- Live Reviews
A night out for us UK-based SXSW drop-outs, who really wanted to be in
Rob St John was the support. I thought he really showed promise, with some great support from his two band members. Seemingly in the territory of Low, but most closely aligned with Mark Kozalek/Red House Painters - who when talking to a member of the band after the show, he had never heard of, so there you go! Potentially a lo-fi gem.
Tall Firs are on their third record, but the first released via ATP. On the new record called ‘Out of it, Into it’, the harmonies and songs are delightfully intense and gentle in equal measure. Live, the songs take on a rawer edge. At times they sound a little REM or Bruce Springsteen, at others more like Kings of Convenience. Often the difference in style depends on which of the two friends has taken on the ‘lead singer’ role – something they change throughout the set. What is consistent, however, is the great friendship that Dave Mies and Aaron Mullen have going – they’re very relaxed together and they have the straight and funny guy routine off pat!
The only complaints of the evening are the incompatibility between a seated band and a low stage (meaning we could see almost nothing of the guys and their guitars), and the rude audience members who clearly had no intention of listening, and chatted throughout.
But the band are clearly delighted to be part of the ATP crowd and are enjoying being on the road and chatting to fans. The new record was pretty much covered during the hour long set and comes highly recommended for your 2012 album collection.
Lovely evening.
Pete & Lou
Rob St John’s album Weald is available on Toad Records
Tall Firs – Out of It, Into It is available via ATP Records
Our review of the album
- Live Reviews
Although, I have known the album cover of 'In the Aeroplane over the Sea' for many years, from the bargain bins, I only brought it for I guess £5 a couple of years ago. The early tales of Nineties first love, angst and wild landscape sonic guitars passed be by at the time but, I can appreciate them now in a cinematic way, where you go to watch a movie about a past time at the Picture House I guess. I then discovered ‘On Avery Island’ and both records are regulars on any road trips.
The Union Chapel was a warm place tonight with the heaters blazing and the place pretty much full by the time The Music Tapes took to the stage. Julian Koster like Jeff, an erstwhile member of Netural Milk Hotel is the front man of tonight’s 3 piece (Laura Carter appeared with the band during Jeff’s set).
The band are a whirlwind of sound and visual attention grabbing impact along the lines of say, a Devotchka or A Hawk & A Hacksaw. Eastern European stories and sounds predominate. Julian’s favourite instruments seem to be a Banjo played with a bow and a Saw, again played with a bow. Great fun but any commercial success must be limited.
- Live Reviews
Oh Come, All Ye Faithful
Tuesday night at chapel and there's a different kind of reverence going on between the stone pillars near Highbury Corner.
From the altar, one man and his many guitars had this
In this case, it's important to mention place. The Union Chapel is an understandably and increasingly popular venue. It seems there isn’t a singer or a band that doesn't want to play here these days. They usually stand, gaze around and go "Wow!"
I've seen a few of what you might call top gigs here. And some utter rubbish too. This venue itself, splendid as it is, cannot make a gig. At worst, it can be unforgiving: mid-January, with a boney backside on a sub-zero pew, and - no criticism, it is a place of prayer - you're not even allowed a wee dram inside. So supping coffee and watching Mangum was fine, but something stronger might've softened the relative blandness of others on this same stage (yes, Gutter Twins).
- Live Reviews
It’s back to our favourite venue of the moment, the Junction
The audience is made up of a mix of LC devotees and people (like myself) who have just never got around to seeing him live before. Lloyd did make a comment half way through, thanking partners of twosomes for coming along supporting their loved one, as it very rare in a partnership that he finds both people liking his music.
Still best known as singer/songwriter of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions (1984 to 1989) he remains without doubt a marvellous performer who has a crisp clear 50 something voice which delivers the stories of the songs very effectively. Self effacing he plays a crowd pleasing set reaching through a vast back catalogue and new songs too boot, all of which, are covered over two, one hour sets.
Most of his chat centres around his accommodation for the night which is, the brand named hotel next to the venue, which still remains best outlined by John Grant’s introduction to his song ‘Where Dreams Go to Die’, Much I think in the thoughts of LC.
So a very pleasant intimate gig with a charming troubadour.
Pete
- Live Reviews
The CB2 cafe is a special place for gigs and really is the closest to the Glastonbury Green field’s tent experience you can get indoors. Scatted cushions all over the floor of the basement venue, tiny stage and fifty people and the place is packed. Good food / beer / wines and a very pleasant crowd, the evening is set.
Greg McDonald and Gemma Gaynor (She was battered and bruised from falling off her bike earlier in the week) put on a delightful set of folk tunes. A debut record from the pair is currently being recorded with the guy’s from Slow of Hands, in the West Country.
