EFTERKLANG (London Barbican, 28/10/09)



Efterklang performing their critically-acclaimed breakthrough album “Parades” with the Britten Sinfonia was never going to be a disappointment, and so it was that its ethereal, at times playful majesty was splendidly recreated in the grand surroundings of the London Barbican. A more serious occasion than your typical Efterklang show- no high-fiving the audience at every conceivable interval- the band were nonetheless bedecked in commendably colourful attire (the orchestra opting, despite the insinuations of the programme, to adopt a more muted fashion style) and Casper Clausen’ sheer enthusiasm gave an endearing touch to a show that could have been too formal for its own good. Perhaps too many moments simmered when they should have soared (then again, that applies equally to the source material) but when the myriad elements came together it was glorious to behold- Mirador was utter perfection, bolstered by wonderful choral backing vocals and Cutting Ice With Snow was as powerful and beautiful as one could hope. However, they perhaps saved the best until last with the premiere of a new track from their upcoming album- more instant than their previous work without losing any of their offbeat charm, it’s made me very excited to see what potential masterpiece they come up with next.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

PORTUGAL THE MAN (London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, 27/10/09)



Two members down but no less fantastic, Portugal The Man made a triumphant return to London with enough 10 minute long wigouts and falsetto vocals to satisfy even the most demanding 70’s psychedelic rock fan. Mad props to the bassist, who appeared to be having a seizure at several points throughout.

(Photo: Higher_Ground (Flickr))

OUR BROTHER THE NATIVE (London Luminaire, 26/10/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

DOVES (London Roundhouse, 22/10/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Lauralilauralu (Flickr))

SOAP & SKIN (London Purcell Rooms, 20/10/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

SPIRITUALIZED (London Royal Festival Hall, 13/10/09)



Playing your landmark album in its entirety seems to be the cool thing to do these days (reunions are SO 2008) but if they’re all delivered with such loving care as Spiritualized’s recitation of late-90’s classic “Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space” there’s little cause for complaint. J. Spaceman may be as static a frontman as ever, but augmented with 2 guitarists, a keyboardist, a bassist, two percussionists, 6 brass players, a string octet and 12 members of the London Community Choir the music is anything but. The wondrously dreamy space-pop of the title track is delivered with such spine-tingling intensity it literally takes the breath away, even outshining Come Together’s stirring gospel-heavy refrain. Like the album, there are moments that don’t really go anywhere- Jason Pierce isn’t the most sophisticated of songwriters, either lyrically or melodically- but they’re more than made up for by the likes of Electricity, whose brutal assault is accompanied by such apocalyptically intense strobe lighting I started seeing colours that weren’t really there. Shame the sound isn’t quite as good in the balcony as one might hope, but not even that can mute the immense power of a 20-minute Cop Shoot Cop, complete with an extended noise wig-out that pushes the limits of the less hardy connoisseur (personally, I fucking loved it). An excellent, at times tremendous performance, it lacked the consistency to be a true gig-of-the-year contender but despite its flaws it’s an experience I most definitely wouldn’t mind repeating come December.

(Photo: Littlepants (Flickr))

IMMACULATE MACHINE (Brixton Windmill, 12/10/09)



A charming and good-natured show from the Canadian quintet, filled with up-tempo synth that may not have broken any boundaries but provided perfectly pleasant Monday night entertainment. Stained Glass Heroes and Joy Of Sex provided competent but uneven support.

(Photo: Christoph! (Flickr))

THE FIERY FURNACES (London Cargo, 08/10/09)



It's been almost three and a half years since I last saw the siblings Freidburger in action, and it's kinda heartening to see that although their albums have moved in a more accessible, instantly likeable direction, their live shows are as unpredictable and crazy as ever. Bearing no heed to the original arrangments, the band twist, remould and completely overhaul their back-catalogue, shifting time-signatures and rhythms in weird and wonderful ways and delivering it all with the impeccible technical brilliance of Deerhoof. It sometimes took a while to twig what song they were actually playing and there were a couple of mid-set lulls, but with such a well-judged blend of old and new material coupled with exceptional musicianship I left hoping it wouldn't be quite so long 'til the next time.

