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Musicians oil the wheels of change in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya
The news in 2011 has been dominated by regimes teetering over like disturbed dominos across North Africa. Brutal fighting between anti-government rebels and the strong arm of the ruling classes has already seen despots deposed in Tunisia and Egypt. Meanwhile, the prospect of a Benghazi bloodbath in Libya musicians. Mariah Carey’s platinum product wafting out of the palacial halls of a Gaddafi-clan outpost in the Carribean this ain’t... provoked a global response, with our own fair nation ever reliable in her eagerness to facilitate the removal of an international bedfellow no longer bringing tea and toast in the morning. While the touchpapers of revolution were lit by political and social dissent from the put-upon masses, fanning the flames have been the nations’ indigenous musicians. Mariah Carey’s platinum product wafting out of the palacial halls of a Gaddafi-clan outpost in the Carribean this ain’t...
*This article, for the PoliticsSlashMusic column, can be found on page 20 of this month's Notion magazine.
Tunisia
Hamada Ben-Amor – President, Your People Are Dying
22-year-old Tunisian rapper Hamada Ben-Amor squarely blamed the incumbent government of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali for the shortage of jobs and restrictions of public freedoms in this Arabic-rap diatribe, released amidst the violent outpouring of dissent which precipitated his removal. For Ben-Amor’s troubles, he was arrested by “some 30 plainclothes policemen” and thrown in the slammers. Musically, think the brooding menace of Coolio’s ‘Gangster’s Paradise’ decorated with the stilted piano of Outkast’s ‘Ms Jackson’. But far more pissed off.
Egypt
Wust el-Balad – Sout Al Horeya
Roughly translated as ‘Sound of Freedom’, this soft-rock singalong features lyrics such as “we will re-write history, join us and don’t stop us from fulfilling our dream”, and was a big viral hit, clocking up over a million views on YouTube alone. That it sounds like Egypt’s equivalent of the Fray, or, if we’re being (very) unkind, David Hasselhoff, is neither here nor there. If only Tahrir Square had a wall upon which to stage the televised freedom celebrations.
Libya
Khaled M. – They Can’t Take Our Freedom
Such is the desperate ongoing crisis in Libya, their rallying cry has come courtesy of Libyan-American rapper Khaled M. Don’t think he’s cashing in from his ivory tower though – Khaled’s father was a former political prisoner of the Gaddafi regime before escaping with his family, including the young rapper himself. ‘They Can’t Take Our Freedom’ has a contemporary rap-hop vibe to it, but when was the last time Eminem had something as propitious to say as: “But if the people if Egypt and Tunis [sic] can do this and decide their fate, then why wouldn’t we?”
The past masters...
This isn’t year zero for African protest music. Back in 1987, trumpeter Hugh Masekela fought apartheid with a sunkissed slice of Afro-jazz (‘Bring Back Nelson Mandela’), while the scathing genius of Afrobeat trailblazer Fela Kuti’s attack on the Nigerian military junta in 1978 (‘Zombie’) ultimately led to the murder of his mother. Ivorian reggae star Alpha Blondy (‘Mal en pis’) inspired rebels to take up arms to fight Laurent Gbagbo’s government some eight years ago – one suspects the Ivory Coast could do with a voice of freedom again.
Sunday 1 May 2011
Sunday 10 April 2011
Album Review: Panda Bear - Tomboy
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This review will feature in the April edition of Notion Magazine
For all the wild exaltation heaped on neo-psych savants Animal Collective, it seems the most dedicated of discerning musos have found greater kindred spirit in Panda Bear, the solo side project of AC founder-member Noah Lennox. Scene-screening blogs Tiny Mix Tapes and Gorilla vs. Bear both picked the last Panda Bear record, 2007’s Person Pitch, as their best of the decade. Pitchfork placed it eighth – a full six places above its more illustrious cousin, Merriweather Post Pavilion. Early, and erroneous, whispers of a chillwave godfather spurred the record on, while the woozy adventures across borderless meter and time kept it on heavy rotation from East London to East Village.
However, those expecting Tomboy to ape the gurgling atoll-pop of Person Pitch may well fall off their Fixie bikes. Rather than floating a pedalo off a Pacific shore, this time the good ship Panda Bear has been anchored, with Lennox finding his feet on more concrete musical ground. Lead single ‘Tomboy’, which emerged last July, served early notice of a change of direction. Rolling dub-rhythms provided new rhythmic ballast. Huge riffing slabs of guitar – something Lennox attributes to “thinking about Nirvana and the White Stripes” – replaced the clicks, whirs and keys of yore. And while the multi-tracked tribal vocal attack remained, the spears had been sharpened. This was experimental music with songform, designed for the dancehalls, not the bedroom.
It’s not an exception that proves the rule. Experimental producer par excellence Sonic Boom (formerly of Spacemen 3) shows himself either to be a genius of reinvention or utterly superfluous to the recording process – having helmed the diffusion of MGMT’s clipped electro-pop into one big lysergic meander last year, here his mix performs the opposite trick. Tomboy contains 11 tracks, and ‘songs’ abound – great, soaring, bombastic ones, superabundant with killer hooks.
Only a late run of ambient numbers, starting with the sore-thumb shimmer-sprawl of ‘Scheheradze’, break rank. Juxtaposed with breathless, intelligible pop singles like ‘You Can Count On Me’ and ‘Surfer Hymn’, the wobbly stuff falls flat. Poppiest, and best, is the superb ‘Last Night At The Jetty’ – which twists the disposable afro-prep whimsy of Vampire Weekend into something at once bouncing and brash, yet suffused with glassy-eyed regret. “Didn’t we have a good time?” sigh a thousand Lennox’s in undulating unison. Aren’t we now?
8/10
Choice Cuts: Last Night At The Jetty; You Can Count On Me
Tomboy is released 11 April on Paw Tracks
However, those expecting Tomboy to ape the gurgling atoll-pop of Person Pitch may well fall off their Fixie bikes. Rather than floating a pedalo off a Pacific shore, this time the good ship Panda Bear has been anchored, with Lennox finding his feet on more concrete musical ground. Lead single ‘Tomboy’, which emerged last July, served early notice of a change of direction. Rolling dub-rhythms provided new rhythmic ballast. Huge riffing slabs of guitar – something Lennox attributes to “thinking about Nirvana and the White Stripes” – replaced the clicks, whirs and keys of yore. And while the multi-tracked tribal vocal attack remained, the spears had been sharpened. This was experimental music with songform, designed for the dancehalls, not the bedroom.
It’s not an exception that proves the rule. Experimental producer par excellence Sonic Boom (formerly of Spacemen 3) shows himself either to be a genius of reinvention or utterly superfluous to the recording process – having helmed the diffusion of MGMT’s clipped electro-pop into one big lysergic meander last year, here his mix performs the opposite trick. Tomboy contains 11 tracks, and ‘songs’ abound – great, soaring, bombastic ones, superabundant with killer hooks.
Only a late run of ambient numbers, starting with the sore-thumb shimmer-sprawl of ‘Scheheradze’, break rank. Juxtaposed with breathless, intelligible pop singles like ‘You Can Count On Me’ and ‘Surfer Hymn’, the wobbly stuff falls flat. Poppiest, and best, is the superb ‘Last Night At The Jetty’ – which twists the disposable afro-prep whimsy of Vampire Weekend into something at once bouncing and brash, yet suffused with glassy-eyed regret. “Didn’t we have a good time?” sigh a thousand Lennox’s in undulating unison. Aren’t we now?
8/10
Choice Cuts: Last Night At The Jetty; You Can Count On Me
Tomboy is released 11 April on Paw Tracks
Top 10 Rock Documentaries
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In honour of the release of the Foo Fighters' career-spanning documentary Back and Forth, we pick out some of the finest examples of the trials, tribulations and tantrums of rock stars ever committed to tape...
