Jake May

Pop Scene: Cardiff (Feature for This Is Fake DIY)

2011-08-15T17:36:00.000+01:00

Published in This Is Fake DIY magazine's Autumn 2011 issue.

Fear Of Men (Interview for This Is Fake DIY)

2011-08-15T17:05:00.000+01:00

Published in This Is Fake DIY magazine's Autumn 2011 issue.

Trwbador - Sun In The Winter (EP review for Buzz)

2011-08-14T17:50:00.001+01:00

Words originally published in Cardiff magazine Buzz, and can be found in the September issue

Trwbador ****
Sun In The Winter EP (Owlet Music)

Once initial reservations are brushed aside (Trwbador are in fact not a boring acoustic folk act) this EP reveals itself as an interesting and pleasing experimental take on pop music. Comparable to the electronic-laced weirdo-pop of Micachu and the Shapes, this is unusual and ambitious and, for that alone, deserves to win many an admirer. JM

Blaktrix - Some People Never Go Crazy (Album review for Buzz)

2011-08-14T17:50:00.000+01:00

Words originally published in Cardiff magazine Buzz, and can be found in the September issue.

Blaktrix ***
Some People Never Go Crazy (Skreemer/Associated Minds)

Gradually making a name for himself in his hometown of Cardiff and beyond, Blaktrix certainly seems to have a lot to say for himself. As well as minor gripes about things like his Office Job, this is also packed full of wider social and political commentary – which is both a refreshing and inspiring listen. With slick beats and well-delivered lines it’s an impressive showing, and you’ll find yourself urging this mini album it to go on for a little longer. JM

Tracks: Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down

2011-07-22T14:17:00.000+01:00

Words originally for a feature on This Is Fake DIY which can be found online here.

An emphatic return for the Sub Pop releasees with Coming Down, the first we get to hear from forthcoming second album Only In Dreams, due out September 26. A considerably tamer and more emotive effort compared to their more care-free and scrappy past, and at almost 7 minutes long it’s a statement of real intent for what's to follow.

Tracks: Gross Magic - We're Awake Tonight (Feature on This Is Fake DIY)

2011-07-22T14:16:00.000+01:00

Words originally for a feature on This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

It hasn’t been much longer than a month since we heard Sweetest Touch, the effervescent and psychedelic pop debut of Gross Magic aka Sam McGarrigle, and yet what’s next from the Brighton musician is already much anticipated. Say hello to We’re Awake Tonight. Due to be the opening track from his debut EP Teen Jamz – out on The Sounds of Sweet Nothing – you won’t need me to tell you it sounds like ELO. Absolutely ace.

Tracks: Novella - The Things You Do (Feature for This Is Fake DIY)

2011-07-22T14:14:00.000+01:00

Words originally for a feature on This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

London all-girl three-piece Novella release their debut 7” through Dirty Bingo on August 15, and The Things You Do is its A-side: all guitar reverb and dark female vocal goodness. The B-side (Oh Brian) is really ace too. We can’t wait to hear more.

Tracks: Kid Harpoon - Collecting Rain

2011-07-22T14:11:00.000+01:00

Words originally for a feature on This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

Now be honest, nobody expected to hear a new track from Kid Harpoon this week, did they? Although strictly being classified as ‘not a comeback’ by his PR, fans will undoubtedly be lifted by Tom’s first activity for quite some time. A step away from his folkier past, Collecting Rain seems to more comfortably fit classified somewhere between Portishead and Prince. What do we reckon? Interesting, at the very least.

Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle (Single review for Buzz)

2011-07-19T17:53:00.000+01:00

Words originally published in Cardiff magazine Buzz, and can be found in their August issue.

Bombay Bicycle Club **
Shuffle (Universal)

From teenage ‘indie’ to slightly more grown-up acoustic folk, it seems Bombay Bicycle Club’s next step – third album A Different Kind Of Fix – will be into the kooky and the avant-garde. Well, that’s what they seem to want us to think, at least. Zane Lowe might be convinced, but we’re not. JM

Mercury Prize Possibilities: The Horrors (Feature for This Is Fake DIY)

2011-07-19T14:22:00.002+01:00

Words originally for a feature on This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

The Horrors’ ascent over the past few years will have taken even the most avid of fans by surprise. If debut ‘Strange House’ was ‘good’ – which, at the very least, it is – then follow up ‘Primary Colours’ was ‘excellent’; and suddenly we’re left with very little room to express just how wonderful an album ‘Skying’ is. Much like on their sophomore release, ‘Skying’ sees the Southend band – moving away from their oddly-titled ‘horror punk’ roots – wearing their newly acquired influences on their sleeves: brooding, textured, whirring sounds with a nod to the likes of The Chameleons and My Bloody Valentine. And although it’s a sound that we’ve seen recently replicated at an almost concerning level, ‘Skying’ simply does so much of better job than the vast majority of its counterparts that it’s almost embarrassing. Not many were expecting The Horrors to ever top the giddy heights of ‘Primary Colours’, which frankly makes ‘Skying’ an even more impressive release from a band truly at the top of their game.

Big Deal - Lights Out (Album review for Buzz)

2011-07-15T17:56:00.000+01:00

Words originally published in Cardiff magazine Buzz, and can be found in the August 2011 issue

Big Deal ***
Lights Out (Mute)

You know when something is just 'nice'? I'm sure you do, it's a fairly simple concept. Well, take that, apply it to music, and you might end up somewhere close to the debut album from boy-girl duo Big Deal. Armed with only an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, and the power of their harmonised voices, the result is relaxing, enjoyable, emotive, and delicate fuzzyindiepopfolk. Pleasant it certainly is, but it’s just not profound. JM

Tracks: The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Richer Than My Tribe

2011-07-15T14:13:00.000+01:00

Words originally for a feature on This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

Okay, so you’d be correct in thinking that The Victorian English Gentlemens Club is indeed released on This Is Fake DIY Records, but that’s not to say that we can’t call it excellent, right? Maybe. Anyway. Richer Than My Tribe is the double-A side on the latest single from the Cardiff arty three-piece, off of their third (and excellent – honest!) album Bag Of Meat. Driving bluesy bass riffs opens the track in heavy and harsh fashion, soon complemented by Adam’s high-pitched squawk, crashing drum lines and nourishing, wholesome, beautiful guitar riffs. Really ace.

Tracks: Male Bonding - Bones

2011-07-15T14:01:00.002+01:00

Words originally for a feature on This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

Welcoming back Dalston three-piece Male Bonding from their ‘recording a second album’ slumber is Bones, taken from said upcoming full-length Endless Now. As satisfyingly energetic and riffy as anything from their most excellent debut release Nothing Hurts, yet still with a suitably catchy pop foundation, it’s certainly gotten my appetite sufficiently whetted. And what with the album being recorded in a converted 19th century church in Woodstock, New York – due to be released on Sub Pop, August 29 – it’s bound to be excellent, right?

Tracks: Bewilder (Feature for This Is Fake DIY)

2011-07-15T13:57:00.000+01:00

Words originally for a feature on This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

Delicately structured layers of acoustic guitar, deft drum work, glockenspiel and semi-spoken word vocals makes up this atmospheric and math-ish track by Southampton band Bewilder. The duo have a knack for putting this kind of track together, as proved by their recent debut EP on south-west independent label Art Is Hard Records. That the release also has a song both sampling and titled after a quote from Dwight from The Office and also comes packaged in a handmade envelope with a ‘zine by the band is a perk too, obviously.

Tracks: Birthdays - Pizza Baby (Feature for This Is Fake DIY)

2011-07-15T13:45:00.000+01:00

Words originally for a feature on This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

A slight move away from Birthdays’ usual upbeat and colourful psychedelic electro pop, Pizza Baby sees the Boston group – centred around part-time Emily Reo drummer Sam Yager – edging into darker and more experimental brooding territory. Distorted and wobbling vocals screech in almost Connan Mockasin-style above bass-beats and all kind of electronic noises to wonderful, slightly spooky effect. With a full-length currently being recorded, keep your eyes peeled for more from these.

Wolf Gang - Suego Faults (Album review for Buzz magazine)

2011-06-23T15:57:00.001+01:00

Words originally for Cardiff's Buzz magazine, and can be found in the July edition of the print magazine.

Wolf Gang ***

Suego Faults (Atlantic)

Two years since he burst onto the blogging scene and quickly established himself as an ‘exciting’ act, it’s fair to say that Max McElligott's debut album is long overdue. Much like his work to date – vibrant and explosive synth-heavy pop, all sparkly and golden psychedelia – it’ll be sufficiently pleasing to those already aware of his talents, even given the lengthy wait they’ve had to endure. It’s fun. But anyone with an opposition to the 80s – or cheese – should probably keep their distance.

The View - Cutting Corners (EP Review for Buzz magazine)

2011-06-23T15:55:00.002+01:00

Words originally for Cardiff print magazine Buzz, and can be found in the July edition.

The View **

Cutting Corners EP (1965)

Besides from not actually being an EP (only 2/5 songs here are new), this won’t be as God-awful as some might expect. Perhaps a little more serious and genuine than 'Same Jeans' et al., but still with similar musical stylings, this is far from good… but could be lots worse. Honest.

New Music By Region, Cardiff: H. Hawkline (Feature contribution for The 405)

2011-06-14T15:40:00.000+01:00

Words originally for The 405, as part of their 'New Music By Region' regular feature, and can be found online here.

Releasing his fantastic debut effort A Cup Of Salt on Cardiff’s Shape Records last year – an exciting journey through creepy psychedelic folk and driving instrumental krautrock – Huw Evans aka H. Hawkline is as excellent in the flesh too, just as likely to produce brilliant upbeat surfy pop as he is spine-tingling finger-picked wonders. With the first album massively underappreciated, let’s hope the new material – touted to be out soon – picks up the popularity that he deserves.

First On: Bos Angeles (Feature for This Is Fake DIY)

2011-06-13T21:59:00.000+01:00

Words originally for This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

It’s peculiar how a little bit of mystery can create so much interest in a band. Clearly the whole anonymity thing can be effective – just direct your heads towards Wu Lyf to find evidence for that – but the second a band seems to not necessarily want to be heard immediately is the very second when everybody wants to hear them. Intentional or not, much like Islet before them, Bos Angeles’ lack of shouting about themselves seems to be the very thing that makes other people want to shout on their behalf. One listen to 'Beach Slalom', though, and that urge becomes entirely understandable.

And for a long while 'Beach Slalom' was their only available song – so why would so many people be so excited about them already? Perhaps because it’s an excellent song – the kind that wriggles its way onto the tip of your tongue; the sort that is immediately catchy, exciting, vibrant, and refreshing; the type that demands to be re-listened to every time you remember its mere existence. It’s the perfect meeting place of noise pop and surf rock that lends itself to being well received in east London (although the song’s naming will have sealed that deal already), but it’s easily strong enough that it could attract the attention of the masses also. Twanging, reverberating guitar, rim-click drum patterns, prominent driving bass-lines and fairly hushed vocals are all pieced together wonderfully, effervescently, and seemingly effortlessly.

June on the other hand shows the south coast band’s softer side, swapping excited vibrancy for downbeat laziness. “Don’t wanna have a thing to do, just wanna fuck around with you,” they sing – as the guitar lethargically drags along – in true hipster excellence; whereas 'Days of Youth' sees the return to more familiar ground: upbeat, pacey and plenty of backing “ooh, ooh, oohs”.

They may not have had a fan-site made for them by two complete strangers who once happened to enjoy their live set (see: Islet), but then they’ve only ever played the one so far. A support slot in Bournemouth, the word on the grapevine is that it was quite simply excellent – and was apparently also attended by a good few of those ‘in the industry’, so although no releases are confirmed as of yet there’s every chance they aren’t too far in the future.

For hundreds of people to get excited about a band with only the one recorded song for so long may seem a little irrational and foolhardy, but when some of those people are the likes of Jon Hillcock (via his excellent New Noise podcast) and blogger Matthew Britton (The Pigeon Post), you can rest assured that there must be something at least a little bit special about them worth getting excited about. And now that they’ve proved that they’re no one ‘hit’ wonder… maybe I’ll set up that fan-site now.

Read more: http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/first-on/bos-angeles#ixzz1PBxgpf5U

Tribes - We Were Children (EP review for This Is Fake DIY)

2011-06-07T21:02:00.000+01:00

Words originally for This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

Everyone remembers Operahouse, right? I know I do. I was a big fan. They were an obscure indie band, I was a young and naive indie fan boy. We were a match made in heaven. But then I got older, I listened to more music, and eventually I realised there was more to music than bands like The Maccabees and, actually, they weren’t all that ‘alternative’ after all.

Tribes are essentially Operahouse re-branded. Okay, they’ve lost a guitarist and swapped their drummer, but they’re essentially the same band with a different name. Are they trying to move away from their younger days? Did they, too, realise that actually ‘indie’ wasn’t all that ‘alternative’? Is Tribes Operahouse’s fresh slate and new foundations to build interesting and exciting sounds upon? Well, perhaps not, judging from this 'We Were Children' release, at least. As much as they may try, Tribes can’t seem to escape their fairly bland indie roots.

In fairness, 'We Were Children' does put them towards the top of the ‘fairly bland indie’ pile. Lead single 'We Were Children' is certainly catchy and will undoubtedly be enjoyed by many in a similar position to my younger self; vocals are effective and recognisable which does help to set them apart slightly from the Pigeon Detectives-led landfill; and among the four tracks on this EP release (including a lo-fi acoustic version of the lead song) there are certainly some positives. But, in honesty, being at the top of this particular pile… Well, that’s a little bit like being among the best at handball, isn’t it?

Read more: http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/eps/tribes-we-were-children#ixzz1OcdsyD9O

Cults (Dot-to-Dot Programme Bio and This Is Fake DIY Feature)

2011-05-27T15:42:00.000+01:00

Words originally for the Dot-to-Dot programme on behalf of This Is Fake DIY, and can be found both in the programme and online here.

With a fast-growing reputation following months of glowing praise from all corners of the internet, New York City's Cults play Dot To Dot just days before the release of their hotly touted self-titled debut album. Breakthrough effort 'Go Outside' has been described as "the track of 2011" whilst the eponymous album is consistently excellent throughout. A fresh, exciting and danceable blend of 60s doo-wop and cutesy pop; at the core of the band you'll find boyfriend-girlfriend duo Madeline and Brian, while a group of friends help out on glockenspiel, electronics, and drum duties during live shows. Don't miss.

Read more: http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/features/dot-to-dot-guide-2011#ixzz1Q6udClVU

V/A - Sea Monsters (Album review for The 405)

2011-05-26T10:12:00.000+01:00

Words originally for The 405 and can be found online here.

Sea Monsters is the name of a five-day mini-festival which took place in Brighton in January of 2011 promoted by local label One Inch Badge. It’s also the name of the accompanying compilation release put out by the label, which, like the festival did back in January, aims to highlight all of the excellent musical things going on Brighton, and a most excellent job that they’ve done of it too.

Sea Monsters is an 18 track release of carefully selected songs – spanning from delicate folk music to instrumental rock and back – from some of Brighton’s more well-known acts. Bands such as the DJ Scotch Egg-fronted Drum Eyes make an appearance with their instrumental, electronic, funky experimenting of ‘Future Police’ and the impressive and increasingly well-known Cold Pumas also contribute with ‘Proof Of Man’; a noisy, driving and satisfyingly abrasive krautrock-ish affair. But it’s with the lesser known bands on Sea Monsters that sit beside these acts where One Inch Badge are really doing their job of pointing a spotlight on the city’s talents well. It is excellent that bands such as Us Baby Bear Bones, with their stripped back, delicate, haunting and dark folk-pop sounds, Nullifier, all synth-led weirdo pop, Illness, scrappy, instrumental indie-meets-math rock jams, The Sticks, lo-fi surf-ish upbeat pop, and Soccer96, impressive, heavily-electronic instrumental rock, amongst others, are all able to get their music heard by a wider audience who mightn't previously have had the opportunity to hear them. There will be acts here unknown to even the most observant of Brighton's dwellers and, as clichéd a phrase as it is, this release is so diverse that there really is something for everyone.

As well as musically strong and refreshingly eclectic the label have also done their best at making the compilation as listenable as a ‘proper’ and ‘whole’ album as possible and it’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into the track-listing of the release. The Sticks, for instance, lead perfectly into the TV On The Radio-influenced alternative pop sounds of Pope Joan, and ‘Sad Song’ by Squadron Leaders is the perfect soundtrack to a ‘goodbye’.

It’s impressive that all these bands hail from the same city, and Sea Monsters gives an excellent insight into the Brighton music scene – successfully portraying Brighton as the vibrant, diverse, cultured and exciting city that it is. Every city needs its own One Inch Badge, and for less than five pounds for 18 songs from different 18 bands, Sea Monsters is a bargain too.

8/10

The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Bag Of Meat (Album review for Buzz magazine)

2011-05-25T16:20:00.002+01:00

Words originally for Buzz magazine and can be found in the June edition of the print magazine.

The Victorian English Gentlemens Club ****
Bag Of Meat (This Is Fake DIY)
It feels a little strange loving over a band who might well read the excited words that you scribble about them, but the third album from Cardiff's very own art-rockers really is most excellent. Energetic, intelligent, noisy, exciting, diverse and weird are just some of the words I’d use to describe it. Supplying off-kilter synth lines, satisfying guitar riffs, excellent vocals and interesting song structures – this will pleasure your ears. JM

Cults - Cults (Album review for Buzz magazine)

2011-05-24T16:21:00.000+01:00

Words originally for Cardiff's Buzz magazine and can be found in the June edition of the print magazine.

CULTS **
Cults (In The Name Of)
Cults' early tracks had a certain 60s pop freshness, an excitement, that lead to impressive levels of (seemingly deserved) blogger-hype. New tracks, however, struggle to capture the same pop-zing of the NYC band's earliest efforts, and re-records of early internet-hits mean that even they fall flat on this record. Perhaps that this was to be the first release on Lily Allen's venture into the record label biz should’ve been a sufficiently big hint that this might be a bit pants. 'Cause it is. JM

Basement Fever Podcast #003

2011-05-23T09:53:00.001+01:00

Another spur of the moment podcast, originally posted on my blog Basement fever, here. Recorded on my dictaphone, pieced together using audacity.

Podcast number 3 is here. Rejoice rejoice. Some of the best new music I've heard in the past few weeks, some I've blogged about, some I haven't, some I might still. Download, share, tell all your friends.

BF P003 by basementfever

Tracklisting:
1. Secret Diaries - Islands | Bandcamp
2. Husband - Love Song | Facebook
3. Golden Grrrls - Wrld Peace | Bandcamp
4. Nullifier - Burn Up On Re-entry | MySpace
5. Us Baby Bear Bones - Encore To A Fictonal Idea | Bandcamp
6. It Is Rain In My Face - Vine Vine | SoundCloud
7. Lunch - Turn Around | Bandcamp
8. Cruiser - Home Turf | Bandcamp
9. Castor - Watcher Buckles | SoundCloud

Mozam Beaks, First On (Feature for This Is Fake DIY)

2011-05-16T17:07:00.000+01:00

Words originally for the First On section of This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

Listening to Mozam Beaks is a how I imagine walking through the Amazon rainforest might feel. A walk through the Amazon rainforest via a quick stop off at the desert, a swift excursion to the deepest depths of the ocean, and a mini break to outer-space, that is. It’s so vastly good and widespread in musical influence that only a hypothetical trip as varied and exciting as this must be its only valid ‘real life’ comparison.

Veering through out-and-out psychedelia, and stopping off at prog-rock, disco, ‘world’ music, electronica, and krautrock along the way, Mozam Beaks ticks most of the musical genre boxes at some point or another yet never feels even close to over-complicated, pretentious or plain-old rubbish. Quite the opposite.

The songs have an almost indescribably great ‘feel’ to them, and their construction is consistently absolutely spot-on. Tracks like ‘Sons Of The A La Mode’ and ‘Hot Tropics' - both available from Bandcamp for free - follow similar structures: both allowing guitar solos, delicate elevator-like tinkling and carefully worked synth lines take turn to ride atop the song’s foundations of often bouncing, buzzing, or squelching bass, plopping bongo taps, and ambient, whistling rainforest sounds. Everything is perfectly timed, placed, and judged. ‘Liquid Smoke’ changes things slightly - a simple drum machine beat sits beside both bleeping and whirring synth sounds and a disco bass-line to predictably equally great effect.

Most artists would fall foul working with so many different sounds, but Mozam Beaks pulls it off seemingly entirely effortless. It’s genius, near-perfect, and, although apparently currently under-appreciated, it can’t long until some super-cool labels come a-knockin’.

Read more: http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/first-on/mozam-beaks#ixzz1MikeX1QT

Best Coast (Live review for 24/7 Magazine)

2011-05-11T09:38:00.001+01:00

Words originally for 24/7 Magazine and can be found online here.

Best Coast, Bristol Thekla, 1/5/2011

It’s almost a year to the day since Best Coast last played in Bristol and the change is clear to see; they got popular. Last time the touring three-piece played to a barely half-full 100 capacity Louisiana. This year they play to a completely sold out Thekla, capacity around 350 and tickets costing a fairly steep £12.50. You’d think this might put a smile on Bethany Consentino’s face. After all, she fronts a successful band, touring on the end of a both-critically and commercially successful album, playing to sold out crowds night after night. Well, you’d be wrong. Kind of.

First up, though, is local band Parrington Jackson. Although it was always going to be difficult to fill such esteemed boots (Spectrals who’ve joined Best Coast for the rest of the tour couldn’t make it to Bristol due to playing the Camden Crawl) the Bristol five-piece are some way off. The middle of the road indie at times reaches out to Manic Street Preachers-influenced rockier sounds to un-inventive, uninspiring and fairly drab effect – although the crowd seem to like it, so good on them.

Perhaps we’ve been harsh on Bethany. She’s away from home (and not to mention her infamous cat, boyfriend and illegal habit), towards the end of a long tour in a city with no-one she knows, so to start a set a little bit grumpy is understandable. But that’s kind of the thing with being a touring musician, isn’t it? And Bristol fans, of which there seem to be plenty in number and of many shapes and sizes, probably have the right to feel a bit aggrieved that they get a below par performance because of how dates happen to have fallen.

In fairness, after a first few tracks lacking energy and enthusiasm coupled with between-song grimaces, swigs of energy drink, and a clearly worn voice, Bethany picks up and starts to finally enjoy herself – the set saved from too much damage mostly thanks to the outright strength of the songs on show. ‘Boyfriend’ has considerably more oomph, its more pacey and joyful feel bringing the crowd to their toes, and Bethany seems lifted even more by some iPhone app-led crowd conversation – her change in mood alone bringing about a steep incline in performance immediately. A few new songs – not straying too far from Crazy For You’s musical territory – go down well, and the band’s more upbeat tracks even more so to end the set on a satisfyingly noisy and ultimately positive tone, but you can’t help but think it could have been so much better could Bethany at least pretend to be enjoying herself a little more.

