Basel, Switzerland - a town of culture, the pharmaceutical industry and permanent frowns. No one smiles in the birthplace of LSD. Basel was pretty, but my holiday was like a trip to a mental asylum. Clinical, regulated and dull. We needed to escape. To Germany.
Freiberg, a beautiful town with great food and smiles, was worth the hour long train journey. Especially as we managed to squeeze in a Broadcast 2000 gig.
Joe Steer, the brains of Broadcast 2000, has been justifiably triumphed by my friends recently. His experimental acoustic jinks, backed by a rare mix of snare drum, violin and glockenspiel, are delightful.
The music of Broadcast 20000 feels more authentic than the similarly styled Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. Perhaps the lack of electronic mumbo jumbo makesa more heart-warming and personal experience. Songwriters that don’t bombard me with all the crazy shit they find on their music software are in my good books - experimentalism can be all about moderation.
Broadcast 2000’s exposure has been, well, quite big. Get Up and Go is on an Orange advert and on Building Blocks, their tasty mini-album. To whet your appetite Joe has kindly offered my favourite song from the album to holeytonal for you to devour:
Cold and dark is all London is during winter, but the lights will never go out at holeytonal.
Especially when an arty fan of James and the Jewellery Store from Copenhagen makes a music video of Lights Go Dim. Only Danes, as the inventors of Dogma 95, can get away with camcorder films - Festen is one of my favourite movies.
You can download an MP3 of Lights Go Dim from my previous post about James and The Jewellery Store. But his story driven lyrics, bound with the sound of Sufjan Stephens on burlesque, deserve the attention of any art house film maker:
Major labels should know sounds that sell - with rosters full of great artists or at least great assets. So why was I so surprised at a gig featuring two singers signed to Universal and Warner?
Because the two unsigned acts also playing put the big boys to shame.
I don’t care if artists are signed to a major, an independent or are unsigned. Its the music that counts. What does irk me are major labels wasting money on generic muck when there is spectacular talent on their doorstep.
Life In Film
Unsigned Life In Film were one of the bands that deserves the rewards of being signed. Their infectious and unique indie pop could sell many records. Festival crowds will love their sing along choruses, whilst mud dancing to the funky rhythms. Life In Film’s live set did lose some subtlety from their recordings - but add a glockenspiel and problem solved.
Actually nothing was subtle in the Water Rats - you’d have been lucky to hear a 747 if it sat on your face - its stupid and dangerous. I’d still like my hearing when I reach 30.
I’m Sorry, You Don’t Know What You’re Doing
I was instantly put off Doug Walker (Warner) and Gary Go (Universal) - they’ve been manicured into such characterless manifestations of mediocrity that if they chanted their own names in every chorus you still wouldn’t know who they were. A Life In Film track on the other hand could play on the radio and you’d know who it belongs to. We can only hope they get more radio play, especially if they keep on writing songs like I’m Sorry, I Didn’t Know What To Do. If I did tune of the month this exclusive from Life In Film would be October’s flavour:
Is anyone else becoming addicted to Born Survivor with Bear Grylls? He eats caterpillars and cuts the heads off skunks. Double hard.
I’ll never be that adventurous, but I’m always up forNew Adventures. Especially ones destined to fill arenas around the world.
The four men of New Adventures began playing together at university, but a piece of the jigsaw was missing until vintage jeans brought Helen into the fold. Jez and Steve were selling vintage clothing - Helen bought some, and the rest is history.
The main obstacle New Adventures face is being lumped with Coldplay and Keane - but once you get over that you can enjoy some delicious stadium rock.
New Adventures will be releasing a second EP, Accidents, later this year featuring the stunning and drumless Never Get Caught, which can be heard on their MySpace. But I have fallen in love with this post’s MP3, try not to sing along:
“Why don’t you post about female artists?” my friend asks. Well I have actually, when I rung about the glorious Bell. Gender, two genders or no gender - I don’t care so long as their music rings true.
So, the fact that holeytonal features more male artists, or bands with male leads, is not the reason for posting about CHEW LiPS. I’m posting about CHEW LiPS because I look like a tit when I groove to their tunes on the tube.
Only 8 gigs old, CHEW LiPS’s 8-bit drone disco and indie fusion has already been featured by Steve Lamacq on Radio 1. Its especially refreshing after Pendulums’ shit but commercially successful dance-rock crossover - I’d even prefer Alphabeat.
Try your hardest not to tap your feet to this excellent tune courtesy of CHEW LiPS - only available to download at holeyontal:
Tour dates include 93 Feet East on Friday 12 September. But I can’t be bothered to go to the far east this week, so I’ll wait until Saturday 27 September and see them at the St. Moritz Club in the West End.
Part III? Deserved? Yes. I just saw Esser live for the first time. Fantastic. It was a Transgressive Records event, and no one was a patch on Ben Esser with his band (although Liam Finn came close).
Also found out the new video for the super tune and new single Headlock was on YouTube, so here it is:
If any of you ladies ever sleep with this dude, keep your dental gear safe. Favourite lyric so far this year: “Pissing on your toothbrush helps to relieve the pain”. Pure filth. Listen out for it in the this punk pop megathon:
August 2007 was a long time ago, but I still have vivid memories watching Revere at the now defunct Spitz. Severely impressed, I departed expecting Revere to make it big in 2008.
But, despite being lauded by the Guardian as ‘one of the best bands you’ve never heard of’, they’re still largely unknown. Despite featuring on the Hotly Tipped for 2008 iTunes compilation, they’re still largely unknown. Despite being finalists in Q’s Glastonbury New Talent competition (they didn’t win it, which is probably a good thing), they’re still largely unknown.