Don't Look Back – Bob Dylan
Generally regarded by those in the know as the finest rock documentary of all time, D.A. Pennebaker's 1967 film follows Dylan on his 1965 tour of the UK. The man himself is truculence personified when dealing with ill-informed journalists and incompetent promoters, but charms in a series of spellbinding performances onstage. Was selected for preservation by the US Library of Congress in 1998 for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
Some Kind of Monster – Metallica
An appropriately overblown docu-epic to match the puffed-chest pomp of the world's greatest metal band, Some Kind of Monster is laced with a cocktail of thematic stimulants. Internal power-stuggles, peace talks with past members, rehab stints and – finally – a new album, are strung together by the frequently hilarious dialogue between band members and their producer Bob Rock. Won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2004.
The Kids Are Alright – The Who
Jeff Stein's painstaking amalgamation of fan bootlegs, TV peformances and interview reels highlight both the band's inimitable stage presence and their Jack-the-lad personalities. Rather than sticking to tedious chronology, the film – which charts the band's career from 1964-78 – darts around with cheerful abandon, focussing on the product rather than the story. Keith Moon was said to be horrified with the degeneration in his appearance after seeing a rough cut of the film in late 1978; he died from a drug overdose just a week later.
End of the Century – The Ramones
Jim Fields and Michael Gramaglia's 2003 film is an exhaustive trawl through the New York punk-rock pioneers' 22-years of touring up until their breakup in 1996. The music tells it's own three-chord tale, but more interesting are the candid interviews with key members Dee Dee, Joey, and Johnny, which reveal that a hedonistic lifestyle and fighting the establishment weren't universally held objectives among the band's core. In what seems to be a common pattern, Dee Dee and Joey had both died before the film was released. Johnny lasted just another 18 months.
The Devil and Daniel Johnston – Daniel Johnston
Where some "rockumentaries" can end up seeming like a well-orchestrated publicity pitch, all congratulatory platitudes and golden years concert footage, this harrowing profile of US alt-rock outsider Daniel Johnston's and his battle with bipolar disorder focusses squarely on the personal. Johnston's overwhelming mental frailty – in particular his obsession with the devil – are desperately sad to watch, but drew hordes of new fans to the cathartic sprawl of his music.
No Distance Left To Run – Blur
Some understandably scoffed and patted their back pockets in response to the reformation of Britpop forefathers Blur for a string of festival dates in 2009. However, No Distance Left To Run, which follows the band's preparations for two set-peice gigs in London's Hyde Park, tells a touching and sincere story of childhood friends Damon Albarn and Grahan Coxon and their road to reconciliation. Meanwhile, Alex James offers a constant stream of lofty bon mots.
The Last Waltz – The Band
The concert of a decade was held at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on November 25, 1976, as Dylan's former pick-up group The Band bowed out of their a long, successful touring career with a little help from their friends. Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton and Neil Young are among a plethora of special guest stars committed to tape by a young Martin Scorcese. As the title card says: "This film should be played loud!".
Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones
A true "fly-on-the-wall" documentary, Albert and David Maysles' tapes were allowed to run and run, capturing the final few weeks of The Rolling Stones' 1969 US tour without interjection from the filmmakers. The tour climaxed with a headline performance at the infamous Altamont Free Concert in Northern California, where mounting crowd tension culminated in 18-year-old Meredith Hunter being beaten to death by Hell's Angels security guards. Much of it is caught on camera, providing a chilling counterpoint to the Stones' devil-may-care attitude throughout the documentary.
The Decline of Western Civilization
Penelope Spheeris' film on the rambunctious Los Angeles punk rock scene of the late 1970s features an impressive range of incendiary live footage and interviews with key torchbearers such as Black Flag and X. The vibrancy of the scene's "us against them" mentality is immediately apparent, but Spheeris also subtly implies the simmering menace of violence and drug abuse associated with the subculture. Two later Decline films would appear – neither were as good.
The Beatles Anthology – The Beatles
Originally a televised series and now available as a five-DVD boxset with bells and whistles, The Beatles Anthology is the most comprehensive documentary exploration of the most popular group of all time. Broadcast in 1995, it maps the group's ascent from the Cavern Club to Abbey Road and beyond with hours of archive footage, and comment from then-remaining "Threetles" McCartney, Harrison and Starr.
Don't Look Back – Bob Dylan
 |
| Dylan: truculence personified |
Generally regarded by those in the know as the finest rock documentary of all time, D.A. Pennebaker's 1967 film follows Dylan on his 1965 tour of the UK. The man himself is truculence personified when dealing with ill-informed journalists and incompetent promoters, but charms in a series of spellbinding performances onstage. Was selected for preservation by the US Library of Congress in 1998 for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
Some Kind of Monster – Metallica
An appropriately overblown docu-epic to match the puffed-chest pomp of the world's greatest metal band, Some Kind of Monster is laced with a cocktail of thematic stimulants. Internal power-stuggles, peace talks with past members, rehab stints and – finally – a new album, are strung together by the frequently hilarious dialogue between band members and their producer Bob Rock. Won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2004.
The Kids Are Alright – The Who
Jeff Stein's painstaking amalgamation of fan bootlegs, TV peformances and interview reels highlight both the band's inimitable stage presence and their Jack-the-lad personalities. Rather than sticking to tedious chronology, the film – which charts the band's career from 1964-78 – darts around with cheerful abandon, focussing on the product rather than the story. Keith Moon was said to be horrified with the degeneration in his appearance after seeing a rough cut of the film in late 1978; he died from a drug overdose just a week later.
End of the Century – The Ramones
Jim Fields and Michael Gramaglia's 2003 film is an exhaustive trawl through the New York punk-rock pioneers' 22-years of touring up until their breakup in 1996. The music tells it's own three-chord tale, but more interesting are the candid interviews with key members Dee Dee, Joey, and Johnny, which reveal that a hedonistic lifestyle and fighting the establishment weren't universally held objectives among the band's core. In what seems to be a common pattern, Dee Dee and Joey had both died before the film was released. Johnny lasted just another 18 months.
 |
| Daniel Johnston: a harrowing profile |
Where some "rockumentaries" can end up seeming like a well-orchestrated publicity pitch, all congratulatory platitudes and golden years concert footage, this harrowing profile of US alt-rock outsider Daniel Johnston's and his battle with bipolar disorder focusses squarely on the personal. Johnston's overwhelming mental frailty – in particular his obsession with the devil – are desperately sad to watch, but drew hordes of new fans to the cathartic sprawl of his music.
No Distance Left To Run – Blur
Some understandably scoffed and patted their back pockets in response to the reformation of Britpop forefathers Blur for a string of festival dates in 2009. However, No Distance Left To Run, which follows the band's preparations for two set-peice gigs in London's Hyde Park, tells a touching and sincere story of childhood friends Damon Albarn and Grahan Coxon and their road to reconciliation. Meanwhile, Alex James offers a constant stream of lofty bon mots.
The Last Waltz – The Band
The concert of a decade was held at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on November 25, 1976, as Dylan's former pick-up group The Band bowed out of their a long, successful touring career with a little help from their friends. Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton and Neil Young are among a plethora of special guest stars committed to tape by a young Martin Scorcese. As the title card says: "This film should be played loud!".
Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones
A true "fly-on-the-wall" documentary, Albert and David Maysles' tapes were allowed to run and run, capturing the final few weeks of The Rolling Stones' 1969 US tour without interjection from the filmmakers. The tour climaxed with a headline performance at the infamous Altamont Free Concert in Northern California, where mounting crowd tension culminated in 18-year-old Meredith Hunter being beaten to death by Hell's Angels security guards. Much of it is caught on camera, providing a chilling counterpoint to the Stones' devil-may-care attitude throughout the documentary.