Next up was Ethan Ash. A jolly fellow with a great collection of songs. I guess you would say pretty much in the Ed Sheeran mode and from the look of his hand-outs a master of social networking. Boundless energy and free jelly babies for the audience, he was well received.
- Live Reviews
They know what love is .....
IN THE centre of the obtuse triangle that has pointy bits called Bob Dylan and Mr Mister and New Order – this is a Bermuda-sized triangle – there was an unimagined wasteland. It is now filled by the majestic and stomping beauty that is The War On Drugs.
If TWOD had employed Ladyhawke on a second keyboard,
TWOD are so enjoyable it's hard to be critical. Within the opening few minutes they go all Tom Petty meets Supertramp - the sound is wondrous. People smile, people melt. But at around 10.45pm it starts to cloy a little.
Guitars rule with TWOD - not in the bucket-load Band of Horses style - but theirs is a jaw-achingly pleasing loudness and intricacy. The bassy backbone is firmly 70s and 80s electro-sensibility, but there’s special warmth, perhaps like a Floridian open-top road trip with Britney Spears covering The Eagles’ greatest hits.
- Live Reviews
The Leisure Society / Dan Michaelson -
Saturday night music starts off with Dan Michelson and the Coastguards (well Coastguard, ‘Horse’ as he's known in the band). Dan is a very talented songwriter, who plays in the band Absentee (currently “on a long lunch”) and well as producing a number of solo albums. Sudden Fiction is the latest gem.
Dan has a deep sing voice and when I say deep, let’s just say he makes Leonard Cohen sound like a soprano. The songs all carry emotion and require concentration so you do find yourself getting drawn in quite quickly. A sizeable and very quiet crowd listened intently for an all too short 30 minutes set.
This Leisure Society date should have been here last October but, a prestigious support slot on the Laura Marling tour meant the rearrangement. A Christmas show at the Barbican with a 30 piece Orchestra meant that the band are brimming with confidence on this tour.
- Live Reviews
A bitter Monday evening ... a church filled with half tramp / half hipster figures ... an absence of women is notable. Apparently this was a rendition of Ravedeath 1972 but I would have no idea, as have often tried to 'like' Hecker's output, but so far not persuaded. But a gig in a church is hard to refuse.
Lights out, hush, street lights through stained glass ... a slowly building cloud of vibrato pipe organ via a multitude of effects pedals (I guess) resulting in a quite beautiful undulating fuzzed up noisy mass ... for my liking the extended peaks of deep bass driven drones could have been even louder, but that would be straying into pure noise ... but then who doesn't like pure noise ...
'Too many notes ... ' on occasion in my opinion, but the majority of the 45 minutes or so of rising, swelling, falling, wheezing, distorted, maltreated organ sounds, with a little decay / echo in places were quite a joy. Not so sure those fans expecting his more ambient efforts would have appreciated the sometimes almost industrial evening. Certainly, an event if not, a concert.
Martin
- Live Reviews
We weren’t at the venue in time for Gil Karpas, but the main act, Ana Silvera, was highly anticipated, after high praise for her from the ‘Late Junction’ on BBC Radio 3. The small and intimate show, at the Cambridge Junction 2, featured Nick Mulvey (ex Portico Quartet) as the co-headliner.
With a wonderful voice - clear, clean and crisp - perhaps as a result of her teenage years performing with the English National Opera, classical training seemed to be evident in Ana’s performance.
Ana played keyboards and an occasional guitar, and was accompanied by another vocalist and a cello player. She varied throughout her fifty-minute set, starting with nervousness, then at points being rather too ‘high art’, but also bringing really touching moments into some of the songs.
Certainly when harmonising with her compatriot on stage, the vocals had added depth. Imogen Heap and perhaps Rachel Sage (with less flamboyance) would be a loose starting point sound wise. Some songs I thought were perhaps more suited to a stage show rather than a gig, but Ana certainly has musical talent. Upcoming dates with the Estonian Television Girls’ Choir and Imogen Heap should provide a perfect setting.
In February 2011, Ana wrote and performed a seven-part song cycle with the Roundhouse Experimental Choir and we were treated to a song from that, as well as her new record which is on the horizon. The debut album, 'The Aviary' is released on 12th March and it will, on reflection, be interesting to hear the studio versions of these very ‘wordy’ songs.
- Live Reviews
A cold wet and dark Monday night, but a trip to the bright lights of (The Cambridge)
In the (previously mentioned) lovely intimate Junction 2 venue, the evening kicks off with the return to
All of Darren’s songs have ’sing at the top of your voices’ sing-a-long lyrics and his fun interaction with the crowd means the night gets off to a great start.
