JIMMY EAT WORLD
I have somehow always managed to not see Jimmy Eat World. I would have missed them this time too had my friend not had an extra ticket. Jimmy Eat World have been one of the most interesting and strangely pioneering bands of the last ten or so years. Walking the tight-ropes of pop-punk and emo without ever really being able to be classified as either, they have managed to produce some remarkable albums that are so far removed from the disposable products normally released from bands of either of those two genres. The fact that the majority of the crowd at Brixton are over twenty-one is the best way to emphasise quite how well respected this band are.
Jimmy Eat World take to the stage and from the off something doesn't seem quite right. My initial excitement wore thin by the end of the first song and I was left wondering what was off. They were very tight and their back catalogue, that is littered with both hits and cult classics, meant that it was never going to get boring, but at times they managed to skirt with the possibility. In their defense, I feel that it is often hard for bands to create the required atmosphere in a venue of this size, and I feel that this was Jimmy Eat World's problem. They played well but the venue was just too large.
I went to this gig with a heavy, painful cough that I needed to rest and with the sing-a-long potential of Jimmy Eat World I thought that this would be a curse. Rarely did it become so though. The big hits and my personal favourite, 23, made me move my lips but hardly belt the words out or throw my finger in the air. This was not bad but it wasn't great either.
http://www.myspace.com/jimmyeatworld
Monday 25 February 2008
Tuesday 19 February 2008
EMMY THE GREAT/ GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY @ KOKO 15/02/08
EMMY THE GREAT
First things first, I must get a huge gripe off of my chest. One thing that I hate is when people talk loud enough to drown out bands playing, especially when bands play the kind of soft, emotional and emphatically melancholic acoustic music that Emmy The Great plays. These people that jabber on throughout should fuck off to the bar and talk there, not stand at front-centre and chat the whole way through the set, laughing through songs about abortions and car crashes. It made me want to smash their skulls across the barrier as she played, to manipulate one of Emmy's lyrics.
Emmy, as a whole, failed to take my attention from the three bacteria next to me. Her songs didn't suit the size of the venue and few people had bothered to arrive early enough to see her, despite her being the main support. The sound was also far too quiet. The fact that I could hear these people next to me was bad enough, but that Emmy seemed to be able to hear them too implies that the sound was way too low. The band didn't really seem comfortable with the songs either which meant that the best moments came when it was just Emmy and her guitar.
I think that Emmy, unlike Sam Duckworth, will always suit the smaller, more intimate venues. Perhaps she will grow to become one of those artists that play Bush Hall or the Scala and charge £25 a ticket rather than play venues like Koko, but currently this tour and her impending visit to SXSW are both aimed at getting her the exposure that she deserves. My only problem is that, after this performance, she doesn't seem ready. There was no sheen on the set and not only was I left wishing that she'd performed Hypnotist's Daughter but that her set had been a little more rehearsed and a lot more confident.
http://www.myspace.com/emmythegreat
GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY.
I have never seen Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly in a big venue before. My last time seeing him was in a friend's living room and the time before that was at the Brixton Windmill in 2006 only a month or so after he had been signed. I had wanted to see him in a proper venue for a while though, to see someone who I had seen a few times when still travelling on the National Express all over the country and with just a guitar and a laptop for accompaniment, on a big stage, the kind of stage that I'd seen big acts in my past. I missed the Astoria and Forum shows and so was determined to see this one.
As soon as Sam took to the stage it was amazing. Instead of the jeans and t-shirt of old, he and his band - the last time I saw him he had no bassist and there was just one person in the brass section - were all donning suits, and then Sam picked up an electric guitar and I thought that this was his Bob Dylan moment. He thrashed his way through a new song and I didn't really enjoy it. The charm of the guy with the acoustic guitar had been lost, now he was a normal band and Get Cape sound normal in that field. The older songs still sound brilliant though and the crowd really get behind them. Towards the end I find that I'm moving further towards the back due to the amount of people pogoing and showing complete disregard for others as they show their passion for the music, and, despite the personal inconvenience, I am overcome with pride for Sam and what he has achieved. The final song of the set was a further step away from the original Get Cape sound, as they attempt an epic end to the set with some almost post-rock sound pouring from the speakers.
I'm not currently very convinced by what I've heard of the new album and this gig did nothing to build some anticipation within me, but it was nice to see a guy who has succeeded in his goals and is enjoying the life that these achievements allow him. However, on this occasion, I'm left longing for a shorter set and a little something to keep my attention.
http://www.myspace.com/getcapewearcapefly
First things first, I must get a huge gripe off of my chest. One thing that I hate is when people talk loud enough to drown out bands playing, especially when bands play the kind of soft, emotional and emphatically melancholic acoustic music that Emmy The Great plays. These people that jabber on throughout should fuck off to the bar and talk there, not stand at front-centre and chat the whole way through the set, laughing through songs about abortions and car crashes. It made me want to smash their skulls across the barrier as she played, to manipulate one of Emmy's lyrics.
Emmy, as a whole, failed to take my attention from the three bacteria next to me. Her songs didn't suit the size of the venue and few people had bothered to arrive early enough to see her, despite her being the main support. The sound was also far too quiet. The fact that I could hear these people next to me was bad enough, but that Emmy seemed to be able to hear them too implies that the sound was way too low. The band didn't really seem comfortable with the songs either which meant that the best moments came when it was just Emmy and her guitar.
I think that Emmy, unlike Sam Duckworth, will always suit the smaller, more intimate venues. Perhaps she will grow to become one of those artists that play Bush Hall or the Scala and charge £25 a ticket rather than play venues like Koko, but currently this tour and her impending visit to SXSW are both aimed at getting her the exposure that she deserves. My only problem is that, after this performance, she doesn't seem ready. There was no sheen on the set and not only was I left wishing that she'd performed Hypnotist's Daughter but that her set had been a little more rehearsed and a lot more confident.
http://www.myspace.com/emmythegreat
GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY.
