St Vincent has a new song called Krokodil. She played it live in Melbourne, just testing it out. She played it at Coachella and went nuts and crowdsurfed and pretty much broke herself. Then, for Record Store Day, she recorded it, and subsequently blew my mind AND my speakers. LISTEN LOUD.
Date: 24th March 2012.
Location: The Rainbow, Digbeth, Birmingham.
Rating: 7/10.
I’ve been a Tall Ships fan for quite a while, but had never had chance to see them. How surprised I was then after having bought Los Campesinos tickets with friends to find out they were the support. I say surprised; I was pretty fucking ecstatic. The day came but the friends didn’t, so I was gigging it alone yet again (for woe is me) but as ever I had my camera so I just entertained myself by being a bellend.
After trekking through Birmingham and the always delightful Digbeth I arrived at The Rainbow; standing in the wind under a dark, Victorian bridge in a queue with an average age of 17. Ohhh. It turned out the Los Camp crowd were a bit younger than my old-man 22 year old self. Not to worry, I thought; someone’s going to like Tall Ships.
Matt Parker of Tall Ships, looking resplendent in his jumper.
It turned out that someone did. Me. Stood in the front row against where the barrier would have been but wasn’t. Clearly expecting the young, sensible crowd. Ohhhhhh. Still, the show was good. The guys pretty much played everything, seeing as they’re limited on material at the moment. ‘T=0′ opened, which is really promising off the new album, and the set closed with single ‘Hit The Floor’; a lesser known upbeat song from their repetoire.
The three piece nature of the band means that all the sound has to be really inventive and creative to make the most of themselves and compensate for what another member could do. It worked for Muse, who are favourites of mine, and it works here. Well, until Ric ‘accidentally’ fudged up his keyboard for ‘Plate Tectonics’ meaning there was an extra repeat beat that Matt and Jamie had to guess and improvise for.
Ric Phethean of Tall Ships
Speaking to Matt, the bassist, at the end I found out this was indeed Ric’s fault for being a prat, but also that the new album should come out after the summer festival season – most likely September.
7/10 for the small support nature of the show. Had it been a different venue, with the new album out for a longer set then they’d easily get more plaudits from me.
Date: 20th February 2012.
Location: HMV Institute, Digbeth, Birmingham.
Rating: 8/10.
*insert lame joke about losing your head*
This was my first time seeing PABH and it did not disappoint. If it did i’d be an idiot who had no sense of hearing or any taste in music worth acknowledging. I’d be so stupid that you’d probably feel sorry for me and ask social services to intervene.
The show opened, rather remarkably, with the support act. ‘The Computers’ were every bit the appropriate build-up for PABH; loud, in your face rock with plenty of showmanship and riffs bouncing off the walls. I admit, I wasn’t a fan of the all-white band outfit that everyone wore, but the frontman made up for that with the crowd interaction; sitting on the barrier to play, parting the crowd for a wall of death midway through, and crowdsurfing off for the finale.
Tom Hudson; frontman of PABH.
By this point the crowd was nicely warmed up and bouncing around, which subsequently and rather predictably turned into one large moshpit as ‘I Punched A Lion In The Throat’ ripped into action. There was a greater likelihood of me liking Nicki Minaj than this crowd being tame. The set was well worked and kept the crowd in the state of mayhem that had descended. Sweat was dripping from the ceiling and down the walls – always a good sign.
The setlist was nicely balanced and only just tipped in favour of second album material, meaning fans got the great new stuff like ‘Shake Off The Curse’, ‘Night of the Living’ and ‘Epic Myth’ but didn’t miss out on gems like ‘Back to the Fuck Yeah’, ‘High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive’ and ‘Den Horn’.
I’d give the show higher than 8/10, because the band were sheer brilliance personified, but the set needs to be a little longer (i.e. third album additions) and ‘Yeah Buddy’ was excluded which made me sad. Otherwise, awesome show.
The PABH setlist for the night.
The follow up album is always a hard one. Only a few bands pull it off; Muse and Interpol to name two that spring to mind. Well, make that three now. PABH boss their 2nd album. None of this second album syndrome, just brutal riffs that rattle out at a ferocious pace.
