GIGO-GEDDON!



I've been to one gig in the last fortnight. This is an appalling state of affairs I intend to rectify in the most excessive way possible.

31/03/09: BROKEN RECORDS- London Water Rats
03/04/09: DENT MAY AND HIS MAGNIFICENT UKULELE- London Betsy Trotwood
07/04/09: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS- London Pure Groove Records
07/04/09: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS- London Luminaire
08/04/09: HANDSOME FURS- London 93 Feet East
12/04/09: DAVID BYRNE- London Royal Festival Hall
16/04/09-19/04/09: COACHELLA FESTIVAL- Coachella Valley, California, USA
21/04/09: MATES OF STATE (w/ Black Kids)- San Francisco The Independent
23/04/09: DAN DEACON- San Francisco Great American Music Hall)
06/05/09: THE SPECIALS- Brixton Academy
07/05/09: BISHOP ALLEN- London Pure Groove Records
07/05/09: BISHOP ALLEN- London Barden’s Boudoir
08/05/09-10/05/09: ATP VS. THE FANS- Minehead, Somerset
11/05/09: ANDREW BIRD- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
13/05/09: HJARTALIN- London Pure Groove Records
14/05/09: YANN TIERSEN- London Electric Ballroom
15/05/09-17/05/09: ATP: CURATED BY THE BREEDERS- Minehead, Somerset
19/05/09: METRIC- London Electric Ballroom
20/05/09: DM STITH- London Hoxton Hall
22/05/09: LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA- London Royal Festival Hall
27/05/09: ZU- Barcelona, Spain
28/05/09-01/06/09: PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL- Barcelona, Spain
05/06/09: DAN DEACON (w/ Future Islands; Teeth Mountain; Adventure)- University of London Union
08/06/09: THE DRONES- London Rough Trade East
18/06/09: DENGUE FEVER- London Scala
28/06/08: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (w/ The Gaslight Anthem)- London Hyde Park
03/07/09: BLUR- London Hyde Park
16/07/09-19/07/09: LATITUDE FESTIVAL- Henham Park, Suffolk
10/08/09: THE NATIONAL- London Royal Festival Hall
11/09/09-13/09/09: ATP: CURATED BY THE FLAMING LIPS- New York, USA
13/10/09: SPIRITUALIZED- London Royal Festival Hall
March 2010: SXSW FESTIVAL- Austin, Texas, USA

DAN DEACON- BROMST



Review: HERE

Remember when I made 'Wham City' my song of 2008 even though it came out the previous year because it was SO. GODDAMN. AWESOME.?

'Snookered' is better.

"DEAR SIR, COULD YOU ***PLEASE*** POST ABOUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN GIGS OR ARCADE FIRE?- DISGRUNTLED OF THE INTERWEB"



No. Glad we got that sorted. Anyway, please check out this super-fantastic looking trailer for the upcoming "Where The Wild Things Are" movie. Not only does it look awesome (and it's directed by the visionary Spike Jonze) but look what they've scored it to...*claps inanely like a seal*

Also, I'd recommend a listen to the Times New Viking cover of 'Tunnels' if you can find it, it's certainly...different.

THE ACORN (Brixton Windmill, 13/03/09)



Well, they’ve certainly tightened up over the last six months. Obviously suffering from tour fatigue and the imminent departure of two members last September, tonight The Acorn seemed like a completely different band to the technically-proficient miseries I witnessed back then. Taking a much energetic, rockier approach to their wussy folk oeuvre than might be expected, the new arrangements are pretty successful and unlike M.Ward they manage to hit the right mix of emotion and volume. Cheerful chaps too, engaging in amusing banter with the obligatory Windmill drunkards whilst obviously relishing the chance to play to an audience they can interact with after a long arena tour. Gig: approved.

(Photo: Anika)

PATRICK WOLF (London Heaven, 12/03/09)



The campest thing I have ever seen (and yes, I‘ve been to a Scissor Sisters gig). After supports from a boy who looked like a girl and a girl who looked like a boy, Patrick strutted on stage dressed like the lovechild of M. Bison and Sephiroth and minced about with a headset whilst lots of screaming fangirls gave me tinnitus. New songs sounded good in a bass-heavy hi-NRG sort of way, but I kinda wish he’d stop channelling Kylie Minogue and return to his quirky violin-playing roots.

