Categories
Reviews

Preview: RightClickSaveAs

The last decade has been pretty good for indie music. The Strokes quintessential Is This It, released in 2001, wrestled control of rock music from the excesses of nu metal in the 90s, providing a taught, stripped-back lo-fi sound that reinvigorated indie music and set the ball rolling for bands like Interpol, The National, Kings of Leon, Razorlight, Bloc Party and many others in the subsequent years.

In the middle of the decade, bands like Interpol and The Killers integrated influences from the 80s – the formative decade for many artists today. Combined with the flourishing electro scene under Justice, Erol Alkan, Simian Mobile Disco and others, indie’s final integration with dance music was completed with Hot Chip’s The Warning in 2006, and the Klaxons’ Myths of The Near Future in January 2007. Since then, electro has been king, with artists like Friendly Fires finding their electronic side the more fruitful of their parent influences. So, ever wondered what glitchy electro-pop would sound like if it was done by just one man and his acoustic guitar? The answer is RightClickSaveAs.

Continue reading “Preview: RightClickSaveAs”
Categories
Reviews

Review: The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns

With a name like The Rural Alberta Advantage and a début album called Hometowns you would be forgiven for expecting a folk/country band singing wistful indie folk tunes about where they grew up. However, although this Toronto-based three piece do sing songs about their home towns whilst playing acoustic instruments, this is not your typical country album.

Though there are some undeniably country influences on the album, what really makes it stand out are the drums. Paul Banwatt’s drumming is incessant and energetic and on many of the songs is at the centre of the mix, leading the songs in a way you don’t often hear.

But it’s not all about the drums, as they are wonderfully arranged alongside quirky synthesizers and twangy acoustic guitar, and these elements superbly accompany the rasping delivery of the heartfelt lyrics by Nils Edenloff.

There is an intensity and energy present throughout the album, whether it is in the fervent drumming on tracks like ‘The Dethbridge in Lethbridge‘ or in the absorbing, deeply personal, lyrics that regularly touch on the topics of love, loss and the feelings of broken-heartedness. Even when the tempo slows on tracks like ‘The Air‘ or ‘Sleep All Day‘ you can still feel the passion within the music, and in fact perhaps even more so.

Continue reading “Review: The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns”
Categories
Playlists

128 Spotisfaction Friday – 22nd October 2010 – Paul ‘Fozz’ Foster

Morning kids. Got a pretty feature-packed day for you today which hopefully explains why the playlist is ever-so-slightly earlier than normal. Some good news to kick off with: Spotisfaction HQ is getting crowded these days as we’ve had a couple of newbies join our staff ranks – say hi to Dave Christensen, Rob Tite and Tom Girard. Look out for stuff from these fine chaps in the near future. We’re always looking for more content, just so you know, so get in touch if you want to join our illustrious ranks and write for Spotisfaction.

In other news, James TAE keeps stealing the biscuits, and Kev smells distressingly of booze – thank God it’s the weekend and I can get out of here! In the build up to escape-time, today’s playlist by Paul “Fozz” Foster is, frankly, stuffed full of relentless energy and has gotten me completely pumped up for the weekend. I’m sat here listening to The Bloody Beetroots and dancing around like a loon. Wahsomes, kudos to you Fozz.

Catch you next week, amigos.
Dave

Fozz Says:

There’s no particular theme to this playlist, it’s just a bunch of tracks that have caught my attention over the last few weeks. It does work best listened to at high volume though, at the risk of irritating your neighbours/housemates/parents.

I absolutely love each track for various different reasons so it’s hard to pick any stand-outs, I just hope you enjoy listening to them as much as I have.

Categories
Reviews

Review: 3 Daft Monkeys – The Antiquated & The Arcane

Tim Ashton, Athene Roberts and Jamie Waters, otherwise known as 3 Daft Monkeys, have been working on their blend of Balkan, Celtic, reggae, Spanish, punk-infused folk for more than a decade now. They are, in a sense, the UK’s answer to the also superb American folk trio Nickel Creek, but though equally adept at crafting a heady mix of influences into folk songs, the 3 Daft Monkeys are also known for their ferocious and uplifting live shows.

Neither is it a mean feat for a folk band to have been as successful, not least because they have insisted on doing it without ever signing to a label. They have avoided mainstream attention and have committed to extensive touring and the hard work that goes along with it. It’s no surprise, then, to see their music developing with a bredth and maturity not often allowed in an industry that has grown used to bands, at the pressure of their labels, pumping out albums every 18 months.