Basement Fever Podcast #002

2011-05-03T09:51:00.001+01:00

Post taken from my music blog Basement Fever, here. This was another spur of the moment podcast but with slightly more planning, recorded on my dictaphone and pieced together using Audacity.

Say 'hello' to podcast number 2. Minimal preparation is still the name of the game, but hopefully you'll enjoy it. Maybe. Who knows? Listen or download and find out.

BF PD 002 by basementfever

Tracklisting:
1. Birthdays - Howlding Girls | Facebook
2. Bodies of Water - Open Rhythms | Website
3. Lizard Queen - I'm Afraid | BF Post
4. World Map - Wouldn't It Be Nice | Bandcamp
5. Gallops - Miami Spider | Bandcamp
6. Blemishes - Swoon | Bandcamp
7. BAANEEX - Football Round Up | Facebook
8. Daily Life - Reunion | Bandcamp
9. Bos Angeles - Beach Slalom | Bandcamp

Basement Fever Podcast #001

2011-04-26T09:49:00.001+01:00

Post taken from my music blog Basement Fever, originally here. This was a spur of the moment podcast with minimal preparation, recorded with the built-in microphone on my netbook.

Yeah, decided to make a podcast this afternoon. Pretty slapdash with a big lack of preparation and also a cold, so don't be too critical. There are missed words and poor recordings and all. Fnx.

BF PD 001 by basementfever

Tracklisting:
1. Coke Candy - Heart Siq | Bandcmap
2. Marc Desse - Petite Anne | Bandcamp
3. Effort - With You | Bandcamp
4. Winter Villains - Icebergs | Bandcamp
5. Screens - Pop Logic | Bandcamp / via Pigeon Post
6. Among Brothers - Bare Teeth | Bandcamp / Facebook
7. Time Brings Age - Wake Up | Bandcamp / Facebook
8. Joanna Gruesome - Talking To Yr Dick | Bandcamp / Facebook

Tracks: Jewellers - Light Leave Me (Feature for This Is Fake DIY)

2011-04-24T17:46:00.000+01:00

Words originally for This Is Fake DIY's weekly Tracks feature and can be found online here.

Taken from the Newport duo's 'Sleep Education' album, 'Light Leave Me' is about as close to an electronic masterpiece as you're likely to hear for a while (discounting the rest of the album's material, that is). Carefully constructed through a build-up of tender vocals, samples, looping guitar and electro sounds, this is equally as adept at taming even the rowdiest of friends from too much bank holiday excitement as it is at fittingly soundtrack a lonesome late night bedroom chill-out. Get lost in its brilliance – and tell all your friends.

Steve Mason - (Single review for Buzz magazine

2011-04-18T09:48:00.000+01:00

Words originally for Cardiff's Buzz magazine and can be found in the May edition of the print magazine.

STEVE MASON ***
All Come Down (Double Six)
The ex-Beta Band man returns on his lonesome, swapping his band's psychedelic sound for a, well, slightly different psychedelic sound taken from his 2010 LP. Think kind of ambient, electro, folk-y psychedelic. Okay, so not that different to The Beta Band, and perhaps not quite as good. All Come Down is perfectly pleasant, though, if a little cheesy.

Mazes - A Thousand Heys (Album review for Buzz magazine)

2011-03-18T09:46:00.000Z

Words originally for Cardiff's Buzz magazine and can be found in the April edition of the print magazine.

MAZES *****
A Thousand Heys (Fat Cat Records)

As much as Mazes debut is a huge nod to the past (saying that here lies a Pavement influence would be a big understatement), it’s also an album that is very now. Wading their way through the swathes of bloggers leaping to hype their lo-fi alternative rock jams, the London band have seemingly been entirely unaffected by it all. Although A Thousand Heys will be especially adored by fans of Male Bonding, Lovvers, and Spectrals, it has a lot to offer to pretty much anyone and will undoubtedly find itself on plenty of end of year lists. JM

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Belong (Album review for Buzz magazine)

2011-03-18T09:44:00.000Z

Words originally for Cardiff's Buzz magazine and can be found in the April edition of the print magazine.

PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART ***
Belong (Play It Again / Fortuna Pop!)

The follow up to their much loved and critically acclaimed, Belong will need to live up to some high expectations for many. The New York band’s self-titled 2009 release mixed saccharine and twee pop with noisy, jangling guitars and boy/girl harmonies to wonderful effect. Unfortunately this doesn’t reach those expectations. Not quite, anyway. It’s still a strong showing along similar musical lines to the debut, if slightly more downbeat, with plenty of strong tracks – but, ultimately, might leave some underwhelmed. JM

Red Psalm, First On (Feature for This Is Fake DIY

2011-03-14T17:04:00.000Z

Words originally for the First On section of This Is Fake DIY and can be found online here.

The first twelve seconds of 'Your Wedding Cake' by Red Psalm is very similar to The Killer’s 'Human'. I tell you this now not at all as a criticism of the song but so that you’re not put off when you listen. You probably wouldn’t be, but just in case. And to those who might be put off by the first twelve seconds of a song sounding reminiscent of an intro to a Killers song, I can promise that it gets a lot, lot better very quickly.

Red Psalm is Missouri based musician John Dickson. Although the work of one man alone, it sounds like it should be made by the creative minds of many more. Dark, haunting and brooding, the songs of Dickson are interestingly structured and are packed with plenty of noise – like the best post-punk, but slowed down and excruciatingly put together, piece-by-piece. It draws you in during sparse moments, but is entirely gripping and almost sapping of energy in its periods of more density.

We’ll head back to 'Your Wedding Cake'. Although fairly heavy and seemingly troubled, it also has a real sense of 80s pop throughout, albeit pop wrapped in oddball clothing. Goth-y synths whistle below guitar reverb and Dickson’s deep and sometimes almost crooning vocals, whilst a drum-machine beats and clicks and a guitar twangs throughout. 'Colorhouse' has a similar juxtaposition of light and dark. Possibly what could be termed ‘drone-pop’, vocals once more almost croon in downbeat fashion again while guitar twangs in an almost slow-motion-surf style at times. This unusual and completely unsuited meeting of the downbeat vocals and the sounds of the guitar is quite common in Dickson’s sound, and, as well as being somewhat amusing to imagine in the song-writing stage, gives the tracks a further interesting and enjoyable edge.

You like to imagine the music being recorded in a dark, smoke filled basement but in reality it’s more likely made in Dickson’ bedroom during late nights and on days off ‘real’ work – and there’s something continually endearing about music made in this way. Of similar ilk to other US-based one-man projects such as that of Brooklyn’s Arc Light, you wish that more bedroom-recording teens in the UK would listen to this kind of thing rather than try to boringly replicate, armed with an acoustic guitar, the back catalogue of The Kooks or The Vaccines or whatever the next obscure, alternative bandwagon is that the Music Magazines of Britian try to construct.

It’s difficult to see that happening, though, so for now we just have to hope it continues to get the backing of the likes Vice magazine and, fingers crossed, east London will soon to be delighted to be boarding the Red Psalm ship. Destination: hell. Well, maybe.

Read more: http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/first-on/red-psalm#ixzz1MikAWWns

Not Cool New Video (News story for TLOBF)

2011-03-10T21:23:00.000Z

Words originally for The Line Of Best Fit and can be found online here.

Ahead of the release of their debut album, London’s Not Cool have unveiled their Margarita Louca-directed video for track ‘Queen’.

The video sees the band attacked mid-song by a group of scantily clad female wrestlers. Taken from album Rugged Raw - available on iTunes from April 4 - ‘Queen’ is also offered as a free download.

Teen Daze + Millionyoung Pink Floyd Cover (News Story for TLOBF)

2011-03-10T21:21:00.000Z

Words originally for The Line Of Best Fit and can be found online here.

After touring the US together for the latter stages of 2010, Millionyoung and Teen Daze have collaborated to perform a cover – chillwave style – of Pink Floyd’s ‘Us and Them’.

They’d surprised some fans by including the Dark Side Of The Moon classic in some of their live sets on tour, and now Yours Truly have captured the collaborative rendition on video. Check the footage, filmed in December 2010 at San Francisco’s The Common, below.

Fever Ray New Song (News Story for TLOBF)

2011-03-10T21:15:00.000Z

Words originally for The Line Of Best Fit, and can be found online here.

New sinister electro sounds from Fever Ray, project of The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Andersson, with new track ‘The Wolf’.
It’s taken from the soundtrack of Red Riding Hood, the forthcoming film from Twilight director Catherine Hardwick. Starring Amanda Seyfried, the film hits US screens this Friday (March 11), and is due to arrive in the UK on April 15. It’s apparently set in a werewolf-troubled medieval village; the pounding drum beat, screeching synth sounds and haunting vocals of ‘The Wolf’ should suit it pretty well.

Y Bandana - Y Bandana (Album review for Buzz magazine)

2011-02-18T15:40:00.002Z

Words originally for Cardiff's Buzz magazine and can be found in the March print edition.

Although they’re not there yet, north-Walian Y Bandana show potential on their self-titled debut. It’s a little safe and middle-of-the-road indie rock/pop that you’d be forgiven for thinking came out of Sheffield in 2005 were it not for the Welsh vocals, but the youngsters show an ability to play well and write catchy tunes. Although it will be loved by many, band members might just look back in five year’s time a little embarrassed - once tastes have developed and influences widened.

Wild Palms - Until Spring (Album review for Buzz magazine)

2011-02-18T15:39:00.000Z

Words originally for Cardiff's Buzz magazine and can be found in their March print edition.
Wild Palms are another in a long line of young bands coming in at the time of post-punk popularity; essentially they spent their teens listening to The Maccabees before recently discovering the likes of My Bloody Valentine. Although Until Spring is vocally and lyrically a little bit weak, instrumentally it’s very good - all bent and distorted delicious guitar lines. On the whole this is a decent listen, Wild Palms fairing better than most of their chart-aspiring, Joy Division imitating peers.

First On: Arc Light (Feature for ThisIsFakeDIY)

2011-02-03T16:33:00.000Z

Words originally for This Is Fake DIY's First On section and can be found online here.

First On: Arc Light
As far as lo-fi, psychedelic and experimental sounds go you’d think that we’d have just about heard enough by now without having much want to discover any more. But when it’s done as well as it is by Brooklyn’s Ryan Gabel, it’s pretty difficult to resist.

Much of the charm of Gabel’s music is in its tense and eerie feel, and this is at least in part caused by his pure weirdo persona under Arc Light. While synths buzz and squeal and a fairly simple drum pattern loops, Gabel self-harmonises; his deep, dark and odd-ball voice often layered with a lighter, more actual singing vocal. It’s this kind of split personality situation that allows both a tense and dark tone and a surprisingly catchy and pop melody to work together successfully in the same song.

What also charms is the teasing and modest nature of his songs, despite the length of time each track must take Gabel alone to make. It’s easy to imagine Ryan sat on his own in his bedroom, playing around with different guitar lines and synth patterns, fiddling away with his laptop and adding layers of effects day after day just to create the one track, and yet the temptation to ever burst into all-out chorus or delve into ‘bigger’ sounds is always resisted. Instead, he sticks with the same looping drum machine line, guitar patterns and lo-fi sound throughout, and his patience really pays off in his music.

As Gabel himself admits, his music is the “mutant child of too much inspirational music” – a sound clearly made up of an expansive range of influences that range from industrial rock to pop – but it’s a distorted combination of widespread sounds that juxtapose to brilliant and understated and effect.

As of yet Gabel has strayed little further than his bedroom with Arc Light having never played a live show under the moniker, and that’s pretty understandable given it’s probably a logistical nightmare to play music with so much going on as a one-man band live (though apparently he’s soon to get some help from a friend which may allow for future live performances). But what is a nightmare for live shows may have helped his productivity on record - a handful of EP’s and a self-titled full-length are available available on his bandcamp page, and there’s another full-length album and a split release on its way.

H. Hawkline Feature for The Miniature Music Press

2011-02-01T13:02:00.000Z

Words originally for The Miniature Music Press, published in the February print edition and can be found online here.

There is little excuse for needing a reminder of just how good the Cardiff music scene is, but a trip back to Plymouth for a few weeks really does serve as a swift clip around the ear for any underappreciation of this city’s goings on. Unlike Plymouth, my home city that feels completely devoid of arts and culture other than the type rammed down your neck by the mainstream and capitalist face of the music industry; Cardiff is rich with the sharing, community-like opposite. Think of Spiller’s or the promoters making a loss on a festival yet coming back year after year – or musicians continually lending themselves to other people’s songs, live shows and albums with minimal personal reward or praise.

In this regard, H. Hawkline, or Huw Evans, is an example to us all. Long knowing the virtues of sharing and selflessness, he’s mucked in with the likes of Sweet Baboo, Cate Le Bon, Means Heinz, Gorky’s Richard James, Islet and, more recently, Gruff Rhys – joining him on his UK tour as support, as well as occasionally on stage. But December 2010 finally brought his own debut release – with H. Hawkline LP A Cup Of Salt, on Shape Records.

Mirroring the range of Evans’ collaborations, A Cup Of Salt is a multi-layered, twisting compound of (sometimes) instrumental and experimental folk sounds, weird and wonderful noises and driving krautrock, all wrapped up in cosmic acoustic guitar flutterings. Musically varied in both influence and sound, the LP is equally as broad in feel and emotion – quickly jumping from spooky and troubling flickers of guitar to catchy, strutting bass-lines.

As one might expect from a man in as many bands as Evans, he has developed his ability to turn his hand to seemingly anything – demonstrated in the sometimes raucous and drunken but endlessly entertaining H. Hawkline live shows. Some sets embracing the darker, kooky solo acoustic elements while others see him joined by others to chart more surf-pop strains.

Of course his work with Le Bon et al does not go entirely unnoticed, but one hopes that under H. Hawkline, Evans will get some of the recognition he deserves as an individual. And even if H. Hawkline isn’t the long lived and resounding success that many like the MMP expect it to be, you still get the sense that Huw will be around doing more of the same for some time yet. JM

Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde (Album review for StereoSubversion)

2011-01-18T12:16:00.001Z

Words originally for StereoSubversion and can be found online here.

Of all the bands starting out a few years back during the wave of lo-fi popularity, perhaps the one that stood out the most among their peers was Chicago’s Smith Westerns. The young four-piece's self-titled debut through HoZac still manages to seem relevant and attractive amid a huge crowd of reverb-drenched guitars and cheap-sounding microphones – at least partly because of the less usual (especially on a bunch of American teens) notable influence of T. Rex on the 2009 release, as well as the strength of it, of course. A short 18 months later and the now almost cult-fanbase backed young hipsters return with sequel full-length Dye It Blonde, to, at the very least, a little amount of expectation.

For anybody with reservations about the band’s ability to follow up Smith Westerns with anything of any worth, Dye It Blonde responds immediately. Opener “Weekend” gleams from start to end with glam-rock licks, 70s-sounding keys, sweet’n’smooth youthful vocals and a good dollop of pop catchiness – and all to the notable lack of the lo-fi noise which blanketed their debut. Vocals can, for the first time, come under close scrutiny without the mic effects; the band firmly demonstrating that the distortion wasn’t simply a mask hiding a lack of ability. Although vocals are shown at times to not be the strongest or most diverse, they work entirely effectively here without the fuzz - delivered in style and confidence.

They might have moved away from some of the production methods of their first album, but Dye It Blonde still demonstrates their love for the T. Rex sound. In fact, it’s difficult to find a song out of the ten that doesn’t feature a guitar solo – the high-pitched distorted squeal of the guitar often being the central feature, and a wonderful feature it is. The lick on “Smile”, amidst sorrow-filled piano-twinkling and a downbeat and pensive vocal and synth tone, dances like a courting bird in mating season (or an apologetic youth at the end of a relationship), whereas on “End Of The Night” the guitar springs into life from the off; an expression of outright joy rather than sorrow.

“Fallen In Love” opens with John Lennon-styled deep, nasal vocals, and The Beatles more psychedelic sound continues to be heard throughout the track - guitar riffs sit above drawn out synth, and with constantly evolving drum patterns to keep things fresh. They re-visit the Beatles sound on “Only One”, with a guitar line, which opens the track and loops throughout, which could well have been taken straight from the George Harrison book, had he written one.
As one might expect from a young, male band, much of the lyrical content revolves around girls and relationships. An interesting (not revolutionary, but interesting nonetheless) aspect is the combination of upbeat sound with downbeat lyrics, such as in the chorus to “All Die Young”. Sound-wise, it’s about as celebratory and joyous as a song can get, as the lead singer chants the title of the track over and over again.

There’s plenty of all-out fun to be had too, though. “Dance Away” (which is probably this writer’s favourite track of the album) is all catchy pop – grungey guitar riffs work in a repetitive vocal-led catchy chorus, with some mid-song almost Bee-Gees styled dancey breakdowns, which is both outrageous and brilliant.

Dye It Blonde feels like musical justice has been done. A young, once obscure band come back to reply to their honest but lo-fi debut album with a gleaming, perfectly produced follow up - full of big sounds and powerful air-guitar moment. Yet what’s key here is that it doesn’t reduce any of the bands passion and enjoyment for the music they’re making. Smith Westerns are one for the long-term.

8.5/10

Fenech Soler - Demons (Single review for Buzz magazine)

2011-01-18T12:12:00.000Z

Words originally for Buzz magazine, and will be published in the February edition.

3 stars

More dance-y electro-pop fun from this dance-y electro-pop fun four-piece, taken from their self-titled debut released in twenny-ten. Nothing overly atrocious or offensive, though it’s the sort of big-chorused, self-adoring ‘anthem’ that Radio 1 excruciatingly force-feed you like the ducks that you are. This single comes loaded with even dancier remixes, for those of that persuasion. JM

Introducing The Racket (Feature for The 405)

2011-01-12T13:33:00.002Z

Words originally for The 405 and can be found online here.

Pretty good piece of naming, here. It’s a bit like Elton John naming his band The Piano Led Pop Ballads or Simon Cowell’s mother signing him on his birth certificate as Big Great Twat, for the music that this London four-piece make is indeed rackety. Though to be slightly more accurate, perhaps East London-based The Racket might’ve named themselves The Ramones Influenced Catchy Punk Racket. For the rest of this feature, I’ll try use the word “racket” a bit less.

Three parts female (vocals, guitar, bass) and one part male (drums), songs thus far are fun, carefree and lo-fi (perhaps more out of necessity, though) DIY punk at its finest. The song that really sticks out for me (out of the two songs on MySpace and the occasion I saw them play live in a kitchen) is “I Don’t Like Your Friends” - a fairly straight forward pop song; all fast-paced and muffled guitar work with shout-y female vocals. It’s pretty darn faultless and is catchy as anything after one listen, the main chorus being satisfyingly punchy and sufficiently simple to shout along to by the time it arrives the second verse around. And the fact that lyrics are written by the male drummer form the perspective of a girl makes things all the more interesting and at times amusing.

It’s evident songs, and the band, are in early form, but you don’t really want them to ever progress from where they are at now - the current output perfectly scruffy-pop loveable.

No free song from us, but there is one available over at Wait For The Click.

The Grave Architects - Love Reaction (Album review for TLOBF)

2011-01-12T13:31:00.000Z

Words originally for The Line Of Best Fit and can be found online here.

Quite what Nottingham formed, London based The Grave Architects are aiming for with debut effort Love Reaction is something difficult to grasp. A ten-song album, it ranges through pop, rock, country, folk and even rap; the band seemingly attempting to be simultaneously amusing and emotive – all through nostalgic tales of childhood and love loss. Yet, despite the fuel of heartache, Love Reaction doesn’t manage to make much of an impact.

Love Reaction opens fairly inoffensively, with the jangle pop of ‘Last Night I Dreamed About Her’. Inoffensive it may be, but the song is equally as uninspired and dull, and lyrically it needs little more explanation than the six words of its title (“Last night I dreamed about her / it was my first mistake / my mind just paces ‘round her”). Although not unpleasant, and immediately demonstrating the band’s ability to put together a fairly catchy pop song, vocals lack any kind of emotion despite singing of apparent torturous heartbreak, and Love Reaction’s opener makes no statement of intent.

‘Highway Be True’ disappointingly picks up where the opener left off; still lacking the emotion, energy or invent needed both musically (guitar switches from chord to chord repeatedly with no progression, and the country-styled structure of the song is disappointingly predictable) and lyrically (“now hearts they need a home, and it’s hard when they start roamin’ / and love’s a journey with peril at every turn”).

Things rarely pick up. ‘The Bike Song’, despite being a popular YouTube hit, is about as dragging as you’d expect a seven minutes and thirty four seconds song about a bicycle would be. Although contained within the jaunty pop tale is relatively catchy moments of upbeat “bah-bah”’s and synth, the band unfortunately decide to include a mid-song mock-rap breakdown. Although probably aiming to be fun, tongue-in-cheek and light-hearted humour, it’s poorly executed and edges closer to the side of being offensive – the fact that they are mocking a perfectly relevant genre of music made worse given The Grave Architects aren’t making sounds anywhere near as significant or important in their fields of choice than those that they try to mock. On ‘Rejection’, the band again attempt to jokingly rap with equally as unpleasant and cringe-worthy results – the lyrics attempting to draw laughter not even managing to crack a smile, and the same applies to the Gregorian monk style sung spelling of “r-e-j-e-c-t-i-o-n”.

Although largely weak, Grave Architects do show some promise on their debut release, though usually don’t manage to sustain it for full songs. ‘Puppet’, for instance, has moments where the band dip into slightly dark and heavier moments, with enjoyable heavy guitar riffing, drum cymbal crashes and dramatic piano. However, it’s all too soon that the band switch from this, to dull piano-led pop ballad. ‘You Don’t Know Me Like I Want You To’, although a poor attempt at a Johnny Cash song for the first three minutes, switches to a krautrock-style motorik driving drum beat alongside guitar strums and whirring synth. Again, though, it isn’t long before a further synth line pierces through, replicating the plain chord progressions from the previous few minutes of the song – which simply doesn’t work and reminds of why this song was unpleasant.

Perhaps what is most frustrating is that it seems apparent that The Grave Architects could make a strong album, void of joke-rapping and trying to make people laugh. With a clear knowledge of a range of musical stylings – the ‘funny’ rapping has a very Fun Lovin Criminals feel, the noisey synth on ‘You Don’t Know Me Like I Want You To’ gives a definite nod to 80s British post-punk, the lyric “at her shoes she gazed” does (perhaps unintentionally) force a grin, moments of joyful jangly pop, and hints of the aforementioned Johnny Cash – plus the ability to sometimes construct catchy tunes, Love Reaction might be a lot better. At best, it’s a collection of light-hearted and sometimes mildly catchy songs from a band that demonstrate ability and a decent knowledge of musical stylings. At worst, it’s a dull, lifeless, confusing and at times nearing offensive mash of pop, folk, country, rock, and rap.

Ministry of Defence Officer Completes Runs for Charity (News Piece for The Herald)

2010-12-17T18:14:00.001Z

Words originally for Plymouth daily newspaper The Herald, completed on a week of work experience in December, yet to be published.

A MINISTRY of Defence finance officer based at Devonport has succesfully completed a running challenge stretching across across the country, raising hundreds of pounds for charity in the process.