The Decline of Western Civilization
 |
| 1970s LA punk-rock: rambunctious and menacing |
Penelope Spheeris' film on the rambunctious Los Angeles punk rock scene of the late 1970s features an impressive range of incendiary live footage and interviews with key torchbearers such as Black Flag and X. The vibrancy of the scene's "us against them" mentality is immediately apparent, but Spheeris also subtly implies the simmering menace of violence and drug abuse associated with the subculture. Two later Decline films would appear – neither were as good.
The Beatles Anthology – The Beatles
Originally a televised series and now available as a five-DVD boxset with bells and whistles, The Beatles Anthology is the most comprehensive documentary exploration of the most popular group of all time. Broadcast in 1995, it maps the group's ascent from the Cavern Club to Abbey Road and beyond with hours of archive footage, and comment from then-remaining "Threetles" McCartney, Harrison and Starr.
Wednesday 6 April 2011
Best Records of 2011: January, February and March - Part 2
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Part 2 of our round-up of the best albums released so far in 2011, featuring PJ Harvey and Black Francis.
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Universal/Island (14 February)
20 years into a career categorised by wilful eccentricity, flashes of genius and intermittent flirtations with a popular adoration about which she never seemed comfortable, Harvey’s eighth long-player joins the dots of her talent to reveal a bona fide masterpiece. Lyrically, the walls remain up – the thematic fulcrum of bloody war and the burden of empire is often too literal to signify personal epiphanies – but the stirring folk jangle and a new gentle intensity to Harvey’s voice convey a heart bleeding sadness and disillusion. Anger, too.
Choice Cuts: The Last Living Rose, England
Wye Oak - Civilian
City Slang (7 March)
The freak-psych self-indulgence and fastidious over-production of two previous efforts vanquished, this time Baltimore duo Wye Oak signify with songs. The hoarse beauty of Jenn Wassner’s voice is promoted to centre-stage, providing a focal point for shoegazey alt-rock played loud (‘Dogs Eyes’), quiet (‘Two Small Deaths’) and, best of all, loud-quiet-loud (‘Holy Holy’).
Choice Cuts: Holy Holy, Dogs Eyes
Cage The Elephant - Thank You Happy Birthday
Virgin (21 March)
Replacing the middle-ranking garage-rock of their debut with derivative post-Pixies alt-rock initially came across as a shamelessly disingenuous attempt to subjugate the angst – and 10 bucks per record – of a million US teens. That Thank You, Happy Birthday doles out blow after blow of smart, thrusting hooks delivered in Matt Schultz’ Kentucky fried howl more than makes up for the platinum pitch. And if ‘Indy Kidz’ isn’t a nudge-wink recognition of their own ruse, I’ll eat my skinny jeans and designer quiff.
Choice Cuts: Aberdeen, Around My Head
The Strokes - Angles
Rough Trade (21 March)
Nowhere near as tired as the yarn spun by band and critics alike would suggest, The Strokes’ fourth long player is their brightest and easiest to digest since Is This It? If ‘It’ always was garage-rock insouciance, fine hooks and Tom Petty, then Angles proves they have chops enough not to labour on the words – neither should you.
Choice Cuts: Under Cover of Darkness, Taken For a Fool
Black Francis - The Golem
The Bureau (14 March)
A musical director’s cut of the twisted surficana sprawl Francis’ delivered to soundtrack 1920s German silent film The Golem: How He Came Into The World. The croak is heartier, but the music still whispers gothic menace.
Choice Cuts: Bad News, Makanujo
Think we're backing all the wrong horses? Let us know what you think below. And don't forget to check out Part 1
 |
| PJ Harvey - Let England Shake |
Universal/Island (14 February)
20 years into a career categorised by wilful eccentricity, flashes of genius and intermittent flirtations with a popular adoration about which she never seemed comfortable, Harvey’s eighth long-player joins the dots of her talent to reveal a bona fide masterpiece. Lyrically, the walls remain up – the thematic fulcrum of bloody war and the burden of empire is often too literal to signify personal epiphanies – but the stirring folk jangle and a new gentle intensity to Harvey’s voice convey a heart bleeding sadness and disillusion. Anger, too.
Choice Cuts: The Last Living Rose, England
 |
| Wye Oak - Civilian |
City Slang (7 March)
The freak-psych self-indulgence and fastidious over-production of two previous efforts vanquished, this time Baltimore duo Wye Oak signify with songs. The hoarse beauty of Jenn Wassner’s voice is promoted to centre-stage, providing a focal point for shoegazey alt-rock played loud (‘Dogs Eyes’), quiet (‘Two Small Deaths’) and, best of all, loud-quiet-loud (‘Holy Holy’).
Choice Cuts: Holy Holy, Dogs Eyes
 |
| Cage The Elephant - Thank You Happy Birthday |
Cage The Elephant - Thank You Happy Birthday
Virgin (21 March)
Replacing the middle-ranking garage-rock of their debut with derivative post-Pixies alt-rock initially came across as a shamelessly disingenuous attempt to subjugate the angst – and 10 bucks per record – of a million US teens. That Thank You, Happy Birthday doles out blow after blow of smart, thrusting hooks delivered in Matt Schultz’ Kentucky fried howl more than makes up for the platinum pitch. And if ‘Indy Kidz’ isn’t a nudge-wink recognition of their own ruse, I’ll eat my skinny jeans and designer quiff.
Choice Cuts: Aberdeen, Around My Head
 |
| The Strokes - Angles |
Rough Trade (21 March)
Nowhere near as tired as the yarn spun by band and critics alike would suggest, The Strokes’ fourth long player is their brightest and easiest to digest since Is This It? If ‘It’ always was garage-rock insouciance, fine hooks and Tom Petty, then Angles proves they have chops enough not to labour on the words – neither should you.
Choice Cuts: Under Cover of Darkness, Taken For a Fool
 |
| Black Francis - The Golem |
Black Francis - The Golem
The Bureau (14 March)
A musical director’s cut of the twisted surficana sprawl Francis’ delivered to soundtrack 1920s German silent film The Golem: How He Came Into The World. The croak is heartier, but the music still whispers gothic menace.
Choice Cuts: Bad News, Makanujo
Think we're backing all the wrong horses? Let us know what you think below. And don't forget to check out Part 1
Monday 28 March 2011
Best Records of 2011: January, February and March - Part 1
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From James Blake to Cloud Nothings, The Popscener provides a handy round-up of the records released so far in 2011 that you should have heard...
James Blake - James Blake
Atlas/A&M (7 February)
Those who dismissed this much-anticipated debut as the death of a dubstep producer and the birth of a genuine – read: boring – singer-songwriter missed the mark. The looped samples and freeform structures may be mostly gone but, the deep bass-groove rework of ‘Limit of Your Love’ aside, Blake still deals in ideas over songs. The upshot is minimalist, throbbing wee hours murk, decorated with the treated soul of Blake’s voice, and lyrics-as-mantras, repeated to project the emotion lost in the laptop.
Choice Cuts: The Willhelm Scream, Limit To Your Love
Drive-By Truckers - Go-Go Boots
PIAS Recording (14 February)
More rustic, leisurely – and frankly, ‘country’ – than the careering alt-rock of its predecessor, Go Go Boots finds the the homely Southern idyll conjured by its music populated with a cast of titillating characters. In a world of small-town hoodlum treachery, Patterson Hood plays empathetic judge and jury, Shonna Tucker the spurned wife – while Mike Cooley maps out the escape route for those wanting more.