I have never seen Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly in a big venue before. My last time seeing him was in a friend's living room and the time before that was at the Brixton Windmill in 2006 only a month or so after he had been signed. I had wanted to see him in a proper venue for a while though, to see someone who I had seen a few times when still travelling on the National Express all over the country and with just a guitar and a laptop for accompaniment, on a big stage, the kind of stage that I'd seen big acts in my past. I missed the Astoria and Forum shows and so was determined to see this one.
As soon as Sam took to the stage it was amazing. Instead of the jeans and t-shirt of old, he and his band - the last time I saw him he had no bassist and there was just one person in the brass section - were all donning suits, and then Sam picked up an electric guitar and I thought that this was his Bob Dylan moment. He thrashed his way through a new song and I didn't really enjoy it. The charm of the guy with the acoustic guitar had been lost, now he was a normal band and Get Cape sound normal in that field. The older songs still sound brilliant though and the crowd really get behind them. Towards the end I find that I'm moving further towards the back due to the amount of people pogoing and showing complete disregard for others as they show their passion for the music, and, despite the personal inconvenience, I am overcome with pride for Sam and what he has achieved. The final song of the set was a further step away from the original Get Cape sound, as they attempt an epic end to the set with some almost post-rock sound pouring from the speakers.
I'm not currently very convinced by what I've heard of the new album and this gig did nothing to build some anticipation within me, but it was nice to see a guy who has succeeded in his goals and is enjoying the life that these achievements allow him. However, on this occasion, I'm left longing for a shorter set and a little something to keep my attention.
http://www.myspace.com/getcapewearcapefly
SLOW CLUB/ HOT CLUB DE PARIS @ THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL 12/02/08
Before I review either band I really must talk about the venue choice. At first when buying the tickets I thought that it was a little bizarre. While it was obviously going to be in one of the smaller rooms upstairs, I still thought it was bizarre for a small label to put on a gig in a venue like this and run the risk of things being broken etc. But on second thoughts I think that it shows such a great faith that Moshi Moshi have in the fans of their label that they know them to be conscientious music lovers who are not attending gigs to get wasted and wreck some shit, but to appreciate new and exciting music. Top work and the label DJs who played songs before, in between and after the bands really helped show why Moshi Moshi have been and will inevitably continue to be incredible talent scouts and one of the best UK labels.
SLOW CLUB
I fucking love Slow Club. Not the best way to start a review but I think that it sums up my opinion both succinctly and entirely, well enough in fact for me to add nothing else and I'd feel as though I'd expressed myself adequately. They are lush and pretty and simple and other words like that. Watching them makes me feel light, as though my bone marrow has been replaced by tiny helium balloons. There is also something inherently English about their music and this makes The Royal Albert Hall seem as perfect a venue for them as a tea shop.
They have troubles tonight though. Their equipment had been doused in coffee on the way down (this was explained to us in an anecdote told to us between songs) and this caused Charles' lead to take issue with his guitar on occasion, Rebecca had a cold, and then, during their penultimate song, Charles managed to break a string which meant that they had no option but to play their final song acoustically, without microphones or percussion. But instead of letting these issues hold them back they embraced them, and the final song was one of the best of the set. Another stand-out song in their set for me was new song Trophy Room. This song managed to sound really big and had me thinking of the old Johnny Cash and June Carter duets.
Slow Club's set was far too short for me. This worked for them what with the problems that they had faced, but I was left wanting far more. Acoustic music seems to currently be either mainstream tat (Newton Faulkner), political (Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) or else whimsical tales of every day life (Sam Isaac), but Slow Club don't really fit into any of those. They instead manage to sound refreshing, heart-crushing and uplifting throughout their set and you're left with your heart feeling bruised and your lungs needing breathe. They remind me of that feeling when you see someone on a passing train and fall in love with their face but then they're gone before love could ever let you down. Slow Club are like that feeling, love without disappointment.
http://www.myspace.com/slowclub
HOT CLUB DE PARIS
Hot Club De Paris are a three-piece from Liverpool who sit alongside Slow Club on my list of 'Must Hear Albums' of 2008. Managing to sound like a constantly crashing sea of sound, they manage to muster incredibly complex songs and then play them at twice the pace of the recorded version when playing live. I first saw Hot Club when they played in Leeds with Dartz! and you can see the similarities between the bands. Both play spiky indie music which is far more technical than it might seem, but Hot Club manage to push the technical elements far further and quite often throughout their set I'm dumbfounded by quite how good this band are as musicians.
Hot Club decide to take this opportunity to play a set that is littered with songs from the forthcoming album, using the old songs just to keep people interested here and there. I don't think that I'd have lost interest though; the new songs are extremely promising. While it would appear that they have thankfully kept the playfully humourous song titles - I Wasn't Being Heartless When I Said That Your Favourite Song Lacked Heart is a prime example of this - they seem to have matured with their song structures and the strength of the playing seems far superior to anything on Drop It 'Til It Pops.
The between song banter is, as always, hilarious. Topics covered included discussing how they were big fans of the Chicago Bulls of baseball, how Bruce Springsteen adds an extra inch to his stage height and an amusing anecdote about how The Beat are "total arseholes, the type of people who would skank on your grave." Hot Club De Paris are set to return this year and once again deliver an album that should make people pay attention.
On the back of this gig I wouldn't mind joining either band's club.
http://www.myspace.com/hotclubdeparis
SLOW CLUB
I fucking love Slow Club. Not the best way to start a review but I think that it sums up my opinion both succinctly and entirely, well enough in fact for me to add nothing else and I'd feel as though I'd expressed myself adequately. They are lush and pretty and simple and other words like that. Watching them makes me feel light, as though my bone marrow has been replaced by tiny helium balloons. There is also something inherently English about their music and this makes The Royal Albert Hall seem as perfect a venue for them as a tea shop.