Marc Craig, 34, set himself the target of completing ten 10km races in a year in aid of St Luke’s Hospice, which provides support for more than two thousand people from local areas with terminal illnesses each year.

Marc completed the challenge, raising £600 for charity, running in races across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, and London - where he ran on the course likely to be used for the 2012 Olympic marathon.

Stephanie Cherington, of St Luke’s Hospice and who received the sponsored proceeds from Marc, was full of admiration and said: “Marc is an inspiration, setting himself the challenge of running ten 10km challenges in one year.

“Raising £600 will make a big difference to St Luke’s, helping us to continue to care for patients in Plymouth and the surrounding area.

“I would like to thank all those who have sponsored Marc and the Naval Base for their support.”

Marc, who lives in Saltash and who is a keen roadrunner, said: “It’s been an interesting and challenging year but also thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring.

“Raising money for such a good cause was the main reason for competing in the races and I would like to say a warm thank you to everyone who has sponsored me during the year.

“A big thank you also needs to go to my girlfriend and parents who have supported ne at every race and have been there with me every step of the way.”

Couple win national carer award (News piece for The Herald)

2010-12-16T19:21:00.000Z

Words originally for Plymouth daily newspaper The Herald, completed on a week of work experience in December, published on Monday December 20, and can be found online here.

A COUPLE from Torpoint have won a national award in recognition of their continued dedication to foster care.

Helen and Dave Channing have been fostering for 30 years, welcoming nearly 60 children and young people into their home.

And now the pair, who also have five birth sons who grew up as part of the fostering family, have had their efforts commended at a ceremony in London, being announced winners of the National Outstanding Carer Award.

Helen and Dave were nominated for the award - part of the Keep Dreaming National Leaving Care Awards 2010 - by the south west region of FCA (Foster Care Associates), which is the UK’s leading independent foster care agency.

Sheree Cole, the FCA regional manager who nominated the Torpoint couple, said: “The unswerving commitment to fostering which Helen and Dave continue to deliver is second to none.
“At Foster Care Associates we are hugely proud of their achievements and this award is testament to the brilliant work they do.

Sheree added that even after the young people move on to living alone, Helen and Dave continue to support them, saying: “Nothing seems too much trouble.”

Talking about the award, Helen said: “We were thrilled to receive this level of recognition and never expected to win a national award.

“Being a foster carer is a challenging role but the rewards are enormous.
“To see a young person smile again and overcome many emotional hurdles means that we have managed to bring hope and happiness back into this person’s life.”

With the current national shortage of foster carers, FCA are always seeking to hear from potential new carers, and those wishing to find out more can call freephone 0800 023 4561, or visit the website at www.iwanttofoster.com

Plumbing students raise money for charity with ping-pong-a-thon (News piece for The Herald).

2010-12-16T18:20:00.001Z

Words originally for Plymouth daily newspaper The Herald, completed on a week of work experience in December, yet to be published.

PLUMBING students from a college in Saltash have swapped spanners for paddles, taking part in a sponsored 'Ping-Pong-a-thon' to raise money for charity.

The group of Level 2 students fromCornwall College organised the event to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, paying to take part in the three hour table tennis tournament and collecting sponsorship from their peers.

The tournament took part in the K3 Young People’s Centre - at the college’s Church Road campus - and extra funds were raised by K3 staff who donated 25p for each hot drink sold during the event.

36 students and a number of members of staff took part, raising almost £100 in total.
Dave Seccombe, plumbing lecturer at the college, said: “It’s great to see all the students thinking of others at this time of year and I commend their efforts,” and the principal of the college, Dave Linnell, also commended the group.

Fundraising manager for Macmillan Cornwall & Devon said: “It is very gratifying to see that young, healthy students such as those involved in the Ping-Pong-a-thon recognise the impact cancer can have on people of all ages and levels of fitness by supporting us today.

“Without the help of people like this Macmillan Cancer Support would not be able to do the work it does.”

Student reaches finals of pageant content (News piece for The Herald)

2010-12-16T18:19:00.001Z

Words originally for Plymouth daily newspaper The Herald, completed on a week of work experience in December, yet to be published.

A STUDENT of Lipson Community College has made it to the semi-finals of a nationwide beauty pageant, and now needs support from the people of Plymouth to make it through a public vote.

Connie Veale, 14, was spotted by number of modelling agencies in London when she travelled to watch a live catwalk show from popular television modelling show Britain’s Next Top Model, but was too young to join up with any of them.

She was then also noticed at the same venue by the people behind the Teen Queen UK competition, who encouraged her to get involved.

Connie was one of more than 9,500 applicants of the competition, which aims to help girls aged 13-19 into the world of modelling.

Successfully progressing through three heats, Connie again travelled to London, but this time to partake in modelling rather than spectate, completing a professional photo shoot along with 80 other girls.

Connie, who is also a keen singer, actress and dancer and who is part of Lipson Community College’s street dance crew The Ruptors, found out that she has made it to the semi-finals of the competition - facing the public vote up against 49 other girls.

If successful, Connie faces the opportunity of attending the grand final in London, with a view to gaining some fantastic experience, as well as winning a number of prizes.

Voting for the competition is now open. To vote for Connie, call 09016 561 530 27 or text ‘Connie Veale’ to 84205. Voting closes at 11.30pm on December 30

Independent record label release party (News piece for The Herald)

2010-12-15T18:24:00.002Z

Words originally for Plymouth daily newspaper The Herald, completed on a week of work experience in December, published in 20 December 2010 issue.

A PLYMOUTH based independent record label are celebrating the success of their second release with a party Exeter's The Tavern live music venue.

Art Is Hard Records are made up of Plymouth University students David West and Richard Walsh, who are both originally from Bournemoth.

They put out their first release, a compilation of their favourite bands from the south west, in September, but opted for an unusual method for would-be fans to get hold of the tracks.

Instead of simply releasing a CD the pair, who live in Bournemouth and Portsmouth when not at university, decided that they would sell self-designed t-shirts that came with a online code for purhcasers to download the songs.

But with the second release they reverted to more classic methods - a 7-inch vinyl for their split release with The Black Tambourines, from Falmouth, and New Years Evil, from Exeter.

The gig at The Cavern will take place on December 28, with live performances from New Years Evil and The Black Tmabourines as well as Concubines, a side project of a member from exciting Exeter band Ono Palindromes. More information about Art Is Hard, the bands, and the release party can be found at their website www.artishardrecords.tumblr.com

Students get artwork displayed (News piece for The Herald)

2010-12-15T18:17:00.002Z

Words originally for Plymouth's daily newspaper The Herald, completed on a week of work experience in December, published on December 16

STUDENTS from Torpoint Community College have had their artwork exhibited at Mount Edgcumbe House.

The sculpture ‘Big Fish, Little Fish’ was designed and constructed by students from Torpoint Community College and local primary schools - with the help of Diarmund Byron-O’Conner, a professional artist from London, and Adam Butcher, a teacher at Torpoint’s London partner school Chestnut Grove.

The pair travelled down on a number of occasions to assist with the production, which spent a week at Mount Edgcumbe house and which will shortly be moved to be proudly displayed at the school canteen.

‘Big Fish, Little Fish’ features a shoal of smaller fish made from recycled metals such as tins and spoons donated by local recycling centres swimming away from a large metal shark and helps to show how items that are usually destined for landfill can be transformed into pieces of art.

The artwork is all part of the Collaborative Sculpture project, which the school hope will continue for a number of years.

With future pieces the school plan on working around the school’s humanities status as well as Torpoint’s heritage - hoping to involve members of the community and local artists and craftsmen.

Drama group show modern Anne Frank story (News piece for The Herald)

2010-12-14T18:30:00.001Z

Words originally for Plymouth daily newspaper The Herald, completed on a week of work experience in December, yet to be published.

THE THOUGHT provoking story of Anne Frank is to be performed in a modern adaptation by Plymouth drama group Western College Players.

Directed by Gareth Roberts, who is also chairman for the theatre company, The Diary of Anne Frank will run at The Drum theatre for a number of shows in January.

Much loved and heart-wrenching, The Diary of a Young Girl was first transformed from a book into stage play The Diary of Anne Frank in 1955, and the members of Western College Players will be hoping to be equally as moving as the performance has proved in the past.

And the group will also be hoping that their latest production has the same appeal as some of their past productions, such as last year’s The Lion, the Withc and the Wardrobe, with many playing to sell out audiences.

Director and chairman Garteh Roberts said: “It is fantastic to be working on something so meaningful to so many.

“We’re doing everything within our capabilities to do justice to this incredible story of the strength of human spirit and I would like to congratulate our committed, talented cast on all their hard work.”

The Diary of Anne Frank appears at Theatre Royals Drum Theatre from January 18 - 22. Tickets, priced £12 for adults and £10 concession, are available from Theatre Royal’s box office on 01752 267222 or online at www.theatreroyal.com.

Alarm monitoring call centre staff praised (News piece for The Herald)

2010-12-13T18:26:00.001Z

Words originally for Plymouth daily newspaper The Herald, completed on a week of work experience in December, yet to be published.

A PLYMOUTH based alarm monitoring company has been praised for helping to save the life of an elderly lady after she fell in her garden in Essex.

Staff in the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) at Securi-Guard, which is based in Estover and employs over 200 people, were alerted on the evening of September 6 when 89-year old Eileen Rhodes pressed the emergency help button that she carries with her, after being unable to get up in her garden in Brentwood, Essex.

After receiving the alert, the staff in Plymouth swiftly contacted BB Alarms, a company local to Essex who Securi-Guard monitor calls for, after being unable to make contact with Eileen.

Incredibly, the staff member that they got through to at BB Alarms was Selwyn Rhodes, Eileen’s son.

Selwyn, aged 58 and also of Brentwood, Essex, set up the alarm installation company in 1995, described what happened and declared his huge thanks to the staff in Plymouth.

He said: “Following the call I rushed around to my mother’s house and found she had fallen in the garden and broken her right arm.

“Without the alert she would almost certainly have not survived the night as she was unable to get up. I cannot thank the operators enough as I am in no doubt they saved her life.”
After a short stint in hospital, Eileen is now home recovering.

ARC Manager at Securi-Guard Mary Campbell was delighted that staff had responded so efficiently. She said: “Staff in the ARC are trained to the highest possible standard and it is always good to hear when an emergency like this has a happy ending. Everybody involved in the incident appreciated Selwyn’s note of thanks.”

Hospital gets new microscope (News piece for The Herald)

2010-12-13T18:25:00.001Z

Words originally for Plymouth daily newspaper The Herald, completed on a week of work experience in December, yet to be published.

PLYMOUTH’S Nuffield Health Hospital has installed a new surgical microscope as part of their programme of modernisation for eye surgery.

The microscope is the most advanced of its kind, incorporating new advances in technology to allow doctors to be more precise during micro-surgical eye procedures.

Consultant Opthalmic Surgeon at the hospital Mr Habib, who was handed the piece of state of the art equipment by general manager Nick Costa at an official ceremony on November 30, said: “The microscope uses a halogen light source which produces brighter details at lower levels of illumination resulting in improved comfort to the patient and better contrast to the surgeon, whilst protecting both patient and surgeon’s retina.”

The installation of the microscope at Nuffield Health Hospital, which has also seen a number of other new pieces of diagnostic equipment installed recently as part of their modernisation programme such as a 3D retina and cornea scan and an eye segment camera, was made possible thanks to a legacy donation from a patient.

Shape Records Interview (Label Profile Feature for The Line Of Best Fit.

2010-12-01T18:40:00.000Z

Words originally for The Line Of Best Fit, and can be found online here.

There can be an air of snobbery when a group decides to start a record label with the aim of releasing the music of their own band. People are quick to assume that they must be doing so as they can’t find anybody else who wants to help release their material. A decent proportion of the time assumptions like this might well be true, but with the case of Shape Records it most certainly is not...

Full article at The Line Of Best Fit at the above link.

Twin Sister (Gig Review for The 405)

2010-11-29T14:23:00.000Z

Words originally for The 405, and can be found online here

For a venue so incredibly small, The Prince Albert can fit an impressive number of people. A few weeks back, Titus Andronicus packed out its dark room above the bar, not far from Brighton Station. Tonight, it’s their fellow countrymen Twin Sister’s turn to stake a claim for possibly putting on bands of this size in a slightly bigger venue – though as a Brighton-newbie, perhaps this is a practise I will grow accustomed to.

First band Sea Dog open to an already busy venue (although most probably didn’t expect the first of two support bands to not start until 9), the four-piece aren’t overly exciting but are entertaining and interesting enough. Not easily pinned down to one genre alone, tonight at least, the Brighton band (or more an ongoing project of guitarist and vocalist Mark, according to MySpace) experimenting with a combination of elements of guitar-led psychedelia, folk, pop, and rock – with drizzles of harmonies, glockenspiel, and subtle synth buzz.

The Enormous Shadow’s set is bland and uninspired, though is riddled with technical issues, to be fair. The three-piece, again from Brighton, are a combination of three synthesizers, a guitar, electronic drum pads (which is where the main technical issues lie), and a laptop; making a fairly amateur attempt at bleepy and dreamy synthpop. They show signs of hope through occasional afro-pop guitar lines which are enjoyable and catchy, but too often they rely on cheap electro buzzes, laptop backing track, and vocals lacking a decent punch.

By the time Twin Sister arrive on stage the now claustrophobic crowd have had plenty of chance for a trip to the bar, which on occasion shows with loud conversations and awkward “wahey” moments, though thankfully doesn’t manage to spoil the music. The New York band, whose blog-ability has already reached Pitchfork and The Guardian proportions (evidenced by the size of this crowd in a foreign country on a cold Tuesday evening), make a brilliant and experimental take on pop music. Fronted by the vocal brilliance of Andrea Estella (an odd and almost haunting Bjork-cum-Bush whisper), the five-strong band add jangly, distorted guitar wobbles, bass, largely hushed drums, and electro-keys to a set that ranges from laid-back and woozy dreampop to energetic and beat-heavy dance. The band show no signs of anxiety for the expectations that lie ahead of them nor any signs of jet lag; not once faulting or seemingly lacking in passion for the music that they make. Gabe grooves with a smile, switching effortlessly from guitar to bass and back; guitarist Eric navigates delicately around six effects pedals; Dev provides the electro synth-y sounds with an expert cool; and Andrea casually sips a mug of tea between providing effortlessly stunning vocals song after song. Any set that can successfully juxtapose folk and disco influences forming them into pop music (both Dirty Projectors and Summer Camp spring to mind) is a strong one by my book. Beautiful and ambitious, void of pretence and packed full of fun, Twin Sister show one hell of a lot of promise, and put on a fantastic live show.

Spokes (Gig Review for The Miniature Music Press)

2010-11-20T20:45:00.000Z

Words originally for The Miniature Music Press, and can be found online here.

The problem with Buffalo Bar is that far too often it attracts a crowd more interested in intoxicated personal conversation than the band playing on stage. During a Connan Mockasin show earlier in the year things almost ended with fisticuffs when a group were outdoing the Buffalo PA for volume levels. Again, it attracted those not even slightly trying to appreciate the music, but thankfully Spokes’ set was far too loud, calming and down-right beautiful for things to end that way.
Cardiff-based one-man folkster and guitarist for The School Ivan Moult opened backed with a drummer, armed with an acoustic guitar, and with a double bass player on his way. Ivan’s songs are acoustic led and laid back folk; songs circling around love or at least the end of it for the most part. It’s a brave move to sing such personal songs and to do it in such an open format – no cymbal crashes or guitar screeches to hide behind, only his guitar flutterings and the drum shuffles – both his emotions and his vocals laid bare for all to hear, and both tonight stood up well to the test. Evidently Ivan hasn’t always been lucky with love; his more slow-paced and melancholic songs tonight are certainly pleasant and enjoyable enough, though don’t quite always tug at the heartstrings as much as a sad song should, perhaps. Where his real strengths lie are in those songs discovering and embracing love; the mood changes (the drums get louder) with upbeat, faster, and celebratory sounds; Ivan projects his delicate vocals with a real passion and excitement, and he has a real knack for writing songs. A strong set (even if he wasn’t so convinced), but that double bassist never did show up.

Violas are a bit more of a mixed bag, showing the signs of both a really good band and a really rubbish one. With a set that opens with muffled and looping sounds played from a mobile phone down a microphone, you perhaps wouldn’t expect the band to jump onto dance-punk, indie, pop, and then ska, but they did. Violas are at their best when surprising and carefree; the set opener is exciting fast-paced indie-meets-math instrumental rock, and they also do a decent impression of Futureheads’ “oh oh” harmonies, but it leads far too regularly onto disappointingly bland Kooks-esque indie pop. It’s admirable for a band to compact quite so many ideas into each song, and with some filtering of these ideas Violas could be really good, but until then they are hit and (largely) miss for me.

Spokes are apparently on tour of the UK, not that anyone would have guessed. Each of the five members seem incredibly passionate about every note that they play, seemingly completely encapsulated in their music – though it’s a shame that not the whole venue seems quite so absorbed. Post-rock is a genre that can easily go wrong if not performed well enough, becoming bland and repetitive, but Spokes’ blend of sounds works wonderfully well. At times not too dissimilar to Arcade Fire (it’s a comparison the band are probably all too familiar with, but a useful one); vocals cry, often in male-female harmony, with drums powerfully pounding and crashing and violin whining beautifully at the same time – each aspect of their sound as subtle yet completely essential as the next. It looks an entirely exhausting process, pouring your heart out through the medium of music, and not always entirely awarding one. Spokes are an awfully underappreciated band but this is a truly stunning set.

H. Hawkline - A Cup of Salt (Album Review for The MMP)

2010-11-11T21:30:00.001Z

Words originally for The Miniature Music Press, and can be found in December's edition of the magazine.

In his many years, Cardiff-based musician Huw Evans (H. Hawkline) has played with the likes of Richard James, Sweet Baboo, and Cate Le Bon. Largely unnoticed by the masses, this looks likely to change soon; touring with Gruff Rhys, support slots for label (Shape Records) mate’s Islet, and the release of this, his wonderful debut album. Huw has numerous sides; demonstrated both during his live performances and here – songs ranging throughout krautrock-influenced and psychy pop/rock to weird and spooky instrumental folk. For instance, opener An Old Lady Sings/Pentecostal is (after one-minute of old lady singing introdudction) three minutes of looping noise, walking bass-line, fuzzed guitar, and driving motorik drum beat; and From Her Eyes goes from menacing piano keys to Eastern/gypsy-sounding guitar and banjo work to unusually chanted vocals. Incredibly well layered and well crafted is each song on show. If A Cup of Salt doesn’t bring him widespread adoration then the masses are rubbish.

4.3/5

Talons - Hollow Realm (Album Review for The 405)

2010-11-11T21:27:00.003Z

Words originally for The 405, and can be found online here.

I was with a 'friend' at a gig once. The band playing was Gallops, who are an instrumental band. After the gig, my 'friend' approached the drummer of Gallops, expressing his enjoyment of their performance, but also suggesting, in all of his arrogant and moronic wisdom, that they might be better with a vocalist. Not only was he incredibly rude, but he was completely wrong and, thankfully, the band didn't heed his advice.

Rather than genuinely thinking Gallops music would be better with a vocalist, I believe he simply thought instrumental music as a whole could be improved with some much-needed vocals. I disagree strongly. There are many things I like about instrumental music, and I think one of the key things is that, much like modern art, it is completely up to the individual to decide what each song may be about (whereas lyrics may take away or at least restrict the choice of the individual in this sense). Songs, and indeed abstract art, for example, may evoke a number of different feelings and emotions depending upon how the individual interprets certain things.

This Talons' debut, for me, certainly contains (and evokes) a number of different emotions though like abstract art, again, how the album is perceived will be down to the individual, and this is something that I like.

Opening cautiously to a fuzz of feedback, St. Mary Will Be The Death Of Us All soon turns dark, angry, dramatic and frantic. Fast-paced technical guitar work sits side by side, violin screeches, drums all full of fast-paced rolls and cymbal crashes builds, breakdowns, and repeats for six minutes. Peter Pan continues where the album opener left off. Straight into heavy guitar riffs and crying violin, it could easily be the soundtrack to an Attenborough documentary during a chase scene – stumbles, near-misses, fear, panic. A mid-song breakdown is tense yet fairly calm, the song, orchestrated by the drums, slowly builds to an epic crescendo and sudden ending; a deadly silence. An Expected Future Event sees a short-lived step away from the anger, with slow, buzzing remorseful guitar, and violin and militaristic drumming bringing visions of death and mourning. Iris hears menacingly finger-plucked violin strings whilst other violin eerily squeals in the background, drums again the orchestrator building in volume. Like many of the tracks, it slowly builds creating an expectation for heavy guitar to kick in, which it soon does in satisfying manner.

Eight tracks of technically-played instrumental rock could easily turn into "Hey! Look what we can do with our instruments!" but, although the musicianship on display is certainly impressive, Talons avoid this - perhaps because of the described passion and emotion felt throughout the release. The band’s focus always seems to be on the feel of song as a whole, rather than tracks ever being dominated by one sequence that one of the guitarist’s was especially proud of himself for, for instance.

Songs, largely, are well layered and put together, as is Hollow Realm as a whole. Each song leads naturally onto the next, and the album works in its entirety as well as on an individual track basis. At times, things can be a little overly stop-start (perhaps caused by the evident math-rock influences), and this leads to some songs losing any momentum that it had built up in the seconds before, and on occasion songs can feel a little samey, but Hollow Realm is largely a well-constructed fusion of post-rock, metal, and math-rock, and a very strong debut album.

7.5/10

Islet - Wimmy (Album Review for The Miniature Music Press)

2010-11-03T16:37:00.001Z

Words originally for The Miniature Music Press and can be found in the December edition of the magazine.

Listening to Islet can be like a cow eating grass. Only after the difficult-to-digest cellulose has been broken down by the first few parts of the stomach can the cow reap benefits – and it may take a few listens before Wimmy, the Cardiff band’s second mini-album, reveals itself for the real treat that it is. Take Ringerz. Layered with distortion, synth-y effects and unusual drum rhythms, what lies beneath is a true pop masterpiece with a nod to Animal Collective, and Horses And Dogs which has enough ideas to fill out an entire album. Dub-inspired bass lines, casually spoken-word vocals, a prog-like guitar solo mid-song, and the most random yet utterly brilliant r’n’b vocal breakdown; yet to say the song ‘works’ would be an understatement. Songs that may seemingly start as incoherent and disorientating racket will, given time, mould into a fantastic hypnotising and clattering collection of smashed-together ideas. Wonderful.

4.4/5

Swn Festival 2010 (Band Blurbs for Swn Festival Official Programme

2010-10-19T17:49:00.001+01:00

Words originally for Swn Festival 2010's official programme, and can be found in the festival's programme.

Attack + Defend
http://www.myspace.com/attackanddefend
http://www.attackanddefend.com/

Three brothers, two albums, numerous gadgets, lots of lo-fi synthy noise, and their first gig returning from a semi-lengthy pause to coincide with a tape cassette EP release through their own Shape Records.