(Photo: sophie_of_delusion (Flickr))

THE ALLOTMENT (London Betsey Trotwood, 07/10/09)



Well, I didn't actually get to see any of the bands because I was on Door Custodian duties, but a well-deserved congratulations to Anika and Lynn for putting on such a excellent (and successful) first gig. Hope to see many more in the future!

CHRIS GARNEAU (London Luminaire, 06/10/09)



An enjoyable set of eccentric vaudeville pop that tottered too often into the snares of cheesiness to fully win me over, but hey- any man who professes a love of Frog Eyes is alright by me.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

JULIE DOIRON (London Luminaire, 30/09/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

INVADA INVASION (Bristol Colston Hall, 26/09/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: 6010 (Flickr))

SLOW CLUB (London Scala, 24/09/09)



One of the better proponents of the Brit-folk scene, this Yorkshire duo combine earnestly sweet acoustic balladry with a delightfully self-effacing sense of humour (and a penchant for performing songs in the middle of the audience). Much recommended.

(Photo: taraghb (Flickr))

MUSIC GO MUSIC (London Institute Of Contemporary Arts, 22/09/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

THE VEILS (London Scala, 21/09/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Alisha Ahmed (Flickr))

THE WHISPERTOWN 2000 (London Luminaire, 19/09/09)



Enjoyable country-rock stomps and impressive facial hair from The Whispertown 2000, whose infectious enthusiasm almost compensated for the evening's sub-par support acts. Actually, that's not entirely fair- Anna Calvi's guitar skills were damn impressive, it's just a shame her songs were lacking.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

AU (London Cafe Oto, 16/09/09)



Imagine if you merged Holy Fuck, YACHT and Lightning Bolt together via some sort of awesome musical alchemy and you might get something a bit like Au. The ever-energetic duo's short but effervescent set jolted between jaunty camp electro-balladry and assaults of pure noise with carefree abandon but they were never less than entirely compelling.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

SUNSET RUBDOWN (London Garage, 15/09/09)



My Spencer Krug fanboyism has been well documented so I'll keep this brief- despite being not quite as sublime as the Luminaire show, this still ranks as one of the best shows of 2009. Idiot Heart was much more electrifying than its recorded incarnation, Trumpet Trumpet Toot Toot is still a masterpiece in synth-drenched mania and the run of You Run On Ahead->The Men Are Called Horsemen There->Mending Of The Gown spectacularly highlighted the best songs off each of their albums. Hooray!

(Photo: tnarik (Flickr))

CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX (London Dingwalls, 14/09/09)



My ears still haven't recovered. Not quite post-rock, not quite prog-rock but most definitely fucking loud, the 8-piece's apocalyptic 'end-time ballads”shook Camden to its foundations. Although the Mogwai/GY!BE influences are clear (the bassist from the former band was a founding member), there's a lot more going on than just guitar-centric crescendos- there's a theatrical element to them that's much more Pink Floyd than the po-faced minimalism that normally besets the genre. Highlight was “Burnt Reynolds” which unexpectedly was even more OTT than on record, with the small but appreciative audience happily filling in the song's choral parts. Fantastic.

(Photo: Dematak (Flickr))

DIRTY PROJECTORS (London Scala, 13/09/09)



Taking support bands into account, possibly the best all-round shows I've been to this year. Dirty Projectors were occasionally infuriating but mostly brilliant- the additional band members really enhanced the Bitte Orca stuff, and the female vocal harmonies were on occasion utterly out-of-this-world. And tUnE-yArDs was worth the price of admission alone- I've rarely, if ever seen someone with such incredible vocal control. She does some very unusual things with her voice, and uses loop pedals, a ukulele and a drum to create a sound akin to a one-woman Animal Collective. Certainly left-field, but rather brilliant- the greatest support band discovery I've made in 2009.

