TOP 25 SONGS: A POST-SCRIPT

Just realised that I completely forgot to include this:



And on reflection, this should have been placed much higher:



If there's a god of pointless musical list compiling, I apologise for failing you.

WHY AM I EVEN AT WORK? THERE'S NO-ONE HERE AND NOTHING TO DO AND THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH TIME YOU CAN SPEND PROCRASTINATING ON WIKIPEDIA......OR IS THERE?

It’s been a pretty enjoyable festive break for the Meh household- not only did I stuff my face with so much home-made food I’ve achieved near-spherical form, but I also bought my ticket to Barcelona’s Primavera festival, found out my first close friend is getting married (ARGH! IT’S THE BEGINNING OF THE END!) and generally had a fun and mildly inebriated time. But now it’s time to get some end-of-year lists typed up- I’ve already dished up a particularly self-indulgent Top 25 songs, but my best live acts may take a little longer to compile- it's been a pretty epic year after all. I hope you can bear the suspense.

In the meantime, please take a moment to check up on John Allison’s always enlightening round-up of the year’s best albums on the superb ScaryGoRound;, and also cast your gazes upon this fucking awesome picture of Israeli punk band Monotonix, who supported Silver Jews early this year. HE’S PLAYING A DRUM KIT AND CROWDSURFING AT THE SAME TIME, HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!?!

Best Songs Of '08
Rendered In Bad Haiku Form
Yes, I'm Pretentious



25. Marnie Stern- Transformer
Fiercely succinct;
Shouty lady impresses
With dazzling guitar.

24. Fuck Buttons- Sweet Love For Planet Earth
Crescendoing noise:
Not everyone’s cup of tea,
But my ears love it.

23. Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s - Real Naked Girls
Lies! No nudity,
Just minor key prettiness
And delicate synths.

22. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Dig Lazarus Dig!
Back to grizzled best,
Cave evokes a mad preacher
Succumbed to Satan.

21. Bon Iver- Skinny Love
Think Iron and Wine
With more intense emotion
and inferior beard.

20. The Hold Steady- Sequestered In Memphis
Craig Finn writing songs
About girls and booze shocker?!
Now with more handclaps!

19. The Acorn- Lullaby
Lilting Canuck folk;
It warms the cockles of my
Cold and bitter heart.

18. MGMT- Time To Pretend
Commercial success
Means we’re fated to pretend
this ain’t great. It is.

17. Ponytail- Beg Waves
A cuddly Deerhoof
Deranged, like pogoing through
A kaleidoscope.

16. Fleet Foxes- White Winter Hymnal
Gorgeous harmonies
Are all well and good, but guys:
Please man the fuck up.

15. Shearwater- On The Death Of The Waters
Quiet……quiet………LOUD!
Adam falls off seat in shock
And bangs head on wall.

14. Make Model- The Was
Quality synth-pop
With judicious “ba-ba-ba’s”
I think they split up :-(

13. Get Well Soon- If The Hat Is Missing, I Have Gone Hunting
Accordion intros
Bode well for extravagance;
This has it in spades.

12. Cloud Cult- When Water Comes To Life
Flamboyance galore
From chamber-pop Flaming Lips
This band needs more love.

11. Vampire Weekend- Walcott
Preppy Ivy Leaguers
Strike gold with jaunty anthem
‘bout Cod or something.

10. Titus Andronicus- Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ
Pogues fight Arcade Fire
In dingy Brooklyn punk bar
Good times had by all.

9. Broken Records- The Slow Parade
Edinburgh's finest
Deliver magnificence
With stately, poised grace.

8. Why?- Song Of The Sad Assassin
White-boy rap done good
With odd Sufjan elements;
Why? Because it’s ace.

7. Of Montreal- An Eluardian Instance
Barnes triumphs again;
Mountain Goats are not impressed
But hey, I sure am!

6. Andrew Bird- Masterswarm
Dapper whistling god
Surpasses himself again;
I like the guy’s style.

5. M83- Kim and Jessie
Hark at those drum pads!
Should close a John Hughes movie…
Mom, I want a perm.

4. Department of Eagles- Teenagers
Debussy intro,
Rumbling cello, discordance…
I bow down to thee.

3. The Mae Shi- Run To Your Grave
Lo-fi brilliance;
Like pure sugar injected
Straight into your brain

2. TV On The Radio- Dancing Choose
Stax brass, Tunde’s raps;
A billion times better
Than their spell-checker.

1. Dan Deacon- Wham City
Not *strictly* ‘08
But songs this sublime transcend
Mere laws of space-time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Off to sunny Watfordia for the next few days, hope y'all have a good one!

ATTN: ANIKA

New Metric album finished, due to released the beginning of next year. Hopefully that equates to an impending tour...

2008 IS DEAD! LONG LIVE 2009!

Oh, 2008, how sad I am to see you go. I've taken my obsession to new extremes, and now I'm faced with three whole weeks entirely devoid of live music. I might take to standing forlornly outside the Luminaire with my MP3 player on, rocking back-and-forth as tears fall gently down my face.

Ah well, at least 2009's ain't looking too shabby...


12/01/09: ANIMAL COLLECTIVE- London Koko
24/01/09: OF MONTREAL- Brighton Digital
27/10/09: GREGOR SAMSA- London Luminaire
28/01/09: LONEY, DEAR- London St. Giles-In-The-Fields Church
30/01/09: DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON- London Bush Hall
05/02/09: FRIDA HYVONEN- London Bush Hall
12/02/09: PONYTAIL- London 100 Club
16/02/09: THE SECRET MACHINES- Islington Academy
19/02/09: PARTS AND LABOR- London Cargo
23/02/08: TITUS ANDRONICUS- London Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
24/02/09: FLEET FOXES- London Roundhouse
25/02/08: M. WARD- London Borderline
03/03/08: DEERHUNTER (w/ Women; WAVVES)- London Scala
12/04/09: DAVID BYRNE- London Royal Festival Hall
17/04/09-19/04/09: COACHELLA FESTIVAL- Coachella Valley, California, USA
06/05/09: THE SPECIALS- Brixton Academy
28/05/09-30/05/09: PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL- Barcelona, Spain
03/07/09: BLUR- London Hyde Park

GENERATION X-MAS: THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH COVERS II (Brixton Windmill, 21/12/08)

So, last night I went to my final show of 2008 *sniffles*. Every year, the Windmill does a special Christmas gig, and the theme this year involved a number of the South East's best up-and-coming talents (i.e. those who subscribe to DrownedInSound) performing covers of a band of their choice, interspersed with their own material. Adam Carrier delivered a brave acapella cover of a Smiths song, whilst Chris Alcock's frighteningly intense rendition of Hallelujah was almost as impressive as his 'tache. Stagecoach won over all and sundry with their energetic takes on the Lemonheads, but for me it was William's awesomely faithful Beastie Boys covers- Sabotage and Fight For Your Right (To Party) that really made the £4 entry fee look like a bargain. Shame I couldn't stay for Popular Workshop's 'Nirvana' set, as I hear it ended in drunken stage invasion madness, but it was nevertheless a fun way to wrap up this epic year of giggery.

GOGOL BORDELLO (London Roundhouse, 18/12/08)



I love the Gypsy Punk. Well, for the most part. Although the days of stage invasions and perpetual crowd-surfing may be over for good, the mentalist seven-piece do their very damndest to recapture the energy of their smaller, more insane shows in the clinical, circular surroundings of the Roundhouse. And they start off marvellously- unlike the Brixton and Hammersmith shows where things were so frantic it became more a trial than a pleasure, the venue allows one to jump around without being crushed from all directions. The band are typically vital, and their set list mixed a selection of old favourites (including a brilliant ‘Mishto!’) with material from the most recent Super Taranta album, all delivered with manic glee by irrepressible Ukrainian front man Eugene Hutz. It’s always awesome to turn around during at a Gogol gig to see the whole venue pogoing up and down, and it was no different here- the moshpit seems to encapsulate the whole venue, including the balcony…

Unfortunately, just as I thought I’d got a ‘Top 5’ show on my hands, they drop the ball completely. A cavalcade of new songs and the interminable Baro Faro (pointless without the drum-surfing, even if they intersperse it with a medley of otherwise unplayed tracks) tests the audiences patience to the limit, and not even a riotous Start Wearing Purple could revive the electric atmosphere of the first half. Fizzling out with a whimper rather than a bang, it’s a disappointing end to a show that started so damn well. Support came from the entertaining Superamazoo, a Belgian fusion of Beastie Boys and Reel Big Fish - dead cheesy but the perfect warm-up band for a band like Gogol. If more bands had a bald guy beatboxing Seven Nation Army, the world would be a much better place.