Clinic
http://www.myspace.com/clinicvoot
http://www.clinicvoot.org/

Clinic – still hospital scrub and surgical mask clad – return two years since their last appearance; fresh with new psych-y, post-punk-y, indie rock spookiness in sixth album ‘Bubblegum’

H Hawkline
http://www.myspace.com/hhawkline
Occasional guitarist for Sweet Baboo, H Hawkline is Welsh musician Huw Evans' own work. Expect psychedelic and gypsy-inspired folk sounds - often largely instrumental and almost always spooky.

Fair Ohs
http://www.myspace.com/theemightypharoahs
They've already brought the “mm” to our summer with infectious afro-pop tinged tracks such as “Hey Lizzy”. This October will see them re-arrange “Cardiff” to bring us the “rad”!

Gildas
http://www.myspace.com/gildasmusicuk
Cardiff's Gildas, who released debut album Nos Da earlier this year, make laid back acoustic driven folky pop, sung in Welsh, with the odd bit of synthy experimentation chucked in for fun.

HEALTH / Saturday's Kids (Gig Review for The Miniature Music Press)

2010-10-19T12:13:00.001+01:00

Words originally for The Miniature Music Press, and can be found online here.

FLUX=RAD haven’t had the easiest time in making their musical venture a success. The original draft of this gig review had a fairly lengthy description of their struggle with gig venues despite the positive effects to Cardiff music the night brings. I will leave it at this: it finally seems that the strength and, hopefully, security of this night – which I consider one of the best in Cardiff – is proven with this (joint) capturing of HEALTH.

HEALTH may be a bigger band (insert obvious pun regarding capital letters and the popularity of the band) than the FLUX=RAD norm, but duo (Jen under F=R, John under Swn) continue to demonstrate their dedication to emerging home grown talent with Saturday’s Kids on the bill as support. Much like their promoters, Saturday’s Kids continue to grow and perfect their art – what started out more so as raw punkiness and a slice of naivety now comes with improved musicianship and more moments of calm. That isn’t to say that the Abergavenny four piece have gone soft, though. They open with the same noisey, abrasive and antisocial sounds that they always have. “These are the days that make me feel hate” snarls bassist Rhys and guitarist Sion in unison on Three Days, as a decent sized Clwb crowd shuffle forward tentatively, intrigued by what they hear. Tonight the band are slightly more mic’d up than they may be used to, which seems to be of benefit to the ears of those in the crowd who ‘get it’, but seems to leave those who don’t even more confused than they might have been ordinarily (drums pack a real punch through the PA, and the vocals/lyrics are even less decipherable than usual). Spider Legs, all pacey and unpredictable interesting punk (taken from their 7” put out on Art For Blind records) is up next. Guitar sounds yo-yo at speed and Sion spits and bounces on stage like a school-boy possessed. The vocals aren’t perfect, but that doesn’t matter; the anger, aggression, and passion in both the vocals and in the actual playing of the instruments is genuine.

The band’s youthful looks work in their favour, too, with the previously-mentioned traits packing that little extra shock and surprise when coming from a fairly innocent looking lot. The Clwb crowd may still seem cautious and taken aback (the band are far from met with rapturous applause) but the fact that many in Clwb (including the drummer from HEALTH) are nodding along may come as some consolation. Not that they seem to need any sort of consoling; the band show no wavering under the apparent lack of excitement from the masses and continue to smash out 3 minute bursts of punk, song after song. I say punk, but it isn’t quite that simple – Saturday’s Kids continue to slow and add unusual break-downs mid-song only to fire back up to full speed and anger again; which keeps things interesting and adds a completely different dimension. Each performance from them is increasingly tight, too, even tonight with a stand-in guitarist and some guitar pedal issues mid-set. Perhaps the biggest surprise to the Clwb crowd (and those who have seen the band in the past too, perhaps) comes towards the end when the mood changes with a song (the name I am unsure of) new to their live set. The band now come across calm and almost pensive, guitar echoes in fairly tame and almost shoegazey fashion, and the vocals are sung, not shouted. It’s another completely new set of ideas and direction from a band who seem to never stop thinking, and another step up for them too. The brilliant Grey On White is saved until last, though, and allows the band to turn the heat back up again; leaving the stage to the din of guitar reverb and screechy feedback. Simultaneously terrifying, interesting, and exhilarating, and they even managed to flog (a few) records.

“We’re Health, we’re from Los Angeles, California. Thanks for coming,” the guitarist and vocalist says before the band fill the room – which is less packed than expected – with a whole load of noise. And it really is a lot of noise; the floor vibrates, walls shudder, the bass makes your head fuzz, and drum beats thud into your chest with enough force to take your breath away, if only momentarily. If ear-plugs weren’t already an essential tonight, HEALTH amended that immediately. I decided to brave it for a little while. Wailing noisey guitar, bass (thrown from side to side by the man in control of it), backing track and double drumming accompanies ethereal vocals. It’s a lot noise, minimally structured into any sort of ‘usual’ song format with plenty of unexpected break-downs. Double bass drum pounds when you might expect a dance-y chorus to burst out, and songs stop unexpectedly without any sort of actual ending. I feel a little lost and overloaded, and decide that it’s time for ear-plugs, taking the opportunity to let the bar-staff know I am even more cheapskate and un-cool than they might have previously thought by ordering a free tap water at the same time. I place my water on the side to insert my ear-plugs, and the cup ripples and jumps around the surface as if an earthquake is rumbling or a T-Rex approaches. The drums – manned by what can accurately be described as human machines – are clearly a very important part of this music, from the speedy rim-hits to the repetitive pounding thuds that create this effect. In this set up, initially at least, guitar seems less a musical instrument and more a vehicle for heavy noise. Now with ear-plugs inserted, my brain seems to be able to keep up a little better than it had previously, and noises are moulding increasingly into the sounds of music; beats seem to come more steady and structured, the second drummer switches to second guitar duties, and the electro sounds are progressively catchy. It’s hypnotic; the crowd nods and sways in unison, – even those not meaning to join in as the floor bounces in time – and you can appreciate why the band have the backing they do. It’s difficult to imagine anybody else making music like this at the moment, and especially at such incredible volume. Just as I start to really appreciate the music (I seem to be much slower on the uptake than every other person in the room), the band announce that their next song will be their last. The crowd erupts as the computer blurts out the intro to USA Boys, with left-to-right-to-left stereo sounds just like in the recording, its electro gazey noises swirl in my head, the music’s entrancing power taking full effect. As the lights rise (which they don’t do immediately raising brief suspicions of an encore) I find myself feeling strange and somewhat lost, unsure exactly what I’d just witnessed.

Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I understand it? I’m not too sure.

Frankie & the Heartstrings (Gig Review for Buzz Magazine)

2010-10-06T15:27:00.002+01:00

Words originally for Buzz Magazine, and can be found online here.

You know when you can guess exactly how a band will look and sound just from their name? Actually, let’s test that theory. The Neat. Give yourself ten seconds, have a good think about that name and the aesthetic and musical thoughts it brings forth, and then read on.

Why have you continued to read on? That wasn’t ten seconds. Hmm, maybe you didn’t need that long. I guess I didn’t. Yep, they comfortably fit into that broad category of post-punk. Yep, they wear dark clothes. Yep, they sounded a little bit like The Fall and The Horrors. They were also young and skinny, which you might also have guessed. Give yourself a pat on the back.

That’s not to say that it wasn’t an enjoyable performance from this young four-piece from Hull (though you’d be excused for thinking that they might have come at least via Shoreditch). The atonal-squawky-almost-spoken-word-iness (think along the lines of Art Brut, as well as the aforementioned influencers) from the bass-wielding front man, the combined noisey and pitch fluctuating efforts of the two guitarists – one sometimes also lending a hand with vocal duties – and the perfectly acceptable and pleasant crashes and rumbles of the drummer work well together on songs about being young and sex and that.

The lyrics and feel of the songs possibly lack a little weight and verge a little on the close side to the mainstream considering the band’s dark and punk-y influences, but the crowd, at least partly made up of a younger generation expecting an evening of pop loveliness, may still have been a little taken aback by the band’s insistence of making lots of noise and generally being a bit out there.

The youths in the crowd could take a few steps closer now, as pop was to be held from them for no longer. But not any old pop music – really fucking good pop music. Although not an accurate audible comparison, Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey’s Summer Camp remind me of Dirty Projectors, for their fantastic knack of creating experimental and off-the-wall pop songs yet somehow managing to keep their music accessible and catchy.

The music itself surprises me a little. I more expected some lo-fi background drum-machine and guitar jangles rather than the in-your-face disco of this show. Warmsley provides the guitar and keys, but it’s the beats, the bass and the downright disco feel that takes centre stage here. The vocals, with notes bending and being drawn out for long periods, rally between male and female, the drum machine pounds, the crowd gleams, yet they both seem blissfully unaware, as they crack jokes and tease each other on stage and chat casually to eager fans at the merch desk, that they, Summer Camp, could well be one of the best bands in the UK right now.

The two of them may seem blissfully unaware of the level of fantastic that their music is right now, but much of Clwb doesn’t seem to; the crowd for lead Frankie & the Heartstrings looks a fair chunk thinner than it was for the previous band, but maybe that’s just where I’m standing. Front-man and lead vocalist Frankie is immediately as bouncy, energetic, and frankly camp onstage as he is during every live performance or video ever captured of this band – and it’s an energy that soon rubs off onto much of the front row. Jangling guitars provide a good backdrop, but it’s Frankie and his Sunderland-accented vocals that are the main feature of this show, which somehow manages to feel modern and retro simultaneously. On the whole (but not always: the songs sometimes fall a little flat and don’t always inspire) it’s a pleasant and enjoyable showing of pop music, with the pacey and grooving “Hunger” and the melancholic and, well, fragile “Fragile” proving highlights. Not incredible, but then the band haven’t helped themselves by deciding to play directly after their incredibly talented, and pleasantly dressed, may I add, tour mates Summer Camp – a challenge not even the most ambitious bands should ever relish

Sweet Baboo - I'm A Dancer / Songs About Sleeping (Abum Review for The Miniature Music Press)

2010-09-06T20:06:00.002+01:00

Words originally for The Miniature Music Press, and can be found in October's edition of the magazine

Artist: Sweet Baboo
Album: I'm A Dancer / Songs About Sleeping
Label: Shape Records
Rating: 3.6

In an unusual move, I point you to the title of the closing track of this album - the third full-length from North Wales born, Cardiff based Steven Black (the man behind Sweet Baboo). Titling a song “If I Died Would You Remember That You Loved Me” is incredibly brave and honest, and this lyrical ethos is a recurring theme through much of the release, with songs based predominantly on love, regret, and heartbreak (and a decent dose of alcohol), though Baboo does also have plenty of time for fun and humour, too (see: Three Thumbs). Musically (influences, at a guess, include Daniel Johnston, Gruff Rhys, The Moldy Peaches etc), Baboo jumps from big-and-bold (electric and acoustic guitars, drums, and sometimes brass sections) to bare-and-fragile, often featuring only Baboo's vocals (which aren't too dissimilar to Johnny Flynn's) and a delicately strum acoustic. Although not ground-breaking, this album is, at the very least, a strong collection of pleasant and catchy folk songs from an evidently talented musician and songwriter.

Against Me! (Gig Preview for Buzz Magazine)

2010-09-06T17:30:00.001+01:00

Words originally for Buzz Magazine, written during a week's work experience completed in August 2010, published in Buzz's October issue.

Against Me!

Cardiff University Solus, Cardiff

Sun 24 Oct

Against Me!, one of the earlier bands to punctuate their name with an exclamation mark being that they formed in the late 90s and all, bring the interesting juxtaposition of punk, rock and folk to Cardiff all the way from Florida on the back of the release of White Crosses, Tom Gabel and his band’s fifth studio effort.

The album was released in June of this year, produced by Butch Vig (Nirvana’s Nevermind), and continues the band’s lean away from their earlier folk-influenced sound – which stems from Gabel’s roots as a musician – towards a more straight-forward, no-frills punk feel. Alienating some of their earlier fans with this move, the live show at Cardiff University’s Solus is still likely to be as energetic and “fuck yeah!” as it ever has been.

Not content with lining up only the one highly prestigious and celebrated international punk band, GRAB Promotions present Canadian hardcore punks Fucked Up as lead support, continuing their trend of providing all the sweating and moshing needs that any Cardiffian could ever have. Further support yet comes from Japanese Voyeurs and Crazy Arm – who, I am informed, are two of the better up-and-coming acts this country of ours has to offer.

It should be a pretty hardcore evening. Just don’t request “Shit Roll”, or Tom Gabel might just ignore you.

Tickets: £12.50 adv. Info: 029 2078 1458 / www.cardiffboxoffice.com

Mr. Nice (Film Preview for Buzz Magazine)

2010-09-06T17:28:00.001+01:00

Words originally for Buzz Magazine, written during a week's work experience completed in August 2010, published in Buzz's October issue.

Mr. Nice

A biopic starring Rhys Ifans about the life of notorious drug smuggler Howard Marks is to hit UK cinema screens this month.

Ifans stars as the Bridgend-born Marks in film {Mr. Nice} (pronounced like the French city rather than the adjective, apparently), named after his autobiography of the same title, which is directed by Bernard Rose and also stars Chloë Sevigny as Marks’ wife, Crispin Glover, and Omid Djalili.

Marks, who is friends with Ifans, shot to fame as an international marijuana smuggler, believing that the drug should be legalised, through a string of high profile court cases, as well as links with the IRA and the mafia – and he was often seen as a political criminal rather than merely a drug smuggler.

The film, a comedy-drama that made its debut at the SXSW film festival, follows his life; through his times at Oxford University, as a teacher, his steps into the drug business and the life that follows it, as well as issues regarding the legalisation of the drug.

Mr. Nice will be on cinema screens around the UK on Fri 8 Oct.

Monster Jam (Tour Preview for Buzz Magazine)

2010-09-06T17:26:00.001+01:00

Words originally for Buzz Magazine, written during a week's work experience completed in August 2010, published in Buzz's October issue.

Monster Jam!

Four-tonnes worth of fuel-guzzling metallic beast, 2,000 horsepower engines, $250,000 worth of engineering, 66-inch tyres, lots of noise, freestyle motocross, and American men with facial hair driving monster trucks. Can you guess where this is leading yet (I reckon it was the mention of monster trucks that gave it away, or possibly that darn headline?)... Monster Jam is back in Cardiff!

This year visiting the Millennium Stadium in October for one day only, the tour brings some of the world’s most famous trucks and drivers across the globe, performing flips, spins, wheelies and jumps – as well as generally destroying things as they go.

One of this year’s drivers coming to Cardiff is current Monster Jam World Freestyle Champion Charlie Pauken, who drives the legendary Grave Digger truck. We had a chat to him about what it’s like to drive one of these 10 feet long and 11 feet wide beasts, which can reach 100mph and are capable of jumping off of ramps to heights of over 100 feet, for a living.

“It’s pretty wild,” Charlie says, casually. “One trick I like to perform is the flat wheelie, but as I’m driving the truck through a wheelie I like to stick my hands out and wave to the crowd. I’ve got so comfortable in the truck doing the tricks now that I think: “’I’m not doing anything else, so I might as well just wave to the fans!’”

Isn’t that a little dangerous? “I’ve been knocked out twice and I broke my hand a few years ago,” he says. “It can be dangerous, but I’m in one of the safest vehicles out there to be crashing into things.”

Safe? Pff. Why bother doing it, then? “To me it’s always about the kids,” he says. “Putting a smile on a kids face, that’s everything to me.” Which is lucky, because any kids (or adults) can head down before the event a little early (if they buy an extra ticket for a few quid) to meet and get their photos taken with the drivers of this slightly crazy, but definitely exhilarating, sport. Sounds pretty cool.

Sat 9th Oct, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. Info: 08442 777 888 / www.monsterjam.com. Tickets: £20 for adults, £10 for children.

Breakin' Convention Dance (Show Preview for Buzz Magazine)

2010-09-06T17:23:00.003+01:00

Words originally for Buzz Magazine, written during a week's work experience completed in August 2010, published in Buzz's October issue.

Breakin’ Convention

Breakin’ Convention is a critically acclaimed annual festival of hip-hop dance theatre and, now in its seventh year, visits Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre at the end of this month to kick off its third extensive UK tour.

Curated and hosted by hip-hop artist Jonzi D, the tour brings some of the world’s best hip-hop dancers around the UK – from Paris’ Phaze T (“casually astonishing” – The Independent) to Sebastien and Raphael (“the most outstanding use of theatrical performance and video projection” – Too much Flavour), of Perpignan and Berlin respectively – as well as giving some of the best local talent a chance to perform to hometown crowds.

As well as dance, the show, which is the only of its kinds in the UK, also brings an international workshop programme to each city, including graffiti writing and freestyle circles (where audiences are often seen to join in), animating each venue’s foyer area. It should be a fun few nights indeed.

Breakin’ Convention, Fri 22-Sat 23 Oct, Wales Millennium Centre. Tickets . Info: 029 2063 64 6 4 www.wmc.org.uk

Doctor Who Live (Theatre Preview for Buzz Magazine)

2010-09-06T17:22:00.002+01:00

Words originally for Buzz Magazine, written during a week's work experience completed in August 2010, published in Buzz's October issue.

Doctor Who Live

Feeling a little too old and grown up for hiding behind the sofa from all the monsters on Doctor Who? Sensible enough to have realised that a flight of stairs would stall those Daleks for long enough for you to escape were they to storm your house in the middle of the night? So tough that not even the biggest and baddest of Cybermen could stop you from enjoying your morning newspaper on the bus to work? Perhaps a Dalek flying towards your face in a live arena will fix all of that growing up and maturing that age has done to you... Say “hello” to Doctor Who Live, the BBC Worldwide audio and visual production that comes to Cardiff International Arena at the end of this month.

Doctor Who Live follows Vorgenson, a new character played by Nigel Planer (Neil from The Young Ones, performances in We Will Rock You and Chicago), who is described as ‘an inter-galactic showman’ and the Doctor’s biggest fan. Vorgenson, who was adapted exclusively for the show by {Doctor Who} executive producer and lead writer Steven Moffat, travels the galaxy with his clever invention, the Minimiser – a machine that can summon any Doctor Who character as part of his travelling show dedicated to his hero, the Doctor.

As he travels, Vorgenson brings a wide range of monsters to the stage for his audience to see, with terrifying live voices provided by Nick Briggs. Briggs, who creates the voices for the likes of Cybermen and the Daleks for the award winning BBC television show, will also play the role of Winston Churchill – another of the characters summoned by Vorgenson using the Minimiser.

The live show brings together music, live performances from top actors, optical illusions, special FX (including a flying Dalek), pyrotechnics and video scenes of Matt Smith as the Doctor shown on giants screens on stage; promising the same suspense, excitement, and terror that {Doctor Who} has provided for almost 50 years.

Doctor Who Live, Thurs 28-Sun 31 Oct, Cardiff International Arena. Tickets start at £25. Info: 029 2022 44 88 / www.livenation.co.uk/cardiff

Frisky and Mannish (Comedy Tour Preview for Buzz Magazine)

2010-09-06T17:19:00.001+01:00

Words originally for Buzz Magazine, written during a week's work experience completed in August 2010, and can be found online here.

Frisky and Mannish – The College Years

Following their much loved and critically acclaimed debut show School of Pop, as well as a string of awards at various festivals, musical-comedy duo Frisky and Mannish return with follow up The College Years, visiting Cardiff’s St David’s Hall as part of their UK tour this month.

Laura and Matthew, who formed their comedy act in 2008, are known for hilariously re-arranging well-known (and sometimes much hated) pop songs such as those of Lady Gaga, as well as merging modern pop culture with history or classic literature, like their Kate Nash rendition of Wuthering Heights.

The pair were featured as ‘talents to watch’ by The Sun, but don’t let that bother you – real newspapers love them too, such as The Guardian and The Independent who chucked adjectives such as “joyous” and “wildly talented” at them.

The College Years is the sequel to their schooling debut and provides more of the same, but better, according to reviews. It sees the likes of Florence and the Machine covering Peter Andre, Noel Coward singing Lily Allen, and Dizzee Rascal performing a duet with Shirley Bassey all to side-splitting effect and, at 10 quid, is a bit of a bargain too.

Tue 14th Sept, St David’s Hall. Info: www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk / 029 2087 8444. Tickets: £10

Mary Chapin Carter (Gig Preview for Buzz Magazine)

2010-09-06T17:14:00.001+01:00

Words originally for Buzz Magazine, written during a week's work experience completed in August 2010, published in Buzz's October issue.

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare

Thurs 28 Oct

Mary Chapin Carpenter may not particularly enjoy the “country” music tag that she has had laid upon her for the last 23 years of performing, but unfortunately it’s a word I struggle to avoid when writing this preview. In fact, this label is not something only argued against by Mary herself, but also by music writers of her early days and throughout her career as a whole. They argue that Mary, despite being simplistically labelled on websites such as Wikipedia as a “folk and country music artist”, is much more than this – various individuals noting over the years that her sound is reminiscent of The Beach Boys, Motown music, The Beatles, and it is highly unfair, with her use of the likes of sitar, ukulele, and guitar loops, to describe her music with such basic labels.

This tag doesn’t seem to have hurt her career too much, though. With five Grammy Awards under her belt, 12 top 10 singles, and having sold over 13 million records in her time, American-born Mary to continues to have an incredibly successful career – and her visit to Aberdare, which is her only Welsh stop as part of her 10-date rarely seen UK tour on the back of her latest album {The Age of Mircales}, will undoubtedly be a popular one. Support comes from American singer-songwriter Tift Merritt.

Tickets: £25 advance, £27.50 on the door. Info: www.coliseum.rct-arts.org / 01685 881 188.

Marina and the Diamonds (Gig Preview for The Bath Chronicle)

2010-08-23T12:35:00.001+01:00

Words originally for The Bath Chronicle, written during a week's work experince in July, published in July 19th edition, and can be found online here.

Glittering pop star plays Pavilion

Young pop sensation Marina and the Diamonds play Bath Pavilion on Sunday, November 14.

Following her appearance at numerous festivals – including Glastonbury, and the Isle of Wight Festival – as well as performing Radio 1's Big Weekend Marina Diamandis, and her group of glistening Diamond friends, visit Bath on the penultimate date of her Autumn tour.

The Abergavenny-born songstress, whose work has drawn comparisons with Kate Bush and Florence and the Machine, rose to fame after being featured at the number 2 position of the BBC Sound of 2010 predictions, following a successful 2009 catching the attentions of an increasing number of music blog post writers.

She released her debut album The Family Jewels in February earlier this year to much commotion from the music press.

This Is Fake DIY said: "Remarkably consistent, and at times quite affecting, this album lives up to all the hype".

If you are unsure as to who Marina and the Diamonds are, you will probably at least recognise a number of her songs as the album spawned several impressive singles including Mowgli's Road, Hollywood and I Am Not A Robot.

Her last UK tour in May completely sold out, and similar popularity is expected for this upcoming autumn tour.