They have troubles tonight though. Their equipment had been doused in coffee on the way down (this was explained to us in an anecdote told to us between songs) and this caused Charles' lead to take issue with his guitar on occasion, Rebecca had a cold, and then, during their penultimate song, Charles managed to break a string which meant that they had no option but to play their final song acoustically, without microphones or percussion. But instead of letting these issues hold them back they embraced them, and the final song was one of the best of the set. Another stand-out song in their set for me was new song Trophy Room. This song managed to sound really big and had me thinking of the old Johnny Cash and June Carter duets.
Slow Club's set was far too short for me. This worked for them what with the problems that they had faced, but I was left wanting far more. Acoustic music seems to currently be either mainstream tat (Newton Faulkner), political (Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) or else whimsical tales of every day life (Sam Isaac), but Slow Club don't really fit into any of those. They instead manage to sound refreshing, heart-crushing and uplifting throughout their set and you're left with your heart feeling bruised and your lungs needing breathe. They remind me of that feeling when you see someone on a passing train and fall in love with their face but then they're gone before love could ever let you down. Slow Club are like that feeling, love without disappointment.
http://www.myspace.com/slowclub
HOT CLUB DE PARIS
Hot Club De Paris are a three-piece from Liverpool who sit alongside Slow Club on my list of 'Must Hear Albums' of 2008. Managing to sound like a constantly crashing sea of sound, they manage to muster incredibly complex songs and then play them at twice the pace of the recorded version when playing live. I first saw Hot Club when they played in Leeds with Dartz! and you can see the similarities between the bands. Both play spiky indie music which is far more technical than it might seem, but Hot Club manage to push the technical elements far further and quite often throughout their set I'm dumbfounded by quite how good this band are as musicians.
Hot Club decide to take this opportunity to play a set that is littered with songs from the forthcoming album, using the old songs just to keep people interested here and there. I don't think that I'd have lost interest though; the new songs are extremely promising. While it would appear that they have thankfully kept the playfully humourous song titles - I Wasn't Being Heartless When I Said That Your Favourite Song Lacked Heart is a prime example of this - they seem to have matured with their song structures and the strength of the playing seems far superior to anything on Drop It 'Til It Pops.
The between song banter is, as always, hilarious. Topics covered included discussing how they were big fans of the Chicago Bulls of baseball, how Bruce Springsteen adds an extra inch to his stage height and an amusing anecdote about how The Beat are "total arseholes, the type of people who would skank on your grave." Hot Club De Paris are set to return this year and once again deliver an album that should make people pay attention.
On the back of this gig I wouldn't mind joining either band's club.
http://www.myspace.com/hotclubdeparis
LOS CAMPESINOS!/ LES SAVY FAV @ THE ASTORIA 10/02/08
LOS CAMPESINOS!
Los Campesinos! are one of those fashionable bands that people are quick to look down on because publications like NME or Vice have been singing their praises. I'd have been tempted to avoid them too had I not actively attempted to give bands the benefit of the doubt this year. I'd read reports on them where they had been described as twee and intent on avoiding success and mainstream appeal, but with their brand of music I can't see that being possible.
I watched the band from the balcony having arrived just as they began their first song and my first thought was just how well they suited this large venue. With seven members to the band the stage hardly seemed too big but more importantly their sound really suited the acoustics, bouncing back off the walls making it seem far more epic than could ever have been intended. Musically they were very tight too which, with The Astoria's relatively poor sound and so many different instruments being played at once, was a far bigger achievement than it might seem.
Los Campesinos! sound like summer on record but tonight they sound perfect for a cold February evening. They sound dark, as though there has always been a melancholy running through their music that is only noticeable when played live. Twee? I'm not so sure. Yes they play a lot of xylophone, the female vocals are lush like meadows and the lyrics seem like wonderfully crafted cola-cubes, but twee seems to imply flimsy to me and that certainly couldn't be levelled at them. If you're suffering from a cold or cough as I am then I recommend a heavy dose of Los Campesinos! to warm your insides up.
http://www.myspace.com/loscampesinos
LES SAVY FAV
Les Savy Fav are a band that have been going since 1995 and now, twelve years later, they have broken into the mainstream and are getting the buzz that they have deserved for so long. The reason for this seems to have been the press that they have received for their fourth album, Let's Stay Friends. They seem to have created a sound that really suits them, taking the renowned New York sound and adding a steelier, heavier edge to it, perfect for dancing to but also good to sing along to in the car with friends.
Live they owe a lot to their unorthodox in every way front man. Tim Harrington is responsible only for vocals but is also the focal point of the group for their entire set. He takes to the stage dressed like the Phantom Of The Opera and then proceeds, once the first song gets under way, to shed his costume to show a Hawaiian shirt underneath. Throughout the set Tim manages to get through as many costume changes as any Mariah Carey episode of Cribs, at times being an explorer and even coming on for the encore dressed as an angel, blonde curly wig and all. But his showmanship doesn't end at outfits, Tim also spends as much time in the crowd as he does onstage, at times going as far towards the back of the room that he can no longer be seen anymore from my position on the balcony. He also has a member of the crowd join him onstage where he rides him like a horse.
