Martin Garrix, save us all from John Lewis
19
Nov

God bless you, Radio One listeners. God bless the UK’s pop kids. There’s a lot of bad stuff said about the younger generation. A lot of bad stuff. About how they watch too much reality TV. How they all wear hoodies and pull knives on you at the drop of a hat.

And on a personal note, it is only the stupid law of the land that prevented me from disembowelling the vile little shits who threw an egg at me on Hallowe’en evening. An egg!

To be fair the little bastard managed to secure quite a painful direct hit from across the road, so perhaps if he’s reading this he could try his luck at the local cricket club and maybe try and channel his talents more usefully.

But this pales into insignificance beside the exhilarating, life-affirming event that took place on Sunday evening.

This is the record that kept that f***ing John Lewis song off Number One. We shall come to the responsible party for that vile excuse for music presently but first get your ears round this:

Brilliant. Just brilliant. Well done to everybody who bought it. Take a bow.

Now compare it with this

link

That’s right. The link doesn’t work. There is no link. There is no way I am giving this obscenity any further publicity.

If you MUST hear it again, you will have to search the Dark Net. I’ll still be here when you get back. Go. Quickly.

When I first heard it I thought it was bad. Very bad. I thought it was an attempt to emulate the succes of Hannah Peel’s wonderful take on eighties synth-pop classic “Tainted Love”.

THAT is how to do a quiet cover version. Beautiful, jangly, understated, but with a definite disturbing edge, hence FX using it for a trailer for American Horror Story.

Hannah Peel brings something new to a great song. The most famous version is of course by Soft Cell

but the original was by Gloria Jones

The cover of “Somewhere Only We Know” is neither beautiful nor disturbing. It is insipid, wet, and depressing.

A lot of people reckon the original by Keane is similarly wet, and sure, it ain’t exactly rock’n’roll, but I have to say  I love Keane. They never claimed or tried to be cool anyway.

When I first heard the cover I thought it sounded like a bad impression of Lily Allen.

So imagine my surprise when I found out it WAS Lily Allen.

What the hell happened to the bright, sparky poptastic talent who gave us this :

Jesus, Lily. You are better than this.

This is not about selling out. If you want to make shedloads of money from John Lewis, fine.

Just seems like an odd career move to even contemplate doing a song for an ad when you’re an established artist, and a good one.

And let’s leave out the “posh kid” jibes.

Take posh kids out of the equation and for starters there would be no British guitar based music at all apart from Kasabian. (* This is not strictly true. But still. *)

And breathe. Better now. Let’s end this on a positive note. This is Lily Allen when she was fab.

And I’m not even going to mention twerking. Whatever the hell that is.

Remembrance Day
11
Nov

Remembrance Day 11th November 2013

Just a short post today as the link below kind of says it all.

There is a huge tradition of war-related songs in folk music and a lot of them are included in Mike Harding’s special Remembrance Day podcast which you can download FREE here

Some of the tracks are not easy to listen to but they all have an important tale to tell.

Never forget.

Gig guide – Thurs 12th – Wed 18th September 2013
12
Sep

Thursday – Strypes, Electric Ballroom

Strypes have been garnering a lot of critical mass lately. Ridiculously young Irish band playing R&B in the Dr Feelgood / early Stones sense.

They’re the real deal, no matter what a few jaded old wanker hipsters think.

The new album is out this week and I was lucky enough to catch them at Rough Trade’s instore gig on Wednesday – they played a blistering high-octane set comprising ten songs in half an hour – at least, I think it was ten, I may have lost count.

Here’s a clip of what they sound like live, hot off the press from last night (Wednesday 11th Sept)

Thursday – Summer Camp, McCluskys

The second, eponymous album from Elizabeth Sankey and Jeremy Warmsley has more of a coherent sound than 2011 debut “Welcome To Condale” which should hopefully endear them to a wider record-buying public.

They’re now playing R&B in the Beyonce sense, and foregrounding the hip-hop style sampling that was present sporadically on the first record, and for my money they’ve nailed it.

BRough TrwdddddddddBuy the Stephen Street-produced album from Banquet Records and you get a free ticket to the gig. Or buy a ticket to the gig and you get a free album. Whichever way you look at it, it’s a bargain at seven of yer English pounds.

Friday – Rachel Ann Weiss, Regal Rooms, Hammersmith

Rachel Ann Weiss is a New York singer-songwriter who released a rather loverly debut album “Dear Love” last year; She’s touring the UK for the first time this week with drummer and electric piano player in tow. The overall sound is reminiscent of 70s Americana, with the USP being Weiss’s powerful vocals.

