WEAREINVOLVED BLOG

Nicolas Jaar

2011-11-24T10:15:00.001Z

Space is My Only Noise. This is as much as my heavy head will comprehend today. Weighed down with the consequence of reunion all I have left is whisky on my breath and a dull thump behind my eyes...

Thankfully Nicolas Jaar is available to massage my brain with his excellent latest record. This is sparse patient electro that soothes as it entertains. This is perfect for my fragile mood. It has been playing in the background as the night first turned into day and it has been on loop as life has stirred all around me.

Jaar the man, appears to be something of a young prodige. By all accounts he is still a student in New York, but has grown up surrounded by artistery and creativity in Santiago. This shows in this truly absorbing example of textured and distorted escapism.

I like it very much.

Wax Idols

2011-11-21T12:08:00.001Z

Through no conscious intention, it appears that the ladies have been neglected on this site over recent weeks. This needs to be remedied.

No Future is the trad punk offering from San Francisco based multi-instrumentalist Heather Fedewa aka Wax Idols. In a world that sometimes looks like it is falling apart, this music once again feels very relevant. Its simple heavily distorted chord progressions express an accessible and ferocious honesty, which evokes the spirit of the mid-70's New York punk movement. For me this sound is very welcome, especially when is delivered with a vocal that Justine Frischmann would have been proud to call her own.

Girls Names

2011-11-16T14:51:00.001Z

Ah freedom. It's such a relief to finally have control over some of my own time. I'm sure that eventually this will grow tiresome and those itchy feet will to start to tickle, but for now, this is certainly suiting my mood.

This weeks musical introduction comes from Belfast Northern Ireland, in the shape of 'Girls Names', a self described Gothic pop band with shoe-gaze sensibilities. This description isn't too far off the mark to be honest. Although, the surf rock effects on their guitars should not pass without a mention, because it is their wonderful dirge that is cast across much of 'Dead To Me', 'Girls Names' hugely listenable latest album. Thematically, the songs are saturated in a pain and romance that evokes thoughts of damp and foggy skies. However, musically you are taken elsewhere, to a place oozing in sun soaked optimism and Crystal Stilts inspired execution. I like this.

Bass Drum of Death

2011-11-11T20:18:00.001Z

Here are some photographs that I took at Bass Drum of Death's recent stomping show at the Lexington in London.

Support was from London based metal maniacs 'Bad Guys'.

To see more live music photography please: Click Here.

Bass Drum Of Death

Bad Guys

Xavier Comas Photography

2011-11-07T15:11:00.000Z

Shadows and light combine to create an eerie and almost supernatural picture of southern Thailand in a collection called 'Derelict' by Spanish photographer Xavier Comas. This work is superb with its immersive storytelling, considered composition and harsh natural lighting.

To see more: Click Here.

Sharp Ends

2011-11-01T12:23:00.003Z

When confronted with futility, there are only two options available to you. The first results in a bloody head and a pristine wall. The second demands a speedy evacuation for the sake of your own sanity. Well, I can confirm that the first option is just plainly wrong. Life is far too short to be wasted fighting battles that you can not win. Let’s try the second and see where that leads… So I am now counting down the hours of my last week working for an organisation that is ill and far too stubborn to seek out the medicine that it so desperately needs. This means that I finally have some time on my hands. Let’s see if I can use it to find some new music that is worth sharing.

After a short search I stumbled upon ‘Sharp Ends’, a Calgary based Canadian post-punk band that has mopped the floor with the trite Joy Division hangover that was delivered to the masses via successful noughties bands like the Editors. This band has claimed something back from that manicured mass-manufacture, and it has delivered it with a contemporary style that some might describe as lo-fi, but which I would more comfortably describe as frank and honest. I can hear a few influences here. Joy Division obviously, but also late 70’s Northampton rockers Bauhaus, and more recent punk pioneers like Jay Reatard (RIP).

In short. I like this band very much.

Moises Saman Photography

2011-10-27T15:53:00.000+01:00

It has been a while since I last reviewed a photographer on this site, so let's take this opportunity to introduce my latest photographic crush, which comes in the form of the very talented Moises Saman. I touched on this in my previous post, but I have spent a lot of time on the island of Malta over the last 8 months as the Arab spring turned first into summer and then eventually into autumn. This small over populated little rock stands as a gateway between North Africa and Southern Europe, and last week as I stood high on its southern cliffs and stared out across the Mediterranean Sea, I couldn't help but imagine the horror that was being unfolded just beyond the horizon.

South American born Moises Saman has captured some of this horror and the associated emotion in his excellent monochrome photo essay entitled 'Theater Of War'. This is a fantastic piece of work that combines the use of sound and still imagery to provide an on the ground insight into the reality of Libya's last days under Gaddafi.

If you would like to see this photo essay: Click Here

If you would like to see more of Moises Saman's work: Click Here

The Alcoves

2011-10-25T15:18:00.000+01:00

I popped down to the Mediterranean this week in search of some much needed justice (it's a long story). The day after I arrived Muammar Gaddafi was executed just across the water in Libya, whilst pleading for his life. If you live by the sword, it is hardly surprising if your death follows the same pattern. That said, when confronted with the humanity behind this violent and psychopathic man, I couldn't help but feel a strange tinge of sorrow that the higher ground couldn't have been maintained and argued through a court of law. Still Gaddafi's actions didn't impact me directly, so who am I to judge.

On my way home I listened to some of the music that I had been sent over the last couple of weeks (I do try to listen to everything). Amidst much that was forgettable, lay a single gem in the form of 'The Alcoves' an unsigned guitar based band from Göteborg in Sweden. They reminded me of a more garage-rock version of former weareinvolved favourites the 'Shout Out Louds', and in my view this is a very good thing.

Ceremony by TheAlcoves

Yellow Ostrich

2011-10-06T15:30:00.002+01:00

It is with a heavy sigh that I acknowledge the passing of Steve Jobs, the man who redefined the personal computer and whose dedication and support for innovation has changed the way the world consumes music.

There's a lot of nostalgia around for the pre-ipod era these days. Whether it be through the refusal to accept that modern technology can replicate the texture of vinyl, or the reluctance to acknowledge the frustrating limitations of the cassette tape, it appears that many have forgotten the positive impact that easily distributed digital music files have had upon the democratic emergence of new talent.

It is courtesy of 13 of these files that I have spent much of the past week enjoying Yellow Ostrich, a band born out of the mind of Wisconsin's Alex Schaaf, which in the pre-digital era would (at least in this country) not have been accessible to all but the most dedicated of muso.

I like this band. Their latest album 'The Mistress' (2010) lies somewhere between The Dirty Projectors, The Dodo's and the Fleet Foxes, but despite this it remains something different and fresh. This appeals to me on a variety of levels. I like its scratching textured guitar work, its cappella sections and its layer upon layer of melolody and rhythm. It just works.

Widowspeak

2011-09-24T11:20:00.000+01:00

This week has been a slow one. The minutes have reluctantly turned into hours, and the hours have all but refused to turn into days. There is a change brewing somewhere on the horizon, but the closer I get to it the further away it appears to be.

Despite all of this, my ears have have been drawn to a band called Widowspeak. I was initially intrigued by their name, which intentionally or not, references that genetically determined point at the front of some peoples hairline. I have had come to terms with mine after many a self-conscious teenage year staring at the mirror asking why, despite all my efforts, I resembled Christopher Lee in dracula. This was not a good look for boy growing up in the middle of England in the 1990's.

Brooklyn based Widowspeak have been called dreary by some, but this description is just plainly wrong. Their music is uncluttered and predominantly downbeat, but it also has a depth and texture that makes it deeply listenable. For me, their recently released self titled debut album draws upon simple but effective guitar work that at times wouldn't sound too out of place in a Sergio Leone movie. This combined with a vocal that can't escape its similarity to Chan Marshall, but which soars effortlessly over a sense of moodiness and melancholy, results in a sound that just works. Simple.

I like it very much.

Male Bonding

2011-09-11T13:49:00.000+01:00

The first thing that I thought of when I saw the front cover of 'Nothing Hurts' by the London based three piece Male Bonding', was 'Man Feeling' the dubiously named band from the hit Channel 4 series Peep Show. Eek. Things did not look good for this 13 track sub-pop recording, but being one for giving these things a go, I pressed play on my stereo and got on with some work.

28.6 minutes later my relief was visible.

Male Bonding will inevitably draw comparisons to weareinvolved favourites 'Jeff and the Botherhood' and 'Japandroids', and this comparison is justified and mutually flattering. Like so much these days, this band has already been mindlessly labeled as 'lo-fi', but for me its routes lie in the post Nirvana world, with heavy unsanitised guitar work and a light hazy vocal that deserves to be played both loudly and regularly.

It came out a while ago now, but this is my album of the week.

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Bo Ningen

2011-09-03T17:06:00.001+01:00

1 hour and 30 minutes each way. Not 1 but 2 bus rides. A long and daunting walk through Dalston, east London's gritty afterthought. All of this to travel 4 miles to go and watch Bo Ningen tear up another set, and provide a much needed lesson in performance for the many empty style bands that have based themselves in this part of the capital.

Image Sourced from: http://matthewjosephs.blogspot.com

It's a tempting thought. Normally, this would be a no brainer. But alas, not tonight, and certainly not a mere handful of hours before I need to wake up and confront a new day. Instead I am going to write this introduction and do my little bit to spread the word about this band and their energetic blend of noise pop and unbridled teeth-gnashing metal.

For me, Bo Ningen are quite simply the loudest and most exciting band performing in London at the moment.

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Bass Drum Of Death

2011-08-28T12:28:00.002+01:00

So the glowing embers of London's burning summer have now finally been extinguished. The pious have judged. Political gain has been sought. The guilty have have been hung out to dry. Regardless of how aggressively society seeks punishment, it must also look at the endemic ineptitude and corruption that exists at the highest level of decision making within this country. Whether it be by the top seats of government, the media, the police or our financial institutions we have all been let down one way or another. The actions of a small segment of our youth should not distract us from that fact.

To say that I am pissed off about all of this would be an understatement. So let's change the subject...

My boiling blood has been tempered this week by the Bass Drum Of Death, a fantastically fuzzy expression of aggressive garage rock from the heart of Mississippi. This band don't exactly tread new musical territory, but they have followed a satisfying path on which modern garage rock has been redefined in recent years. Think about a blend between modern day garage rock legends 'The Black Keys' and the more recent energy and style of both the 'Japandroids' and 'The Babies', and you'll get the idea.

I Liked it very much.

Colourmusic

2011-05-15T17:41:00.005+01:00

I went to BUG #25 this week at London's NFT, where the hottest in up and coming directorial talent was introduced, and where the powerful combination of music and moving image was underlined in a show hosted by 6music DJ and comic genius Adam Buxton.

In a music video showcase that took us on a journey through the innovative and mesmerizing via a couple of minor flirtations with the downright bizarre, a couple of video's and bands stood out and grabbed my attention.

One of these bands was Oklahoma's Colourmusic, whose beautifully gruesome video for the powerful 'You For Leaving Me' left me smiling and more then a little disturbed. Part Polyphonic Spree, part Clinic and part Flaming Lips, Colourmusic are a band who understand the importance of visual aesthetics in modern music. They also understand the importance of underpinning this aesthetic with a powerful and thumping soundtrack that I like very much.

Alessi's Ark

2011-04-27T17:26:00.006+01:00

I did it. A winter has been avoided and now London is illuminated in a wonderful golden glow. I just wish I could get out of my tall concrete office block and enjoy it.

I can see Union Jacks fluttering in the gentle breeze below me in preparation for a Royal Wedding that appears to have captured the imagination of a nation that I thought wouldn’t be interested. We don’t get many opportunities to celebrate ourselves in this country, and it is refreshing to see some unbridled national enthusiasm that is inclusive and liberated from the narrow opinions of the far right. That said it does sadden me that it takes a royal ceremony to galvanise some collective celebration. There are so many other reasons for us all to come together and have a good time.

Alessi - Pic By Paul

I was listening to 6music yesterday and heard a gushing endorsement of Alessi’s Ark, a London based singer song writer who has been touted as a huge talent on this site for a number of years now (2009 weareinvolved mention). It’s always satisfying when the rest of world takes notice of something that you have known for a long time, so as I heard the glowing reviews of her second full length album broadcasting out to millions courtesy of the BBC, I sat back with a smile on my face. It appears that truly quality and potential will eventually be recognised, even if it does sometimes take a little time.

Alessi’s latest album entitled ‘Time Travel’ is out now on Bella Union.

The Babies

2011-02-26T17:06:00.004Z

Miss Rebecca, in keeping with her long record of good taste, recommended a band called the Vivian Girls in the middle of last year. I was predictably impressed, so doing what I do, I tweeted something about them on this here site. Roughly a year prior to this, a band called Woods had also caught my attention as I sat online in my apartment recuperating following a particularly unpleasant hay fever attack (Link). Now, members of these two bands have come together with members of ‘Bent Outta Shape’ and ‘Ringers’ to form‘ ‘The Babies’, a band that represents yet another gift to the world from Brooklyn, USA.