With all this spectacle it would be easy for the show to turn into a shambles or for you to ignore the most important part of the show: the music, but the band are incredible throughout and Tim, despite all of his shenanigans and no matter where he might be in the venue at the time, never misses a line and always sounds as clear as a glacier. Les Savy Fav are the perfect cure for a heavy bout of tiredness and kept me thoroughly entertained in every possible way. To be both style and substance is quite an achievement and I can't wait for them to come back to these shores for more shows; I'd imagine the security staff will be less enthused to see Tim take to the stage again.
http://www.myspace.com/lessavyfav
Los Campesinos! are one of those fashionable bands that people are quick to look down on because publications like NME or Vice have been singing their praises. I'd have been tempted to avoid them too had I not actively attempted to give bands the benefit of the doubt this year. I'd read reports on them where they had been described as twee and intent on avoiding success and mainstream appeal, but with their brand of music I can't see that being possible.
I watched the band from the balcony having arrived just as they began their first song and my first thought was just how well they suited this large venue. With seven members to the band the stage hardly seemed too big but more importantly their sound really suited the acoustics, bouncing back off the walls making it seem far more epic than could ever have been intended. Musically they were very tight too which, with The Astoria's relatively poor sound and so many different instruments being played at once, was a far bigger achievement than it might seem.
Los Campesinos! sound like summer on record but tonight they sound perfect for a cold February evening. They sound dark, as though there has always been a melancholy running through their music that is only noticeable when played live. Twee? I'm not so sure. Yes they play a lot of xylophone, the female vocals are lush like meadows and the lyrics seem like wonderfully crafted cola-cubes, but twee seems to imply flimsy to me and that certainly couldn't be levelled at them. If you're suffering from a cold or cough as I am then I recommend a heavy dose of Los Campesinos! to warm your insides up.
http://www.myspace.com/loscampesinos
LES SAVY FAV
Les Savy Fav are a band that have been going since 1995 and now, twelve years later, they have broken into the mainstream and are getting the buzz that they have deserved for so long. The reason for this seems to have been the press that they have received for their fourth album, Let's Stay Friends. They seem to have created a sound that really suits them, taking the renowned New York sound and adding a steelier, heavier edge to it, perfect for dancing to but also good to sing along to in the car with friends.
Live they owe a lot to their unorthodox in every way front man. Tim Harrington is responsible only for vocals but is also the focal point of the group for their entire set. He takes to the stage dressed like the Phantom Of The Opera and then proceeds, once the first song gets under way, to shed his costume to show a Hawaiian shirt underneath. Throughout the set Tim manages to get through as many costume changes as any Mariah Carey episode of Cribs, at times being an explorer and even coming on for the encore dressed as an angel, blonde curly wig and all. But his showmanship doesn't end at outfits, Tim also spends as much time in the crowd as he does onstage, at times going as far towards the back of the room that he can no longer be seen anymore from my position on the balcony. He also has a member of the crowd join him onstage where he rides him like a horse.
With all this spectacle it would be easy for the show to turn into a shambles or for you to ignore the most important part of the show: the music, but the band are incredible throughout and Tim, despite all of his shenanigans and no matter where he might be in the venue at the time, never misses a line and always sounds as clear as a glacier. Les Savy Fav are the perfect cure for a heavy bout of tiredness and kept me thoroughly entertained in every possible way. To be both style and substance is quite an achievement and I can't wait for them to come back to these shores for more shows; I'd imagine the security staff will be less enthused to see Tim take to the stage again.
http://www.myspace.com/lessavyfav
MISTAKES IN ANIMATION/ FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! PHOTOGRAPHY/ THE ATTIKA STATE @ NOTTING HILL ARTS CLUB 09/02/08
MISTAKES IN ANIMATION
Mistakes In Animation are both hit and miss. I arrived at the venue very excited as there were loads of my friends present that I hadn’t seen in ages and was eager to hang out with them. I decided to make sure to catch Mistakes In Animation though as I wanted a band to review for the gig that I hadn’t previously, and also felt compelled to watch them after not having seen them before despite opportunities.
On the good side of this musical seesaw Del (singer and guitarist) is a very able guitarist and shows this on many occasions, using his ability to dress up otherwise simple songs. He is also not a bad singer. He is probably better suited to backing vocals but he more than holds my attention vocally. On the other side, I didn’t like the female vocals. I thought that her tone was not quite right and didn’t touch me in the way that a good female vocal so often manages. I also thought that there was a lack of a hook in most of the songs other than Peter Pan Syndrome, which was the stand-out song of the set for me.
At times Mistakes In Animation managed to sound like a mixture of Owen and Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, but for the most part they seemed to struggle, and this was best seen at the end when Del realised that he was out of songs and then, by the time he muffled through something or other, half the room had left. Not the best gig for them.
http://www.myspace.com/mistakesinanimationFLASH! FLASH! FLASH! PHOTOGRAPHY
I have already reviewed 3FP twice this year and am bound to do so several times in the future and I’m starting to wish that I hadn’t promised myself to review every band that I watch and on every occasion. I am also starting to hate the idea of reviewing your friends. If you think that they’re awful then they’re likely to be a little disappointed and, even more annoyingly, if you think that they’re amazing then everyone will just think that you’re biased. It is even more annoying because 3FP really are very good.
I’m not going to harp on about the same faults that they have every gig. Mike’s vocals were still a little too low but they’re getting better. Folu’s vocals are a little too loud and so make the gulf between levels even more noticeable. But the rest of the problems seem to have been ironed out.
Tonight the band seems to want to make a point. Marc from the first riff decides to climb on top of the speakers and plays from there. During Aquaman Mike decides to join the crowd and smash himself about amongst them. The crowd feed off this energy too and, for the first time at a 3FP gig, there is actually a fair amount of participation (myself included). The band also seem tighter and may have benefited from reducing the amount of time spent trying to change songs and instead focusing on honing what they already have.
This was the best performance that I’ve seen from Flash! Flash! Flash! Photography and I’m hoping that they build on this.
THE ATTIKA STATE
Talking to different friends about The Attika State before they start their set it seems that people either think that they’re the best band in Britain or really can’t understand the buzz. The band seem to thrive on this kind of attitude and, when they do take the stage, there are a pool of ten or so people at the front singing and finger-pointing along with incredible passion. The band seem to absorb this energy coming from the crowd and pulsate around the stage accordingly.
