COACHELLA LINE-UP!
No Bowie, but what the hell- Leonard Cohen and the Cure ain't too shabby! All the band's I want to see are bolded...
FRIDAY
A Place To Bury Strangers
Alberta Cross
Bajofondo
Beirut
Buraka Som Sistema
Cage the Elephant
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Craze and Klever
Crystal Castles
Dear and the Headlights
Felix da Housecat
Franz Ferdinand
Genghis Tron
Ghostland Observatory
Girl Talk
Gui Boratto
Leonard Cohen
Los Campesinos!
M. Ward
Molotov
Morrissey
N.A.S.A.
Noah and the Whale
Patton & Rahzel
Paul McCartney
Peanut Butter Wolf
People Under the Stairs
Ryan Bingham
Silversun Pickups
Steve Aoki
Switch
The Aggrolites
The Airborne Toxic Event
The Black Keys
The Bug
The Courteeners
The Hold Steady
The Knux
The Presets
The Ting Tings
We Are Scientists
White Lies
SATURDAY
Amanda Palmer
Amy Winehouse
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Atmosphere
Band Of Horses
Billy Talent
Blitzen Trapper
Bob Mould Band
Booker T
Calexico
Cloud Cult
Crookers
Dr. Dog
Drive By Truckers
Drop The Lime
Electric Touch
Fleet Foxes
Gang Gang Dance
Glass Candy
Glasvegas
Henry Rollins
Hercules and Love Affair
Ida Maria
James Morrison
Liars
Mastodon
Michael Franti & Spearhead
MSTRKRFT
Surkin, Para One (Live)
Superchunk
The Bloody Beetroots
The Crystal Method
The Killers
Thenewno2
Thievery Corporation
Tinariwen
TRAV$DJ-AM
Turbonegro
TV On The Radio
Zane Lowe
Zizek
SUNDAY
Antony and the Johnsons
Brian Jonestown Massacre
Christopher Lawrence
Clipse
Friendly Fires
Fucked Up
Gaslight Anthem
Groove Armada
Jenny Lewis
Junior Boys
K'naan
Late of the Pier
Lupe Fiasco
Lykke Li
M.A.N.D.Y.
Marshall Barnes
Mexican Institute of Sound
My Bloody Valentine
No Age
Okkervil River
Paolo Nutini
Paul Weller
Perry Farrell
Public Enemy
Roni Size
Sebastien Tellier
Shepard Fairey
Supermayer
The Cure
The Horrors
The Kills
The Night Marchers
Themselves
Throbbing Gristle
Vivian Girls
X
Yeah Yeah Yeah's
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
GREGOR SAMSA (London Luminaire, 27/01/09)
Whilst never threatening to overturn the structural conservatism of the post-rock genre, there’s no doubting that Gregor Samsa are one of the more worthy practitioners of the art. Violins and oboes lend warmth to the obligatory clinical guitars and rattling snare drum, and when they finally hit their clattering, cacophonic climaxes they’re as good as Explosions In The Sky, although they sometimes took too long to get there.
(Photo: lolindir_faelivrin (Flickr))
Whilst never threatening to overturn the structural conservatism of the post-rock genre, there’s no doubting that Gregor Samsa are one of the more worthy practitioners of the art. Violins and oboes lend warmth to the obligatory clinical guitars and rattling snare drum, and when they finally hit their clattering, cacophonic climaxes they’re as good as Explosions In The Sky, although they sometimes took too long to get there.
(Photo: lolindir_faelivrin (Flickr))
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
FEATURES OF INTEREST TO DISCERNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF TASTE AND DISTINCTION (EDITION I)
i) Whistling-soloist-in-chief Andrew Bird dissects his new album 'Noble Beast' over at Drowned In Sound.
ii) If you've somehow avoided the surging flood of hype, I'd strongly recommend a peek at music programme of the moment Spotify. It's basically a jukebox of ALL MUSIC EVER, and even though there's ads for the free version it's well worth it if you've got the urge to listen to something you can't find by legitimate means (or otherwise). No more scouring the deepest darkest depths of Mininova for obscure Phantom Buffalo LP's, hurrah!
iii) Dan Deacon, along with full backing ensemble is playing San Francisco on 23rd April. I'm going to be in San Francisco on 23rd April. A cunning plan presents itself...
(Photo: Kirstiecat (Flickr))
i) Whistling-soloist-in-chief Andrew Bird dissects his new album 'Noble Beast' over at Drowned In Sound.
ii) If you've somehow avoided the surging flood of hype, I'd strongly recommend a peek at music programme of the moment Spotify. It's basically a jukebox of ALL MUSIC EVER, and even though there's ads for the free version it's well worth it if you've got the urge to listen to something you can't find by legitimate means (or otherwise). No more scouring the deepest darkest depths of Mininova for obscure Phantom Buffalo LP's, hurrah!
iii) Dan Deacon, along with full backing ensemble is playing San Francisco on 23rd April. I'm going to be in San Francisco on 23rd April. A cunning plan presents itself...
(Photo: Kirstiecat (Flickr))
Monday, January 26, 2009
WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS- THE SNAKE
It's official- 2009 is already a better year for albums than '08. I've just been sent a promo of W&P's follow-up to Heartcore, and it's a far more accurate reflection of the majesty of their live shows than their debut. I cannot WAIT to see them again at the Luminaire (and possibly at the Social, although their last show there was ruined by twittering horsey-faced twats).
EDIT: Revelation! That absolutely amazing song they always finish their sets with is on this album- it's called Today/Tomorrow and that drum solo at the end is one of the best things ever.
It's official- 2009 is already a better year for albums than '08. I've just been sent a promo of W&P's follow-up to Heartcore, and it's a far more accurate reflection of the majesty of their live shows than their debut. I cannot WAIT to see them again at the Luminaire (and possibly at the Social, although their last show there was ruined by twittering horsey-faced twats).
EDIT: Revelation! That absolutely amazing song they always finish their sets with is on this album- it's called Today/Tomorrow and that drum solo at the end is one of the best things ever.
ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE BASTARD FROM EASTCOTE
There's a vicious rumour going around this year's Coachella will be closed by none other than David Bowie. If this is true, and I'm sceptical, you won't be able to wipe the grin off my face between now and April. Assuming, of course, we're able to get tickets...:-S
There's a vicious rumour going around this year's Coachella will be closed by none other than David Bowie. If this is true, and I'm sceptical, you won't be able to wipe the grin off my face between now and April. Assuming, of course, we're able to get tickets...:-S
Sunday, January 25, 2009
OF MONTREAL (Brighton Digital, 24/01/09)
Another evening of high camp and sexually-charged synth-pop courtesy of the certifiably insane Kevin Barnes, this time in the novel surroundings of the Brighton Digital- a venue so close to the sea a man could happily run into it for the princely sum of 5 British pence. I saw Of Montreal three months ago at the London Koko as this review attests, and most of what I wrote there applies here- although naturally there were a few differences…
The enticingly cosy venue forced them to scale-down the more fanciful theatrical elements, which was actually of benefit to the show- the antics involving ninjas, tigers and distressingly tight lycra all entertained/mentally scarred without distracting too much from the music. The set-list also benefited from having the Skeletal Lamping material distributed slightly more evenly, although the song choices were a touch over-conservative; I fear we‘ll never hear the likes of The Past Is A Grotesque Animal again. The major issue was the incessant sound problems, with the drummer actually chucking a keyboard across the stage in sheer frustration because his equipment didn‘t work. Thankfully it didn’t impact too much on those at the front (although a few songs sounded a bit weedy) but I’ve read that towards the back it sounded pretty awful. Their return to a five-man set-up was also slightly unfortunate, leaving them overly reliant on drum tracks again (although thankfully less so than in 2007). Nonetheless, their fine selection of Hissing Fauna material and electrifying cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit (which inspired Kevin to vigorously hurl himself into the drumkit) was worth the admission price alone, and despite my misgivings about venturing beyond Zone 6 I was at no point brutally dismembered by chainsaw-wielding yokels with a penchant for buggery. SUCCESS.