This month saw the launch of ‘The Babies’ full self-titled debut, an enjoyable collection of 11 songs that has been the stand out album that I have listened to this week. On this recording, vocal duties are shared expertly between Kevin Morby and Cassie Ramone and the result is infectious. Each vocal part ably complements the other to enhance a powerful garage texture that weaves its way through each track. I liked it a lot.

Jeff the Brotherhood

2011-02-21T11:49:00.000Z

I am still in Malta. I can almost hear the guns blazing in Libya 300 miles to the south. A swift breeze of change is turning into a violent tornado and all of this is happening just behind a visible horizon. 200 people have already been reported as being killed, murdered as they marched and sung for freedom. The dominoes are toppling in a region where dictatorship has been tolerated by a world eager to maintain a fabricated sense of stability. I just hope that this change will result in genuine freedom for people who have suffered long enough.

Whatever your thoughts on this, you can’t deny that the relics of historical control in this region are, one by one being toppled by the power of the many. Revolution is indeed hanging in the air.

As I contemplate all of this, looking out into the Mediterranean, I can hear the aggressive guitar playing on Heavy Days, the new album by the Tennessee duo ‘Jeff the Brotherhood’ playing on my stereo. I like this band. There is nothing particularly revolutionary about the themes on their excellent latest record, but through the relentless pounding of drums and aggressive guitar work they have successfully managed to harness the sound of counterculture. This suits my mood…

Photo By Bekah Cope - http://www.bekahcope.com

Musically there is a merge here. Heavy Days could almost have been released on SST Records in the mid to late 1980’s as its pace and texture wouldn’t have sounded that out of place on a ‘Hüsker Dü’ record. Equally, there is something altogether more contemporary going on here as well. Like ‘No Age’ and ‘Japandroids’ and all the best modern noise pop, this two-piece have also pushed the boundaries of their limited instrumentation and the result is a collection of songs that sound both rich and layered.

I like it very much.

The Fresh And Onlys

2011-02-12T10:10:00.001Z

So the sun has set in the west, and now reluctantly, I must venture east in search of work and some much over rated stability. There truly is nothing more magical then freedom and discovery, and I have relished every liberated second of the last 6 months. I just hope that I can now recalibrate my brain and once again become a productive member of the old world. We shall see.

Before returning to Blighty, I am passing one last month sat on the banks of a small Mediterranean island. Here my thoughts once again drift back to California, or more specifically to San Francisco, the city by the bay that snuggles up to the pacific under a blanket of white mist. I am smiling as I think about its peaks and valleys, its clean air and its abundant army of hipster pilgrims who each contribute to the very special character that defines this very special city.

Despite my geography, the sound of San Francisco persists on my stereo. This is courtesy of a band called ‘The Fresh & Onlys’ and their latest album ‘Play It Strange’ which was discovered days prior to my departure. This album offers a curious listening experience. Yes, the spirit of Bay Area legend Anton Newcombe and more recent weareinvolved favourites ‘The Dodo’s’ and ‘Girls’ can be heard in the heart of this deeply enjoyable collection of songs, but there is something else here as well. Something that evokes more then well-educated revivalism and a tipped hat to the sounds and personalities that made music what it is today. There is invention here that is articulated through melodic flourishes that appear to capture the magic of the place in which it was conceived.

I liked it very much.

Songs For Moms

2011-01-19T20:02:00.004Z

I went to a Kimya Dawson show in San Francisco last night. To be honest, I was quite excited about the prospect of seeing the heartfelt DIY songstress and anti-folk pioneer do her thing. So, as the evening commenced and dusk became dark I dressed and headed out into the city, full of anticipation.

Eventually, with a weak warm beer in hand, I squeezed myself into a dark corner of the venue and waited for what was to follow. This is when things started to go wrong. The sound hadn't been checked, which set the tone for a short set where all too brief moments of magic were interspersed with padding that insulted both my mind and my wallet. People had paid their hard earned to watch this mess and I felt angry for all of them. Kimya is capable of so much more.

Thankfully however, this cloud had a silver lining in the form of 'Songs For Moms', a young all female folk-punk band from Oakland California. Like so often at shows these days, tonight it was the support band that outshone the headliner. Without resting on their laurels, this energetic and enthusiastic 3-piece both respected and delivered with a raw and powerful set that I enjoyed thoroughly. Yes this was a bit rough around the edges, but for what it is worth, I think it showed a lot of potential.

Songs For Moms new record, "I Used to Believe in the West," is out now on Thrillhouse Records.

Quadrajets

2011-01-10T07:34:00.013Z

I've been feeling a little retrospective today. I think that this has something to do with spending far too much time on Mark Zuckerburg's gift to social networking. This digital voyeurism needs to stop. It's draining me of productive hours and it is doing little but carve up insecurities previously left at the school gate. Honestly, should I care about updates published by proximity acquaintances who otherwise would have faded gradually and gracefully out of sight and out of mind? I don't know if I should.

If I have one resolution for the new year it is to waste less time keeping up with what is behind me.

Anyway, let's get back to something more interesting. Inspired by faces from my past, I decided to rediscover a band from a period of my life when I was my most lost and confused. Why? Well so much emphasis in modern music commentary is placed upon the contemporary. This leaves gems that were not properly exposed languished, forgotten and separated from their full potential audience. In a very small way, I want to put this right by introducing a band whose 1996 album 'Alabama Hip Shake' has recently been 'on-repeat' on my ipod.

Defined at the time as 'Trash Rock', the Quadrajets for me represent a welcome mixture of The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Mudhoney and The Damned, three bands that I have loved. With 3 aggressive guitars each colliding at full volume, The Quadrajets second full studio album reminds me of a time when my favourite music provided a catharsis from the perceived pain and frustration of suburban adolescence. Now, almost 15 years later, it still stands up as an energetic example of the power of guitar music.

I like it very much.

2010 Year In Review

2010-12-31T04:55:00.032Z

Historically, this has been a segregated affair. A best of according to genre that depicts which musicians have produced the best work as I see it over the last 12 months. This year however, let's tear down the artificial barriers that genre creates and just celebrate the best albums in a single all-encompassing list. Good music is good music regardless of where it has been derived and what it has been influenced by.

So here are my top 10 for 2010:

10 - Made the Harbor by Mountain Man (Intro).

09 - Shiv Hurrah by Shiv Hurrah ‏Intro.

08 - Swim by Caribou (Intro).

07 - Be Brave by The Strange Boys (Intro).

06 - Pink Graffiti by Secret Cities (Intro).

05 - The Monitor by Titus Andronicus (Intro).

04 - Innerspeaker by Tame Impala (Intro).

03 - Before Today by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti (Intro).

02 - Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter (Intro).

01 - Beach Fossils by Beach Fossils (Intro).

Titus Andronicus

2010-12-30T20:10:00.008Z

End of year 'best' lists. I don't want to criticize them because I will be doing my own within the next few days. However, I do want to emphasize something before I do. Like with critique generally, these lists are nothing more then an expression of opinion and should not be considered to be anything more important. Taste and opinion are not absolute, regardless of where they come from. Sometimes they have commercial motives and sometimes they are blinkered by transient perceptions of fashion. Therefore, we should approach them all with caution. The best that we can do, is to read the lists written by people we trust and published by sites that are in tune with our perspective.

This is what I was doing yesterday, when as I was reading through a list that is closely aligned with the musical opinions that I had forged for myself over the last 12 months. Near the top of this list was a band that had completely slipped through my radar, that band was Titus Andronicus.

Intriguing...

The high-brow band name immediately caught my attention. It is a reference to a violent Shakespearean play where the 'Queen of the Goths' is cast against 'Titus', a Roman general. This reference seems appropriate when you listen to the riotous jig that dominates much of 'The Monitor', Titus Andronicus's second full studio album. Here, the angst and anger of suburban New Jersey life is expressed, both amidst a backdrop of economic hardship and beside curious references to the American Civil War. For me, the themes and frustration on this record are totally appropriate. They evoke memories of both Bruce Springsteen and The Pogue's most worthy work and they are delivered with a conviction that distinguishes this band from their peers.

'The Monitor' is a very good album.

Paul Newton Photo Site Update

2010-12-28T18:42:00.002Z

To visit this site select image or click here.

http://paulnewtonphoto.blogspot.com

Meursault

2010-12-22T19:58:00.009Z

7 days and it has barely stopped. Don’t worry; I will try to refrain from further comment. I think that you all know how I feel about the subject. Instead let’s just talk about something else and pretend for a second that there is an existence beyond the promise of thermals, cagoules and wind protectors.

Let’s instead applaud Barack for repealing ‘don’t ask don’t tell’, and acknowledging what most of the world have known for years. That both gay and straight people alike are equally capable of shooting guns and getting shot at on the front line of any war, if that is what they feel compelled to do. Anyway moving on...

Today’s soundtrack comes from Meursault, a band hailing from Edinburgh and fronted by singer-songwriter Neil Pennycook. Their latest album ‘Pissing on Bonfires - Kissing With Tongues’ has become a bit of a favourite of mine over the last few days as I have been stuck at home. It is a delightfully emotive blend of ukulele, banjo and DIY electronica, which sits under a powerful and beautifully flawed vocal. I can hear similarities to elements of Tune-Yards, Paul Brill, Wolfparade and Dan Deacon within much of this record, and for me at least this mixture works perfectly.

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Beach Fossils

2010-12-20T17:41:00.009Z

I would like to report a change in the weather, but alas no. I am becoming obsessive, staring at the thick clouds in the sky as they mock me. Bastards. They refuse to budge so I refuse to spend longer then a few minutes outside. This stand off has been going on a few days now.

To make matters worse, I am fulfilling my national stereotype and talking about it incessantly to anyone who will listen. This needs to stop. So Sky, please listen to me. I hereby offer you a truce. You ease up with bone chilling wind and relentless rain and I will stop cursing you with every breath. What do you say? Show me a some rays.

To fill the time, I have been going over a lot of music that I missed when I was on the road. I was pretty sure that there must be some gems that were discovered whilst my attention was elsewhere, and after a very short search I discovered that I was right...
Beach Fossils are another Brooklyn band (there appear to be a lot of these at the moment) who have produced a very solid collection of songs with their self-titled debut. With the same raw ingredients that the 'Raveonettes' used to capture my attention half a decade ago, the 'Beach Fossils' are treading ground previously conquered and populated. However, they are treading it expertly and confidently. With a laid back reverb heavy vocal and similar guitar work to that delivered by Best Coast and former tour partners Real Estate, this band has done everything right to be both contemporary and relevant. I honestly hope that this serves them well because they are more then just a transient expression fashionable listening. They are a very good band.

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Teeth of the Sea

2010-12-14T17:58:00.010Z

What is it with this weather people? This is supposed to be warm California, where the sun never sets and where every day is summer. I am looking out of my window and all I can see is a heavy grey covering of cloud sat above a damp expanse of green grass. This feels more like Yorkshire then San Francisco. Where is Arnie? I need to find him and explain that his advertising for this state may be a little misleading.

In words of the 'Sultans of Ping'... there is only one thing for it, I need my jumper, "now where is it"?

Let's look on the bright side ...or rather the slightly less dull side. This is the perfect opportunity to wrap up and listen my way through a large virtual pile of new music. What do we have here...

Ah perfect! A band bucking contemporary trends and producing a solid album in a style once marveled but then cast aggressively into the mist. Just my cup of tea.

London based 'Teeth of the Sea' will be typcast by the unimaginative as 'Postrock', a label that would have served them well half a decade ago. Now I fear that it will be more damaging. I also think that it is a label that is inaccurate. Yes, the influence of Mogwai and GSYBE are certainly audible in their excellent second album 'Your Mercury', but like the Fuck Buttons before them, Teeth of the Sea have pushed this genre forward. This is as much an album influenced by the darker segments of dance music as it is by the beautiful dirge that dominated guitar music a few years ago.

For me, 'Your Mercury' is a triumph. I like its blend of the delicate and the erratic. I also like its use of horns which add to the gradual pulsating frenzy that this record delivers repeatedly.

This is definitely a recommendation.

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Chasing The Moon

2010-12-04T15:08:00.006Z

I've been in the US for a while now. It feels strange and a little overwhelming to suddenly be exposed to a huge breadth of new music with a completely different set of influences. Things are certainly very different out here.

A really well put together resource for music, at least on the west coast, is the 'Chasing The Moon' video podcast, which is a showcase for some of the best local musicians and the skills of audio engineer Scott McDowell.

Check it out here: http://chasingthemoon.pdcst.com

The latest installment introduces The Devotionals, which is Tyson Vogel (formally of the Two Gallants) latest project. Here he has teamed up with Anton Patzner to produce an intricate and tight collection of acoustic melodies. These are certainly worth checking out.

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Deerhunter

2010-12-01T23:57:00.010Z

I know it's stupid, but sometimes I imagine that I am living in a movie. This normally happens when I see or do something that inspires me. I imagine the opening shot and I think about a 1970’s style opening title appearing on the big screen. I then think about the soundtrack and I acknowledge how the perfect cinematic visual only really works in conjunction with the perfect musical accompaniment.... Then I snap out of it and slap myself for being so narcissistic and ridiculous. Until the next time that is.