It will span an impressive 16-dates, squeezed into less than a month, including nights in Manchester, Brighton, London and Glasgow.

Next weekend sees the Marina headline the Festival Republic Stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals.

Tickets for the Pavilion Marina and the Diamonds gig are priced at £15, and more information on the event, including how to purchase tickets, is available from www.bathpavilion.org.

Blaktrix - Houdini Footprints Of Some People Never Go Crazy (EP Review for The Miniature Music Press)

2010-08-13T14:18:00.002+01:00

Words originally for The Miniature Music Press, and can be found in September's issue

Juxtaposing wide influences (see: Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Jurassic 5) and unusual samples (including the use of The Eagles’ One Of These Nights), Cardiff-based Blaktrix’s ten-track EP, feels more than your average hip-hop release. Evident immediately from the electro experimentation of album opener Tek Time, interesting and effective musicianship is a staple throughout. From funky bass-lines and bending guitar notes to turntablism and driving drum beats, Blaktrix keep things interesting – and the honey-sweet vocals impress also, both well timed and pleasantly delivered. At its best when it doesn’t behave how it might be expected to (lyrics at times are a little predictable in their nature and the record sometimes feels generally overly aggressive), the release (which is available as a free download from the artist’s website) is on the whole largely enjoyable. Many tracks wouldn’t feel too out of place on the new Gorillaz album, which provides an insight into the sound of the EP but is also a testament to its strength.

3.8/5

Latitude 2010 Festival Round-Up

2010-08-03T12:56:00.002+01:00

Words (heavily edited) also can be found on NeuMagazine

Thursday:
Most of Thursday was spent with annoying things like waking up at 6am and queuing and getting off a coach with no toilet on to wee at the side of the motorway and setting up a tent incorrectly to the amusement of our fellow tent setter-uppers and smug early go-ers. We (my friends and I) opted for the yellow area of the site which was apparently miles away from the entrance, but was only a small walk for me as I got minibussed to the guest entrance which was nice and close. Apparently it was the sociable area to be, but seemed to be more filled with underage drunk people, which was annoying considering the amount I got ID’d, but still quite funny. We decided to mooch around the arena area of the campsite, which was separated by a lot of fencing and was only enterable through a bag-check area to make sure people weren’t taking their cheap booze in rather than paying £3.90 for a pint of cider plus a £2 deposit for the recyclable cups. £20 round anyone? It was a nice looking area, though, with lots of grass and plenty of things to explore other than music stages, like a walk-able scenic woody area and a food stall which sold exclusively corn on the cob. We headed back to the tent and had a good chuckle at our drunk-under-age-fighting-cockneys-who-actually-went-to-a-posh-school neighbours, before heading back out to catch the only live music of the Thursday – Tom Jones performing his new album in the woods. That wasn’t very successful, though, as everybody else apparently had the same idea and security weren’t letting in anymore people by the time we had arrived. Instead we headed back into the main area and sat down in the poetry arena where some people were incorrectly playing charades and a drunk staff member decided to tell some knock-knock jokes rather than put away the mic equipment. It was then back to the tent to find our ‘friends’ had met a girl and were woo-ing her with fictional stories of London shop-lifting and average virginity loss age. No music yet, though.
Friday:
We woke up nice and early on Friday morning, forgetting how disgustingly hot tents get in the sun. Some rehydration later, and it was time to head in for Phil Jupitus and friends’ improvisational stand-up show. Not all went to plan though as we were halted by a lengthy queue heading into the arena area, which apparently didn’t open until the first act started. Not the best organisation and issues that haunted our whole weekend. By the time we made it in the Comedy Arena was packed and the set was almost over, so we decided instead to check out some live music. We went to the Sunrise Arena which was surprisingly busy considering it was one of the smaller stages, was a little out of the way and it was still pretty early. There we found Matthew P, a local acoustic singer-songwriter. His set wasn’t especially invigorating and reminded me of the bland sort of sounds The Kooks make, combined with Newton Faulkner typed sounds. Not technically good, but one can imagine it on the radio – and his on-stage prop, which held letters spelling his name floating up and down, was enjoyable. Simple minds. Up next on the same stage was Kurran and the Wolfnotes. I hadn’t listen to them since stumbling upon some of their more acoustic folk songs on blogs a while back, so was surprised to see them armed with electric guitars and a (arguably over-energetic) drummer. Their sound was still recognisable though and, although the vocals were a little ‘emo’ sounding, it was a decent set. We then headed off to the Lake Stage, curated by Huw Stephens for the weekend, which was more in the main area of the site than the Sunrise Arena. I caught the end of These Ghosts set, but wasn’t overly impressed by what I heard so popped to the bar. By the time I was back, Rose Elinor Dougall, formerly of The Pipettes, and her band were just getting ready to start. Her/their indie pop sound didn’t really break any boundaries, but was inoffensive enough. One of the guitarists did have an awesome effects pedal, though, which gave the riffs a really fantastic distorted sound. I probably wouldn’t bother watching her again. Nothing else on the programme really stuck out so we decided to hang around at the Lake Stage’s open area which was good to take a pew and have a beer. On stage came Y Niwl, four unsuspecting and casually dressed blokes from Wales, who turned out to play what was probably my favourite set of the whole weekend. Their instrumental surf-pop guitar riffs, accompanied by drums, bass, and every-so often by Booker T-esque keys, although not drawing a huge crowd, got those who did turn up twisting and dancing. Each song sounded somehow unique and highly enjoyable and I would urge people to check out some of their music – perhaps by buying their debut 7” EP (check their MySpace page for info). Next up on the Lake Stage were Yuck. Their fuzzy guitar riffs sounded as great as their recorded songs, and the live lead vocals struck me as surprisingly strong. One of the guy’s sisters came on stage to sing vocals on “Georgia”. It’s a great song and it sounded good live, though she did look very nervous. A very strong set, and one I can imagine seeing on a much bigger stage in the near future. Then we decided to head back to the camping area where we found our tent flattened by the wind. We spent a good hour there fixing guy ropes and pushing in pegs with our hands (poor organisation, I know) which was really annoying as it meant we missed Islet, Tokyo Police Club, Wild Beasts and Girls. From a distance, Islet sounded good, and, according to my friend, Wild Beasts put on a really good show but, at times, “loved it a little too much” (which, I think, means they were enthusiastic). According to the same friend, Richard Hawley played an incredible set and The National were also very good. Instead, I headed to Florence and the Machine which was indeed not the best decision, as many of you may be thinking. Her vocals sounded really fragile and she struggled to reach some of the powerful high notes that she is known for. It was still a decent spectacle, though getting the crowd to sing her sister “happy birthday” was pretty awkward and the drunk dad in front of us not doing a good job of being a dad lead us to decide to leave early. We were knackered and boring so we went to bed after that and fell to sleep, probably before midnight. Hardcore, I know.
Saturday:
After a pleasant early night, Saturday’s was a pretty early morning. The first place we headed to was the Comedy Arena. They were running late (a rarity at Latitude – time-keeping was on the whole sublime), which meant we caught the end of the Latitude’s New Act of the Year comedy competition. The winner was unfunny, but the runner-up, a young guy called Ivo Graham, was really funny and worth checking out if you enjoy to laugh. He made some funny joks about “your mum jokes” and Facebook. The reason we were there, though, was to see Ardal O’Hanlon (Father Dougal/My Hero). His set was also very funny. He moaned a fair amount about the economic climate, Ireland, and his wife. I’m not sure what else to say about it that might be interesting. He looked a bit fatter than he used to. Is that interesting? Josie Long was up next, so we knew it was time to leave. We headed to School of Seven Bells, who had drawn a decent-sized crowd to the Word Arena. Their set was really strong, playing stuff from their debut album and their recent release, Disconnect From Desire. It was a little more dance-y and electro-based than I had expected, and the harmonies sounded really great. After that, my girlfriend and I split up; she headed to Bret Easton Ellis’s Q&A, and I returned to the Comedy Arena to see Kevin Bridges. Bret Easton Ellis apparently didn’t want to speak much about his books, but came across well and was still interesting. Kevin Bridges was very funny, though possibly made a few too many jokes about the ‘middle-class Latitude crowd’ which was already getting boring from the other comedians. I really enjoyed watching him and would love to see him again. Then we met again at the Lake Stage to see Standard Fare. Their female-fronted indie pop came across very well, with particular highlights being “Fifteen” and “Philadelphia”. The male vocals felt a little awkward, but it still worked. Jen Long, who I got my ticket off of, was DJ-ing between all of the acts on the Lake Stage and played some really good songs. I thought she probably deserved a mention considering her generosity was the reason I came to the festival in the first place, so three cheers for Jen Long. We then all headed to the Word Arena to see Noah and the Whale. It was a big tent but got pretty busy for their set, which seemed to contain only their more upbeat song. That was a bit of a shame but they performed really well and put on an enjoyable spectacle nonetheless. The tent got pretty empty once they finished despite The Horrors being on next, and I took this opportunity to dash off and eat an amazing butternut squash and goat’s cheese pie. By the time I got back they were half way into their set, but the tent still wasn’t much more busy. They seemed a little off, and the infamous “she cried” line especially lacked effort and energy. Maybe they’re bored of touring the same stuff for so long. It certainly seemed that way. Come the end of their set, the tent was pretty busy, though most of them were probably there for The XX, who completely packed out the whole tent before they had even started playing. My girlfriend’s drunk friend decided to use the break between The Horrors and The XX to crouch down in the middle of this packed crowd for a wee to the amazement and horror of everybody around her. Luckily though, she got stage fright and so she went outside and went behind a random tent – with permission from security, of course. Anyway, The XX. The vocals sounded great. Their relaxed beats and chilled guitar plucks were really enjoyable too, though the crowd decided it was time to rave rather than sway. I didn’t manage to last the whole set, though, as it was far too hot and crowded, and we didn’t bother with Belle & Sebastian as that too was horribly busy. Again, hardcore. We then went back to the tent, attempted to sneak in alcohol to the arenas, which was pretty scary as they were patting people down, and went and got drunk at a Guilty Pleasures night. It was fun.
Sunday:
We woke up pretty early on Sunday but decided to have a lazy morning instead of rushing to see Tom Jones play his second show of the festival. I’m not sure how planned it was as it was only announced during his Thursday night In The Woods show, but there was a strange lack of acts scheduled for Sunday morning which suggests it was probably a little more planned than he was trying to let off. We heard his stuff from the tent. He seemed to only play his new album again, which may have left some people disappointed as the rumour was it would be his hits o the Sunday. The first band we headed in to see were Spectrals who were on the Lake Stage. The frontman greeted the crowd in a thick Northern accent which is something I strangely enjoyed. Besides his accent, I also enjoyed their set. Their fuzzy surfy sound came across very well and these were a definite highlight of the weekend. They have a nice split release available on Spotify with the Fair Ohs which is well worth checking out. We walked over to catch The Big Pink’s set which had a few sound issues and was very short, but was frankly disappointing regardless of the issues. They seemed really arsey, but didn’t have the songs to back the attitude up. We then headed up to the Obelisk Arena, which was the main stage, for the first time to see Dirty Projectors. Weaving through the dirty Mumford & Sons fans, we made our way past the people that simply camp at the main stage all day and found our way to the front where only a few people had collected. Some annoying people were playing with a beach ball just as the band were starting, so I caught it and my girlfriend’s friend popped it with her earring. Team-work. They played a really strong set, to a decent-sized crowd by the time they’d finished. The female harmonies sounded brilliant live, and “Stillness In The Move” sounded especially amazing – even though a fair few guitar notes were missed. My friends then decided to have a nap (getting old), so we headed back to the tent and I sat outside the tent and drank warmer than warm Carlsberg. I woke one friend up with a finger in the ear and then we headed to The Pains of Being Pure At Heart at the Sunrise Arena, but were once again faulted by the big queue heading into the arena area. Bit of a pain in the arse. We got there with a bit of time to spare though and found a decent spot to enjoy their set. They played a few new songs which, though not breaking their mould of sweet harmonies and fuzzy guitar pop, sounding good alongside other tracks from their really good debut album. I thought they were good and everybody else seemed to agree. I also spotted Darwin Deez entering and spending a considerable amount of time in a portaloo back stage. Rodrigo Y Gabriela were apparently very good, though I only heard them from a distance as I decided to find a decent spot for the Jonsi, of Sigur Ros fame, set. It was really enjoyable and the tent of the Word Arena had a fantastic atmosphere throughout, but the clothing of the band was slightly questionable on such a hot day. His vocals were pretty impressive and it seemed like more than simply live music. We decided against going to Vampire Weekend as we thought it would probably be full of annoying people (our cockney neighbours boasted about starting a mosh pit and punching people, so it was probably a correct decision) and stuck around for Grizzly Bear. Beforehand, though, I popped to the bar quickly and saw about 30 seconds of Frankie and the Heartstrings who, from that short amount of time of spectating, sounded pretty darn fun. Grizzly Bear was a pretty awesome end to the festival. Their songs are great and they sounded even better live. Jay Z was nowhere to be seen, though. “While We Wait for the Others” was probably the highlight, and seeing them live will probably make me appreciate their recorded stuff even more. I ate another pie and went back to sleep ready for an early morning of tent putting down.
Hopefully the organisers will be less strict about security next year, but other than that a fantastic weekend.

Matthew & The Atlas Show (News for The 405)

2010-07-29T14:18:00.003+01:00

Words originally for The405, and can be found online here.

MATTHEW & THE ATLAS PLAY INTIMATE LONDON SHOW

Before supporting Mumford & Sons on their October UK tour, folksters Matthew & The Atlas will play an intimate one-off show, probably before becoming huge folk stars like the aforementioned Mumfords, at Paradise, North London, on August 12th.

A gardener by day, Matthew Hegarty, and his band, will then be heading into the studio to record a follow up to the debut EP To The North, which was released to positive reviews back in April.

The Paradise show will also host the first screening of their video for “Within The Rose”, directed by Neil Coxhill.

Matthew & The Atlas support Mumford & Sons on the following dates:
1st October - O2 Academy, Glasgow
2nd October - The Apollo, Manchester
4th October - The Dome, Brighton
5th October - Rock City, Nottingham
6th October - O2 Academy, Bristol
8th October - HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London
9th October - HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London

Mount Kimbie UK Tour (News for The 405)

2010-07-29T14:00:00.005+01:00

Words originally for The405, and can be found online here.

MOUNT KIMBIE ANNOUNCE UK TOUR

British “post-dubstep” duo Mount Kimbie have announced a solo UK tour following the release of their critically acclaimed debut album Crooks & Lovers.

The group, who play as a band during their live shows, will spend their summer at festivals across the UK and Europe, including appearances at Field Day and Bestival, before their first ever live shows in America followed by an 11-date UK tour in October.

Of their debut album, which was released earlier this month, Drowned In Sound claimed it to be a contender for album of the year, and NME described it as a "lush collection of soul-stepping miniatures."

Dominic Maker and Kai Campos, who make up Mount Kimbie, will play;
Tue 5 Oct 2010 - Jam, Brighton
Wed 6 Oct 2010 - Hare and Hounds, Birmingham
Thu 7 Oct 2010 - Cockpit, Leeds
Fri 8 Oct 2010 - Bungalows and Bears, Sheffield
Sat 9 Oct - Stealth, Nottingham
Tue 12 Oct - Róisín Dubh, Galway
Wed 13 Oct - Academy 2, Dublin
Thu 14 Oct - In the City @ Blood on the Wall, Manchester
Thu 28 Oct - Abandon Silence @ The Shipping Forecast Club, Liverpool
Fri 29 Oct - Heavyweight, Newcastle
Sat 30 Oct - Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol

Neon Indian Album (News for The 405)

2010-07-22T12:20:00.003+01:00

Words originally for The405, and can be found online here.

UK release for Neon Indian debut album plus guest remixes

Neon Indian, aka 21-year old Alan Palomo, is set to release his debut album, Psychic Chasms, in the UK officially for the first time on 20th September through Static Tongues.

The UK release comes almost a year after the US release (back in October, 2009), meaning it has already gained tonnes of positive press for its psychedelic electro sounds.

Psychic Chasms will also hit the UK shelves packed with loads of remixes on a disc entitled Mind Ctrl: Psychic Chasms Possessed, from the likes of Toro Y Moi, YACHT, and The Antlers.

Psychic Chasms Tracklist:
01. (AM)
02. Deadbeat Summer
03. Laughing Gas
04. Terminally Chill
05. (If I Knew I'd Tell You)
06. 6669 (I Don't Know if you Know)
07. Should Have Taken Acid with You
08. Mind, Drips
09. Psychic Chasms
10. Local Joke
11. Ephemeral Artery
12. 7000 (Reprise)

Mind Ctrl: Psychic Chasms Possessed Tracklist
13. Sleep Paralysist
14. Deadbeat Summer (Toro Y Moi Remix)
15. Should have taken acid with you (Body Language Remix)
16. If I knew i'd Tell you (Javelin Remix)
17. Mind, Drips (Bibio Remix)
18. Terminally Chill (Yacht Remix)
19. Ephemeral Artery (The Antlers Remix)
20. Local Joke (DNTEL Remix)

Frank Turner (Interview/Gig Preview for The Bath Chronicle)

2010-07-08T13:41:00.002+01:00

Originally written for The Bath Chronicle and published in July 8th issue.

Top folk-punk troubadour to play Komedia

It would be fair to say that Frank Turner, the 28-year old folk punk wonder, has had a busy few weeks.

Not only did he play a number of shows at Glastonbury, worked with Billy Bragg, and was recently featured on the front cover of Kerrang! magazine, Frank also supported American legends Green Day for their mammoth Wembley show - at the band's personal request no less.

Now the former Million Dead front-man is due to play Bath's Komedia on Wednesday, July 14.

"At moments, I feel a little spaced out," he said.

"Like playing with Green Day and the Kerrang! feature. It was a bit odd going to buy my groceries and the issue of Kerrang! at the same time."

The Bath date has been squeezed in between numerous festival dates, with Latitude Festival, as well as appearances in the US and Canada upcoming, with the Komedia show acting somewhat as a "warm up" to some of these shows.

Not that you would think he would need much warming up, what with what this year has had in store for him thus far.

"I have a few friends in Bath, and we decided to put a show on. A trip to Bath has been long overdue," he said.

Frank last played Bath more than three years ago at Moles, before much of the fame and popularity had swelled to the levels they are at now - though he insists that he still gets nerves before going on stage.

But alcohol is not the answer to clearing away the butterflies, he says.

"I limit myself to two beers before shows now - drunk shows are a thing of the past. I'm trying to act professional in my old age.

"The best way of coping is to remind myself that I not only have lots of practice of live shows, but it's also what I love doing."

Although playing in Bath may be with the slight aim of serving as a warm-up to other dates, the show will be by no means a tame affair.

"It's fantastic to play larger venues, but good shows are more about the atmosphere and the relationship with the crowd, so size doesn't really come into it," he said.

Plus, Frank has been enjoying the non-festival life of late, it seems.

"I went back to stay at friends' houses after playing at Glastonbury. It's nice to be able to wash and eat.

"I've been going to festivals for years now, so I feel I've almost earned the right to not always camp out."

As well as numerous dates in America, and then a winter UK tour, Frank plans to start recording his fourth studio album in January of 2011.

He said: "I've been writing on the road - I don't get much time to do it anywhere else. I almost have too much material at the moment, so it'll be a case of weeding through what I have so far, which is a good thing, in a way."

Doors open at 8pm. Support comes from Fighting Fiction and Ben Marwood. Tickets, priced at Pounds 12, are available from www.komedia.co.uk/bath, or from the box office on 0845 293 8480.

Hadouken/New Bath Youth Music Initiative (Features/News Article for The Bath Chronicle)

2010-07-08T13:33:00.003+01:00

Originally published in The Bath Chronicle in July 8th issue, and can be found online here.

Musical youth: Hadouken! help launch new initiative

A new initiative aimed at both involving young people in the music industry and improving the local music scene is being debuted at Bath Pavilion on Saturday, July 17 with a live show from alternative electro act Hadouken!

By Jove productions is a new venture for the Bath Festivals team – who are already involved with numerous of Bath-based events – which aims to give the young people of the region an opportunity to gain priceless experience in the music industry.

By Jove involves those aged between 13 and 23 in all elements of live events, from booking and promoting bands to lighting and sound.

The initiative also looks to bring more live music to the region – putting Bath back on the music scene map.

By Jove team member, 18 year old Tom Mitchell, said: "A project like By Jove is precisely the kind of group I have been looking to join in order to help enhance my skills for a music promotion course I will be undertaking next year.

"Providing me with a much deeper knowledge of the music industry and the various requirements necessary to staging a music event are then the kind of skills which I feel will help support me in a future career within industry."

By Jove will have an immediate impact on the city with a tasty introduction at Bath's Pavilion next weekend.

Leeds-based Hadouken! came to prominence in 2007 when their first single That Boy, That Girl rocketed to the top of MTV Two's NME Chart.

Named after a special move on popular video game Super Street Fighter, the band formed after two friends at the University of Leeds decided to create a record label, which progressed into the two of them making music and being joined by a few more friends.

They released their debut album Music For An Accelerated Culture in 2008 to mostly positive reviews, and their second album To The Masses was released at the beginning of this year.

Support for the show will come in the form of Bath's very own electronic music group You Love Her Coz She's Dead. The duo have been gaining an increasing amount of national attention recently, partly for their appearance on popular TV show Skins. The band, who are regularly compared to the likes of Crystal Castles and The Prodigy, will surely be relishing the chance to play such an illustrious show in their hometown.

Tickets, costing £12, can be booked by calling Bath Festivals Box Office on 01225 463362.

For further information about By Jove, contact Karl Bevis at karl.bevis@bathfestivals.org.uk.

Dracula (Performance Preview/Feature/News for The Bath Chronicle)

2010-07-08T13:29:00.006+01:00

Words originally for The Bath Chronicle published in July 8th edition, and can be found online here.

Youngsters get teeth into gothic horror

A musical version of Bram Stoker's gothic horror novel Dracula is to be performed at Kingswood Theatre, Bath, by Zenith Youth Theatre Company next week.

In recent years the young company has appeared on national television, been on the receiving end of numerous awards for its productions (including winning Best Youth Musical for Chess in the Rose Bowl Awards) and have even performed a world premiere for the Queen.

Now the group is ambitiously taking on Dracula: The Musical which runs from from July 14 to 17.

Bram Stoker has a bit of history in Bath, too.

In 1905, during his role as acting manager for a farewell tour for Henry Irving (the most famous actor of his time and is also believed to have influenced the Count Dracula's character), Stoker spent four days in the area. He helped to organise five plays in three days at the Theatre Royal.

Stoker, joined by Irving (the first actor to get a knighthood), also enjoyed a meal at the Guildhall with the mayor and mayoress Mr and Mrs Benjamin John before departing on what is believed to be a local record-breaking train for both weight and length to Wolverhampton, where the tour continued. Abraham Stoker, as was Bram's full name, even gave a response to the last toast of the meal at the Guildhall, which was aptly dedicated to 'drama'.