(Photo: Blimeyoriley (Flickr))
Another evening of high camp and sexually-charged synth-pop courtesy of the certifiably insane Kevin Barnes, this time in the novel surroundings of the Brighton Digital- a venue so close to the sea a man could happily run into it for the princely sum of 5 British pence. I saw Of Montreal three months ago at the London Koko as this review attests, and most of what I wrote there applies here- although naturally there were a few differences…
The enticingly cosy venue forced them to scale-down the more fanciful theatrical elements, which was actually of benefit to the show- the antics involving ninjas, tigers and distressingly tight lycra all entertained/mentally scarred without distracting too much from the music. The set-list also benefited from having the Skeletal Lamping material distributed slightly more evenly, although the song choices were a touch over-conservative; I fear we‘ll never hear the likes of The Past Is A Grotesque Animal again. The major issue was the incessant sound problems, with the drummer actually chucking a keyboard across the stage in sheer frustration because his equipment didn‘t work. Thankfully it didn’t impact too much on those at the front (although a few songs sounded a bit weedy) but I’ve read that towards the back it sounded pretty awful. Their return to a five-man set-up was also slightly unfortunate, leaving them overly reliant on drum tracks again (although thankfully less so than in 2007). Nonetheless, their fine selection of Hissing Fauna material and electrifying cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit (which inspired Kevin to vigorously hurl himself into the drumkit) was worth the admission price alone, and despite my misgivings about venturing beyond Zone 6 I was at no point brutally dismembered by chainsaw-wielding yokels with a penchant for buggery. SUCCESS.
(Photo: Blimeyoriley (Flickr))
HJARTALIN (London Luminaire, 23/01/09)
Well, they’re certainly not in the Sigur Ros/Bjork league of Icelandic awesomeness, but Hjartalin are still a worthy addition to the ever-growing pantheon of fine Scandinavian bands. The three bands preceding them weren’t much cop- the less said about Kat and the Half Step Uncles’sub-Butlins funk the better- but the seven-piece more than made up for it with their charming, orchestral-tinged pop. The smooth vocals reminded me a tad too much of Maroon 5 and the meandering verses sometimes came across as a less imaginative Efterklang, but catchily exuberant choruses were always on hand to save the day; their big hit 'Thu komst vid hjartad í mér’ garnering a particularly rapturous reception from the many Icelandic ex-pats in attendance . A welcome appearance from the bassoon too; another instrument woefully underrepresented in the annals of popular live music.
(Photo: Anika)
Well, they’re certainly not in the Sigur Ros/Bjork league of Icelandic awesomeness, but Hjartalin are still a worthy addition to the ever-growing pantheon of fine Scandinavian bands. The three bands preceding them weren’t much cop- the less said about Kat and the Half Step Uncles’sub-Butlins funk the better- but the seven-piece more than made up for it with their charming, orchestral-tinged pop. The smooth vocals reminded me a tad too much of Maroon 5 and the meandering verses sometimes came across as a less imaginative Efterklang, but catchily exuberant choruses were always on hand to save the day; their big hit 'Thu komst vid hjartad í mér’ garnering a particularly rapturous reception from the many Icelandic ex-pats in attendance . A welcome appearance from the bassoon too; another instrument woefully underrepresented in the annals of popular live music.
(Photo: Anika)
Monday, January 19, 2009
SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS- ALPINISMS
Ben Curtis made a wise decision leaving the Secret Machines. Whilst his old band continue to peddle increasingly tired post-rock, he's gone out and released this little beauty. If you like shoegazey dream-pop stuff like Asobi Seksu, check this out without delay.
I also highly recommend fantastic Swedish folktronica duo The Deer Tracks. They're playing a couple of shows and a Pure Groove in-store in London in late February, I'm really looking forward to seeing them.
Ben Curtis made a wise decision leaving the Secret Machines. Whilst his old band continue to peddle increasingly tired post-rock, he's gone out and released this little beauty. If you like shoegazey dream-pop stuff like Asobi Seksu, check this out without delay.
I also highly recommend fantastic Swedish folktronica duo The Deer Tracks. They're playing a couple of shows and a Pure Groove in-store in London in late February, I'm really looking forward to seeing them.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
THIS "CUTTING DOWN ON GIGS" THING ISN'T QUITE GOING TO PLAN...
23/01/09: HJARTALIN- London Luminaire
24/01/09: OF MONTREAL (w/Casiokids)- Brighton Digital
27/01/09: GREGOR SAMSA ( w/ The Sleeping Years; Evi Vine)- London Luminaire
28/01/09: LONEY DEAR- London St. Giles-In-The-Fields Church
30/01/09: DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON (w/ Sam Amidon; Doveman)- London Bush Hall
04/02/09: PETER BRODERICK (w/ Hush Arbors; The Trimdon Grange Explosion)- London Social
05/02/09: FRIDA HYVONEN- London Bush Hall
09/02/09: HOWLING BELLS (w/ Asobi Seksu)- Islington Academy
09/02/09: THE THERMALS- London Lexington
12/02/09: PONYTAIL- London 100 Club
16/02/09: THE SECRET MACHINES- Islington Academy
17/02/09: THE JOY FORMIDABLE- London Pure Groove
19/02/09: PASSION PIT- London Pure Groove
19/02/09: PARTS AND LABOR- London Cargo
21/02/09: JEFFREY LEWIS- London Union Chapel
23/02/09: TITUS ANDRONICUS- London Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
24/02/09: THE DEER TRACKS- London Pure Groove
24/02/09: FLEET FOXES (w/ Vetiver)- London Roundhouse
25/02/09: M. WARD- London Borderline
26/02/09: SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS- London Cargo
26/02/09: GANG GANG DANCE- London Dingwalls
28/02/09: VETIVER (w/ Hush Arbors)- London Cecil Sharp House
13/03/09: THE ACORN (w/ Babel)- Brixton Windmill
26/03/09: MONO- London Scala
07/04/09: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS- London Luminaire
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
08/05/09: BEIRUT (w/ Shearwater)- London Forum
15/05/09-17/05/09: ATP: CURATED BY THE BREEDERS- Minehead, Cornwall
28/05/09-30/05/09: PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL- Barcelona, Spain
18/06/08: DENGUE FEVER- London Scala
03/07/09: BLUR- London Hyde Park
16/07/09-19/07/09: LATITUDE FESTIVAL- Henham Park, Suffolk
11/09/09-13/09/09: ATP: CURATED BY THE FLAMING LIPS- New York, USA
(Photo: CocteauBoy (Flickr))
23/01/09: HJARTALIN- London Luminaire
24/01/09: OF MONTREAL (w/Casiokids)- Brighton Digital
27/01/09: GREGOR SAMSA ( w/ The Sleeping Years; Evi Vine)- London Luminaire
28/01/09: LONEY DEAR- London St. Giles-In-The-Fields Church
30/01/09: DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON (w/ Sam Amidon; Doveman)- London Bush Hall
04/02/09: PETER BRODERICK (w/ Hush Arbors; The Trimdon Grange Explosion)- London Social
05/02/09: FRIDA HYVONEN- London Bush Hall
09/02/09: HOWLING BELLS (w/ Asobi Seksu)- Islington Academy
09/02/09: THE THERMALS- London Lexington
12/02/09: PONYTAIL- London 100 Club
16/02/09: THE SECRET MACHINES- Islington Academy
17/02/09: THE JOY FORMIDABLE- London Pure Groove
19/02/09: PASSION PIT- London Pure Groove
19/02/09: PARTS AND LABOR- London Cargo
21/02/09: JEFFREY LEWIS- London Union Chapel
23/02/09: TITUS ANDRONICUS- London Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
24/02/09: THE DEER TRACKS- London Pure Groove
24/02/09: FLEET FOXES (w/ Vetiver)- London Roundhouse
25/02/09: M. WARD- London Borderline
26/02/09: SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS- London Cargo
26/02/09: GANG GANG DANCE- London Dingwalls
28/02/09: VETIVER (w/ Hush Arbors)- London Cecil Sharp House
13/03/09: THE ACORN (w/ Babel)- Brixton Windmill
26/03/09: MONO- London Scala
07/04/09: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS- London Luminaire
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
08/05/09: BEIRUT (w/ Shearwater)- London Forum
15/05/09-17/05/09: ATP: CURATED BY THE BREEDERS- Minehead, Cornwall
28/05/09-30/05/09: PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL- Barcelona, Spain
18/06/08: DENGUE FEVER- London Scala
03/07/09: BLUR- London Hyde Park
16/07/09-19/07/09: LATITUDE FESTIVAL- Henham Park, Suffolk
11/09/09-13/09/09: ATP: CURATED BY THE FLAMING LIPS- New York, USA
(Photo: CocteauBoy (Flickr))
Saturday, January 17, 2009
YUP, IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN: THE BEST LIVE ACTS OF TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT
(Photo: Tomoko x (Flickr))
40. Vampire Weekend
The Preppy Ivy Leaguers subscribe unerringly to the New Porno‘s school of “no-frills performance“, but this short but sweet set was bouncy fun from start to finish. Proceedings were almost scuppered by an unforeseen fire alarm, but order was restored in time for a exultant Walcott.
