more subdued than I'd have expected for a band adored by as many as the Arcade Fire, but they soon warmed up when the older songs were played. The show was so intense. I could hardly believe my eyes, seeing them all feet away from me, lined up along the wide stage, all showing their passion for these heart-wrenching songs in their own way. In the venue's ornate dim light I forgot that there was anyone else around me and dreamed I had my own private show.

Then this big, lanky object (Win) came into the crowd beside me and was playing his guitar with a fiery intensity against three of my favourite people. It looked something like this:

This kinda move comes across as gimmicky with most other bands, but not so with Arcade Fire. With so much power unleashed from their many instruments, a stage simply cannot contain them.

Regine's vocals throughout out were beautifully haunting, but her performance was amazing. She jerked with interpretive dance moves and stared around the audience with intent. She reminded me of Vaudeville/Cabaret performers and was utterly captivating to watch. One of the set's high points was Haiti, where she takes over the lead vocals. I've always loved this song - it stands out on Funeral as coming from somewhere else from the rest of the material, with it's sub-tropical, half-time feel. It did just that at the gig.

They finished the set by busking in the venue's foyer, Wake Up was the tune. I was still upstairs, but I heard it. And now thanks to YouTube we can all watch it!. Then they came upstairs again and played a spooky rendition of the Clash's Guns of Brixton, which you can download over at The Torture Garden.

I left the gig wanting more, but very, very satisfied. I wish I had tickets to one of the Brixton shows, or, better still, the Berlin show! But I will be in Montreal in June where I'm sure people only talk about Arcade Fire, and all over there are posters proclaiming them to be regional heroes. We can but dream.

2007-01-18T01:46:00.000+01:00

Endless Entertainment

Apologies for quietness, I am in the finishing stages of editing my dissertation and not going out, not listening to new music and not thinking of anything other than East German identity. But I do have an mp3 of a new song from Bright Eyes! It is called Endless Entertainment and you can download it here for seven days, or go to his new website, sign up for the mailing list and get a link to download it. I'm not sure what to make of it. I loved the last two albums (and the two before them) so, so much and on first impressions it doesn't quite meet their precendent. But time will tell and so will his new album when it comes out.

Bright Eyes - Endless Entertainment

Bis Februar!

2006-12-24T15:24:00.000+01:00

Have a neon Christmas!

And two excellent Christmas songs:

The Long Blondes - Chrtistmas is Cancelled

The Raveonettes - Christmas Song

2006-12-17T13:05:00.000+01:00

2006 Year End Chart

It's been a great year for music. So good that I felt twelve albums definitely deserved a proper mention while countless others have provided much enjoyment. So enjoy!

12. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas

The pairing of the angelic Isobel Campbell and gravel- voiced Mark Lanegan was always going to be an interesting one, but this album of murderballads is darker than one might ever have imagined. It all sounds like it could have soundtracked a Tarantino film with its minor keys, twangy guitars and hushed voices. You start to wonder whether Campbell is really a wolf in sheep's clothing - her soft tones are just as haunting as Lanegan's Nick Cave-like drawl. This album works excellent as an entire work - it takes you on a journey through sleepy backwater towns. And lastly, commendation for coming from Glasgow but not sounding like a Glasgow band, which is no mean feat.
Download: Revolver Man

11. Islands - Return to the Sea

What kind of indie pop album stats with a nine minute epic song about Swans? An Islands album, of course. Forming out of the remains of The Unicorns (who took Arcade Fire as a support band in 2004!), Islands were bound to make an eccentric and off-beat debut and Return to the Sea is just that. It is passionate and sweeping, while also humorous and dancable and its influences range from calypso to hip hop (notably Where there's a Will there's a Whale Bone) they have proven themselves masters of many trades and jacks of none.
Download: Rough Gem

10. PlanningToRock - Have It All

When I left for Berlin all of fifteen months ago I was expecting to be exposed to a myriad of exciting musical artists. After nine months of boring German indie bands I was finally introduced to PlanningToRock and was relieved to know that Berlin is still inspiring hugely creative artistic visionaries. I finally got to interview Janine for Wears The Trousers (next issue out soon) and was struck by how coherently the music, the artwork, the videos and the personality link up. Have it All is about finding yourself, being inside your comfort zone outside your comfort zone and is an incredibly complex and original composition. And she can boast to be the only person the Knife have ever remixed (more on that soon!).
Download: Bolton Wanderer

9. CSS - Cansei de Ser Sexy

Hailing from Sao Paulo in Brazil (where a quarter of me is from!) CSS electrified the international music scene with their sexy, sleazy carnival pop on their debut album. It has grinding synths, pop culture references and an ice-cool attitude. The originality is clearly in part thanks to developing creatively far away from the opressive, scene-y music cities like London, New York or LA. There are no "Sao Paulo band" tags to assign to their sound, they are truly in a league of their own with this spunky, sexy offering.
Dowload: Alala (Bonde de Rolo Remix)

8. The Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control

2006 has seen a huge increase in fortunes for The Gossip. Before this album's release they were playing tiny clubs and ladyfest events - and putting on great shows wherever they went. But the dancefloor magnetism of the album's title track has caused a whirlwind effect in terms of popularity and acclaim which culminated in Beth Ditto being named the coolest person in rock by the NME. Slightly ironic considering the same magazine described her as a sweaty fat lesbian pig, or something similar, in a 2002 live review which has miraculously disappeared offline. In any case, the acclaim is much deserved for this intense and empowering album which will leave you gasping for breath after its short duration.
Download: Jealous Girls

7. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country

Camera Obscura do not disappoint with their third album, bringing a necessary slice of twee escapism to an otherwise tweeless 2006. It's so escapist that it's even about escaping the country! It tells of overly familiar situations and itchy feet and reminds me of how it felt to be that person needing to get out of Scotland (it's a very small place, y'know!). The songs on this album almost glimmer in their perfection and literally sweep you off your feet with their romantic impulses of adventure.
Download: Let's Get Out Of This Country

6. Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat

This album melts me. Jenny Lewis' voice is the sweetist, bluest thing I've ever heard. The soft cooings of the Watson Twins make this album utterly perfect. Its soft country lilts remind the young listener that the country/white soul sound is not just for tobacco chewin' bourbon swillin' rednecks but can actually be the most heartfelt, romantic and sad music out there. Jenny Lewis is also one of the most popular figures on the alt scene and the album features guest appearances from Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) who can both be heard on Handle With Care.
Download: Handle with Care

5. Peter, Bjorn and John - Writer's Block

What a romantic album this is. Something to do with growing old, something to do with loving somebody more than anything and a song with a memorable whistle line. PB&J write beautiful pop songs with wistful undertones. The overall feel is very organic with simple instrumentation, which shows that you don't need a big production to make a big impression.
Download: Paris 2004

4. Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia...

They describe themselves as Brechtian Punk Cabaret, which to many may seem elitist, but this is as exciting and dramatic as pop music gets. The songs are composed almost entirely on piano, drums and Amanda Palmer's powerful and travelled vocals. The elegant swagger and knowing wit of their delivery is certainly in the decadent and bittersweet style of cabaret. Everything about the Dresden Dolls, from their stage make-up to their soul-baring lyrics, eminates their intelligent and original character. This is the saddest and the most exhilerating album of the year. For sure.
Download: Dirty Business

3. Love is All - Nine Times That Same Song

Love is All's frantic half-hour debut is so exciting it should carry a health warning on the front cover. The production is lo-fi and chaotic - plenty of saxophone, fuzzy guitars and sing-a-long choruses. It is an exhilerating ride but not without killer ballads like Felt Tip Hip Kids. It's not always clear what the songs are about, but it never seems to matter when they cause as much dancefloor blood as these. They got quite a bit of hype at the beginning of the year, but it failed to materialise into much commercial success, perhaps for the same reason as The Raveonettes - that the majority of listeners are put off by its production. Persevere with this album - it will reward unendlessly and I can think of very bands with this much energy.
Download: Talk Talk Talk

2. The Knife - Silent Shout

2004's Deep Cuts was a half excellent album. Silent Shout is totally 100% excellent and also a complete departure from its predecessor. It is a dark, haunting and sinister trip to the North. It only ever hints at saying anything explicitly. You are left with impressions and feelings and no explanations, but it feels hugely important, not only to me, but the thousands of people who bought tickets to their select few shows of 2006. The reactions to these anti-performances laden with visuals and symbolic imagery were equally elated and confused, which just about sums up the inexplicable genius of The Knife. Download: Like a Pen

1. The Long Blondes - Someone To Drive You Home

The Long Blondes have long been my favourite band and have even longer been one of Britain's best unsigned bands. 2006 saw them signing a deal with Rough Trade and finally releasing their debut album. Previous to its release there were at least 25 demos and live versions of songs floating around the internets, many of which had already become cult favourites. Rather than keeping it easy and just recording these, the Long Blondes had plenty more tricks up their sleaves and kept their debut feeling fresh and modern, with plenty of vintage references, meaning that the album was still new to those who had followed them for a long time. Their social-realist themes resonate strongly their idols, Pulp, who helped produce the album. Let's hope 2007 is the year when the Long Blondes become the superstars they have long deserved to be.
Download: Lust in the Movies

2006-12-12T00:08:00.000+01:00

I wish I was Swedish Part 2

After several failed attempts (I'm getting lazy, basically) I finally saw Peter, Bjorn and John last Friday night at their sold out show at ULU. Preceded by two excellent Swedish bands/artists (more on them later), PB&J took to the stage and played almost all of their songs from Writer's Block (plus some old ones) and it was very good. I love this album, it's definitely one of my favourite albums of the year (more on that later too). It all started at Berlin Festival when I saw someone wearing their T-shirt. The font was so nice that I had a listen to their album in Saturn and was drawn in immediately. It's the kind of album that you can close your eyes, tilt your head skyward and let it absorb you. It's wistful and romantic in a way that British music-making-men never seem to be. Is it uncool to be in love in Britain? Or is it just executed in cliché ridden James Blunt songs?

The show was good. I always like going to see bands who don't have a big media presence as you can build your own ideas of what people who make music that sounds like that look like and so PB&J was a nice surprise. Bjorn's English wasn't that comprehensable (meant in no negative way - have you heard my Swedish? I haven't) and therefore really endearing. Not being able to verbalise well in other languages is something I'm familiar with so it's nice to see other people with lots to say struggle to say it. In an empathetic sense. The Concretes' former frontwoman, Victoria Bergsman put in an understated guest appearance on Young Folks, which was a really nice surprise. She seemed a little uneasy on stage, probably due to her six month hiatus from performing following her departure from her old band. The show ended with a four song encore of old material which was kinda anti-climatic due to its unfamiliarity with the crowd. They were aware of where they stand, though, with Bjorn joking after Young Folks "Ok, you can go home now!".

Here's the Girl Talk Remix of Let's Call It Off:
click click click

2006-12-08T10:06:00.000+01:00

Lucky/Organised

This was the scene on the internets at 9.05am. Luckily, I have a ticket for 1st! This will hopefully make up for the times I missed them in 2005. I'm very excited.

