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Reviews

Review: Menomena – Mines

Menomena. If, like me, you’ve just replied “do do de do do” then we’re on the same wavelength, which is probably not a good thing and to be honest you may want to go and seek professional help.

But that actually has nothing to do with the review itself. Menomena (do do de”¦ No, no stop that!) return with their fourth album Mines. This Portland based three piece produce their music using a software programme called Deeler which is a software audio looper written by band member Brent Knopf. It allows each of the band members to layer their parts on top of the others one at a time, adding bits and pieces as required and allowing a truly democratic approach to songwriting. Usually starting with a drum track on a loop, each member gets an exactly equal chance to add their own influence to a song. This, along with the fact that a lot of the album was put together via email, does lead to a sometimes raw, chaotic or under-produced sound, but to be honest this works perfectly for the band as it gels with their alternative, experimental nature.

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Reviews

Review: The Coral – Butterfly House

    Image courtest of Amazon.co.uk

    Longstanding Liverpudlian five-piece The Coral have been keeping themselves busy recording their latest studio album “Butterfly House”. Recorded in 2 venues over the last two years, this album marks the first released since the departure of guitarist Bill-Ryder Jones. Eager to showcase their new material, the band have interspersed their recording sessions with single releases, tours, and festival gigs to assess reception.

    Butterfly House doesn”™t take its time to get started, and within what feels like three seconds, the vocals for the album”™s opener More Than a Lover are underway. Immediately, the sound encompasses the typical guitar work that followers of The Coral would be expecting. Seamlessly moving into Roving Jewel, the album continues in the same vain. The flowing guitar works fit perfectly under the customary vocal stylings of James Skelly.

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Reviews

Review: The Baseballs – Strike

Image courtesy of Amazon.co.uk

Just humour me, here. In a throwback to the old school, German cover group The Baseballs have taken it upon themselves to re-introduce the good old juke box to the masses with a fresh bunch of recent smash hits re-imagined with a 50”™s twist. Going back a few years to 1995, a lounge cover music outfit The Mike Flowers Pops group made their name with their audacious attempt to outshine Oasis”™ immortal Wonderwall and gave themselves overnight notoriety. These days, is seems that only a few groups can summon the gall to attempt covers of such well known tracks. Nevertheless, The Baseballs have released a collection of efforts in their lively debut album “Strike”.

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Reviews

Review: Best Coast – Crazy For You

Image courtesy of Amazon.co.uk.

Such is their ubiquitous presence online, it is difficult to say anything new about Best Coast which hasn”™t been repeated a thousand of times before. “It seems like the whole internet is talking about the Best Coast album” tweeted their record company Wichita Records last month. I, my Spotisfaction friends, shall try to avoid talking about their hilarious twitter feed, or famous boyfriends or music blog hysteria surrounding this album and the current wave of ”˜low-fi”™ bands from America (er, well, starting from now). Let”™s just concentrate on one thing, Crazy For You, the debut album by Best Coast, the solo project of Bethany Consentino from California accompanied by Bobb Bruno on bass and Ali Koehler on drums.

Far from reinventing the wheel, or doing anything which would typically generate the amount of press attention as they have, Crazy For You finds it”™s virtue by sticking with traditional low-fi philosophy of keeping things simple. The album is a meeting point between slacker culture of the 90s and minimal production (it was recorded in just two weeks). The album is full of nostalgia, sing-a-long melodies and throw-away lyrics about life, love and summer and it is this that makes the album such an enjoyable listen. Opening single ”˜Boyfriend”™ wouldn’t have seemed out of place on alt.rock radio playlists circa 1994. Grungy guitars playing a 3 chord structured verses and that rare beast nowadays, a guitar solo! But as soon as second track ”˜Crazy For You”™ comes along, it becomes apparent that there is another era which Best Coast are paying homage. The track is a concoction of the Shangri-La”™s aptitude of all things sinister and the Beach Boys ‘Surfin’ USA’. You can imagine Bethany cruising down the Californian coast with her boyfriend, basking in the sunshine as she is singing to him “I would kill you but then I”™d miss you”.

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Reviews

Review: The Megaphonic Thrift

Image courtesy of Amazon.co.uk.

The Megaphonic Thrift are an enigma to the extent that their references are so forced as to pigeonhole them unfairly. Take these as given: “It’s the new project from the guy from the Casiokids.”[1] (yes, Fredrik Vogsborg is a founding Casioist), “Their name’s from Guided By Voices”[2] or “Their name makes me think of The Polyphonic Spree.” (they certainly share a certain psychadelia with both), and when we’re talking about their music, they sound “like… uhhh… My Bloody Valentine[3][4] or Sonic Youth[4]… kinda.” (Yes, they’re a little noisy) Fine, that’s done. Now forget all that.