39. Fleet Foxes
A tad over-rated on record, but live the Seattle five-piece deliver the goods with their lusciously baroque harmonies melting the hearts of even the sternest critic. Real nice guys too.
38. Polysics
The sterilely corporate Islington Academy isn’t the obvious venue for the Polysics’ brand of day-glo electro-J-pop but with four Japanese folk in fluorescent orange boiler suits yelling “BABY BIIIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIII-AAAAAAAAAAASSS” at you, you’re probably too busy to take in the surroundings. Quite impressed by how they managed to speed up their already rather up-tempo back catalogue…
37. Battles
If it hadn’t constituted the same set as the previous three times I’d seen them, this would be much higher on the list. But not even John Stanier’s earth-sundering drumming and a top-notch Atlas could stop this show from feeling a little stale.
36. DeVotchKa
Notable for being the only time in all my gig-watching career that I’ve ever seen a sousaphone. Think Calexico without the aridness, or a dapper version of Beirut; a great, old-school band with accordions and singalongs galore.
35. Clare and The Reasons
Clare Muldaur and her Reasons never fail to delight. Quirky without being obnoxious, luscious without being cheesy and with a cute sense of humour, their gorgeous string-drenched balladry deserves a far greater audience.
(Photo: Alan Bee (Flickr))
34. Deerhoof
Take the dazzling, off-kilter technical brilliance of Battles and then add a manic Japanese lady yelping God-knows-what into a mic and lots of bouncing and you’ve got Deerhoof. Great fun.
33. The Hold Steady
Ninety minutes of bar blues ‘bout getting wasted and hanging out with girls may eventually tire out even the most ardent fan, but there’s no denying Craig Finn’s lyrical wit and childlike enthusiasm are incredibly infectious. WOOOOAH-OH-OH, YOU GOTTA STAY POSITIVE (etc.)
32. Broken Social Scene
It wouldn’t be a Broken Social Scene show if they didn’t veer wildly between the sublime and the ridiculous. On the one hand, they opened with KC Accidental and 7/4 Shorelines, closed their main set with Ibi Dreams of Pavement with SEVEN BRASS PLAYERS and Major Label Debut (Fast) and found room for a very touching Anthems For A 17 Year Old Girl. On the other hand, you had to endure interminable jams, a cringeworthy experimental spoken word project and Kevin’s aimless drunken rambling. Still, that’s all part of the BSS experience, and at least it was better than the car-crash of a show at the Scala…
31. Miracle Fortress
Shame their 93 Feet East show was a bit gash, because Miracle Fortress' Luminaire performance was truly superb. Combining intricate guitar lines with spectral harmonies and lively indie-pop elements, their voluminous sound transcended the venue's unusually dodgy soundmix and their creative use of percussion elevated them above many of their peers.
(Photo: Old Del Passo (Flickr))
30. The Octopus Project
Theremins are the best instrument ever, and this Texan four-piece employed them with admirable panache in their first ever London show. Sounding like Of Montreal covering Holy Fuck, their enthusiastic, percussive melody-making was well appreciated by the disgracefully small audience and I Saw The Bright Shinies remains a spine-tingling musical highlight of the year.
29. Parts & Labor
One of the best support act discoveries ever, Brooklyn noise-rockers P&L made my Top Live Act list last year, and their headline show at Elephant and Castle’s most ridiculously-difficult-to-find venue ensures they’ve made the cut again in '08. Experimental but accessible and oh so very loud, the addition of guitarist Sarah Lipstate adds a new dimension to their sound, and Joe Wong’s drumming remains as astonishingly rapid as ever. Ear-ringingly good.
28. Dananananakyroyd
Pronounced like the Batman theme tune, apparently. The excitable Scottish ‘fight-pop’ outfit have been quite the word-of-mouth success this year, securing a support slot for Kaiser Chiefs and it’s not hard to see why- walls of hugs, the lead singer hurtling back and forth through an archway of arms other such crazy antics. Not too bad musically either.
27. Jamie Lidell
Ah, there’s nothing like good old fashioned showmanship. Perhaps it’s ultimately just affectionate pastiche, but the electronica-artist-gone-soul man’s charisma, stage presence and awesome backing band (including a man playing two saxophones AT THE SAME TIME) all add up to a highly entertaining evening.
(Photo: Chin like David (Flickr))
26. Radiohead
The biggest, if not quite the best gig of the year. I’ve always been a fairweather fan of the wonky-eyed one and his troupe of earnest miserablists but this second night at Victoria Park was unexpectedly euphoric at times. The ‘In Rainbows‘-centered main set was pretty average, the daylight muting the effects of their inspired lighting but once sunset hit and the encore reached, the band unleashed a torrent of big hitters- My Iron Lung, 2+2=5, Karma Police and the mighty Paranoid Android- leading to some grand ol’ singalongs. There was little to prove the claim by some that Radiohead are one of the world’s greatest live bands (they’re completely devoid of stage presence) but it was much more enjoyable that I thought it'd be.
25. The Constantines
Not the derivative hacks I had them down as being. Whilst Kensington Heights is an exercise in MOR dullness, their live show is a riot of energy and passion with Bush Hall’s rickety stage struggling to hold up under their synchronised jumping. They’re basically a full-band version of Two Gallants (before they went shit), which as I far as I’m concerned is no bad thing.
24. Holy Fuck
Canada’s most naughtily named band may be lacking in the new material stakes, but they always put on a great show. Unlike many electronic-based acts of their ilk, they perform as much as possible with live instrumentation (or at least triggered samples) and they’re increasingly being more creative with the arrangements of their songs. Lovely Allen towers over all, but The Pulse and Royal Gregory are always good for a dance (read: awkward shuffle).
23. Why?
Yoni Wolf’s white-boy hip-hop may be perfectly calculated to win the hearts of skinny-jeaned, floppy haired DiS readers but that’s not necessarily something to hold against them. The harsh, guttural vocal style may irritate from time to time, but they’re excellent lyrically and musically and the albums’ splendour is recreated magnificently live with a shedload of percussion and some astonishing simultaneous vibraphone/drum playing.
22. Ratatat
People normally never dance at the Cargo. Trying to whip up an atmosphere at London’s premier Shoreditch-Twat-magnet is an feat that eludes even the most energetic of bands, which is why Ratatat’s accomplishment of getting the whole damn venue moving is especially impressive. Although there’s a reliance on backing tapes, the trio’s live drums and trademark computer-modified guitar sparks their sometimes repetitive album tracks to life, enticing even the most po-faced Hoxton Hipster to let themselves go for an evening.
21. Jens Lekman
Jens Lekman may hate London, but London certainly doesn’t hate him. As well as delivering a fine array of up-tempo, lushly orchestrated balladry that’d do Neil Hannon proud, the talented Swede’s a fantastically witty raconteur too.
(Photo: Littlepants (Flickr))
20. M83
Anthony Gonzalez’s synth heavy dream-pop might sound like it should soundtrack The Breakfast Club or something, but their expansive, shoegaze-y wall of sound and fantastic 80’s drumming would be blissful in any decade.
19. TV On The Radio
My biggest disappointment of the year. Shit sound, paper-thin arrangements of most of the Dear Science material and an audience that seemed to have been imported from a morgue does not a good gig make. However, the incandescent brilliance of Young Liars, Wolf Like Me and Staring In The Sun were so utterly breathtaking that they could have played James Blunt covers for the rest of the night and it’d have still made my Top 20.