2006-12-07T19:35:00.000+01:00

The Organ Grinder

One of this years' most promising bands, The Organ, have split up. They announced it on their website and their MySpace earlier today:

We are sad to announce that we're breaking up. We want to thank our friends, fans, and family for all the support you gave to us. Thank you.

Shelby, Jenny, Katie, Debora, and Shmoo.

I feel very lucky that I got to see them on that sweaty night at Knaack Club in Berlin. When the music is as dark and as laden with hopelessness as theirs, it shouldn't be surprising that they weren't happy (as a band)!

I'll upload a commemorative mp3 later this evening when my sleeping flatmate who has the CD in her room wakes up!

And in terms of death and new life, a very exciting old new arrival will be hitting London for a five night residency. Yes, THE ARCADE FIRE!!! are playing three nights at St John's Church, SW1 - 29th, 30th and 31st January. And then two nights at Porchester Hall (near Paddington) on 1st and 2nd February! With my dissertation being handed in on 1st February, you can guess how I'll be celebrating (subject to getting tickets tomorrow at 9am!).

2006-12-03T23:15:00.000+01:00

Who's that girl?

Thursday and Friday last week saw the Robyn whirlwind roll into town with short, intimate gigs in bijou Notting Hill and hipster Hoxton. The Notting Hill gig was astounding, the crowd was absolutely ecstatic for Robyn's first ever UK gig. Do you know Robyn - Swedish Robyn? Does the name ring a bell? In 1997 she had a few pop hits, Show Me Love most famously, and Max Martin, the man behind Britney Spears' early work was her writer. She was only seventeen at the time and disappeared from the British charts. In the meantime she moved between record companies released albums withwhich she was not happy and decided to buy herself out of her record deal and set up her own record company, Konichiwa, so that she could do what she wanted. She collaborated with the Knife on her amazing single, Who's That Girl? which features on her self-titled album finally due for a UK release in March 2007. Read my review of this album here.

I was so impressed by the rawness of her performance and the different levels of her music and personality it revealed that I set about organising an interview as soon as she was off-stage. I secured one for the following afternoon and she was absolutely lovely, the most professional pop star I've interviewed. She's experienced so much and knows exactly what she wants, but is so down-to-earth and warm. I can't wait to let people see the interview in the forthcoming issue of Wears The Trousers.

Her gig on the Friday night at the Hoxton was bigger and just as ecstatic. There were, of course, a load of Swedish people there to check her out in a small venue, but a real buzz among the indigenous music-loving population. She is releasing Konichiwa Bitches in February, followed by the album at the beginning of March and will be playing some more shows around that time. I'd definitely recommend checking her out, she means her every word. You can listen to some songs from her current EP on her MySpace.

2006-11-30T00:08:00.000+01:00

The Land of the Midnight Sun

December begins on Friday and in Sweden, oh home of music, the days are even shorter than our ever-shortening days. So London is probably comparatively warm and light right now and judging by the amount of Swedish bands playing London in the next few weeks, London's the place to come at this time of year. My Swedish schedule is as follows:

30th November - Robyn - YoYo
1st December - Robyn - Hoxton Bar and Grill
8th December - Peter, Bjorn and John - ULU
15th December - Suburban Kids with Biblical Names - Water Rats

Arguably not that many, but I'm excited. In other news, The Low Miffs' debut single, Also Sprach Shareholder is out now on White Heat records and you can buy it here.

2006-11-21T20:13:00.000+01:00

This is not New Rave!

Junior Boys are a Canadian band, adding to the ever-lengthening list of bands from Canada I've seen in the last twelve months. Indeed, exactly twelve months since I saw the AMAZING Wolf Parade in Berlin. I had no idea about Junior Boys up until a week ago when I was jetsetting it in Berlin with Queen Almost Tropical (I had an excellent time, thanks!) and she played their current album, So This Is Goodbye while we were tucking in to dinner. We played it a further three times successively - it was so perfect and pleasing as background music, but also features some body jerking choons for the dancefloor while melancholic enough for heavy bedroom listening, with each ensuing listen unearthing complexities in its electronic soundscapes.

I was very happy to see on my return from Berlin that JBs would be playing the following Thursday, which was, in fact, last Thursday. The gig was at Cargo, which is a nice, if seldom used, gig venue. After enduring 130db reggae before they came on, the keyboards were far too quiet considering their prominence in Junior Boys' material. After a bit of heckling from the enthusiastic crowd the keyboards were turned up in the mix, despite looks of bemusement on the part of singer/bassist/guitarist Jeremy Greenspan. There were several of these bemused looks over the course of their performance. At one point Jeremy said "Hey, you guys realise that Hot Chip aren't playing tonight?" (the band had just completed a support tour for the hyped electro outfit). I think they are only just coming to terms with the fact that things are really kicking off for them now, that people actually want to see them. Their single, In The Morning got the biggest cheers when its signature opening synth riff was played, cue: more disbelief that people know their songs and dance with their eyes closed to them.

The disbelief might have been tiredness, as synthster Matt Didemus seemed delirious after the long tour. But this tour-closer was not an illusion - Juniors Boys are loved and set to become more and more successful. They are booked in to play Kings College on 20th February, with more UK/Europe dates sure to be added soon. Don't miss them. Here's their MySpace.

2006-11-18T18:15:00.000+01:00

It was alright, still, actually

In May I bought some tickets to see Lily Allen at the Astoria in November. Five months in advance is pretty extreme, even by London's spontaneity-free ticket-buying patterns. Lily Allen was a much more exciting commodity in May - no album, no real success, no gossip column inches nor sleeping-with-Mike-Skinner stories - just a MySpace profile, some excellent demos and a genuine sense of excitement that we may actually have a worthy pop star on our hands. The album, Alright, Still went in at number one and despite not sounding hugely far off the original demos, the Lily and her blogs have become over-exposed sound-bites on which lazy tags coule be placed - the most vulgar of which being "chav". Like, hello, she grew up in Islington?! Land of gastropubs and over-priced boutiques. Anyway, I had mixed-feelings before the gig - would she be able to sing live? Would she play eight songs and leave in a strop? Would the show be stale from being performed twenty too many times? Well, I was happy to have my doubts disproven. While six months of constant gigging have taken a bit of the spark out of Lily's performance, she did not disappoint in terms of talent, charisma or set length. She played everything that anybody's ever heard including acoustic covers of Keane and the Kooks, which kept the Q-reading audience very happy. Her voice was just as sweet and Lahndahn as on the record. She was utterly charming and served as a good lesson on not letting the press ruin your enjoyment of grade A pop music.

If you haven't seen it already her blog from Japan is adorable.

And if Lily Allen (or strong individual women making off-kilter modern pop music) is your thing then you simply must check out Robyn play her first UK shows in years and years at the end of the month. She's playing YoYo at Notting Hill Arts Club (incidentally where Lily did her first shows) on Thursday 30th November and then at the Pure Groove night at Hoxton Bar and Grill on 1st December. Be there or very square. Robyn's MySpaz.

2006-11-16T16:59:00.000+01:00

How I learned to love Kilburn

Oh dear, I've left it ages again. Luckily/sadly there's not been too many gigs (that I've been to) to report back on. But...a month ago(!!) I went to see one of my childhood heroes...well, not childhood, but adolescent...Luke Haines. Luke Haines was the singer(/genius) in early 90s misanthropes, the Auteurs and then the song writing genius behind late nineties misanthropic glamorous social commenteurs, Black Box Recorder, who were my gateway to much great music. It's now the mid 00s and he's just released his third proper solo album (there have been numerous rarities collections, side projects, orchestrated versions albums...you get the point, he's prolific). It's called Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop and is another great collection of nasty pop songs packed with pop culture and British history references. You can hear some songs from it over at Obscuresound.

The gig was in the beautiful Kilburn Luminaire, a venue definitely deserving of its title as Time Out's 2005 venue of the year. With its rich red walls and glistening mirrorball, it suited the majestic sound of Mr Haines perectly. He took to the stage not a minute too soon (a thoroughly inappropriate Christian rock balladier opened the evening) dressed in an ivory coloured, colonial-esque suit with his colonel-like moustache completing the Royal British Legion look. He played many new songs from his new album, but a nice amount of Auteurs classics. For a few of the songs ex-Black Box Recorder bandmate John Moore joined him on saw playing duties, cigarette dangling from his mouth and also cream suited, their faded-glamour-meets conservative-party-knees-up look. Sarah Nixey, who, along with her singing duties in Black Box Recorder, was also married to John Moore for a while, was standing in the wings of the stage. Though not captured with my camera, I have now seen the entire line-up of Black Box Recorder in one place at the same time and a small hollow in my gig-going ambitions was completed.

I wish there was more I could say to explain why I love these three people so much. I tried in March 2005 but with no more coherence. So I've uploaded one of their best songs, British Racing Green. Download here.

2006-11-05T13:03:00.000+01:00

Someone to Drive You Home

It's been a long time coming, but The Long Blondes' debut album, Someone To Drive You Home is out tomorrow. They played their first gigs in Summer 2003, so it really has been a long time coming. There have been close to 30 Long Blondes songs floating around the internet in various forms since then and so, when recording the album, they had to offer something new. Of course, they wanted to make something new and fresh, something that they could only achieve through their now extensive experience. They are realising their visions and it's paying off with outstanding reviews - 9/10 in NME, 4/5 in the Fly, 4/5 in the Observer, you get the point, it's a great album and you will obviously be buying it tomorrow, 6th November 2006.

I went to see them twice last month, once at the Mean Fiddler and then again at Virgin Megastore when they were promoting their new single (old song), Once and Never Again. Both performances were excellent and very different. The headline show at the Mean Fiddler was immense - it felt like a big proper pop show, with a light show and theme tune prior to their entrance on stage. They even did a psuedo-encore, despite opposing the principles of encores. In many ways the performance felt like a step up, a coming of age or a metamorphasis, but also a regression: Kate, famed for her slightly geeky personality and off-kilter looks was a sexxxed-up temptress, dressed in American Apparell silver metallic leggings...and no skirt over them. Part of me was in awe at this roaring confidence, the rest of me found it crass and cold compared to the old performances. Luckily the performance a week later at Virgin was like a more polished version of the olden days and it suited them so much more. They are doing a European tour in November and December and rumour has it that the next UK jaunt will be early next year.

2006-10-23T23:01:00.000+02:00

Long time no blog

No Picture.

I've not felt like writing in this for a while due to camera issues. It's strange how a small piece of technology can be so important. I had bought a 512mb card for it after the 128mb stopped working - I had a lovely weekend with Elizabeth who came to London when the Knife/PlanningToRock circus came rolling into town, she organised a photopass for the event, we walked along the Thames, bought delicious food at Borough market and drank cheap red wine up Primrose Hill. The said 512mb memory card also stopped working and I lost all the pictures from it. And I forgot to bring a working 16mb card to The Long Blondes' triumphant, biggest-ever-headlining-show at the Mean Fiddler...at which, some horrible little boy pissed on me, literally.

I will now draw a line under this period and carry on as before.