Zenith Youth Theatre Company will be looking to funnel some of the chilling effects that Dracula has had across the world on to its audiences in Bath when it performs what has been described by Scott Rogers, artistic director, as a close representation to Stoker's novel. He said: "We are really looking forward to staging this great musical. At the moment vampires are on so many different television programmes so it's great to go back to the greatest vampire story of them all.

"We hope it will be a chilling night of theatre".

Tickets for the show are £9.50/ £7.50 with matinee shows costing £6. A family ticket (two adults and two children – except for Saturday evening's showing) is available for £28. Visit www.zenithytc.co.uk for information, or call Kingswood Theatre on 01225 835301 for tickets.

Jake May

Bath City Trialist Aims To Impress (News story for The Bath Chronicle)

2010-07-01T11:14:00.000+01:00

Words originally for The Bath Chronicle, completed during a week's work experience, and can be found in the July 1 edition of the newspaper or online here.

Trialist Yan Klukowski says he is eager to impress boss Adie Britton and earn a contract with Bath City,

writes Jake May.

The City youth product joined the rest of the squad for the start of pre-season training on Tuesday, marking his first return to Twerton Park since leaving to take up a sports scholarship course in the United States five years ago.

"I'm looking to come back, work hard and prove myself," said Klukowski.

"Adie has been honest with me and I must work hard and show what I can do."

Klukowski trained full-time while studying at Central Connecticut State University and says that helped him improve both technically and physically – something he hopes to bring to City colours.

"You have to be confident," said the 23-year-old.

"A big part of my game is to set up goals and score them but I don't like to be greedy and I'm my own biggest critic.

"Ultimately it's about the team. The team spirit will be very high after promotion and whenever you go into a new league you want to do well – hopefully I can be part of it."

Les Savy Fav New Album (News for The 405)

2010-06-18T15:20:00.005+01:00

Words originally for The 405, and can be found online here.

Les Savy Fav // New Album Announced

New York arty punks/indie rockers Les Savy Fav have announced the release of their new full length album, Root for Ruin, through Frenchkiss Records

The highly anticipated follow up to Let’s Stay Friends, Root for Ruin was recorded in New York with Chris Zane, who worked on many of the band’s past releases, and is due for release on September 13th. Guitarist Syd Butler said: “I think Root for Ruin somehow captures all the best parts of Les Savy Fav. We went into it with no expectations - and super excited with what came out - all the songs are my favourites.”

The band are also in the process of organising some European shows for later this year. Details of which will be announced soon.

Root for Ruin track-listing:
1. Appetites
2. Dirty Knails
3. Sleepless In Silverlake
4. Let's Get Out Of Here
5. Lips n' Stuff
6. Poltergeist
7. High And Unhinged
8. Excess Engergies
9. Dear Crutches
10. Calm Down
11. Clear Spirits

Tubelord // New EP Announced

2010-06-18T15:19:00.005+01:00

Words originally for The 405, and can be found online here.

Tubelord // New EP Announced

Kingston post-hardcore band Tubelord have announced news of a brand new release and a change in line-up. Percussionist Jamie Field and new bassist Tom Coulson-Smith join guitarist and vocalist Jo Prendergast and drummer David Catmur on the band’s new EP, entitled Tezcatlipôca due to be released August 16th on Hassle Records.

Apparently pronounced “tehs-cah-tlee-poh’-cah”, the songs on the new EP all relate to the Aztec beliefs of time, and were written when the band were listening to Phil Collins’ “Hello, I Must Be Going” non-stop. The band are insisting that fans listen to the whole three tracks of the EP (1. Arbour; 2. Ratchet; 3. Bazel) in the right order, as each song has strong interlinks.

Tubelord will also be curating their own ‘ROTA’ art exhibition and show at Notting Hill Arts Club – free entry – on Augist 7th, and the matinee show will also serve as the launch party for Tezcatlipôca

Tubelord have lots of upcoming live shows, but haven’t put them on their MySpace. Find them below:

26th June - Queens Head, Glastonbury Festival, UK
30th June - Berkshire @ Wellington, UK
16th July - 2000 Trees Festival, Cheltenham, UK
25th July - Birmingham @ The Flapper, UK
1st August - Y Not Festival, Derbyshire, UK
7th August - ROTA @ Nottinghill Arts Club, London, UK FREE ENTRY (4pm-8pm)
15th August - Moor Music Festival, Skipton, UK
20th August - Castle Calling @ Richmond Castle, Yorkshire, UK
21st August - Morton Stanley Festival, Redditch, UK
21st September - Leeds @ Cockpit, UK
22nd September - Sheffield @ The Harley, UK
23rd September - Manchester @ Sound Control, UK
24th September - Northampton @ Labour Club, UK
25th September - Lincoln @ SCY, UK
27th September - Norwich @ The Marquee, UK
28th September- Nottingham @ The Central, UK
29th September - Reading @ Face Bar, UK
30th September - High Wycombe @ Nags Head, UK
1st October - Brighton @ Freebutt, UK
2nd October - Cambridge @ Portland Arms, UK
3rd October - Cardiff @ Buffalo, UK
7th October - London @ Water Rats, UK
8th October - Portsmouth @ Kraken Awakes, UK
9th October - Chester @ Telford’s Warehouse

Of Montreal New Album (News for The 405)

2010-06-18T15:18:00.006+01:00

Words originally for The 405, and can be found online here.

Of Montreal // New Album Details

In an exclusive email with Pitchfork, of Montreal front-man Kevin Barnes revealed that his band’s next album, entitled ‘False Priest’, will be released Autumn of this year, plus news of a collaboration with Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner.

Due to be released on Polyvinyl Records, ‘False Priest’ is expected to see the Georgia band take a move towards an r’n’b sound, and will feature input from Solange Knowles (sister of Beyonce for those not in the know) and Janelle Monae. Barnes said: “There's a thick R&B influence, so it's cool that we have a lot of deep low end. We're trying to make a record that has similar low end to records like ‘The Low End Theory’ by A Tribe Called Quest and even, to some degree, stuff like Dr. Dre”.

The band have also worked with Nick Zinner, who plays guitar on ‘The Past Is A Grotesque Animal’, the 12-minute long track originally used on Spike Jonze’s short film ‘I’m Here’. The limited edition 12” (pressed on blue vinyl), which features both the album version and the re-worked version with Zinner, will be shipped to those who’ve pre-ordered on July 16th.

More details of False Priest are expected soon, so keeps your eyes peeled!

Islet (Interview for The 405)

2010-06-11T12:23:00.004+01:00

Words originally for The405, and can be found online here.

If you live on this planet, you probably already know about Islet. The Cardiff four-piece make noises unlike most others. Their live shows are energetic and fluid, and they’ve been called the best live band in the world a fair few times, too. They had gained quite an incredible amount of press before having even recorded a track. Tracks have been recorded now, though. And good tracks they are too. I caught up with Islet in a small café in Cardiff to have a chat about things.

Hello all of Islet. I was only expecting half of you. I was going to start by asking which instruments you each play in the band, but it’s probably easier to ask what instruments you don’t play.
JT: I don’t pay the bass guitar.
Alex: I don’t pay the drums sitting down.
Emma: I don’t play keyboard or guitar.
Mark: I think I play everything?
JT: Yeah. Keyboard, check. Guitar, check. Bass, check.
Emma: You can work out what we actually do from that. You can make it out of what everyone else doesn’t play, so we know we’ve got bass, guitar, drums, and keyboard.

Celebrate This Place is out soon. What should buyers expect from it that they might not expect from seeing you live?
Mark: A colourful sleeve. Well actually you do [see that live] now, because we’ve started taking them to gigs, but only if you look on the merch table.
JT: Vocals on mic’s. Like, sometimes we’re not always on the mic.
Alex: We tried on the record to try and get all the sounds audible all of the time, which is impossible isn’t it.
Mark: Possibly more special FX.
Alex: Yeah, more special effects.

Cheating?
Mark: We have loads more cheats on it, yeah.
Emma: We’re a group of illusionists... It’s always difficult to contain energy onto record but then you’ve got to try to see it differently and not think the record of like being a recording.
Mark: There’s more potential energy, less than kinetic energy.

Was it difficult to get all of your live energy into a recording studio, then?
Mark: No… When we kind of started we always said we’ll practice and record as we play live, so that’s kind of how we practice as well. There’s generally a lot of energy flicking around.
Alex: And because the place we recorded [Celebrate This Place], it wasn’t like a big fancy recording studio, feeling all silly for jumping on the wall or something like that. We did it in our own circumstances in a place where we feel comfortable.
Emma: So if you feel a bit silly about it, or feel a bit self-conscious maybe, then you can do it on your own or you can switch all the lights off, stuff like that.

It’s already got some pretty good reviews. Do you pay much attention to reviews or the press?
Mark: I think Emma and I do.
Emma: I don’t know about paying attention. It’s nice to know if people like things, but I actually quite like it if you get bad reviews because you have something to rail against, and you can feel even more like your own kind of group. Everyone in the band can say “hey, sod you! That’s not what it is. You’re rubbish, go listen to your rubbish music”.
JT: I like to listen to reviews from friends quite a lot really. Like, when we first did it, particularly our housemates, because they’d hear it all the time because we played it a lot, and hearing their reviews was good.
Alex: Totally. Absolutely, yeah. They talk about things that you want to hear about. A lot of time reviews can be really frustrating because they don’t talk about anything that you find interesting about the record at all. It’s about what the band is or that kind of thing.

Or your lack of MySpace.
Alex: Yeah, totally. Exactly. I think reviews in general, even the really good publications, people just get side-tracked. Some people naturally because of the way that their brain works aren’t interested in the same things as what I’m interested in.
Mark: It depends on the type of reviews you like reading as well.
Emma: We like to review ourselves, I guess. Because part of the excitement in a band is that you do your gig and stuff and you might be driving for 4 hours or something afterwards, and you have a little chat. Finding out about things that other people do that I don’t notice if I’m sitting and playing the drums or something; I find out that other people did other things.

One thing that people don’t shut up about is your lack of web presence, but you do now have a website. Was that as much to shut people up as it was to serve a function?
Mark: No.
Emma: Its purpose is so that you can see all the gigs that we’re paying and if you’re interested you can come and see us play, and you can also listen to our music.
Mark: That’s not factual at this moment, though.
Emma: But it will be factual on Sunday or whenever we get around to putting up the music.
Mark: It wasn’t to shut anyone up as we always planned to have a website, it’s just it got a bit carried away.
JT: Before we had a website or whatever we wanted some actual substance to show.
Emma: If we didn’t have loads of gigs or music recorded then as we didn’t then why would you make a website?
Mark: We did want to put it to bed a little as well though, because it was a little annoying. [laughs]

How come ‘Sign For Home’, which was obviously included on the Turnstile Bento, wasn’t included on Celebrate This Place?
Mark: I dunno! Good question though! I don’t know!
Alex: That song wasn’t on the record!?
Mark: What idiots!
[laughs]
Emma: When we recorded that batch of songs for that mini album, we’d done some other songs and some other bits of songs and things, but those ones that we chose to put on [Celebrate This Place] were the ones that kind of worked as a unit. But afterwards we’d realised it was the same six that we’d been playing on the Los Campesinos! tour!

So people may not even hear ‘Sign For Home’ if they don’t go on to Turnstile?
Emma: Yeah, we haven’t played it much live, but it’s totally different. It’s kind of one that we use different instrumentations and stuff like that.
Mark: What made you ask?

I'm not sure… I was just interested to see if you didn’t like it any more, or..?
Mark: Oh. No, no! I think we’re going to release lots of songs over the course of time, and in different ways. [Turnstile] is a nice way of putting it there, and it’s nice to have exclusive things, because the people who released it at Turnstile, they do a Bento Box which is what it’s part of, and it was nice to give something exclusively to that. And it’s still technically being released all the time because people can still download it, I do believe.
Emma: It’s free and it’s there if people want it and if they know where to get it.

How did all the things between you and Turnstile start out? Obviously they have had some success recently with Girls and Swanton Bombs and other things.
Mark: I already knew them. I drove a van for them quite regularly. I picked up producers for Los Campesinos! and took Los Campesinos! to Manchester, and just general driving van duties.
[laughs]
Mark: It is though! I’m going to make up the story that they then saw us in the NME!

You’re all involved or have been involved in lots of other musical things. How does Islet compare? Is it more stressful; is there more expectation because of the popularity?
Emma: In terms of time, it’s the main thing that we’re doing. We do this quite a lot. That’s how it compares.
Alex: It’s just very fun. Because of the way that it is and the way that we approach things it’s not like we get bothered by any of the expectation, because that doesn’t really exist. The point of it is just fun, and you can’t have fun if you’re worrying about labels not liking the record and stuff like that, so we don’t pay attention to that type of stuff really. We just go for it.
Mark: I think we’ve got a big focus on enjoying each other’s company at all times, really; after a gig, or during a gig, or before a gig - just enjoying the whole thing of doing it.
Alex: It’s a blast!

I read in another interview that you spoke about Them Squirrels and Attack + Defend possibly both getting another release at some point this year. Will Islet go on the back burner during that time?
Mark: No, I don’t think Islet will go on the back burner. I think those things will happen…
Emma: … Simultaneously.
Mark: Yeah. Islet’s kind of…
JT: … The focus.
Mark: Yeah. Well actually we do more than that. We’ve all got little bits and bobs that we do, haven’t we? Alex is playing a gig on Sunday?
Alex: Indeed!
Emma: Where is it Alex, so we can promote it?
Alex: It’s in the Cardiff Arts Institute, is what it is. That Lego Land place.

You mentioned the NME thing. Did that surprise you as much as it did everyone else?
JT: It was a surprise, yeah. We knew, though, because…
Emma: … They phoned us up and said “can we take a photo of you?”
Mark: We didn’t really put that much weight on it, though. We kind of just went “Oh, right”. Not in a… It was just like a picture of us and a bit of writing.
Emma: If you do a band, at some point you’re going to be in the NME.
Alex: I think it was a really good purpose. We’d just played a show in Swansea and people were talking about it because we were at a music conference. Someone came down and was going to chat about how to get your band in magazines, and everyone was chatting about us playing last night just because the other two bands weren’t very good. It was just from a good source and people were saying nice things about us.

And on the back of that some guys made a website about you as well?
Alex: Yeah, that evening! It was the same show. We didn’t know them. They came to the show and about an hour later they were all there…
Mark: Saying “we’ve set you up a website”…
Emma: … “Because you haven’t got one so you’ll be really grateful because we’ve made you one!”
Mark. And then we kind of said “okay…”. I made sure I said “that isn’t our website, though, that’s your website and you have to write than on it!”

You talked about the Los Campesinos! tour. You also played a headline Cardiff gig. How did you manage to get someone like Yuck to support you?
Mark: We were generally looking for someone who hadn’t played in Cardiff before to play with us to make it a good bill.
Emma: We’d just heard of them because they had a free download of a song called “Automatic” and Mark found it.
Mark: … Through Turnstile.
Emma: And we just loved that song, so we had them come and play.
Mark: It’s a weird one with gauging how “big” everyone is or isn’t. I was really chuffed when they said they’d play, but they were equally really chuffed to play, so it was lovely.

Talk us through The Isness [I pronounce it incorrectly as eye-ness, Mark corrects me to the pronunciation is-ness and reassures me it’s an easy mistake to make].
Emma: It’s a way of us communicating with people who are interested in what we are doing and our music, and you don’t need the internet to do it. You just post us your address and we send you things whenever we get around to it. We’ve had four. It kinds of happens sporadically when we’ve collated enough things that we think sum up that moment in time. It’s kind of like a zine or…
Mark: But it’s also kind of, or maybe in the future, like a blog…

An offline blog?
Mark: Yeah, in a sense.
Emma: Or like a tour diary or literally a diary. And it doesn’t have any kind of set format, other than it involves paper and that it comes in the post.

Are they going all across the country?
Emma: The world!

Talking of the world, you have a fan who is a cat which has its own Twitter profile named after Eddie Argos, from Baltimore, USA.
Mark: Wow!
Emma: Hello!

On Twitter, the cat [@KittyArgos] wanted to know: “why you are so fantastic?”
Emma: Say “it’s because of the fine Portuguese lager that we’re drinking that we like to drink in this lovely café [The Sugar Shaker on Crwys Road]. That’s why we’re fantastic”.
Alex: And egg sandwiches, as well.

Eddie the cat also wanted to know: “when do you plan your epic North American tour?”
Mark: We’ve got a timeline but I don’t remember exactly when it is.
JT: Hopefully at some point next year!

Are you going to head to Baltimore to meet the cat?
Mark: Yes.

I’m now going to ask you, Mark, some of the interview questions that you, with Shape Records, have asked other bands. Extra points for guessing who you asked it to… [queue much excitement, naturally. The band also did try to guess who the questions were at, but the comedy was lost through the transcription]

Do you prefer the World Cup of the Olympics?
Mark: I prefer the World Cup. By miles.
Alex: Definitely.

You asked somebody: “do you drink enough water”?
Mark: No.
Emma: I think I’m quite sensible. I drink enough.
Alex: I substitute it with coffee. So I drink enough coffee but there’s not enough H2O in it.
JT: I don’t.
Mark: Not the recommended daily allowance!

You asked somebody else: “what is your favourite website in the world”?
Mark: shaprerecords.co.uk
[laughs]
Emma: I think I know what your favourite website is, Mark.
Mark: Yeah, football365.com! I have lots of favourite websites though. I love Wikipedia, I was on there just before I came here. I was looking at previous world cup squads from 2006 and comparing them to 2010, and thinking “Torres is 26?”
Alex: Wikipedia is amazing.

Who are you following this World Cup?
Alex: I’m following fair play, goals.
JT: Goals. Football will be the real winner.
Emma: The best team is going to win!

The other question: “would you prefer to be able to jump high or run fast?”
Alex: Jump high.
Mark: Run fast.
Emma: Run fast. You can jump really high anyway, Alex.
Alex: I want to jump higher!
Emma: You would be like a flea!
Alex: Yeah, imagine it! They’re well fast because they can jump real high!

And the last question: “do you like Wales?”
Emma: Wales is good enough to live in!
Mark: Wales is brilliant. JT and I have lived in Wales all of our lives, and Emma and Alex have not.
Alex: I’ve got a Welsh name though… ‘Williams’.

We’ll finish up with the generic interview end question. What does the future hold for Islet?
Mark: Another mini album.
Emma: Having a nice time.
Mark: The World Cup… Trying to record the next mini album whilst the World Cup’s on.

As you can hopefully tell, Islet are very nice folk. The new website can be found at isletislet.com. Here you can find out live dates, how to become involved with Ths Isness, as well as getting info on debut mini-album Celebrate This Place, due out today (June 14th) through Mark’s own Shape Records, or how to download ‘Sign For Home’ through Turnstile’s Bento series. I recommend you do all of the following, and I hope that you don’t regret it. It’s unlikely.

Islet play:
16th July – Latitude Festival, Suffolk
25th July – Truck Festival, Oxfordshire
21st August – Greenman Festival, Powys
26th September – Guildhall, Gloucester (Underground Festival)

Trash Kit - Trash Kit (Album Review for The 405)

2010-06-08T12:43:00.005+01:00

Words originally for The405, and can be found here.

Some people will always criticise an album produced and recorded using lo-fi means. It can be argued that choices such as use of a cheap sounding microphone or having a layer of fuzz over a song are simply tools to cover a lack of talent or creativity, and sometimes this can be true. But in many instances, these people will be too quick to criticise. And besides, it’s not the noise or the hiss or the crackle or the reverb that makes a song, and indeed an album, good or bad, it’s the music behind this layer.

Trash Kit’s eponymous debut album does indeed have a distinctly lo-fi feel to it, but it is far a means of distracting the listener away from a lack of talent. If anything the feel adds something to the record. They care not for convention or musical norms - evidenced by the fact that the 17 songs that make up this record total less than 30 minutes and that songs often shift from fast to slow and back again. The three girl Brits that make up the band wear their influences (see: The Slits) on their sleeves - at times all three girls scream together, and at others the unaccompanied lead vocals bounce up and down, not too dissimilar to Ari Up (of The Slits). At times the listener hears messy, choppy guitar riffs, and at others the guitar strings are finger-tapped and precise (think along math-rock lines). But most of the time the girls are just having some fun. Be it fun crammed into 47 second songs or fun stretched out into 3 minutes 10 songs; both are pretty enjoyable.

Album opener “Knock Yr Socks” off is one of those fun crammed into 47 (okay, 50) seconds-typed songs, and fun it is. Guitar bounces along, bass thuds and drums roll, all repeated a few times over. It’s carefree and, although not really a “song” as such, is a pleasant and apt introduction to the album. And it works as a good introduction to “Cadets”, too, which is one of the stand out tracks from the album. “Cadets” has been knocking around the blog world for a while now, with reason, and loses none of its charm here. It’s energetic and driving – the bass drum thuds in time with a simple and catchy guitar riff, shortly followed by snare rolls, and then come the vocals. One girl sings, all three shout, scream and the song essentially loops for a second time. It doesn’t sound like much, but “Cadets” has a great feel to it. These sorts of songs, unpredictable yet sticking to one roundabout formula, make of much of the album yet, possibly surprisingly, the routine doesn’t grow overly boring or repetitive. “Bugsy” is a mere 47 seconds of drum hits, guitar picks and a vocal rally of bouncing “oh, oh oh”s, wrapped up with a group scream, yet it works on this album. “Fame” is possibly the most likeable and easily swallowed track off of the album, featuring endearing hand-claps and crying backing vocals. “We ride the megabus, we’re all famous now” the girls cry. “Everything belongs to us, we’re all famous now”. It’s cute and fun, like much of Trash Kit, there’s lots to love.

Like most albums (obviously) however, Trash Kit isn’t perfect. At times the listener is left wanting more “Fame” or “Cadets” typed tracks, or possibly that little extra structure. Some songs do have the knack of ending a verse earlier than one may expect or hope, and 17 tracks, although often short tracks, feels slightly too many to take-in in one sitting. But for the most part Trash Kit’s discordant sounds and unpredictable shifts of guitar noise, pace, or from screams to calm to all girl harmonies work very well indeed.

7/10

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly Tour (News for The 405)

2010-06-07T17:56:00.006+01:00

Words originally for The405, and can be found online here.

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly., also known as Southend’s Sam Duckworth, returns with brand new song, “Morning Light”, due to appear on his third album expected mid-September, as well as announcing a number of festival dates and a mini UK tour.

The album follows on from 2006’s The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager and 2008’s Searching for the Hows and Whys, and Sam is excited to be back with his third, saying: “After a 2 year studio stint, I'm happy to be able to start the journey toward the record coming out, by offering you a free download in Morning Light”.

The as of yet untitled third effort will be released on Cooking Vinyl, unlike the first two which were both released on Atlantic Records, and “Morning Light” is available for free from Sam’s official website, here [www.getcapewearcapefly.com].