Continue reading “Review: 3 Daft Monkeys – The Antiquated & The Arcane”
Categories
Reviews

Review: Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Lonely Avenue

Back in 2002, English novelist Nick Hornby published a collection of 31 short essays documenting how different songs have influenced his life. 31 Songs is a fascinating read; very well written, offering the reader a unique insight into the mind of a music lover and how his love of music can carry him through any hardship. Amongst the tracks chosen by Hornby to describe his life was Smoke by the alternative indie rock trio Ben Folds Five, which held the most resonance in the collection due to the subtle lyrical connotations depicting the breakdown of marriage. This appreciation fused a friendship between Hornby and Folds, resulting finally in 2010 with their collaboration, Lonely Avenue.

The album contains eleven tracks with all lyrical content written by Nick Hornby and all music performed by Ben Folds. This inspired marriage instantly gives the collection an intelligent narrative, enforced with a strong piano-led musicality, turning each song into a beautifully crafted short story. This quality can be found throughout the album, especially in the bitter-sweet ‘Picture Window’, the soulful character portrait of ‘Practical Amanda’ and the tale of childhood innocence in ‘Claire’s Ninth’, which was actually Hornby’s first ever short story. The most striking track on the album is ‘Doc Pomus’; a driving melody and rhythm referencing the 1960s songwriter, whose story provides this collaboration’s namesake.

Continue reading “Review: Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Lonely Avenue”
Categories
Playlists

126 Spotisfaction Wednesday – 20th October 2010 – Simon Mogg

So, another Wednesday. I think Monday gets a bad rep, to be honest – all weekdays are pretty crap, not just Monday. And on that lovely note, happy birthday to contributor Ben Mercer! Love!

Anyway… Today’s playlist is by Simon Mogg and is entitled “The West Wing”. I’ll be honest, I never really watched it. I may need to bug you for the box sets…

Later!
Dave

Moggy Says:

There have been seven seasons of The West Wing. I’ve watched them all… a lot. I love everything about it. I think all elements of the show are of tremendous quality and that includes the choice of music. Other than W.G. Snuffy Walden’s incidental music, they pick a mixed selection of tracks to complement the episode that they are included in. Many tracks are very emotive, some very strange but most are just very good. Here is a playlist of some of the best from all seven seasons, in order.

The Yo-Yo Ma cello piece is absolutely beautiful. I very much like the tone of the cello. The Dire Straits track used at the end of season two really swells the mood of the season finale and helps create a dramatic climax. Tori Amos‘s very breathy version of ‘I don’t like Mondays’ is coupled with a storyline about a bomb in a school and adds a haunting feeling that can bring a tear to the eye. I could talk at length about the rest of the tracks as well but it would be dull for all of those who don’t know the show. I will just leave you with this advice: even if you skip the rest of the playlist, at least listen to Massive Attack, Steve Miller Band and the two Chopin piano pieces they are all brilliant in their own way.

Hit the link for info on which tracks came from which seasons.

Continue reading “126 Spotisfaction Wednesday – 20th October 2010 – Simon Mogg”

Categories
Reviews

Review: A Genuine Freakshow – Oftentimes

Every now and then you come across a band that you think is truly something special, and this is exactly what happened earlier this year when I saw A Genuine Freakshow at the Frog and Fiddle in Cheltenham. It was a quiet night and the small crowd didn’t do justice to the quality of music on offer that evening.

Since then I have managed to see A Genuine Freakshow live once more at 2000 Trees festival, where, for me, they were one of the best acts of the entire weekend. However, as brilliant as they are live, when it comes to studio versions of their music we’ve had to settle with repeatedly listening to the four tracks available from their website. And so it was with bated breath that I awaited the release of A Genuine Freakshow’s début album, Oftentimes.

This seven piece from Reading add cello, violin and trumpet to the more traditional rock four piece and have influences that include Mogwai, Mew and Sigur Ros, all of which could lead you to think that Oftentimes would be a pure post-rock offering. But while these influences do inspire some post-rock tendencies, A Genuine Freakshow have a lot more to offer.

Tim Sutcliffe’s falsetto vocals and melancholy lyrics complement the grandiose feeling to the songs. The inclusion of the ‘classical’ instruments adds layers to create an overall sound of almost epic proportions that is very much at home in the post-rock genre. However, these tendencies are tempered by more technical pop stylings to create some unpredictable song structures and a sound that is fairly unique.

Continue reading “Review: A Genuine Freakshow – Oftentimes”

Categories
Features Playlists

Feature: Tomorrow’s Sounds Today

Hi everyone and welcome to another edition of Tomorrow’s Sounds Today, where we at Spotisfaction Towers exercise our inner domestic goddess and serve you hot, delicious spoonfuls of the latest and greatest tunes fresh from the Spotify Fridge.

A good mix of music this week, from the eclectic jazz of Afrocubism to current commercial darlings Kings of Leon. As always, we hope you enjoy our choices but I would welcome all your feedback on the highlights, lowlights and slow burners this week. Did we miss a glaringly obvious release? Let us know and it might make a revisited page or even warrant its own full length review! The comment section is below and remember that your voice empowers you (but please be polite). And so, to business!