(archive photo)

I'd been so excited about the Knife's gig since I first saw it listed on seetickets. The thing with the Knife is that they hardly ever play live, they hardly give interviews, there are very few pictures of them available. When their second album, Deep Cuts became a word-of-mouth success, they upped the stakes with its follow up, Silent Shout, less accessable, darker and more dramatic than its predecessor. (Un?)fortunately for the Knife, they can't seem to suppress public opinion and played a sold-out show at the Kentish Town Forum on Saturday 14th October. They took The fantastic PlanningToRock with them. PTR opened the show, dressed in her trademark dapper whites, top hat and all. The crowd lapped up her up - if there's any crowd likely to get the genius of PTR, it's the Knife crowd. PTR's audio-visual experience was superb, with new videos for some of the songs. Her recent tour with Peaches had proven an influence on her hammed-up performance, more daring and affecting than ever before. She has also just released an EP featuring classically arranged versions of some of her songs, titled Have It All Stringed Up and is available from the merch booth or from Itunes.

The Knife were incredible. They kept the capacity crowd waiting for ages before they came on stage, dressed in black and wearing masks. A huge screen separated the two-piece from the crowd, while videos and visual effects were projected on to it as well as one at the back of the stage, creating a very haunting space. The sound was wonderful and all-consuming - the bass was literally shaking the foundations of the old theatre and felt as brutal and awesome as the Knife's music. My only complaint for the whole evening was that the house lights were not dimmed enough to really be as effective as it could be at creating the alienation that the Knife's music does. Everything else was perfect - they didn't speak at all to the crowd, not a single thank you, no banter about the tour or "this is our next single", utterly anonymous. The stage was littered with spooky props, an exaggerated caricature of a circus man grinding an organ, a rabbit (possibly representing Frau Rabid??) hung from a noose high in the wings of the stage, other spooky looking figures...shadows everywhere. It was simply awesome.

It seemed, at points, that the crowd was unsure how to react to this unconventional show. Indeed, many punters may have been at the Peaches show in the same venue the previous night, and despite reports of her dancing crazy at the Knife's aftershow, the nights couldn't have been any more different. When people are so used to whooping and cheering for everything a performer does, it's hard to know what to do when the performer doesn't perform at all - what do you react to? The music? The light show? Nothing? Naturally their chilled-out version of Heartbeats got a rapturous applause when people realised what it was but opinion was clearly divided as to whether to stay silent and let the show be one entire piece, or to perceive it as a twelve song set with shrieks bookending each song.

The Knife are playing a handful of US dates at the beginning of November (with PTR again!) and who knows when after that. If you live in LA, NY or San Fransisco, you should not pass this opportunity.

In low-brow news, Gwen Stefani's new single debuted on radio yesterday. It's called Wind It Up and samples the Sound of Music. It's completely bizarre and unexpected. Could this be the end of Gwen's credibility? Download it from Everythingintime.com.

2006-10-11T00:44:00.000+02:00

Camille

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to catch the wonderful French chauntesse, Camille on the last date of her world tour for Le Fil, her second album, which has been a slow-burning word-of-mouth success. I first heard about her from a Belgian friend who cited it last November as her album of the year. The CD was all over the shops in Berlin with it's intriguing portrait cover. I finally bought the album in December and fell in love instantly - it was like nothing I'd heard before; principally acapella, layered vocals and sounds, beauitful chord changes, irresistable French. I wrote a review of it for Wears The Trousers (about to go bi-monthly!) so read it for a more succinct description of her sound.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the live show; the album is so serene and - without a very good working knowledge of French - it's hard to gauge the tone of the lyrics. I was also curious as to how she would re-create the vocal layering live. It was absolutely beautiful and conceptually brilliant. About 80cm high across the entire stage was a thread (le fil) from which hung white chiffon. At first I thought it was an anti-photographer device, but (as can be seen above) Camille brought it up with her fist, draped it around her like a wedding dress and finally tossed it out into the crowd where it was passed slowly backwards and forth above the heads of the standing ticket holders, glimmering in flickers of white light that broke the dark of the cavernous theatre.

Camille was much more humerous than I'd imagined, too. The audience was about 60% French (exactly what it was like when some British/American bands played Berlin) and when people hollered in French she answered back in (very fluent) English, reminding les emigrantes that they should be speaking English! She had the crowd participating throughout. I remember having the same kind of surprise having seen Emiliana Torrini live - when these singers don't really have a media presence or give that many interviews then your view of them is untainted by any other influences and so the live show is a total surprise. Camille had the whole crowd grinning away, there's just something about English spoken with a cute French accent. And for that one evening Camille resolved anglo-franco relations...hoorah!

2006-10-05T17:57:00.000+02:00

Accident and Emergency

I love Patrick Wolf, I really do. I can't think of any other musician who speaks to me as much as he does. He released his first album, Lycanthropy in 2003. At the time he was 21, a lanky, precocious bleached blonde with some stories to tell. The first wave of electroclash was happening and he was very much part of it, often seen (or performing) at Nag Nag Nag or Kaspoint. When that whole scene imploded, Patrick disappeared from the streets of London and emerged a year later having spent time in Cornwall writing and recording his second album, Wind in the Wires, a thoroughly organic, romantic affair and a fair distance from his debut. The intelligent music press cottoned onto his amazingness and by the end of the year he had attracted quite the army of floppy-fringed dedicatees. A year on and he's gearing up to release his third album in four years. It's called The Magic Position and is due out in February next year.

He launched his metamorphasis at a two-part theatre gig in March this year, but is now on a proper UK tour to promote his upcoming single, Accident and Emergency. He played Koko last night (definitely my favourite mid-sized London venue) to a rapturous (and well-dressed) crowd. The set comprised mainly of new songs and very old songs, which doesn't always go down well with a crowd, but the strength of Mr Wolf's material, old, new and middle-aged, is so powerful and appealing that it would take a very determined person to deny it. It was great to hear the old material performed as on the Wind in the Wires tour there was an element of moving on from that phase of his life and the laptop-based performance. The gig showed a much happier and liberated Patrick Wolf as he bounded about on the stage dressed in sequens, glitter and flannel shorts with leopard-print dinosaur armoury, his dyed ginger hair adding to an overall similarity to Ziggy Stardust. The new songs were fantastic - especially the title track, The Magic Position, which he played just before the encore - the best pop dance song you'll here in years. It had the 1500 large crowd clapping and grinning along and featured the line "...to live to learn to love in the major key...", which pretty much sums up the mood of the concert.

While watching him I thought about the Ziggy Stardust comparison. He reminded me that the age of invention and utterly unique artists isn't over and that Patrick Wolf could very well become as global an idol as David Bowie came. There is no sign of his artistic progress slowing down, he only gets stronger and more popular. I can't imagine him ever giving up on music or releasing a duff record. His music is unique enough to outlive any trend with which he was associated. I'm very excited about this new album. Accident and Emergency is out in the UK on 23rd October.

2006-10-02T23:54:00.000+02:00

Take Us To Your Planet

You know what it's like when you like a band for ages and they keep getting more and more popular and you still really like them but you don't really want to go to their gigs any more because you hate the new fans/what the band are becoming? Yes? No? I do. And I thought I would leave The Pipettes gig at Koko on Friday, their biggest headline show to date, feeling just like that. I've felt like that with lots of bands - Razorlight, Bloc Party, Stellastarr*. And despite the sold out show being choc-a-bloc with 28 year old couples and creepy older men only there to ogle Rose, Becki and Gwenno in their revealing stage get-up, I left convinced that The Pipettes are one of the best pop bands out there right now.

When I saw them for the first time eighteen months ago, they were unsigned, but playing with Sleater-Kinney at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, a far cry from where they are now. And yet very little has changed - they perform with just as much love and enthusiasm, their dance routines are just as cute and, well, they have new homemade polkadot dresses, but the concept is still the same. It makes me happy that their vision and determination has remained uncompromised throughout. Many record companies didn't have the guts to sign them as they didn't know how to market them. You can read my review of their album here.

Live, they charmed the pants off the crowd - not literally, but it wouldn't have taken much more. They ain't no divas and give a good bit of onstage banter. The backdrop featured a light up Pipettes sign and their backing band, the Casettes, were dimly lit in their yellow tank tops. My photos do a better job of explaining it, but it was so swish and I was so proud. I walked into the crisp late September evening feeling satisfied that the Pipettes are well on the road to taking over the planet exactly as they set out two years ago. I would recommend that you see them if you get the chance - first impressions might remind you of the Sheila's Wheels advert, but there's much more to them than retro kitsch.

2006-09-19T01:18:00.000+02:00

A Song Too Dreary To Be Sung

The Low Miffs are Scotland's best new band. Well, it isn't The View anyway, because the world doesn't need more pop-punk Libertines clones. The world quite possibly needs the Low Miffs; they are intelligent, awkward, intense and theatrical. They also played their second and third London shows last weekend. I managed to catch them at the Barfly on Friday, before flying home to Edinburgh where I am for a week of no gigs and seeing friends. The night was a Drowned in Sound club night, which was thoroughly mediocre but for the Low Miffs appearance.

The Glasgow-based five piece took to the stage shortly before midnight, immediately drawing the unfamiliar crowd forward with their opening song. Their singer, Leo Condie, an ex-classmate of mine from school in Edinburgh, is an enthralling performer. He, most importantly, posesses a strong and unique voice that swoons along with feeling, but captivates the audience like very few frontmen with his cocky, cabaret-esque strut. These performances have lead them to be described as in keeping with the traditions of Brechtian theatre and, though Leo cites Brecht as a favourite writer of his, it is not so definitive an aspect of their essence as it is for The Dresden Dolls. I wait for NME to hail the rise of the New-Brechtian movement when New Rave goes tits up.

The Low Miffs have got two singles coming out in the coming months, Also Sprach Shareholder on White Heat Records and Early Grey/ This Is The New on Art Goes Pop. The two 7"s will be sure to set dancefloors alight over the country, setting up t'Miffs for the same kind of cult-following The Long Blondes secured with early classics like Giddy Stratospheres and Once And Never Again. The songs on their MySpace speak for themselves really. Don't delay. The Low Miffs are playing lots of shows this autumn, don't miss them.

2006-09-14T17:50:00.000+02:00

British Sea Power

I saw British Sea Power once before. It was Reading 2003 and I'd just seen the Yeah Yeah Yeahs play second top of the bill on the NME stage. YYYs drummer, Brian Chase, told me later that was one of only two shows where they'd just come off stage and wanted to cry. For me it was the first time I saw them and though it was chaotic, detached, squashed and sweaty, I thought it was amazing. I had no desire to see Metallica or the Music, so wandered into the Carling Tent and British Sea Power were there with foliage on the stage, a big cult following and tunes that swept me away and had me grinning all thee way back to the campsite.