(Photo: David Emery (Flickr)

LONEY DEAR (London Union Chapel, 10/09/09)



Well, Loney Dear was OK and Whispertown just didn't suit Union Chapel but tonight was all about the wondrous Wildbirds and Peacedrums who put on the show of their lives. Always peerless in terms of vitality and passion, the Swedish husband-and-wife duo finally had the acoustics to give full life to their tribal drums and impassioned, wild vocals, not to mention a wonderfully respectful audience. It's no exaggeration to say the climatic duel-drumming of Today/Tomorrow was one of the most breathtaking things I've ever seen at a gig; one of those increasingly rare moments where I am left genuinely lost for words. An absolute marvel of a performance.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

BELL ORCHESTRE (London Garage, 09/09/09)



My first time seeing the instrumental Arcade Fire side-project, and man, they sure didn't let me down. Even with their more restrained, subtle compositions there's an unostentatious passion that elevates their emotional resonance to a higher plane, and when they let loose with their soaring flights of orchestral beauty they're capable of moments as breathtaking as anything I've ever seen, most notably the transcendental climax of Icicles/Bicycles. Shame about the Luyas' crushingly disappointing set though- difficult, tuneless and beset with technical hitches, it certainly didn't show them off in the best light.

(Photo: John Gleeson)

THE KISSAWAY TRAIL (London Bush Hall, 07/09/09)



The Danish five-piece's propulsive set may have suffered from a lack of variety, but their heavily post-rock-influenced indie rock has an impressively expansive quality that often seemed too epic for the modestly sized Shepherd's Bush venue. But even better were the dark and atmospheric Chimes and Bells, whose moody subterranean female vocals and intense drumming were a far cry from the jollity of many of their Scandinavian contemporaries. And there were free cupcakes. Success!

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

THE DODOS (London Bush Hall, 03/09/09)
 


The Dodos are talented guys, but they sure don’t make it easy for the audience. Their spectacular displays of percussive folk would have taken the breath away if they hadn’t gone on forever, and the variable quality of their song-writing was sadly spotlighted by their insistence on playing mostly lesser-known (read: aimless) material. What made it worse is that they finally got the formula right during the encore, leaving us to wonder how good they could’ve if they’d been that focussed and engaging throughout. Pretty good, but not nearly as good as they should be.

(Photo: Alan Bee (Flickr))

THE ANTLERS (London 229, 02/09/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: John Gleeson)

THE WELCOME WAGON (London St. Leonard’s Church, 01/09/09)



Although I may not be as down with the J-Man as Vito Aiuto and his Presbyterian pals, my personal religious convictions were no impediment to enjoying this thoroughly charming little show. Performing in a church lit solely by candlelight, the Asthmatic Kitty signings tonight bolstered their gospel infused indie-folk with a four-piece backing choir and a professional pianist. Vito’s vocal style is reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens (who incidentally produced their debut), but the real draw is his wife Monique, whose pure, delicate vocals add a touching hint of wide-eyed innocence to the deep spirituality (and at times, foot-stomping fun) of their music. They seem like truly lovely folks too, engaging the audience with good-natured banter and giving a Brooklyn baseball cap to the person whose birthday was closest to Christmas “because they always get gypped when it comes to presents.” It’s just a shame this wasn’t better advertised (I only found out about it that very morning) because they deserved a much bigger audience- let’s hope they make a welcome return soon…perhaps with Mr. Stevens in tow.