Kings Of Leon ”“ Come Around Sundown ”“ I’ll be honest and say I’m not the world’s biggest Kings of Leon fan, but they are still very popular despite this, so I am sure that news of the album will be well received in some camps. Musically, this record doesn’t sound a huge departure from earlier work and that’s by no means a bad thing. I almost get the feeling they’ve played it safe, ensuring they hit the same target as before. It’s a competent, enjoyable album but I fear the only negative, if there is one, is that there is not the immediate impact that the singles of its predecessor had.

Belle & Sebastian ”“ Write About Love – So out with the politically neutral review of Kings of Leon, and into the selfish all-praising review of one of my favourite groups… Let’s not say we at Spotisfaction are not about balance! According to my Spotify, all the current Belle & Sebastian albums are 2010 releases so I suspect some contractual wrangling in the background or a mass re-issue. Earlier in the year we spoke about Push Barman To Open Old Wounds and how much I still enjoy listening to that record. This new LP is definitely a shift in direction but not a full-on change of lanes. It feels less relective and has a more dreamy shine to it, for want of a better description. Musically it is as strong as ever and I think will go down just as well with fans.

Continue reading “Feature: Tomorrow’s Sounds Today”

Categories
Playlists

126 Spotisfaction Monday – 18th October 2010 – Kev Atkinson

Morning kids. Hopefully everyone had a fab weekend? Mine was pretty good. Saw MF Doom on Saturday night, and he was completely mind-blowingly incredible, as expected. The downside is that I’m completely pooped and I don’t really feel like I got enough sleep this weekend. Therefore, I’ve decided I’m going to sleep at my desk today. If you’re passing, bring me hot chocolate and biscuits, yeh?

Today’s playlist is by staff-member Kev Atkinson, and is entitled “Two Pigs”. A perfect hangover cure for a Monday that arrived far too quickly. Cheers Kev!

Later,
Dave

Kev Says:

This playlist is named after a nightclub in Cheltenham. The Two Pigs used to be one of my favourite places to go at the end of a night out, as it was a good place to hear a nice mix of alternative music, and you could drink and dance until a silly time in the morning.

The problem is that the last few times I”™ve been there the music selection has been too tame, too mainstream, and it feels like they have been pandering to the masses a bit too much. This is why I haven”™t been there for a while.

What I have done with this playlist is put together a few tracks and artists that I would like to hear more of (or in quite a few cases, at all) when I go to Two Pigs – basically this is the sort of thing you”™d hear if I had a DJ spot there!

Categories
Features

Feature: Gig Rig

Howdy folks! The weekend is here and tomorrow night a few of us will be in attendance at the MF Doom gig in Bristol, which I’m rather looking forward to.

If you fancy re-living the ska punk days of the 90s, Less Than Jake will be performing in London, Birmingham and Bristol, as well as a few other locations around the UK.

Dare I say it, Christmas is fast approaching and the O2 Academy Brixton will be host to this year’s Soulwaxmas, which is sure to be a sell-out event – so get your tickets in quick!

There’s plenty of new music on the horizon for the new year that is slowly looming upon us, including Scottish post-rockers Mogwai, and The Go! Team, who will also be releasing a new album, the first since 2007’s Proof of Youth.

Categories
Playlists

125 Spotisfaction Friday – 15th October 2010 – Dave Prowse

Morning folks. This week has been brutally busy for me – my wife and I told friends and family that we’re expecting a baby (woop!), so our feet haven’t really hit the floor between doctors appointments, dinner dates and showing people ultrasound photos. Fun times! Good thing I had a playlist in reserve, eh?

This weekend a few of us are going to see the DOOMTASTIC tour hit Bristol (tomorrow night, in fact), and it’s going to be mindblowing. MF Doom (plus his myriad alter egos), supported by Introducing (a nine-piece orchestra performing DJ Shadow‘s Endtroducing) and a DJ set by Jamie xx. Whoa. Tickets are still available, and I think I’ve got room in my car from the Gloucester area – let us know if you’re coming!

Love, etc.
Dave

My Blurb:

Today’s theme is movie scores. Each of the tracks are either from a film, inspired by a film (or vice versa) or were written by people famous for their film scores. I really enjoyed pulling this one together, and it’s amazing how you can find virtually any genre of music in a film somewhere. The thing I love about film music is that I always recollect the particular scene or moment in the film as I’m listening to the track, so this playlist was a real treat for me.

Hit the read more link for a list of where each track is from.