This happened again this week. This time the movie in my mind was about a road trip and the soundtrack was one that has been keeping me company for quite a few weeks now. It's by Deerhunter, and it is their latest recording 'Halcyon Digest'.

Hailing from Atlanta Georgia, Deerhunter are a band that has matured their style to create an album that should provide the popular success that didn't accompany the critical acclaim of their previous more noise-pop inspired offerings. Part shoe-gaze, part fuzzy-pop, Halcyon Digest is an adventurous deviation from previous material, and for me at least, it is simply a joy to behold. I like it very much.

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Still On The Road

2010-10-11T23:16:00.008+01:00

I'm still on the road at the moment and so I am finding it hard to keep on top of all the fantastic music that I have been receiving. To everyone who has been in contact, thank you for sending through your work and I will try to give it the time that it deserves as soon as possible.

Fear not, weareinvolved will resume usual service towards the end of November.
(and I will post when I can before then)

In the mean time here are the main albums (in no particular order) that are currently keeping me company on the long endless stretches of highway across the US .

All of these are excellent...

- Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter
- Pink Graffiti by Secret Cities
- Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips
- Past Time by Grass Widow
- 1928 Sessions by Mississippi John Hurt
- Innerspeak by Tame Impala
- Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom
- Lanzafame by Tap Tap
- Treats by Sleigh Bells
- Privilege Pt's 1 & 2 by Parenthetical Girls
- Black Sands by Bonobo
- Made the Harbor by Mountain Man
- Crazy For You by Best Coast
- Shiv Hurrah by Shiv Hurrah
- Post-Nothing by Japandroids
- The Best Of... by Ruth Brown

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Parenthetical Girls

2010-09-22T17:47:00.007+01:00

I'm still stuck within the concrete prison that Reno has become. So it is with thoughts of last weeks enjoyable journey through Oregon that I write this introduction to a band based in that calm, wet and beautiful state.

Although, originally from Washington (state), The Parenthetical Girls have been based out of Portland for a number of years now. They emerged out of an adolescent recording project and the ambition of the only remaining founding member (Zac Pennington), who is now supported by a small collection of local multi-instrumentalists whose influence has redefined what this band has become.

Brian Eno, T. Rex and Xiu Xiu are all cited as major influences; however for me, their latest recording (Privilege Pt. II: The Past, Imperfect) represents a blend of the Dirty Projectors, Final Fantasy, The Smiths and Patrick Wolf. Either way, this is an experimental and highly successful EP that has certainly captured my attention. I like it very much and look forward to the next 3 installments from this 5-part 'Privilege' EP series.

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Magic Kids

2010-09-21T21:54:00.009+01:00

I've been stuck in Reno (Nevada) for the last few days waiting for my car to be fixed. It appears that my rear left wheel decided that it had had enough of being part of the body of my vehicle and so decided to disassociate itself. As you can imagine, I was a little shaken to see the consequences of this attempted escape, which could quite easily have killed me if it had happened on the open road.

To make matters worse, this mechanical failure has forced me to spend the last 2 days trapped inside the the surreal interior of the gambling frenzy that is the Pepper Mill Hotel and Casino. Thankfully my wallet, already bruised from its visit to the mechanic, has forced me to avoid any of the local gambling opportunities and stay in my hotel room. This has given me a perfect opportunity to listen to some new music and write this introduction to the 'Magic Kids', a band from Memphis, Tennessee.

Photo by Todd Owyoung

Bands with a prominent Beach Boys influence are a regular feature of the musical landscape these days. They vary massively in quality and interpretation but all appear to utilise multi-person harmonies and references to a passed era of golden sunshine. This sound is certainly nothing new, so it is with a whiff of surprise that the Magic Kids recently released album "Memphis" has stood out and grabbed my attention. I guess that good songwriting will always transcend, and that is where the strength of this band really lies. That is my eventual thought, as my initially reluctant mind is won over by this bright, breezy and rather short pop album.

I'm not sure how they have done it, but like San Francisco's 'Girls' before them, the Magic Kids have managed to convert a seemingly old and tired style into something contemporary, fresh and deeply listenable.

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Anna Calvi

2010-09-09T16:35:00.010+01:00

The power of association is an undeniable force. This force is only intensified when that association is confounded by praise. This is what crosses my mind as I lie on my self made sleeping platform in the back of a van in beautiful Northern California, where I have just been drawn to the delightfully dark bluesy guitar work of the singer and songwriter Anna Calvi.

It was her recording connections with Dave Okumu (The Invisible) and Ben Lovett (Mumford & Sons) combined with an endorsement from Lightspeed Champion that captured my attention, but it is Calvi's intricate and textured sound that has kept me listening. With acknowledged influences ranging from Django Reinhardt to David Bowie to Debussy, it is fair to say that this is a musician who is aware of the origin's of the music that she plays. I like this, and I also like all that I have heard so far.

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Mountain Man

2010-09-01T19:37:00.008+01:00

I'm sat in a dark room staring out at a beautifully hot sunny outside. I'm enjoying the peacefulness of the moment with one of Bella Union's latest finds, the all-female Vermont based three-piece 'Mountain Man', and their latest album 'Made The Harbor'.

Their sound is an austere intertwining of gentle 3 part harmonies, which are only made possible via 3 strong and complementary voices each working together over a sparse acoustic foundation. To me, this music sounds like an unlikely but successful blend of Laura Veirs and Diane Cluck. I like it very much.

The Love Language

2010-08-23T17:46:00.005+01:00

So I have arrived in sun scorched California for the start of weareinvolved's long tour of the US. I will still be updating this site but posts may be a little less frequent over the next few months as I live out of the back of a van on the long and winding roads that cross this vast country.

The first band that has dominated my car stereo since arrival, has been The Love Language with their second full album 'Libraries'. This band was initiated by Stuart McLamb, a man who by all accounts fell into music following a romantic break-up. Songs that were never intended for public consumption were recorded at home with little ambition of exposure. However, quality has a habit of breaking free of modest intention and McLamb's talent for writing melodic and uplifting pop harmonies eventually shone through.

Image by Cheater Slicks (Sourced from MySpace)

Unlike The Love Language's more DIY self-titled debut, 'Libraries' sounds like it has benefited from the subtle studio influence contributed by producer BJ Burton. The sound is cleaner and more assured then its predecessor. This works well, especially in conjunction with the able support of a collection of "musical vagrants" who were drafted in from countless personal projects to become the 5-piece that this band has become.

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Tame Impala

2010-08-10T14:51:00.011+01:00

I’ve spent the last week doing 2 things that I wasn’t looking forward to; saying goodbye and cleaning. The latter has been a tortuous battle against 4 years of dusty accumulation, which hopefully will make my East London flat vaguely inhabitable for its new owners who will move in on Monday. The former has been a lot more of an emotional necessity. In and between the scrubbing, painting and packing, I have been saying goodbye to all of the important people who have made London such an interesting place to be for the last 8 years.

The last music introduction that I am going to make before I leave this wonderful and frustrating city will be for a band whose latest album ‘Innerspeaker‘ has kept me company as I have been frantically slapping white paint on uneven walls over the last 7 days. That band is ‘Tame Impala’, an Australian 4-piece who are signed to Modular Recordings.

Musically, Tame Impala have paid homage to the same late-1960s American psychedelia that has inspired a wide spectrum of bands from the Stone Roses to Olivia Tremor Control. They have also taken a musical bow to the same 1970’s progressive rock that Black Mountain reinvigorated so successfully a couple of years ago. The consequence of this historical blend is a soundtrack that stands out against much of the formulaic material that has dominated fashionable music commentary over the last few years. For me this is a good thing. It adds weight and significance to the music. It also forces repeated listens and rewards the patience of the loyal listener.

My Sad Captains

2010-08-08T10:07:00.005+01:00

Somewhere in the narrow spaces left vacant by Wilco, Sparklehorse, Midlake and Carissa's Wierd, lie the downbeat melodies of Stolen Recordings latest quintet 'My Sad Captains'. Here, a delicate male vocal hangs above the jangle of indie-pop guitar, and beside warm female harmonies. Yes, this has been done before, but it has rarely been done this well.

This is a perfect soundtrack to my last weekend in London.

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Shiv Hurrah‏

2010-08-03T13:46:00.016+01:00

I can barely remember my last physical altercation. I think I was 13, although to be honest I’m not too sure. I have a vague recollection of a disagreement about a TV show called ‘Quantum Leap’. I’m not sure how it escalated, but eventually several punches and at least one kick were exchanged. I do remember being in the right and I do remember being angry enough to raise my fists. It is almost strange that I haven’t been directly involved with any violence since then. I guess that throughout my life I have always been able to manage anger, which I have always perceived as a weakness rather then an expression of strength. This perception is the result of many influences; however its consequence is an exhausting build up of tension that eventually conspires to leave my insides wound-up, bruised and aching with anxiety. For this, my antidote has been music, which always seems to help put my thoughts back into perspective and allow the tension inside me to subside.

It can’t be denied that the right song can be immensely powerful. It can create an emotional response that can brighten even the darkest of thoughts. There is something immensely joyous about that.

This morning was a particularly tense morning. I woke up very early, and wondered into my lounge. I am moving out of my apartment and I am surrounded by boxes, so I settled into one of the few patches of space left on my floor and switched on my computer. I didn’t realize it until that moment, but a cliché had come home to roost; moving apartment is stressful, and I, predictably, was stressed. As I checked my emails there was a recommendation to listen to a Brooklyn based band conceived by David Bechle called Shiv Hurrah‏. I followed the link that was sent to me and pressed play…

It’s amazing how quickly some music can grab you. Within seconds of listening to the first track of Shiv Hurrah’s self titled début EP, my attention was captured. This music immediately sounded soothing and familiar like a favourite pair of well worn shoes. Simple but effective guitar harmonies were complimented by an assured vocal delivery that sounded credible and timeless. The production wasn’t clean, but for me, this was entirely appropriate. It added to the honestly of the material, which managed to be beautifully melodic without being insipid or schmaltzy. Far more importantly (for me at least), this music immediately transformed what otherwise was destined to be a severely grumpy morning.

Nuff said.

For more info: shivhurrah.bandcamp.com

Robert Frank Photography

2010-08-01T11:01:00.011+01:00

I have alluded to this in several previous posts, but I can now confirm that weareinvolved is about to leave London for a 6 month tour around North America. We will be buying a van, kitting it out with the necessary provisions and then driving across that vast land mass with wide eyes and an open mind in search of nothing in particular and everything that that is worth seeing. I hope that we will find some worthwhile ideas, art and experiences along the way, and I will be sure to share the gems that we discover on this site.

I think that with this journey prominent in my mind, that the work of one artist could be a very appropriate focus for this post. That artist is Robert Frank.

Swiss born Frank is most commonly associated with his 1958 book the Americans. In this seminal work he took a skeptical and detached view of American society. The book was a consequence of 2 years of traveling and 28,000 photographs, and with a forward from Kerouac it has gone on to change the direction and tone of modern photojournalism.

"When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice." Robert Frank

and from London...

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Wild Nothing

2010-07-26T18:28:00.007+01:00

Monday. The post weekend come down. That slow mind melting realisation that your freedom has ended and that now, reluctantly, you have to focus your attention on the commercially driven priorities of a corporate hierarchy that barely knows your name. There is nothing more uninspiring then the cruel annihilation of your spirit at the hands of blinkered careerists whose primary preoccupation is the greasy pole and their own personal advancement.

Today more then most I am in need of some music that will allow my mind to escape the confines of this bland and cruel environment. I am in need of some pure escapism that will allow my imagination to wonder off to a better place where broad honest smiles dominate faces, and where ulterior motives cannot exist. For me today, that music is facilitated by the joyously crafted musings of ‘Wild Nothing’ aka Jack Tatum from Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.

With Wild Nothing’s debut full length recording “Gemini”, Tatum has composed a sound track that is both aware of its influence and assured of its direction. The spirit of the Cocteau Twins is very much apparent, but this music seems liberated from heavy nostalgia as it creates vast landscapes in my mind. I can feel a certain kind of weightlessness as I listen to this album, which reminds me of the more ethereal moments of the Memory Tapes hugely enjoyable Seek Magic record, which came out at the back end of 2009. Unlike Seek Magic however, Gemini doesn’t appear to be benefiting from the same level of gushing anticipation in the established music press. This is a shame and should be put right. Wild Nothing is as innovative and as enjoyable as anything that is being recorded at the moment and I look forward to hearing more.

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Pharmacy Spirits

2010-07-22T07:42:00.010+01:00

I have to be honest. The 80's revival, at least here in the UK, has become tiresome and predictable. "Synth Pop" appears to dominate as the single point of reference for much of what I have heard over the last few years and this has got increasingly uninspired, style heavy and meaningless. I don't want to knock the 80's as a creative decade, I just wish that many of the bands that plunder the past did so with a little more creativity and knowledge. There was so much more to this era then synth's, neon and duran duran.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a band looking at musical history when plotting a creative course into the future. In my mind, it shows a certain amount of intelligence for any artist to understand what has passed in order to compose something that is truly original and worthy. I guess that any reference just shouldn't be overly reliant on any single narrow focus if it is going to avoid accusations of plagiarism.