Three years later and I saw them again, this time playing the Camden Barfly (where The Low Miffs are playing FRIDAY 15TH!), a crazily small venue for a band with as large and dedicated a following as British Sea Power. I was only there because my boyfriend is a superfan and I thought it had the potential to be a memorable gig. Memorable it was. The merch desk was not your average £18 over-sized fruit of the loom T-shirts, no way. Staffed by a tall woman wearing an early 20th century bathing suit and swim cap, it sold soaps and hair wax (named Brilliantine Mortality after a lyric in one of their songs). Biscuits were also on offer. How excellent. The band played an exhilerating set with hits off their albums The Decline of British Sea Power and Open Season, rare B-sides and some new songs. I was amazed at their intensity and, dare I say, eccentricity. Singer, Yan, wore a black tunic and white trousers with gold trim at the bottom, looking somewhere between a pashmina'd out gap-year student and a crazed Monk. On the right was Noble, who took to the stage in thick winter socks and a frilly shirt, a strange and electric connection present between them both for the whole set. The set concluded in an insane meltdown, guitars were flying, bodies were flying, one of the support band's players took to the stage in a cape and played his trumpet. There was total chaos.

The crowd were ecstatic and jumped around more than at any other gig I've been to recently. It's sometimes strange going to see a band and everyone else is a bigger fan than you, but it really helps to understand that passion and I'm sure I'll be doing a lot more listening to BSP in the coming months. Photos coming soon.

2006-09-13T15:38:00.000+02:00

Busy doing nothing

Love Is All played a second London show in as many days last night, this time a headline show at Kings College. The gig was a promo for the Iceland Airwaves Festival (give me £500 and I'll go!) and had Tilly and the Wall and Icelandic teens Jackobinarina also performing. So all very good value for £9! Jackobinarina were interesting, big-framed Nordic boys playing slightly psycobilly tinted rock music. They introduced one of their songs by saying "We love British bands like Coldplay and James Blunt..." to which the audience laughed and then they said "This song is called Nice Guys Don't Make Good Music", winning the sleepy Tuesday evening crowd over. Their performance was explosive, all of them severely "rocking out" even though the music wasn't necessarily as explosive. The singer and keyboard player ran into the crowd and started moshing. It made me think about what it must be like growing up in such an extreme place as Iceland, where there is only 4 hours day light for 4 months a year, no darkness for another two months, geysers, glaciers, insanely high taxes. wildernesses...it must be amazing and strange. I want to go there.

Tilly and the Wall were up next and left me a little cold. I like that they are all friendly and love eachother and are happy and can tap dance, but it was a little bit too happy-clappy and shambolic. It felt like more people were there to see them than Love Is All, which I find a little sad. I liked Tilly and the Wall much more when I saw them with Architecture in Helsinki in Berlin in May, but they do have some really nice songs.

Love Is All played last, but it wasn't quite right. Kings College has a very wide stage which doesn't suit the size of bands who play there. I like it when bands are on top of eachother, tangled in the intensity of their music and their call and responses. LIA's music is a chaos of sound and it's hard to re-create that chaos when they've got so much space on stage. At the previous night's Trash show it was there and it was so amazing, but last night's venue did not suit the band. They played a longer set, including Turn The Radio Off, one of my favourites, but the atmosphere and the sound...yeah. Moreover, people seemed to be there largely on "Checking out" duties, only a few people really seemed to feel it. I hope that people did not have their impressions tainted by this show and will continue to listen to the album and realise that Love Is All are a band to believe in!

I will start a campaign against medium-sized bands playings Kings College. Not only a rival of my university, UCL, but a not very atmospheric place to see bands. It feels like a 70s new build student union because it is a 70s new build student union and setting is very important. Yes indeed.

2006-09-12T12:09:00.000+02:00

Love is all you need

It's a rare occurrence these days that I like a band for ages before I get to see them live. Usually I'll find out about a band and then they'll play somewhere near me pretty soon after. Or I'll take a chance and see a band live before I hear them properly and it pays off. With Sweden's Love Is All, however, I'd waited almost a year to see them live, listening to their fantastic 30 minute debut album, Nine Times That Same Song to death ever since a friend sent me an mp3 of Make Out Fall Out Make Up. Last night they played at Trash as not-so-secret special guests. The place was rammed, though a fair proportion of the kids there were too busy thinking that looking moody made them look cool (wrong: it just makes you look moody) to dance to LIA's undeniable freak-out party songs. I danced, and I will again tonight when I see them at Kings College playing with Tilly and the Wall.

Singer, Josephine, is not your typical Scandi-queen, she's short with a mousey brown barnet - in fact, Love Is All, to all extents and purposes, do not sound or look like a Scandanavian band, but that's another story. She's a super frontwoman, energetic and a little crazy, but not overly sexual like CSS' Lovefoxxx. But Love Is All are all about their constituent parts, rather than a figurehead, as reflected by the production of the album, where all instruments (including vocals) are on fairly equal levels and it's more about the overall impact. They are all key players in the live show, the saxophones, the fuzzy guitars, they keys, the pounding rhythms, the sexy bass...it felt like a tidle wave of electricity. So I'm very much looking forward to tonight. Pictures to come later this week when I get the chance.

Album review I did for Wears The Trousers, whose Issue Four is now available to download.

2006-09-09T11:58:00.000+02:00

Tired of being sexy

Goodness gracious. Last night was the debute London show for super hot Brazilian band Cansei de Ser Sexy, which literally translates as tired of being sexy. It might be the sort of thing you could imagine Paris Hilton saying, but these five riot grrrls and one riot boy are a world away from Paris' lip-gloss smothered radio-pop. They played at the Adventures Close to Home night at 93 Feet East, a nice small venue among the curry houses of Brick Lane. The advance tickets had sold out well in advance and the queue to get in was long. The band were scheduled to take to the stage at midnight, but technical problems with their monitor meant the stage time would be close to 1am. The anticipation levels were through the roof, the sweaty crowd chanting "C S S! C S S!" and hooting every time a member came on stage to see what the progress was.

It felt pretty historical that night, like I imagined the first UK Yeah Yeah Yeahs (who I coincidentally bumped into on Tottenham Court Road on Monday evening!) shows to be; the internet and the press had already brought the music to the people and anticipation levels were so high and this was the band confirming everyone's hopes that they were as amazing live as they were on record. The band were clearly awed by the response and kept coming back after the encore to say "thank you" and singer, Lovefoxxx, proclaimned she would never forget this evening.

Lovefoxxx is crazy - before the show she was lyng flat on the stage with mangoes stuffed up her top, wearing 4 layers of superhot vintage clothes (is it really that cold in Britain?) and throughout the show she was throwing toilet paper around, taking bites into the said mangoes and smothering them all over herself and spitting them into the crowd, taking my glasses off my face and wearing them for a verse and a chorus. She had the same mysterious and reckless abandon that Karen O had before they got so crazily popular, so much energy and passion and completely unpredictable to that. She is totally enthralling to watch for these very reasons, but at the same time, it's not the Lovefoxxx show - the rest of the band give it their all too, lots of gyrating, headbanging, sparkly shoes and enthusiasm.

They played lots of excellent songs off their album and also some new ones. The crowd sung along and followed Lovefoxxx's instructions for some Brazilian armswaying action straight off Copacabana beach. Though their music doesn't really feel like it's from Brazil it was noticable how the carnival atmosphere was 150% present in the room last night, lots of clothes flying everywhere, "arrribbarrriba"s and...well, Lovefoxxx took me up on stage for Alcohol and it was totally crazy, I had no idea what she was saying or what to say - she asked me my name and I think where I was from - I guess, becauswe I am 1/4 Brazilian 1/4 Portuguese and you can kind of see it under my British mannerisms, so I danced around for a bit then sheepishly went back down to the crowd. It's a total blur and I am sure I looked like a buffoon, but, well, I feel somewhat part of something special.

All I can say is you have to see this band, you have to listen to their music, they really will take over the world - everything is in place. I haven't been to such a good gig in a long time.
MySpace.

p.s. pictures coming soon!

2006-09-08T15:49:00.000+02:00

Anti-FNK

Lo-Fi-FNK are two skinny little Swedish boys (Leo and August) with one skinny Swedish girl playing bass for live shows. They play an uplifting blend of dancey electro pop which has that gallic Daft Punk sound going on at some points. They played a one-off show at London's finest night Trash last week, but because I've been busy moving house and not having internet, it's taken me this long to give my two-pennies. Apart from the bass it's totally synthetic sounds; drum machines, keys, samples, laptops. Not much of the performance was live and they didn't really have too much to say, but they really seemed to appreciate playing in London and seeing a whole room dancing to their tunes. And they seemed to like my photos, puting a link from their news page over to here. Thanks guys! Their album is called Boylife and was released on Monday on Moshi Moshi. They have described themselves as too gay to be straight and too straight to be gay, so I think that means they metrosexual with boy-preferences if the title of the album is anything to go by. They are supporting Hot Chip in Germany and playing some British dates towards the end of the month. Check out their MySpace for details and songs.

In very exciting news, Cansei de Ser Sexy are playing their first ever London show tonight and I've got my ticket. And even more exciting, Love Is All are playing Trash and Kings College on Monday and Tuesday respectively.

2006-09-01T22:56:00.000+02:00

Remnants of British Rail

Last week I found myself at a shoegazing club on Old Street at the Sonic Cathedral night at The Legion. I always forget that shoegazing music is pretty much 80% noise and feedback. This meant that waiting for iLiKETRAiNS to come on stage was a long and painful process and I sorely regretted my decision not to bring earplugs, just to reduce the music down a few decibels. The wait was worth it for iLiKETRAiNS, a majestic Leeds five-piece with a fixation on British engineering and human expedition. They took to the stage in train conductor's jackets, dressed as though they'd finished sixth form in 2000 and been cryogenically frozen since then, it was sweet. The stage was littered with FX pedals and instruments, but their sound was much cleaner than the amount of eqipment would have suggested.

Dave Martin's vocals are intense, powerful and fit perfectly with the music. A lazy (yet effective) comparison would be to Paul Banks of Interpol, they both have an inexplicable sadness in their deep, haunting voices. Musically, too, there are similarities which can be easily drawn; gloomy, poignant guitar-driven indie with nods back to My Bloody Valentine and Joy Division. But they are very much their own band, which is why they aren't being tossed in the bargain bin with all the other copyists. Their romanticisation of 20th century exploration and invention sets them out from the crowd and appeals to the many who also find these notions romantic. The Beeching Report, for example, is about Dr Beeching who was responsible for the Beeching Report which decided the closing of many of Britain's railways in the 1960s and 1970s in favour of the building of more motorways. The song is a bitter response to this, with a menacing and sad "reform, reform, oh you are taking apart what we made with our hands and our hearts" constituting the chorus, showing an attachment to the past and the efforts of the railway workers.

In some respects it could come across as a bit try-hard, a group of people trying to find a niche and, on paper, it could seem like it would be hard to relate to, but such is the sincerity of the feeling when they perform live, that you know, whatever it is that they are singing about, means a lot to them. They don't say very much, instead letting the music and the motions do the talking. They ended up with an orgy of noise and feedback, all pedals go, like the end of the world as they knew it.