(Photo: Littlepants (Flickr))

I’M FROM BARCELONA (London Favela Chic, 27/08/09)



Probably the first time genuine joy has ever been elicited at a trendy Shoreditch wine-bar, I’m From Barcelona’s typically celebratory performance was as always a total pleasure to behold. The 14-piece Swedish joy-horde may be reluctant to tweak their setlists (this was almost identical to last year’s Scala show), but the 200-strong audience were too busy being covered with confetti, bouncing balloons and fending off crowd-surfing saxophonists to care. AND they covered Justice vs. Simian’s “We Are Your Friends” which naturally ranks as one of the greatest gig moments of 2009 so far. Awesome scenes.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

MONOTONIX (London Garage, 24/08/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

BEACH HOUSE (London Union Chapel, 21/08/09)



Three competent but undistinguished performances from three talented but uncharismatic bands. Papercuts’ folk-Deerhunter sound piqued my interest, but I‘ve seen more vitality in a morgue; Vetiver were slightly more lively, but I’ve only a limited appetite for their traditionalist folk-country leanings. Headliners Beach House had a few isolated moment of greatness and their new songs sounded promising, but the fact remains they sound a a lot better on record- their synths sounded washed out and not even the grand acoustics of Union Chapel could make Victoria Legrand’s voice soar as it should. A slightly disappointing evening.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

BILL CALLAHAN (London Union Chapel, 19/08/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Ewan-M (Flickr))

PORT O’ BRIEN (London Borderline, 18/08/09)



I’ll be perfectly honest- I wasn’t expecting much from this. A couple of songs apart, Port O’ Brien’s recording output has never really set my world alight and their support slot for the Silver Jews indicated a band with little to elevate them above the mire of similar folk-rock ensembles. But I was wrong. True, some of their output is the kind of workaday indie the West Coast seems to pump out by the gallon but there’s some very solid numbers there and it’s all delivered with such effusive, grin-inducing energy that even the weaker moments don’t grate. Plus they had Two Gallants’ Tyson Vogel on drums, and that man is one of the most phenomenal percussionists in the world. Watching him in full flow is almost hypnotic, it’s like he has a personal vendetta against every square inch of his drum kit; if you haven’t seen him in action, you owe it to yourself to rectify that. A surprisingly excellent performance from a band I’d previously dismissed, I’d be more than happy to check them out again when they return to London in November.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

BROADCAST 2000 (London Luminaire, 14/08/09)



Another solid evening of music courtesy of London’s most dependable music venue. We Aeronauts continue to cement their status as one of the UK’s most promising new live acts, the multitudinous multi-instrumentalists combining solid indie-pop melodising with sterling musicianship and charming stage presence. Brooklyn’s Forest Fire weren’t quite as endearing with their ill-advised moustaches and moments of monotony but hell, they can’t half rustle up a magnificent racket when the mood takes them, whilst Broadcast 2000 have a nice line in dazzling glockenspiel solos, but sound way too much like Noah and the Whale for my liking.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

DEVOTCHKA (London Cargo, 11/08/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

THE NATIONAL (London Royal Festival Hall, 10/08/09)



Although The National hail from Cincinnati, their London shows always seem like homecomings. It’s my ninth time seeing them, so there‘s little I can add to all the gushing praise spouted elsewhere in this blog- they continue to marry exceptional songwriting and intensity like few other acts, the perfectly-judged percussion never fails to impress and Matt Berninger‘s still a surprisingly effective frontman for all his shyness- tonight saw several ventures into the audience and an ill-fated attempt at sliding around on an ice-covered stage. I’m still not entirely won over by the new songs (except opener Runaway) but the Alligator/Boxer-heavy setlist sparkled with a multitude of gems and a rare airing of oldie Available was a welcome treat for the many hardcore fans in attendance. A powerhouse performance from a truly special band, it’s surely only a matter of time before they break through into mainstream consciousness and get the widespread acclaim they wholeheartedly deserve.