One band that I have been listening to this week, who are a perfect example of how to use history imaginatively are the Pharmacy Spirits from Lincoln, Nebraska. With a wide blend of musical influence ranging from Mission to Burma to The Cure, they have produced a very listenable and very enjoyable collection of original songs.

The Pharmacy Spirits first full-length album, "Teen Challenge" is out now.

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Special Relationship

2010-07-17T09:11:00.002+01:00

It appears that the so called “special relationship” is under threat. Whether this is due to the oil spewing negligence of BP, the unjustifiable premature release of a terrorist with a dodgy conviction in Scotland, or an attempted needless extradition of a confused fantasist from Great Britain; it appears that both the United Kingdom and the United States are winding each other up. To be fair, both sides have a right to feel aggravated. Whether it be the Brit’s who feel increasingly used by a skewed political relationship, or the Americans who are seeing livelihoods and natural beauty devastated by the failures of a multinational company with British routes, any current anger is completely understandable. However, what shouldn’t be lost through all of this mess is the reality for ordinary people not directly impacted by what has recently happened. There are undeniable links that exist between the populations of both countries. Whether those links be cultural, linguistic or creative; both countries have a huge amount in common, and both countries have a huge amount to offer and teach each other. We all need to remember this despite the actions and activities of the political class and the explosive exploits of journalists who will pounce on any opportunity to leverage contemporary anger and animosity if it helps them to sell a story.

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Holy State

2010-07-16T12:36:00.012+01:00

Genres are sometimes necessary evil reference points that help inarticulate people like me describe music in a convenient and understandable way. They also contribute to the construction of artificial boundaries that segregate audiences into tribal factions. This is confounded by the intimate relationship between fashion and music which has created separate aesthetics that, whilst being interesting, are completely pointless. I sometimes wish that we could just listen to and wear what we like, free from the blinkers that genres have introduced. I am sooo tired of needless arguments about these false walls of division. Just like what you like and be done with it. Please.

With thoughts of genre temporarily purged from my mind, I have been listening to the Leeds based power rockers Holy State this week. I like this band a lot. If there was some kind of musical matrix that contained every band that has ever existed, Holy State would be located at the exact mid-point between two acts that I love; PJ Harvey and Fugazi. Like PJ Harvey, the vocal is dripping with attitude and delivered with a nonchalant swagger that works perfectly. As back up, chaotic horn blowing is complimented by some deeply satisfying guitar and drum work, which is powerful, heavy and pounding. If you need an introduction try “EP” which was released on the 11th July 2010 via the ‘Dance To The Radio / PIAS Digital’ label(s); you won’t be disappointed.
Image By Simon Moss

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Sex Beet

2010-07-09T10:37:00.009+01:00

It may not be the most contemporary or relevant of genres in the eyes of the established music press, but I have to admit that I have a real soft spot for garage rock. It wrongly has a reputation as music cobbled together by amateurish musicians without meaning or significance in bland and safe suburbia. I have always thought that this perception was unfair. For me it is a significant raw form of rock and roll that has a long history that can be traced right back to early 1960's counter culture. It can also take at least some of the credit for the emergence of punk and for influencing a slew of fantastic modern bands like the Black Lips and The Strange Boys.

Image By Paul. For more: Click Here.

Leicester's 'Sex Beet' appear to be the latest English band to pick up the garage rock baton with anything like the attitude and aggressive fuzziness that is required to play this music well. They are a 3 piece who layer squealing keyboards and pounding drumming over some beautifully grinding guitar work, and in doing so appear to be creating the perfect soundtrack for a modern beer fueled beach party. I'm looking forward to hearing more.

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July 7th

2010-07-08T09:31:00.008+01:00

Yesterday was the anniversary of the 7-7 bombings here in London. This anniversary always resonates with me due to the fact that I was a mere 10 minutes away from being directly impacted. I remember that morning 5 years ago as if it was yesterday. I had been out the night before at a party that can best be described as disappointing. A large amount of alcohol had been consumed to paper over the cracks of boredom that night, and as a consequence when I woke up for work on the morning of the bombings, I felt like someone was playing the Aphex Twin at full volume inside my head. I got up and and staggered to my bathroom. A sorry dishevelled face stared back at me. There was no way that this could be unleashed on a poor unsuspecting public; so with a deep breath and despite being late for work I decided to sort myself out with a shower, a shave and a barocca. Eventually, when my reflection no longer made me shudder, I ventured out of my flat and into the underground network. It was soon obvious that something was very wrong as I was immediately confronted by a grim faced guard who slammed the station gate closed in front of me.

It eventually transpired that had I arrived just 10 minutes earlier, I would have been on the train that exploded at Kings Cross. I was saved by nothing more then a need to make myself look respectable.

I feel so sorry for those poor innocent people who lost there lives needlessly and pointlessly to the hands of hatred and ignorance that day. My thoughts and the thoughts of all decent people in this city are with them and their families at this truly sad time.

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The Strange Boys

2010-07-05T22:36:00.008+01:00

Here are some photographs that I recently took of The Strange Boys when they played an intimate gig at the Borderline in London a couple of weeks back. To read my previous introduction to this band: Click Here.

All images by Paul. For more: Click here.

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Alec Soth Photography

2010-06-30T07:59:00.007+01:00

It is with thoughts of an up and coming road trip through North America that I am enjoying the cinematic all American photography of Alec Soth. I really like this work.

For more information: www.alecsoth.com

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

2010-06-24T11:01:00.010+01:00

In England, yesterday was national bunking off work day as the English national football team managed to overcome a spirited, powerful and ultimately unlucky Slovenia side. Love or loath the beautiful game, it can't be denied that the result, however precarious, had a profound impact on a notoriously skeptical nation. Fuzzy alcohol induced smiles conspired with powerful rays of yellow sunshine to lift the mood of a nation. Even non-believers and the fashionista, with their predictable intolerance to anything vaguely athletic, could not dampen what turned into a perfect evening.

With an aching head, a sun-burnt nose and happy thoughts of the night before I am sat at work listening to the Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, just hoping that none of my colleagues expect anything vaguely reminiscent of an intelligent conversation (anything beyond a confused facial expression is unlikely).

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is band born out of LA. It is the eccentric brainchild of long time lo-fi'er 'Ariel Marcus Rosenberg', who appears to have perfected the art of making the strange both accessible and enjoyable. This latest recording 'Before Today', appears to be the break through that would have been impossible for previous more angular offerings that baffled and wowed in equal measure. By contrast, Before Today is tight; layering solid independent musicianship over an intelligent understanding of the best of pop from the 1970s and early 1980s.

In short, this is weird and wonderful pop music that is both bold and hugely entertaining.

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Japandroids

2010-06-15T17:37:00.011+01:00

This week life appears to have been profoundly improved by an immense sense of catharsis. Deep routed fear and and self-doubt that had previously plagued and constricted, has been removed. For the first time in what feels like an age, there appears to be a genuine sense of optimism hanging in the sky. The air is heavy with a thick sense of relief.

I need to listen to something to capture the moment. Something that I can curl my lip to and bask in my new found sense of liberation.

After a couple of failed musical candidates are cast briskly into my computers trash, I find Japandroids recent release 'No Singles'.

No singles is basically two out-of-print EPs (2007's All Lies and 2008's Lullaby Death Jams), which were recorded soon after Japandroids was formed in 2006, and soon before their excellent debut long player 'Post-Nothing'. Whilst No Singles is definitely a glance back at the potential of a band in its infancy, it still stands as a satisfying testament to the virtues of velocity and enthusiasm. Liberated of self-consciousness, this album is loud and expressive, and more importantly exactly what I need at the moment.

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Secret Cities

2010-06-11T12:00:00.000+01:00

In a week when I have been desperately fantasising about plotting an escape from this vast sprawling metropolis, I have been kept company by the Brian Wilson inspired escapism composed by the Secret Cities and their album Pink Graffiti.

This North Dakotan trio has drawn upon a self-stated psychedelic influence to concoct a welcome blend of lo-fi creative freedom, contemporary electronic inspired pop music and traditional grainy guitars. The result is something quite magical; a melody driven journey through strange sounds and frequencies. I liked it very much.

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Why not?

2010-06-09T15:07:00.016+01:00

I was sat in the pub last night drinking flat cider and discussing the middle class cliché that shrouds mid life introspection. It seems predictable and wholly unoriginal that when we reach a certain age many of us ask whether or not the lives that we have carved out for ourselves really satisfy our ambitions. But ask it we do. For some the answer to this question is an unequivocal yes. For most, (including myself) there is a more muddied response. For us, we may not be living the life that we envisaged in our early 20’s, but rather an alternative life that we never intended. The realisation that this is the case, at least for me was frightening and very confusing. When did this compromise happen and when did it become acceptable in my mind?

If we change the way we live our lives as a consequence of this realisation, are we being self-indulgent and wreckless? So many people don’t have the privilege or freedom to choose how they live their lives, so to be honest even talking about this sounds like the whinging of a spoilt child. However, for those lucky enough to have this privilege, don’t we owe it to ourselves to live the most fulfilling life that we can rather then following a diluted existence constrained by misguided and convenient perceptions of responsibility.

Admittedly, with experience and age comes a more realistic interpretation of ones opportunities, capabilities and talents. Not everyone has the opportunity or the capability to pursue any career or ambition. However, I just think that where opportunity and capability are not constraints, then why not do something that makes you happy. It has to beat that awful feeling of regret and sadness that would otherwise brew and boil within our souls.

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Roger Mayne Photography

2010-06-05T11:38:00.012+01:00

I was just looking through some of Roger Mayne's early photography. I was really impressed by the energy and character captured in so much of his work completed to highlight the grim reality of post war British poverty. This is powerful and important imagery that helped to change attitudes and contribute to the successful emergence of the welfare state. It is also work that illustrates the historical significance of photography both as a political and artistic medium.

For more: http://www.rogermayne.com/

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Here We Go Magic

2010-05-30T18:53:00.004+01:00

I spent this afternoon driving through narrow windswept lanes in East Anglia. Although there was a permanent breeze rushing off the coast, the sun shone magnificently through a deep blue sky that was partially covered with little white fluffy clouds. Each of these moved briskly towards a vast horizon whilst casting dark shadows on the lush green fields below.

This perfect picture was complimented by the perfect soundtrack; 'Here We Go Magic' and their latest self titled album.

Here We Go Magic, is an indie rock band strumming from Brooklyn, New York. Their hazy folk inspired electronica has already earned them solid reviews and much sought after support slots with both Grizzly Bear and The Walkmen. I think this might be my first summer soundtrack of 2010.

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Skitz

2010-05-27T18:28:00.010+01:00

To be honest, it has been a long time since a Hip Pop record really captured my attention. To be more honest, it’s been a long time since I pointed my ears at any contemporary Hip Pop with anything like my full focus. I guess that there has just been far too much music more closely aligned to my core musical sensibilities to digest. Well that's my excuse anyway.

The consequence of this is that in order for a Hip Pop record to burst into my attention, it has to be really rather good. One such record did this today. This was 'Born Inna System' by Skitz (Ft. Buggsy) . Skitz is a British DJ who is probably best known as a prominent contributor to the BBC’s 1Xtra radio station. This track is taken from the Sticksman record, which is basically a who’s who of British contemporary Hip Pop. I like it a lot.

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Ilse Bing Photography

2010-05-26T14:18:00.008+01:00

I popped over to Amsterdam with a few friends last weekend to take advantage of a perfectly located apartment in Europe’s most liberal of cities. It was the first time in a very long time that I could indulge my passion for street photography in a city with such a distinct and fascinating aesthetic. The whole experience reminded why I enjoy this medium so much. It also reminded me of why I fell in love with one of my favourite artists; the photographer and ‘Queen of Leica’ Ilse Bing.

Born in 1899, Ilse Bing was a German avant-garde and surrealist inspired photographer who is most fondly remembered for her innovative work in 1930’s Paris. Her unique and keen eye combined seamlessly with the then new 35mm technology to lay the foundations of modern street photography.

For me at least, her legacy and her work are hugely important.

For more info about Ilse Bing: Click Here.
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John & Jehn

2010-05-18T14:26:00.007+01:00

It is with a well earned sigh that I climb off my high horse following a grueling 8 weeks of intense national debate. I now feel liberated and justified in emptying my mind of futile opinion.

So with no intention other then a desire to find something new and interesting to appreciate, I listened to John & Jehn’s new album ’Time for the Devil’. John & Jehn are a band whose first album was a particular favourite of mine following a show that I went to at the end of 2008 at North London’s most enjoyable of venues; The Luminaire. I had originally been put off the band by descriptions that I had read in some of the traditional music press, where it had been dismissed as a style heavy caricature of the ‘artistic couple’; sickly, arrogant and detached from any creative worth. Thankfully I was encouraged by Miss Rebecca to watch them live none-the-less, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the established opinion was entirely flawed. I promptly bought their first (self titled) album, and soon after added it to the 2008 ‘Year in Review' (Link). I have been a fan ever since.

