See my Bombay Bicycle Club review on page 8 here:
http://www.jwunsigned.com/Downloads/PDF/JWunsigned_paperEdition1.pdf
or just the page itself here.
October 30, 2009
Dananananaykroyd w/ Dinosaur Pile Up @ Kings Cross Scala – 27th October 2009
Dananananaykroyd are one of those bands that once you see live, you will want to see them again the next day if you can, because you feel lost without them. These Glaswegian fight-indie-poppers know how to put on a live show, and this date was part of their dates around the country, and they had proved extremely popular, with the Scala nearly selling out. Having seen them at Offset earlier this year, it would be interesting to see what they could bring to the audience this time. Sadly, we arrived late, missing Calories, but I’m sure they would have been on top form, so go and listen to them.
I thought grunge had disappeared into the dark and dusty shelves of adults and emo kids, and certainly didn’t expect to hear some here. Dinosaur Pile Up were supporting the lads throughout the tour, and typical fraught with ‘warm-up act’ sound, they played grunge influenced rock to a fairly unenthusiastic crowd with a sound that could be compared to bands like Nirvana or Weezer. Illness had also meant the band weren’t feeling on top form, and thowing a Beatles cover into the mix, it felt much more like a low-level warm up act rather than a band up to the height of Dananananaykroyd.
They often get rapped for their unpronounceable name, but with the help of Google, just slap some ‘anananan’ in and you’ll find them. Glasgow’s Dananananaykroyd take the whole genre pigeon-holing to a new level. Helping to create such genres as Posi-core (Positive-Hardcore) or Fight-Pop, they blend screaming and distorted guitars with catchy pop melodies, creating intense but definitely happy music. This gig was a big deal for these guys, particularly in London, a place they do not come down to that often. They made sure the audience knew how grateful they were for the turnout and reception, and it was good to see some genuine appreciation going down.
Fans were ready to lose it tonight, pulling out all the stops to make them feel welcome. Their dancey-jumpy songs like Pink Sabbath got everyone off their feet jumping around. Slipping in little bits of Scottish accent here and there, it’s great to hear a band sing in their accent rather than some fake Texan effort. The fat riff in Infinity Milk even had fans singing along, making David grin a little bit. They paused and interacted with the crowd through the art of hi-fives and handshakes, and even instigated their renowned ‘Wall of hugs’ where people run at each other and embrace. Pretty emotional stuff…
Tonight’s performance was tight and energetic, with all the band enjoying the intimacy of the venue and the huge turnout. In times of despair, these guys know how to make everyone feel better. They put on one of the best live shows I’ve seen, and with two singers jumping into the crowd, you’re bound to get struck by a pasty and fairly sweaty Scottish man.
October 23, 2009
Oh Verona! – River
North London soul power poppers Oh Verona! are here with their defence against the growing population of synth-indie to bring you some back-to-basics clever songwriting and catchy vocals. They have taken things back to simplicity, with the track starting out with a humble piano, before the band join in and add some really creative embellishments to the whole thing, turning this into a really catchy track.
This single is part of their upcoming EP, due out in a couple of months. They also have 2 dates in London, one on the 30th October @ Monto Water Rats and another a month later on the 30th November @ 93 Feet East. Clearly these guys are going to cause waves in the world of power-pop, especially if this is a sign of more things to come.
October 13, 2009
Tubelord – Our First American Friends (2009)
Strange album cover...
Math-art-indie or whatever you want to call it is growing pretty rapidly. Loads of bands have started to go down the route, offering music which usually has complex instrumental parts, and often the odd strange time signature. Tubelord are a band that have been knocking about the Kingston area for some time, churning out a plethora of songs that move away from the standard chords and melodies to create some really interesting music. This is their first full length album, released on the 12th October, available on white vinyl (which is ace), CD or MP3.
The album is a collection of some of their finer tracks from the EPs released in the last few years, along with a number of new tracks. Fans will not be disappointed, as tracks like Night Of Pencils deserve a place on this album. Brilliant vocals and lyrics that I couldn’t even begin to think up make this into a super catchy track. Creative guitar work ties with solid drumming, even dropping in a sort of break down, which is always something I like to hear. The single, Propeller, is being released on 500 limited 7”, so get yours quickly. This is one of the best songs from the album, with massive dynamic shifts, keeping you guessing all the time.
Don’t be fooled though, this isn’t just a collection of re-recordings of previous tracks, there are some gems like Your Bed Is Kind Of Frightening, which has haunting vocal harmonies before crashing into one of the more poppy tracks on the album. Stacey’s Left Arm brings some electronic elements to the table, with some more super vocal work over a more mellow number.
Our First American Friends ends the album, which has all the elements of any great Tubelord track. Intricate interludes calm you before the roof comes down with a thud of massive bass riffs and drums.