Live dates:
24th June – Joiners, Southampton
25th June - Glastonbury Festival [Leftfield Stage @ 6pm]

10th July - Garforth Arts Festival, Leeds
18th July - Cockermouth Festival
25th July - Rhythms of the World Festival, Hitchin
30th July - Y not Festival, Matlock

10th August - Deaf Institute, Manchester
11th August - The Borderline, London
12th August - Rock City Basement, Nottingham
13th August - Electric Circus, Edinburgh

11th September - Ivy Live Festival, Ivybridge, Devon

Connan Mockasin (Gig Review for This Is Fake DIY)

2010-06-02T12:15:00.004+01:00

Words originally for ThisIsFakeDIY, and can be found online here.

Following the recent release of his debut solo album, New Zealander Connan Mockasin, with full band backing, plays a one-off show at Cardiff Buffalo Bar before his UK festival appearances (including Latitude, Leeds, and Bestival) as well as a string of support slots for Crowded House, no less. And Connan really knows how to make the best of his time, playing a stunning set in not the best of circumstances.

Cardiff’s own Joy of Sex opened the evening’s events to a room full of their drummer’s friends – which apparently doesn’t make for the best of an audience (repeated cheers for “drum solo!” are quite annoying it turns out). The band claim to have twice as many instruments as members, though I calculated (okay, counted) the ratio as 5:3 (guitar, drums, bass, synth and drum machine, oddly). They make a sort of post-punk/indie rock sound (it reminds me a little of The Rakes, though don’t let this put you off), with catchy bass riffs and more scrappy, dirty guitar parts. The male bassist and female guitarist rally yelps back and forth, and the band are at their best when they are at their most unusual. The synth buzz provides an effective extra dimension, but the drum machine seems to cause more trouble than it’s worth, with the heckled drummer at times struggling to keep up with its bass beats. Although the set was not without its flaws (the band themselves will most likely agree with that too), at the very least Joy of Sex managed to demonstrate some promise; of which you can assess in more detail with their new EP available now, for free, if you ask them nicely.

The first words from Connan Mockasin’s mouth that no paying crowd member particularly wants to hear were describing a recent bout of food poisoning, serving as both a warning for crowd members not to stand too close to the band (who had just decided to set up on the floor in front of the stage, rather than the stage itself), and a disclaimer for a potentially below par performance. Fear not, though, food poisoned musicians of the world (for I am sure this is the reason you have stumbled upon this review) – it will not affect your performance at all!

Seeing Connan with a full band is a real joy, with or without food poisoning. From the funky grooves of the bassist, to the incredibly hard hitting drummer (especially when you consider the music he is playing along to), to the percussionist, who, when he has no musical duties, simply dances around the floor space amongst the crowd and at the band members - everything works so well. Connan, as always, is the conductor and all eyes, including those of the band, rest upon him to decide, for example, when a song is completely over so that you know when to clap (he has a knack of carrying songs on longer than you’d expect, but it works). He rocks from side to side in time with the music, bouncing his knees back and forth, and he always plays with a smile on his face. It’s this upbeat feel of the band, the amusing lyrical content, and the brilliant musical performance combined that puts a smile on all of the audience’s faces, too. Playing tracks solely off debut effort 'Please Turn Me Into The Snat', the crowd are subjected to such psychedelic pop delights as 'Forever Dolphin Love' and 'It’s Choade My Dear'. The evening at one point was very nearly spoiled by a group of drunk and loud “non-musical” types who were there seemingly for the expensive alcohol rather than the cheap live music, and things very nearly turned a little violent when one crowd member (okay, it was me) told them to “shut the fuck up” - but Connan even turned this friction into more smiles from the crowd, quipping “let them stay, they’re pretty fit!”. 'Egon Honsford' was a particular highlight, though highlights are difficult to choose when everything sounded so great - including the genuinely unexpected encore, forcing some bass improvisation to brilliant consequences (both the band members and the crowd were highly impressed by the effort), with a high-five between the bassist and Connan bringing the gig to an end. Seeing Connan live comes highly recommended; this is one of the best gigs I have been to in a long time.

The Ruby Suns (Gig Review for This Is Fake DIY)

2010-05-31T20:16:00.003+01:00

Words originally for ThisIsFakeDIY, and can be found online here.

Considering The Ruby Suns shoot to fame following their release of the electro-tinged psych-pop third album 'Fight Softly', Cardiff’s Buffalo Bar is tragically empty for the Auckland, NZ band’s visit to Cardiff as part of a lengthy European tour - which has already seen the band watched by the super famous Mischa Barton in London the night before. But not even the lack of Cardiff faces, let alone famous ones, can halt lead man Ryan McPhun and touring band mates Alistair Deverick and Graham Panther putting on an enthusiastic and enthralling demonstration of how things should be done. But before The Ruby Suns let their electro-psych-folk loose, Buffalo is subjected to some of Cardiff’s very own up-and-coming folk acts, in the form of Draw Me Stories and Lucky Delucci.

Initial reservations of Draw Me Stories (the band dress like they might sound like a Mumford & Sons tribute band) are blown away well before the band even take to the stage, thanks to some late-in-the-day sound-checking by the three-piece based in Cardiff. They’re a band I hadn’t heard of before, which is something I am now incredibly surprised and frankly disappointed in myself about – Draw Me Stories sound really good! They open - to only two or three in the crowd, initially - with a post-punk leaning indie rock, quickly drawing more people from the bar forward with intrigue. There’s no dip in the performance from the three-piece, rattling off track after track of pretty dark sounding indie rock, before switching to acoustic guitar and serenading the crowd with tracks of a lighter and folk-ier nature. A very good performance from a Cardiff band I am determined to find out more about. And they’re selling their EP (well, one of their EPs) for the same price as the cheapest pint; a bargain at £2.

Lucky Delucci fill the stage like a good sized chocolate muffin, with a whole six members who share even more instruments still – and they’re about as sweet as a double choc chip, too. Through the mediums of flute, keys, drums, bass, guitar melodica (that weird child’s toy looking piano thing that you blow into) and boy-girl harmonies, Lucky Delucci play an indie folk-pop sound – think maybe a slowed down and folk-translated Los Campesinos! or The Coral had they enjoyed more recreational drugs. Not that I’m accusing Lucy Delucci of being users, it’s just how I’d imagine The Coral sounding if they’d smoked some and chilled out. They’re gaining a bit of a reputation around Cardiff and you can understand why – Lucky Delucci are fun, pleasant, and catchy, and are well worth checking out, if you can.

Following a quick pit stop at the opposing Wetherspoon’s to the venue to enjoy the best dining experience Britain has to offer, Ryan McPhun and his band of merry men enter the building - and merry they definitely are, all the way down to the shirt choice. It’s evident that this is no ordinary band – from the flower arrangements around the drum kit to Ryan controlling both the guitar responsibilities and the synthetic side of things, as well as having his very own drum to rattle on mid flow. The band professionally groove their way through five tracks off of the recently released 'Fight Softly', every so often pausing to discuss the Welsh language and the home of Doctor Who, with 'Cranberry' standing out especially as coming across incredibly well live. Its heavy electro beats, McPhun’s nonsensical high-pitched vocals and the occasional blasts of synth lead brilliantly to the catchy-as-anything chorus that at least one crowd member (… me) found it difficult to not nod and rock along to with enthusiasm. 'Tane Mahuta', with its fantastic and abstract vocal harmonies, and 'Oh Mojave' make up the only non-'Fight Softly' songs of the set, and the latter has had a bass-y makeover to sit more comfortably alongside its more youthful counterparts.

The drums regularly become the focal point of the music at various points in the night with all three members crowding around the kit - and it’s this focus on percussion that keeps the music true to past form; bringing a little of that world feel that is so strongly associated with the band. Although there is a heavy reliance on pre-recording at times (it would have been nice to hear 'Oh Mojave' with a live acoustic, for example) it’s understandable why this has to be the case. There’s just so much going on that it makes it impossible for the three men to make the sounds themselves, and the set-up that The Ruby Suns have fixed upon now is a more than adequate compromise. They seem more stable than they have done in the past, and this can only be a positive sign for things to come. This juxtaposition of tribal hits and electro-beats is a beautiful one - especially when combined with McPhun’s unique vocals – and it’s a sound that The Ruby Suns are truly masters of. A very good gig from a very good band.

The Drums (Album Review for The 405)

2010-05-25T18:00:00.005+01:00

Words originally for The405, and can be found online here.

One could be forgiven for believing they’d bought the wrong disc on first listen to The Drums’ eponymous debut album – ten minutes and three tracks pass by before the listener hears any new material; and even then it’s much more of the same from the New York four-piece. “Book of Stories” – track four of twelve - hears more of that distinguishable surf-pop guitar style, upbeat male harmonies “ooh”-ing and “ahh”-ing to lyrics with a downbeat content, and underlying hazy synth sounds – and it’s a pattern that The Drums seem to lack the bravery to steer too far away from throughout the whole album.

On individual tracks, The Beach Boys-meets-The Cure sound that they have honed so well is very effective indeed and – love them or hate them – The Drums have mastered some of the catchiest summer tunes of the past few years. But twelve tracks with minimal variability, no matter how cute and catchy, fail to make as strong an impact as tracks manage standing alone.

Obviously songs like “Best Friend” and “Let’s Go Surfing” are still as good as they ever were – the act of blaming a friend for their own death (“You were my best friend, but then you died”) I find utterly brilliant, and the chorus to Let’s Go Surfing (“Mama! I wanna go surfing!”) still evokes that same sing-along feel. But even these seem somewhat drowned out amongst track after track of what feels like little more than filler.

“I’ll Never Drop My Sword” and “Down By The Water” do both bring a little variation to the album in that their melancholic tone is far more blatant than much of the rest of the record, but album closer “The Future”, with its name that points to a possible new plans for the group, will fail to excite fans for… the future.

For those who are somehow completely unaware of The Drums, this is still a decent album. It’s fun and catchy and, despite how critical this review may seem, it is enjoyable. But for those who already own the Summmertime! EP, I wouldn’t bother going too far out of your way to get your hands on this, The Drums full length. It will likely only leave you disappointed and wanting more.

6/10

Future of the Left Line Up Change (News for The Line Of Best Fit)

2010-05-09T20:45:00.003+01:00

Words originally for The Line of Bets Fit, and can be found online here.

Future of the Left Announces Line-Up Change
By Jake May

It was yesterday (Friday 7th May) announced via a MySpace blog post that Future of the Left bassist, Kelson Mathias, was to be leaving the band with immediate effect. The blog post, which was a ‘goodbye’ message from Kelson himself, was soon followed by a second blog post from front-man Andrew ‘Falco’ Falkous confirming the news and outlining future plans.

Kelson said: “I'd just like to say thanks to everyone that's supported me in this band over the past 5 years, everyone that I've met at shows all over the world and all the bands I've had the pleasure to play gigs with.”, continuing “I'd like to wish Andy and Jack the best for the future.”

The second post, written by ex-mclusky member and FOTL front-man Falco, stated that the band was “sad, happy, annoyed and relieved at the same time” at the departure of Kelson , also wishing his ex band-mate “good luck” and hoping that he “flourishes in whatever he ends up doing, unless it's monster truck racing”. Steven Hodson, of Oceansize and Kong, will be “filling in” Kelson’s bass roll.

Falco also revealed that writing for the Cardiff band’s highly anticipated third album was well under way, and that a new member, whose role was to “play guitar and act like a fucking maniac”, had been involved in this writing process, though didn’t reveal who this elusive fourth member was.

The blog post revealed the following confirmed dates, and also promised more announcements to follow:

3-Jun-10 Rainbow, - Birmingham, UK
4-Jun-10 The Lexington – London,
5-Jun-10 580’s – Nottingham, UK
9-Jun-10 Tours Aucard de Tours Festival (main stage) - France

8-Jul-10 Pula Marelica Club, Art & Music Festival, Croatia

16-Jul-10 2000 Trees Festival – Cheltenham, UK
17-Jul-10 Central Station – Wrexham, UK
18-Jul-10 Moho Live, Aftershow Club – Manchester, UK

25-Jul-10 Trust Fest (barn stage) – Oxford, UK

Why People Boycott... Starbucks (Feature for The Retro, UWIC SU Newspaper

2010-04-15T21:12:00.007+01:00

Words originally for the May edition of UWIC SU's newspaper, Retro as part of my monthly 'Boycott' feature to inform students on the ethical reasons some people boycott certain brands or products

Coffee giants Starbucks, despite their huge popularity and financial success, are one of the most heavily boycotted companies worldwide for what some people see as unfair treatment towards employees through stopping them from forming trade unions.

Unions are seen as incredibly important to ensure that staff members are not taken advantage of by the rich and powerful management. They provide support for individuals and ensure that companies are working legally and fairly towards their employees. The vast majority of large companies allow trade unions, who strive to improve working conditions, negotiate wages and help staff members get their voice heard in these workplaces – all meaning more happy and fairly treated staff.

And yet Starbucks reportedly spends millions of pounds each year in an attempt to stop their employees from being allowed to form a trade union. This essentially means that they can more easily get away with forcing their staff to work long hours with small pay and in poor working conditions. The mere introduction of a union would simply give more rights to their employees to fight for better conditions, and yet Starbucks do not allow it.

It is for this reason that many, many ethical consumers worldwide refuse to buy any Starbucks products; hoping to damage sales figures and ultimately bring about change to make a fairer future for those less fortunate individuals. If you feel that workers deserve better, then maybe you should do the same and give another coffee shop a try.

May UWIC Band of the Month: Ivan Moult (Feature for The Retro, UWIC SU Newspaper_

2010-03-31T21:10:00.004+01:00

Words originally for the May edition of UWIC SU's newspaper, Retro.

Ivan Moult writes dreamy acoustic folk songs in his bedroom. When speaking to Ivan, who is currently a deferred History and Politics student at UWIC, you get the impression that he was always destined to be a musician. “My parents decided we weren’t gonna have a TV in the house when I was a kid, so we just listened to a lot of records. My mum was massively into folk and 60s pop and my dad liked blues and jazz. My mum had a big thing for classical music as well so I had all of this music in the house, plus this weird obsession with The Beatles that my Dad had.” Besides from his parents (pretty darn impressive) musical tastes, music has also featured heavily in his life, writing his first song at 16 about an ex, as well as making some slightly surprising music. (Especially surprising when you listen to his solo stuff). “[I was] in quite a few bands when [I was] younger which just seemed like a lot of fun. We had a ska-punk band called Pelican Skeleton, because we were all listening to Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish. We were massively into that, so we started a ska-punk band. We were… good” he told me, not wholly confidently.

As well as naturally being a talented musician, Ivan also seems to have had a fair amount of the luck that is useful to make it in this industry, almost stumbling into national radio appearances. “A mate of mine from uni did work experience at BBC Wales. He heard my music and was doing work experience with Bethan (who does BBC Introducing) so he took one of my demos and said that he’d give it to her. He did, and she liked it and she gave me a gig and put me on her show and played my songs. I was pretty happy about that.”

Not only that, but Ivan also recently joined Cardiff indie-pop band The School after lead singer and songwriter, Liz, who also promotes through her moniker “Loose”, had put him on for one of her nights. “[Liz] just mentioned that they needed a guitarist. I was a bit drunk at the time so I just said ‘I’ll do it, pick me, I’ve got nothing to do!’ and I woke up in the morning and thought ‘what have I signed myself up for?!’”. Surprisingly, The School, despite not having even released their debut album (which is due out soon and featured in Retro Recommends), have had a song used for a Korean oven advert, and were not long ago featured as Guardian’s Band of the Day - though when asked if Ivan was at all nervous about being in a band that seem to be going places, he replied amazingly confidently. “No, it’s just really exciting to be honest. I wouldn’t say it was daunting. It’s pretty cool, seeing my picture on [the Guardian website]. I’ve only been in [the band] for a little while so it’s been quite good for me, just kind of stepping in at the right moment.”

With things moving for his new band The School, Ivan is equally as eager to make a success of his solo work. “I’m just trying to get a decent collection of songs at the moment and then I’m planning on sending it out to labels. [A friend’s] got a little label and they put out singles for their own bands. He said that he might be able to help me distribute and get some nice, proper, press CD’s and digi-packs and get it on Spotify and iTunes and stuff. So that’d be good... I’m going to try and send it off to some festivals for the little, unsigned stages and see if they have any last minute spots.” Best of luck to him!

Ivan has an EP, partly recorded at UWIC recording studios with his friend Stuart Cumming, expected soon and also plays regular live gigs and open mic sessions around Cardiff. To find out more, and to listen to his songs (which I highly recommend for fans of Johnny Flynn, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Buckley), head to his MySpace page at myspace.com/sayhiivan, or for his band The School (for fans of The Beach Boys etc0, head to myspace.com/theschoolband.

Interview Transcript with Band of the Month Ivan Moult

2010-03-24T21:01:00.020Z

Words originally for UWICSU.co.uk and can be found online here.

We’ll start from the start, how did you first start getting into music?
I started getting into music when I was a kid, really, same as most people. I grew up in a house, my parents were both teachers, and for some reason they decided we weren’t gonna have a TV in the house when I was a kid, so we just listened to a lot of records. My mum was massively into folk and 60s pop and my dad liked blues and jazz, and my mum had a big thing for classical music as well so I had all of this music in the house, plus this weird obsession with The Beatles that my dad had as well. So I had all of that in the house, and I just listened to that all of the time. That’s the music that I listened to as a kid. And then I grew up and started listening to different things and I picked up a guitar that my Dad had left lying around and started teaching myself to play, started writing songs.

When did you write your first song?
I wrote my first song when I was 16 and it was about an ex. A girl that I was with for a while and it was a particularly frustrating song, but it’s not up on the MySpace. I put it up the other day, actually. I re-recorded it just for fun and then I listened back to it and I took it down again. I’m not quite sure about that one. It was a good song… It seemed like a good song at the time.

So you had no lessons as a child?
No. I got bass lessons when I was in college. I did a music course and did a little thing that was supposed to be an A-Level or a Btec or something. Anyway, I joined as a guitarist, but there were too many guitarists. So I bought my ex-girlfriend’s bass off of her and played bass in a couple of bands - and I got bass lessons which was good.

So you’ve been quite active as a kid in bands?
Yeah, yeah. We were in quite a few bands when we were younger which just seemed like a lot of fun. We had a band in secondary school, that was the first band for a ‘Battle of the Bands’, we had a ska-punk band called Pelican Skeleton. Because we were all listening to Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish and all this ska punk, we were massively into that, and so we started a ska-punk band. We were… good. I played guitar. That was a good band. I think we had one good song, a couple of good songs maybe.

No revival in the future?
Well, just before we all went off to uni for the second year, we did a gig at a local pub, and me and the singer and one of the guitarists did a little acoustic set for one of the sonfs which was quite fun. But it was more just a self-serving thing really.

Is this your first interview as a musician?
No I’ve done a couple of interviews now. I’ve done some for local radio – I did one for Bethan Elfyn on her BBC Introducing show, and I did a live session for her on her show and she put the interview up so that was the first one, so this is the second.

How did that [the Bethan Elfyn session] come around?
A mate of mine from uni did work experience at BBC Wales and he heard my music. He was doing work experience with Bethan and she does BBC Introducing so he took one of my demos and said that he’d give it to her. He did, and she liked it, and she gave me a gig, and put me on her show and played my songs. I was pretty happy about that.

What are you up to other than music?
I’m playing with a band called The School, I play guitar for them, I joined about a month or two ago. After a gig, Liz, who’s the singer and the songwriter in the band – she’s also a promoter in Cardiff and she gave me a gig - said that she liked my stuff and said that she needed a guitarist and, because I’d deferred, I had the time on my hands so I joined them. We’ve just done a UK tour.

How did the tour go?
It went really well, it was a lot of fun. We started off at Cardiff, we did the launch at Clwb Ifor Bach and then we went to Sheffield, Newcastle, Leicester, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow, and that was good. We had this van and we had the support band Allo Darlin playing with us as well and it was really good fun staying in Travelodges, meeting people.

So was that your first tour as a musician?
Yeah it was the first tour I’ve ever done so it was really good experience. It was brilliant; I made a lot of good friends.

How did you join The School?
Like I said, Liz just mentioned that she needed a guitarist after a gig – she was the promoter that gave me the gig, so she’s a promoter and the singer in the band, so she’s quite active in the Cardiff music scene – and she just mentioned that they needed a guitarist. I was a bit drunk at the time so I just said “I’ll do it, pick me, I’ve got nothing to do!” and I woke up in the morning and thought “what have I signed myself up for?!”

What was it like joining a band that have a song on a Japanese fridge advert, is that right?
Yep, Japanese… oh, no, Korean! A Korean oven advert.

And they were recently featured as band of the day for the Guardian as well. Is it daunting joining a band that is starting to go places?
No, it’s just really exciting to be honest. I wouldn’t say it was daunting. Yeah band of the day, I think either yesterday or today we’re on the website. That’s pretty cool, seeing my picture on there and that. I’ve only been in [the band] for a little while so it’s been quite good for me, just kind of stepping in at the right moment.

What have the gig attendances been like?
They’ve been good actually. I didn’t really know what to expect; the second gig I ever played with them was the first gig of the tour so I wasn’t sure what to expect. They were good. The Welsh Club [Clwb Ifor Bach] gig was brilliant, it was absolutely packed, you couldn’t move in there.

Is it not scary playing to big crowds?
That was intense. I’m not gonna lie, I was shaking for a bit and I made a couple of mistakes but nothing big, I did quite well with it. Yeah, that was intimidating. Apart from that it’s been between 30 to 50 people per night on the tour which, for the size of the venues we were playing, was quite good. I was happy with it. It was nice playing to that many people that came just to see us, didn’t just happen to be sitting about, but actually made the journey, and come up and spoke to us afterwards, asked us to sign CD’s which was quite fun. That was a novelty!

Have you written any songs with them yet?
No we haven’t written anything together yet, but I think they have a two album deal so there will be some writing going on for the next album so that should be cool.

Let’s move on to your music. How would you personally describe, for the UWIC students, your songs?
[Pause] They’re pretty… [pause]. There are some clear influences in there. I’ve listened to a lot of acoustic blues and folk music and a lot of alternative modern day acoustic singer-songwriters that have gone for that sort of thing. I dunno, I always find it quite difficult to describe it. It’s quite chilled out, they’re pretty intimate songs, some nice melodies, some nice rhythms. It’s not the sort of thing you’d hear normally. People ask me what it sounds like and sometimes I don’t really know what to say but because I play guitar in a different tuning and stuff I mess around with things to try and make them sound as original as I can, but it still comes across as sounding like somebody else. I don’t know, have you listened to it?

Yeah, I’ve listened to a lot of it. It’s obviously got a lot of folk influences and it’s just you and your acoustic, but as you say it is quite difficult to classify.
They’re just open, honest, basic songs. There’s nothing hidden, there’s no cryptic lyrics. It’s just honest folk songs, really.

You record in your bedroom, is that right?
Yeah, I do it all in my bedroom.

Would you rather be doing it somewhere bigger?
I’ve actually done a couple of tracks over Llandaff studios at UWIC, because a guy called Stuart Cummings does a music course there and he’s recorded some of my tracks for me for an EP that I’m trying to make. Two of the tracks are on MySpace at the moment that I did at UWIC; “I Might Get Cold” and “Travels”.