This new recording is a step away from the art-rock teen-pop clash that typified John & Jehn's deeply enjoyable debut. The ‘Mates of State’ and ‘The Kills’ references that they have previously endured will probably be replaced with comparisons to the sparse pop manufactured by The XX, and to be honest I think that any such comparison is mutually flattering if not entirely accurate. This new recording appears to be the product of a bigger budget and a growth in creative confidence. It is a successful step towards the mainstream, and should provide this exciting Parisian pairing with every chance of the genuine success that they both seemingly deserve.

Pride?

2010-05-11T13:00:00.002+01:00

Sometimes, I feel very proud to be English. Other times, I hold my head in disbelief and disappointment.

I was on the tube the other day, sat in a relatively full carriage on the District Line as it made progress towards East London. Suddenly, and without any provocation, a man with a wispy beard jumped to his feet and proceeded to vent his spleen on each of his fellow passengers.

“You are all boring” he shouted, “all you do is read books, or listen to earphones, …you are all boring!”. He then paused and looked around the carriage for a reaction. Nothing. “…with your drink, and your sex, you are all boring! With your parties and your dancing, you are all boring!”. Still absolutely no reaction. Then the train pulled up at its next stop and something quite magical happened. Each passenger, in a solid and silent response stood up, disembarked and then re-boarded the train via the adjoining carriages leaving the verbal abuser alone and slightly confused. With no audience, the man merely sat down, his aggression rapidly diffused into nothingness. No arguing, no verbal violence; just a swift and democratic response to a bad situation.

I just wish that our current political predicament could be handled equally as effectively and with as much dignity. However, I fear that this is going to be impossible. The tribes are now locking themselves away to exploit a fragile election result to seek party political advantage. What is clear is that we need two things to happen. Firstly, a new credible democratic system where parliament represents the will of the electorate, and second, a solution to deal with our frightening deficit. Now that we have a hung parliament, we need a new politics where the talents of each tribe are brought together in coalition to sort these two problems out. That should be our representative’s only immediate priority.

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Strange Boys

2010-05-01T10:35:00.009+01:00

I'm approaching a corner unable to see what lies around the next bend. I have checked my mirror, shifted down to second, and indicated right. I slow down and grip the wheel tightly. I know that this is the right way, but I am unsure about what lurches in the unseen. I guess that despite all of the best preparation, we can never be sure about what exactly is going to happen.

It is with thoughts of driving and an up and coming road trip that I began to contemplate the task of compiling a vast play list, a process that has enabled me to rediscover a band whose first album, "The Strange Boys And Girls Club" has become a bit of garage rock classic.

The superbly named "Strange Boys" are now back with a fresh faced progression from this first offering in the form of a new album, "Be Brave". This is definitely a step away from what was undeniably a boisterous debut. Gone is the fantastically raucous monopoly, and in is a more measured and influenced collection of songs. The jangling surf guitars and Ryan Sambol's raspy drawls are still prominent, but they are permeated with a Dylanesque country blues influence and a confidence to occasionally slow things down. I think this works.

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Caribou

2010-04-24T09:29:00.007+01:00

Regularly, I feel like I am traveling in a different direction to everyone else. I'm not sure where I got lost, but for some reason my life just appears to be progressing along an overgrown and forgotten path that has no clear destination. I can hear a heavily congested trunk road in the distance. I can smell it's fumes and feel it's anger resonating beneath my feet, but I have no idea how to reach it, and no idea whether reaching it is actually something that I want to do.

As I sit and contemplate my geographical failings, early on a Saturday morning in a very sunny London, I put the new Caribou album on my stereo.

Caribou aka Dan Snaith is an intellectual with a mathematical mind who has produced a string of albums, each distinct, each experimental in intention and each a resounding success. Swim is his latest offering, and true to form I can confirm that it is far from being a disappointment.

Snaith has plotted his now predictable course into previously uncharted waters. The result is a dense album, full to the brim with ideas that must have been obsessively tweaked and enhanced over a long period of time.

In a nutshell, Swim is undoubtedly a fluid electronic journey that is sure to flood many late night after parties and breezy early mornings with a wash of brain massaging texture and sound. To put it simply, this album is a complete joy.

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UK General Election May 2010

2010-04-21T18:15:00.008+01:00

So reluctantly, it appears like people are beginning to feel engaged with an election which has promised so little to so many. Mistrust and apathy are slowly being replaced by a tentative desire for unlikely change. The result, inevitably, is going to be disappointment because our system has been orchestrated to enable two historical parties to keep their hands on power for over 60 years. However, we do have the faintest of chances for an alternative as there is another historical party that has the potential to return to the forefront of debate after 70 years in the political wilderness.

Whilst none of the parties offer anything remotely close to the charismatic and competent leadership that we all crave, we do at least have the prospect of something (ever so slightly) different. The question now surrounds whether the electorate is bold enough to give this tiniest glimmer of change the benefit of the doubt. If they don’t then I fear that the new type of politics that we all deserve will remain a fantasy.

A vote for change (even a little bit of change) is required in May if we are going to have any chance of eventually having a system where the many rather then the few can influence an out of touch political system. I just hope that enough people have the bravery to take this first step to make eventual change a realistic possibility.

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Esther Bubley Photography

2010-04-16T15:51:00.010+01:00

It was a great man who once said that wise is he who knows that he knows nothing. Well I know that that I know nothing, but I can not for a single second consider myself to be within the vicinity of wisdom. Maybe I'm just a anomaly. More likely, I am just missing the point... the acceptance that you can learn a lesson from the most unlikely of teachers is something I forget far too regularly.

Talking of intellect and great minds. I stumbled upon these images of the late and very great Mr Albert Einstein this afternoon. They were taken by the multi-award-winning photojournalist Esther Bubley for LIFE magazine in 1953. These images spoke to me for 2 reasons. Firstly, because Einstein was notorious for his hatred of photographers (a reason that explains why there are so few images of him), and secondly, because they show this most famous of geniuses as a man; frail and human. This is not a side of him that I had seen.

To see more of Esther Bubley's work: Click Here.

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Eddy Current Suppression Ring

2010-03-31T10:44:00.012+01:00

I could feel it approaching. The sneezes getting closer and closer. The red noses and bloodshot eyes slowly coming into focus. There was little that I could do but sit tight and brace myself for the inevitable bombardment of germs and disease. Like dominoes my colleagues have been falling ill. Nothing too serious, just an intense bought of heavy sneezing and relentless nasal dripping. Predictably, I have followed suite, and now as a result I am sat at home, ill, grumpy and with nothing to do but seek out some new music on the interweb.

By far the most interesting band that I have found are the Eddy Current Suppression Ring, who formed back in 2003. Their latest release here in England is the particularly impressive Rush To Relax (March 2010), which has been brought to us via the Melodic / IODA label. Musically, there is a definite Anglo 70's punk influence to this band with comparisons to The Troggs, The Buzzcocks and the Sex Pistols inevitable.

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Jim Marshall Photography

2010-03-28T12:57:00.001+01:00

One of the greats of music photography died this week aged 74. That man was Jim Marshall.

Born in 1936 in Chicago, Jim (or James) Marshall started documenting bands in and around San Francisco whilst still in high school. His first major break as an artist is difficult to pinpoint, however the access that he achieved throughout his career enabled him to take some of the most iconic images of the 20th century.

Marshall will most likely be remembered for his photographs of The Beatles and his documentation of the original Woodstock festival. However, for me his capture of Jimi Hendrix's guitar burning exploits in Monterey and his timeless capture of Johnny Cash's one finger salute will remain highlights of a fine and distinguished career.

Jim Marshall 1936—March 24, 2010

Record Club

2010-03-25T20:01:00.002Z

What a great idea. Record Club. A meeting of musical minds who congregate to record a classic album of their choice in a single day. Nothing is rehearsed in advance so each musical collective are challenged to interpret and arrange the music on site, together and in one go.

New tracks are published on the Record Club website once a week and can be accessed here: http://www.beck.com/recordclub

The latest installment features both Beck and (the always entertaining) The Liars who got together to record INXS's commercially successful album 'Kick'.

This is a big file and may take a little time to download.

Record Club: INXS "Guns In The Sky" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Robert Harrison Photography

2010-03-25T14:04:00.016Z

I have long been a fan of DIY photography. As a result it is with a smirk that I appreciate how DIY images can often replicated the high budget photography visible in much established media. It really does seem that an inspired and tenacious mind can indeed compensate for the constraints of a modest purse. This makes me very happy.

There is no better example of this then in the work of Robert Harrison, an English photographer who through his 'Icarus Project' has managed to send a cheap point and click camera out to the very edge of our atmosphere with the aid of nothing but a weather balloon .

The resulting images are spectacular, especially considering the quality of the hardware used to capture them. They are also generating much head scratching, as well funded institutions like NASA publicly attempt to understand Harrison's method.

To see more of these images: Click Here.

Silver Columns

2010-03-20T11:10:00.012Z

It was with a genuine tear in the eye that I rode past a fire bellowing from a tall building in East London yesterday.

A powerless elderly couple looked on in horror as their modest home was engulfed in a violent rage of flame and smoke. I could see them beckoning for assistance, but there was nothing anyone could do. Everything they owned was being destroyed behind a thick halo of impenetrable heat.

Eventually, a fire engine emerged, but it was too late. I now can't get the image of flailing desperation and horror out of my mind. It's just such a tragedy that objects, photographs and memories accumulated over a vast life have been so swiftly and abruptly wiped out. It really puts any personal sense of depression into perspective. So today, as a consequence I will try to concentrate on happy thoughts and happy people.

One artist that has always come across as thoroughly content and incredibly happy is Adem Ilhan, a musician that I have followed for many years now. Ever since his early days in the post-rock band 'Fridge' and through his solo career as folk singer and multi-instrumentalist (previous review - link) Adem has always come across as an artist that has liberated himself from the cliche of the tortured soul. I have always respected him for this.

Adem's newest musical endeavour is with Johnny Lynch in the synth inspired electro-pop band 'Silver Columns'. Born out of a manufactured ambiguity, this band initiated all kinds of muso speculation as to the identity of its members. Some it seems believed that Jimmy Somerville had reformed Bronski Beat, others hoped that Erasure were back to their innovative and creative best. Of course in reality neither assertion was true.

All of this illustrates the type of music that Lynch and Ilhan have created; bold, catchy and at a complete right angle to the musical journey that both artists have taken to date. I like it a lot.

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Chris Friel Photography

2010-03-14T12:55:00.006Z

I just stumbled across this work and was very impressed.

To see more: www.chrisfriel.co.uk

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Mathew Sawyer and the Ghosts

2010-03-12T11:28:00.020Z

It was with a tremble of expectation this week that I listened to the new Mathew Sawyer and the Ghosts album 'How Snakes Eat'. I have long been a fan of 'In Birds Blood' and was fearful that the all too common 'second album syndrome', would strike with a thwack of disappointment. I needn't have worried. 'How Snakes Eat' is a wonderfully cohesive recording that delivers all of the dark and haunting melody that In Birds Blood introduced so expertly.

Image By Paul:

After thinking about it, this more focused second album is probably inevitable. This is because the first album for many artists represents a collection of best material to date. By contrast the second recording is normally the consequence of a focused effort to conceive and capture something from scratch and in a fraction of the time. The result for many artists is failure, so it is real testament to Mathew Sawyer's ability as a song writer that this recording is such a success.

To listen to Mathew Sawyer: Click Here.

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Foals

2010-03-02T18:29:00.002Z

One band that has really got the juices flowing over the last few years has been Foals. Imaginative, textured guitars underpinned by a powerful and genuinely innovative rhythm section have combined with a vocal that Robert Smith would have been proud to call his own. This is British guitar music at it's best, and for this reason this band was pronounced as this blogs band of the year a few years back.

They will soon be back with a new album, which promises a slight deviation from earlier “sweep the leg johnny” inspired material. With a cleaner vocal and some top drawer production this latest recording promises to illustrate a coming of age for a band that is quite simply dripping with potential.

As a taster, here is their latest video for Spanish Sahara.

Erland and the Carnival

2010-02-26T12:20:00.009Z

Sometimes I ask myself why I spend at least 30 minutes every week writing this blog. To be honest, I don’t fully understand the compulsion, but what I do know is that it helps me keep a record of the music and photography that I admire. It also helps me to assemble some order for the thoughts that would otherwise waft aimlessly in my brain.

Whatever the explanation, it is always pleasure when something that I have written or photographed finds an audience. Most recently this has happened with an image that I took of ‘Erland and the Carnival’.

Whilst waiting to watch She Keeps Bee’s, I had a single frame left on a role of film, which I was provoked to use by an unexpectedly entertaining performance by Simon Tong’s latest musical collaboration. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the image myself, and so consigned it to depths of my flickr account. However, following a small amount of unprovoked praise, I decided to post it here along with a brief introduction to the band.