(Photo: oliver.peel (Flickr))

THE HOLD STEADY (London Roundhouse, 17/12/08)



Craig Finn could well be in with a shot for the most enthusiastic performer ever. Balding, bespectacled and on the wrong side of 35, he resembles more an amicable accountant than your traditional rock star. But get him on stage, and he’s like an over-excitable schoolchild- shuffling, dancing, bouncing, never standing still for a second. He sometimes gets so carried away, he forgets to sing into his microphone. Rarely do you see someone with such a obvious love of what he does, and his charisma carries a show that sometimes lacks in musical variety. That’s not to say that the Hold Steady don’t have a stable of fantastic bar-blues that’d do Springsteen proud, but with every song revolving around girls, drinking and the ingestion of illegal substances it does get a little samey after a while. Nonetheless, anthems like Chips Ahoy! and Sequestered in Memphis are great fun, and there’s not another keyboardist in music with as amazing a ‘tache as Franz Nicolay, the camp wine-twirling Frenchmen whose flamboyant synths give their melodies their sparkle.

(Photo: "Hoodrat" (Flickr))

In a desperate avoidance of doing anything substantial or worthwhile, I've spent the whole day submitting every gig I've ever been onto Last.Fm. Some observations:

1. I have way too much time on my hands.
2. May is always the best month for gigs.
3. Last.Fm's event search function was apparently constructed by a malevolent God who feeds upon the pain and frustration of its users.

Anyway, the full list can be found here:
http://www.last.fm/user/citizenmeh/events

THE HOLD STEADY ALMOST KILLED ME

Gogol Bordello's finished the job. *collapses*

I'll write a full review of Miroir Noir this weekend. For the time being, I'll just say it's amazing despite, rather than because of Vincent Moon and I'm now filled with such an overwhelming urge to see the Arcade Fire again I want to cry.

EMMY THE GREAT (London Pure Groove Records, 16/12/08)



It was pretty much like this but more acoustic-y. Plus she played Absentee from her Secret Circus EP which warmed the cockles of my cold, black heart.

Anyway, as I travelled back to the suburban nowheresville I call home I reflected on the large number of fantastic musical discoveries I've made over the last week. Frida Hyvonen, Marnie Stern, Alessi's Ark and Margot and the Nuclear So and So's all merit a write-up at some point but I'd particularly like to recommend Titus Andronicus, whose Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ is very late contender for song of the year. It starts off as the tinniest post-punk you've ever heard and inexplicably ends up exploding into some Pogues-meets-Sigur Ros celtic post-rock freakout. As the band would put it: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH! I'm absolutely devastated that they played the Old Blue Last month, I hope it's not too long before they return to these shores.

(Photo: Anika)

MIROIR NOIR STILL HASN'T BEEN RELEASED!

So in the meantime enjoy these fantastic videos from the BBC Maida Vale session they did last year.

HAITI



(I've seen this song performed 16 times, and this is the best I was ever blessed to see. 4:20 to the end is just so...animated)

NO CARS GO



("Women and children...LET'S GO!")

REBELLION (LIES)




I was lucky enough to attend this recording (the reason everyone's so stiff is because there's a bazillion cameras on us), and it was quite weird three days later going from this intimate little show to this:

WAKE UP (GLASTONBURY 2007)

JAMIE LIDELL (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, 14/12/08)



Jamie Lidell may hail from Cambridgeshire, but he acts like he’s from Detroit. At first glance, this unassuming, slightly nerdy Englishman doesn’t seem like a natural soul man, but this long-awaited show at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire proves that he’s no anaemic pastiche. His roots are with electronic music, although for the most part you wouldn’t be able to tell- the overwhelming air of the show is one of nostalgia, a harkening back to the soul-fuelled gospel-tinged days of Stax and Motown. Bass excepted, there’s not a guitar to be seen and apart from the electronics deck that seems to take up half the stage, you could well be forgiven for thinking you’re watching a soul tribute revue.

Whilst his band is bedecked in outlandish attire- the bearded saxophonist dressed like a 1970’s Eurovision reject; the bassist clad in Las Vegas-era Elvis gear- Lidell goes for the unfussy geek-chic look, all ruffled blazers, nerdy glasses and five-o’-clock shadow. An old-school showman of the Rat Pack variety, he’s a consummate performer-perching on the stage for the ballads, strutting by the barrier for the crowd-pleasers, handing the mic over the audience members…all very cliché, but yet so satisfying. His voice may lack show-stopping force, but a certain roughness round the edges lends his croon an authentically soulful vibe and his excellent band (including a guy who played two saxophones at the same time) do a fine job in delivering the brassy, punchy instrumentation the songs deserve.

For an act steeped in affection for the past though, it’s slightly odd that Jamie only affords the smallest nod to his own. His original live shows involved him recording several layers of vocals using a loop pedal, adding a backing beat and singing over them, but this technique is only invoked once during the set. It’s an interesting technique and shows an invention perhaps lacking from much of his other material, but isolated in the middle of the set it inevitably jars. But it’s a small quibble. Getting an London audience on a Sunday night to engage in a communal singalong is a minor miracle, but Lidell manages to do it on several occasions and being versed in the way of showmanship he leaves the best ‘til last- a rousing rendition of big hitter ‘Multiply’. One may query the ostensible lack of substance, but there’s no denying the guys got style.

Supports Fujiya and Miyagi also deserve a quick mention- I was slightly underwhelmed by their headline show at Bush Hall earlier this year, but they really seemed to find their groove this time round. They’ve got the air of a Parisien dance act (their bassist looks a bit like Jean Reno), with their hushed, sardonic vocal delivery and funkier-than-thou basslines, but they actually hail from the less exotic environs of Brighton. The lyrics aren’t exactly Dylan- “Vanilla, Strawberry, Knickerbocker Glory” won’t ever worry the Novello Prize judges- but they add a tongue-in-cheek levity that doesn’t always come across in their otherwise straight-laced performance.

(Photo: Kemizzdotcom (Flickr))

THERE'S REALLY NO WAY OF ME JUSTIFYING THIS...

So we've finally reached the last gig week of the year and dear God, what a year it's been. They said I couldn't out-do 2007's absurdly mammoth roster of shows, but evidently they underestimated my intrinsic lack of willpower and general awfulness. I'll be posting my Top 40 Live Acts of 2008 over the Xmas period, but for now I present to the blogosphere what should be the comprehensive list of all the shows I've been to this year:

17/01/08: JIM NOIR (w/ The 586; Sir Simon)- London Borderline
21/01/08: MORRISSEY (w/ Girl In A Coma)- London Roundhouse
24/01/08: REVERE (w/ Wojtek Godzisz; Kaiko)- London
Luminaire
29/01/08: STARS (w/ Apostle of Hustle; The Thurston Revival)- London Koko
30/01/08: EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY (w/ Eluvium)- London Astoria
31/01/08: MAKE MODEL (w/ Man From Michael; Trail)- London Water Rats

05/02/08: OKKERVIL RIVER (w/ Jay Jay Pistolet; Rachel Unthank And The Winterset)- London Scala
06/02/08: BLACK KIDS (w/ The Author; Cage The Elephant)- London Water Rats
08/02/08: RACHEL UNTHANK AND THE WINTERSET (w/ Jaymay)- London Borderline
09/02/08: POLYSICS (w/ Cutting Pink With Knives)- Islington Academy
13/02/08: BLACK FRANCIS- London Social
21/02/08: VAMPIRE WEEKEND (w/ Bobby Cook; Esser)- University of London Union
25/02/08: EELS- London Royal Festival Hall
26/02/08: ISLANDS (w Damn Shames)- Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
27/02/08: MENOMENA (w/ Land of Talk; Sky Larkin)- Kings College London Student Union
29/02/08: FINAL FANTASY (w/ Alexander Tucker and Stephen O’ Malley; Dirty Projectors; Six Organs of Admittance; Frog Eyes)- Kentish Town Forum

05/03/08: CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE (w/ Max Tundra)- London Bush Hall
06/03/08: YEASAYER (w/ Dragons of Zynth)- London Institute of Contemporary Arts
07/03/08: MARTHA WAINWRIGHT (w/ Dockers MC; Catherine Anne Davies; Monade; Piney Gir)- London Queen Elizabeth Hall
11/03/08: BROKEN RECORDS (w/ Richard Walters)- London Soho Revue Bar
13/03/08: BLACK KIDS (w/ The Magistrates) - London Institute of Contemporary Arts
19/03/08: CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE (w/ a.P.a.T.t; Harry Merry)- London Luminaire