2006-08-29T19:26:00.000+02:00

They were pounds and ounces

Yes yes yes. Another excellent Canadian band. Metric are from Toronto and have been going for ages. I remember seeing them advertised to play at the Metro in London in 2004 and being too boring (or studious) to go. They played Hamburg when I was in Berlin and Berlin when I was in Hamburg. But last week I finally pinned them down at KCLSU for a triumphant sold out show. When they started out they were arguably a meeker versions of themselves. One might have compared them to The Cardigans and they were popular in France and Scandanavia before they were in Britain (a sure sign of kitschy-popness). But they played a show with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, they learnt to make excellent floor cutting angular anthems and they met fellow Torontonians, MSTRKRFT, who are pretty much the hottest remixing team in the world right now. Such is the demand for their services, they are having to turn down most offers coming their way. ANYWAY. Monster Hospital got the MSTRKRFT touch of gold and made it staple indieclub dancefloor-filler, which was a big help in getting Metric where they are now.

But the dancey direction was more than a superficial makeover. Singer, Emily Haines, took to the stage in a sparkly one-piece, and with her yellowy blone hair, dark eyebrows and angular cheek bones, she looked akin to Confessions-era Madonna. She danced with a firey passion, feeling every lash and lick of the guitar. She announced coyly before Death Disco "this is a dance song", smirking a little in knowledge of the undeniable body-jerking power of the song. In one of their more electronic-based songs, she laughed at the end, remarking that it was a bit "clubby". They were absolutely enthralling live and also the kind of band that has a really intense bond with their fans. As they played a meltdown at the end of their set, Emily bent down to two young girls in the front row and smothered them and kissed their heads, tears in her eyes. I felt amazing for those two girls, you never forget things like that. And it warms me so much to see when a band appreciates their fans so much. Metric are back in November for a huge tour, which is on sale now.

Go here for the MSTRKRFT remix of Monster Hospital
And a free download of Glass Ceiling

And if you are interested, a Yeah Yeah Yeahs acoustic session:
The party's on at marsneedsguitars.com

2006-08-28T20:28:00.000+02:00

I heart the nineties

Supporting Tapes'n'Tapes last week were 1990s, from Glasgow. They seem to be supporting every on-the-up band at the moment, or at least The Long Blondes on their upcoming nationwide tour and Brazilian electro-riotgrrrl band Cansei de Ser Sexy who are playing their debut UK shows next week. Their music is classic, sexy Rolling Stones-esque rock music you can shimmy and bop to and their single, You Made Me Like It is a perfect summer tune, sung in a swooning mid-Atlantic drawl, complete with some obligatory high-pitched yelping. There's something romantically retro about this band. It should also be noted that two of the members were in the seminal Glasgow band, The Yummy Furs, along with Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. I should also say how much I love their name. 1990s. It says so much in such 5 characters. I was day-dreaming the other day and wondered what I'd call a band if I were to set one up...The Early 90s? Or The Mid 90s? Which was better? It certainly wasn't the post-Brit-pop-pre-millenium-angst of the late nineties, that's for sure.

1990s MySpace

2006-08-27T17:55:00.000+02:00

I'll be your badger

On Tuesday last week the hype train rolled into London. The occasion was Tapes'n'Tapes' second visit to London, playing hipper than hipflasks White Heat. You could tell the anticipation levels were high. By 7pm the queue was round the block and past all the neighbouring Soho sex shops. At 9.30pm we were still waiting outside, having seen members of Franz Ferdinand, the Horrors and Bernard Butler already enter. Mental note: buy advance tickets next time. Rough Trade's other latest signing, 1990s were on first, but that's another blog entry for another day. I'll tell you now though, Kate Jackson of The Long Blondes was dancing next to me and cheering for her labelmates.

Tapes'n'Tapes entered the tiny Madame Jojos stage to a rapturous applause. They looked like four very normal American young men, which was a funny contrast with their dressed-up coolcat crowd of zeitgeist spotters. Their music is a dark, passionate alt-country which is sometimes more folky and sometimes more rocky. The set started off well with some of their faster, polka-inspired numbers, but the poor sound in the club meant that the intricacies of their songs were lost in the acoustics. They saved their single, Insistor, for second last and it made everything better. That song could save any set from shit creek. It's like a fucked-up, black magic barn dance with Sons and Daughters and Wolf Parade with a soaring chorus which teeters the edge between bliss and desparation and even features the line "and know that I will be your badger"...which is just excellent really. They also sing about "fighting for lovers' rights" which is a romantic and inexplicable proposition. The last song is also good and ends with a cruscendo of noise and solos and all that. The aftershow consensus is that they were good, they have some excellent songs, but this wasn't their best show for various reasons. I hope to see them again at Kings College in November to be convinced further of their greatness.

Their debut album, The Loon, is out now on XL Recordings. You can listen to Insistor on their MySpace.

On a White Heat note, The Low Miffs will be releasing their first single through White Heat Records. They play their second ever London show on 15th September at the Barfly. Tickets here

2006-08-10T00:37:00.000+02:00

Auf Wiedersehen

Well, well. This here post is my last blog update as a resident of Berlin. As of 12th August I will be a Londoner again, although I'd like to think a) I've always been a Londoner, and b) I'll always be a Berliner, but not ein Berliner. I can only say that this has been the best year of my life. I've achieved things I'd never thought I'd achieve, I've met so many excellent people, been to so many excellent gigs, bars, clubs, cafes, restaurants, parties (etc). I would recommend Berlin as a holiday destination or for a much longer stay to anyone. You could stay here forever and never tire of it. It's so relaxed, fun and mostly friendly. If you do find yourself inclined to go, get in touch and I can send you some tips.

What awaits me in London is both exciting and daunting. I will be starting a very impressive internship on 14th August, going to lots of gigs and seeing smaller bands that haven't yet made it to Berlin, I'll be flathunting, finishing my dissertation and starting my final year at UCL. I'm nervous about re-establishing myself on the London gig-scene; in Berlin there's not too many people blogging and photographing so it's a small and nice community, while in London I'll be another cog in a big, big wheel. I hope that German readers of my blog will continue reading and I will be sure to be back in Berlin every few months for gigs and parties and second-hand clothes shopping. I will definitely be reading my good friend Elizabeth's blog to keep up-to-date on the Berlin gig scene and I recommend you do too.

So Aufwiedersehen, and please mind the gap (harhar) in blogging while I wind things down here and set things up in London.

2006-08-05T18:45:00.000+02:00

Leave Before The Lights Come On

Domino Records have just put up the video for the Arctic Monkeys' new single, Leave Before The Lights Come On on YouTube. It's an amazing, dark and powerful video for one of the band's murkiest songs to date. It stars Paddy Considine and Kate Ashfield and only features a cameo from one band member towards the end. I particularly like this about the Arctic Monkeys - they write songs with characters, each one is like a short story. And so they make videos which are like short films, as gritty as their subject matters. I won't say any more, but I implore you to give the video a viewing. In case you missed them, my photos from their June gig in Berlin can be seen here.

2006-08-03T19:56:00.000+02:00

Islands in the Sun

Sometimes I take for granted all the gigs I go to, but Islands last night at Bastard Club really made me realise what an amazing time for music this is. I can't ever remember a time ever when there were so many genius, inventive, creative bands making music, playing inspiring live shows. I know, I know...the 50s, or the 60s, or the 70s blah blah blah, but not on the same scale as now. I do think it's something about the year 2001. Before then indie was a dirgy, whiney, very conventional genre. I can't even remember what most of the bands sound like...the Big Yoga Muffins, Fifth Amendment, whatever, I can't even remember. I picked up a Melody Maker from 2000 a year ago and I couldn't even imagine what any of the bands sounded like.

Anyway! Islands were born out of the Unicorns, an amazing short-lived three-piece who imploded at the end of 2004. They only played three UK shows, all of which in London. Two of my friends saw them at the Barfly and left disappointed. I was lucky enough to catch them supporting Yeah Yeah Yeahs and it apparently was the best of the three shows. I'd never heard anything like them before, they were noisy, young, but had that same whispy, optimistic, utopian charm that Islands have. They brought people on-stage and nobody knew what was going on. Some poor photos!. Anyway, all was quiet. And then there were Islands, who originally featured Nick and Jamie from Unicorns, but on 28th May 2006, Jamie left. So there's only one unicorn on the island. But he's a pretty one.

Islands were amazing. There was seven of them on Bastard Club's tiny stage, so the drummer, Aaron Harris, was hidden behind two amps. They were constantly running around, swapping instruments. They played most of the songs from their debut album, Swans, but really brought it to life with the live instrumentation. The warm strings and the country twangs shattered so many hearts in that room, there's something so perfect about those chord changes that you can't help but weaken at the knees. You can tell they feel it too, they all sing their hearts out and play their instruments with smiles on their faces. There are lots of life and death references, and singer, Nick Diamond, wears bones around his neck. Like fellow Montrealites, Arcade Fire, mortality fascinates them, it's like an exhilerating rush of possibility and realisation. To finish their encore they played the first track of their album, Swans (Life After Death), a 9 minute cacophony, the energy coming in and out and sounding on the edge of something crazy. It was the highpoint of their set, appropriately, uncontrollable seizures, passion. I didn't know what to say when it finished, I was speechless. If it's so powerful listening to this music I can't imagine how it must feel to write it and perform it.

Soooooo...I really think you should listen to Islands if you haven't yet. Catch them if you can, you never know how long they'll be together. Listen to their music on their MySpace.

2006-07-31T15:09:00.000+02:00

Berlin Festival

This Saturday I went to Berlin Festival, set a good 20 miles out of the city's limits in a place called Paaren im Glien. It was a festival like no other, just as Berlin is a city like no other. When we arrived at 2pm there were only about 50 people there. And when we went in search of the second stage, due to open at 6.30pm, we instead found a variety of farm animals; pigs, deer, goats, guinea pigs, pigeons with feathered feet, peacocks...strange. The beer and food were also very reasonably priced, we could take bottled water into the arena, cigarettes were given away free (!?) and there weren't any hippies or stupid hats...an altogether different experience to the overly commercial, over-priced British festivals. Of course, the line-up wasn't nearly as grabbing as the likes of Reading, V, or T, but it was a good chance for music fans in Germany to see smaller bands all in one relaxed weekend auf dem Land.

It all kicked off with Humanzi, a scruffy Dublin five-piece. Respect to them for playing with as much gusto as they would for a packed-out club, but their music, bar a few songs, left me cold. It all seemed a bit meat-and-two-veg down-the-line rock to leave any real impression. Kubicheck were up next and sported a good-looking bassist and some good, danceable indie. Amusement Parks On Fire did certainly not set the festival on fire, rather sent the forming crowd back to the bars and the animals in search of something better to do than listening to this boring boring boring dirge whiny rock. It was so bad that my blogging cohort and visiting friend both said it reminded them of the now-deceased JJ72. A bad thing.

Luckily Berlin's own Powers brightened up the day, the first band on the second stage, which was essentially an abattoir with a bar, stage and lighting in it. Powers are Paul Fielding, Jessica Normann and Joe Dilworth, an amazing photographer and established drummer. They played atmospheric indie-rock, with synth driven melodies, scratchy guitar and powerhouse rhythms. Jessica sung on some of the songs, which made the songs sound fuller. They are still early in their career and I hope that there will be more singing to come! Check out the songs on their MySpace, they are very nice.