(Photo: John Gleeson)

PITCHFORK FESTIVAL (Chicago Union Park, 17/07/09-19/07/09)


Review: HERE

(Photo: Chris Alvarez)

MÚM (London Tabernacle, 13/07/09)



So maybe it lacked the sheer spine-tingling joyousness of their 22-person extravaganza at the Scala in 2007, but Múm’s glitchy experimental pop still hasn’t lost its power to warm the heart and bring a smile to the face of the most ardent cynic. Having expanded the core band to seven allows an even greater array of instrumentation to be employed and the new vocalist seems to be finally settling in, ably taking the place of her predecessor who left to marry screamy-vocals guy out of Animal Collective. The set was very much focused on the new album, some of which came across as a little insubstantial but “If I Were A Fish” and “Sing Along” are utterly charming additions to their oeuvre, and although their formula has been refined and perhaps even bettered by fellow Scandinavians Efterklang they’re still a band that are a constant pleasure to watch. Perfect venue for them too- I heartily endorse the Tabernacle, even if it’s a little swanky for the likes of me. Quality setting for a quality show.

(Photo: J_Ymmit (Flickr))

FENECH-SOLER (London Cargo, 10/07/09)



NO.

(Photo: nerdyframes leader 1 (Flickr))

ST. VINCENT (London Institute Of Contemporary Arts, 08/07/09)



Review HERE

(Photo: kafka_on_the_shore (Flickr))

BLUR (London Hyde Park, 03/07/09)



I can’t admit to have ever been a fully-fledged fanboy of Damon Albarn’s Oasis-baiting Britpoppers (I was always more a Pulp man, myself) but having partly soundtracked my childhood I felt that Blur’s reunion shows weren’t something I wanted to miss. So, it was a bit of a shame that I left Hyde Park in a state of mild disappointment- particularly because none of the fault lies with the band themselves. True, Damon Albarn bellows rather than sings nowadays but you couldn’t hear him anyway over the even more overwhelming discordance of a myriad boozed-up 30 years old wrongly singing the lyrics to “Country House”. Graham Coxon’s guitar-work is still top notch, but when being buffeted by the backpack-wearing, bottle-chucking members of the Hyde Park Fucktard Committee it was a little hard to appreciate it.

Still, the show was party to a few exquisite moments: the grand old singalong coda to “Tender” was even better than the “Hey Jude” one at Coachella, “Girls and Boys,” “Parklife” and “Song 2” were always going to be fun, and closer “The Universal” was unexpectedly moving. But thanks to the crappy audience (and the dodgy sound to the left of the stage) it wasn’t quite the epoch-defining event I'd been anticipating. Ah well- you win some, you lose some.

As for the impressive roster of support acts: Deerhoof were typically fantastic and although they seemed to perplex many, I reckon they made a few converts too; the hotly-tipped Florence And The Machine, clad in what seemed to be her grandmother’s duvet cover, has an impressive voice but lacks the songs to match. Best of the bunch were Amadou and Mariam, whose blissful Malian jams were the perfect tonic for a scorchingly hot Summer’s evening- a brief nod to Michael Jackson‘s “Beat It” was a particularly sweet tribute to the late King of Pop, but the anaemic and frankly embarrassing Vampire Weekend seemed to drag for eternity, delivered with the soul and passion of an Enron board meeting.

(Photo: Anjali Knebworth (Flickr))

DEERHOOF (London Scala, 01/07/09)



Similar to this previously-reviewed show but dare I say it, even better. Fearing furnace-like temperatures in the midst of an uncharacteristic London heatwave, The Scala was in fact a haven of air-conditioned bliss and provided the perfect setting for this beautifully frantic display of star-jumps, songs about pandas, jerky funk basslines, eccentric time-signatures and the maximally awesome drum skillz of Greg Saunier.

(Photo: J Ymmit (Flickr))

PORTUGAL THE MAN (London Madame Jojo’s, 30/06/09)



Why the hell aren’t this band better known? With proggy psychedelic jams in vogue at the moment with Sleepy Sun riding high on the waves of blog-hype, you’d expect the punters to be flocking to the Portland-based band’s first ever London show but alas, it was not to be. But half-empty venue aside, Portugal The Man were a seriously impressive live proposition- they do nothing new, but they do it with such energy and technical skill that questions of originality are moot. The unashamedly histrionic vocals, soul-influenced melodies and a sense they’re genuinely enjoying themselves differentiates them from their more serious and self-indulgent peers (*cough*Black Mountain*cough*) and despite a tendency to fall into the trap of over-extending a jam beyond its natural limits there’s few bands I’ve seen this year than match them for sheer consistency. Highly recommended.