18. Gogol Bordello
Am I getting tired of the Gypsy Punk? They’re moving further down the list each year, inversely proportional to the size of the venues they’re playing- it’s a sad state of affairs. But no matter how diluted their original no-holds-barred punk spirit gets, there’s not a song in the world that can get a whole audience pogoing as well as Start Wearing Purple.
17. Seasick Steve
I’m not sure how much of Seastick Steve’s hobo-dun-good schtick is an act, but he sure knows how to work a crowd. Musically he’s as derivative as anything, but with his self-made instruments, three-string guitar and charisma as bright as the Sun he’s the perfect way to while away a summery Saturday evening.
16. The Hidden Cameras
It’s Of Montreal, but with even more sexual undertones. ‘Overtones,’ really. Playing a rare UK show at Shoreditch’s St. Leonard’s, Joel Gibb and his crazy “gay church folksters” put on a show half-way between the Polyphonic Spree and The Decemberists, mixing joyous up-tempo folk with the highest of high camp- the semi-naked men in balaclavas gyrating on the altar must have had the vicar shaking his head in disbelief.
15. Bon Iver
This year’s critical darling well deserves his plaudits. Acoustic troubadours aren’t usually my bag, but as soon as I saw Justin Vernon effortlessly enchant 2000 people at his first ever UK show I knew I was witnessing something special. Wolves complete with full audience accompaniment is one of those magical moments that only live music can provide.
14. Broken Records
I’ve seen the UK’s finest up-and-coming band five times this year, and it’s been satisfying to see them evolve from nervy new kids with obvious potential to an accomplished, confident live act with the stage presence to match the sweeping epicness of their music. The Arcade Fire and Beirut influences are clear, but their songwriting’s more than solid enough to make these guys stand out in their own right.
13. Okkervil River
There’s few things as good as Okkervil River when they’re on form, and with Will Sheff barking himself hoarse like a man possessed, their scintillating Scala show showcased the Texan indie-rockers at their best. Alas, a punishing tour schedule seemed to get the better of them as the year went on, but they always managed to pull it out of the bag for the encore.
12. Shearwater
Jon Meiburg, feel free to throw a triumphant V-sign at Will Sheff right now. Because although Okkervil River get all the live plaudits, I’ve found myself more consistently impressed by their lesser known, more innovative side project. Taking a more orchestral approach to their balladry, Shearwater’s menagerie of instruments, intricate arrangements and THE MIGHTY THOR cemented their status as one of the best discoveries of ‘08.
11. O’ Death
Everyone loves the…Appalachian gothic-blues? Whatever O’ Death are, they’re still as tremendously fun as they were in 2007, their frantic bluegrass breakdowns igniting the sort of involuntary hoedowns that could get a man arrested.
(Photo: Rich Thane)
10. Wildbirds and Peacedrums
Wowee. The first of four Scandinavian acts in the Top 10, I’d not heard a note by them before their Luminaire show in June but they completely blew me away. A husband-and-wife duo hailing from the wilds of Sweden, the majority of their songs consist of just drum and vocals but dear God that woman can sing. Not always the most accessible of acts mind, but a band that sounds like a mixture of Bjork, The White Stripes and Nina Simone was never going to be.
(Photo: Alan Bee (Flickr))
9. Of Montreal“I'm screaming out to you from the depths of this phallocentric tyranny!” You’d never get Noel Gallagher screaming that whilst prancing about in nowt but some tight golden hotpants, but on reflection that’s probably for the best. Kevin Barnes has upped the theatricality to ridiculous levels, but he’s still got a fantastic ear for hyperactive synth-pop melodies and the new material from Skeletal Lamping nestles nicely in the midst of classics like Heidmalsgate and Wraith Pinned To The Midst. Good fun in their acoustic guise too.
8. I’m From Barcelona
The credit crunch may have seen Sweden’s foremost 29-man musical army shorn to a mere twelve-piece, but they still know how to put on a party. The first half-hour spotlights a more thoughtful, less exuberant side to Emmanuel Lundgren’s hyperactive joymongers but it’s only a matter of time before the balloons, confetti and stage-diving come out in full force. I HAVE BUILT A TREEHOUSE, I HAVE BUILT A TREEHOUSE, NOBODY CAN SEE US, ‘COS IT’S A YOU AND ME HOUSE
7. The National
Yes, the National are in my Top 10 again. They just can’t help being awesome. Couple of new songs apart they’re pretty much the same as they always were, but Matt Berninger’s awkward intensity and grizzled baritone vocals will never get old. The new brass players add new layers to old favourites, and they’ve finally mastered Fake Empire- hooray!
(Photo: Valido (Flickr))
6. My Bloody Valentine
I’m not sure my ears ever truly recovered from this- 128.9dB’s of feedback played for fifteen minutes straight is a recipe for tinnitus if I ever heard* one. But beyond the ear-bleeding volumes and the natural hype surrounding their first ‘proper’ show in 14 years MBV proved themselves a formidable act by any measure, their crushingly dense shoegaze providing a sense of auditory overload few other bands can offer. Whilst You Made Me Realise (the feedback song) was inevitably the night’s most memorable moment, the woozy gloriousness of I Only Said was my personal highlight. A truly worthwhile reunion.
* or not, as the case may be
5. Wolf Parade
At Mount Zoomer may not have been much cop, but Wolf Parade can sure still cut it live. But then what do you expect- with the prodigious talents of Man-God Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner, it’d be a strange world if they weren’t totally awesome. The new material comes across much better in a live setting, but it’s the old stuff- Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts, This Heart’s On Fire and the knockout encore of I’ll Believe In Anything and Fancy Claps- that wins Wolf Parade the LCD Soundsystem Memorial Award for inspiring the most bat-shit crazy audience of the year. And they’re still not the best Krug-related band I saw in 2008...
4. Joanna Newsom
Even when fucks up, she’s adorable. Joanna Newsom’s special Sunday lunchtime performance at Latitude was the perfect follow-up to the previous night’s Sigur Ros/Guilty Pleasures festivities, mesmerising all and sundry with a magnificent display that’s sure to have won her many new fans. Although the eccentric, squeaky-voiced folkster eschewed her typical instrument for a piano to preview some promising new songs, she also delivered a generous dose of harp-based balladry that made my heart flutter like a particularly fluttery thing. And when she forgot the words for Sawdust and Diamonds, her endearing apologies only caused the audience’s affection for her to increase. Awwwwwwwww.
3. Sunset Rubdown
Three years I’ve been waiting to see the foremost member of that incestuous circle of bands involving Spencer Krug, and I didn’t think it possible that they could possibly live up to my obscenely high expectations. That they exceeded them just goes to confirm my vaguely-held belief that Krug is essentially God. Stadiums and Shrine II was as perfect a live song as I’ve ever heard- shorn of the muted production, its profuse intensity is amplified to insane levels, but the utterly unhinged Trumpet Trumpet Toot Toot also almost had me in tears of sheer pleasure. The only thing I could hold against them was the cruel dismissal of For The Pier from the setlist, but beyond that I couldn’t suggest a single improvement to the show. Except, maybe, that they played their whole back catalogue…
2. Sigur Ros
There are few bands that can take my breath away like Arcade Fire, but Iceland’s premier purveyors of BBC soundtracks have succeeded again and again and again. Whilst their four-piece Alexandra Palace shows were great (Untitled 8’s apocalyptic climax fantastically bolstered by a hurricane of confetti blasting into our faces) their ‘fully-orchestrated’ Westminster and Latitude shows were on a whole other level. The highlights are legion, the disappointments negligible; from the achingly beautiful Sven-f-englar through the brass band dramatics of Se Lest, the twinkly majesty of Hoppipolla, the mind-blowing double-whammy of Olsen Olsen and Hafssol, a confetti strewn Gobbledigook to the aforementioned sensory Armageddon of Untitled 8 they were utter joys from start to finish. And they’re sure looking like they’re having more fun these days too!