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Reviews

Review: The Jolly Boys, The 100 Club London

Image courtesy of AltSounds.com.

The sheer joy of a septuagenarian Jamaican rocking a red suit, belting out classic tunes mento-style and dropping the occasional James Brown-style “huh!” cannot be fully expressed in words. Just smiles, laughter and applause which are heaped on The Jolly Boys by the sell-out crowd at esteemed venue The 100 Club on Oxford Street.

With a changing lineup over six decades, the Port Antonio mento band are experiencing a revival after hooking up with Jon Baker (Gee Street Records) and Mark Jones (Wall of Sound) in 2009 who introduced a repertoire of pop and rock tunes to bring the mento sound bang up to date. The feel-good, retro vibe has been a hit at Secret Garden party and Camp Bestival and was well received this weekend at Big Chill.

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Features Reviews

Feature: Classics Collected

Hi everyone and welcome to Classics Collected, sister piece to the Tomorrow’s Sounds Today article. With this piece what we’d like to do is highlight some classic albums available on Spotify and list a few each fortnight which we feel are worth dusting off and giving a listen if you haven’t for a while.

With all this good music available on tap it is easier than ever to indulge musical tastes, and with only so many hours in the day we know it’s only too easy to let great albums sit unplayed. We aim to rectify that!

This week we have 4 suggestions for you; 4 great albums that all made their impact in the day or went on to become classics but you may not have listened to for a little while.

Massive Attack ”“ Mezzanine

Many people might ask why include this album rather than, say, “Blue Lines”, which arguably had the bigger social impact even if it had less commercial impact. My main reason for including this album in preference is for me it was the stronger overall. One of the major things about this album is that it plays so well as a complete experience, which is rare. It also marked an important point both for the group and the genre. Returning from a period out of focus with a relative explosion of other groups borrowing from their early work, this album showed that the band still had so much to give.

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Reviews

Review: Camp Bestival 2010

Image courtesy of Debretts.com.
Image courtesy of Debretts.com.

Hi-De-Hi Campers!

I”™m sitting in my lounge watching Nirvana”™s headline set at Reading Festival in 1992 on DVD. The heavy fuzz of Kurt”™s guitar, the chaotic nature of their live show and the screaming, unruly crowd is a far cry from my pleasant, family-friendly experience in the Dorset countryside at Camp Bestival last weekend.

My weekend, which was interrupted by shifts working for Oxfam, started with a midnight set by the exceedingly talented comedian Tim Minchin on Friday night in the Big Top. Minchin accompanied by a piano ran through a short but well received set of songs including an expletive-ridden attack on the ”˜mutherfucker”™ Pope Benedict XVI. But the highlight came at the end when Minchin was on the brink of doing the unforgivable by forgetting his words during an encore. Minchin”™s saving grace came in the form of a random trumpet player in the audience who started playing along and then was beckoned on stage by Minchin which turned into an electrifying 10 minute jazz improvisation with both performers showing off their formidable playing capabilities.

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Features Reviews

Feature: Tomorrow’s Sounds Today

Welcome everyone to another edition of Tomorrow”™s Sounds Today, where we pick all that”™s best from the “What”™s new?” section of Spotify and present it to you, neatly packaged with some thoughts and links!

In this edition we have quite the mix for you, from classic rock, through pop, to that Motown sound. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

1.
Robert Plant ”“ Angel Dance

I couldn”™t really start with anything other than the great Robert Plant, mostly as I”™m a huge Led Zeppelin fan since my early teens, via my first guitar. Ok, I”™ll grant this is thus far just a single track but it is well worth a listen and is hopefully a sign of a new album due to grace us soon. Classic Zeppelin it is not but it is full of the hallmarks Plant is famous for and a great addition to a playlist!

2.
Tired Pony ”“ The Place We Ran From

Next up is a new band on the circuit, Tired Pony with their debut effort. I listened to the album before looking into the band and whilst the sound is not entirely original to them, it is a great piece of work. There are hints of Snow Patrol and a definite homage to Buck/Stipe which didn”™t surprise me when I read of his involvement. There are also some definite country hints to the sound but all with beautiful vocal work and the standout track for me, “Get On The Road” is a wonderful build up track.

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Reviews

Review: Converge, The Underworld London

Thrash Hits - Converge
Image courtesy of Thrash Hits.