01/04/08: PETER AND THE WOLF (US) (w/ Planet Earth)- London Luminarie
02/04/08: GOGOL BORDELLO (w/ Skindred)- Brixton Academy
04/04/08: MIRACLE FORTRESS (w/ The Joy Formidable)- London Luminaire
05/04/08: BROKEN RECORDS (w/ Vessels; Fireworks Night)- Notting Hill Arts Club
08/04/08: HOLY FUCK (w/ Free Blood)- London 100 Club
09/04/08: DEVOTCHKA (w/ Dawn Kinnard)- London Scala
10/04/08: ALASKA IN WINTER (w/ Mitch and Murray; Marianne Dissard)- London 93 Feet East
14/04/08: BJORK (w/ Leila)- Hammersmith Apollo
17/04/08: PORTISHEAD (w/ A Hawk and a Hacksaw)- Brixton Academy
19/04/08: RECORD STORE DAY (w/ Lykke Li; The Metros; Jason Molina)- London Rough Trade East
26/04/08: ANDREW BIRD (w/ Loney, Dear)- London IndigO2
29/04/08: MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND (w/ Rodney Fisher; Clare and the Reasons; Jay Jay Pistolet; Paul Frith and the Considerate Lovers)- London Luminaire

01/05/08: HEALTH (w/ Skeletons and the King of All Cities; Pre)- London Luminaire
06/05/08: DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE (w/ Clearlake)- London Electric Ballroom
07/05/08: NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS (w/ Barry Adamson)- Hammersmith Apollo
09/05/08: THAO NYUGEN AND THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN (w/ Jersey Budd) - London Luminaire
12/05/08: THE OCTOPUS PROJECT (w/ It Hugs Back; Kaputt)- London Madame JoJo’s
13/05/08: DAN LE SAC VS. SCROOBIUS PIP- London Oxford Street Zavvi
13/05/08: MAN MAN (w/ Bloodgroup; Three Trapped Tigers )- London Cargo
14/05/08: BATTLES (w/ Dirty Projectors; Fuck Buttons)- London Astoria
15/05/08: THE NATIONAL- Dublin Olympia
16/05/08: IRON AND WINE (w/ Bon Iver)- Kentish Town Forum
19/05/08: XIU XIU (w/ Chris Garneau; Telepathe; Soiled Mattress and the Springs)- University of London Union
20/05/08: JENS LEKMAN (w/ Bon Iver; Jaymay)- London Scala
21/05/08: MGMT (w/ Florence and the Machine; The Runaway Sons)- London Astoria
22/05/08: SUNSET RUBDOWN (w/ Fireworks Night)- London Luminaire
23/05/08: BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE (w/ The Brunettes)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
24/05/08: AVERAGE WHITE BAND- London Jazz Café
29/05/08: SILVER JEWS (w/ Monotonix; Port O’ Brien)- University of London Union

04/06/08: LYKKE LI (w/ Shout Out Louds)- London Cargo
05/06/08: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS (w/ Joe Gideon and the Shark; Banjo or Freakout)- London Luminaire
11/06/08: FLEET FOXES (w/ Beach House)- University of London Union
16/06/08: MELT-BANANA (w/ DJ Scotch Egg)- University of London Union
17/06/08: LIARS (w/ Deerhunter)- London Koko
20/06/08: MY BLOODY VALENTINE - London Roundhouse
24/06/08: SIGUR ROS (w/ Helgi Jonsson)- Westminster Methodist Hall
25/06/08: RADIOHEAD (w/ Bat For Lashes)- London Victoria Park
29/06/08: WHY? (w/ S.J Esau; My Sad Captains)- London Madame JoJo’s

04/07/08: O2 WIRELESS FESTIVAL (w/ Morrissey, The National (x2), Guillemots, Siouxsie, The Wombats, Dirty Pretty Things)- London Hyde Park
08/07/08: FRIGHTENED RABBIT (w/ Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit; Collapsing Cities)- London Madame JoJo’s
09/07/08: THE MAGNETIC FIELDS (w/ Darren Hanlon)- London Cadogan Hall
14/07/08: THE HOLD STEADY- London HMV Oxford Circus
14/07/08: PARTS AND LABOR (w/ Screaming Tea Party; The International)- London Corsica Studios
16/07/08: MICAH P. HINSON (w/ Absentee)- London Bush Hall
18/07/08-20/07/08: LATITUDE FESTIVAL (w/ The Godwits; The Joy Formidable; Rosie And The Goldbug; Broken Records; Slow Club; Derwyddon Dr. Gonzo; Micah P. Hinson; Bearsuit; a.P.A.t.T; British Sea Power; The Go! Team; Death Cab For Cutie; Franz Ferdinand; The Magistrates; Golden Silvers; Wild Beasts; Beth Rowley; Fanfarlo; dEUS; Seasick Steve; Elbow; Sigur Ros; Joanna Newsom; Polly Scattergood; Those Dancing Days; Noah And The Whale; Patrick Watson; Glasvegas; Okkervil River; Blondie; Interpol; Tindersticks)- Henham Park, Suffolk
23/07/08: RATATAT (w/ Micachu and the Shapes)- London Cargo

04/08/08: THE MAE SHI (w/ Dananananaykroyd)- London Old Blue Last
09/08/08: FIELD DAY FESTIVAL (w/ Of Montreal; Efterklang; Les Savy Fav; the Howling Bells; Laura Marling; Noah and the Whale; The Mae Shi, The Emperor Machine; Emma Pollock; The Magistrates;One Little Plane; Edward J. Hicks)- London Victoria Park
12/08/08: THE DODOS (w/ Collapsing Cities; Swanton Bombs)- London 100 Club
13/08/08: NINA NASTASIA (w/ O’ Death)- London Roundhouse
14/08/08: O’ DEATH (w/ Sennen; Rod Thomas)- London Cargo
18/08/08: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS (w/ Bowerbirds)- London Social
20/08/08: FUTURE OF THE LEFT (w/ Fighting With Wire; Truckers Of Husk)- London Water Rats
22/08/08: THE SMOKE FAIRIES- London Rough Trade East
23/08/08: THE HIDDEN CAMERAS (w/ The Gadsdens; Lianne Hall) - London St. Leonards Church
27/08/08: RA RA RIOT (w/ Inbetween Days; The Daves; Rocketeer)- London Water Rats
28/08/08: YACHT (w/ Sportsday Megaphone; Applicants)- London Institute of Contemporary Arts

02/09/08: SHOUT OUT LOUDS (w/ The Boy Least Likely To; Peter and the Wolf)- London 229 Bar
05/09/08: BROKEN RECORDS- (w/ The Ruling Class; Prego; Capital) London 229 Bar
06/09/08: CAMERA OBSCURA (w/ The Clientele; Frightened Rabbit; Wave Pictures; Lawrence of Arabia)- London 229 Bar
08/09/08: AKRON/FAMILY (w/ The Acorn; Hush Arbors)- London Luminaire
09/09/08: CLARE AND THE REASONS (w/ Brendan Campbell)- London Borderline
11/09/08: SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN (w/ Stagecoach; The Noughts and Crosses Band)- London Borderline
12/09/08: DOVES (w/ Manic Street Preachers)- London Royal Festival Hall
13/09/08: DEERHUNTER- London Rough Trade East
15/09/08: THE MOUNTAIN GOATS (w/ The Young Republic)- University of London Union
17/09/08: SHEARWATER (w/ The Constantines)- London Bush Hall
21/09/08: WOODPIGEON- London Rough Trade East
23/09/08: BROKEN RECORDS (w/ The Ryes)- London Luminaire
24/09/08: FUJIYA & MIYAGI (w/ Project Jenny, Project Jan)- London Bush Hall
25/09/08: THE SPINTO BAND- London Borderline
28/09/08: GET WELL SOON (w/ Hadar Manor)- London Luminaire