Having reviewed this band earlier in the year I’m also at a loss as to how to review them further. They’re the kind of band that don’t seem to have off days. On this occasion they were strong and maybe stronger than before. They even air a new song that seems to have picked up perfectly from their ep, Leave Your Dignity At The Door.
The Attika State are, in my opinion, one of the most polished and inventive bands of their ilk in the UK. Every now and again we get a band of their type that most would feel could match their US counterparts, and in my eyes there are few at the moment who could achieve that more than The Attika State. I still can’t see it happening mind.http://www.myspace.com/theattikastate
Wednesday 6 February 2008
YOUNG HUSBAND/ DAVID DONDERO/ DAVID BAZAN @ 93 FEET EAST 04/02/08
YOUNG HUSBAND
I caught a little of Young Husband and what I heard I liked. The venue was practically empty for the duration of his set and I think that this suited his soft, whispery voice and dainty guitar parts. I only saw the last two of his songs and so a full review would be unfair, but from what I heard he has a very simple, honest delivery and rather lovely songs. I'd definitely make sure to watch his entire set if he supports at any gig that I'm at in the future.
http://www.myspace.com/younghusbandmusic
DAVID DONDERO
I was sitting in the bar next door when David Dondero started his set and was willing to remain there until I heard a friend of mine compare his music to 'if Conor Oberst had written the songs but they were being sung by Willy Mason.' On that account I rushed into the other room and was not disappointed. You can see the Oberst influences in his lyrics, although I'd say that they're also influenced by David Bazan himself, especially with his strong mentions of religion. Musically I can also see the Willy Mason influence, the songs have that repetive guitar loop that Mason often has that means that many of his songs struggle to have an obvious chorus, but vocally however, I'd say that he was more like a mixture between Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse and, when he strained his voice to try and force emphasis, Win Butler of Arcade Fire.
From the above paragraph I'd imagine that most of you already have your myspace tabs open and are frantically entering his name into the music search to try and get a listen. The names mentioned are high praise indeed and he was never going to be good enough to deserve these mentions without some negative points. His vocals sometimes, especially on the less emotive songs, touched on a monotone which really did dull the senses, especially with the lack of an expansive guitar riff. This meant that for every great song there was a mediocre one.
I think that without the hooks or choruses or stand-out vocals or guitar parts, David Dondero is always going to remain a slightly acquired taste. Some people will like his country-tinged acoustic music that sounds as though, especially when introducing the songs while strumming the guitar, that he should be playing in the corner of some Louisiana spit and sawdust bar while people sit at the tables alone and starring into their drinks; others will find it boring. I thought that he was good, but I think that he made a perfect support act for David Bazan.
http://www.myspace.com/davedondero
DAVID BAZAN
I will open with a confession: I was never really a fan of Pedro The Lion and could only listen to Headphones every now and again. I had spent the weekend listening to Achilles' Heel constantly on my mp3 player in an attempt to grow fonder of them. I downloaded a Dave Bazan live performance and listened to that too. I listened to the Headphones album for the first few times in ages. I had a feeling that with all this listening I'd be a fan by the time of the gig and it worked to an extent. But seeing David Bazan live changed everything. When I was travelling home the first album that I put on was the David Bazan live set.
Due to my lack of knowledge of Pedro The Lion I sadly cannot enlighten people as to which songs he played of theirs. I do know that he played Bands With Managers thought and it was incredible. He managed to perform all of his songs on an electric guitar which, when played as a solo act, I normally have issues with, and yet not once did the sound seem to lack character. Standing with someone who was a complete unknown to David Bazan and all of his bands before the gig, she remarked to me quite how depressing his lyrics are, and she was right of course. But there was a warmth and sincerity in his delivery that managed to make what should have been quite a cold sentiment quite uplifting. Including questions and answer sessions throughout the set was something that I'd never seen before and a great way for fans to get answers to questions that they long for, and Bazan only tends to have diehard fans.
Since Monday I have listened to Headphones a lot. I haven't listened to Pedro The Lion but I feel far more compelled to than I ever have before. The gig for me hinged a lot on what Headphones song he decided to play. I knew that he often played Hot Girls and would have been happy for that, but when he started playing Shit Talker I was trembling with excitement. I remarked afterwards that the inclusion of that song wrote my review for me and in some ways it did; the set just seemed 'right' from the very start to his cover of Hallelujah to end (the best cover I've ever heard of the song and if ever there was a Pedro The Lion song that David didn't write, that song is it). I am now a fan of anything and everything that David Bazan has been involved with.
http://www.myspace.com/davidbazan
I caught a little of Young Husband and what I heard I liked. The venue was practically empty for the duration of his set and I think that this suited his soft, whispery voice and dainty guitar parts. I only saw the last two of his songs and so a full review would be unfair, but from what I heard he has a very simple, honest delivery and rather lovely songs. I'd definitely make sure to watch his entire set if he supports at any gig that I'm at in the future.
http://www.myspace.com/younghusbandmusic
DAVID DONDERO
I was sitting in the bar next door when David Dondero started his set and was willing to remain there until I heard a friend of mine compare his music to 'if Conor Oberst had written the songs but they were being sung by Willy Mason.' On that account I rushed into the other room and was not disappointed. You can see the Oberst influences in his lyrics, although I'd say that they're also influenced by David Bazan himself, especially with his strong mentions of religion. Musically I can also see the Willy Mason influence, the songs have that repetive guitar loop that Mason often has that means that many of his songs struggle to have an obvious chorus, but vocally however, I'd say that he was more like a mixture between Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse and, when he strained his voice to try and force emphasis, Win Butler of Arcade Fire.