A short gap and then it's the turn of King Creosote and Jon Hopkins to delivered a serious, powerful and sublime complete run though the album ‘Diamond Mind’. No talking from the stage or audience, the song are delivered with much grace and patience.
Being such a small venue you can hear every change in pitch as Kenny sings, every piano note played by Jon. As each song fades gently away, the audience is still to the very, very last note, so that they can capture every moment. Really, it’s just a stunning 30 minutes.
Once Diamond Mine is completed, the reverent spell is happily broken and the fun begins. A “muck around” though some ‘greatest hits’ over the next 45 minutes is superb. Much humorous banter between songs with on the road stories and more. A cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s 'The Only Living Boy in New York' even appears during the set.
It’s like watching two separate concerts and the evening is rounded off with the affable threesome at the ‘Merch desk’ more than happy to chat with everyone.
Ahhh .. see .. Monday nights, can be special!
Pete
Please let us know your thoughts if you were there, via our Message Boards
- Live Reviews
One half of electro duo F*** Buttons, Benjamin John Power’s ‘job on the side’ is Blanck Mass. A reasonable sized crowd, ‘early doors’ in a freezing Academy, saw Mr Power deliver an ambient delight of layered sounds that were at times delicate and, at others, thunderously loud. The light show enhanced the set as the only other onstage activity was Benjamin crouched behind his lap top and effect pedals, swigging on his beer.
Having only seen Explosions In The Sky at festivals before, I was looking forward to experiencing the indoor power of the band. As they took the stage at 9.30pm the venue, now pretty much full, at last held some heat. The band said they were amazed that their music can fill this particular venue, and thanked everyone for coming. They graciously thanked Blanck Mass and Lanterns On The Lake. Done with the niceties, they reminded the audience, “We are Explosions In The Sky from,
Being up close you can feel the gentle moments and see the intricacies of the music (I even spotted a tambourine a couple of times) as well as feeling the barrage of sound that they unleash. Expanded to a five piece for the live show, we got a good selection from the entire band’s career and a very satisfying set. Ninety minutes is just not enough though, so perhaps next tour we could do without the support (even though they were both excellent tonight) and have a three hour set…if our ears can handle it.
Pete
Postcard From 1952 (Take Care, Take Care, Take Care)
Catastrophe and the Cure (All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone)
The Only Moment We Were Alone (The Earth is not a Cold Dead place )
Be Comfortable, Creature (Take Care, Take Care, Take Care)
Greet Death (Those Who tell the Truth)
Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean (The Earth is not a cold dead place )
Let Me Back In (Take Care, Take Care, Take Care)
The Birth and Death of the Day (Reclaiming the Blade Soundtrack)
The Moon Is Down (Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever
Please let us know your thoughts if you were there, via our Message Boards
- Live Reviews
BROOKLYN Mexican Summer Indie ‘REAL ESTATE’ @ 11:45pm with ‘The Babies’ @ 10:30pm - The shows are coming fast and furious and its time to check off another off the list!
On a cold and snowy night in Toronto, the Babies and Real Estate play Lee's Palace in Toronto, a sold out show that is pretty much a must see as Real Estate have yet to confirm their appearance at SXSW.
Babies are the side project of Cassie Ramone (of Vivian Girls) and Woods bassist Kevin Morby. They have this Melodies/Anti-Melodies style similar to Thurston and Kim of Sonic Youth. As a sweet melodies fan, this meant that for about 25% of their show, I would simply appreciate the musicianship. but for 75% of the show, the melodies and sonic/no wave sound really came through to draw me in.
These guys are a really solid band and a great way to warm up for Real Estate. A lot of Vivian Girls shirts in the crowd so that would explain why the crowd are so responsive to the band and they put on a great show.
Real Estate had toured fairly recently as openers for Kurt Vile but this was their show and there was very little they could do that was wrong with this crowd. Their polyester shirts and youthful smiles greet the sold out crowd with some beautiful guitar picking and some stunning melodies...these guys work really well together. For fans of their self titled debut, they were rewarded with a couple of songs from there but for most, they were waiting for songs from "Days”. Another top of the year album for me!
Lead guitarist/Singer Martin Courtney is a very talented lead and he does command attention though it’s very subtle! With a lo-fi style and a whispering voice. its easy to spend the whole show watching him but the whole band is fun to watch. They are true to the sound on their album and its clear the crowd have their favourite songs.
About mid way through the set they jump into a great version of "Its Real" which really sparks a response from the sold out crowd and there is no letting up with classic tracks like "Out of Tune" and "Municipality". It’s only now that singer Martin smiles and he can tell there will be very few leaving the show disappointed. If you like a show with lots of noise and in your face singing, this is not one for you but if you enjoy their sound on their releases, the live shows adds to that a new element that makes the trip out on this snowy cold night even more worthwhile.
Jim