01/10/08: ISLANDS (w/ Lord Auch; Married To The Sea)- London Dingwalls
02/10/08: O’DEATH (w/ Bodies of Water; Frightened Rabbit)- Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
03/10/08: CONCRETE AND GLASS FESTIVAL (w/ Anni Rossi; Liz Green; Wildbirds and Peacedrums; Micachu and the Shapes; James Yuill)- London Strongroom/Café 1001/Old Blue Last
09/10/08: COLLAPSING CITIES (w/ The Hosts)- London Water Rats
13/10/08: OF MONTREAL- London Rough Trade East
15/10/08: THE DEARS- London Rough Trade East
16/10/08: OF MONTREAL (w/ Eugene McGuinness)- London Koko
17/10/08: TILLY AND THE WALL- London Pure Groove
17/10/08: JENNY LEWIS (w/ Benji Hughes)- London Koko
17/10/08: THE OUTSIDE ROYALTY (w/ The Jukebox Vandals)- London Tommy Flynn’s
18/10/08: HOLY FUCK (w/ Kelpe)- Kings College London Student Union
19/10/08: EDDI READER (w/ Lucy Wainwright Roche)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
21/10/08: MIRACLE FORTRESS (w/ Swanton Bombs)- London 93 Feet East
22/10/08: M83 (w/ The Domino State)- London Scala
24/10/08: MOGWAI (w/ Fuck Buttons; Errors)- Hammersmith Apollo
25/10/08: OLAFUR ARNALDS (w/ finn)- London Union Chapel
26/10/08: THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS (w/ Ipso Facto)- Hammersmith Apollo
28/10/08: MARTHA WAINWRIGHT (w/ Angus and Julia Stone)- London Roundhouse
30/10/08: ERIN McKEOWN (w/ Ella Edmondson)- London Green Note

04/11/08: WHY? (w/ The Dead Science; Munch Munch)- London Scala
05/11/08: RUBY SUNS (w/ A.J. Holmes; Mike Bones)- London Lexington
11/11/08: OKKERVIL RIVER (w/ The Dodos; Stars and Sons)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
13/11/08: EMMY THE GREAT- Rough Trade East
13/11/08: MERCURY REV (w/ The Howling Bells)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
18/11/08: CHAIRLIFT- Pure Groove Records
19/11/08: TV ON THE RADIO (w/ The Big Pink)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
20/11/08: SIGUR ROS (w/ For A Minor Reflection)- London Alexandra Palace
21/11/08: SIGUR ROS (w/ For A Minor Reflection)- London Alexandra Palace
22/11/08: SHEARWATER (w/ Absentee; Greg Weeks; Bird Engine)- London St. Giles-In-The-Fields Church
24/11/08: JEFFREY LEWIS- Brixton Windmill
25/11/08: I’M FROM BARCELONA (w/ Soko)- London Scala
26/11/08: WOMEN- London Pure Groove Records
27/11/08: V.V BROWN (w/ Birdpen)- London Scala
28/11/08: WOLF PARADE (w/ Dag for Dag)- Manchester Ruby Lounge
29/11/08: WOLF PARADE (w/ Giveamanakick)- Dublin Vicars Street

01/12/08: WOLF PARADE (w/ Chad VanGaalen; Dag for Dag)- London Electric Ballroom
02/12/08: DEERHOOF (w/ Underground Railroad)- University of London Union
03/12/08: DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES (w/ Hush Arbors)- London Borderline
06/12/08: THE OUTSIDE ROYALTY (w/ The Ruling Class; Molotov)- London Metro Club
07/12/08: GREGORY AND THE HAWK- London Northampton Square Bandstand
07/12/08: BON IVER (w/ Sarah Siskind)- London Victoria Apollo
09/12/08: VIVIAN GIRLS- London Rough Trade East
11/12/08: ALESSI'S ARK- London Pure Groove Records
11/12/08: RACHEL UNTHANK AND THE WINTERSET (w/ Felix Lajko)- London Union Chapel
12/12/08: M83- London St. Giles Church
14/12/08: JAMIE LIDELL (w/ Fujiya & Miyagi)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
16/12/08: EMMY THE GREAT- London Pure Groove Records
17/12/08: THE HOLD STEADY (w/ The Mark Inside)- London Roundhouse
18/12/08: GOGOL BORDELLO (w/ DJ Pedro)- London Roundhouse
19/12/08: MUMFORD AND SONS- Pure Groove Records

UN! DEUX! TROIS! DIS: MIROIR NOIR!



(See the full-sized image here, it's pretty amazing.)


Today sees the digital release of Arcade Fire documentary "Miroir Noir," which details the making of their 2007 album 'Neon Bible'. The 70 minute film is directed by long-time AF collaborator Vincent Morriset, with cinematography courtesy of Vincent Moon of Takeaway Shows fame. A DVD release will also be available, due to be shipped at the beginning of 2009. Needless to say, I'm rather looking forward to getting home tonight!

Also, just found out She and Him (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward) are playing Coachella. HOORAY!

ANDREW BIRD- NOBLE BEAST



Whilst demolishing my review backlog this morning, I took the opportunity to listen to the new Andrew Bird album. And what I can say- it's sublime. Yeah, there's less violin and whistling on this one, but because he employs them more sparingly they're much more effective. It's a more subtle album than the brilliant Armchair Apocrypha, but there's more going on under the surface and in many ways it reminded me of the measured lusciousness of Department of Eagles. Some have expressed a slight disappointment at the lack of killer hooks, but there's far more to these songs than that- they may not be instantly catchy like, say, Plasticities but they're even more satisfying. Plus he manages to sustain the awesomeness through the entirety of the album, unlike AA which tailed off heavily at the end. I'm actually over-awed- the Bird-Man has outdone himself again.

M83 (London St. Giles-In-The-Fields Church, 12/12/08)



Listening to M83 is like being trapped in the end credit sequence of a John Hughes movie, all shamelessly bombastic 80’s synths and ethereal Beach House vocals underpinned with powerhouse drums straight out of Genesis. It’s a huge, immersive sound, and one that’s a perfect fit for St. Giles, a venue noted for its fabulous acoustics. It takes a while for the show to get going- the first twenty minutes had main man Anthony Gonzalez performing solo, his preferred style being slow-burning atmospheric layering of synths which, whilst interesting, lacked the kick of their poppier work. But once the band joined him, they bewitched all and sundry with the same musical intensity they showed at the Scala in October- Kim and Jessie, Skin Of The Night and We Own The Sky all sounding celestially epic reverberating around the vaunted arches of the venue. The coloured lights added a visual dimension lacking from their previous London show, and the setlist was welcomely tweaked- no Graveyard Girl, but they played a lot more from their previous albums. Shame that no-one started dancing for the fantastically raved-up closer Couleurs (apart from one guy who was swiftly pulled back down to the pews by his embarrassed girlfriend), but it was pretty special experience nonetheless.

(Photo: Littlepants (Flickr))

RACHEL UNTHANK AND THE WINTERSET (London Union Chapel, 11/12/08)



There’s not enough clog-dancing at gigs. This is a sentiment likely to be shared by all that witnessed the Northumberland Mercury Prize nominee’s characteristically impressive show at London’s elegant Union Chapel, where the sisters Unthank engaged in some lively traditional folk dances to accompany their set highlight ’Lousy Cutter’. The name of the band’s a bit of a misnomer- although Rachel is the ringleader of sorts her sister Becky is just as much the star of the show, lending her more distinctive, husky vocals to the likes of Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk, a gorgeous piano ballad with a touch of Danny Elfman about it. The set’s pretty similar to their previous London shows, complete with Becky’s Robert Wyatt cover and a Shetland folk song performed without amplification (which brilliantly showed off the wonderful acoustics of the venue) but in honour of the occasion they added an festive song written by their father which was fantastically complimented by the twinkling Christmas trees and rings of flickering candles that adorned the church. Normally I wouldn’t touch trad folk with a bargepole, but anyone witnessing their rousing communal sing-along closer “Fareweel Regality” couldn’t help but be swept away by their charismatic twists on a traditional formula.

I’d also like to mention support Felix Lajko, whose self-indulgent showboating may have got pretty dull after 40 minutes, but dear God he knows how to play a violin. I’d sell my soul to be half as good a violinist as he is…

(Photo: Bart Wee (Flickr))

ALESSI’S ARK (London Pure Groove Records, 09/12/08)



Wow. I often don’t bother to write about in-stores I’ve been to, but 18-year old Alessi is clearly a star in the making. A reviewer described her as ‘Britain’s answer to Jenny Lewis’ which is true in that’s she’s a charismatic- and, ahem, rather good-looking- strawberry blonde but the more overriding comparisons are Chan Marshall, mentalist UK folkie Liz Green and Joanna Newsom. Her songs are typical anti-folk fare, solid but without particular standouts, but her voice is really something- imagine a softer, less abrasive version of Newsom’s. What’s more, she’s blessed with a quirky confidence and endearingly eccentric sense of humour that charmed everyone present- a real stand-out character in a scene full of identikit acoustic singer-songwriters. An excellent little showcase for her talents, and I hope to see her perform again soon.

(Photo: Paul Newton (Flickr))

VIVIAN GIRLS (London Rough Trade East, 09/12/08)



Pipettes go Punk. Says it all really.