V.E.N.O.M was played in a backyard after SXSW 2011, so fans were already hyped for that bad boy, and it didn’t fail to blow the listeners’ minds, but it’s not even the best song. ‘Shake off the Curse’ and ‘Epic Myth’ are equally stand out in their temperament but also restraint; the sound is intense but not overwhelming or sound distorting. Rock music that rocks but doesn’t disappear into a cloud of fuzz from the ever-popular OMG IT MUST BE LOUDER disease.
The best track has to be ‘Night Of the Living’ though. It’s just… funky. It bobs along and is rather haunting. It’s like a party in a haunted house; everyone’s running round having a good time but there’s that creeping edge of uncertainty.
8/10 for the album. Strong riffs, good hooks, lyrics are entertaining and unusual as always, but it’s still lacking that stand out power that comes with band maturity. Album 3 or 4 will nail that.
So yeah, I’m working on a lot of Spotify playlists for party/events usage. ALL COMING SOON. So many tunes.
I’ve been more than neglectful of the blog of late. Apologies. I’ve been writing my arse off to scrape together the cash to live. Always fun.
Anyway, woes aside the following are a list of great songs – new and old – that I feel need to be heard. The first is in tribute to Amy Winehouse, who sadly passed away yesterday afternoon.
And finally, a rather remarkable cover from Weezer.
A relatively unknown band from Brighton, ‘Sculptures’ are slowly building themselves a fanbase and have just released their first EP. Titled ‘Mrs Genius’, it features five fair lengthed tracks the band have worked on since forming early in 2010.
Opener ‘No One Has The Map’ has some belting riffs courtesy of Ryan Balch on guitar, and with Joe Cherry’s fractured vocals it has a really nice rough edge to it. Lyrically it’s a bit repetitive unfortunately, but this is attoned for with track 2, ‘Face Behind the Mask’.
L to R: Ryan Balch (guitar), Joe Cherry (vocals, bass), Frankie Sparrowhawk (drums)
‘Glorious Memories’ is next, and is the free track to download to get you to love them. Cherry’s vocals are vaguely reminiscent of Kurt Cobain in the almost torn sound, but the worry for me is that at times it comes across a bit strained and seems to get in the way of enjoying the song. The backing vocal harmonies are nicely done though and the solo adds some much needed direction before it reverts to the initial riff and starts to sound kickass.
‘Oxyidiot’ is the gem of the album. Fractuous and raw, it has some gems of lyrics.
“Anything’s fair game and she can’t be blamed for anything that comes to pass…”
“She’s not my best friend, she just hates me less than the rest of the world.”
There’s no stalled feeling with this song, unlike the download, and this gives some indication to the future releases we can expect from this band. Stick to the tempo, the riffs and the raw, passionate vocal work and all will come good.
Title track ‘Mrs Genius’ concludes with its slightly off-key bass. Here Cherry’s strained vocals do work, so my earlier worries are allayed. It ticks over nicely and then just turns into a rather mad session of fuzzy guitar and it’s all rather pleasing. Jaunty post rock is the best sort.
Mrs Genius EP
A first EP is a first EP. It’s not meant to be wonderful, or the answer to all music’s problems. There are flashes of inspiration here, and some really tidy hooks. With a few years to gig, mature and tighten up and learn as a band I wouldn’t be surprised to see them supporting the likes of Pulled Apart By Horses, Talons, or Twin Atlantic. 7/10.
You can listen to the EP for free HERE.
Okay, I’ve been absent for a bit over a month. Not actually being lazy though, you’ll be pleased to hear! No, I’ve been writing for a living and then playing fifa for… the hell of it, if I’m honest.
ASIWYFA's second album, 'Gangs'
Anyway, I love ASIWYFA. They’re awesome. Post rock at its finest. Their newest album, ‘Gangs’ was such a surprise in terms of quality. It is STUFFED full of it. Now I know these guys know how to rock and the first album was great, but this reaaaaaally ratchets it up a notch.