There is a lot to like about ‘Erland and the Carnival’. Firstly, there is a musical pedigree which rather impressively links members of this band to established musical giants like The Verve, Blur, The Cult and perhaps surprisingly, The Orb. Secondly, they are a band that has successfully managed that most difficult of balances; engaging melody that is neither insipid nor sickly. This is an impressive achievement, especially when it is considered alongside their intelligent appreciation for traditional folk music, something which they have successfully repackaged for modern audiences.

In short, Erland and the Carnival provide an infectious and satisfying musical journey, which by the sounds of things, is generating a genuine swell of interest. I wish them well with this.

Michael Yonkers & The Blind Shake

2010-02-18T17:50:00.010Z

It appears that the old cliché that life is what happens whilst you are busy making plans is entirely true. This is beginning to bother me, so I intend to break this predictable consequence of modern urban living as soon as it is possible to do so.

I honestly can’t understand why the modern city lifestyle of the ‘young’ professional has been so feverishly embraced. I’m even less sure why I have lapped it up so enthusiastically. It monopolises so much time and energy whilst offering little tangible reward or sense of fulfillment. Neither the short bursts of freedom in the form of 2 week holidays, nor the accumulation of poorly constructed expensive objects to fill small poorly constructed apartments, really justify all this effort and emotion. With thousands of young people unable to afford to purchase a home, even after earning a decent salary and doing everything that was expected of them (school, job etc), I think that the time has come to ask a simple question. What is the point? This lifestyle is not liberated, it’s constrained. This salary is not wealth, it’s a loan that will be snatched back in the form of advert inspired needless expenditure. This can’t be all that life has to offer…

It is from within my current predicament that I write this introduction to the consistently inventive Micheal Yonkers, a veteran noisemaker whose collaboration with The Blind Shake on the album ‘Cold Town, Soft Zodiac’ has been a welcome distraction over the last 7 days. ‘Cold Town, Soft Zodiac’ is a powerful 28 minute expression that falls snuggly onto two distinct halves, where each collaborator takes a lead. On both the fuzzy signature of The Blind Shake is a powerful and disorientating influence that progressively increases to total dominance. In parallel Yonkers joyously unhinged vocal is a complete pleasure, which decreases in contribution as the album progresses. The result is a surprisingly cohesive recording that is a screeching testament to Minneapolis. It will also inevitably draw comparisons to fellow garage rockers The Black Lips. In short, i like this album a lot.

Jason Bajada

2010-02-08T18:37:00.012Z

Despite every good intention, I went out for one of those quick drinks that randomly spirals into something altogether more elongated last week.

After a genuinely intended quiet tipple in the always entertaining and consistently random Hope & Anchor (Islington), I went to a Jason Bajada gig and then indulged in some heavy consumption and light conversation in deepest darkest Highbury (North London).

En route to my eventual oblivion, I managed to take a single photograph of an emotional and heartfelt performance by Mr. Bajada, through a hazy rum induced cloud that increasingly consumed my eyes throughout the course of the evening. I would be lying if I claimed that I remembered the detail of this gig, however I do remember being impressed by the melodious sincerity of what was being performed.

Image By Paul. For more: Click Here.

Dogtown and Z-Boys Photography

2010-02-02T16:35:00.004Z

I finally got round to watching the Dogtown and Z-Boys documentary last night. I know that this is not a new film, and I assume that the story that it portrays has been exaggerated through the passage of time, but you can not argue with the quality of the photography that it presents. Considering when many of these images were taken, I am amazed that they have not been more tightly embraced for their collective artistic merit. This is genuinely innovative image capture that relied upon none of the ‘shock and awe’ photography and post production tricks that define the modern day DSLR. As a consequence the appeal of these textured, sun drenched captures of movement and grace is timeless.

These are photographs that have doubtlessly contributed to the aesthetic of much alternative popular culture, and from a purely photographic perspective I can’t help but be impressed by them.

Memory Tapes

2010-01-28T18:19:00.013Z

In a week where many have speculated about how Tony Blair is going to attempt to defend the inexcusable in front of the Chilcot inquiry, I have been thinking about how the past for most, is an unwittingly creative construction. Without anyone or anything to verify the truth, it appears that human memory has a tendency toward convenient and flattering reconstructions. This can be manifested in hilarious or entertaining anecdotes, which after being exaggerated or reconstructed to benefit their effectiveness, contribute to an ever evolving, rather then static perception of the past.

This phenomenon can be seen in the human perception of musical history; where each trend, movement or style (however lame), appears to be fair game for recreation in some over-hyped tin-box modern day documentary. Admittedly, sometimes these documentaries are perfectly justified, as some stories deserve to be told. However, sometimes I just wish that I knew what was true and what was exhagerated when I sat through them.

So it is with thoughts of memory and perception that I lead myself conveniently, to ponder the music of Memory Tapes, a band who I arrive at late and slightly confused due to various guises of its Jersey based front man Dayve Hawk (e.g. Weird Tapes, Memory Cassette and Hail Social). Regardless, it is with a small smile and a tapping foot that I have been enjoying ‘Seek Magic’, the Memory Tapes first album to be released in the UK on the ‘Sincerely Yours’ label. This is electronic driven music which, like both Cut Copy and Deastro, has managed to create a synthesized pop sound that is both familiar and fresh simultaneously. It is also really rather good, and during a week where I have had to get my head down and work, it has kept me company, soothing my aching brain and inspiring my enthusiasm for a weekend that always appears to be too far away.

Jay Reatard

2010-01-20T17:43:00.011Z

In the world of music and art, death is rarely the conclusion that it initially appears to be. Indeed, death itself can be the very catalyst that exposes us to an artist’s creative endeavour. Why this is, is open to debate. However, the long list of artists who provoked the pinnacle of their appeal posthumously, is not. I think that this has something to do with the conditioned respect that many of us have for the deceased and the fleeting transitory tolerance that we tend to lend the living. I’m not sure why this is, but unless a person has done something inexcusable in life, humans appear to want to remember them fondly in death. Maybe this is because, deep down, we are all frightened about our own legacy.

Regularly this fondness is justified, and with this in mind, I decided to listen to the work of Jay Reatard, who sadly died last week, aged 29. Jay Reatard, aka Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr. was a solo artist (formally of the ‘The Reatards’ and ‘Lost Sound’) who was signed to Matador Records. He came from Memphis (Tennessee); however his main musical influence appears to stem from the punk reinvention on the tea drinking side of the Atlantic in the mid 1970’s. This isn’t to say that his music is chaotic or amateurish, in fact far from it. There is a real appreciation for the craft of proper song writing here. It’s just that Reatard has embraced the joint virtues of energy and brevity to create short, fast and pumping tracks that hit you right between the eyes. I like this a lot.

If you want a starting point try: Blood Visions

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Girls

2010-01-11T13:38:00.006Z

We are nothing but the sum total of our experiences. It’s an obvious point, but one which is regularly forgotten. Everything that happens to us influences who we become, what we create and the way that we live our lives. It is with this in mind that I write this review of ‘Girls’, the band presented by this Blog as the top musical tip for this year (link).

‘Girls’ is a band consisting of 4 musicians; Chet "JR" White, John Anderson, Garett Godard and Christopher Owens. It was conceived out of the hazy, pill popping exploits of White and Owens in sun-drenched San Francisco, and it now stands as a dizzying tribute to a hedonistic Californian lifestyle that is sure to capture the imagination of many in 2010. This back-story is made all the more compelling when considering against the specific context of Owens’ own personal journey. From childhood tragedy, an escape from the ‘Children of God’ cult and a fortuitous friendship with a powerful millionaire, it is a tale of creative triumph. It is also a tale that must have influenced his musical sensibilities and ultimately the creative foundations of this very good band.

Girls's music straddles several complimentary genre’s, with obvious influences coming from both Elvis Costello and the Beach Boys. Raw jangly guitars collide with traditional rock-and-roll and alternative rock music to create a sound that is deeply and unapologetically Californian. It conjures images of sun flare and inebriation, and for me now, sat amidst a particularly grey and miserable London winter, this is just the antidote that I need.

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Artists To Watch: 2010

2010-01-04T14:17:00.027Z

Reality arrived with a vengeance this morning. I woke up, admittedly a good 30 minutes later then I should have done, and broke the land speed record for showering, dressing and running for the bus. I then sat on London’s slowest tube train, which snailed reluctantly through this vast city en route to work. A good hour later, I finally arrived. Late, sweaty, and overshadowed by an intimidating pile of dull work. This was the point when my holiday officially ended. It was also the point where 2010 officially began…

So what have we got to look forward to this year?

Well in my humble opinion, I think that a few bands will make a break through over the next 12 months:

First off we have Girls, who are probably the best band to come out of San Francisco since the Two Gallants. They sound like a cross between the Wannadies and Spiritualised; textured, catchy and slightly stoned. Judging from the buzz that they have generated in the US over the past few months, it is only a matter of time before they make an impact here in the UK.

Already placed on the official BBC ‘Sound of 2010’ list, 'The Drums' boast what they call a ‘selfish’ sound. To be honest, I’m not sure that they actually mean selfish, but rather ‘uncompromised’ or ‘liberated’, for this is music that is consciously trying to distinguish itself from contemporary trends. Either way, the Drums Florida inspired sound is bold, uplifting and will quite probably be one of the soundtracks for summer 2010.

Another hot tip is Real Estate, a band with a sound that can boast a shared heritage with fellow New Jersians’ Yo La Tango and the Feelies. They remind me of the best bits of the Shins and Galaxy 500, and this is reason enough for me to think that the next 12 months could be very fruitful for them.

Then there is Mathew Sawyer (and the Ghosts). His 2008 debut 'Blue Birds Blood' has been a long held favourite of mine, which deserved far more press attention then it received. His follow up, when it is finally released, promises to be even better. (Previous Review)

Finally, we have Trailer Trash Tracy's, a reverberated noise pop band already reviewed (link) on this blog and already touted by Londons XFM radio station as a band to watch for 2010.

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2009: A Year in Review

2009-12-31T11:36:00.008Z

It’s 5pm on New Years Eve and, in typically reluctant fashion I am sat in my pyjama’s attempting to muster enough energy to go out and enjoy the passing of yet another year.

I have exactly 2 hours before I am expected to engage and be sociable. This is just enough time for me to write up a quick guide to the top albums that I listened to in 2009.

So here goes...

Guitar Type Stuff:

The relevance of the guitar has been maintained yet again this year with a long list of fantastic bands producing some jaw dropping music. So with that in mind here are my top 5 guitar based albums of 2009.

1. She Keeps Bees - Nests (review)
2. The Horrors – Primary Colours (review)
3. The Antlers - Hospice (review)
4. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
5. Woods – Songs of Shame (review)

All 5 of these albums have got the juices flowing, but the real pick of the bunch has been She Keeps Bees, who with ‘Nests’ have delivered a raw and powerful expression of guitar and drumming. Honestly, this is a fantastic album by a band that must surely break through in 2010.

Other bands (and artists) that came very close to this list are; Imaad Wasif, The Crystal Antlers, So Cow, The Local Natives, Let’s Wrestle, Kurt Vile and Girls, all of whom delivered albums that were dripping with worth.

Electro & Experimental Stuff:

Electronic and experimental music has been particularly strong in 2009 as 2008’s 1980’s inspired electro revival continued unabated and alongside some of the best toe tapping music that I have heard in years. Here is my top 5:

1. The xx – xx (review)
2. The Invisible – The Visible
3. Tune-Yards – Bird Brains (review)
4. Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport
5. The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die

With an explosive return to form for the Prodigy, an expertly navigated 2nd album from the Fuck Buttons and a beautifully angular debut from Tune Yards, the competition for this top slot was fierce. However, after much thought (well a good 15 minutes at least) I think that the xx’s debut deserves to pip the Mercury nominated east Londoners ‘The Invisible’ to the prize.

Folky and Acoustic Stuff:

Again, a really tough call this, but Blue Roses self titled debut has been the stand out Folk album for me in 2010. This is closely followed by ‘Mumford and Sons’ who finally released their delightful debut album towards the end of the year. Other standout albums come from the ‘Tallest Man On Earth’, ListenListen and the ever consistent Jeffrey Lewis.

1. Blue Roses – Blue Roses (review)
2. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
3. Tallest Man On Earth – Shallow Grave (review)
4. ListenListen - Hymns From Rhodesia (review)
5. Jeffrey Lewis – Em Are I (review)

All pictures by Paul. For more: www.paulnewton.me

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Allo Darlin

2009-12-16T15:09:00.005Z

Image By Paul

I’m not sure what it is, but there is something about the cheerful joy expressed by some performing musicians, that I really like. One great example of this can be found on the face of the ‘golden maned’ bassist of the ukulele-led pop band ‘Allo Darlin’. He is a tall bearded fella, with a broad Cheshire grin that proved infectious for a small friendly crowd who gathered on Hanbury Street in east London to celebrate the onset of Christmas last week.

Allo Darlin themselves are a band that has obviously been inspired by both Kimya Dawson and Herman Dune, with sincere child-like lyrics and simple but effective chord progressions that unleash a warm and sentimental glow. They are also a band which, whilst fronted by the charismatic singer/ukulele player Elizabeth Morris, can boast a Belle and Sebastian vocal that promises a vast amount of potential.