(Photo: Kevin Klocker (Flickr))

HARD ROCK CALLING (London Hyde Park, 27/06/09)



When you think “Hard Rock,” you don’t necessarily think “Alessi’s Ark” but there you go. Personally, I thought the young singer-songwriter put on a very charming performance- she’s quite a character, with a very distinctive voice and mannerisms not a whole away from Cat Power and Joanna Newsom. True, her current material doesn’t always match up with her promise, but there‘s some strong songs in there, most notably Glendora. Her band’s also improved since the last time I saw her, providing more subtle backing than her disappointing show at the Camden Barfly a few months back although like that show, her talents are sadly wasted on an audience who are too busy chatting loudly to their mates to listen to the music.

The rest of the day lacked much to commend it. Fleet Foxes were solid, but I’m finding myself getting increasingly bored with them- their new material did little to dissuade me that they’re one-trick ponies with little to distinguish them bar group harmonies delivered ad infinitum. The other acts on the Bandstand were…how shall we put this diplomatically…”forgettable,” and Neil Young, though undoubtedly supremely talented and cooler at the age of 500 than I’ll ever be really isn’t more sort of thing at all. Still, big thanks for Alessi for sorting us out for a ticket- much appreciated :-)

(Photo: Dave Cross (Flickr))

YNDI HALDA (London Union Chapel, 20/06/09)



Well, what a way to spend a Saturday afternoon! Must admit Snowbird and Paul Marshall weren’t something I‘d go out of my way to see again, but Yndi Halda must rank as one of my musical discoveries of the year. Luscious, eardrum-shattering post-rock par excellence, they’re the kind of thing Hope of the States used to excel at before they were coerced into radio-friendly pop-rock. Epic without being pretentious, voluminous without discarding subtlety and employing multi-layered chimes with breathtaking effect, they’re definitely a band I want to check out again in the near future.

(Photo: SamuelYUI (Flickr))

PATTI SMITH (London Royal Festival Hall, 18/06/09)



Any performance by legendary maverick Patti Smith is going to be an idiosyncratic experience, but this was even more surreal than I could have possibly expected. The truly astounding sight of jovial RHCP bassist Flea playing slap bass next to the bemused and imperious Efrim from Canadian post-rockers A Silver Mt. Zion was so fucking weird I think my brain actually stopped working at that point. Patti Smith’s divisive vocal qualities actually didn’t bother me at all, mostly because she mostly stuck to spoken word pieces put to music, declaiming wildly like some mad hippy preacher and her incredibly eclectic group of backing musicians provided fittingly atmospheric augmentation to her passionate readings. And I’ve not even mentioned the random troupe of Moroccan musicians, whose mesmerising, repetitive drones, punctuated with squarking clarinet from Ms. Smith herself seemed to sum up the evening as a whole- pretentious, unpredictable yet somehow never less than completely engaging. An experience and a half.

(Photo: John Gleeson)

SHONEN KNIFE (Brixton Windmill, 17/06/09)



BARNACLE! BARNACLE! THIS IS A SONG ABOUT BARNACLE! Shonen Knife’s lyrical prowess may be open to debate, but their ability to provide charmingly simple, day-glo J-rock with tremendous energy and some snazzy costumes is beyond debate. Excellent support too from the always-entertaining Screaming Tea Party.