Choice Cuts: The Fireplace Poker, Cartoon Gold
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
Matador (7 March)
Philadelphia troubadour Kurt Vile’s fourth album, his second on US indie stalwart Matador, sees him build on the lo-fi promise of his previous output, firming up sound and structure to deliver a coherent body of brooding alt-folk and tumbling Americana numbers. Song of the year to-date ‘Jesus Fever’ is an instant classic which borrows the chiming dynamism of Wilco’s flightier moments and underpins it with Vile’s world-weary baritone and lyrics which reads like a flippant requiem. “When I’m a ghost I see no reason to run, when I’m already gone” he groans. But there’s life in him yet.
Choice Cuts: Jesus Fever, Ghost Town
Cloud Nothings - Cloud Nothings
Wichita (24 January)
Pop-punk or lo-fi? Always too detached and undersold to be the former, and now too carefully produced – and played – to be the latter, 18-year old Cleveland prodigy Dylan Baldi’s debut excites with speed as much as songcraft. Consequently, I prefer to brand him ‘new-thrash’, as for every galloping rhythm and unnervingly indelible melody I often wonder if Husker Du don’t lament a lighter touch.
Choice Cuts: Not Important, Nothing's Wrong
Part 2 of the Best Records of 2011: January, February and March coming up tomorrow...
 |
| James Blake - James Blake |
Atlas/A&M (7 February)
Those who dismissed this much-anticipated debut as the death of a dubstep producer and the birth of a genuine – read: boring – singer-songwriter missed the mark. The looped samples and freeform structures may be mostly gone but, the deep bass-groove rework of ‘Limit of Your Love’ aside, Blake still deals in ideas over songs. The upshot is minimalist, throbbing wee hours murk, decorated with the treated soul of Blake’s voice, and lyrics-as-mantras, repeated to project the emotion lost in the laptop.
Choice Cuts: The Willhelm Scream, Limit To Your Love
 |
| Drive-By Truckers - Go-Go Boots |
PIAS Recording (14 February)
More rustic, leisurely – and frankly, ‘country’ – than the careering alt-rock of its predecessor, Go Go Boots finds the the homely Southern idyll conjured by its music populated with a cast of titillating characters. In a world of small-town hoodlum treachery, Patterson Hood plays empathetic judge and jury, Shonna Tucker the spurned wife – while Mike Cooley maps out the escape route for those wanting more.
Choice Cuts: The Fireplace Poker, Cartoon Gold
 |
| Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo |
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
Matador (7 March)
Philadelphia troubadour Kurt Vile’s fourth album, his second on US indie stalwart Matador, sees him build on the lo-fi promise of his previous output, firming up sound and structure to deliver a coherent body of brooding alt-folk and tumbling Americana numbers. Song of the year to-date ‘Jesus Fever’ is an instant classic which borrows the chiming dynamism of Wilco’s flightier moments and underpins it with Vile’s world-weary baritone and lyrics which reads like a flippant requiem. “When I’m a ghost I see no reason to run, when I’m already gone” he groans. But there’s life in him yet.
Choice Cuts: Jesus Fever, Ghost Town
 |
| Cloud Nothings - Cloud Nothings |
Wichita (24 January)
Pop-punk or lo-fi? Always too detached and undersold to be the former, and now too carefully produced – and played – to be the latter, 18-year old Cleveland prodigy Dylan Baldi’s debut excites with speed as much as songcraft. Consequently, I prefer to brand him ‘new-thrash’, as for every galloping rhythm and unnervingly indelible melody I often wonder if Husker Du don’t lament a lighter touch.
Choice Cuts: Not Important, Nothing's Wrong
Part 2 of the Best Records of 2011: January, February and March coming up tomorrow...
Wednesday 23 March 2011
Listen Up! No. 99: Architects of Grace - Reflection
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The brainchild of 30-something media professional Duncan Robert Illing - an admirably ill-hidden truth revealed by a simple Google search - and shrouded in the kind of gloomy, brooding promotional aesthetic one might associate with a Donnie Darko soundtrack, Architects of Grace should be a study in synth-pop miserablism. Me? I hear more Psychedelic Furs than Depeche Mode in the four bright, pulsating minutes of forthcoming single 'Reflection' (released 4 April). Illing's words and intonation avoid both goth-mawkishness and bitter romantic platitudes, forging through the murky flail of ringing guitars to suggest something hopeful, if not necessarily contented. Meanwhile, the industrial groove rumbles on and on. And on. Where it emerges, we'll see when debut record Moments in Time drops in mid-April.
Monday 21 March 2011
Listen Up! No. 98: The Strokes - Gratisfaction
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The Strokes' new album, Angles, has been given variously short shrift - "tired", "lazy", "lacking ideas" - by critics who seem at least partly pre-disposed to twist the knife. Sure, the band haven't helped themselves with a series of wretched interviews veering from disinterested to repulsed. And sure, it's no masterpiece. But then neither was Is This It?, and 'lacking ideas' - beyond the metronomic garage-rock insouciance which drives their entire debut - never bothered anyone then.
Of course, when 'ideas' means Bahamas business-trip disco-reggae ('Machu Picchu') we could do without them. What The Strokes have always been best at is recognising the heart-in-mouth vibrancy of a moment in musical history, and plonking it squarely in the 21st century, often with finer hooks to boot. Aside from the twitching rapture of lead single 'Under Cover of Darkness', this trick can be heard in earnest on 'Gratisfaction', which marries chugging glam and twiddly power-pop with a wink and a smile. But probably not with a tongue in the cheek. It's a bit like the musical equivalent of going to an Alex Chilton memorial party at Tom Petty's mansion with The New York Dolls in tow. That said: I'm still undecided as to whether the house band is T-Rex or Status Quo. And Julian Casablancas is probably serving the drinks.
Of course, when 'ideas' means Bahamas business-trip disco-reggae ('Machu Picchu') we could do without them. What The Strokes have always been best at is recognising the heart-in-mouth vibrancy of a moment in musical history, and plonking it squarely in the 21st century, often with finer hooks to boot. Aside from the twitching rapture of lead single 'Under Cover of Darkness', this trick can be heard in earnest on 'Gratisfaction', which marries chugging glam and twiddly power-pop with a wink and a smile. But probably not with a tongue in the cheek. It's a bit like the musical equivalent of going to an Alex Chilton memorial party at Tom Petty's mansion with The New York Dolls in tow. That said: I'm still undecided as to whether the house band is T-Rex or Status Quo. And Julian Casablancas is probably serving the drinks.
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Listen Up! No. 97: Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High
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When LA female noise-pop quartet Dum Dum Girls' debut LP I Will Be surfaced last year, it felt like a missed opportunity. The had a look, built around the gutter-goth style sexual aura of frontwoman Dee Dee, which screamed alt-icons. They were well connected - East Coast pal Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs contributed guitar in the studio. Meanwhile, songs like 'Jail La La' proved a band able to deliver the bubblegum melodies required to stand out from a pre-eminent (and saturated) lo-fi scene. However, where LA contemporaries Best Coast succeeded in pinning Bethany Cosentino's simple melodies to graceful, unfussy production, Dum Dum Girls hid behind walls of guitars and a rhythm section so jarring as to be positively painful in headphones.
Did this betray a crisis of confidence in the material, or a bungled attempt to breakthrough with super-compressed radio fare, courtesy of former Go-Gos producer Richard Gottehrer? Regardless, swallowed up in the thud of the mix, many of the songs fell flat. Which brings us seamlessly to 'He Gets Me High', from the band's new EP of the same name (released late last month). The thundering snare is held back a touch, while guitars are allowed to sway woozily in and out of the void left behind. Most importantly, however, is we get more Dee Dee, with harmonies we can hum and words we can hear. And take note fellas - and Bethany Cosentino - she's not singing about weed.