The Underworld is the best name they could ever have given this grimey little hole in central Camden. It has established itself at the heart of alternative rock, metal and hardcore in England, and continues to attract the best the scene has ever had to offer. In the basement of the Worlds End, several pillars obscuring your view, and a stage so small that bands practically fall off it into the crowd, gigs are always intense. Only two days before, a good friend of mine had the pleasure of witnessing the bloodbath that was Enter Shikari – every song interrupted by a stage invasion, mass stage-diving, and reports of blood and broken noses all over the shop.

You can understand, then, a slight sense of trepidation about what injuries I”™m likely to sustain when I go to see the seminal hardcore act Converge during their European tour for Axe To Fall (Epitaph, 2009).

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Features Reviews

Feature: Broken Social Scene

Image courtesy of Amazon.co.uk

Not sure what this VFTA malarkey is all about? See here. To Listen along with Ben, BSS”™ Forgiveness Rock Record is on Spotify.

So, the millennium is suddenly ten years old, and the initial growing pains and troubles have been dealt with, and everyone is left looking forward in collective optimism. How apt it is then that the bands that carried the people through the bad times, remain as the soundtrack to their lives ten years on.

In 2010, Broken Social Scene continues to shine a light through the darkness.

Having released their forth studio album, Forgiveness Rock Record in May of this year, the Canadian mass ensemble seem to have created not just another skilled blend of sounds and emotions, but also a hugely credible indie-rock album. As a collection, Forgiveness Rock Record is arguably the band”™s most accessible album yet, and certainly has a mood for any listener.

Opening with the epic and achingly beautiful World Sick, it is also noticeable that the group has perfected some true anthems here. As a gentle guitar refrain meanders against an ethereal pulsing rhythm, the chanting lyrics break in, just as the guitar sprinkles off, up into the atmosphere, culminating in a ”˜smile on the face, hands in the air”™ moment of bliss. Similar moments occur in Texico Bitches and inverse romantic ballad, Sweetest Kill.

On the flip side, the band quicken the tempo and apply the brass section on tracks such as Art House Director, Forced To Love and the awe inspiring instrumental Meet Me In The Basement, to generate a wall of sound that manages to blow you away in such a charming way.

However, the true gem of the collection is All To All; an interstellar blast that fuses together everything that the band, and their previous work, is all about, dream like emotional escapism. It achieves this euphoria through its use of tinkling guitar and synth effects, with the addition of a crisp drum machine beat, laced with mouth watering vocals.

The most striking element of this current album is the transition Broken Social Scene has made, and the path that led them to it. As one trawls through the unique band”™s back catalogue, one cannot help but be amazed at just how different each collection appears; From the wispy instrumental debut, through the dark You Forgot It In People, and eventually landing in the anthemic power house of sound and feeling that they find themselves in today. This journey has molded the group from being simply another experimental indie band, to becoming fully fledged artists. After years of lulling the listener through a sweet dream, Broken Social Scene have finally escaped and now exist within their own sun soaked dream.

Ben Hawling

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Reviews

Review: Mystery Jets – Seratonin

Image courtesy of Amazon.co.uk

Mystery Jets career seems to be in an odd yet encouraging position compared to the wave of British indie bands that have fallen before them. Never achieving mass commercial success, but with a dedicated following, critic approval and song writing stamina to still warrant the attention of fans, critics and media alike. At the grand old age of 3 albums, the Mystery Jets have everything to play for. The good news for all involved is that the Eel Pie islanders from London have produced another gem to add to their last release, 2008”™s infectious ”˜Twenty One”™.

It seems inaccurate to state that the Mystery Jets have matured on this album, but there is a noticeable added depth to the song writing on ”˜Serotonin”™. ”˜It”™s Too Late”™ demonstrates the bands ability to recreate the grandeur of power-ballads without descending into Bonnie Tyler-esque melodrama. The melodies are as striking as the honest and tender delivery by lead singer Blaine Harrison, accurately evoking the feelings of many heart-broken 20-somethings across the land. ”˜Flash a Hungry Smile”™ feels like, what can now be titled as, a ”˜classic”™ Mystery Jets track. It”™s an experimental yet playful outing into the pop universe with fuzzy guitars, sweeping whistle harmonies and lyrics about the more promiscuous side of love. Like many songs in their back catalogue, it”™s instantly catchy yet they never bore, nor do they repeat themselves, such is the skill and craft of their material. And just when you think they”™ve peaked, title track ”˜Serotonin”™ starts its cinematic, pop assault on the listener. The vocal refrain near the end ”˜Sero, Serotonin”™ has been lingering in my head for at least 2 weeks as if to prove two points. Firstly that a) this is the best song of the summer so far and b) that I still haven”™t finished reviewing this brilliant album yet you moron!