This song is from her second ever gig in the UK last night (Wednesday Sept 11th), appropriately at the 12 Bar Club in Soho’s Tin Pan Alley, Denmark Street.

Saturday – I Was A Cub Scout – Borderline, Soho

If you’re a two-member band and you split up, it’s a bit difficult. More than that and you simply get a new singer, drummer, synth player or freaky dancer and carry on. But it never works with duos. Except with Chas And Dave, oddly. Dave decided he’d had enough of touring and retired, so Chas simply got another Dave in. Chas And A Dave. B

Five years ago this option was not available to I was A Cub Scout.

They looked to have potential with their laid-back take on anthemic indie dance tunes then split up acrimoniously in 2008 in the middle of a tour.

They didn’t speak for years and it’s taken them until now to reach a point where they can achieve closure and play a farewell gig.

Post break-up sex, if you like.

Sunday – King Lizard – Fiddler’s Elbow Camden

If you’re looking for an alternative to the Camden Amy Winehouse memorial gigs (two years – seriously?) where does the time go?) then Sunday night at the Fiddler’s Elbow could be for you.

King Lizard have been ploughing a well-trodden furrow through the metal hinterlands for a few years now, and you have to ultimately love a band who include in their ranks a singer called Flash Roxx and a drummer called Moyano El Buffalo.

Monday – Catfish & The Bottlemen – Sebright Arms

Latest Welsh indie hopefuls who’ve played over 100 shows in 18 months, building an audience the old-fashioned way and in the process honing their live craft. This could be the last chance to catch them at a venue this small

Monday – Boho Dancer – Phoenix Artist Club (18:45)

A venue that is possibly central London’s best kept secret, the Phoenix Artist Club. Early start for three acts headlined by the excellent Boho Dancer and also featuring Tom Baxter and Leslie Mendelson.
Free entry but let ‘em know you’re coming down first as it’s quite a small venue.

Tuesday – Cloud Control – Rough Trade Instore

Australia’s wonderful Cloud Control have a new album out this week hence the instore. They play a sun-drenched psychedelic take on indie, in the same area as bands like Yeasayer but, as always with Aussie bands, it’s the tunes that are important. Like this one from the new LP

Wednesday – Department M – Club Fandango, Tipsy Bar

Club Fandango are brilliant. I’ve been to countless of their promotions down the years, there’s generally three or four bands on and without exception I’ve come away with one or two New Favourite Bands.
Headlining are Department M, the band formed out of the ashes of the excellent and much-missed Grammatics. Really looking forward to seeing what Owen Brinley’s new band sound like live after a couple of excellent singles (below).

Support from the Savage Nomads and Young Romance.

That completes an an absolute killer seven nights of LDN giggage, if I can last the pace.
See you down the front. Bring caffeine.

Girls Still Dancing. Franz Ferdinand still got it.
3
Sep

Franz Ferdinand – McCluskys, Kingston 29/08/2013

In 2004 Franz Ferdinand burst onto a fairly somnolent indie guitar scene sporting sharp, clipped guitars and decent tunes without any of the musical fat that the previous generations of indie bands had put on over the years.

Lyrically, too, they had something interesting about them., and an intelligent, engaging frontman in Alex Kapranos whose public utterances always stopped on the right side of being an irritation.

And then there was The Quote : “We just want to make music for girls to dance to” which effectively sealed their longevity. And of course their popularity with the girls as well as the boyz. Boys, sorry. But maybe boyz too…

Fast forward ten years, give or take, and their fourth album hit the shops this week. After a hiatus of four years since 2009’s well-received “Tonight” this is a band truly in it for the long haul, wary of over-egging the pudding, happy to lie low until they – and the world – are ready.

Tonight’s gig is an early-evening all ages affair at McClusky’s nightclub in downtown Kingston – that’s upon-Thames rather than Jamaica but the riverside location and the hot weather make it just as good.

It’s part of a win-win scenario where bands try and maximise their record sales in the all-important first week of sales.

So if you can offer free entry to a gig with the purchase of a new rekkid, then the band wins on the sales points and us punters who are quick enough off the mark after the Twitter announcement get to see the finest of all the Noughties indie guitar bands in a nice, small venue, playing a set that is to make it worth while leaving the house, but short enough (at 12 songs and 45-odd minutes) to be fat-free.

Always leave ’em wanting more.

Speaking of which, you can see the whole gig here:

Music For Girls To Dance To In Kingston

The album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action is excellent too. It made #6 in the chart in its first week, just one place below Bob Dylan’s Bootleg Series Volume 10. Whcih puts Franz’s longevity into perspective, I guess.