He Gets Me High EP is out now on Sub Pop.
Did this betray a crisis of confidence in the material, or a bungled attempt to breakthrough with super-compressed radio fare, courtesy of former Go-Gos producer Richard Gottehrer? Regardless, swallowed up in the thud of the mix, many of the songs fell flat. Which brings us seamlessly to 'He Gets Me High', from the band's new EP of the same name (released late last month). The thundering snare is held back a touch, while guitars are allowed to sway woozily in and out of the void left behind. Most importantly, however, is we get more Dee Dee, with harmonies we can hum and words we can hear. And take note fellas - and Bethany Cosentino - she's not singing about weed.
He Gets Me High EP is out now on Sub Pop.
Sunday 13 March 2011
Listen Up! No. 96: Bing Ji Ling - Move On
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Bing Ji Ling is the pseudonym of New York producer/writer/multi-instrumentalist Quinn Luke. When not pursuing his day job as one sixth (at last count) of marauding post-hippie troupe the Phenomenal Handclap Band, Luke apparently likes to indulge himself in a spot of breezy, feel-good '70s soul. On latest single 'Move On' (released earlier this month), he duly treads a fine line between a forgotten cut from Hair: The Musical and the kind of music used to backdrop frolicking youths in Boots suntan lotion adverts. Thankfully, this one is more 'Aquarius' than Joss Stone. Just. The album, Shadow to Shine, drops on 21 March.
Thursday 10 March 2011
Listen Up! No. 95: Art Brut - Unprofessional Wrestling
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Art Brut records have an uncanny knack of seeming as instantly disposable as an Eddie Argos bon mot, while invariably leaving you feeling as warm and fuzzy as the red wine, cheap cigarettes and pitiful romanticism around which their world is framed. You miss them, dearly, like an old friend from school you never realised you had so much in common with.
Luckily, fans haven't had to wait too long - it's been less than two years since last record Art Brut Vs. Satan was released - and the early signs are that they've lost none of their doleful charm. This week they preface their fourth long-player, the aptly-titled Brilliant...Tragic (released 23 May on Cooking Vinyl) with free download 'Unprofessional Wrestling', another slice of buzz-saw guitars and bustling garage-rock. While Argos' self-deprecating lyrical radar may be familiar - here likening the act of physical romance to a round in the ring with an unforgiving opponent - his attempt at singing may not.
Luckily, fans haven't had to wait too long - it's been less than two years since last record Art Brut Vs. Satan was released - and the early signs are that they've lost none of their doleful charm. This week they preface their fourth long-player, the aptly-titled Brilliant...Tragic (released 23 May on Cooking Vinyl) with free download 'Unprofessional Wrestling', another slice of buzz-saw guitars and bustling garage-rock. While Argos' self-deprecating lyrical radar may be familiar - here likening the act of physical romance to a round in the ring with an unforgiving opponent - his attempt at singing may not.
Wednesday 9 March 2011
Album Review: Bardo Pond - Bardo Pond
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Noise-rock nearly men (and woman) return with first ear-splitting record for four years
Philadelphia sextet Bardo Pond don’t like change. 20 years and 8 records served, the band’s droning noise-rock and psych-folk flourishes remain comfortingly embalmed in post-alt-rock boom 1993. The songs still regularly breach the 10 minute mark – although nothing rivals the 29-minute ‘Amen’ from 1995’s magnum opus Bufo Alvarius, amen 29:15 – while alterations in chord are eschewed in favour of spectacular dynamic shifts. It’s a cacophony of sound which explains why they never became alt-rock royalty, despite stints on pre-eminent indy labels Matador and 4AD; too impenetrable, too esoteric, and too darn druggy for the casual party stoner who’d rather be learning rote lyrics from a Pavement CD inlay.
However, they’re masters of their craft. Opener ‘Just Once’ explodes with hair-raising bursts of distortion. The shimmering feedback and the off-sync murmur of singer Isobel Sollenberger on ‘Undone’ – “spun out into space” – transcend accepted boundaries of meter and time, yet fashion something strangely regimented; until the microdots are passed around, that is. Better still is ‘The Stars Behind’, where rare open spaces are saturated with Sollenberger’s elegiac howl. “Lost in the night” she repeats, like a Jennifer Herrema who gave a damn. The world won’t listen. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.
8/10
Choice Cuts: The Stars Behind; Undone
Out now on Fire records
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| Bardo Pond: Transcending boundaries of meter and time |
Philadelphia sextet Bardo Pond don’t like change. 20 years and 8 records served, the band’s droning noise-rock and psych-folk flourishes remain comfortingly embalmed in post-alt-rock boom 1993. The songs still regularly breach the 10 minute mark – although nothing rivals the 29-minute ‘Amen’ from 1995’s magnum opus Bufo Alvarius, amen 29:15 – while alterations in chord are eschewed in favour of spectacular dynamic shifts. It’s a cacophony of sound which explains why they never became alt-rock royalty, despite stints on pre-eminent indy labels Matador and 4AD; too impenetrable, too esoteric, and too darn druggy for the casual party stoner who’d rather be learning rote lyrics from a Pavement CD inlay.
However, they’re masters of their craft. Opener ‘Just Once’ explodes with hair-raising bursts of distortion. The shimmering feedback and the off-sync murmur of singer Isobel Sollenberger on ‘Undone’ – “spun out into space” – transcend accepted boundaries of meter and time, yet fashion something strangely regimented; until the microdots are passed around, that is. Better still is ‘The Stars Behind’, where rare open spaces are saturated with Sollenberger’s elegiac howl. “Lost in the night” she repeats, like a Jennifer Herrema who gave a damn. The world won’t listen. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.
8/10
Choice Cuts: The Stars Behind; Undone
Out now on Fire records
Monday 7 March 2011
Interview: Liam Bailey
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When Amy Winehouse founded Lioness records at the height of her tabloid nadir in late-2009 as a medium through which to promote the precocious talents of her 15-year old goddaughter, eyebrows were raised. Dionne Bromfield’s record of soul and Motown covers duly stumbled into the charts at 33. The vultures sniggered. But they were premature. Mercurial as ever Ms Winehouse is, last year she began touting a little-known Nottingham-born singer-songwriter called Liam Bailey, and this time she was onto a winner.
Anyone who had the fortune to catch Bailey’s debut EP 2am Rough Tracks may have thought they had been sent back in time by some benevolent musical Gods, where the marriage of gospel and rhythm and blues consolidated into the blissful sound of 1960s American soul. Recorded into a laptop with just a guitar for company, the stripped-back arrangement showcased a voice of raucous beauty – soulful yet incendiary, and entirely uncharacteristic of the slew of feted modern vocalists. With another fine EP, So Down,Cold, and a soaring cameo on Chase and Status’ top-5 stadium drum ‘n’ bass anthem ‘Blind Faith’ under his belt, Bailey appears primed for a starring role in a feel-good summer 2011. He talks about cornrows, insulting X Factor also-rans, and his debut long-player Out of the Shadows.
So, the word on the wind is that you’re going to be this summer’s soul smash, Ã la Amy Winehouse, Plan B or, er, Duffy. What do you reckon?
[Laughing] Really? I don’t know about that. But this summer should be good. I’ve got some festivals to do with Chase and Status and I’ll be doing some on my own. Summers are all about that feeling of being about 15 and watching Glastonbury on TV and thinking “I could do that”. Imagine that, but this time you’ve got a nice shower instead of horrible portaloos. To be fair, I just can’t wait for a summer when I feel really positive, because last year was difficult…
This interview was conducted for The Line Of Best Fit. Go here to continue reading the full interview.