There are a couple of tracks which contain some less inspired moments as these peaks. ”˜Melt”™ plods along, struggling to keep up with the 80s pop-euphoria pace and ”˜Lady Gray”™ lacks the flare of other tracks, but these are minor set backs. ”˜Serotonin”™ will cement the love for fans of the Mystery Jets and hopefully serve as an invitation card for those who may have passed them by. It”™s an album which is deserving of more exposure and a bigger audience than it will sadly receive.

7.5/10

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Reviews

Review: 2000 Trees Festival 2010

Image courtesy of VirtualFestivals.com

It was different this year. As 2000 Trees entered its fourth year it would appear that it is starting to become ”˜known”™. So much so that for the first time since the festival”™s start, they managed to sell out tickets to the event before it started.

The problem with selling more tickets is that there are more people to get into the site and this means queues. And it”™s in a queue that I found myself on Friday morning when Maybeshewill took to the stage. While I may not have been able to see the stage, thankfully I was able to hear them as I waited to enter the site. The people in front of me in the queue may not have been fans of the soft post-rock meanderings that wafted over us, thinking that it all sounded the same (I didn”™t want to point out that it was in fact just one long post-rock epic) – they didn”™t appreciate the sounds that gently caressed us and made the hour long queue a bit more bearable.

Post rock was to be a bit of theme for me for the entire weekend which is good as it”™s a genre I have a fondness for as can be seen in my post rock playlist. But before my next instalment of post rock there were some other acts to see.

Bags dropped off at the campsite we first made a move to the Leaf Lounge to catch part of the David Goo Variety Band set followed by Midnight Mile – two bands that, thanks to The Cheltenham Underground and I Started The Fire, I had seen before and two bands that produced solid sets. David Goo is an act that is extremely hard to categorise: imagine if you grabbed a bit of every genre and mixed it together with a bit of theatre and you”™d start to get an idea of what to expect. Midnight Mile are much easier to describe, being part of the I Started The Fire folk based label you know where their roots are but mixed with a bit of soul and acoustica to produce a deep soul felt sound.

But there was no time to hang around the Leaf Lounge as there was an appointment to be kept at the Green House for the performance of Spotisfaction hero Men Diamler. A solo performer that has more power than many bands I have seen Men Diamler truly has to be seen to be believed. Wandering on and off stage as the whim takes him Men Diamler doesn”™t need a sound system to be at his best and many an audience member will get a very close, and sometimes intimidating, look at his performance. I have seen Men Diamler a few times in the last few months and his performances just seem to be improving. A mix of own songs and traditional spiritual songs, hymns and shanties this is a sound that can divide the opinion of the listeners as much as his antics can physically divide the audience.

Then time to hit the main stage for one of the acts I really wanted to see and yes it was a bit of post rock. And So I Watch You From Afar may sound like something a stalker would say but it”™s also more words than you”™ll hear in an entire set from the band. An entirely instrumental set may not be everyone”™s cup of tea but these guys pulled it off with aplomb. The band were tight and the sound was phenomenal, this was post rock excellence being performed for our pleasure. With a sound much heavier than some of their post rock counterparts, this quintet from Belfast stormed through a flawless set full of swooping guitars and thrashing drums that is much more tightly structured then it may appear to the casual listener. The sheer forcefulness of their sound is proof that while lyrics can move you, music alone can get you moving.

A break for some food, and some more cider, as well as a wander around the site to check things out before heading back to the main stage to check out the headliners.

First up were Errors, more post-rock musing but this time with a much more electronic, synth laden feel. Melodic and tuneful, the Glaswegian four piece effortlessly blend their playful synth refrains with post-rock guitars and frantic drumming. There is comfortable cohesiveness amongst the band that creates a sound that almost rolls off the stage and over the crowd, settling comfortably into the spaces around everyone. This music isn”™t in your face, it”™s more subtle, tempting you in to investigate more.

Next we had Metronomy and quite frankly this was one of the best sets of the weekend. Full of energy and, of course, with a funky light show, Metronomy”™s current line up lit up the stage both literally and metaphorically. A mixture of smart electro pop and experimental new rave Metronomy can be hard to categorise but when they put on a show like this genres mean nothing. Pumping tunes like Heatbreaker and You Could Easily Have Me into the audience, the crowd responded with some highly energetic dancing that lifted the mood of the festival above the rain that had fallen during the day.