You get the picture, but I’m going to paint a new one. The arty and epic Revere deserve to be known and, dare I say it, revered.
Fronted by Liverpudlian Stephen Ellis, the 9 piece from north London boast instrumental forces including violin, cello, harp and trumpet. They sight influences such as Bjork and Buckley, but I’d say if you cross-bred Muse and Sufjan Stevens, Revere would come out the mongrel. Its best though not to expect anything from Revere, they are quite unpredictable.
I’m looking forward to Revere’sdebut album, which is currently in the works and will be released on their own imprint, Albino Records.
This title track from their 2006 EP Learning to Breath is simply sublime:
Fear flashes across my face when the often tiresome pair of singer with acoustic guitar walk to the stage. At Insideout in Kingston, I couldn’t have been more scared when the singer introduced himself saying he’s ill and might collapse half way through his set. How I trembled.
Then he played. He sang. The world rejoiced. Well, maybe not the world, but 30 people in a church west of London did. Luke Sital Singh stole the show.
Despite having a bad case of man flu, his voice and lyrics were mesmerising. His melodies and harmonies catchy and clever. His performance wiped the fear from my face. Only to be replaced by a glare reading something like ‘ok, so this guy is good, bloody good’.
Luke Sital Singh is being modest when he compares himself to ‘a lovely bowl of soup’. Then again my favourite dish is a Vietnamese soup called Pho. So maybe he’s not so modest after all. Soup or no soup, he’s certainly not soupy, proven in the demo he kindly agreed to share. Its a fantastic song on tape. Even better live.
Anyone got a ticket to Brooklyn? I need to go. I can’t take it anymore. I have to find out how so much good music can come from one place. Here is yet another great group from the Big Apple.
I peeped Peephole through Bell’s MySpace. Glad I did. Their main man is called Kent Odessa. What a name. Its nearly as good as mine.
Aside from great nomenclature, their music is really where its at. The currently unsigned, Peephole, draw from the legends Prince, Bowie and Serge Gainsbourg. MGMT aren’t too far from their imaginations either, with some great driving and distorted bass lines a la Electric Feel. Peephole’s USPs are their experimentalism, with some interesting use of minimalism, as heard in their song Traitor. They also receive counseling from fruit.
You can download all these and more MP3s from their MySpace, but if you’re too lazy to go there, then just listen to these:
My name is Rylan and I’ve been a homeopath for the past 24 years. Great. But how many songs are there about homeopathy? As far as I can tell, only one. It’s by Bell.
Olga Bell, born in Russia, raised in Alaska and now living in Brooklyn, has vocal and musical qualities that instantly remind you of Björk. Theres even an interesting cover of Its Oh So Queit on Bell’s MySpace.
At first I reacted against what I thought was a blatant rip off of the Ice Queen, but I kept coming back for more. Throwing IDM into the mix did it for me.
So, homeopathy? Bell’s Echinacea is the IDM infused Björkathon, with a great trippy beat, and clapping. Its a bit of a shame Bell didn’t make more use of the cheering at the opening of the track, otherwise its quite the tune:
Theres nothing like playing an impromptu gig. Especially after only one rehearsal. Last week I was drafted in by Alba Nova to add some cello love.
I heard of Alba Nova as they formed at Durham University (formerly the University of Durham which sounds much better) where I studied, but didn’t get the chance to watch them. In fact, thats a lie. I was just a lazy student bum.
I wish I hadn’t been such a sloth, as I’ve missed out on Alba Nova for the past 5 years. Who’d want to miss a band living in a ‘lost England full of chandeliers, fake fur coats, masquerades and mistresses’? Its nice to bring fantasy into music, without becoming a goth metal band. I respect Alba Nova for not being ashamed of their Englishness, which sadly so many bands from the green and pleasant land try to hide.
Their debut EP, The Beautiful Way to Fall generated quite a lot of industry interest. I’m sure you can hear why from this stunning track they’ve so kindly let me share with you:
The internet has smashed our attention spans to pieces. We spend less time focusing on one band and instead skim from one MySpace page to the next.
I picked up that habit, but still make sure to buy as many albums as Mr Mastercard can afford. They’re the only way for me to get under a band’s skin.
If you have something to say in popular music, you should do so with an album. Once you achieve that, then you’re sorted. And yes, I listened to OK Computer a lot!
Thats why I’m excited by the prospect of an upcoming concept album set during the Californian Gold Rush featuring money, love and murder by We Happy Few. I caught these guys a few months ago at the Half Moon Unplugged in Putney. Their old school Americana vibe has stuck with me ever since.
Its refreshing to find a band take on something so challenging. Especially when its so easy to screw a concept album up. Judging from the opening track, I hope we won’t be disappointed. In fact, We Happy Few were kind enough to give you a sneaky listen:
We Happy Few are playing at The Gallery near Turnham Green Tube this Thursday (29 May). I’ll be there, and you should come too. The new album is due for release in the next few months.
@TartyTart ah, i don't play online - i know i will never stop. I play with a few friends around London and also in some clubs. Always Fun! 20 hours ago
@stephenfry don't rub it in, its a rainy cold day in London! 2008/12/02
Editing your own copy is a nightmare! grr. 2008/12/02
It may be cold, but at least its not as sweaty on the tube. 2008/12/02
@TartyTart you play poker? cool... welcome to Twitter, and thanks for the follow! 2008/12/02
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