Gig Guide w/e Sunday 8th September 2013
2
Sep

How did it get to September again? Seriously? Quite a few bigger names starting to play the odd gig or even tour now that everybody’s back from their holidays. Here’s a few suggestions for some great live music entertainment this week, starting with the only “bigger name” I’m including this week!

Monday – Be Good Tanyas, Union Chapel

Alt.country royalty play the beautiful Union Chapel with its fine acoustics and all, ahead of their greatest hits collection which is released on September 24th in the UK if anyone wants to buy me an early Xmas prezzie.

Monday – Black Yaya – Hoxton Kitchen & Grill

Black Yaya is the offspring of rage and thunder. Black Yaya is anger and guile. Black Yaya is a merciless fight, and redemption songs.

Black Yaya is also David Ivar, frontman of Herman Dune, who seem to be getting in here on a weekly basis in various guises.

Tuesday – Splaaasshh – Rough Trade East instore (7pm)

OK then, Australia. You gots Tame Impala. But the Kiwis and Poms have joined forces to give you some serious competition in the dreamy psych-rock stakes. Ten quid or so gets you the album plus a ticket to this gig, which is the best value of the week in my book.

Tuesday – Heartless Bastards – Garage

Excellent classic garage rock stylings from Heartless Bastards. Imagine Black Keys only with more tuneage and (slightly) less riffage, and a frontwoman with the most powerful voice this side of Janis Joplin. Been waiting to see this lot for years, ever since I heard “The Mountain”.

I shall most assuredly see you down the front for this one.

Tuesday – Cayucas – 100 Club

Arse! I think I’m destined to never see this band live, there’s always a clash. Next time, Cayucas. Next time. If anyone reading this goes along, I want a full review please.

Wednesday – Drenge – Tipsy Bar

And guitar-based indie STILL REFUSES TO LAY DOWN AND DIE! Drenge are from Castleton, a lovely small town in the Peak District about thirty miles from Sheffield. Rawest thing to have a chance of chart-bothering action since the Arctic Monkeys, also from these parts (and with a cracking new album about to drop).

Thursday – Khalilah Rose – Hootannanny

For reggae singer Khalilah Rose, being in the music business is not about the pursuit of fortune and fame. This talented Rastafarian empress has no time to be caught up in the hype of the music biz, as she is more concerned about setting the standards for roots reggae music on a global level.

She is on a serious musical mission in the name of Rastafari to restore the genre to its past glory.
Rose joined the Rastafari faith in 2009, the following year she moved back to Jamaica, where she was discovered by Tanya Thelwell of UMI Records. Since then, her career has been growing from strength to strength.

To date, she has recorded a number of popular singles, most notable are her collaborations with other cultural reggae acts such as Unite and Be Strong, done with Turbulence, and Jah Is Living, featuring Lutan Fyah. Both songs are featured on her debut album titled Zion’s Lullaby, which was released on the Ackee & Dumplin imprint earlier this year. The 14-track album features production work from a number of top-flight musicians and producers, including Dean Fraser, Ed Robinson, Fifth Element Crew and Carl James.

Although Rose is not yet a household name in Jamaica, her music has spread far beyond the shores of her island home. As a result, she has made numerous appearances on events in Europe, Africa, Brazil, Israel and North America. The music video for her single titled Hail Him is currently enjoying strong rotation in South Africa.

Thursday – Hot Head Show – Garage

OK, if I say to you “blues-rock band” and “fronted by the son of Police drummer Stewart Copeland”, I bet you’re thinking “Nah, I’ll give them a miss”.

Seriously don’t. Raw as hell, and far more experimental and out there than anything Sting and the Boyz ever did.

Think about it. If the guy wanted to trade on his old fella’s name, he’d have gone under his own name, like the various Beatles and Zappa offspring do. This is the real deal.

Friday – 14 Iced Bears – Dublin Castle

Classic eighties Brighton indie band, now reformed and touring the hits, which is what all reformed old bands should do!

Sunday – Ringo Deathstarr, Lexington

Fans of the big buzzsaw guitar sound with lots of echo will love this band. Just a hint of something a bit more ethereal there to differentiate them from the Jesus And Mary Chain and The Raveonettes. All three bands are great, you understand.

That’ll do for now I reckon. Same time next week. Me, I shall be sampling a bit of Heartless Bastards and Splaaassh on Tuesday with some sweet reggae at the Hootannanny on Thursday courtesy of Khalilah Rose.

Sunday – Two Cow Garage – Windmill, Brixton