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| Liam Bailey: Music to savour from this years soul saviour? |
Anyone who had the fortune to catch Bailey’s debut EP 2am Rough Tracks may have thought they had been sent back in time by some benevolent musical Gods, where the marriage of gospel and rhythm and blues consolidated into the blissful sound of 1960s American soul. Recorded into a laptop with just a guitar for company, the stripped-back arrangement showcased a voice of raucous beauty – soulful yet incendiary, and entirely uncharacteristic of the slew of feted modern vocalists. With another fine EP, So Down,Cold, and a soaring cameo on Chase and Status’ top-5 stadium drum ‘n’ bass anthem ‘Blind Faith’ under his belt, Bailey appears primed for a starring role in a feel-good summer 2011. He talks about cornrows, insulting X Factor also-rans, and his debut long-player Out of the Shadows.
So, the word on the wind is that you’re going to be this summer’s soul smash, Ã la Amy Winehouse, Plan B or, er, Duffy. What do you reckon?
[Laughing] Really? I don’t know about that. But this summer should be good. I’ve got some festivals to do with Chase and Status and I’ll be doing some on my own. Summers are all about that feeling of being about 15 and watching Glastonbury on TV and thinking “I could do that”. Imagine that, but this time you’ve got a nice shower instead of horrible portaloos. To be fair, I just can’t wait for a summer when I feel really positive, because last year was difficult…
This interview was conducted for The Line Of Best Fit. Go here to continue reading the full interview.
Thursday 24 February 2011
Politics/Music #6: Jekil and Hide
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Party politics and rock ‘n’ roll. East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet. Of course, I’m not intending to singlehandedly disregard and henceforth abolish the rich heritage of political rock and roll, but where parties are involved the motives, ways and means can turn sour. Imagine my surprise then to read that the Scottish National Party’s new year gift for the nationalist masses north of the border was a song specially commissioned by the party to boost the adrenalin levels at its conference back in October; now available on iTunes and other digital outlets. The song in question? A re-working of ‘Let’s Work Together’, originally committed to tape by beardy boogie-bluesmen Canned Heat and later popularised via the pastel suit and penny loafers of Bryan Ferry. The band in question? Unheralded Scottish pop-rock irrelevancies Jakil – “one of the best young bands in Scotland” according to the SNP, along with... you know... and er... Oh.
This article was written for Notion magazine. Go here to read the rest (page 25 of the digital reader).
Party politics and rock ‘n’ roll. East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet. Of course, I’m not intending to singlehandedly disregard and henceforth abolish the rich heritage of political rock and roll, but where parties are involved the motives, ways and means can turn sour. Imagine my surprise then to read that the Scottish National Party’s new year gift for the nationalist masses north of the border was a song specially commissioned by the party to boost the adrenalin levels at its conference back in October; now available on iTunes and other digital outlets. The song in question? A re-working of ‘Let’s Work Together’, originally committed to tape by beardy boogie-bluesmen Canned Heat and later popularised via the pastel suit and penny loafers of Bryan Ferry. The band in question? Unheralded Scottish pop-rock irrelevancies Jakil – “one of the best young bands in Scotland” according to the SNP, along with... you know... and er... Oh.
This article was written for Notion magazine. Go here to read the rest (page 25 of the digital reader).
Album Review: Banjo or Freakout - Banjo or Freakout
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Yet another autonomous bedroom-introvert negotiating the psych-ambient divide under an unfathomable nom de guerre might not set the pulses racing, so Banjo or Freakout’s Alessio Natalizia at least has the good sense to have a mildly diverting back story. He grew up in a small medieval Italian town called Vasto. He started playing classical guitar at 8. He listened to Italian artists Claudio Rocchi and Alan Sorrenti – unlikely to figure on the average Spotify playlist. Perhaps the beaming coastal sun, Adriatic waters and unheralded musical preferences could engender something memorable and unique?
This review was written for Notion magazine. Go here to read the rest (page 91 of the digital reader).
Yet another autonomous bedroom-introvert negotiating the psych-ambient divide under an unfathomable nom de guerre might not set the pulses racing, so Banjo or Freakout’s Alessio Natalizia at least has the good sense to have a mildly diverting back story. He grew up in a small medieval Italian town called Vasto. He started playing classical guitar at 8. He listened to Italian artists Claudio Rocchi and Alan Sorrenti – unlikely to figure on the average Spotify playlist. Perhaps the beaming coastal sun, Adriatic waters and unheralded musical preferences could engender something memorable and unique?
This review was written for Notion magazine. Go here to read the rest (page 91 of the digital reader).
Independent Record Store Treasure Hunt
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Two of the most fun things one can get up to on a lazy Saturday afternoon - with your pants on, anyway - are visiting one of the few remaining independent record stores, or going on an elaborate treasure hunt for awesome prizes. Imagine our delight then, to find out that the cheerful directory-specialists over at Yell (that's like a digital Yellow Pages for those of you reading in black and white or watching on VHS) have organised a treasure hunt in the UK's indy record stores. About ruddy time.
We all know that independent record stores have hit hard notes in the age of austerity. What were once the feeding grounds for thousands of wannabe John Cusacks with an encyclopaedic knowledge of tropicalia, no wave, or jazz-dubstep (ok, I made the last one up) have now, for the most part, become grimly boarded-up reminders that those who still have any money choose not to spend it on CDs.
Me? I still get excited about rummaging around for that first vinyl pressing of Bowie's Space Oddity with the blue cover and '(Don't Sit Down)' at track 3. In this instance, the Golden Ticket you'll be looking for is a copy of (fictional) '90s dance thumper 'Pulse & Thunder' by Day V Lately. Nevermind the ruse, whoever put together this little gem certainly listened to their fair share of Grace, plus a sizeable dose of Shamen for good measure.
Have a sneak peak below:
The folks over at Yell reliably inform us that the best way to locate your local independent record store is using their Yell app for Android and iPhone. There are ten copies of 'Pulse and Thunder' hidden up and down the country, and £10,000-worth of prizes to be won. Sounds like a win-win situation to me...
Check www.facebook.com/yell for you terms and conditions et cetera...
We all know that independent record stores have hit hard notes in the age of austerity. What were once the feeding grounds for thousands of wannabe John Cusacks with an encyclopaedic knowledge of tropicalia, no wave, or jazz-dubstep (ok, I made the last one up) have now, for the most part, become grimly boarded-up reminders that those who still have any money choose not to spend it on CDs.
Me? I still get excited about rummaging around for that first vinyl pressing of Bowie's Space Oddity with the blue cover and '(Don't Sit Down)' at track 3. In this instance, the Golden Ticket you'll be looking for is a copy of (fictional) '90s dance thumper 'Pulse & Thunder' by Day V Lately. Nevermind the ruse, whoever put together this little gem certainly listened to their fair share of Grace, plus a sizeable dose of Shamen for good measure.
Have a sneak peak below:
The folks over at Yell reliably inform us that the best way to locate your local independent record store is using their Yell app for Android and iPhone. There are ten copies of 'Pulse and Thunder' hidden up and down the country, and £10,000-worth of prizes to be won. Sounds like a win-win situation to me...
Check www.facebook.com/yell for you terms and conditions et cetera...
Monday 14 February 2011
Album Review: Wye Oak - Civilian
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Baltimore, Maryland duo Wye Oak’s first two records, 2007’s If Children and 2009’s The Knot, sounded like a band with the all the tools required to be master-sculptors or their art, but one lacking in the requisite experience – and often direction – to fashion something truly worthy. Although their enviable ear for a hook was plainly manifested, the songs’ attempts to subvert de rigueur ‘trends’ overcompensated. Mix introverted folk-sprawl with hootenanny freakouts? That’ll show ‘em! But it was too much, too often; thrilling on an artificial level, without having the artifice to craft something with lasting appeal beyond the live performances for which they were famed. However, their apprenticeship served and with new UK label City Slang affording them a shot at reinvention, Civilian succeeds by playing it straight.