(Picture: John Allison (ScaryGoRound))

BON IVER (London Apollo Victoria Theatre, 07/12/08)



Spearheading the Americana revival along with Fleet Foxes, 2008’s biggest success story has seen Wisconsin folkie Justin Vernon work his way from London’s miniscule Social (audience capacity: 100) to the mammoth Apollo Victoria Theatre (audience capacity: 2000+) in the space of just six months. And let’s be fair, his meteoric rise is well-deserved. Although I never fell head-over-heels in love with “For Emma, Forever Ago,” his magical support set for Iron and Wine- his first ever London show- saw him enrapture an audience of 2500 with such effortless ease that it was clear from the outset he could handle a headline slot of this size without breaking a sweat.

But tonight, something went slightly awry. As brilliant as it was at times (and set-pieces like Skinny Love and the mass-audience harmonies of Wolves), much of the set reflected an unfortunate disdain for the simple elegance that propelled him to this position in the first place. To play only one song solo was a mistake; whilst his band are fantastic, much of his appeal lies with the forlorn sparseness of his arrangements and the two drum-kit set up was just too forceful for the material. His latest EP ‘Blood Bank’ was performed in its entirety; whilst it’s naturally welcome to hear new material it simply isn’t as strong as the ‘For Emma’ stuff, with only the balls-out rock of the title track truly standing out. And although the scarcity of material was always going to limit the length of his show, few would dispute it was disappointingly brief. Perhaps I’m being harsh- it was still a very good performance- but it just lacked that je ne sai quoi that made his previous shows so special.

Venue was great though- grandoise Art Deco stylings, high quality lighting and a giant mechanical dragon from the musical ‘Wicked’ which was pretty cool, albeit slightly out of place…

(Photo: 12thOctave (Flickr))

THE OUTSIDE ROYALTY (London Metro Club, 06/12/08)



It’s always a pleasure to see The Outside Royalty. Britain’s second-best up-and-coming band never fail to impress, and their rollocking synth-fuelled chamber pop sounds ever more polished each time I see them. Their songwriting still doesn’t quite match the scope of their ambition, but their vivacious performance and excellent musicianship should finally see them get the success they richly deserve once their debut is out next year (and as always, their cover of Eleanor Rigby rocked my fucking socks off.) The night also saw sets by Molotov who failed to set much alight with their sub-Libertines-meets-Vampire Weekend mimsery and The Ruling Class, whose slavish devotion the early-90’s Madchester scene works both for and against them- they sound admirably authentic, but with one of their songs 95% lifted from The Stone Roses’ Waterfall, one might feel their taking their hero worship a leetle too far.

(Photo: John Gleeson)

DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES (London Borderline, 03/12/08)



‘In Ear Park’, as I detailed extensively in a previous post, is one of my favourite albums of 2008- the luscious arrangements, classic songwriting and evocative wall-of-sound production is pure manna for the ears. This succinct, stripped-down set (their first proper show in Europe) was an intriguing teaser into Dan Rossen’s talents, albeit one that couldn’t possibly live up to my expectations. Laid-back and chatty, the duo were quite honest about how this was more an attempt to work out their live arrangements rather than a fully-formed show and much of their performance was pretty rough around the edges, although their formidable talents always shone through. Without the layers of orchestration a few of the songs were always going to seem diminished, although they did some amazing loop-pedal stuff on a new song which bodes well for the future. A solid set, but I’d kill to see them with a full band.

(Photo: SUPERSWEET Magazine (Flickr))

DEERHOOF (University of London Union, 02/12/08)



A lot of my friends loathe Deerhoof. They’re definitely the kind of band that splits opinion- yelping vocals, time signatures irregular to the point of non-existent and a thoroughly avant-garde approach to genre and song structure. But on the evidence of this rare London show, it’s clear my friends are wrong. Really wrong. Redolent of a genteel, less combative relative of Melt-Banana, the intensely bouncy four-piece delivered an eclectic and demented mix of traditional rock and glitchy Battles-esque percussive experimentalism. And like that aforementioned Brooklyn quartet, their technical skills are awe-inspiring to behold - all members of the band acquit themselves superbly, but it’s the virtuoso display of technical drumming by Julian Rhind-Tutt lookalike Greg Saunier (whose shares a conspicuously similar surname to Our Lord and Saviour John Stanier) that truly dazzles. Keeping it short and sweet with a set lasting just over an hour, they don’t outstay their welcome and though I’m not convinced their unusual charms work nearly as well on record, as a live band they’re a minor revelation.

(Photo: Alan Bee (Flickr))

WOLF PARADE (Manchester Ruby Lounge/Dublin Vicar’s Street/London Electric Ballroom)



I’ve never properly followed a band around the British Isles before. Even with the Arcade Fire I generally stuck to London with the odd excursion, but with Wolf Parade making their first appearance on these shores for three years I thought I might as well make the most of it. Plus, that motley group of weirdos from Us Kids Know have a tendency to WP fandom, so I knew I’d be in good company throughout.

The first date on the tour was at Manchester’s Ruby Lounge, by far the smallest of the three venues. Not a bad little place- not as good as Night and Day in the league of Mancunian gig locations (the stage is way too low) but it’s the perfect place to get up close and personal to a band. I’m From Barcelona had played there four days previously, as evidenced by the red confetti that periodically dislodged from various crevices around the stage- I would have totally loved to have seen them there! Support came from Scandinavians Dag for Dag, who impressed with their energetic Cold War Kids-esque bass-heavy indie rock (they also opened in London; Irish ‘acoustic metallers’ Give A Man A Kick did the duty in Dublin)- if they were playing somewhere cheap in London, I’d probably go and see them again.


(Photo: Spidey)

Then for the main attraction- and fuck me, they didn’t disappoint. They opened, as on the debut, with You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son- a perfect choice, as it got the crowd on-side from the get-go. A slight fallow patch followed, with a few middling songs slowing the pace but then they played Dear Sons of Daughters of Hungry Ghosts. OH. MY. GOD. I’d been waiting so long to hear that song live, and it seems like everyone in the venue felt the same way because the audience went COMPLETELY FUCKING APESHIT. I mean seriously, I’ve not been in a hotter, sweatier mosh pit since I last saw Gogol Bordello. Dan Boecker, the skinniest man in indie-rock seemed completely taken aback by the reaction, LORD OF MEN Spencer just looked a bit bemused (although that’s just his way.) But it set the atmosphere that wouldn’t diminish for the rest of the gig. Sure, things generally calmed a bit down for the Mt. Zoomer material (except for a rollicking rendition of Language City) but there wasn’t a moment where someone wasn’t jumping around like a loon. Shine A Light was fun, This Heart’s On Fire caused mass vocal-chord damage to all present but it was the encore of I’ll Believe in Anything and a super-pumped version of Fancy Claps that heralded ultimate insanity. Even without electronics-manipulator Hadji (who’s left the band to finish his Ph.D), it all sounded as good as I could have hoped, and although the band aren’t the most communicative everyone was more than happy to let the music do the talking. Yup, it was pretty brilliant.



After a quick drink with the UKK crew and five hours sleep I headed to Manchester Airport for the next stage of my Krug stalkery. On route I bumped into Wolf Parade forumer AUV (Ulriika, she of the awesome Finnish/Glaswegian hybrid accent) so we ended up travelling to Dublin together and spent an hour or so exploring Temple Bar before I was collected by my Irish compatriots. Quite a gang had amassed in Dublin for the show- as well as the natives, five of us Brits came over and we also had envoys from Sweden (Joel) and the US of A (Jess) and we spent the day wandering around the capital and the seaside town of Bray before making our way to Vicars Street for another dose of Canadian goodness. Really liked the place- I wish our venues had chairs around the side so people in the stalls can have a sit-down if they wish, although being four times bigger than the Ruby Lounge it lacked in intimacy. Shame the audience wasn’t as good. I thought an Irish crowd on a Saturday would be totally up for it, but apart from the last two songs the only people going mental was the ‘absurdly enthusiastic’ (genuine blogger quote) weirdos at the front…*embarrassed cough* Same setlist as Manchester, and indeed London but no complaints there- they couldn’t have improved it much, and the encore triggered the absolute pandemonium so sorely lacking from the rest of the show.