(Photo: Anika)

PONYTAIL (London Lexington, 10/03/09)



More hyperactive yelping-girl action from the Baltimore four-piece. See HERE for the review of their stunning performance at the 100 Club, this was very similar except for a few more sound problems. Skeletons were a bit of an odd support, like Dirty Projectors with a penchant for stringing out their songs beyond human endurance. I wanted to like them because they obviously had some good musical ideas, but they seemed go out of their way to bore me (and they played longer than the headliners, what’s that all about…?)

(Photo: Alan Bee (Flickr))

FANFARLO (London 229 Bar, 05/03/09)



I feel I should like Fanfarlo more than I do. Like Ra Ra Riot, they’ve theoretically got all the elements of a band I like (i.e. their set-up is not dissimilar to Arcade Fire) but in practice they leave me cold. True, I’m A Pilot is a bit of a tune but beyond a certain geeky charm I find them oddly unengaging- perhaps because I unconsciously perceive them to be a pale imitation of AF, I can’t bring myself to like them? Then again, that hasn’t stopped me loving Broken Records...

(Photo: Anika)

WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS (London Social, 02/03/09)



Wowee. I thought Wildbirds and Peacedrums were good the four previous time I’d seen them, but turns out I’d seen nothing yet. Adding steel-drum and xylophone to the traditional mix of vocals, drums and zither does wonders in terms of enlivening the set, and the almost frightening passion Mariam Wallentin puts into her performance is breathtaking in the literal sense of the word. One of the best live bands around, and the most impressive set of 2009 so far.

(Photo: Anika)

EMMY THE GREAT (University of London Union, 27/02/09)



She didn’t play Secret Circus. BOOOOOOO-URNS.

(Photo: ar_strae (Flickr))

M. WARD (London Borderline, 25/02/09)



When did Matt “M.” Ward become so popular? Perhaps his musical dalliances with Hollywood actress Zooey Deschanel (A.K.A. ‘She & Him‘) have raised awareness of the curly haired one, but it came as a bit of a shock to witness the sheer fervour that awaited him at London’s intimate Borderline. The attention’s obviously well deserved- the man’s got a fantastically characterful voice, but it’s a shame it was given so little time to breathe in a set that too readily traded substance for style.

The main issue was Matt’s backing band. Proficient musicians all, but too often a burden rather than a boon. Yes, they gave flavour and some variety to the set- unless you’ve got a particularly magnetic personality (Bon Iver, please stand up), it’s hard for singer-songwriters to capture an audience with just an acoustic guitar. Certain songs, Poison Cup for instance, worked well with their new arrangements, turning things up a notch without sacrificing emotion for volume. Unfortunately, other tunes were delivered with the subtlety of a sledge-hammer, the upbeat bar-blues vibe undermining the more delicate moments of Matt’s oeuvre. I’ve no real problem with a band sounding like the Hold Steady, but it seemed out of place at times. Perhaps it would have been easier to accept if he hadn’t given a tantalising taster of his solo performance at the beginning of the set, enchanting all with the understated majesty of his voice- it made what came thereafter seem a touch shallow in comparison.

That said, there was still much to commend. What the show lacked in depth, it made up for in visceral, foot-tapping musical thrills, with Matt Ward’s impassioned piano playing and some top-notch old school blues jamming ensuring that things rarely got dull. Perhaps one might note the irony that the highlight of such a feted songwriter’s set were a medley of ragtime classics and a cover of Roll Over Beethoven, but for once the material and the musicians truly meshed and got the crowd roaring with appreciation. His own tunes weren’t so bad either; naturally the focus was on new LP “Hold Time” but his older works got a fair airing, with the five songs from “Post War” particular standouts. In a nice touch, he shifted from the third-person to the first for closer Magic Trick, crooning “I’ve only got one magic trick…I disappear” before promptly doing so. But if he’d performed the more satisfying trick of lending his shows the emotion his albums have in spades, I’d have been even more impressed.