This review was written for Notion magazine . Go here to read the rest (page 90 of the digital reader)
Baltimore, Maryland duo Wye Oak’s first two records, 2007’s If Children and 2009’s The Knot, sounded like a band with the all the tools required to be master-sculptors or their art, but one lacking in the requisite experience – and often direction – to fashion something truly worthy. Although their enviable ear for a hook was plainly manifested, the songs’ attempts to subvert de rigueur ‘trends’ overcompensated. Mix introverted folk-sprawl with hootenanny freakouts? That’ll show ‘em! But it was too much, too often; thrilling on an artificial level, without having the artifice to craft something with lasting appeal beyond the live performances for which they were famed. However, their apprenticeship served and with new UK label City Slang affording them a shot at reinvention, Civilian succeeds by playing it straight.
This review was written for Notion magazine . Go here to read the rest (page 90 of the digital reader)
Friday 11 February 2011
Album Review: Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
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Ever wondered what the Super Furry Animals get up to on tour? The sex, the drugs? The indie rock ’n’ roll? Well, according to SFA frontman Gruff Rhys, the one boundary of decadence most often pushed is the pilfering of vast quantities of hotel toiletries. Such was the childlike enthusiasm and wonder with which Rhys approached professional touring after the band signed with Creation in 1996, he’s been collecting hotel shampoos as mementos ever since. But what to do with your haul when there’s only so much hair to wash? Of course! Build a miniature hotel out of them and then name your third solo album after it. He’s a peculiar fellow...
This article was written for TheLineOfBestFit. Go here to read the rest.
Ever wondered what the Super Furry Animals get up to on tour? The sex, the drugs? The indie rock ’n’ roll? Well, according to SFA frontman Gruff Rhys, the one boundary of decadence most often pushed is the pilfering of vast quantities of hotel toiletries. Such was the childlike enthusiasm and wonder with which Rhys approached professional touring after the band signed with Creation in 1996, he’s been collecting hotel shampoos as mementos ever since. But what to do with your haul when there’s only so much hair to wash? Of course! Build a miniature hotel out of them and then name your third solo album after it. He’s a peculiar fellow...
This article was written for TheLineOfBestFit. Go here to read the rest.
Monday 7 February 2011
Listen Up! No. 94: Black Francis - Bad News
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Eccentric as ever he is, in 2008 former Pixies master of ceremonies Black Francis knocked up a film score to compliment German silent-film The Golem: How He Came Into The World for a screening at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Quite what bespectacled art-house film buffs in tweed jackets and corduroys made of it is anyone's guess, but Francis thought the score worthy enough of a limited 500-copy release in 2010. The original run's hour and half of twisted surficana sprawl largely did justice to the film-score concept. However, a new condensed version - call it the musical director's cut - plays out as another arrestingly subversive rock album to file among Francis' high-calibre canon.
On 'Bad News', Francis plays it about as straight as he can bear. "Something in the stars says that we are through" he croons in a hearty croak more emotive than flippant, for a change. And yet, one twisted chord change throws the whole thing off-kilter, while pretty strings are gnarled into a something gothic, almost menacing. A ballad, yes, but splayed in all directions as if mirrored in the back of a spoon. Sehr gut, as they say.
On 'Bad News', Francis plays it about as straight as he can bear. "Something in the stars says that we are through" he croons in a hearty croak more emotive than flippant, for a change. And yet, one twisted chord change throws the whole thing off-kilter, while pretty strings are gnarled into a something gothic, almost menacing. A ballad, yes, but splayed in all directions as if mirrored in the back of a spoon. Sehr gut, as they say.
Friday 4 February 2011
Album Review: Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo - Almanac
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Emily Barker is something of an enigma. The Australian born singer-songwriter has, since forming alt-folk outfit The Low Country back in 2002, racked up several remarkable musical milestones. She has enjoyed a critical kudos which has dutifully persisted from her earliest output through two outings with current foil the Red Clay Halo. She has toured with luminaries such as Jose Gonzalez. She also has an uncanny knack of picking up awards, with the handful of Aussie songwriting gongs she netted in 2006 now vying for pride of place in the trophy cabinet with the BAFTA and Royal Television Awards she won last year for providing the theme to hit BBC series Wallander (a reworking of her 2008 track ‘Nostalgia’). And yet, she returns this month as a virtual unknown outside a network of zealous folk-enthusiasts, and with a third Red Clay Halo album, Almanac – her first in 3 years – funded largely with donations thanks to an arrangement with the Pledge Music initiative...
This article was written for TheLineOfBestFit. Go here to read the rest.
Emily Barker is something of an enigma. The Australian born singer-songwriter has, since forming alt-folk outfit The Low Country back in 2002, racked up several remarkable musical milestones. She has enjoyed a critical kudos which has dutifully persisted from her earliest output through two outings with current foil the Red Clay Halo. She has toured with luminaries such as Jose Gonzalez. She also has an uncanny knack of picking up awards, with the handful of Aussie songwriting gongs she netted in 2006 now vying for pride of place in the trophy cabinet with the BAFTA and Royal Television Awards she won last year for providing the theme to hit BBC series Wallander (a reworking of her 2008 track ‘Nostalgia’). And yet, she returns this month as a virtual unknown outside a network of zealous folk-enthusiasts, and with a third Red Clay Halo album, Almanac – her first in 3 years – funded largely with donations thanks to an arrangement with the Pledge Music initiative...
This article was written for TheLineOfBestFit. Go here to read the rest.
Monday 31 January 2011
Listen Up! No.93: Swimming - Sun in the Island
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Midlands quintet Swimming’s debut release on East Village Radio records sounds like an amalgamation of the most humdrum of jargonated indie-speak and rock wittery... ‘kaleidoscopes of sound’, ‘sonic exploration’, ‘textural dexterity’, ‘waves of electronica decorating a psych-ambient canvas’ – just the kind of verbose guff you might be used to reading on these very pages, then. Thankfully, the salient information is that all of the above are sewn together with obvious melodies and an agreeable nod to the ostentatious. See, I just can’t seem to stop.
‘Sun in the Island’ is released on 7 March. This special ‘Binaural Solstice’ video version, performed live in what seems to amount to a poorly built contemporary igloo, strips back the single edit to good effect.
‘Sun in the Island’ is released on 7 March. This special ‘Binaural Solstice’ video version, performed live in what seems to amount to a poorly built contemporary igloo, strips back the single edit to good effect.
Listen Up! No. 92: Liam Bailey - You Better Leave Me
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Having got rather excited about this Nottingham newcomer's star turn amidst the hedonistic drum'n'pop of Chase and Status' 'Blind Faith', not to mention last year's sublime lo-fi EP 2AM Rough Tracks, it's both a joy and a relief to find that Liam Bailey's forthcoming debut solo single - due to be released on March 13 - is a winner. On 'You Better Leave Me' he slides seemlessly into neo-soul mode, and while edges have been softened by the hit-factory production (courtesy of Amy Winehouse co-conspirator Salaam Remi), nothing can neuter the indomitable dub-soul gusto of his remarkable croon. This will soar in the kind of pokey venues which Bailey is still commited to play. Catch him there while you still can.