(Photo: Ulriika)

Of course, the gig was just a small part of the Irish experience; I shan’t go into too much detail in order to spare the remaining shreds of dignity of all concerned but highlights included:

-Watching American Jess recklessly strutting and twirling around every lamp-post in Dublin whilst adamantly claiming she wasn’t drunk.
-Carrying Tom through the streets of Dublin whilst singing ‘Tunnels’
-Myriad attempts to formulate a workable harmonica choir rendition of ‘Wake Up’
-Toasts to DAVID FUCKING KITT
-Joel‘s constant refrain: “I HATE fucking Battles- BOOM BOOM BOOM”
-The bewildering sugar-to-nutrition ratio of American food-stuffs
-THE BEST PIZZA PARLOUR IN THE WORLD (complete with entirely random nightclub playing JOURNEY and BON JOVI)


(Photo: John Gleeson)

But yes, it was all great fun. And then I returned to London for Show Number 3. It couldn’t have been different to Spencer’s last gig in the big city with Sunset Rubdown- the atmosphere there was religiously reverential, as if we were witnessing some special, one-of-a-kind event. This time, it was essentially a repeat of the mental Manchester gig, but on a larger scale. Rarely have I seen a London crowd show such enthusiasm for a band- and with the performance even more formidable than previous nights (the Mt Zoomer stuff especially standing out) it was any measure the best show of the three. Shame there wasn’t any special treats thrown in (the following shows in Belgium got a Bob Dylan cover) but it was all so exhilarating I wasn’t overly fussed. An amazing three nights which more than justified expense of gallivanting around the country- let’s just hope they don’t leave another three years until the next tour…

ANDREW BIRD- NOBLE BEASTS

Has leaked. Not had a chance to listen yet, but I'll post my thoughts tomorrow.

Dear Ticketmaster,

My debit card not good enough for you eh? It worked perfectly fine for fucking Ticketweb when I bought my Of Montreal ticket five minutes later but you were all like, oh no, let's decline Adam's card for no fucking apparent reason so he can't go see M. Ward in February.

And no, I don't want to marry you.

Thanks,

Adam


UPDATE:

Dear Seetickets,

Never thought I'd say this, but thanks for saving the day.

Ta,

Adam

Dear Lady from Alessi's Ark

Please marry me

Thanks,

Adam

A GOOD DAY

It's been a most satisfactory day. I was congratulated at our group's Xmas lunch for being 'hard-working' (LOL) and 'very helpful' and got presented with a copy of Plan B magazine (complete with CD containing Of Montreal and Asobi Seksu remixes) which I was frankly amazed at, given that I work in a office of Nickleback fans; I also received two High School Musical badges to add to my collection, which I'll wear with all the pride and dignity Zac Efron and his minions of bastardry deserve. Then, because we're being moved to another floor this weekend we all got to scoot off an hour early, meaning I can see the Alessi's Ark* instore at Pure Groove tonight, and to cap it all off I get a text from Fiona telling me to check out:

http://www.miroir-noir.com

which has made me so very, very happy. This better come out soon!

Then work Xmas party and M83 at St. Giles tomorrow, the free Johnny Foreigner show at RoTA on Saturday (starts 4pm at Notting Hill Arts Club, but get there early as it's going to be packed) and Jamie Lidell at Shepherd's Bush on Sunday. I may even have some time to deal with my seventeen gazillion review backlog, but I'll probably get distracted by The Sopranos again. *starts humming Alabama 3*


*as recommended by Chalky and Anika

V.V. BROWN (London Scala, 27/10/08)



OK, so technically the night’s headliner was Norwegian pop-punk Ida Maria but a combination of crushing fatigue and lukewarm reviews of her previous shows enticed me to make an early break. But I did get the chance to see hotly-tipped London songstress V.V Brown before I headed off homewards, an experience that made the trip almost worth it. A vivacious, enchanting performer with a slight hint of Macy Gray huskiness , her retro-tinged songs may not always do her obvious talent justice (a ballad called ‘I Love You’? For God’s sake, you could try a little harder…) but she’s got that natural star quality that’s likely to see her play venues much, much larger than this in the not-so-distant future. That’s a lot more than can be said for Birdpen, who left such little impression on me I can’t remember bugger all about them.

(Photo: Nadine Ballantyne (Flickr))

I'M FROM BARCELONA (London Scala, 25/11/08)



FULL REVIEW HERE

(Photo: John Gleeson)

A VOYEUR OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS (HYDE) PARKLIFE

Blur are playing a reunion show at Hyde Park on 3rd July 2009. Tickets go on sale 9am Friday. WOOHOO!

DARK WAS THE NIGHT

Going to start catching up on reviews and such-like tomorrow, but I just received this press release that contains VERY EXCITING NEWS:

DARK WAS THE NIGHT
(A Red Hot compilation)
full artist list + release date confirmed
album cover finalised


On the occasion of WORLD AIDS DAY today, December 1st, we are very pleased to
announce the official release date, complete list of participating artists and cover art
for the upcoming 4AD release Dark Was The Night.

Dark Was The Night will be released on February 16th, 2009 (17th in US). Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National produced the album, and John Carlin, the founder of the Red Hot
Organization was the executive producer. A total of 32 exclusive tracks have been
recorded for the compilation. It will be available as a double cd/triple vinyl/download
and will benefit the Red Hot Organization - an international charity dedicated to raising
funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS. Red Hot was founded on the premise that even
without a cure, AIDS remains a preventable disease – and music is a great vehicle to
raise money and awareness for it.


This is the 20th year of Red Hot, and this is the 20th release!


The complete list of artists (in alphabetical order) that recorded tracks for this release is:


Andrew Bird
Antony + Bryce Dessner
Arcade Fire (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Beach House
Beirut
Blonde Redhead + Devastations
Bon Iver
Bon Iver & Aaron Dessner
The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
Buck 65 Remix (featuring Sufjan Stevens
and Serengeti)
Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues
The Decemberists
Dirty Projectors + David Byrne
Kevin Drew
Feist + Ben Gibbard
Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear + Feist
Iron & Wine
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Kronos Quartet
Stuart Murdoch
My Brightest Diamond
My Morning Jacket
The National
The New Pornographers
Conor Oberst & Gillian Welch
Riceboy Sleeps
Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio)
Spoon
Sufjan Stevens
Yeasayer
Yo La Tengo

Oh. My. God. New songs by Sufjan Stevens, the New Pornos, The National, Grizzly Bear, Feist, The Decemberists, Bon Iver, Beach House, Beirut and Andrew Bird already make this the definition of an essential purchase, but a brand new track from ARCADE FIRE?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!!??!?? *hyperventilates and faints at desk* And plus it's all for charity, so you get both a mind-blowing collection of music and an opportunity to help people who need it the most. ULTIMATE WIN.

SING: IT'S IN GOD'S HANDS, BUT GOD DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE THE BEST GODDAMN PLANS...

It's 10.20am on Sunday, and apart from an hour's kip on the plane back I've had no sleep since 5am Saturday morning so I'll keep this short for now. My jaunt to Manchester and Dublin to see Wolf Parade was bloody fantastic and I wish I had the time/money to spend more time travelling with good friends to see awesome shows.

Yeah, I know I said I wouldn't have time to update before I buggered off north, but two quick things:

i) Attention Chalky: Dengue Fever are playing the Scala on 18th June 2009!

ii) Fee Fie Foe Fum at the Cargo (involving the likes of Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons) has unsurprisingly sold out, which is bloody annoying as every time I tried to buy a ticket this morning the site kept on crashing. Only hope is to beg for a guestlist spot, I suppose. GRRRRR.

ANDREW BIRD- 'Noble Beast'

According to the NME, it's out on January 20th 2009. A 2-CD limited edition will also be available, containing collaborations with Glenn Kotche and Todd Sickafoose.

END COMMUNICATION.

WALTZ WITH BASHIR





So tonight, I went with one of my best friends to see the Israeli animated documentary 'Waltz With Bashir', which recounts director Ari Forman's attempts to unlock his 'lost memories' of the Lebanon War of 1982. Although he fought in Beirut as a 19-year old recruit, Forman realised he had no recollection of the events that transpired there and thus he began to interview old comrades to find out what really happened. It's a utterly stunning achievement- fascinating, illuminating, deeply emotional and commendably even-handed. The rotoscoped animation gives a dream-like, almost surrealistic air that serves only to enhance the horrors being recounted, taking what could have been quite a dry retelling of the Sabra and Shatila massacres and turning it into something acutely memorable. It's pretty harrowing at times, so if you like your subject matter light and frothy I shouldn't see this but personally, I couldn't recommend it highly enough. Certainly left me on a bit of a downer though- it's like the anti-I'm From Barcelona.