From the above paragraph I'd imagine that most of you already have your myspace tabs open and are frantically entering his name into the music search to try and get a listen. The names mentioned are high praise indeed and he was never going to be good enough to deserve these mentions without some negative points. His vocals sometimes, especially on the less emotive songs, touched on a monotone which really did dull the senses, especially with the lack of an expansive guitar riff. This meant that for every great song there was a mediocre one.
I think that without the hooks or choruses or stand-out vocals or guitar parts, David Dondero is always going to remain a slightly acquired taste. Some people will like his country-tinged acoustic music that sounds as though, especially when introducing the songs while strumming the guitar, that he should be playing in the corner of some Louisiana spit and sawdust bar while people sit at the tables alone and starring into their drinks; others will find it boring. I thought that he was good, but I think that he made a perfect support act for David Bazan.
http://www.myspace.com/davedondero
DAVID BAZAN
I will open with a confession: I was never really a fan of Pedro The Lion and could only listen to Headphones every now and again. I had spent the weekend listening to Achilles' Heel constantly on my mp3 player in an attempt to grow fonder of them. I downloaded a Dave Bazan live performance and listened to that too. I listened to the Headphones album for the first few times in ages. I had a feeling that with all this listening I'd be a fan by the time of the gig and it worked to an extent. But seeing David Bazan live changed everything. When I was travelling home the first album that I put on was the David Bazan live set.
Due to my lack of knowledge of Pedro The Lion I sadly cannot enlighten people as to which songs he played of theirs. I do know that he played Bands With Managers thought and it was incredible. He managed to perform all of his songs on an electric guitar which, when played as a solo act, I normally have issues with, and yet not once did the sound seem to lack character. Standing with someone who was a complete unknown to David Bazan and all of his bands before the gig, she remarked to me quite how depressing his lyrics are, and she was right of course. But there was a warmth and sincerity in his delivery that managed to make what should have been quite a cold sentiment quite uplifting. Including questions and answer sessions throughout the set was something that I'd never seen before and a great way for fans to get answers to questions that they long for, and Bazan only tends to have diehard fans.
Since Monday I have listened to Headphones a lot. I haven't listened to Pedro The Lion but I feel far more compelled to than I ever have before. The gig for me hinged a lot on what Headphones song he decided to play. I knew that he often played Hot Girls and would have been happy for that, but when he started playing Shit Talker I was trembling with excitement. I remarked afterwards that the inclusion of that song wrote my review for me and in some ways it did; the set just seemed 'right' from the very start to his cover of Hallelujah to end (the best cover I've ever heard of the song and if ever there was a Pedro The Lion song that David didn't write, that song is it). I am now a fan of anything and everything that David Bazan has been involved with.
http://www.myspace.com/davidbazan
Sunday 3 February 2008
ALAN POWNALL/ THE WAVE PICTURES/ SLOW CLUB @ THE BORDERLINE 02/02/08
ALAN POWNALL
I'm a sucker for acoustic acts. My itunes is jammed full of guys and gals who sing along with just an acoustic guitar for accompaniment and they manage to move me in a way that is so much harder to do with a full band. It's like stripped down emotion where nothing but the sentiment is important and where instruments would cloud the issue. There are others that preach their beliefs or issues and fight causes with their music and I find myself more open to their message than a punk band's. Basically I ultimately find it hard to fault acoustic acts, but there are a few things that can strike a faus pas with me. Alan Pownell manages to find them.
Firstly he sings like an American but, when he speaks between songs you realise that he is not in fact American but a well-spoken Englishman. This is the first disappointment. Secondly the lyrics often mean very little and even manage to flirt with gibberish at times. Lyrically he seems quite like the pop stars James Morrison or James Blunt rather than those who find themselves on my itunes.
His biggest mistake in my eyes was when he decided, on a few occasions, to shush the crowd. Yes, it is annoying when people talk over bands and especially acoustic artists but it is the singer's job to silence them with their music and not with their demands. If you're not good enough to make them be quiet then you're the one failing, and, in demanding that the people who had just come through the door quieten down, he lost my respect and managed to actually anger me. He certainly didn't do enough to silence me, but I just didn't speak.
http://www.myspace.com/alanpownall
THE WAVE PICTURES
The Wave Pictures are a three-piece producing music that sounds like a mix of The Coral, Supergrass, Ocean Colour Scene and all of the bands that your parents used to play when you were a child. They remind me of the sort of band that should be coming out of the jukebox of a country pub on a Sunday while friends play pool and you stand chatting to the landlord and sun is peering through the windows and everyone is smiling. They sound like brit-pop but they sound like the brit-pop bands that didn't manage to outlive the genre. It does feel pretty good though to hear a new band playing that long dead genre live again though.
Having listened to the songs on their myspace, there does appear to be some relatively big differences between their recorded output and their live show. For starters they love solos live. Every song seems to feature a guitar solo and this can get a fair bit too much despite their quality. One thing that doesn't get at all tiresome though are the bass-solos, something that you don't get to see at all often enough. The lyrics are a little off at times too, and this is most evident with the two vocal solos during one song where the band remark on the difference between a sculpture of marmalade and actual marmalade. It just seems daft.
This band are better than the above paragraph lets on though. Their banter between songs is some of the best that I've heard in a long time and their music really is entertaining. They don't bring anything particularly new to the table but they remind me of a time when life seemed easier and more fun, and for that this band on this particular evening were just what was required.
http://www.myspace.com/thewavepictures
SLOW CLUB
Slow Club are a simple band. A boy and a girl; Charles, the boy, plays guitar and Rebecca, the girl, does percussion. They both do vocals. They write simple songs about wonderfully twee things and yet at no point does this twee simplicity get annoying as so often bands of their ilk do. Instead their pop songs make you question why music can't be like this more often. This is my third time of seeing Slow Club and my favourite so far.