(Photo: vern. (Flickr))
1. Bjork
The biggest problem with being such a prolific attender of gigs is the inevitability that they stop being as special as they used to be. That’s not to say that I don’t still love live music but it’s increasingly rare that an act genuinely takes my breath away. So to leave me staggering out of Hammersmith Apollo agape with incommunicable wonder is pretty much unprecedented- but that’s exactly what Bjork Gudmundsdottir did that unforgettable April night.
Clad in a headdress inexplicably made of multi-coloured pom-poms, the irrepressible Icelandic pixie queen skipped onto stage to the opening strains of Earth Intruders with its tribal percussion and the Timbaland influences; a spell-binding introduction to a show that, flat Anthony Hegarty duet apart, was never less than completely enchanting. It’s hard to pick particular highpoints from a show comprised almost entirely of them- Toumani Diabate’s stunning kobe playing on Hope, a bewitching rendition of Hunter and the glorious Who Is It all deserve special mentions, as do her fantastic 10-piece all-female brass section The Wonderbrass. But it was the unabashed TECHNO-TECHNO-TECHNO sing-along of Hyperballad and the sheer jaw-dropping spectacle of Declare Independence that cranked things up to ‘transcendental’, the latter’s mix of earth-sundering bass, silver confetti and arching lasers being one of the finest closers to a show I’ve ever seen. Bjork, I know you’re old enough to be my mother but…will you marry me?
(All photos unless otherwise credited: John Gleeson)
(Photo: Tomoko x (Flickr))
40. Vampire Weekend
The Preppy Ivy Leaguers subscribe unerringly to the New Porno‘s school of “no-frills performance“, but this short but sweet set was bouncy fun from start to finish. Proceedings were almost scuppered by an unforeseen fire alarm, but order was restored in time for a exultant Walcott.
39. Fleet Foxes
A tad over-rated on record, but live the Seattle five-piece deliver the goods with their lusciously baroque harmonies melting the hearts of even the sternest critic. Real nice guys too.
38. Polysics
The sterilely corporate Islington Academy isn’t the obvious venue for the Polysics’ brand of day-glo electro-J-pop but with four Japanese folk in fluorescent orange boiler suits yelling “BABY BIIIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIII-AAAAAAAAAAASSS” at you, you’re probably too busy to take in the surroundings. Quite impressed by how they managed to speed up their already rather up-tempo back catalogue…
37. Battles
If it hadn’t constituted the same set as the previous three times I’d seen them, this would be much higher on the list. But not even John Stanier’s earth-sundering drumming and a top-notch Atlas could stop this show from feeling a little stale.
36. DeVotchKa
Notable for being the only time in all my gig-watching career that I’ve ever seen a sousaphone. Think Calexico without the aridness, or a dapper version of Beirut; a great, old-school band with accordions and singalongs galore.
35. Clare and The Reasons
Clare Muldaur and her Reasons never fail to delight. Quirky without being obnoxious, luscious without being cheesy and with a cute sense of humour, their gorgeous string-drenched balladry deserves a far greater audience.
(Photo: Alan Bee (Flickr))
34. Deerhoof
Take the dazzling, off-kilter technical brilliance of Battles and then add a manic Japanese lady yelping God-knows-what into a mic and lots of bouncing and you’ve got Deerhoof. Great fun.
33. The Hold Steady
Ninety minutes of bar blues ‘bout getting wasted and hanging out with girls may eventually tire out even the most ardent fan, but there’s no denying Craig Finn’s lyrical wit and childlike enthusiasm are incredibly infectious. WOOOOAH-OH-OH, YOU GOTTA STAY POSITIVE (etc.)
32. Broken Social Scene
It wouldn’t be a Broken Social Scene show if they didn’t veer wildly between the sublime and the ridiculous. On the one hand, they opened with KC Accidental and 7/4 Shorelines, closed their main set with Ibi Dreams of Pavement with SEVEN BRASS PLAYERS and Major Label Debut (Fast) and found room for a very touching Anthems For A 17 Year Old Girl. On the other hand, you had to endure interminable jams, a cringeworthy experimental spoken word project and Kevin’s aimless drunken rambling. Still, that’s all part of the BSS experience, and at least it was better than the car-crash of a show at the Scala…
31. Miracle Fortress
Shame their 93 Feet East show was a bit gash, because Miracle Fortress' Luminaire performance was truly superb. Combining intricate guitar lines with spectral harmonies and lively indie-pop elements, their voluminous sound transcended the venue's unusually dodgy soundmix and their creative use of percussion elevated them above many of their peers.
(Photo: Old Del Passo (Flickr))
30. The Octopus Project
Theremins are the best instrument ever, and this Texan four-piece employed them with admirable panache in their first ever London show. Sounding like Of Montreal covering Holy Fuck, their enthusiastic, percussive melody-making was well appreciated by the disgracefully small audience and I Saw The Bright Shinies remains a spine-tingling musical highlight of the year.
29. Parts & Labor
One of the best support act discoveries ever, Brooklyn noise-rockers P&L made my Top Live Act list last year, and their headline show at Elephant and Castle’s most ridiculously-difficult-to-find venue ensures they’ve made the cut again in '08. Experimental but accessible and oh so very loud, the addition of guitarist Sarah Lipstate adds a new dimension to their sound, and Joe Wong’s drumming remains as astonishingly rapid as ever. Ear-ringingly good.
28. Dananananakyroyd
Pronounced like the Batman theme tune, apparently. The excitable Scottish ‘fight-pop’ outfit have been quite the word-of-mouth success this year, securing a support slot for Kaiser Chiefs and it’s not hard to see why- walls of hugs, the lead singer hurtling back and forth through an archway of arms other such crazy antics. Not too bad musically either.
27. Jamie Lidell
Ah, there’s nothing like good old fashioned showmanship. Perhaps it’s ultimately just affectionate pastiche, but the electronica-artist-gone-soul man’s charisma, stage presence and awesome backing band (including a man playing two saxophones AT THE SAME TIME) all add up to a highly entertaining evening.
(Photo: Chin like David (Flickr))
26. Radiohead
The biggest, if not quite the best gig of the year. I’ve always been a fairweather fan of the wonky-eyed one and his troupe of earnest miserablists but this second night at Victoria Park was unexpectedly euphoric at times. The ‘In Rainbows‘-centered main set was pretty average, the daylight muting the effects of their inspired lighting but once sunset hit and the encore reached, the band unleashed a torrent of big hitters- My Iron Lung, 2+2=5, Karma Police and the mighty Paranoid Android- leading to some grand ol’ singalongs. There was little to prove the claim by some that Radiohead are one of the world’s greatest live bands (they’re completely devoid of stage presence) but it was much more enjoyable that I thought it'd be.
25. The Constantines
Not the derivative hacks I had them down as being. Whilst Kensington Heights is an exercise in MOR dullness, their live show is a riot of energy and passion with Bush Hall’s rickety stage struggling to hold up under their synchronised jumping. They’re basically a full-band version of Two Gallants (before they went shit), which as I far as I’m concerned is no bad thing.
24. Holy Fuck
Canada’s most naughtily named band may be lacking in the new material stakes, but they always put on a great show. Unlike many electronic-based acts of their ilk, they perform as much as possible with live instrumentation (or at least triggered samples) and they’re increasingly being more creative with the arrangements of their songs. Lovely Allen towers over all, but The Pulse and Royal Gregory are always good for a dance (read: awkward shuffle).
23. Why?
Yoni Wolf’s white-boy hip-hop may be perfectly calculated to win the hearts of skinny-jeaned, floppy haired DiS readers but that’s not necessarily something to hold against them. The harsh, guttural vocal style may irritate from time to time, but they’re excellent lyrically and musically and the albums’ splendour is recreated magnificently live with a shedload of percussion and some astonishing simultaneous vibraphone/drum playing.
22. Ratatat
People normally never dance at the Cargo. Trying to whip up an atmosphere at London’s premier Shoreditch-Twat-magnet is an feat that eludes even the most energetic of bands, which is why Ratatat’s accomplishment of getting the whole damn venue moving is especially impressive. Although there’s a reliance on backing tapes, the trio’s live drums and trademark computer-modified guitar sparks their sometimes repetitive album tracks to life, enticing even the most po-faced Hoxton Hipster to let themselves go for an evening.