And finally there was headliner Frank Turner”¦
”¦hmm yeah I think I”™ll just leave that one there

[Kev]

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Reviews

Review: Captain Horizon – Captain Horizon


Following our interview with these guys earlier this week, we review their eponymous four-track debut EP Captain Horizon.

Listening to Captain Horizon, I get it.  I feel like the band are introducing themselves to us, shaking our hands, and loosely highlighting their surface ideals – a handful of steady, light influences to engratiate themselves and spark some dialogue, without really getting into the nitty gritty of their deeper, more thoughtful, individual abberations.

The EP starts with Poker, a barn-storming alt-rock showpiece.  The intro appears reminiscent of Oasis”™ The Shock Of The Lightning, but any allusions to the indie plebs are shot out of the water as soon as the main grunge-tinted riff kicks in, driven by the furious bass work of the consistently compelling Alex Thomson.  The opening gambit from singer Steve Whittington – a gutteral screech pitched somewhere between Chris Cornell and Steven Tyler – tells us where we are: this is classic, stadium rock, and you”™re going to feel every drop of Whitty”™s blood, sweat and lyrical spit.

It”™s not until the final 20 seconds of the song that we notice the band have a drummer at all.  For the preceding 3 minutes the beats have been simple 2/4 measure; sure, the occassional fills were air-tight, but there”™s a niggling question as to why rhythm is being avoided altogether.  It”™s not until Whitty raises the roof on the final rendition of the chorus that drummer James Merrix takes control, stretching us over an aching triplet fill that drops into half time, brilliantly drawing out the pulse and bringing a taut ending to an upliftingly tense conclusion.

Next up is riff-laden Fall Like That, a nod to Audioslave that never quite matches the distinction set by Poker.  Thomson continues to power the band, his bass runs during the chorus focussing our attention, and later holding together an otherwise disappointing solo section.

By far the EPs highlight is third track What”™s Going On?.  The four-piece dove-tail each other to marvellous effect, blending their influences and talents into one fantastic composition.  Merrix and Thomson provide suitably understated backing for guitarist Joshua Watson”™s exquisite guitar lines.  While the solo on Fall Like That seemed restrained and by-the-book, it”™s on What”™s Going On? that the melodic flow of Watson”™s legatto style comes to real fruition.  Watson and Thomson trade riffs until, on 3 minutes, the chorus comes back and Watson”™s musical voice is given some airtime – and when the chorus comes back with the band in full swing, we”™ve been treated to the best 30 second of the EP.  Watson and Thomson also provide great vocal support to Whittington, who shows his fantastic vocal capabilities the most here – honest but restrained in the verses, angry but dignified in the chorus.

Tears From The Eye is the bands attempt at a bluesy ballad, and it”™s here that I appreciated what the aim was for this EP – each song is a standard of some sort, aimed at showing the various nuances the band are capable of.  In this respect, each of the songs are successful.  Tears From The Eye is well paced and well balanced.  Where it falls down, perhaps, is that it”™s a little too standard – in trying to avoid calling a song ”˜Tears”™, it”™s called Tears From The Eye, leading to the question.. where else do tears come from?  The outro riff brings a nice change of pace to the song and a definitive end to the EP, but the riff just isn”™t all that fun”¦

Now these boys have fleshed out all these ideas and they know what works, I think the next release will provide a better indication of the direction Captain Horizon is going in.  Here”™s a group of 4 talented and ambitious guys, now we want to hear them have a little fun.  The band are currently working on a new EP, and we look forward to a full-length in good time, where they”™ll have room to showcase their range of talents without the worry of squeezing it all into 4 tracks.  Garnering praise for their live show as well, we also recommend you see Captain Horizon at a gig soon.

The EP is available to listen to on Spotify now.

6.7/10

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News Reviews

News: Foals


Image courtesy of Amazon.co.uk
Following their Mercury Prize Nomination, Foals”™ Total Life Forever is now available to listen to on Spotify.

The Spotify release includes a 23 minute interview with Yannis, speaking about the new album, his childhood, his growing interest in subversive culture and music, and a revealing commentary on the growth of the band since the first album. Listen to this, now!

Taken from my Foals Glastonbury review:

“The new album, Total Life Forever (Transgressive, 2010), was a realisation of the growing maturity in the band. The songs are louder, deeper (take a bow, Mr Sitek), more balanced, more energetic. It”™s still definitely downtempo, but you sense, when you see Foals live, that they”™ve got their craft exactly right now – explore songs and dynamics on record, but see them live to truly understand the band.”