On each of the previous occasions Slow Club have proved something to me and tonight was no different. I saw them first around this time last year at the Faversham in Leeds. They were first on and were the only band on the bill that I'd never heard of (they were playing with Dartz! and Hot Club De Paris) and they not only managed to keep me entertained, but they stole the show. I was in love. The second time was supporting Tilly And The Wall at the Electric Ballroom last summer. I had thought that the larger venue might remove the intimate, almost secretive feeling that the band manage to muster with their sound but instead it still seemed as though the rest of the crowd melted away and they were singing for me. It was lovely. Tonight I saw them headlining for the first time and they managed to pepper the set with a plethora of new songs and yet the crowd remained quiet - a real achievement for an acoustic act - and everyone walked away with smiles smothering their faces. So what did they prove to me tonight? This year Slow Club will be releasing one of the albums of 2008. Pretty good for a simple band I'd say.
Slow Club produce life-affirming, touching, folk-pop; the kind of music that everyone with ears should appreciate. It is impossible to find many faults in the band. Charles rarely attempts to try elaborate guitar riffs or solos as it wouldn't be appropriate to the sound. Rebecca will hit or slap or jangle anything that she can find that makes a pretty sound, while there are few things in the world prettier than her voice. It is impossible not to fall in love with this band. Go listen and prove me right.
www.myspace.com/slowclub
I'm a sucker for acoustic acts. My itunes is jammed full of guys and gals who sing along with just an acoustic guitar for accompaniment and they manage to move me in a way that is so much harder to do with a full band. It's like stripped down emotion where nothing but the sentiment is important and where instruments would cloud the issue. There are others that preach their beliefs or issues and fight causes with their music and I find myself more open to their message than a punk band's. Basically I ultimately find it hard to fault acoustic acts, but there are a few things that can strike a faus pas with me. Alan Pownell manages to find them.
Firstly he sings like an American but, when he speaks between songs you realise that he is not in fact American but a well-spoken Englishman. This is the first disappointment. Secondly the lyrics often mean very little and even manage to flirt with gibberish at times. Lyrically he seems quite like the pop stars James Morrison or James Blunt rather than those who find themselves on my itunes.
His biggest mistake in my eyes was when he decided, on a few occasions, to shush the crowd. Yes, it is annoying when people talk over bands and especially acoustic artists but it is the singer's job to silence them with their music and not with their demands. If you're not good enough to make them be quiet then you're the one failing, and, in demanding that the people who had just come through the door quieten down, he lost my respect and managed to actually anger me. He certainly didn't do enough to silence me, but I just didn't speak.
http://www.myspace.com/alanpownall
THE WAVE PICTURES
The Wave Pictures are a three-piece producing music that sounds like a mix of The Coral, Supergrass, Ocean Colour Scene and all of the bands that your parents used to play when you were a child. They remind me of the sort of band that should be coming out of the jukebox of a country pub on a Sunday while friends play pool and you stand chatting to the landlord and sun is peering through the windows and everyone is smiling. They sound like brit-pop but they sound like the brit-pop bands that didn't manage to outlive the genre. It does feel pretty good though to hear a new band playing that long dead genre live again though.
Having listened to the songs on their myspace, there does appear to be some relatively big differences between their recorded output and their live show. For starters they love solos live. Every song seems to feature a guitar solo and this can get a fair bit too much despite their quality. One thing that doesn't get at all tiresome though are the bass-solos, something that you don't get to see at all often enough. The lyrics are a little off at times too, and this is most evident with the two vocal solos during one song where the band remark on the difference between a sculpture of marmalade and actual marmalade. It just seems daft.
This band are better than the above paragraph lets on though. Their banter between songs is some of the best that I've heard in a long time and their music really is entertaining. They don't bring anything particularly new to the table but they remind me of a time when life seemed easier and more fun, and for that this band on this particular evening were just what was required.
http://www.myspace.com/thewavepictures
SLOW CLUB
Slow Club are a simple band. A boy and a girl; Charles, the boy, plays guitar and Rebecca, the girl, does percussion. They both do vocals. They write simple songs about wonderfully twee things and yet at no point does this twee simplicity get annoying as so often bands of their ilk do. Instead their pop songs make you question why music can't be like this more often. This is my third time of seeing Slow Club and my favourite so far.
On each of the previous occasions Slow Club have proved something to me and tonight was no different. I saw them first around this time last year at the Faversham in Leeds. They were first on and were the only band on the bill that I'd never heard of (they were playing with Dartz! and Hot Club De Paris) and they not only managed to keep me entertained, but they stole the show. I was in love. The second time was supporting Tilly And The Wall at the Electric Ballroom last summer. I had thought that the larger venue might remove the intimate, almost secretive feeling that the band manage to muster with their sound but instead it still seemed as though the rest of the crowd melted away and they were singing for me. It was lovely. Tonight I saw them headlining for the first time and they managed to pepper the set with a plethora of new songs and yet the crowd remained quiet - a real achievement for an acoustic act - and everyone walked away with smiles smothering their faces. So what did they prove to me tonight? This year Slow Club will be releasing one of the albums of 2008. Pretty good for a simple band I'd say.
Slow Club produce life-affirming, touching, folk-pop; the kind of music that everyone with ears should appreciate. It is impossible to find many faults in the band. Charles rarely attempts to try elaborate guitar riffs or solos as it wouldn't be appropriate to the sound. Rebecca will hit or slap or jangle anything that she can find that makes a pretty sound, while there are few things in the world prettier than her voice. It is impossible not to fall in love with this band. Go listen and prove me right.
www.myspace.com/slowclub
EBONY BONES/ THOSE DANCING DAYS @ THE CAMDEN BARFLY 01/02/08
EBONY BONES
Ebony Bones scare the shit out of me in the way that I used to get scared at pantomimes when I was younger because I didn't want them to single me out and make me get involved. Ebony Bones actually have quite a theatrical, almost pantomime feel to them in fact, they wear costumes that are both bright and impractical - Ebony and her two backing singles look fantastic in brash-bright outfits with wigs to match, while the drummer wears a rabbit mask and there is a man sitting on the stage playing additional percussion that is wearing some kind of tribal outfit - and throw themselves around the stage in a way that seems choreographed and yet chaotic and unpredictable in equal measures.