Hot Club de Paris were a surprise gem on the line-up, and the first band to really get the crowd going. They entered Stage 2 and beckoned the ~~scenester~~shy crowd forward with an acapella song, before charming the crowd through a set of bouncing summery tunes, which were both witty and touching. The boys entertained with very impressive German and down-to-earth Liverpudlian humour. They were so fresh-faced, they were the kind of boys that grandparents love, but not if they heard some of those cheeky lyrics!

The Raveonettes were the band of the day for me, I've loved them for three year and was so happy to get another chance to see them live. Everything about them fits what I like from a band - darkness - check! Pop perfection? check! Thorough aesthetic image? Check! Beautiful and well dressed? Check check! They make me weak at the knees with their surfy guitars and cool vocals, sunglasses and black clothes. I've come across a lot of bands who make music because they like making music - which is fine - but the Raveonettes seem to be the kind of band that make music because they have a love affair with music, other people's music, other era's music. I listen to Chain Gang of Love and I think it could have easily been recorded in the fifties or the sixties, such is the depth of their for this era in music. Their cool is so effortless and classic, they don't need to do or say anything, they just are. Sadly they didn't play any new songs, but they did play lots of old ones. I'm still smiling from their performance.

The Klaxons had the crowd of mainly ex-pats dancing like crazy to their energetic performance. The bigger stage and me not bring drunk made it seem less frantic, exciting and original, but the songs were still good fun, and Atlantis to Interzone is an undeniable anthem.

Stereo Total were the last band I saw before I ran out of energy and took the shuttle-bus back to Spandau. They were brilliant - a multi-lingual, multi-national, multi-sexual carnival of good times. They were clearly a crowd-favourite, now almost at 50% capacity and smiling as Françoise Cactus pulled over-the-top facial expressions and they bantered away in French, German and English.

It was an altogether enjoyable festival, mostly due to the aspects which others might describe as shortfallings - having space to dance, the lack of bands and therefore lack of clashes, the funny location and animals. It felt fresh and those organising it seemed to be having a good time. I hope it runs again next year - there's a lot of potential and if they get more "crowd-drawing" acts, then they should hopefully meet the balance between a nice, relaxed atmosphere and getting more paying punters out to Paaren im Glien!

2006-07-24T11:38:00.000+02:00

BERLIN FESTIVAL

The countdown to the Berlin festival is now on - 5 days til the event. The line-up is now confirmed and the stage times are now up on the website. I'm most excited about the Raveonettes who are in the process of writing and recording their new album, so the festival will be a prime chance to hear some of their new songs. They have been posting up demos on their MySpace and they even have one about Berlin. I hope they play that.

Other draws should be the Vice party victors, The Klaxons who will play their first public show in Germany, and hopefully the first of many. It will be great to hear them with a proper good festival soundsystem, rather than Rio, which isn't really designed for bands. It'll be good to catch Hot Club de Paris, excellent new Glasgow band, My Latest Novel, Islands who are a new Montreal band including two members from the amazing, beautiful and sadly shortlived Unicorns. And, of course, Berlin's own inmates, Powers who are the first release on 8mm records and Stereo Total who were dining at the Punk Pizzeria at Senefelder Platz last week on the same night as me. Believe it.

Tickets are still on-sale, from Koka36, 8mm and Schoenes Hoeren. See you there!

2006-07-22T01:04:00.000+02:00

It's da sound of da police!

So, in continuation of my Vice Party documentation, I would like to introduce to you The Klaxons, who are a fairly new London band making music that makes you want to jump around and go crazy. The NME have tried to market it as the new, cool thing because all their boring urchin bands are imploding, and now, not one's to miss out on what's what, The Guardian are writing about it, it's NEW RAVE, so called because we've already had Nu-Wave and No-Wave and New Wave and Old Rave and sometimes you just need to give the inexplicably good things in life a name, otherwise how will people namedrop it at dinnerparties, right? Exactly. The Klaxons play an energetic blend of souped-up melodic indie basically, it's really poppy with some really danceable beats and spiky guitar lines. It has elements of the mid-90s trance that I unashamedly liked when I was 12, but most central to their exciting sound is simply an ear for a good dancey tune. Forget these silly labels.

The scene which it comes from is perhaps what's really creating the most A&R hubbub - there are squatparties, arts collectives, illegal parties, people are having fun without paying £10 to get into shitty corporate indie clubs and spending £3 on a plastic beaker of flat Carling and this is worrying the bigwigs. So expensive raves are now being put on, like Vice magazine's ill-fated Tales of the Jackelope festival to bring it to everyone. I'm moving back to London in 3 weeks and I hope that there are still exciting parties so that I have some semblence of the Berlin nightlife to get me through my final year. The names on everyone's lips are !wowow! who put on many of the parties and Teens of Thailand, who I think are DJs. I'm sure there's more, but that's all my surface-skim has revealed.

The Klaxons are a really good live-band, they wear brightly coloured clothes, theres lots of jumping, pointing, pulling shapes, playing keyboards. They are all very young and very nice chaps. Go over to their MySpace to get some FREE LEGAL downloads of their songs. You really won't regret it.

2006-07-19T00:57:00.000+02:00

Polka-dots Are Everyone's Best Friend

They've done it! My little new favourite band from April 2005 have finally brought their debut album out. That's right! The Pipettes could have gone either way - to indie obscurity, playing Barfly after Barfly to learing boys in leather jackets - or to pop superstardom, dressing rooms, record contracts, top 40 singles. Luckily fate would have it that they would follow the latter path and here they are, doing instores at HMV, playing Camden Town's magnificent Koko in September and finally getting to live their dream of making a Phil Spector-esque wall-of-sound glory of an album with its lush strings and layerings. Compared to their lovely tinny 7"s it's another world and a bit of that DIY charm is lost under the glossiness, but subsequent listens convince me that this is their calling and they have executed it with finesse. Their album, We Are The Pipettes is OUT NOW in the UK, so go and buy it. It will be out in the rest of Europe on 14th August, and 11th August in Germany.

To celebrate here's a selection of photos from some old gigs:
the ica, london, 25th april 2005
barfly, london, 9th may 2005
tuffnell park boston arms, london, 8th august 2005
mean fiddler, london, 4th march 2006

And the original version of Judy for your downloading pleasure:
savefile

2006-07-17T23:29:00.000+02:00

Did you know there's another band called the Horrors?

When I was in first year at university I stayed in a horrible halls of residence. It was called Ramsay Hall and was just off Tottenham Court Road. The place was full of home-counties-hussies and public-school rugger buggers. I hated them and their arrogance and loud garage music. But I found a good few nice people with good music taste in there and could enjoy being so central in a city with so much to offer. One of those folk was Josh who is now a guitarist in London's second( ...tune in in a few days to find out who's the most exciting) most exciting new band, The Horrors, a meticulously dressed bunch of 'orrors who met hanging out in seedy indie-clubs in fair-Londontown. Their music is dark and brutal, sleazy and sinister - they have a song called Jack The Ripper after all!

The good people at Vice have taken a liking for the fivesome and brought them over to Berlin for the Vice Germany's first birthday party. It was a riot and Rio thanks to the free bar and the free, excellent bands. Singer, Faris, stalked the stage, his hair covering his face, his chilling screams not to deterring the party people from dancing. Their live set was blistering and delivered with much more feeling than I could have imagined. Their backlash started as soon as they formed; "another urchin band", "style over substance", blah blah blah. But these guys mean it and a live show will convince any doubters of that. Josh told us after the show about their show with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs who had hand-picked them to play their show at the Forum in London, saying that Nick Zinner was interested in working with them. Now there's a good sign if there ever was one.

They are playing White Heat Scotland later this week with The Low Miffs who are absolutely brilliant and whose singer, Leo Condie, was in my year at school. So if you are in Edinburgh or Glasgow you totally have to the glub (it's the new word for a gig/club, pass it on!) and wear an "I know Robbie" T-shirt. Or not. Some of my pictures from Vice Party craziness can be seen here and here.

2006-07-11T23:42:00.000+02:00

Planning To Cover

Nouvelle Vague released their eponymous debut album in 2004. Their name is French for New Wave and Portuguese for Bossa Nova and, cunningly, their art is Bossa Nova interpretations of New Wave classics. Importantly, they are French (very), and are two men, Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, who get French female vocalists to sing only songs that they are not familiar with to ensure that the vocal interpretations of the songs are as fresh as possible. The album was a quasi word-of-mouth success, unsurprisingly, as it is a truly wonderful 40 minutes of music as soothing as it is chilling. I, for some reason, had thought that it was a one-off project and was surprised to see a tour date for Berlin at the beginning of June. It turned out they have a new album out, Band à Part, which follows the same formula as its predecessor.

It lacks some of the naïve charm of the debut - there are some brilliant versions, such as their cover of Echo and the Bunnymen's The Killing Moon, Visage's Fade to Grey and the Buzzcocks' Ever Fallen In Love, where you really feel something has been added, rather than Heart of Glass which feels half-hearted and lacking the unimaginable New York cool of the original. But I think there should be a law against Blondie covers. But live they all worked much better, I guess it's like a phonecall in a foreign language versus a physical conversation, gestures and expressions make the comprehension of a message much easier. There were three singers in total, Camille, however, no longer plays with the band now that she is a chauntesse in her own right, and they were all french, petit, nicely dressed and tres charmant etc!

It was somewhat hypnotic, like three sirens enticing the enticed audience back to their 20s parisian boudoir. Or something. I read some other attendees thoughts on a messageboard later and many were undecided whether it was simply eroticised performance with little impetus on the music, while others left the hall with baguette cravings and indulging in their high-school french (check! check!). There will always be a divivde in opinion on Nouvelle Vague - music for winebars or fresh interpretations of the songs that defined a generation? Sickly sweet frogism or a clever musical experiment? Cashing in on their debuts success or doing what they love? All I can say is that if you like the albums then you should take the chance to see them live.

2006-07-07T16:42:00.000+02:00

Hot Gossip

Pssst...The Gossip are hot stuff. They live in Portland (blatantly the coolest place in America), they play the rawest southern-soul-filled dancefloor-filling angular-punk you could imagine. They released their third album, Standing In The Way Of Control earlier this year, and it has suddenly brought them to the attention of clubs and magazines and widespread acclaim that would have been totally unexpected seven months ago. NME's top photographer, Andrew Kendall had even been specially sent over for the gig in Berlin (photo in this week's NME, my my friend Sabrina and I also pictured!). It's mainly thanks to the album's title track, an undeniable slice of sweaty, power pop, with a hook that cannot be fought and a beat that can only lead to extreme dancing.