Anyhoo, with Ida Maria on Thursday, Wolf Parade in Manchester on Friday, Wolf Parade in Dublin on Saturday and a trip down to my esteemed (HA!) hometown of Watford on Sunday, probably no more updates this week. Have fun, y'all!

WOMEN (London Pure Groove Records, 26/11/08)




Women are perplexing, bemusing and damaged my eardrums. The band weren't great either (ba-dum-chsssssh!) Think Dirty Projectors without the harmonies or the falsetto warbling of giraffe-neck man and you're basically there. A couple of Frog Eyes-go-rock passages worked well but they were generally more memorable for their exceptional loudness than their musical talents.

THE RETURN OF BLUR

According to an interview with Damon Albarn on XFM, 90's brit-pop legends Blur are in the process of reforming. Still early days- they're just jamming together to see if it'll work- but that'd be a reunion show I'd pay good money to see. Plus it might encourage Jarvis Cocker to do the decent thing and resurrect Pulp, which would be the BEST. THING. EVER.

I HAVE BUILT A TREEHOUSE, I HAVE BUILT A TREEHOUSE, NOBODY CAN SEE US, FOR IT'S A YOU AND ME HOUSE...



Giant balloons, mustachioed Swedes, mentalist Frenchwomen with songs about wet dreams, people falsely claiming to be Ben, pogoing, my exceptional singing skills, SHOCKING revelations, reckless arm-waving, CB's cleavage/confetti interface schemes and general across-the-board madness...yup, tonight's I'm From Barcelona show was bloody fantastic and once I've got a night in I'll try to write a review that does it justice.

(Photo: Anika)

JEFFREY LEWIS (Brixton Windmill, 24/11/08)



Wow, it's been quite a while since I've been to Brixton- I suppose after working there for a year I'd had enough of its mentalist street evangelists, blase drug dealers and curious mix of vibrant multi-culturalism and inescapable low-level menace for the foreseeable future. But events transpired to bring me back there today (despite the best efforts of influenza, asthma and two-hour (!!!) tube delays) for an excellent early-evening show by lo-fi indie troubadour Jeffrey Lewis.

His voice is never going to win awards, but Lewis' endearingly scattershot approximation of the notes he's supposed to be hitting fits perfectly with his similarly ramshackle attitude to song-writing. One of the grand old men of the New York anti-folk scene, typified by their focus on quirky, often surreal lyrics and subject matters, he wittily sums up his range of his oeuvre as "morose introspection, or animals." The melodies themselves are simple (although Stanley Brinks of Herman Dune fame is on hand to add a little extra depth) but they're ulimately unimportant- for Lewis, it's all about the words. And whether they concern love or more esoteric topics he infuses them with his trademark wit and creativity, making them more short stories put to music than 'songs' in the classical folk sense. A couple of Crass covers (from his recent LP consisting of nothing but) are particularly well received, but the highlights were, as always, when Lewis unleashed his formidable cartooning skills. Last time I saw him, he delivered a fantastic illustrated lesson on Mao's Long March which was both illuminating and hilarious and today he gave two similar examples of his genius. Early in the set, he gave us a short, minute-long 'documentary' about the life of Obama, where he succinctly summarised the President-elect's career via the medium of an beautifully illustrated A3 sketch pad and a spoken word poem; later on we received his skewed (although, alas, unfinished) take on the film-noir genre which included a memorable and perhaps unique instance of saxophone sex. Quite.

Unfortunately, time constraints meant he could only perform for a touch over 45 minutes (he played a more substantial set later than evening, which both CB and Anika attended) but despite the show's brevity, it was well worth the significant stress involved in trekking there. The man's quite possibly a genius, and I'll definitely have to be more on-the-ball when his next shows go on sale- three quarters of an hour in Jeffrey Lewis' company just ain't enough.

A MAN WHO PUTS US ALL TO SHAME




After more than 5,000 gigs over 35 years, rock fan Ray Morrissey can claim to be Britain's most prolific concert-goer.

On piles of notebook pages in Mr Morrissey's front room, thousands of gigs are listed, one per line, all with a mark out of 10 circled at the end.

And stacks of diaries have more details of the shows, three or four a week - what they were like, what they played, who was there.

Continued....

My flatmate Facebooked me the following:

"His coat has more buttons and stuff than yours, therefore, I am inviting him to move into your bedroom and become new Adam to replace you."

I am distraught.

HOPE OF THE STATES: A RETROSPECTIVE



So Hope of the States- the band that started it all. In 2004 I was a fresh-faced first-year student at the University of York, already dabbling in slightly more obscure stuff than my nu-metal loving compatriots when I read a review by John Earls concerning an exciting up-and-coming Chichester six-piece that had produced the best first demo of any band he’d heard in all his years as a music critic. My interest piqued, I investigated further- I purchased this band’s first single “The Red, The White, The Black, The Blue” on the day of release and the rest, as they say is history. For the first time, I had discovered the thrill of knowing about a band that was still bubbling under the radar, a band of quite exceptional talent that in a fair world would be playing arenas by now. I bought their debut ‘The Lost Riots’ the day it came out, heard The Black Amnesiacs and felt my jaw drop to the floor; a month later I went to my first ‘proper’ London gig- I don’t count the Red Hot Chilli Peppers- at the Electric Ballroom and came to realise quite how breathtaking live music could be. In essence, it’s their fault (along with Arcade Fire) that I’ve spent almost £5000 on gigs over the last four and a half years, and I’m eternally grateful for it.

So what did they sound like? Perhaps you’d call them an orchestral take on Radiohead, with a touch of the celestial soundscapes of Sigur Ros, the post-rock grandeur of Mogwai and the unabashed bombast of Muse. They were ambitious, epic, unashamedly emotional and not even Sam Herhily’s vocals (more often than note a gargled, tuneless monotone) could scupper their brilliance. ‘The Lost Riots’ to this day remains one of my favourite records of all time- it has a couple of duff tracks, but it also has ‘Black Dollar Bills,’ the song that most perfectly captures everything I loved about them, the sweeping scope, the gorgeous post-rock build-ups, the tinnitus-inducing guitars at the end.

But foremost, they remain the best ’rarities’ band I’ve ever encountered. Whilst their big-name record company was pressuring them to go for a mainstream demographic (ultimately leading to the poppier, radio-friendly sophomore effort ‘Left‘) Hope of the States were busy beavering away at far more left-field compositions. Take the 40 minute instrumentals of the Dust Rackets (leaked by the band with permission to distribute to others in CD form, but not online) or their formidable collection of B-sides that showed an experimental side brutally shorn from their ‘official’ material. Indeed, the name of this very blog is taken from a song released on their rare L’Ark Pour Les Enfants Terrible EP, of which only 500 were ever made and were given out to the first 50 people at each date of their Autumn 2004 tour. It’s a truly awesome collection of music, and I recall many happy hours listening to it as I revised for my Politics exams.

Their efforts were all in vain, of course. HOTS never really recovered from the death of original guitarist Jimmy Lawrence (who hung himself in their studio just after they recorded The Lost Riots) and ‘Left’ was a commercial and critical failure- which is a shame, because it wasn't too bad at all; Forwardirekton was one of the best things they ever did. The band played their last show at Reading 2006 before splitting amicably, with Sam subsequently forming a post-rock outfit “Troubles” and violinist Big Mike offering his services to Lightspeed Champion. I live in hope for a reunion someday- I know loads of people who’d love them to tour again- but even if they don’t, I’ll always have the memories of the four times I was lucky enough to see them.

And that’s not the whole story- I could mention the efforts they put into their physical releases (the Black Dollar Bills single coming in a hessian bag, L’Ark Pour Les Enfants Terrible hand-bound in twine), the evocative projection and video work from Type2Error and their still-active fan forum, which gave me my first insight into the often terrifying world of online musical communities. But for now, I'll leave you with the video to Black Dollar Bills:



and a link to their fan website, which has free downloads of their B-sides and rarities (including the song A Heart Can Stop A Bullet):

http://www.hopeofthestates.com/tempmedia.php

(Photo: BrokenWindows.org)

SHEARWATER (London St. Giles-in-the-Fields Church, 22/11/08)



Well, that was pretty special. In a week consisting of long-awaited gigs by TVOTR and Sigur Ros, I often found myself forgetting about this intimate show at London’s lovely St. Giles church but in the event it proved itself to be more than a match for those heavy-hitters.