Musically I am not a fan. I gave the tracks on her myspace a listen before the gig and knew from the off that I wasn't going to be converted. I was actually tempted to give her a miss and, had she headlined as she was billed to, I'd have headed home before she took to the stage. I'm happy that I didn't, even if I'm still not a fan. The songs seemed to blur into one another and it is hard to estimate how many different songs that she played. The stand out track was the closer We Know All About U, which had a very distinct rhythm and an extremely catchy chorus. This one song might tempt me back to her myspace from time to time, but it was the only one for me.
Ebony Bones sound a little like an indie James Brown Experience, just obviously not as good. But there is plenty of potential there and with her describing her band as 'a collective individuals, having a good time and not repressing themselves', you can see that she has the same kind of mentality as the Godfather of Soul. She might not quite be my cup of tea but her live performance is definitely worth a watch. Ebony Bones manages to somehow create an indie block party, something that I never thought I'd be part of but manage to enjoy it all the same.
http://www.myspace.com/ebonybones
THOSE DANCING DAYS
Those Dancing Days have been playing the typical press tour of continually playing the fashionable venues of London, much like The Mae Shi have been doing at the same time. They have been awarded London Lite's single of the week award for Hitten and they're bound to be getting mentioned in the 'new bands' sections of all of the major music mags in the next few weeks. And all of this for a bunch of schoolgirls from Sweden. Surely they would be showing signs of nerves and looking daunted at the sight of a packed Barfly? Yes and no.
Musically there are some hiccoughs. While the bass is steady and strong throughout and the drums are impressive both instruments only aim to give the band a skeleton to flesh out with the keys, guitar and vocals. It is here that they struggle. They really do not utilise the keyboard anywhere near enough, the vocals are good but not great, and the guitar work is way too simple to the point that it seems amateurish. These are big problems but ones that needn't be problems for ever. The guitar is the main problem and will have to be sorted out for the band to further themselves, or at least enamour them to me.
The performance has it's high points though. The self-titled single is the main highlight and the band's enthusiasm and innocence manage to make it very hard to review them so honestly above. Lead singer, Linnea, is captivating and Cissi, the drummer, smiles like she is about as excited as she could ever be. This is a band that seem to just be enjoying what they're doing right now and that is impossible to criticise. Live they are better than I have let on in this review, but they could be brilliant soon.
http://www.myspace.com/thosedancingdays
Ebony Bones scare the shit out of me in the way that I used to get scared at pantomimes when I was younger because I didn't want them to single me out and make me get involved. Ebony Bones actually have quite a theatrical, almost pantomime feel to them in fact, they wear costumes that are both bright and impractical - Ebony and her two backing singles look fantastic in brash-bright outfits with wigs to match, while the drummer wears a rabbit mask and there is a man sitting on the stage playing additional percussion that is wearing some kind of tribal outfit - and throw themselves around the stage in a way that seems choreographed and yet chaotic and unpredictable in equal measures.
Musically I am not a fan. I gave the tracks on her myspace a listen before the gig and knew from the off that I wasn't going to be converted. I was actually tempted to give her a miss and, had she headlined as she was billed to, I'd have headed home before she took to the stage. I'm happy that I didn't, even if I'm still not a fan. The songs seemed to blur into one another and it is hard to estimate how many different songs that she played. The stand out track was the closer We Know All About U, which had a very distinct rhythm and an extremely catchy chorus. This one song might tempt me back to her myspace from time to time, but it was the only one for me.
Ebony Bones sound a little like an indie James Brown Experience, just obviously not as good. But there is plenty of potential there and with her describing her band as 'a collective individuals, having a good time and not repressing themselves', you can see that she has the same kind of mentality as the Godfather of Soul. She might not quite be my cup of tea but her live performance is definitely worth a watch. Ebony Bones manages to somehow create an indie block party, something that I never thought I'd be part of but manage to enjoy it all the same.
http://www.myspace.com/ebonybones
THOSE DANCING DAYS
Those Dancing Days have been playing the typical press tour of continually playing the fashionable venues of London, much like The Mae Shi have been doing at the same time. They have been awarded London Lite's single of the week award for Hitten and they're bound to be getting mentioned in the 'new bands' sections of all of the major music mags in the next few weeks. And all of this for a bunch of schoolgirls from Sweden. Surely they would be showing signs of nerves and looking daunted at the sight of a packed Barfly? Yes and no.
Musically there are some hiccoughs. While the bass is steady and strong throughout and the drums are impressive both instruments only aim to give the band a skeleton to flesh out with the keys, guitar and vocals. It is here that they struggle. They really do not utilise the keyboard anywhere near enough, the vocals are good but not great, and the guitar work is way too simple to the point that it seems amateurish. These are big problems but ones that needn't be problems for ever. The guitar is the main problem and will have to be sorted out for the band to further themselves, or at least enamour them to me.
The performance has it's high points though. The self-titled single is the main highlight and the band's enthusiasm and innocence manage to make it very hard to review them so honestly above. Lead singer, Linnea, is captivating and Cissi, the drummer, smiles like she is about as excited as she could ever be. This is a band that seem to just be enjoying what they're doing right now and that is impossible to criticise. Live they are better than I have let on in this review, but they could be brilliant soon.
http://www.myspace.com/thosedancingdays
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