(Photo: acb (Flickr))

DAN DEACON (University of London Union, 05/06/09)



Oddly enough, the soulless student-union environs of ULU have now hosted the two most fun gigs I’ve ever been to, which just goes to show- appearances can be deceiving. In truth, it wasn’t all that dissimilar to the sublime San Francisco show I wrote about here, but with the added ‘wow’ factor of experiencing a London audience that actually threw themselves whole-heartedly into the general insanity. The human gauntlet managed to get round at least one corner of ULU’s perimeter (probably would have gone even further if it wasn‘t raining) and this time round, they aced Snookered which of course made me transcendentally happy. The show ended with mass crowd-surfing from the 14-piece ensemble (valuable lesson: Deacon is a very, very heavy man) and a general sense of elation normally experienced whilst under the influence of illegal chemicals. Show of the year? Oh yes.

(Photo: CapitoDenueve (Flickr))

PLANTS AND ANIMALS (London Luminaire, 03/06/09)



Quality Canadian bands have been almost ten-a-penny the last few years (penance, perhaps, for the Satanic double-whammy of Bryan Adams and Celine Dion), and Montreal’s Plants and Animals are yet another worthy addition to the crammed pantheon. Their intricate orchestration, catchy choruses and eclectic range of influences are a treat on record, garnering a much-deserved Polaris nomination and for the most part they deliver live too, albeit in a different way to what fans may expect.

The first thing that you notice is that the elaborate arrangements of the album have been stripped down to their barest bones- the strings of Arcade Fire’s Sarah Neufeld are gone, and all remains is guitar, bass and drums. Naturally, this results in a rawer sound than the album, with songs like “Good Friend” imbued with a jagged, intense quality not always apparent in their recorded incarnations. They’re also more vibrant than one would necessarily expect, having a certain edge at odds with the fey image cultivated by many of their Canuck peers. Nonetheless, one shouldn’t overstate the differences between Parc Avenue and the live show- they play it safe with the song structures, meaning that songs are perfectly recognisable even if the arrangements aren’t.

The band seemed particularly keen to try out plenty of new material, which for the most part showed promise and a degree of progression from Parc Avenue, although it wouldn’t be surprising if the final versions of these songs bore little similarity to those presented here. These tracks were well received by the audience, although the atmosphere really picked up for the better-known songs, especially “Fairie Dance” with its extended singalong coda. Still, there’s a few issues that stop them being quite as compelling as they could be. The vocals have a tendency to archness that occasionally grates, and their lyrics don’t always match up to their more accomplished compositional work, over-relying on the repetition of trite phrases that can get annoying. Like so many ambitious bands of their ilk, they also fall into the trap of elongating their songs beyond their natural bounds, dragging a melody to breaking point where brevity would be far more effective. But ultimately they succeed in retaining the vast majority of the album’s appeal, even if they lack the means to fully recreate it, proving once and for all that simplicity isn’t always a bad thing.

(Photo: Anika)

PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL (Parc del Forum, Barcelona, 26/05/09-31/05/09)



Being far too lazy to construct a proper write up, here’s a hastily-written summary I copy-and-pasted from UKK. Moi? Effort? Don’t be silly.

Set ratings:

10/10
Ponytail (Missed the end of MBV for this, totally worth it. Absolute triumph of a set, possibly the best I’ve seen this year)

9/10
Michael Nyman (went on a complete whim, he was superb! 11-piece orchestra, high-tempo compositions…perfect fit for the Auditori)
Andrew Bird (the man’s a genius, what can I say?)
Dan Deacon (audience participation fell embarrassingly flat due to the language barrier, but the moshing at the front was UTTER. FUCKING. INSANITY)
The Mae Shi (missing a guitarist, scrappy as ever but the atmosphere was amazing- plus the whole band ended up crowdsurfing during the last song)
Oneida (I had a headache before I saw them, I didn’t when they’d finished. There’s genuinely no logical explanation for this.)