Despite what I’d been led to believe, Woodpigeon weren’t actually supporting but the organisers compensated for their absence by selecting a roster of similarly high-calibre folksters to tide us by. I only caught the last song by Brighton’s macabre Bird Engine, but his striking voice had carried to the front lobby and had immediately piqued my interest- shame I didn’t see more. Texan Greg Weeks and his all-female band were pretty decent too, their folk-pop buoyed by some stunning harmonies and it was once again a pleasure to witness the excellent Absentee in action. His grizzled, subterranean vocals rumbled arrestingly through their delicate, harmonic folk, rendered in a more acoustic vein than on previous occasions and much better for it.

But then came forth Shearwater, who proceeded to blow all that had come before out of the fucking water. On The Death of The Waters was exactly what an opener should be- an awe-inspiring statement of intent that leaves no doubt in your mind that this band means BUSINESS. When halfway through the fragile piano balladry suddenly erupts into a massive, cacophonous blast of sound- huge, fuzzy guitar chords, trumpets, Jon Meiburg pounding the vintage ivories like a man possessed- I was almost knocked off my pew (which, incidentally, wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as you wusses were making out) by the sheer force of it. And thus a benchmark was set that the band consistently matched- occasionally the melodies were slighter than the arrangements that supported them but for the most part they constantly and continuously impressed. Meiburg’s fey falsetto, reminiscent of Anthony Hegarty’s can become somewhat trying on record, but it’s flawless live, a perfect match for the acoustic brilliance of the venue, the intricacies of their songwriting and the incredible variety of the instrumentation on offer. Not content with restricting themselves to cellos, pianos, trumpets, drums, glockenspiels, acoustic and electric guitars, clarinets and melodicas, chandelier-swinging Norse deity THOR adds a couple of toys of his own devising to the mix. One is a self-made string instrument hewn a rough piece of wood, the other an eerie, ethereal sounding device called the ‘waterphone’.



As imparted to CB, John and myself after the show by THOR himself, the waterphone was invented by a man called Richard Waters in California back in the 70’s and uses water to bend the pitch, creating an effect not too dissimilar to Sigur Ros’ e-bowing technique, except sharper and more metallic. The actual instrument used by THOR was actually made by him and his welder housemate, which I thought was pretty cool.

And to cap it all off, they even made me enjoy the work of Clinic with a stunning cover of “Tomorrow”- a minor miracle, all things considered! A brilliant performance that with any justice should see Shearwater start to shake off the ‘Okkervil River side-project’ tag and establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with in their own right- because on the evidence here, they might well be the superior band.

THREE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D





I make no apologies for being ridiculously excited about this, I'm From Barcelona's ULU gig was the most out-and-out fun gig I've ever been to- I had uncontrollable giggles for a good 15 minutes after the gig had finished, something that's never happened before or since. Now all I have to do is dig out my kazoo...

EDIT: Just found my original review of the ULU show. I laugh at my youthful naivety,- "oh no, three gigs in three days! I want my mummy! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!"

SIGUR ROS (London Alexandra Palace, 21/10/08)




Exactly the same deal as Thursday, with three exceptions:

i) More songs- they added Glosoli to the setlist.

ii) More volume- not too much, but you could definitely tell the difference.

iii) More water- they extended the 'waterfall' effect during Saeglopur and used it again during the first part of the mega crescendo in Untitled 8, evoking the old silk screen used on the Takk tour. Possibly the best rendition of that song I've ever seen, which given it's my favourite closer in the whole of gig-dom is something pretty fucking special.

Also bumped into the Radiohead-loving couple from last night (whose devotion to combining gigs and journeying to exotic places is an inspiration to us all), a Scottish guy I met at the Westminster show and at Those Dancing Days at Latitude, two teenagers who came up from the South Coast to the big city to whom I imparted valuable knowledge about London gig venues and everyone's favourite guerilla gig photographer Crazy Bobbles. I love being able to go to gigs and get chatting to fellow obsessees- nowadays it's half the fun!

Anyway, I should probably get all this confetti out of my hair before I go to bed- I was still finding the stuff for weeks after the Westminster gig.


(Photo: John Gleeson)

SIGUR ROS (London Alexandra Palace, 20/11/08)


(Hafsol Photo: Shimelle (Flickr))

Sigur Ros at Ally Pally could have gone so wrong. Gigs at that wind-swept aircraft carrier in the far north of the Piccadilly Line aren’t renowned for their atmosphere, depth of sound or quality of audiences- and with the ethereal Icelanders stripped down from a 14-man (and woman) all-singing, all-dancing retinue to their original four-piece incarnation it could have been a car-crash in motion. But they didn’t let me down. Oh no.

Like most of their shows, it started off slow. Perhaps too slow. The gorgeous Sven-f-englar plucked so memorably at my heart-strings back in June, but it didn’t quite work tonight- came across a bit hollow and stiffly-performed. It certainly wasn’t the fault of the sound, which was EXCEPTIONAL by Ally Pally standards, nor the quality of Jonsi’s voice which was absolutely beautiful, even more so than unusual. An excellent Ny Batteri was an early highlight, showcasing Sigur Ros’ more traditional post-rock leanings but they then moved onto some material from the new album, none of which was bad by any means but lacked the spark of their older, more intricate material. But once they‘d got that out of the way, Sigur Ros proceeded to remind me why they’re my second favourite band in the whole wide world.


(Saeglopur Photo: Shimelle (Flickr))

Saeglopur was the best I’ve ever heard it, accompanied by this fantastic effect whereby a thin ‘waterfall’ descended from the rigging, creating something akin to a silk-screen in front of the band; lights were then shone upon it producing a dream-like haze that perfectly complimented the twinkly glockenspiel-led heart of the song. Hafsol too was brilliant, Jonsi *obliterating* his bow with his frantic, 500-strokes-a-minute e-bowing during its ever-accelerating climax (my friend was the happy recipient of the remains). This was the song I was most concerned the lack of strings would diminish; in the event, it was only Hoppipolla that really suffered without the added orchestration- it wasn’t a tenth of a song it was at Latitude. Gobbledigook wasn‘t quite as sublime as it‘s been in the past, although that’s probably more to do with the audience’s reluctance to get into the sing-and-clap-along spirit of the thing. Support band For A Minor Reflection (who were, incidentally, REALLY impressive, quite Explosions In The Sky-esque) manfully took over the extra percussion duties the lovely Amiina used to perform, and they didn’t go half-mad with the confetti; fifteen metric tons of multi-coloured stuff streaming out of three cannons positioned to the front of a stage whilst a storm of white ’snow’ rained down from the rigging.


(Gobbldegook Photo: RichJM (Flickr))

And then for Popplagio, Untitled 8, the mother of all set closers. No matter how many times you see it, its 15-minute build up from a plaintive, slow-paced ballad into an incessant, swirl of tribal drums overlaid with Jonsi’s eerie wailing before exploding in an apocalyptic explosion of post-rock transcendence remains one of the most amazing experiences live music can offer. On past tours, they’ve heightened the experience by lowering a thin silk curtain between band and audience, leaving only the silhouettes of the band visible, then beaming epilepsy-inducing projections onto the screen, encompassing viewers in squall of sensory overload. This time, they just got three huge industrial fans pointing straight at the audience, released their remaining reserves of white confetti and let the fuck loose- combined with the face-melting sound and the epic strobe-lighting it was a truly mind-blowing moment, as these photos capture pretty well:




(Popplagio Photos: Louis Persent; Glediator (Flickr))

So no, it wasn’t in the same league as the Southampton Guildhall, Westminster Methodist Hall or Latitude shows. But all three of those firmly hold a place in my ‘Top 10 Gigs EVER’ list, so that’s no particular slight on this one. Notwithstanding my quibbles, it was still one of the best performances I’ve seen this year, an absolute pleasure to attend and I eagerly await the opportunity to see them again tonight. I’m sure John will have got some great photos, I’ll post them here once he’s got them uploaded.

On a more personal note, it was great to meet up with the old Us Kids Know crowd, doesn’t happen enough nowadays and I got chatting to some new folks including one who recognised me from the Westminster show (and has seen Radiohead 42 times!) And DAMN, I forgot how amazing the view of London is from a-top of Alexandra Hill at night…possibly the most beautiful sight the big city has to offer.


(Photo: Mappamundo (Flickr))

PARTS AND LABOR BACK IN LAHNDAHN!

Melodic Brooklyn noise-rockers who totally rocked my socks off supporting Battles in ‘07 and at the miniscule Corsica Studios in ’08 return to London in ’09 to deliver what will surely be another ear-bleeding assault of volume and truly epic drum skillz. Get tickets for their Cargo show (it’s only £7.50!) on 19th February HERE

Parts and Labor on Myspace

(I'd particularly recommend ‘Fractured Skies’- one of the best songs of 2007).


(Photo: Lucylovestodance (Flickr))