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Imaad Wasif

2009-12-11T12:55:00.020Z

After I first listened to Imaad Wasif’s 3rd album ‘The Voidist’ (my first exposure to this artist), I was immediately surprised and simultaneously embarrassed. This is because, based entirely on his name, I had wrongly pre-judged his music as yet another 'World Music' fad. It's not as if I have any problem with music conceived in foreign lands (in fact far from it). It's just that the "World Music" tag, its associated industry, and its sometimes pompous following, all have a tendency to leave me very cold.

That being said, I still feel ashamed. To assume a musical style purely on the name of an artist is narrow minded and lazy, and I am immediately humbled by this realisation. In reality the Viodist is an album that illustrates the porous nature of modern culture. It illustrates that our heritage is merely a contribution to, and not a definition of who we are and what we do. I’m not sure why, but I had temporarily forgotten that.

Wasif himself is a Canadian, although his music is deeply rooted in Americana. Progressive rock and an almost psychedelic appreciation for modern folk music combine to provoke a sound that is quintessentially Californian in its style an execution. That being said, other prominent influences do appear upon closer inspection; Sid Barrett, Jeff Buckley and even (I am probably on my own with this comparison) the Turin Breaks can all be heard, which is surprising, especially considereing that to date Wasif is probably most famous for lending his guitar playing prowess to the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s on their Show Your Bones album. With that in mind it is fair to say that The Voidist is certainly a successful break from the past. It is also an album that (for me at least) stands up and should be recognised as the powerful and intelligent recording that it is.

Tune-Yards

2009-12-03T15:05:00.017Z

Some friends of mine opened a shop that sells ukulele’s a few years ago (link), and ever since then I have developed a soft spot for these small but versatile instruments and the people who play them.

A good example of contemporary ukulele playing can be found on Bird-Brains, the recently released debut album by Merrill Garbus aka ‘Tune-Yards’. This recording has a wonderful under-produced sound that utilizes the thin and uncomfortable tone of Garbus’s ukulele and the range of her genuinely unique vocal. These tracks remind me of both Juana Molina’s layers and the texture and the percussiveness perfected by the Dirty Projectors. In short, this is a very good album and a perfect example of the continued relevance of this small 4 stringed guitar shaped instument.

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Local Natives

2009-11-30T19:25:00.019Z

I’m not sure what’s worse; sitting in a mind numbing office staring longingly at the rays of glorious sunshine that illuminate the streets outside, or sitting in my apartment, watching my limited free time get washed into London’s Victorian guttering system courtesy of a relentless heavy rainstorm. Both situations suck horribly and both appear to have defined my life over the last 3 weeks.

I certainly need something to lift my mood...

... and nestled deep in my 'to listen to when you have nothing else to do' download list I think I have just the album for the job. This is Gorilla Manor by a Southern Californian band called ‘The Local Natives’.

Now, Imagine if Yeasayer and the Fleet Foxes jumped into bed together, and through some sweaty and bizarre twist of biology they managed to conceive a new 5 piece band that was then brought up by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Well, that band would, in all likelihood be the Local Natives. This is percussion led pop music that has a soul and I like it a lot.

Pixies

2009-11-10T10:29:00.005Z

Reunions. I have been to two recently. Both distinctive. One immensely entertaining, the other a little depressing.

An old friend of mine returned from self-imposed exile in Australia this week, and by way of celebration, he organised a reunion with a small gathering of school friends. Whilst it is always fascinating to catch up with people who no longer feature prominently in my life, this experience also represented a stark and depressing reminder about the fragility of friendship. Like many, school for me did not represent an entirely happy experience, and as a consequence I have spent many years distancing myself from the memory. This was never a reaction to individual personalities, as many of my old friends were and indeed still appear to be very pleasant people. However, following our prolonged separation they have become strangers to me, and as such their lives have become as bemusing to me as mine must have become to them.

Towards the end of my time at school, I fell in love with the music of the Pixies, a band who have since kept me company as I have made my rapid escape from both my hometown and the life of my adolescence. Through university, on to my Masters and repeatedly through my career, the Pixies have provided the one soundtrack that has remained a solid and reliable source of joy and pleasure.

The significance of the Pixies can not be overstated. They are a band who almost single handedly invented modern independent rock music and yet, prior to their reforming, their legacy had almost totally been obscured by the many musicians who have replicated their sound. Thankfully however, now, after many years of comparative anonymity the time is finally theirs.

It was therefore, a moment of immense satisfaction when I finally got to see the Pixies play Doolittle live from start-to-end in London a few weeks ago. It was proof that reunions can be joyous, as songs that are now almost 20years old were performed with a confidence and passion that hypnotised a vast and appreciative audience. I honestly can’t remember the last time that I had this much fun.

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The Big Pink

2009-11-01T18:25:00.009Z

I am going to try to not mention My Bloody Valentine in this review as I am conscious of the fact that they are rapidly becoming a regularly cited point of reference on this here blog. Like my father before me, who did (and actually still does) infuriate me by comparing everything that I have ever listened to, to Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of Moon’, I am fast becoming a man of predictable taste. This is a worrying development. What is it about the aging process that shrinks our points of reference? Surely they should expand as we age and widen with our spheres of our experience, but alas no.

And so onto ‘The Big Pink’ and their recently released debut album…’A Brief History of Love’. Upon first listen this album appears to have been created for consumption on vinyl. This is because it’s first and second halves share little apart from a consistent vocal, and so could sit snuggly on two separate sides of a traditional 12inch LP. A fact lost, if like me, you consume your music in the sterile digital world. This observation isn't really a criticism, but rather a genuine reaction to suprise. In my mind, the Big Pink's reverbed and varied pop-inspired catchiness should actually be applauded, because it has produced a strong and deeply listenable album.

Blue Roses

2009-10-11T18:25:00.004+01:00

Here are some live shots that I took of Blue Roses a few weeks back. For more: Click Here.

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ListenListen

2009-10-07T18:22:00.017+01:00

The use of popular song to enhance a cinematic sequence is a well tested and proven directorial strategy. It has improved countless movies and has intertwined music and film into a single almost indistinguishable art form. Despite this, the practice of drawing from popular song in cinematic endeavour is something that is regularly criticised. This is a logical perspective that questions the artistic credibility of using a composers’ creation out of context, and in a way for which it was never intended. However, it is also a perspective that I disagree with.

Some of the best music that I have ever heard has evoked an image in my mind. It has captured my imagination, in the same way as a good piece of literature. This is one of the reasons why I love music so much. It works with each member of its audience to concoct a unique and deeply personal listening experience. Indeed, for me at least, it is fair to say that the process of listening to music is at least partially visual.

The last band whose music has generated a strong image in my mind was listenlisten, a rustic Houston-based trio who, with their second album “Hymns From Rhodesia” have produced something ghoulishly beautiful. The most obvious point of comparison for these guys is 16 Horsepower, whose dark themes and sinister banjo plucking must have been an influence. Another one must have been Micah P Hinson, whose pace and emotional approach appear to have been plucked from the same black and twisted tree. Rollingstone have compared this band to Neutral Milk Hotel and Will Oldham, however I am not sure if I totally agree with this. For me, the best description of ‘Hymns From Rhodesia’ comes from the image that it has generated in my head…

…a farmer stands in his work clothes, staring blankly. A cold wind sweeps across his worn and wrinkled face. His wife stands by his side, equally motionless. She is wearing an apron that has been slightly muddied. A lock of her long curly hair has escaped her ponytail and is flapping in front of her. Beside her stand two young children, a boy and a girl. She has an arm around each of them as they press themselves tightly against her long dress. A baron and exposed field stretches out away from their feet. On the other side of this are the tall flames of a fire that has engulfed their home. It flickers aggressively in the afternoon wind and stands out in violent contrast to the dark overcast sky that hangs passively overhead…

nuff said.

For more info about this band: Click Here

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Trailer Trash Tracys

2009-09-24T17:22:00.006+01:00

I need to come clean. I like My Bloody Valentine. I like them a lot. I have also liked many of the pretenders to their “shoe-gazing” crown. Be it the echoey aesthetic, the intense distortion and reverb, or the immaculate layers of texture and melody, there is a lot to love about their music, and love it I have, for many many years.

Recently there has been a revival in the type of music that they produced so successfully in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, most predominantly in America. Bands like the Crystal Stilts and Blank Dogs (both already reviewed on this blog) have helped to keep this sub genre of guitar music relevant, and by doing so, they have reignited the spirit of My Bloody Valentine, the Velvet Underground and the Jesus and Mary Chain for a whole new generation. This is definitely not a bad thing.

Photo By Paul. For More Click Here

Another band that has the potential to contribute to this resurgence are the ‘Trailer Trash Tracy’s’, a fresh London based trio with only 1 double sided single so far released through the ‘No Pain In Pop’ label. This is reverberated noise pop, led from the front by Susanne Aztoria on vocals, and ably supported by Jimmy Lee (guitar) and Dayo James (drums). I have only heard 3 songs so far, and I have been impressed with each.

In short, this is simple, dark guitar music underpinned by clean, sturdy percussion and a soft ethereal vocal. I like it a lot.

For more info about this band: Click Here

The xx

2009-09-15T22:40:00.012+01:00

I’m stood very close to the stage in the black shoebox that is the Camden Barfly. I’m watching the new darlings of the music press ‘The xx’ who are about to recreate their addictive debut album for a hot, sweaty and appreciative crowd, live on London’s XFM (radio). Beside me is an interesting combination, which is a testament to the wide appeal of this very good band. A couple, probably in their early 40’s, are embraced in a complicated backward hug as they stare excitedly at the stage. The male is a towering, shaved headed specimen of a cockney. His wife is a dark-haired woman, shorter, not quite as stocky, and heavily made-up. Between them and myself stand a collection of painfully fashionable young woman, all probably in their early 20’s, each wearing this weeks must have ironic youth uniform. Honestly, these girls are so cool that it actually looks like they are in pain.

Photograph By Paul. For more: Click Here

We are all staring at the stage, held in a trance by the end of “The xx’s” performance of “Intro”, the instrumental opener to both their album and this set. This track is a perfect introduction to the post-rock, post-punk and slow-paced electronica that that this band has combined so successfully. Now, in this small venue, it is performed casually but expertly, with little movement or enthusiasm. It appears that “The xx” are a very serious outfit, and nothing is going to undermine their focus.

Initially there is little visible crowd response. However, after a couple of songs and with the introduction of some vocals, things begin, hesitantly, to warm up. Early static stares begin to be replaced by nodding heads, which in turn inspire swaying bodies. Soon lips that were pursed are replaced by mouths that are openly singing along with what is heard. It appears that I am in a room full to the brim with people who are in love this with this material, and I have to admit that their enthusiasm is infectious.

I like this band a lot. To find out more about them: Click Here.

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The Antlers

2009-09-05T21:52:00.007+01:00

Here is a shot that I took of the quite magical 'Antlers' this week in London.

To read a previous review of this band: Click Here.

Where Are Our Leaders?

2009-09-04T16:18:00.007+01:00

So the BNP are being touted as potential panalists on the BBC’s Question Time, and now I find myself disagreeing with an untypically apprehensive media machine. We are a country that so desperately needs plausible and inspiring leadership, and once again it looks like this is going to be denied by established politicians who appear to be running scared. Westminster is supposed to represent our very best. It is supposed to provide a platform for our most persuasive leaders. It is supposed to represent all members of our swelling and fractured national community. Increasingly it is failing to fulfill its purpose, and this scares me. The BNP need to be confronted, not ignored. Their arguments need to be tackled head on by able and persuasive representatives of decency. Westminster needs to reach out to the growing proportion of British society that it has alienated. It needs to inspire these people not to turn to hatred and two dimensional politics.

My view is that the major political parties have an obligation to engage the BNP in debate, and they have an obligation to expose the hatred that the BNP has sugar coated in recent elections. I hope I am wrong, but I fear that this will not happen. I fear that once again it will be left to the limited power of musicians, satirists and journalists to stand up and fight when our leaders have once again let us down.

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Forest Fire

2009-09-03T18:14:00.001+01:00

I’m not sure when it happened, but I appear to have passed over a threshold. As each year has passed, so my tolerance for the aggressive opinions of the culturally detached has evaporated. When once I had an open (if reluctant) ear to the opinions afforded by people with bad Britpop haircuts and strong narrow opinions, I am now unable to muster the faintest of sympathy for them. Honestly, there is nothing more boring then an aging muso’ whose taste has not progressed beyond that of their comparative youth. The music of the past wasn’t better then it is now, it was just different. Yes, the incremental influence afforded by history is an important contribution to the future. However, how can anyone who claims to love music be reluctant to appreciate progress and evolution? Do they not understand that when your future ceases to be more exciting then the past, you are officially old?