This album is as good as I’d hoped, but to be honest, they had some great material to work with in the first place, and it’s nice to finally get it all in one place. I think I would have liked any old crap they might have churned out.
October 12, 2009
Offset Festival – 5th-6th Sept 09, Hainault Forest
Only in its second year, Offset Festival is a miniature 2 day feast of some of the best art-rock, indie and hardcore bands that the country has to offer. With 6 stages to choose from, and all within a 1 minute walk away, you can float between stages with ease. Here are some of my highlights:
First band I caught were Birmingham’s math-hardcore outfit Blakfish. Shouting ‘OI!’ gets people to the front it would seem…even at 12.30pm. Not a bad set, although the crowd weren’t really feeling the loudness that early in the morning.
For all those fans of live looping and all things technical, John And Jehn on the main stage showed everyone you only need 2 musicians as they dived between instruments to create a looping menagerie. An Experiment On A Bird…followed them, bringing female minimalistic noise pop in an interesting way.
Good Shoes had some technical problems to begin with, but soon brought it together with some really catchy indie pop that got all the crowd up and dancing for the first time of the day. Slightly sloppy guitar work at times and poor sound dampened their performance, but once the singles were playing nobody noticed.
Hardcore boys Pulled Apart By Horses put on a really intense performance, cracking out song with titles like ‘Back To The Fuck Yeah‘. Future Of The Left followed in the realms of Pulled Apart By Horses, but with a more synthy element. Going into songs that might have even suited some of the Rage Against The Machine records, these guys played to an under-enthusiastic crowd but still put on a good show.
Bombay Bicycle Club followed them on the main stage. Having seen these guys a few times, this was a good performance from these guys, but the singer looking tired throughout. Cancel on Me was still a firm favourite with the crowd.
Sunday was another belter, with S.C.U.M. making full use of the dry ice and lights to create a huge visual feast to accompany their ambient drone soundscape.
Over in the Clash tent, Tubelord slapped out some math-indie rock even with a hungover drummer, and clearly enjoyed themselves. The singer has some interesting ‘praying mantis’ style moves, and even got in the crowd and started breakdancing with a mask on before clambering back on stage. Later on rising talent The XX put on an understated but tight performance in front of a packed audience.
The Mainstage was getting a beating a bit later on, with the guys from Glasgow Dananananaykroyd putting on a hugely energetic set. They were bouncing off a willing crowd like pros, and even instigating a ‘wall of cuddles’ to people who were probably more open to punching each other than touching softly.
Pretty much headlining the Clash tent, Wild Beasts were clearly humbled by the crowds overwhelming response, and this massive slot did them proud and allowed them to show off the new Two Dancers album and tracks from the old album too, with their imaginative lyrics such as ‘This is…a booty call’.
The Horrors finished off the festival, but Technical difficulties to do with a dodgy mixer caused problems throughout their set, making for poor sound and constant stopping. Their set ended with Farris sadly telling the audience ’sorry, we tried!’
This is a lovely little festival, and if you want the festival experience on a smaller scale, but don’t think you can face the toilets or not showering for 6 days, then this may be right up your street.
October 2, 2009
Yonderboy w/ Just Handshakes, We’re British and Bearmask – 26th Sept – Leeds Faversham
The Faversham is a lovely little venue in Leeds, and one where many-a student visit on a regular basis to indulge in a drink or two when they can spare the time. Tonight it was playing host to some fine acts, including Yonderboy and Just Handshakes, as this night was in aid of their split single release coming up.
First up were Bearmask, a Leeds-based band with a hint of 80’s and indie in their sound. This was their first gig, and they had done pretty well in getting all their friends and fans to come down. Their infectious blend of powerful synth chords and awesome guitar and sing-a-long vocals meant that these tracks could get the audience singing and dancing along. The singer got more into it as the set went on, as, like anyone, he was clearly a bit nervous to begin with. But by the end he was dancing around, and looked like he was enjoying the vibe from the crowd.
Following them was Just Handshakes, We’re British, another band from the Leeds area. They were rocking the female lead vocals/keyboard, and this added to the massive stack of female-fronted bands I’d seen this summer. They are growing, big time, which is a good thing. People love a bit of lady vocals going down. They played a blend of synth-indie, with some catchy and well written songs, all accompanied by some fancy footwork from the bassist. The vocal work is fairly understated, which worked really well with the songs. This was their single launch, and they had pulled a good crowd, and even got people pre-ordering with bribing them with cakes…
Yonderboy were headlining the night, and although they hadn’t pulled as many people as the first two bands, they still played a tight performance to a loyal crowd. Having that British Indie sound down to a tee, they added their own touch with angular intricate guitar riffs and high vocal lines. Painted Plates was a firm favourite with the crowd, but I felt that although they had some catchy tracks, it all reminded me a bit to much of bands like Razorlight or something similar. The fact that I can remember their tracks since seeing the show tells me that they had more of an effect on me than I first thought…
September 30, 2009
Bombay Bicycle Club w/ Paul Thomas Saunders + Flashbang – Leeds Cockpit – 25th Sep 09
So this was my first little jaunt to the famous Leeds Cockpit, and it’s always nice to check out other venues further afield than trusty London or Guildford. Tonight it was time for London based indie-rockers Bombay Bicycle Club to strut their stuff, and this was the early days of a mostly sold-out tour around the UK, following the release of their debut EP I Had The Blues But Shook Them Loose earlier this summer.