8/10
Lightning Bolt (THEY PLAYED ON THE STAGE! WHAT IN THE NAME OF FUCK??????? Still, one hell of a show.)
My Bloody Valentine (think I’ve had my fill of them now, and their outdoor performance was a bit underwhelming but watching/feeling the whole Auditori shake during You Made Me Realise was epic)
Zu (Math-rock/metal/free-jazz genre-smash; more baritone sax for your buck than any other band this weekend)
The Jesus Lizard (David Yow sure loves to crowd-surf)
Flow (The only act I caught at the MySpace tent, but they were really good- think a Mexican Bishop Allen fronted by Colin Meloy.)
Plants And Animals (Fantastic Sunday evening set surrounded by palm trees)
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (only caught 4 songs before MBV, but they sounded great)



7/10
Sleepy Sun (Black Mountain but better)
The New Year (slow but LOUD. Would like to see them again in a more alert state)
Damien Jurado (surprisingly enjoyable for an acoustic guitar type)
The Drones (Quality Ozzie rock, shame I was too hyper about Dan Deacon to see much of their set.)
Sonic Youth (too tired to really appreciate, but I quite liked ‘em)
The Bad Plus (Jazzy covers band. Exceptionally talented and their take on Lithium was fun, but 15-minute meandering solos got old pretty quick.)
Stanley Brinks (Like regular Herman Dune, but with a female vocalist. Has only two melodies, but somehow manages to hold the attention)
Black Lips (3am, last night of the festival- just what you need really. Nothing epoch-defining, but good fun.)

6/10
Neil Young (neither engaged or offended me, although the mix sounded fucking atrocious from the back)
Dalek (raucous hip-hop act, did an ace collaboration with Zu on their last song)
Lemonade (like Animal Collective-meets-Gang Gang Dance-meets-Ratatat, without being nearly as good as that sounds)
Spiritualized (fell flat in an outdoor, daytime setting)
Kimya Dawson (like injecting pure twee into your veins)
Magnolia Electric Co. (pleasant enough fare for a early-evening set)

5/10
Bat For Lashes (third time round, and she still comes across as a fourth-rate Bjork wannabe. Clearly very talented, but oddly uncharismatic.)
Yo La Tengo (Look, if you’re going to start your set with a interminable 20-minute jam, I’m going to walk off.)
The Horrors (They’re alright, I suppose although Faris Rotter’s still a douche of Kilroy-Silkian proportions)
Maika Makovski (a local act, I think. She was quite hot.)
David Gedge (some guy from some ancient band called “The Wedding Present” playing stuff on an acoustic guitar in the back of a trendy clothing shop.)

4/10
Marnie Stern (disappointment of the weekend. Sound was *abysmal*)
Women (Still unimpressed by them live, although the sound problems didn’t help their cause)
Crystal Stilts (Competent but dull)
Bowerbirds (BORING-birds more like. The musical equivalent of chintz wallpaper)
Aphex Twin (not in the mood for it at all)
The Right Ons (bland support band fodder, very MOR)

3/10
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (gets one extra mark for the almost tolerable Yeasayer-esque song they were playing as I left)

2/10
Magik Markers (They played the same song twice in a fucking row. And it was SHIT.)
WAVVES (http://pitchfork.com/news/35459-wavves-self-destruct-in-barcelona)

(Photos: scannerfm_flickr; Emma Liensa (Flickr))

DM STITH (London Hoxton Hall, 20/05/09)



Now, here’s a young man with a bright future ahead of him. David Stith may, as the Guardian astutely put it bear an alarming resemblance to the main human protagonist of “Ratatouille”, but he‘s also the most promising singer-songwriter I‘ve seen since Justin “Bon Iver” Vernon. His vocals are one part Jeff Buckley, one part Anthony Hegarty; his melodies haunting and evocative. Skeletal guitar is overlaid with strings and delicate harmonies, a battered old piano is illuminated by a shimmering disco-ball as he unleashes an ethereal ballad. He’s still a bit nervy, and a few mistakes are made but they’re easy to forgive- it’s clear this is a performer with rare and genuine potential, even if he‘d do well to bulk up his set a bit. AND to top it all off, he has Marla Hansen in his backing band. Approval: given.

(Photo: Griffinshot (Flickr))