The sold-out crowd at Magnet was certainly feeling the band, causing the band to remark on the sheer heat coming from the sweaty crowd as they danced their way through the hour-long set, often grasping for the stage to find balance. Beth Ditto is an amazing frontwoman. She is instantly likeable and open in a way that only a laid-back Southerner could be (she and guitarist, Brace Paine, are originally from Arkansas), talking about her nether regions, humming along to herself between songs, pulling her tights off midway through the steamy set...she gave her all and the crowd loved her for it. Her voice has similar soul-baring qualities, as rich as it is strong, her vocals are unlike any others in the world of indie-rock. It's the tunes, however, which have really helped the Gossip's rising popularity; their unforgettable choruses and melodies appeal much more broadly than their earlier material, which was just as passionate, but not as melodious.

They are an amazing live band and you'd be a FOOL not to see them while they are in Europe this summer. The dates are:
8-Jul DE Weinheim Café Central
10-Jul DE Hamburg Molotow
11-Jul DE Offenbach Hafen 2
12-Jul DE Munich Atomic Café
13-Jul DE Berlin Ostgut
14-Jul DE GrŠfenhainichen Melt Festival
15-Jul BE Herk-de-Stad Rockherk
16-Jul BE Dour Dourfestival
17-Jul uk London Kings Kollege
18-Jul uk Manchester Night & Day
19-Jul uk Glasgow ABC2
20-Jul uk Newcastle Academy
21-Jul No Slottfjellds Festival

2006-06-25T16:03:00.000+02:00

They say that there ain't no romance around here...

I'm supposed to be writing my dissertation, but last night's Arctic Monkeys gig was too amazing to write about later. The whole evening had an air of utter excitement, from the late doors and the amassed crowds waiting outside, to the deafeningly enthusiastic sing-along. It confirmd any doubts that anyone might have had that this band are undeserving of their position as probably the most exciting British band of the last 10 years. I saw them for the first time over a year ago, the day before they would release their first single which sold out that morning. They had played Edinburgh's Subway club, which is pretty much a barn with a soundsystem. No lights, no barrier. It was amazing - the crowd was full of fresh faced kids who sung along passionately to every song, spitting the words right back at a then much slighter Alex Turner. The not-even-sold-out venue's acoustics were poor, but the poetic and melodic strengths of their songs shone through and their demos became the soundtrack to my summer.

A year later and the band have set the world on fire, having maintained an amazing degree of integrity. They are never papped, they only do a sensible amount of interviews, they don't play too much, and don't release singles every six weeks, they know the dangers of over-exposure and they try to keep it to a minimum. When they took to the stage of Berlin's 3500 capacity Columbiahalle, it was the same good humoured, Northern banter that had charmed me so much last year. Particularly smile-raising was that the German crowd are now emulating the Yorkshire accent, just as they were at Maximo Park with the Geordie accent earlier in the week. On a side-point, does the whole New Yorkshire "scene" mean that Germans will finally get rid of the German accent when speaking English (this isn't a criticism, I'm not fooling anyone with my German accent!) and start ranting about "fookin' this" and "fookin' that". It'd be pretty cool.

Banter or not, the songs all stand up on their own. Every song sounds like a single, partially becaue you've listened to the album so much, mostly because they all could be. They all have the crowd singing-along like it's the song they've been waiting for all night...but, y'know, 13 times. An unrecorded new song, Leaving Before The Lights Come On sounds like a real step forward for the band. It's more power-pop than before, with some bits that sound so perfect, they could be Blondie. No joke. You can download it from fansite Mardy Bum's awesome live bootleg page. The Arctic Monkeys rule the school because they romanticise being young. If you're young it gives a small validation that it's ok being confused and complicated and wanting things and just not knowing, it speaks to you like many bands can't. And if you're old, then you were young once and t'Monkeys capture that perfectly.

2006-06-23T11:33:00.000+02:00

Art Brut, Top Of The Pops

Art Brut are big in Germany and getting big in America. They aren't so big in Britain because they sound too British for the Brits to take it seriously. To the point...They have a song that goes "Art Brut! Top of the pops! Art Brut! Top of the pops" and as we learnt this week, Top of the Pops is being axed this summer after 42 years on air. It only seems appropriate that Art Brut should get to sing their song on it before the programme goes and renders every top of the pops reference in modern music an antique. There's a petition with over 1000 signatures - please sign and spread the word!
Dear The BBC...

I will be blogging properly again soon, once I've met a deadline for my dissertation in a week! And I don't have a summer cold anymore. Blergh.

2006-06-17T19:26:00.000+02:00

Writing Articles Is Different To Blogging

The Dresden Dolls, Spiegelzelt, Berlin, 14.05.06

“We were so excited when we heard we could play in a mirrored tent” exclaimed Dresden Dolls singer, Amanda Palmer as she took to the stage of the Spiegel Zelt, erected temporarily for this travelling mini-festival taking place in mirrored tents all across Germany. The sunset was glowing through the stained-glass windows of this curious, decadent velvet and wood-laden construction next to the railway tracks at East Berlin’s former main station. It seemed a suitable place for the Dresden Dolls, who describe themselves as Brechtian Punk Cabaret, to introduce their new album, Yes, Virginia, to the country which gave them their name and, of course, Bertolt Brecht and his wonderful and strange theatre.

Since the release of their eponymous album in 2004, the Boston duo has accumulated a dedicated, passionate and numerous following without attracting too much hype or mainstream press, mainly on the back of word of mouth praise and blistering live shows. Tonight was no exception. Though the sun was still illuminating the tent from all sides and the Dresden Dolls are a band best served in eerie, smoky darkness, Amanda and drummer Brian Vilgione conjure up the most dark, intense energy in their live show that it could have been on a Caribbean beach and still been as impressive. Like the Kills, the sparseness of the arrangements, i.e. only keyboard and primal drums against Amanda’s rich and frantic vocals, makes the drama so much more affecting and severe. As they look at each other across the stage, all the intensity which connects a band of five members is concentrated into this solitary, manic gaze. Watching them play live, it’s easy to lose yourself in their moments and their music.

As with all things cabaret, however, it’s not all serious. Their single Coin-Operated Boy is a cheeky crowd-pleaser and their cover of Grauzone’s Eisbär, a Swiss new-wave band’s ode to the polar bear, had the crowd waving arms and singing at the top of their voices. Perhaps fittingly it was not one of their own songs that captured the evening, but a cover of the late Jacques Brel’s Port of Amsterdam, a wistful, sexy, dark tail of a sailor in Amsterdam in a long gone time of swashbucklin’ filthy cabaret bars frequented by interesting and shady clientele, the vice and the sleazy. The Dresden Dolls romanticise and capture this decadent and dangerous world and their concerts make it real for people bored in an over-sensitised and sanitised present.

This will appear, in a better written (i.e. editted) form at Wears The Trousers. To see other reviews and interviews I've written for them, go here. And do make sure you download the back issues of the magazine. It is such a nicely written/produced magazine, and free. The next issue will feature interviews with The Dresden Dolls, The Cardigans, Juana Molina, Psapp, The Handsome Family, Metric, Nerina Pallot, Po' Girl, Mia Doi Todd, Amy Wadge, Peaches, Joan as a Policewoman, Rainer Maria, Lisa Germano, Thea Gilmore and Stephanie Kirkham! They are always looking for more writers, so get in touch if you are interested.

2006-06-14T17:58:00.000+02:00

Making Plans for Rock

I feel very fortunate for quite a few reasons. Firstly that I know Elizabeth (click to check out her new blog!) - a person who makes things happen and makes people happy without really taking credit for her greatness. I also feel fortunate that she introduced me to Planning to Rock and got me into her album launch show, because it left me dumbfounded in a very good way. So Planning to Rock...what is there to know? Planning to Rock is Janine Roston, a lady from Bolton, who moved to Berlin. She is a suprememly talented musical visionary and video artist. She is signed to Chicks On Speed Records and seems to be the first Berlin based-Künstler since Peaches to really get people excited. Her album, Have It All has just been released in Europe and will be released in the USA on 28th June.

Her music is impacting because it sounds like nothing you've ever heard before. Her MySpace page describes the influences as "your typical Elizabethan jig", which certainly features in the overall sound, but think more...Opera, Hip-Hop (Berlin-style), Northern English vocals and humour, David Lynch films, philharmonic orchestras, the first time you listened to a Go! Team or a Knife album, electro beats and South London Grime...it could be messy, but it's an incredibly focused and assertive album, strange and affirming, dancefloor-friendly and creepy.

The live show was a big deal. It took place at the Volksbühne, where a completely different set had been built on top of the standard theatre chairs and stages. It was all white, with two huge video screens and an L shaped stage. Throughout the show videos would be shown on the screens, most by Janine herself, others by fellow artistic friends, including Kevin Blechdom. Janine was dressed all in white, wearing bad-ass baggy white trousers of which she often grabbed the crotch in some of the more appropriate moments in the set. Her only prop was a chair (white as well!), which she would twirl around, sit on, throw, etc. It reminded me of theatre productions I did while at school, using minimal props to create a slightly Brechtian effect. What was entirely striking was the degree to which the evening was a thought-through and fluent product. Nothing was incidental, everything was intentional. From this harmony it was clear that she is both a visual and musical artist. Also clear was that she meant everything, she was in a world of performance, immersed in her art, her strong soul voice rasping with feeling. I see so many bands play live that you really can tell when someone means it when they play/sing it, and Planning to Rock are as real as they come. Check out her website for tour dates, etcetera.

And if you're in Berlin, GO TO SEE THE GOSSIP ON MONDAY AT MAGENT. It can only be amazing. And if you miss it, come see them at Ostgut with me on 13th July. Indeed.

2006-06-09T17:10:00.000+02:00

Royally Used

I did the un-do-able. I managed to see both my favourite bands on the same night in different venues. I gig-hopped and succeeded! I cycled 2km in pouring (under-exaggeration) rain to get from Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Postbahnhof to see Sons and Daughters at the Domino night of British Music Week at Berlin's recently opened Lido (good lighting, too clean). It was my 13th time seeing them, but my first time since the end of The Repulsion Box tour, which drew to a close with a Hogmanay show in Edinburgh. Since then the band have a bit of time off, been to Moscow (three days after I left!), and were hand-picked to support Morrissey on his sold out British tour. And then they came to Berlin for this one-off show.

The band were much stronger after a break, although the show they played in Berlin in November was one of their best, despite having been on tour for 3 months without a break. In fact, they have got better every time I've seen them, which is one of the most satisfying things about being a fan of theirs. They are so dark and brilliant and put on the kind of live shows that are so intense that they would leave any other band collapsed in their dressing room afterwards. And yet they never cease to amaze me with how much stronger they get. And from the two new song they played, Gilt Complex and The Nest, there are still many more exciting things to come from the band. Gilt Complex stood out particularly, maniacally fast and devilishly dramatic, singer Adele Bethel can ever more be likened to a banshee. With some bands you just want to hear the old songs, but Sons and Daughters sheer talent makes you crave everything they'll ever write ever. There's no set release date for the next album, but I'm sure it'll leave listeners just as breathless as The Repulsion Box.