Photograph: Joost Reijnders
‘BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION’ is a very long title for an opening song but then who gives a fuck? It’s a bold tune and quickly picks up the jangling dual guitar tones and a good tempo with some rolling drums and then the intro is back and it’s all big and there’s riffs and it all jumps to a higher octave and you’re left like YEAHHHH.
Time to breathe I think. ‘Gang (starting never stopping)’ is the relentless follow-up song and just blisters past you. It does calm down in places where it becomes a bit more minimalistic but the tempo is unrelentless, which is fantastic.
My personal favourite – and new ringtone – is ‘Search:Party:Animal’. This has a cracking loop of a riff for the song to focus around. Just the right amount of distortion and warp to it. The song builds up nicely then drops, then adds a new layer to more building. The eerie wails creep in to the background and then BAM in come the big chords.
I’m not going to list ALL the songs, because that would be stupid. I will however say that the slowest song on the album ’7 Billion People All Alive At Once’ is a great great song and the perfect place for some respite from a barrage of riffs, without losing the listeners interest.
Photograph: Ieuan Jenkins
If you’ve never heard ASIWYFA before it doesn’t matter. If you don’t like post rock or math rock then you just suck. This is quality music from quality musicians. They might not sing but then they don’t need to; they’re too busy kicking arse on guitars. 8/10.
The Kills return with their fourth studio album (well, third if you discount the EP), entitled ‘Blood Pressures’, which was released on April 4.
It’s not easy to review an album like this. Once again Mosshart and Hince have produced an album fitting their lo-fi, garage blues standard and once again it’s good. The question is how good. This is what makes it hard. In comparison to the early really raw work produced on ‘Keep Your Mean Side’ and ‘No Wow’ it’s not as good, but then a lot of bands do their best work at the beginning; the raw, blurt of their talent, emotions and ideas into about 45 minutes of music.
Photograph: Michael Martinez
That said, this album is a solid piece of work. Opener ‘Future Starts Slow’ has quite a marching beat with the resounding lacadaisical strumming of guitar backing the duet vocals before morphing into a darker, morose segment; off-key guitar, the odd boom of bass and drum.
‘Satellite’ has an almost ska feel to the jaunty nature of the drums and bass but it’s a mood short lived by way of the warped blues screams of Hince’s guitar. There are a lot of comparisons made between The Kills and The White Stripes and in this case you can understand why.
Photograph: Michael Martinez
‘Heart Is A Beating Drum’ and ‘Nail In My Coffin’ up the tempo and throw in some more riffs and some passionate vocals, and the short but sweet ‘Wild Charms’ sees Hince contemplating remarkably like Alex Turner in ‘Only Ones Who Know’, minus the sheffield accent of course.
‘DNA’ is where this album really picks up and matched The Kills of old. The riff is fantastic despite its simplicity and the song just picks up ferocity in tone and Mosshart’s vocals throughout, dipping briefly in places just to soar up once again.
My personal favourite off the album is ‘The Last Goodbye’. A hauntingly off-key piano with some really cutting lyrics set to strong vocals from Mosshart: “I forget, I swear. I have no regrets for the past is behind me”.
Photograph: Stepan Mazurov
‘Damned If She Do’ and ‘Don’t Own The Road’ keep this latter-half resurgence of the old Kills raw sound coming through, but then the end track – ‘Pots and Pans’ – goes all a bit weird, like a party at Beck’s house and they just gatecrashed it. It’s a good job they gatecrashed their own song because it was all a bit timid and twee for the first couple of minutes. The distortion pedal is your friend!
Not their best, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t gems on here. As long as they keep making good albums who cares? 7/10.
The Foo Fighters’ new album was streaming on a french website. Leak? Yes. Good quality? No. So what happened? Foos put the album to stream on their website as well to steal the traffic. HA. Worth buying? Ha, undoubtedly. Here’s a track by track review.
Track 1 – Bridge Burning:
“These are my famous last words!” screams Grohl. A self proclaimed drummer, he could have fooled me with his singing and guitar work fitting together so neatly without either losing quality. There’s a feeling of Queens of the Stone Age in the chorus with the falsetto backing vocals and edgy chords, but the constant aural abuse from epic riff after epic riff reminds you that they’re their own beastly creation. A huge rock tune, with compulsory solo to boot.