(Photo: Anika)

FLEET FOXES (London Roundhouse, 24/02/09)



Review HERE...

(Photo: Anika; The Line Of Best Fit)

THE DEER TRACKS (London Pure Groove Records, 24/02/09)



I don’t normally bother reviewing in-stores, but this deserves a mention on the grounds it was fucking great (and pretty much a full set to boot, screw you Old Blue Last with your £5 entry!) They’re a Swedish seven-piece initially described to me as “a cross between M83, Mew and Múm” which is a pretty bold claim, but one that is well supported here. Beautiful shimmering soundscapes galore, and the brilliant closer Yes, This Is My Broken Shield was every bit as epic (and LOUD) as it is on record. If only more lunchtimes were like this…

(Photo: Anika)

TITUS ANDRONICUS (London Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, 23/02/09)



Well, that was pretty immense. Raw, chaotic and full of vibrancy, the only problem with the second-ever London show from these New Jersey indie punks was the subdued crowd- and even that was compensated for by the three absolute mentals who created their own intense mosh-pit spanning a good quarter of the venue. So what if some of their songs ran into each other, Fear And Loathing In Mahwah, NJ was exactly the riotous Arcade Fire-meets-Pogues knees-up I’d pray it’d be. I’ve got a feeling these guys are going to do pretty fucking well on the festival circuit this year…

(Photo: Maximillian.Garth (Flickr))

OWL PARLIAMENT (London Union Chapel, 21/02/09)



Review HERE...

(Photo: Anika)

PARTS & LABOR (London Cargo, 19/02/09)



Review HERE...

(Photo: Capitodeneuve (Flickr))

ALICE DIED, IN THE NIGHT

I don't know how these videos had hitherto bypassed my attention, but they're pretty breathtaking. In The Backseat...so beautiful.

NEW EELS ALBUM!

Despite being struck down by the Plague, today has been a pretty decent day (well, musically anyway). A new National show, Grouper and Casiotone For The Painfully alone added to ATP: The Fans and what's more, it's been announced the new Eels album "Hombre Lobo" will be out on 2nd June! Electro-Shock Blues remains one of my Top 10 albums of all time and although E's quality control isn't the best I'm confident this will be worth the wait.

OH YOSHIMI, THEY DON'T BELIEVE ME, BUT YOU WON'T LET THOSE ROBOTS EAT ME

It's been almost three years since I last saw the Flaming Lips. This is a disgraceful state of affairs. As these videos suggest, they're rather fun to watch...





(Sound's dodgy, but worth it for the dancing Santas/aliens at the side of the stage!)

BREAKING NEWS!

The National
Monday 10 August,
Royal Festival Hall

On sale to Southbank Centre Members from 10am on Wednesday 4 March.
On sale to all from 10am on Thursday 5 March.

HOORAY! :D

"THEN WE THINK OF OUR PARENTS...WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THEM?!"



Joel, you fucking king! I've had a downloaded copy of this 2005 San Francisco performance by Lords of Men Arcade Fire for ages, but for some reason no-one's ever uploaded it up to YouTube. It's by several leagues my most viewed live performance...conservatively, I must have watched this Tunnels footage several hundred times over the years and to be honest, I think it might be my favourite musical thing ever. I <3 AF so, so much.

Bonus video:

LAIKA



The famous crash-helmet/drumstick interface. My favourite moment is when Will jumps from his elevated position and tackles Richard to the ground, pummelling the poor guy like a human drumkit. No wonder they used to get blood on the keyboards...

I've got a backlog of reviews for TLOBF as long as a Godspeed You! Black Emperor song so getting those done trumps updating this blog, but for the time being please enjoy these videos:

TITUS ANDRONICUS- Titus Andronicus



One of the best bands I've seen this year. Not their best song, but YouTube is sadly lacking good quality vids of Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ...

CLOUD CULT- Take Your Medicine



The first Cloud Cult song I heard, and still a favourite of mine. They're like a poppier, more indie-twee Flaming Lips

MONO- Ashes In The Snow



SO. INCREDIBLY. EPIC.