21. Jens Lekman
Jens Lekman may hate London, but London certainly doesn’t hate him. As well as delivering a fine array of up-tempo, lushly orchestrated balladry that’d do Neil Hannon proud, the talented Swede’s a fantastically witty raconteur too.
(Photo: Littlepants (Flickr))
20. M83
Anthony Gonzalez’s synth heavy dream-pop might sound like it should soundtrack The Breakfast Club or something, but their expansive, shoegaze-y wall of sound and fantastic 80’s drumming would be blissful in any decade.
19. TV On The Radio
My biggest disappointment of the year. Shit sound, paper-thin arrangements of most of the Dear Science material and an audience that seemed to have been imported from a morgue does not a good gig make. However, the incandescent brilliance of Young Liars, Wolf Like Me and Staring In The Sun were so utterly breathtaking that they could have played James Blunt covers for the rest of the night and it’d have still made my Top 20.
18. Gogol Bordello
Am I getting tired of the Gypsy Punk? They’re moving further down the list each year, inversely proportional to the size of the venues they’re playing- it’s a sad state of affairs. But no matter how diluted their original no-holds-barred punk spirit gets, there’s not a song in the world that can get a whole audience pogoing as well as Start Wearing Purple.
17. Seasick Steve
I’m not sure how much of Seastick Steve’s hobo-dun-good schtick is an act, but he sure knows how to work a crowd. Musically he’s as derivative as anything, but with his self-made instruments, three-string guitar and charisma as bright as the Sun he’s the perfect way to while away a summery Saturday evening.
16. The Hidden Cameras
It’s Of Montreal, but with even more sexual undertones. ‘Overtones,’ really. Playing a rare UK show at Shoreditch’s St. Leonard’s, Joel Gibb and his crazy “gay church folksters” put on a show half-way between the Polyphonic Spree and The Decemberists, mixing joyous up-tempo folk with the highest of high camp- the semi-naked men in balaclavas gyrating on the altar must have had the vicar shaking his head in disbelief.
15. Bon Iver
This year’s critical darling well deserves his plaudits. Acoustic troubadours aren’t usually my bag, but as soon as I saw Justin Vernon effortlessly enchant 2000 people at his first ever UK show I knew I was witnessing something special. Wolves complete with full audience accompaniment is one of those magical moments that only live music can provide.
14. Broken Records
I’ve seen the UK’s finest up-and-coming band five times this year, and it’s been satisfying to see them evolve from nervy new kids with obvious potential to an accomplished, confident live act with the stage presence to match the sweeping epicness of their music. The Arcade Fire and Beirut influences are clear, but their songwriting’s more than solid enough to make these guys stand out in their own right.
13. Okkervil River
There’s few things as good as Okkervil River when they’re on form, and with Will Sheff barking himself hoarse like a man possessed, their scintillating Scala show showcased the Texan indie-rockers at their best. Alas, a punishing tour schedule seemed to get the better of them as the year went on, but they always managed to pull it out of the bag for the encore.
12. Shearwater
Jon Meiburg, feel free to throw a triumphant V-sign at Will Sheff right now. Because although Okkervil River get all the live plaudits, I’ve found myself more consistently impressed by their lesser known, more innovative side project. Taking a more orchestral approach to their balladry, Shearwater’s menagerie of instruments, intricate arrangements and THE MIGHTY THOR cemented their status as one of the best discoveries of ‘08.
11. O’ Death
Everyone loves the…Appalachian gothic-blues? Whatever O’ Death are, they’re still as tremendously fun as they were in 2007, their frantic bluegrass breakdowns igniting the sort of involuntary hoedowns that could get a man arrested.
(Photo: Rich Thane)
10. Wildbirds and Peacedrums
Wowee. The first of four Scandinavian acts in the Top 10, I’d not heard a note by them before their Luminaire show in June but they completely blew me away. A husband-and-wife duo hailing from the wilds of Sweden, the majority of their songs consist of just drum and vocals but dear God that woman can sing. Not always the most accessible of acts mind, but a band that sounds like a mixture of Bjork, The White Stripes and Nina Simone was never going to be.
(Photo: Alan Bee (Flickr))
9. Of Montreal“I'm screaming out to you from the depths of this phallocentric tyranny!” You’d never get Noel Gallagher screaming that whilst prancing about in nowt but some tight golden hotpants, but on reflection that’s probably for the best. Kevin Barnes has upped the theatricality to ridiculous levels, but he’s still got a fantastic ear for hyperactive synth-pop melodies and the new material from Skeletal Lamping nestles nicely in the midst of classics like Heidmalsgate and Wraith Pinned To The Midst. Good fun in their acoustic guise too.
8. I’m From Barcelona
The credit crunch may have seen Sweden’s foremost 29-man musical army shorn to a mere twelve-piece, but they still know how to put on a party. The first half-hour spotlights a more thoughtful, less exuberant side to Emmanuel Lundgren’s hyperactive joymongers but it’s only a matter of time before the balloons, confetti and stage-diving come out in full force. I HAVE BUILT A TREEHOUSE, I HAVE BUILT A TREEHOUSE, NOBODY CAN SEE US, ‘COS IT’S A YOU AND ME HOUSE
7. The National
Yes, the National are in my Top 10 again. They just can’t help being awesome. Couple of new songs apart they’re pretty much the same as they always were, but Matt Berninger’s awkward intensity and grizzled baritone vocals will never get old. The new brass players add new layers to old favourites, and they’ve finally mastered Fake Empire- hooray!
(Photo: Valido (Flickr))
6. My Bloody Valentine
I’m not sure my ears ever truly recovered from this- 128.9dB’s of feedback played for fifteen minutes straight is a recipe for tinnitus if I ever heard* one. But beyond the ear-bleeding volumes and the natural hype surrounding their first ‘proper’ show in 14 years MBV proved themselves a formidable act by any measure, their crushingly dense shoegaze providing a sense of auditory overload few other bands can offer. Whilst You Made Me Realise (the feedback song) was inevitably the night’s most memorable moment, the woozy gloriousness of I Only Said was my personal highlight. A truly worthwhile reunion.
* or not, as the case may be
5. Wolf Parade
At Mount Zoomer may not have been much cop, but Wolf Parade can sure still cut it live. But then what do you expect- with the prodigious talents of Man-God Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner, it’d be a strange world if they weren’t totally awesome. The new material comes across much better in a live setting, but it’s the old stuff- Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts, This Heart’s On Fire and the knockout encore of I’ll Believe In Anything and Fancy Claps- that wins Wolf Parade the LCD Soundsystem Memorial Award for inspiring the most bat-shit crazy audience of the year. And they’re still not the best Krug-related band I saw in 2008...
4. Joanna Newsom
Even when fucks up, she’s adorable. Joanna Newsom’s special Sunday lunchtime performance at Latitude was the perfect follow-up to the previous night’s Sigur Ros/Guilty Pleasures festivities, mesmerising all and sundry with a magnificent display that’s sure to have won her many new fans. Although the eccentric, squeaky-voiced folkster eschewed her typical instrument for a piano to preview some promising new songs, she also delivered a generous dose of harp-based balladry that made my heart flutter like a particularly fluttery thing. And when she forgot the words for Sawdust and Diamonds, her endearing apologies only caused the audience’s affection for her to increase. Awwwwwwwww.
3. Sunset Rubdown
Three years I’ve been waiting to see the foremost member of that incestuous circle of bands involving Spencer Krug, and I didn’t think it possible that they could possibly live up to my obscenely high expectations. That they exceeded them just goes to confirm my vaguely-held belief that Krug is essentially God. Stadiums and Shrine II was as perfect a live song as I’ve ever heard- shorn of the muted production, its profuse intensity is amplified to insane levels, but the utterly unhinged Trumpet Trumpet Toot Toot also almost had me in tears of sheer pleasure. The only thing I could hold against them was the cruel dismissal of For The Pier from the setlist, but beyond that I couldn’t suggest a single improvement to the show. Except, maybe, that they played their whole back catalogue…
2. Sigur Ros
There are few bands that can take my breath away like Arcade Fire, but Iceland’s premier purveyors of BBC soundtracks have succeeded again and again and again. Whilst their four-piece Alexandra Palace shows were great (Untitled 8’s apocalyptic climax fantastically bolstered by a hurricane of confetti blasting into our faces) their ‘fully-orchestrated’ Westminster and Latitude shows were on a whole other level. The highlights are legion, the disappointments negligible; from the achingly beautiful Sven-f-englar through the brass band dramatics of Se Lest, the twinkly majesty of Hoppipolla, the mind-blowing double-whammy of Olsen Olsen and Hafssol, a confetti strewn Gobbledigook to the aforementioned sensory Armageddon of Untitled 8 they were utter joys from start to finish. And they’re sure looking like they’re having more fun these days too!