Continue reading “125 Spotisfaction Friday – 15th October 2010 – Dave Prowse”

Categories
Reviews

Review: The Twilight Sad, XOYO London

The Twilight Sad and Errors are worlds apart. One is exploring post-indie, wall-of-noise melancholy, while the other creates jaunty, kraftwerk-indie electro. They are, however, geographic clansmen, hailing from Glasgow (or, in The Twilight Sad’s case, from nearby Kilsyth, which is basically ‘oot in the sticks’). Their joint headline tour (they take it in turns to headline) ended in Edinburgh on Tuesday, and Spotisfaction were lucky enough to catch them in London’s new XOYO venue on 7 October.

XOYO is a very new venue in Old Street. You know, that part of East London with the tube station, within walking distance of Shoreditch, or Hoxton, or wherever it is the dickheads are hanging out this week. Personally, I don’t subscribe to this completely. Dickheads are everywhere, you don’t need to be in East London, or London at all, to qualify as a dickhead, but they have to go somewhere, and, traditionally, this area is where they tend to congregate. But there are lots of honest people here too, the people who just like music, like art, without all the pretense and pomp and ceremony. Scottishness dictates that the two bands on show tonight are the latter.

Continue reading “Review: The Twilight Sad, XOYO London”
Categories
Reviews

Review: Baba Brinkman – Rap Guide to Human Nature

Baba Brinkman is a former tree planter from Vancouver who managed, personally, to sow over 1 million seedlings by the age of 24. He also has a Masters in Medieval and Renaissance English Literature. And he”™s recently released his Rap Guide to Human Nature; a guide to many of the current theories of evolutionary psychology. This brief description wouldn”™t necessarily make you think that this should be an album worth a listen, but it is. I should point out that this is his seventh solo album and that he started in hip-hop after writing his thesis comparing Chaucer”™s storytelling with modern day rap freestyling. After the success of his theatre show, “The Rap Canterbury Tales”, Baba was approached by a microbiologist from the University of Birmingham and asked to “do for Darwin what he did for Chaucer”. This led to the Rap Guide to Evolution and it seems that he has wanted to stick with science.

Continue reading “Review: Baba Brinkman – Rap Guide to Human Nature”
Categories
Playlists

124 Spotisfaction Wednesday – 13th October 2010 – Simon Mogg

Morning kids. Quite a busy one today, so I’ll keep it brief. If anyone is going to see Doom (with support from Dangermouse – can anyone say Dangerdoom tracks?!) in Bristol this weekend, a few Spotisfaction staffers will be in attendence – let’s get our brew on, y’all.

Today’s playlist is by staff member Simon “Moggy” Mogg and is entitled “Super Dooper Upbeat Happy Songs”, which I think is probably the best playlist title I’ve ever read.

Peace and love, and other stuff like that.
Dave

Moggy Says:

Here is my playlist of happy songs to make you dance… DANCE MONKEY BOY DANCE! Sorry about that, got a little over excited. So, these tracks are not all ‘good’ as such (I highlight Professor Green for example) but that does not necessarily matter. They are all bouncy and unpretentious, and all round good fun (in my opinion).

Young MC‘s ‘Bust A Move’ is a classic hip hop track and one I like because it is not about bling and it is not entirely full of swearing, which makes a nice change. I am always quite surprised when I enjoy a Black Eyed Peas song. The fact that Travis Barker has had his hot little hands all over this one doesnt hurt. Think I might have a bit of a man-crush on him.

I remember ‘Boombastic’ from the claymation Levi’s Advert in the 90s. Later in life I remember it being played in clubs and finding it hilarious watching men and women alike gyrating to it. Brilliant. ‘Groove Is In The Heart’ is just a purely brilliant track as is the Fatboy Slim remix of ‘Body Movin’. I think it is a vast improvement from the version off the Hello Nasty album.

So there it is. Enjoy it all. I know I will.
MOGGY

Categories
Reviews

Review: Of Montreal – False Priest

Originally part of the Elephant 6 collective, Of Montreal have been around for many years and now, ten albums in, they still maintain a lot of Elephant 6”™s group style with their penchant for musical experimentation and mixing of styles.

False Priest is essentially a very odd album. Even without the heavy psychedelic and funk influences that are obvious on many of the tracks, the album can easily be described as weird, ostentatious and at times hard to listen to.

Recent Of Montreal albums seemed to have themes and concepts that were bubbling to the surface, whereas False Priest would appear to be more of a bizarre mishmash of thoughts and ideas. Because of this, the album, at times, lacks inspiration and is too unconventional for its own good. It”™s like lead singer and songwriter Kevin Barnes, and his transsexual alter-ego Georgie Fruit, are being off the wall for the sake of being off the wall. There is a heavy funk influence on this album, and that genre is known for its space imagery, but lyrics like ”˜Unicorns eating baby meat, There”™s dragon rape if you want one”™ on ‘Like A Tourist’ are a bit over the top.

Continue reading “Review: Of Montreal – False Priest”