2006-06-08T11:25:00.000+02:00

Blogdammit

So I think it's official now, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the best band on the planet. And a dish much better served in a small venue. I saw them at Berlin's 1000 capacity Postbahnhof almost two weeks ago, and due to a significant number of factors, they rocked a lot harder than at either of their London shows. Reason #1: the venue was smaller. Reason 2#: the barrier was about 30cm from the stage - YYYs are all about an intense energy between the audience and the band, and a row of 7 ugly bouncers does nothing for that delicate chemical balance. Reason 3#: it wasn't full of British people, I hate to be all anti-patriotic (I don't really), but it really seems to be the case that in Britain people just go to gigs because there are tickets. It's a sport going through SeeTickets ever morning and seeing what gigs to go to. There's inevitably a good half of each crowd who couldn't really care less, standing at the back of the venue chatting and drinking Carling. This was the first time YYYs had played in Germany for more than three years and the energy was amazing. And the crowd's energy translated into the YYYs energy and it was all good.

What I particularly love about YYYs is their close eye on their fans. Nick Zinner takes a photograph of every crowd they ever play to, usually during the intro to Maps and he's published three photography books, the latest is titled I Hope You're All Happy Now and contains mainly pictures of front rows. As a front-row fan, I love noticing the looks he steals, his quiet smiles as a crowd surfer struts sweatily along the photo-pit chased out by bouncers. They are constantly changing their setlist, experimenting with running orders, ommissions and rarities. They are aware that they can miss out a single (as they did with Gold Lion and nobody would notice, not because the single was bad, but because they have enough killer material that they don't have to play the same set every night and bore themselves, and consequently not have the same energy. No matter what they play they still make me shake with inexplicable feelings and non-feelings. There are no bands like them and no bands that try to sound like them that even get a whiff of the abstract drama, the inimitable strangeness which has rendered them (probably) the most durably credible of the 2001 New York set.

I bumped into Nick and Brian after the show at Rio and managed to corner Brian for about 25 minutes. We talked about a lot of things, but what really stuck was his disaffection for blogs! Shock! I managed to convince him otherwise - I love blogs (the good, well-written ones) and couldn't perceive how anyone could hate blogs. But then I went on some of the New York ones (everyone and their dog in NYC has a blog) and saw what he meant. Still, we both agreed that Miss ModernAge's coverage of their preview shows for Show Your Bones was excellent. If you haven't read her blog, you really should. It's the best indie-rock blog out there, so says I. Nick told me he wants to move to Berlin - a sensible move indeed. They left at 4am, the wooses, and I couldn't stop smiling all night.

2006-06-02T20:12:00.000+02:00

Hot Rock

Sleater-Kinney are the real deal. They are a true rock band. Everything about them leaves me in awe. They still set up their own equipment despite having released seven albums and toured the world over several times. They play six song encores. They run their own merchandise stands at the end of gigs and seemingly aren't phased by meeting hoardes of obsessive (and sometimes scary) fans. They get the bands they love to support them, including The Long Blondes and The Pipettes, as well as Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the past. And they play live with such a passion that it really does give me the shivers.

So it was naturally very nice seeing S-K play in Berlin last week to a very enthusiastic audience of left-field indie kids, lesbians, feminists, Americans, old men that like PJ Harvey, etc. But part of me cannot let go of the injustices of it all. Sleater-Kinney have been, as previously mentioned, amazing for seven albums, yet they haven't got much more popular in the last three albums, each of which a step forward. Beth Ditto of The Gossip remarked in a recent interview with Artrocker that Sleater-Kinney have been playing the same size of venues for years, in an interview which said NME's chauvinism made her very afraid (a review in 2003 was disgustingly sexist and sizist about her), her general point being that the mainstream music press just won't take "the risk" with women, they won't put them on their covers, they won't do anything other than the odd "radar" feature. Exceptions have been Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Karen O, I think, can be quite easily typologised as an asexual enigma - in that her live performances are abound with a childlike naivety, rather than legs-spread sexuality) and PJ Harvey (because she is exceptional, and men of all ages fancy her). Music very rarely seems to the issue.

Which is why I'm glad to write for Wears The Trousers. When I look at their reviews page, I realise how many female-fronted bands and female singer-songwriters slip through the mainstream media's net. Admittedly Sleater-Kinney still get good reviews in all areas of the meejah, but there is a clear balance to redress. So back to my gushing on the gig...I'm not especially coherent today.

Their live performance is entrancing, it's so raw. It's empowering vocals, two guitars and one set of drums. It's punchy riffs, it's feedbacks, it's headaches for two days. It's closing your eyes and getting lost of the moment of the music. It's shaking all over. It's being lost for words as they leave the stage and still not finding them on the train home, and then writing an incoherent blog about the gig to try and make people understand. If you want to start out on Sleater-Kinney, go and buy One Beat. Download Oh! from that album here. Thank you!

2006-05-31T23:29:00.000+02:00

Dungeons and Dragons

Last Tuesday (shit - a week behind blogschedule!) was a night of avantgarde homosexual mutual affection. Oh yes, but not definitively. And so, so much more; Arcade Fire's string-dude, Owen Pallet, has a side-project called Final Fantasy, an arena for him to indulge his stringed fantasies and geeky weaknesses (hence the computer-game inspired name). Owen, the well-connected gent that he is, is also friend of James Stewart of the enigmatic and highly-esteemed band, Xiu Xiu (top). As both outfits were in Europe at the same time, they decided to hook up in Berlin to play the city's most avantgarde and beautiful venue, Volksbühne, a grand old theatre, built in the style of socialist realism and a long-time hotbed of left-field productions of all sorts.

The setting, then, was perfect for such an evening. Despite being a slightly bigger name, Xiu Xiu, were first on stage, perhaps due to Owen Pallett's more showy showmanship. James and Caralee took to the vast stage without as much as a "hello". They played an intense, but short set of songs, many from their forthcoming fifth album, The Air Force and last year's La Forêt. Despite only the two of them on stage, their sound was immense. Their music is generally a screw-you to the notion of genre - I've never heard anything like it - but for description's sake, the following adjectives: urgent, on the edge, sorrowful, terrifying, bleak, lush, hopeful, noisy, quiet, complex, sensitive, passionate, dark, difficult. But hugely impressive. Their array of instruments was also interesting - James had a whole tray of what appeared to be bicycle bells, all at slightly different pitches, and the harmonia and a zither. A short set was perfect - the Xiu Xiu live experience does not need to be any longer, all that needs to be expressed is expressed in 45 minutes. And that's fine.

Final Fantasy was an equally (but differently) impressive affair. Owen took to the stage with his violin and his friend, Steph, who would be our over-head-projection-animation-manager for the evening. Yes, indeed. While Owen was playing his violin into a sampler, looping it, layering it up and singing (and charming the whole crowd), Steph was animating the songs by moving layers of overhead projector sheets to animate the songs. In the days of power point presentations and DVDs and all that jazz, you realise how much more exciting things can be when you strip them right back down. Creativity and originality can be fostered to a much greater level, Steph was keen to show. The same can be said for Owen, his solitary violin making more luscious and beautiful music than any other indie band. At times it reminded me of Patrick Wolf, incidentally a long-time friend of Owen's - the arrangements, the libertarian, fey qualities. But comparisons between the two dapper violinists are pointless. Throughout the set I got lost in the music and the visuals, letting the two harmonious forms take me away to Owen's creative and curious world. Owen came back onto the stage after his set, admitting that he does encores because he is "classless" in comparison to Xiu Xiu. He started performing an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, a cult eighties band from the Wirral, but stopped after four or five songs. Not especially classy, but certainly entertaining.

You can find out all you ever wanted to know about Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy over at Shane's excellent blog. He has two interviews and a track-by-track review of the new album, He Poos Clouds!

2006-05-28T17:32:00.000+02:00

Buckfast makes you fuck fast

I saw Belle and Sebastian again, this time in Berlin at the Columbiahalle, Berlin's "big touring bands" venue, which was happily a fraction of the size of the equivalent venues in Britain. The audience was noticeably younger (and more English speaking) than at the Hamburg show. Whether this was a factor in making the show more fun or not is subject to debate, but there was a really fun atmosphere in the hall that night, lots of audience interaction, Stuart Murdoch more candid than normal with his stories and remarks. There were even bandanas and sailor hats thrown on stage (see above). I think there's something particular about the intimacy of Belle and Sebastian's music which makes people do crazy things, like a sense of release and relief. One English girl, Alice, found herself on stage after being spontaneously gutsy enough to start telling a "Once upon a time" story about herself in a break between songs. I hope Alice realises how wide she made people grin with unadulterated happiness as shimmied nervously around the stage before dancing with Stuart and Stevie for the full course of a song. In any case, I think most people left that concert feeling in love with everyone and everything.

2006-05-25T16:48:00.000+02:00

Automatic High

Just when you thought indie music was getting more exciting, you go to see the NME's New Music (TM) tour and realise that it's just a bit more hyped than it was three years ago, when everyone was trying to sound like Coldplay. Now they all want to be (a slightly emo-er version of) the Kaiser Chiefs (to get the important emo-teens on board), throwing insincere amounts of energy into meaningless songs with lyrics about monsters coming round mountains. Insincerity is something I cannot abide and I find it hard to stomach that many of the current over-yield of new band crop really mean it. That was certainly the impression I had with Forward Russia(below) and The Automatic(above), inexplicably above Long Blondes on the bill. Their music was indistinguishable from eachother, nothing new, nothing exciting aside from both singers jumping around on stage. Therefore I can't write anything more about them, which is a shame as I'd quite wanted to see them both beforehand. But maybe this is a product of this spoon-fed zeitgeist spotting band-culture, putting on a tour which specifically fulfils people's urges to see The Next Big Thing - the kids'll lap it up and average bands with good stage shows will do well. It's only glamorous indie rock'n'roll, but they like it.

2006-05-24T23:31:00.000+02:00

Weekend Without Make-up

I finally saw The Long Blondes again. The band, now signed to Rough Trade, have just finished the NME New Music Tour (I saw them in Norwich), where they were opening for emo-indie-popsters Forward Russia, The Automatic and Boy Kill Boy. It's so great to see how they have come on since I last saw them supporting Sons and Daughters last August, and moreso, since I saw them play at Holloway Road's Nambucca last June. Their stage show is stronger and more professional, their sound coming across better on better soundsystems, their songs are closer to their visionary visions. They seem truly set for stardom. They can already play a half hour set and miss out plenty of excellent songs, notably Autonomy Boy and Peterborough.

I spoke to the band after their set and they told me they were really happy with the reaction they'd been getting on the NME Tour (positive, but sadly a fraction of the enthusiasm that the shitty shouty bands above them on the bill are getting). With their first single on Rough Trade, Weekend Without Make-Up, due for release on 26th June and the album recording to start within the next two weeks, it looks like things really will be stepping up a gear for the Long Blondes. It's completely irrationally over-emotional but I feel really, really happy for the band. The moment I heard Giddy Stratospheres all that time ago I knew I would fall in love with them. Now they are ready to take on the world, and though I haven't done much more than blog about them every few months and convince as many people as I can to listen to them, I do feel very proud. I know that they have enough integrity and class to not compromise their ideals and ambitions and they will make an excellent debut album.