(Photo: vern. (Flickr))
1. Bjork
The biggest problem with being such a prolific attender of gigs is the inevitability that they stop being as special as they used to be. That’s not to say that I don’t still love live music but it’s increasingly rare that an act genuinely takes my breath away. So to leave me staggering out of Hammersmith Apollo agape with incommunicable wonder is pretty much unprecedented- but that’s exactly what Bjork Gudmundsdottir did that unforgettable April night.
Clad in a headdress inexplicably made of multi-coloured pom-poms, the irrepressible Icelandic pixie queen skipped onto stage to the opening strains of Earth Intruders with its tribal percussion and the Timbaland influences; a spell-binding introduction to a show that, flat Anthony Hegarty duet apart, was never less than completely enchanting. It’s hard to pick particular highpoints from a show comprised almost entirely of them- Toumani Diabate’s stunning kobe playing on Hope, a bewitching rendition of Hunter and the glorious Who Is It all deserve special mentions, as do her fantastic 10-piece all-female brass section The Wonderbrass. But it was the unabashed TECHNO-TECHNO-TECHNO sing-along of Hyperballad and the sheer jaw-dropping spectacle of Declare Independence that cranked things up to ‘transcendental’, the latter’s mix of earth-sundering bass, silver confetti and arching lasers being one of the finest closers to a show I’ve ever seen. Bjork, I know you’re old enough to be my mother but…will you marry me?
(All photos unless otherwise credited: John Gleeson)
Friday, January 16, 2009
GIG UPDATES!
i) Lovely Canadian folkies The Acorn are playing the Brixton Windmill on 13th March- if you haven't listened to Glory Hope Mountain yet, you're seriously missing out. Tickets only £5!
ii) Wildbirds and Peacedrums return to the Luminaire on 7th April for what promises to be another jaw-dropping display of awesome from the intense Swedish duo. Their last show at their venue was one of my favourite gigs of 2008 (even though I hadn't heard a note by them beforehand), so I have a tendency to get a bit evangelical about them but don't let that put you off- they're well worth your time and money!
iii) Standing tickets for May's Beirut gig have sold out. Thank god for pre-sales...
i) Lovely Canadian folkies The Acorn are playing the Brixton Windmill on 13th March- if you haven't listened to Glory Hope Mountain yet, you're seriously missing out. Tickets only £5!
ii) Wildbirds and Peacedrums return to the Luminaire on 7th April for what promises to be another jaw-dropping display of awesome from the intense Swedish duo. Their last show at their venue was one of my favourite gigs of 2008 (even though I hadn't heard a note by them beforehand), so I have a tendency to get a bit evangelical about them but don't let that put you off- they're well worth your time and money!
iii) Standing tickets for May's Beirut gig have sold out. Thank god for pre-sales...
Thursday, January 15, 2009
THEN WE THINK OF OUR PARENTS...WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THEM???
Bereft of money, gigs and the inclination to leave the flat, I've decided to while away this cold and dreary Thursday evening by perusing some of my favourite Youtube videos:
My third favourite band of the decade after Arcade Fire and Sigur Ros. This vid shows Krug and the gang playing the one song they didn't perform at last year's OHMYGODTHISISSOWONDERFULIWANTTOCRY Luminaire gig, an action that prevented them from breaching my All Time Top 5 Gigs List. Fools!
A short clip of the show that actually occupies the Number 5 place on my All Time Top Gigs List (yeah, screw you Sunset Rubdown). Sound's not great and it cuts out in the middle of the best bit, but it's gorgeous nonetheless. Yay for squeaky voiced harp-women!
I was going to post this with my Gigs of '08 article, but what the hell. It's Broken Social Scene playing Ibi Dreams of Pavement at Shepherd's Bush last year and it's brilliant.
I'm sure I've posted this before, but I'm going to post it again because it's f'in fantastic. It's the Jools Holland performance of Hoppipolla that first made me sit up and think, "hmmm, I wouldn't mind seeing this band live."
Another Jools performance, this time from the amazing Leslie Feist. Never cared for this song much before I heard it live, but as this performance shows it's quite a blinder. Nice to see Thom Yorke have a little dance along too!
My favourite band. My favourite song. Enjoy.
Bereft of money, gigs and the inclination to leave the flat, I've decided to while away this cold and dreary Thursday evening by perusing some of my favourite Youtube videos:
My third favourite band of the decade after Arcade Fire and Sigur Ros. This vid shows Krug and the gang playing the one song they didn't perform at last year's OHMYGODTHISISSOWONDERFULIWANTTOCRY Luminaire gig, an action that prevented them from breaching my All Time Top 5 Gigs List. Fools!
A short clip of the show that actually occupies the Number 5 place on my All Time Top Gigs List (yeah, screw you Sunset Rubdown). Sound's not great and it cuts out in the middle of the best bit, but it's gorgeous nonetheless. Yay for squeaky voiced harp-women!
I was going to post this with my Gigs of '08 article, but what the hell. It's Broken Social Scene playing Ibi Dreams of Pavement at Shepherd's Bush last year and it's brilliant.
I'm sure I've posted this before, but I'm going to post it again because it's f'in fantastic. It's the Jools Holland performance of Hoppipolla that first made me sit up and think, "hmmm, I wouldn't mind seeing this band live."
Another Jools performance, this time from the amazing Leslie Feist. Never cared for this song much before I heard it live, but as this performance shows it's quite a blinder. Nice to see Thom Yorke have a little dance along too!
My favourite band. My favourite song. Enjoy.
HOWLING BELLS @ ISLINGTON ACADEMY SUPPORT IS...ASOBI SEKSU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God, that's solved a lot of problems. Having missed the awesome shoegazers on far too many occasions, I was seriously considering selling my ticket for my beloved Parts and Labor who they clashed with. But the God of Live music smiles benignly on me this week, for they've been announced as openers for the first night of the NME Shockwave tour. And because Islington Academy gigs generally finish early, Lexington gigs start late, and the venues are 5 minutes apart I should be still able to catch the Thermals the same night! WOOHOO!
God, that's solved a lot of problems. Having missed the awesome shoegazers on far too many occasions, I was seriously considering selling my ticket for my beloved Parts and Labor who they clashed with. But the God of Live music smiles benignly on me this week, for they've been announced as openers for the first night of the NME Shockwave tour. And because Islington Academy gigs generally finish early, Lexington gigs start late, and the venues are 5 minutes apart I should be still able to catch the Thermals the same night! WOOHOO!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
DID YOU SEE THE WORD(S I'M BLOGGING ABOUT YOUR BAND?)
I'll say this for Animal Collective: they're really easy to write about. When reviewing, say, an acoustic act I often find it difficult to hit the necessary word-count because there's only so much you talk about some uber-earnest guy in a woolly jumper singing generic ballads about love and loss but with AC I'm actually in danger of delivering an essay on their multi-faceted musical endeavours and how well (or not) they pan out live. Going to have to show some restraint!
Anyhoo, a full review should be on The Line Of Best Fit sometime this week. In the meantime check out this video of Fireworks, my favourite AC song (which they sadly didn't play Monday)...
I'll say this for Animal Collective: they're really easy to write about. When reviewing, say, an acoustic act I often find it difficult to hit the necessary word-count because there's only so much you talk about some uber-earnest guy in a woolly jumper singing generic ballads about love and loss but with AC I'm actually in danger of delivering an essay on their multi-faceted musical endeavours and how well (or not) they pan out live. Going to have to show some restraint!