Sorry about that, I’m climbing down off soap box now. I bumped into someone recently who really frustrated me and I needed to get this out of my system. Moving on…

A new band that I discovered this week are a quite majestic quartet called Forest Fire, a New York based “Folk Punk” (yes that was a new one on me too) band led by the bespectacled mustachio that is Mark Thresher. Many have compared this band to The Velvet Underground, and more specifically to Lou Reed. I’m not sure that I agree with this. For me, the connection with ‘The Castanets’ provides a truer comparison (Nathan Delffs has appeared for both bands). In short, this is expansive balled-led indie-rock that is built upon tense captivating harmonies. I like it a lot.

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Rick Tomlinson

2009-08-21T11:05:00.011+01:00

Apologies for the gap between posts…

For the last few weeks I have been sat face down, staring at a large pile of books and papers. Why? Well, in a painful and predictable bid to better myself, I have spent most of this month attempting to digest a large body of information for the sake of a certification. This experience has been a complete pain in the backside. It has consumed my every spare moment, and focused all my energy on squeezing nuggets of knowledge into the limited confines of my struggling mind.

Thankfully, this all came to a head on Monday, when I sat, tired and confused, in a sterile room on London’s embankment for a gruesome 4 hour exam. I can now proudly say that that experience is over, and with a sigh of anti-climax, I can accept that all I have to show for my efforts is a piece of paper that means little to anyone but myself. Still, it is good to learn.

Right, back to reality…

Image By Paul. For More: Click Here.

The last show that I went to prior to my self imposed isolation was in the warm and intimate setting of Café Oto, a venue in the once forgotten but increasingly popular district of Dalston.

The highlight of this show for me, was Rick Tomlinson, who was the former guitarist and driving force behind the ‘Voice Of The Seven Woods’, a psychedelic folk band that deserved to stir far more waves then they generated.

In this performance Tomlinson, as a seemingly quiet and unassuming solo artist, sat hunched and consumed. With a furrowed brow, he frantically worked a dark and powerful sound out of a simple acoustic guitar and a looping pedal. Honestly, anyone who has the faintest idea about playing the guitar couldn’t help but be impressed by this. Blues, folk and eastern flavour are all drawn upon to produce a psychedelic sound that David Gilmour would have been proud to call his own.

In short, this is the type of music that your dad probably likes. However, it is also really rather good.

The Horrors

2009-08-02T10:02:00.014+01:00

Here are a couple of shots that I took of The Horrors at Field Day in London's Victoria Park yesterday. For a Horrors review: Click Here.

Live shots by Paul. For more: Click Here.

Frightened Rabbit

2009-07-30T15:09:00.024+01:00

Now this might sound strange, but moping is actually something that I have become very good at. It requires a specific strategy, and without being too big headed, I think that I have mastered what is required to do it well. Here is a brief introduction to my approach…

A good mope requires you to stay at home for a period of isolation. This get’s you in the right mood. Once you are feeling suitably glum (which can take a day or so) you are then free to adopt the uniform; i.e. one oversized jumper that you have owned for many years, or if you’re in a warmer climate, a faded band t-shirt from the early 1990’s (I would recommend either a Sonic Youth or a Melvins t-shirt for this purpose). Once suitably attired, you will be ready to make provisions for food. Here I would heartily recommend frozen pizza and Maryland cookies (although take out curry, Doritos and Alpen could also work as potential substitutes). When your basic needs have been catered for, you will need to choose some movies. These should be numerous and light and should not provide any poignancy. They should also not be too funny as this will lift your mood. This is a very important point. Mindless comedies staring Seth Rogan are definitely a perfect start if you need any help with this. Once you have rented these films, then it is time to think about music. This decision is open to personal taste, but for me something that is melodic and emotional is a must, especially if it reminds you of a time when you were happier, or if it can boast some genuine tear jerking choruses.

This week, my moping soundtrack of choice was ‘Quietly Now! - Midnight Organ Fight Live And Acoustic At The Captain's Rest’ the recently released live and acoustic album by Scottish indie-rockers ‘Frightened Rabbit’.

I like this album for 2 main reasons. Firstly, ‘Frightened Rabbit’s songs appear to come alive in this stripped down live format, which is raw and genuinely powerful. Secondly, it provides emotive tales of passion and grit through dark and introspective narratives that are perfect for my current state of mind. This is perfect moping music.

Musically, a thick Scottish vocal will draw inevitable comparisons to The Twilight Sad and Sons and Daughters. However, for me vocal similarity is the only thing that really ties these bands together. Frightened Rabbit are an emotional indie-folk band whose edge is as much routed in the American musical tradition as it is in that of the UK. Either way, with ‘Quietly Now! - Midnight Organ Fight Live And Acoustic At The Captain's Rest’ they have produced a powerful and memorable album.

For more information about this band: Click Here.

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Paul Newton Website Update

2009-07-25T16:31:00.010+01:00

For anyone who is interested, I have updated my photo site. To view it please: Click Here.

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Blue Roses

2009-07-23T13:02:00.008+01:00

There was a time in my youth when I used to stride excitedly into my local record shop. This shop was a long thin space, cream and grey in colour and almost entirely covered with the musical offerings imposed by bland and predictable record companies. Deep in the bowel of this old dusty store sat a small selection of “alternative” offerings, almost hidden along its back wall. Here, every once in a while, you could find something truly wonderful; music that had been cast aside by shop staff unable or unwilling to recognise the significance of what they had discarded.

Back then buying a record was a real game of ‘Russian Roulette’, as limited funds placed a huge emphasis on each purchase. With little more to go on other then John Peel’s endorsements or a small number of column inches in the NME, I would try and find something new and worthy. I guess my motivation was to discover something for myself. I wanted to listen to something that hadn’t been tarnished by the pressures and limited taste of my peers. I wanted to find artists that hadn’t been thrust down my throat by an aggressive music industry preoccupied with profit.

This urge is still something that lives with me, this desire to seek out new and meaningful art for myself. Thankfully however, that search can now be performed without a depressing trudge into Peterborough’s town centre. I can sit either in my apartment or my office in London, and venture into the vastness of the internet and satisfy my yearning for art and music all from the comfort a small functional chair. This is truly a wonderful thing.

It was on one of my recent searches that I came across Blue Roses (aka Laura Groves), a quite magical folk singer from Yorkshire in Northern England. Her self-produced self titled debut was recently released on the XL label and has been on heavy rotation on my ipod ever since. Already compared quite flatteringly to Kate Bush, Joanna Newsom and Joni Mitchell, Groves deserves her new found artistic company. It illustrates the quality of her work and the strength of her potential.

Thematically, Groves is guided by personal introspection, romantic pain and a delicate sense of beauty. The result is a shimmering collection of songs sung with a quite startling voice.

For more info about this artist: Click Here.

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Alfred T. Palmer Photography

2009-07-21T14:13:00.019+01:00

This week I found a series of images taken at the Douglas Aircraft Company’s factory, which really caught my attention. These large-format Kodachromes were taken by Alfred T. Palmer in 1942, as a study for recruitment posters that were intended to bolster both the domestic labour force and support for America’s war effort. These images are undeniably beautiful, with rich deep colours and a profound eye for composition. However, upon closer investigation they are also quite sinister.

Some of these photographs could be described as glamorous statements of feminist intent, with attractive made-up woman performing industrial tasks traditionally associated with masculine endeavour. But all is not as it initially seems. It must be noted that these woman are building tools of war and destruction, and that their presence in this and many other factories at this time was an unavoidable temporary necessity rather then the forward feminist step that has been portrayed. It seems a real shame, especially considering the optimism that Palmer has captured, that these woman would eventually be cast aside by industry, especially considering their immense contribution to the war effort (100,000 of the Douglas Aircraft Company war workforce were sacked before the end of 1940’s).

Whatever the initial purpose of these images was, when they are isolated from context, they bring a vivid sense of colour to a period of history that was otherwise predominantly captured in monochrome. That fact combined with the immense skill that went into their production means that they are valid and important examples of colour portraiture. For this reason I like them a lot.

To see more of Alfred T. Palmer’s photography: Click Here.

Blank Dogs

2009-07-16T13:06:00.010+01:00

I have had quite a philosophical week this week. Over and above a perpetual crises of faith with regard to humanity, the world and my place in it, I have been confronted with the bewildering phenomenon of creation. This is because two very good friends of mine had a baby (together that is), which means that an entirely new human being has now joined the mystifying, complicated and emotional party that is life. I know it’s a cliché to marvel at the miracle of creation when a child is born. However, like most clichés this one is routed in an unavoidable truth. It really does take a cold heart to deny the profound beauty that surrounds such an important and joyous event.

This birth has got me thinking about questions of human significance and purpose, and it has straining my meager mind with philosophical conundrums that are well beyond my comprehension. One album that bears absolutely no relation to this event, but which has kept me company in this investigation is ‘Under And Under’ by the one man band ‘Blank Dogs’ (aka Mike Sniper).

Like the Crystal Stilts, Blank Dogs draws from a contemporary wave of dirge bands from the east coast of America. Both influenced by Manchester in the late 1970’s (Joy Division) and East Kilbride in the mid 1980’s (Jesus and Mary Chain), Blank Dogs is as much inspired by the past as it is the present. I like this. I also like the fact that the personality behind this music has chosen to liberate himself from recognition and the fleeting celebrity that comes with modern musical endeavour. Indeed, so apposed is Mr. Sniper to being recognized, that he masks his face when publicly acknowledging his work. Whether this is just a tongue-in-cheek gimmick, or a statement about the emptiness that surrounds the concept of celebrity, I don’t know. I guess you will have to make your own mind up about that.

Musically, Blank Dogs nestles in-between post-punk and new-wave, drawing from both but complying with neither. Pop possibilities are introduced through occasional electronica and a curious vocal that could have been sampled straight from a poor recording of Ian Curtis. However, these possibilities are regularly replaced by guitar sounds far more rooted in an American tradition of distortion and independent rock music. The result is an enjoyable genre defying tapestry of an album that is definitely worth a listen.

For more info about Blank Dogs: Click Here.

Keith Davis Young Photography

2009-07-10T10:33:00.021+01:00

I haven't written about photography for a little while, so it is definitely about time that I did.

Welcome to the work of Keith Davis Young, an 80's born Texan who has managed to capture and share the immense and haunting beauty of his local world. These are simply wonderful images, shot using traditional film techniques and a large amount of skill. I particularly like the framing and subtle use of colour, which have combined to produce a truly engaging insight into modern small town America.

For more info about this artist: Click Here.

So Cow

2009-07-07T17:47:00.012+01:00

This week I bought a bike; a beautiful classic navy blue number, perfect in both shape and style. It looks like the kind of bike that a rural school teacher would have used in the 1940’s. I now just need a flat cap and to strap an old battered suitcase to its rear and it will be ready to face the mean streets of East London. I am pretty sure that I will look ridiculous, perched precariously on its padded leather seat, and cycling clumsily through the long winding paths in Victoria Park and London Fields. I am however, unfazed by the confused response that I will generate. It feels good to be liberated in this most congested and overcrowded of cities. It also feels good to be doing my own thing, to be venturing out from the predictable routes that define my every bus or tube journey…

There is nothing wrong with deviating. Sometimes it is worth looking at what is at the end of a street down which you have never ventured. You never know, you could find a hipsters paradise, where you can scratch your chin and chat idly with strangers about this weeks must see film, or last weeks must listen to band. You might also find that ellusive neighborhood, where a sense of community has not been completely annihilated by lazy gentrifiers with their bland and expensive personal palaces. On the other hand you might just find a long street that stretches out anonymously into another grey and forgotten district of London’s under-invested heartland. To be honest it doesn’t matter. The point is that by embarking on this journey you are learning something about the physical reality of your surroundings. How can that be a bad thing?

Right, what have I been listening to this week? Ah yes, how could I forget? ‘So Cow’, the brainchild of the Irish multi-instrumentalist Brian Kelly who has united the best of all his previous EP’s and singles on this one scruffy and deeply listenable album. Here tracks don’t exactly hang to together cohesively, but bounce off each other violently like a musical pinball machine that both thrills and excites with every play. This is possibly due to the fact that these songs were never conceived as a single entity. Either way, the eclectic nature of this album is a virtue and shouldn’t be criticized. In short, So Cow are like a modern day incarnation of the best of the ‘Television Personalities’. Their music is raw, sharp and unafraid about deviating from convention. I like it a lot.

To Learn more about this band: Click Here.

She Keeps Bees

2009-07-06T12:45:00.014+01:00

Photo By Paul. For more Click Here.

‘She Keeps Bees’ is a band that was introduced on this here blog earlier in the year (link). This New York based Indie-Soul-Blues two piece is currently in the UK performing its raw and powerful sound for anyone with enough taste to go and check out one of their gigs. With an upcoming show at the Luminaire, a short residency at East London’s ‘Britannia’ (I really like that pub) and with scheduled performances at both the Greenman and the End of the Road festivals, She Keeps Bees should have established themselves a large and loyal fan-base before they jet back home later in the year.

This is a stripped down musical expression that is oozing with attitude. It illustrates the virtues of liberating music from clutter and understands that well composed songs don’t need to hide behind multiple layers of texture and complexity in order to have value.

If you want learn more about this band: Click Here.