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
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