Anyhoo, a full review should be on The Line Of Best Fit sometime this week. In the meantime check out this video of Fireworks, my favourite AC song (which they sadly didn't play Monday)...
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
8th May @ London Forum- BEIRUT SUPPORTED BY SHEARWATER!!!!!!!!!
I don't care that the Forum's an awful venue, that's the line-up of kings.
EDIT: And Bowerbirds, The Bug, Crystal Antlers, Crystal Stilts, The Mae Shi, Plants & Animals, Ponytail, The Tallest Man On Earth, Vivian Girls and Wavves have ben added to Primavera. TODAY WILL HENCEFORTH BE KNOWN AS 'DAY OF JOY.'
8th May @ London Forum- BEIRUT SUPPORTED BY SHEARWATER!!!!!!!!!
I don't care that the Forum's an awful venue, that's the line-up of kings.
EDIT: And Bowerbirds, The Bug, Crystal Antlers, Crystal Stilts, The Mae Shi, Plants & Animals, Ponytail, The Tallest Man On Earth, Vivian Girls and Wavves have ben added to Primavera. TODAY WILL HENCEFORTH BE KNOWN AS 'DAY OF JOY.'
Sunday, January 11, 2009
EFTERKLANG- Mirador
Efterklang member Peter Broderick is playing a solo show at the Social on 4th February. He uses loop pedals and violins and pianos and musical saws and stuff, and was really great when I saw him support his parent band at Bush Hall. If you haven't listened to Efterklang, this truncated version of 'Mirador' is well worth checking out.
Efterklang member Peter Broderick is playing a solo show at the Social on 4th February. He uses loop pedals and violins and pianos and musical saws and stuff, and was really great when I saw him support his parent band at Bush Hall. If you haven't listened to Efterklang, this truncated version of 'Mirador' is well worth checking out.
HANDSOME FURS- FACE CONTROL
Well, that's the final nail in Wolf Parade's coffin. With both Spencer Krug and now Dan Boeckner producing vastly better work than 'At Mount Zoomer' with their respective side-projects, I fear it's the end for the band that gave us some of the best songs of the decade. Still, if it results in more albums of this calibre that's not necessarily a bad thing- Face Control is a huge step up from Plague Park, showcasing Dan's fuzzy, combative guitar and vocal-chord-endangering intensity to the hilt, and closer Radio Kaliningrad has already established itself as one of my favourite tracks to emerge from that oh-so-incestuous Boeckner/Krug/Mercer/Bejar collective.
Also, it's encouraging to note that only one and a half weeks into 2009 we've already got more genuinely great albums than 2008. Long may this trend continue!
Well, that's the final nail in Wolf Parade's coffin. With both Spencer Krug and now Dan Boeckner producing vastly better work than 'At Mount Zoomer' with their respective side-projects, I fear it's the end for the band that gave us some of the best songs of the decade. Still, if it results in more albums of this calibre that's not necessarily a bad thing- Face Control is a huge step up from Plague Park, showcasing Dan's fuzzy, combative guitar and vocal-chord-endangering intensity to the hilt, and closer Radio Kaliningrad has already established itself as one of my favourite tracks to emerge from that oh-so-incestuous Boeckner/Krug/Mercer/Bejar collective.
Also, it's encouraging to note that only one and a half weeks into 2009 we've already got more genuinely great albums than 2008. Long may this trend continue!
Friday, January 09, 2009
THE ANTLERS
I've recently been introduced to The Antlers, whose twinkly, fuzzy, occasionally epic dream-pop engenders a great sense of happiness in me. Their whole debut can be found streaming here; it's pretty brief, but it's enough to make me rather excited about their upcoming second album. Stairs To The Attic and The Universe Is Going To Catch You are my personal favourites, sounding like a more restrained Cloud Cult but On The Roof's pretty excellent too.
I've recently been introduced to The Antlers, whose twinkly, fuzzy, occasionally epic dream-pop engenders a great sense of happiness in me. Their whole debut can be found streaming here; it's pretty brief, but it's enough to make me rather excited about their upcoming second album. Stairs To The Attic and The Universe Is Going To Catch You are my personal favourites, sounding like a more restrained Cloud Cult but On The Roof's pretty excellent too.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Sunday, January 04, 2009
THEY DON'T MAKE 'EM LIKE THEY USED TO
Here's a short film from stop-motion genius Ladislaw Starewicz. Made in 1912, it's truly astonishing what visionaries like this Polish director were doing almost a century before Tim Burton, Nick Park and co. Check out his other films too, especially The Mascot.
One of the first animations ever made, dating back to 1908. Rudimentary by today's standards, but charmingly imaginative.
The actual animated part doesn't kick in until the end, but I'm still astounded at the creativity that these early animators displayed even with the simplest tools.
If you have any recommendations of what I should check out next, please leave a comment!
Here's a short film from stop-motion genius Ladislaw Starewicz. Made in 1912, it's truly astonishing what visionaries like this Polish director were doing almost a century before Tim Burton, Nick Park and co. Check out his other films too, especially The Mascot.
One of the first animations ever made, dating back to 1908. Rudimentary by today's standards, but charmingly imaginative.
The actual animated part doesn't kick in until the end, but I'm still astounded at the creativity that these early animators displayed even with the simplest tools.
If you have any recommendations of what I should check out next, please leave a comment!
MIROIR NOIR
Trust Arcade Fire not to put out a traditional DVD. Whilst most music films of this type are a straightforward recording of a particular performance, Miroir Noir is a mish-mash of live footage, documentary and art-house wankery that results in an experience that’s both fascinating and frustrating. The first twenty minutes are the epitome of this- the amazing live footage of Wake Up performed in the middle of a Parisien audience is cut off at the critical moment to segue into some arty bollockry; we are continually teased with snippets of songs rather than the full articles so Vincent Morriset can play at being an art-house director. His editing decisions aren‘t all awful- the phone calls that intersperse the film add a touch of humour and pathos to proceedings, and the gradual building-up of songs from their bare bones to their fully-orchestrated gloriousness works well no matter how many times he does it- but too often it seems like a film that’s enjoyable despite, rather than because, of itself.
Thankfully, things improve as the film goes on- although Miroir Noir doesn’t reveal much about the secretive Canadians there’s a few intriguing insights- Regine fretting before a show, Win and Regine arguing during the recording process, Win and Tim waltzing stone-faced to Ocean of Noise. And the actual musical footage is uniformly great- my particular highlights being an acoustic rendition of Windowsill in a glass elevator and Power Out/Rebellion, which is shown in its entirety and fantastically captures how spectacular a live act Arcade Fire can be. It’s definitely a film for fans only- the pretentiousness certainly wont endear them to naysayers- but despite its many flaws it still left a huge fanboyish smile on my face.
(Photo: Rodasol (Flickr))
Trust Arcade Fire not to put out a traditional DVD. Whilst most music films of this type are a straightforward recording of a particular performance, Miroir Noir is a mish-mash of live footage, documentary and art-house wankery that results in an experience that’s both fascinating and frustrating. The first twenty minutes are the epitome of this- the amazing live footage of Wake Up performed in the middle of a Parisien audience is cut off at the critical moment to segue into some arty bollockry; we are continually teased with snippets of songs rather than the full articles so Vincent Morriset can play at being an art-house director. His editing decisions aren‘t all awful- the phone calls that intersperse the film add a touch of humour and pathos to proceedings, and the gradual building-up of songs from their bare bones to their fully-orchestrated gloriousness works well no matter how many times he does it- but too often it seems like a film that’s enjoyable despite, rather than because, of itself.
Thankfully, things improve as the film goes on- although Miroir Noir doesn’t reveal much about the secretive Canadians there’s a few intriguing insights- Regine fretting before a show, Win and Regine arguing during the recording process, Win and Tim waltzing stone-faced to Ocean of Noise. And the actual musical footage is uniformly great- my particular highlights being an acoustic rendition of Windowsill in a glass elevator and Power Out/Rebellion, which is shown in its entirety and fantastically captures how spectacular a live act Arcade Fire can be. It’s definitely a film for fans only- the pretentiousness certainly wont endear them to naysayers- but despite its many flaws it still left a huge fanboyish smile on my face.
(Photo: Rodasol (Flickr))
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