Track 2 – Rope
A jangling echoey dual guitar intro lulls you into a false sense of security before the killer riff rips into life. The latest single from the band, you can see the radio friendly nature of the song. It’s typical Foos in that it’s full of riffs and isn’t too aggressive in the vocal department, but it’s also great in that sense too; the verse is almost under sung so it has a really repressed sound to it.
Track 3 – Dear Rosemary
I’d go so far to say this almost sounds indie at first. The verse guitar shifts very similarly to The Raconteurs’ “Steady As She Goes”. The song moves back into typical Foos territory here and there, especially with the lead guitar, but it’s a bit samey of the choruses. We get it, it’s a message to Rosemary. Christ.
Track 4 – White Limo:
What can you say about this song? It’s epic Foos. Screaming vocals and thundering guitars. It’s a barrage of riffs and pounding drums and the parody video the band did for it with the help of Lemmy harks back to the time of the ‘Low’ video and the humour they can have with their music. A riproaring rock gem.
Track 5 – Arlandria:
A strange name, admittedly, but it’s a good song. It’s not too aggressive off the back of ‘White Limo’ which is good. It’s more of an album song. It’d be harsh to describe it as a filler as it’s well worked and better than a lot of Foos songs I care to think of. Some nice vocals by the whole band and a stronger focus on the lyrics in this song.
“Shame, shame go away,
come again some other day.
Memories keep haunting me.
Help me chase them all away.”
Track 6 – These Days:
Another drop in tempo. “One of these days your heart will stop then play its final beat” says Grohl, sounding reticent. It’s almost a lilting folk song if it weren’t for the fact the Foos aren’t that shameful. It retains a flangey twang to the guitar sound and then boom, the chorus rips in and it’s strong barre chords conveying just enough power but not committing overkill.
Track 7 – Back and Forth:
The tempo jumps back up and it hints of QOTSA once again with the slightly eerie/off key vocal harmonies and the octave alternating bridges, but it’s a true Foos song; building the verses with palm muting and then powering through into the chorus. “I’m looking for some back and forth with you, are you feeling the same as i do?” asks Grohl. Based on this album his wife will be fending off a new lot of fans.
Track 8 – A Matter of Time:
The first song that sounds like it wasn’t made for this album. It’s very reminiscent of tracks for ‘One by One’. It’s probably the least impressive song so far. Not that it’s bad, again, it’s a good enough song, it’s just it doesn’t really do much for me. The whole palm muted chorus with a little riff to break it up here and there and then back to the palm muting… and then power chords for a chorus. It’s a bit same old same old.
Track 9 – Miss the Misery:
Much better, or so it seems. Fuzzy wah intro and string bending. Winner. The main riff kicks in buuuuut that’s when it goes rubbish. Unfortunately so do the vocal harmonises and it all sounds a bit Bon Jovi. The song just alternates verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo over some verse, solo. I’m aware songs all share roughly the same pattern, but it’s fine when it’s not so blatant. There’s nothing layered.
Track 10 – I Should Have Known:
Another bendy intro and some simpering vocals from Grohl with a touch of distortion. “Lay your hands in mine” he pleads. “Heal me one last time”. This song is much better. The slow drum beat and the tinkling guitar with some moderate violin overlaying it really captures the mood; that this is a harrowing tale. It picks up intensity with the picking, drumming and with the vocals and soars into a powerful chorus. The riffs kick into the final verse and Grohl ends up practically screaming it in your face, exasperated – “I should have known”.
Track 11 – Walk:
“I think I lost my way.
Getting good at starting over,
everytime that I return.
I’m learning to walk again”
Quite a jaunty end track but it’s also quite upbeat. The lyrics and chord shifts bring out the sadness inferred in the verse lyrics but then with the chorus comes the tempo and the rattling drums and the drive that matches the change in lyrical mood.
All in all a great album. 11 tracks, 8 of which are fantastic songs. The three that aren’t are my personal weak points, but others may like them or even prefer them. I’d say it was the best Foo Fighters album to date. 9/10.