First up however was rising Leeds-based talent Paul Thomas Saunders. In recent weeks, PTS has been able to achieve more than a lot of bands do in the space of months. Self-releasing an EP, and getting dates booked up left right and centre around Leeds and the UK, you’re sure to be seeing his pretty little face knocking about somewhere. This was their first gig, and supporting a band like BBC is no mean feat. They played to a small but respectful audience, pulling off songs that had hints of Fleet Foxes, Beatles or even Arcade Fire. Reverb was a strong contender, and coupled with some really interesting instrumentation and even the use of a bow on guitar, they clearly made a few fans tonight.
Next up were Flashguns, a London/Brighton based band who are following BBC for the majority of the tour. This was big stuff for them, and after a lot of recent interest from labels, they were here to make a good impression. Great vocal work, detailed and catchy guitar work, they were certainly in a similar sort of style to BBC, and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it as the Cockpit began to burst at the seams with avid fans. The drummer was a lovely chap as well, which makes all the difference in my eyes.
It was time for Bombay Bicycle Club to get up and do their thing. I only really got into them about 6 months ago, but having seen them a few times at various festivals, it would be great to see them in a venue of this size to a crowd that were fully devoted to them. They came out to a flurry of screams and cheers, cracking out old favourites such as The Hill from their first EP, with tracks from the new album, such as the huge single Always Like This, which had the crowd singing along and dancing away.
They rounded off their hugely impressive set with How Are You, a not often heard track from their first EP released back in 2007, which even involved the guitarist and bassist swapping their instruments. Fans left satisfied, but hungry for more. BBC clearly enjoyed these sort of sets more than festivals, and I can see why.
September 24, 2009
About This City – A Chance To Shine EP
nice and simple
About This City are a bunch of happy chaps for our delightful capital, London town. We all love it don’t we? The hustle and bustle, endless possibilities and the like. As you might of gathered from the name, they love the city, and use it as a big influence in their music. This is their debut EP, which you can listen to in its entirety on their myspace, which is pretty good going these days, and always the best way for a new band to get their stuff out to the masses.
This EP is full of catchy guitar riffs, and the track opens up with a gem, leading into a interesting track with some good sing along parts. The singer even pops into some forcetto here and there, which work really well in the chorus.
The next song, No More Lies also has some great bits in it, but there is note in the vocal line that really irritates me. He slides up to a note, and it just sounds really awful, and makes me cringe every time I hear it. There is one bit towards the end of the track, which has some interesting distortion on the vocal line, shaking things up a bit really well.
The EP ends with a slow emotional number, Shine, which has all the makings of a classic album-ender. Great vocal work and strings in the background provide you with some lovely sounds to see you off.
This is a good starter EP, but I the production let them down with the sound they were trying to create, especially with the really big, epic bits. With a little work, this could be a really great record. The songs are here, but not the sounds…
3/5
September 15, 2009
Paul Thomas Saunders – Four Songs In Twilight
Simple and does the trick
Paul is a folky fellow hailing from Bimingham, but he’s often seen up in Leeds, plodding along with the usual trials and tribulations of any typical university student. On the side of all this, Paul is doing something pretty special. This is Four Songs In Twilight, his debut homemade release, each in paper cases, hand wax sealed for extra freshness. Makes a nice change from the old jewel cases which break when you touch them…
If you went to your doctor and they told you to rest and relax, they would give you this ep to listen to. Or at least that’s what I think. It’s so chilled, with some beautiful guitar parts and really imaginative instruments. There is some serious layering going on, and it’s only after you listen to it a few times that you begin to notice the little bits of mandolin and various phaser delay parts coming out from the background taking you by surprise.
Paul has a really great voice, providing some delicious harmonies. In Fruit Of The Poisonous Tree, Saunders haunting vocals flow between unique and interesting lines to massive sustained harmonies.
Walking And Evening Prayers For Rosemary Mai has stunning guitar work, with elements of early Beatles going on. When it does kick in, this track reminds me of a softer Arcade Fire, but with a whole different agenda. They don’t have bits in french for a start.
Self releasing music is the name of the game these days, and doing anything to make your band stand out is important. Each track on this EP has its individual charms, and with a new one being recorded as we speak, be sure to give paul a listen if you can. His first gig is with Bombay Bicycle Club in September up in Leeds, which should be a big night for everyone involved.