Speaking of UWIC, what course are you doing; what is the UWIC situation?
History and Politics. The situation is that I did my first year, enjoyed it, and I started the second year. I was still enjoying it but there were bits that I wasn’t getting along with, and then I had a couple of personal issues as well back home and stuff. It distracted me for a while, so my attendance dropped and I decided that it was probably best to just defer because I couldn’t catch up with the work that I’d missed. So I’ll be back next year.

Your song “Fix Me”, on MySpace, has got over 1000 plays.
Has it?

It has. Is it a weird feeling that one thousand people have listened to you singing a song that you’ve written in your bedroom?
Yeah. I noticed it was getting close to one thousand, that’s quite fun. Yeah, it’s been up there for a while – for about 6 months.

Does it have more plays than the others because it’s been there longer or is it just a popular song?
I think it’s just been quite a popular song. I’ve left a couple of them that have been up there for a while, but that’s definitely the most plays that I’ve ever had for a song. Yeah, it’s a good feeling; it’s nice to know that people like it.

On your MySpace you cite older acts such as Jeff Buckley as well as newer acts like Bon Iver. How do you think the newer stuff compares to the past greats of folk?
I think a lot of the acts of today can relate easily back to those songs. The really classic type of songwriter for me is, like you say, people like Jeff Buckley, Cat Stevens and Nick Drake and Bob Dylan and all of thee cool characters, these pretty famous guys that have been doing what they’ve been doing. But then the new stuff I’m listening to, like Bon Iver, like Jeremy Warmsley, I think they’ve taken parts of the song-writing skills and the melodies but they’ve made it different. I mean, Bon Iver has done obviously all of this roots acoustic stuff, but then he does a track like “Woods” which is just a massive piece of vocoder work [an instrument].I like that they can do both. It’s like John Martyn actually; he did loads of acoustic stuff and then started doing all of this ambient stuff with layers and guitars. It’s nice to see a cross-over between the two.

I’ve done a bit of Facebook stalking, – a bit of research, shall we say – saw you had a girlfriend and just wondered if you wrote songs from a personal perspective, about relationships and past experience or do you try to take a step back to avoid any awkward situations?
No, they’re all horrible honest and real and introspective and thought-out. They are written about relationships that I’ve had and it’s all stuff that’s happened to me. I don’t see the point in writing about stuff that I haven’t experienced or else, for me, I don’t feel comfortable singing about it. I just don’t see the point really, you know? If you’re going to sing about something and you’re going to put all that effort into writing a song and playing it to people, it’s got to be something that you actually care about. Otherwise it’s just a waste of time.

Have you had any awkward situations when writing a song about an ex, or a current girlfriend and then them becoming an ex?
Yeah… She might not read this. I had a little fall-out, actually I don’t know if I should say [laughs]…

…So you have had awkward situations.
Yeah, there have been awkward situations when I’ve written songs and the songs that I’ve written for the people I have written them for have known that it’s about them and said “what’s going on there, then?” There are things you have to explain. Just because you write a song about something, it doesn’t mean that’s the way I always think about it. It’s just a moment, just a particular emotion or feeling.

On to live stuff… I’ve not seen you live yet, as you know. You play a lot of open mic’s as well as formal gigs. What’s the advantage of open mic sessions?
I think it’s good just to keep yourself playing live. The way the music scene is in Cardiff, it’s really good, but because everything’s quite close together sometimes it can be hard to get a string of gigs. There’s so much good stuff in Cardiff, it all gets spread out. I’ve been doing gigs at Buffalo Bar and Ten Feet Tall, but I’ll d one a month for, say, Bethan. I’m just about t do my third one, and that’s on 22nd of April with The Gentle Good and someone else whose name I’ve forgotten.

Have you played any gigs as a solo artist outside of Cardiff?
Yeah, I did a gig in Newport the other day, in Karma Lounge. It’s not very far from Cardiff, but it is still outside of Cardiff! The open mic’s are a good chance to try out songs. It’s just practise really and a good chance to try out new material, to get an audience response and stuff.

Are you always exclusively a solo artist live or are you sometimes joined onstage?
I’ve done a couple of gigs with bands, but we didn’t really rehearse enough and there were a couple of mistakes and it didn’t really quite work out. The songs that I’ve written I think tend to sound better stripped down acoustically. Some of them might work with a whole band behind them, but we’ve not quite got it right.

So very possibly for the future?
Yeah, possibly for the future. I would love to do it. I’m having a lot of fun jamming w hen we sound-check on tour with The School. I’ll just play around with the drummer for a while before we go on and it’s nice just playing with a whole band.

So has anybody else appeared on any of your recordings or is that so far exclusively you?
The recording’s so far… it’s all me. There’s no one else recording on any of them.

You’ve got an EP out, is that right?
Yeah. I’m still waiting to get a couple of tracks mastered at the moment, I eed to get in touch with Stuart. Actually, he’ll probably read this before I get to sorting it out. No, that’s not true. I’ve got to give him a call because we’ve got tracks recorded but we’ve just got to master them, and because I’ve been away on tour we’ve not had a chance to do it yet.

So that’s one plan for the future. What else is going on for your solo work?
I’m just tryng to get a decent collection of songs at the moment and then I’m planning on sending it out to labels. I was talking to a friend the other day that send he might be able to help me out. He’s got a little label and they put out singles for their own bands and he said that he might be able to help me distribute and get some nice, proper, press CD’s and digi-packs and get it on Spotify and iTunes and stuff. So that’d be good. I might try and get a website done and then, if I can get the EP finished in time, I’m going to try and send it off to some festivals for the little, unsigned stages and see if they have any last minute spots.

So hopefully a lot going on?
Yeah, hopefully. I’m just trying to balance it with The School really.

What’s planned for The School. You mentioned the possibility of the second album?
We’ve got the first album coming out now and that’s going to be hopefully out by the end of May. We got the vinyl the other day. We played a gig the The Hidden Cameras and we have this see-through red vinyl out for the LP, it’s real nice. We’ve got the album launch planned and we’ve got more gigs coming up. We’re playing in London and Brighton on the weekend and then we’re going to Chelmsford on Wednesday I think. Then we’ve got a break for a bit, but hopefully we’re going to America and Europe and all over the place just at the end of the summer holidays and over the winter. We’ve been offered a gig in Korea.

Because of the advert?
Yeah, I think so.
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You can find out more about Ivan on his MySpace page, at myspace.com/sayhiivan, or you can find him at Buffalo Bar on April 22nd.

Internet Forever (Gig Review for The 405)

2010-03-05T19:41:00.003Z

Words originally for The 405 and can be found here.

Buffalo Bar is fast becoming my second home. It’s pleasant, is host to plenty of good live bands, and the hand-drawn stamp is always an enjoyable, quirky little treat. Arriving early at Buffalo lets you in for lots of treats, such as getting a drink in at the queue-less bar, enjoying the sound-check of the upcoming acts, and righting your ill-prepared wrongs (making notes with a half broken pen you find on the floor on the listings booklet of the venue may be incredibly cool but it isn’t the sign of the most prepared reviewer).

First up was Bath based two-piece Kita Akita, featuring the vocalist of Zissou (click here for a review of their recent gig), playing what was most probably their first ever gig given that they have 150 profile views on 3 MySpace friends. Although the lack of practise and a few jitters did come across in the sound, Kita Akita showed signs of potential to make catchy lo-fi songs through the medium of synths and broken drum-hits. They play a sound which is difficult to describe, but that reminded me of Is Tropical (which is a very good thing), only slower and less dance-y. A band in their early stages.

The Jelas somehow managed to provide even more genre-describing woes with their set which saw the 3-piece reject norms and do things their own way. Their sound, which might possibly be described as experimentaljazzmeetsbluesindierockpop, left me feeling slightly confused (the band care not for time keeping or melody) and yet still entertained. Other members of the crowd, including lead act Internet Forever, seemed to love it, but I just didn’t quite manage to “get” it. I’d suggest it may well be an acquired taste, not that that’s a bad thing.

Final support band The Bumblebees push the boundaries at what some might consider too sweet. Combining jangly guitar, electro-drum beats, boy-girl harmonies and twee-sounding synth, the three-piece remind slightly of the now deceased I Was A Cub Scout with hints of Los Campesinos! vocal work. On occasion, the sweetness did turn slightly sickly with the keys and use of the bass-drum pad growing slightly tedious at times, but on the whole the band stayed on the right side of colourful and full of joy in front of the dancey, appreciative crowd.

Recently lauded by the likes of Pitchfork, NME and DrownedInSound, and also pals with Los Campesinos!, it is slightly disappointing then that Buffalo Bar was far from full for the first date of Internet Forever’s UK tour. Internet Forever strike a perfect balance between lo-fi fuzz and indie pop, coming across equally as well live as it does recorded. The set, which included a surprise Dire Straits’ ‘The Walk of Life’ cover caused by unexpected shouts of “encore!”, heard the London band slightly less twee and slightly more dirty and noisy than recordings. They don’t take themselves too seriously which is quite surprising given how perfect the songs sound. Their ethos seems to be “do it first, analyse it later” and this has worked brilliant thus far. You need these in your lives.

March UWIC Band of the Month: Meilir (Feature for The Retro)

2010-02-24T20:53:00.003Z

Words originally for the March edition of the UWIC student newspaper, Retro.

Meilir Tomos is a 29 year old singer-songwriter from North Wales with a difference. Meilir does indeed write his own songs and does indeed use an acoustic guitar, but he is no James Blunt or Paolo Nutini. Meilir incorporates a wide range of influences and an interesting mix of instruments into his take on experimental folk – a sort of Thom Yorke of the eclectic folk world. Songs, which are recorded in his very own studio in the basement of his house, span from mystical and chilled out to intense and atmospheric; combining the sweetly caressed acoustic guitar with electro sounds and even a gravel tray in which Meilir scrapes his feet in during live shows. These live shows are often spell-bounding and unique - sometimes even grabbing the help of some friends to play the rims of glasses of water. Having played numerous festivals, performing live for Bethan Elfyn’s Radio 1 in Wales show, and touring extensively both as a one-man band, and with his previous band, Manchuko, Meilir has a wealth of experience for putting on live shows that you should definitely check out in the near future (you have no reason not to as he has plenty of dates upcoming!). An avid collector of owl ornaments, Meilir has a wide ranging taste in things musical also – drawing influence form the likes of The Flaming Lips, Neil Young, Radiohead, Bjork, and Tom Waits. Meilir plays Ten Feet Tall on 26th April. You can buy his debut mini album/EP from Spillers Records. To find out more, as well as to see an extensive list of upcoming live shows, head to his MySpace at myspace.com/meilirmusic. Add to Friends, if you’re feeling sociable.

Hot Club De Paris (Gig Review for The 405)

2010-02-24T11:52:00.003Z

Words originally for The 405 and can be found here.

GRAB Promotions Presents... Hot Club De Paris @ Clwb Ifor Bach

Hot Club de Paris played downstairs! That won’t mean much to those not from the Cardiff area… allow me to explain. Clwb Ifor Bach is pretty much the hub of the Cardiff live music scene, and, with its three floors of rooms for gigs, works as a sort of hierarchy of popularity. The smaller, local up-and-coming bands and the more obscure acts that aren’t able to sell as many tickets are found on the ground floor and the bigger bands of the moment play the much larger top floor (recently the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, Future of the Left, Good Shoes). So it was quite a surprise, then, that upon arrival I was pointed in the direction of the ground floor room, and even more of a surprise to see it pretty vacant!

OK, so you may not have heard much from the Liverpool three-piece since their critically appraised debut that brought them the popularity that they still seem to be unjustly living off. Only yesterday did somebody post on their Last FM page “I need to get back into the album…” The album? The album?! Since said debut, Hot Club have released a second album – another upbeat math-rock inspired essentially pop record – and an EP, released just over two weeks ago (and available for download for a mere 99p from Play.com). So there really is no need for Hot Club to riding the fortunes of a record they released over 3 years ago.

And the band seem to be fully aware of this as they greet the Cardiff – apparently their “bogey town” – crowd, opening with a new track off the EP and quickly following it with one-minute-wonder “Yes No Goodbye”. The energetic songs translate perfectly from recorded to live, but you can tell that the band weren’t overly impressed by the not great turn out and this did come across in the songs.

The vacant floor space in front of the band, instead of working as a dance-floor, was the opted route for those that needed a piss, which was the majority of the room every 5 minutes judging by the number of people walking to and fro.

The songs, like the crowd, weren’t as energetic and as loud as you’d hope, and the banter between songs was like a Bob Mortimer joke on Shooting Stars – not even the quiet murmur of talking to be heard from the crowd. But the music was good. Acappella “Bonded By Blood” was really quite special, all three band members abandon their instruments and recite it brilliantly. Struggling for crowd response, the band took requests – playing “Clockwork Toy”, which probably got the most response of a few nodding heads. One young lady performed a small amount of hip jiggling, but, like the rest of the room, she might have just needed a piss. Playing a track off an upcoming EP (which put my mind at ease after noticing the bass drum skin spelt out “Goodbye”), a song about Biggie Small, the band keep their fun and almost juvenile attitude through the medium of light-hearted and harmony-heavy indie rock. There aren’t many doing what Hot Club do (especially after the break up of Dartz!), and they do it well. The night was drawn to a close with “Shipwreck” – which may or may not have been the band sharing their thoughts on the night’s success.

For those Hot Club fans out there, and I know you are out there, I’d suggest that now is the time to see them live. The atmosphere might be awkward, but it’s (probably) the closest and most intimate gig you’ll get to a band that deserve to be playing, and hopefully will return to, a much bigger stage.

The band continue their UK tour at:
24th February: Jericho, Oxford
25th February: Railway, Winchester
26th February: New Korova, Liverpool
5th March: Escobar, Wakefield

The Ruby Suns - Fight Softly (Album Review for Stereo Subversion)

2010-02-16T21:18:00.003Z

Words originally for Stereo Subversion and can be found here.

The Ruby Suns (formerly Ryan McPhun and The Ruby Suns) are one of those bands that have never really gained the attention or reputation that they’ve deserved. It was only just over a year ago that I saw them live at my student union, a venue that more often hosts up-and-coming local acts rather than internationally renowned ones that could arguably compete with the likes of Vampire Weekend for their take on afro-inspired indie pop. The Ruby Suns are also a band that like to keep things changing; releases often take significant shifts away from the sound of their previous effort. The first album is a Beach Boys-esque pop record brimming with high-pitched harmonies and tambourine jingles. The second increasingly eclectic; adding some more psychedelia into the mix, as well as a pinch of experimental folk and afro-pop.

Indeed, Fight Softly, the third studio release from The Ruby Suns (but only their second on US label Sub Pop), hears something again a bit different to what we know of them thus far. Somewhat like Animal Collective’s latest EP as well as Vampire Weekend’s recently released follow-up, McPhun et al have opted for more synths and loops than their past efforts– and quite a significant amount more too.

Fight Softly reveals this new direction in album opener “Sun Lake Rinsed” – with immediate bleeping, echoing and whirring psychedelic-electro sounds (slightly reminiscent of the Sega Megadrive game ‘Echo the Dolphin’!). Although the increased reliance on a laptop is evident, not all is lost from their last album with some of the beats still sounding slightly like the afro-pop bongo hits of Sea Lion (album no. 2), which, combined with the frequent wails from McPhun, keep the track from veering off too far into the sometimes dirty world of electro. A strong opening track which surrounds and encapsulates you within its many layers, and makes you feel a little woozy as if you’ve been sat in the sun a little too long – a definite possibility if you have this album on in the background of a beach trip!

If track number one doesn’t convince you, then “Mingus and Pike” – the second of ten -will confirm your suspicions of a new direction; the high pitched vocal work again from McPhun is very possibly the only ‘organic’ material here. The sample briefly swells like an approaching fleet of surfers running towards the sea, before the beats kick in; looping for the majority of the song – barring a short-lived breakdown allowing the listener to catch their breath. “Mingus and Pike” is a brightly colored paint-pot spilling with energy.
“Cranberry” opens with militaristic snare rolls and bubbling loops, topped off with McPhun’s incomprehensible high-pitched vocal mumbles. For a while it’s all noise and loops, but it soon reveals itself as the infectious pop wonder that it is with its incredibly catchy synchronized keyboard noises combined with McPhun’s sweet vocals once more – which are even more enjoyable in the chorus which seems chant-worthy in a sort of afro psychedelic pop kind of way. The one criticism I might be able to make of this track is that it ends a verse too early. You just want it to go on and on.

“Haunted House” takes a page from Discovery’s book (the part-Vampire Weekend, part-Ra Ra Ra Riot collaboration) utilizing r’n’b production methods - think handclaps replacing snare hits and varied vocal pitch – and applying it to a pop song to great effect. The vocals are at times a little ‘The Jackson 5’ and at other times mysterious. Tracks like these are great because they have so much going on that with each listen you notice something new that you love. Another track that, at 2 minutes 39, you want it to go on that one more verse, just one more dose of that addictive sound.

Tracks such as “Closet Astrologer” even see the band verging on the newly born genre of glo-fi/chillwave, with McPhun’s distorted and echoing vocal work less of a focal feature allowing the track to ubble along in ambient fashion.

Fight Softly is also home to a completely re-worked “Dusty Fruit” – a track that the band have been using for a while now but that hadn’t made past releases. Upon first listen I was gutted that it’d now be ruined for me, only to realize that this new version is equally as, if not more so, enjoyable. The guitar riff is simple yet wonderful. The song is sped up slightly and feels bigger and more in-depth than before. It’s less beat heavy than the majority of the album, providing some light-hearted fun, and the melody of the chorus is great to (attempt to) sing along to.

Had I been told prior to this release that much of it would be focused on electro sounds, I’d have felt cheated. To be fair, it doesn’t always work. “How Kids Fail”, although otherwise a highly enjoyable song, is let down by the desperate sounding electro blasts which can grow tedious over time. But there is a sort of greater appreciation with this record, knowing that McPhun has spent grueling hours staring at his drum-machine software perfecting that drum sequence, or scrawling through samples to find that perfect loop to accompany it. This album is different but it is very strong. Regardless of the methods, The Ruby Suns continue to provide us with the sorts of tunes that people worldwide should use to soundtrack their summer.

7.5/10

Introducing Saturday's Kids (Feature for The 405)

2010-02-16T12:30:00.003Z

Words originally for The 405 and can be found here.

Abergavenny-based Saturday’s Kids are most likely the guinea pigs of a secret Government experiment, delaying the births of those who they know will grow up to be aspiring musicians so that, when they reach adulthood, they play music so unlike what you are used to in the current generation that you can’t help but love it.

These fresh-faced youngsters - not that you would know without going to a gig what with their attempts at some form of anonymity – make music that both the band and I struggle to define accurately. “We just make it up as we go along” lead-vocalist and guitarist Sion explains to me outside of Cardiff’s Bar YK, the pub which hosts the first date of their UK tour with friends Evariste Galois. “It’s a mix of a shitloads of genres, but predominantly post-punk, hardcore, unintentionally prog and unintentionally grunge. I’ve never listened properly to a prog band but we somehow slowed down and wrote [a few] 7-minute long songs, with synthesizer solos and people in skin-tight lycra.”

The sound is indeed ever developing, with newer tracks even seemingly having a blues and garage rock edge, as well as utilising shit loads of guitar distortions and feedback giving them a really dirty feel.

One thing that is sure is that they are angry little fuckers – even if they aren’t quite sure what about - and this comes across most prominently at live shows, where Sion somehow manages to play his guitar whilst violently spitting lyrics. “We all go into a sort of spaced out zone for the first 10 minutes after playing, but that is all part of it, the music inspiring movement. It is all part of the thrill and fun being absolutely knackered from playing; it feels better finishing playing and being drenched in sweat”.

The group’s DIY ethos is both endearing and effective. Each CD casing is made uniquely, packed with lyrics and hand made goodies. The band even booked their most recent UK tour single-handedly, despite the reservations of their parents. “‘Where are you gonna stay?’ [the parents ask], and they don’t like that you are staying in people’s houses that we’ve never met” drummer Greenburg explains. Sion also joked of his Mum’s concerns; “they think they’re gonna groom us or something. But, I think, originally we could have done 9 dates, but my mum was not too pleased about that. We’re not missing any school, but for being away for the entire half-term”.

In their relatively short time together, Saturday’s Kids have supported noise-rock band Lovvers, as well as playing around the UK. “[The Lovvers gig] is the biggest gig we’ve played in South Wales, but it’s different when you’re playing out” Sion told me. “We’ve played a few shows that have been in Guilford and Southampton and stuff - they’re more exciting because it’s new terrain and no one’s seen us before.”

The future, although possibly affected by the potential future departure of guitarist Jordan, (“I might be travelling so I may be leaving” he tells me as his fellow band members stare with a taunting disgust), looks exciting with future releases from the South Wales group planned; “We’re gonna hopefully bring out a 7”, either as a split with some other band or just a seven inch with about three or four songs of ours on it” Sion tells me. And although this release might cost you a few quid (the split with Evariste Galois, found at gigs, is a bargain at £2), you can still download their brilliant 5-track demo EP for free from their MySpace.

Saturday’s Kids have recently embarked on a UK tour, and will be writing a tour diary exclusively for The405 which you will be able to see in the coming weeks. In the mean time, add Saturday;s Kids as a friend on get listening!

Darwin’s Corner (Feature for The Retro)

2010-02-01T18:36:00.005Z

Words originally for UWIC's student newspaper, Retro: March 2010

Darwin’s Theory (fact) of Evolution doesn’t always suit the optimist among us. Our lives are pointless and insignificant. We all evolved from essentially nothing to become the beastly machines that we are today. Degrees, in the grand scheme of things, don’t mean much. When we die, we die. There is nothing. Our bodies rot, and our minds are no more. But things needn’t be so depressing.

Is evolving from nothingness into the intelligent, social, and efficient beings we are today not far more of an achievement as a species than simply being created by a man up in the sky? Is all the charitable work we do as individuals and a collective not actually far more selfless and loving knowing that we have done it to help others, rather than to secure ourselves guest-list entry into the haven that we have been told to believe in as a child?

Surely being able to rest at night knowing that we aren’t going to be punished with an eternity in the flames for making some mistakes in life or for not believing this man in the sky actually exists is quite refreshing. Try not to break the law and be as pleasant to others as you can, but don’t feel guilty for enjoying a healthy sexually relationship with your partner before marriage, or for having that drink down the pub with your mates every so often.

Be proud of yourself that, in those tough times when you asked for the help of “God”, it wasn’t God that got you through it but yourself. You did it. Possibly with the help of friends and family, but it is your achievement. Don’t attribute your success to others.

As Dawkins put it so well; our individual existence is quite incredible. If the Earth didn’t happen to end up exactly where it did, if it wasn’t one particular sperm that met your mother’s egg, if the fertilised egg did not develop quite right - we wouldn’t be here. But we are. It’s against all odds, but we are here, and that’s pretty special.

Life is short. Savour it.