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Listen Up! No. 91: Anna Calvi - Blackout
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With an album mostly pitched somewhere close to the refined, emancipated fem-rock of PJ Harvey, Londoner Anna Calvi was a predictable choice for the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll. A worthy one, too, as her startling self-titled debut veers between wee-hours, hushed minimalism and borderline-symphonic collages of sound with some distinction. However, such ethereal indulgences don't always translate to chart success - Anna Calvi is marooned at #40 in the UK album charts - so Calvi also wove in a handful of brighter, more immediate rockers to sate those with a less elongated attention span. 'Blackout' is the pick of these, breaking through the atonality and using hooks upon which Calvi can emote with enviable dexterity.
Monday 24 January 2011
Listen Up! No. 90: Glasvegas - The World Is Yours
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Always seemingly teertering on the edge of a precipice of self-destruction - just as their obvious stylistic and musical reference point The Jesus and Mary Chain always did - some wondered if Dalmarnock anti-heroes Glasvegas would ever re-emerge intact to deliver a riposte to their stunning debut. Writer's block, a malcontented drummer and the perils of fame and fortune might have led singer James Allan to go AWOL before 2009's Mercury Prize, but he was made of stern enough stuff to reappear unharmed - physically at least - and commence the task of preapring the 'difficult second album' in a beach house in Santa Monica, California. This month they unveil details of said record, EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\ (due on 4 April) whose title could easily act as a pocket summation of their dominant method and theme to date. Those concerned that the California sun might've engendered a sacharrine reinvention needn't worry. 'The World Is Yours', offered as a free download over at their website, largely continues where Glasvegas left off: it's epic, stadium-ready noise-pop, decorated with waves of shoegaze guitars and the famliar rich desperation of Allan's vocal.
Wednesday 19 January 2011
Listen Up! No. 89: Cage the Elephant - Shake Me Down
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Bemused as you, me or anyone else - besides whoever is buying the records, ofcourse - may be that this Kentucky quintet's middle-ranking, wholly derivative alternative rock has pierced the upper echelons of the Billboard charts with second album Thank You, Happy Birthday (currently sitting at #2), you can't help but admit their stones. They are to Jay Reatard's earlier output what Tokyo Police Club are to Sunny Day Real Estate: a streamlined model, shorn of the insouciance and character but boosted by instruments you can hear and songs you can sing. Not to mention fans too young to know of or care for the difference. Come to think of it, a bit like Jay Reatard's last album was to Jay Reatard's earlier output. The UK doesn't get the record 'till March 21st, with trailing single 'Shake Me Down' dropping the week before.
Monday 17 January 2011
Listen Up! No. 88: Wire - Bad Worn Thing
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Watford's avant-garde punk pioneers Wire returned earlier this month with Red Barked Tree, their twelfth studio album and first since 2008. Amidst the familiar mixture of hand-on-heart four-chord calls to arms, nuanced, expertly manufactured textures and intrepid lyrical explorations of pop culture lies a sparkling pop jewel of a song. At once inhabiting new territory and still somehow unmistakebly Wire, 'Bad Worn Thing' decorates a throbbing anti-dance beat with a Brian Ferry art-school snarl and lines like "the future's sold, the chacellor paces". Better yet, the chiming guitar shapes which build to a gripping crescendo make sure it feels as well as thinks. An early frontrunner for the best you'll hear in 2011.
N.B. Turn that bass up where possible.
N.B. Turn that bass up where possible.
Listen Up! No. 87: Austra - Beat and Pulse
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The latest signing to Domino Records, Canadian bedroom-beat artiste Austra (or Katie Stelmanis) takes the label's usual ear for fresh, saleable young talent and reroutes it into a leftfield world of metronomic menace and dark entrancement on debut single 'Beat and Pulse'. The Knife might be a glaringly immediate reference point, but the motorik chug high in the mix gives an inescapable Krautrock slant to Stelmanis' beguiling vocal, equal parts vulnerable and downright frightening. The single drops on 21st February. Turn off the lights and have a listen below.
Austra - Beat & The Pulse by DominoRecordCo
Austra - Beat & The Pulse by DominoRecordCo
Saturday 15 January 2011
Listen Up! No. 86: Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers
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Swedish singer Lykke Li may already have earned her stripes as the artist du jour where stark, haunting electro for finger-on-the-pulse indie kids is concerned, but new single 'I Follow Rivers' - taken from upcoming sophomore record Wounded Rhymes - also suggests she has the chart chops to boot. No less gothic than her previous efforts, the track adds a hint of Balearic beat and a Gaga-esque chorus to the usual synth-driven melange.
Thursday 13 January 2011
Listen Up! No.85: Alex Winston - Don't Care About Anything
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Much-fawned over Detroit siren Alex Winston shows she has the handle on the twiddly stuff as well as chart-friendly pop-crossovers and advertisement soundtracks with a new song, gleaned from forthcoming mini-album Sister Wife. With production duties split between Florence and the Machine co-conspirator Charlie Hugall and Rihanna right-hand men The Knocks, you'll know roughly what to expect when the record drops in March. In the meantime, enjoy this stripped down version of 'Don't Care About Anything', which proves she can write, play and sing. May even have what the kids call 'attitood' - that's 'depth' to you and me - too.
Saturday 8 January 2011
Listen Up! No.84: Chase & Status feat. Liam Bailey - Blind Faith
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London producers Saul 'Chase' Milton and Will 'Status' Kennard shot to prominence thanks to 2009's 'End Credits', a collaboration with rapper-cum-blue-eyed soul singer Plan B which was featured in the Michael Caine film Harry Brown. Their second album, No More Idols, will drop later this month, and if the lead single is anything to go by, it could be a hot seller. 'Blind Faith' adds an early '90s saucer-eyed rave feel to the duo's instantly recognisable arena drum 'n' bass shtick, a nice side-step for a sound cornered by Pendulum many moons ago, which should make it popular with post-decadent 20 (or 30-) something revellers. However, the true masterstroke is a dub-heavy verse propelled by Nottingham newcomer Liam Bailey's sad-eyed, soulful Jamaican-patois vocal, sure to be ringing out of student party clubs and Brixton dancehalls alike for the forseeable future.
Listen Up! No. 83: The Lionheart Brothers - The Desert
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Norwegian quartet The Lionheart Brothers serve notice of their impending second record, due later this year and as-yet untitled, with new track 'The Desert'. They've reigned in the bright psychedelic tones of their well-received (and Norwegian Grammy nominated) debut, 2008's Dizzy Kiss, instead opting to decorate a pulsing rhythm section with murky vocals and a blizzard of pitch-shifting shoegaze atmospherics.Aptly, the video mimics the guitar hook, twisting round and round in queasy unison with the music - while someone plays silly buggers in the snow.
Thursday 6 January 2011
Listen Up! No. 82: The Vaccines - Post Break-Up Sex
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Further fruits of their labours from a 2-week recording stint at RAK studios back in Autumn 2010, forthcoming single 'Post Break-Up Sex' (released 24 January) sees UK rock n' roll's latest pre-eminent 'Bright Young Things' further sand the edges off what began as a somewhat-thrilling, splintered indie-punk sound. Let's hope it's the obligatory landfill ballad for the Columbia execs, and not a statement of debut album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?' (released 21 March) intent - or, indeed, lack thereof.
Monday 3 January 2011
Listen Up! No. 81: Tennis - Baltimore
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After making their name via leaked demo tracks - how very 21st Century - this married couple from Denver, Colorado sparked enough interest in their familiar take on glassy-eyed dream pop with a Spector-esque '60s hum to win themselves backing from Young and Lost Club, and have readied their first official releases for early 2011. Debut single 'Baltimore', which drops later this month, sounds like Dum Dum Girls' gentler cousin, with high-end bass and metronomic drums framing Alaina Moore's pensive, preoccupied melodic drawl. An album, Cape Dory, will follow later in the year.
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