Review: Glass Animals for Amazing Radio

Live Review: Glass Animals

http://amazingradio.com/home/live-review-glass-animals

Amazing Radio favourites Glass Animals swung by Newcastle last week on the Northern leg of their headline tour, but not before popping into Amazing Towers to speak to Amazing Afternoons with Greg Porter. As one of the first bands to be signed to Grammy award-winning producer Paul Epworth’s Wolf Tone label, we’ll go out on a limb and pre-empt that Glass Animals‘ debut album Zaba will reap the benefits of Epworth’s midas touch before festival season is up. He’s previously cast his spell on records by Adele, Florence and The Machine and Paul McCartney to name a few.

The album’s primitive sounds are delicately translated onstage by Glass Animals‘ four members: the warming ripples of clunky synth and chilling lilt of Dave Bayley‘s breathy vocals paint a tropical forest ambience. Dave’s leafy t-shirt even subtly echoed Zaba‘s Henri Rousseau like artwork. The jungle-esque sound bites and ultrasonic whistles during Exxus could have the potential to be gimmicky, but whether it’s the result of Epworth’s production or the evident creativity of the band, the other-worldly sound is perfect for live performances.

Andy Sheppard – Getty Images

The band’s stage presence is without fuss: there are no charming anecdotes or insincere compliments about the city. Dave transforms from his polite and unassuming interview manner a few hours previous to a self-possessed and utterly pitch-perfect frontman, with a voice I’d wrongly assumed was the result of layers of production. Drummer Joe’s use of the loop pedal to create the tribal multi-layered percussion on the Amazing Radio playlisted track Pools was stunning, an upbeat contrast to the hypnotic harmonies of the chilling Psylla, leading into the nonsensical ditties and groovy squeaks of this year’s earlier single Gooey.

Glass Animals have drawn fairly universal comparisons to Wild Beasts, Alt-J and earlyRadiohead, (they played their first gig at The Jericho Tavern in Oxford, the same place asRadiohead did in ’86) presumably owing to their inventive synth-backed arrangements. It’s the enticing early noughties RnB sound of Black Mambo which unveils yet more diverse influence, weaving a seductive undertone throughout.

The only disappointment was that the setlist didn’t include their Kanye West cover of Love Lockdown, which they treated the BBC Introducing stage to at Glastonbury Festival last week. With Zaba under their belts and some incredibly strong singles and EPs, they’ll be creeping up towards the main stages by this time next year. Catch them at Bestival,Latitude, Beacons and Knee Deep as well as on an extensive North American tour. Full details can be found on their website.

Review: Communion New Faces Tour

Communion New Faces Tour: Luke Sital-Singh, Eliza and The Bear, Farewell J.R, Annie Eve

03/03/14 @ Cluny 2, Newcastle
NARC. May 2014

The fresh-faced offerings from the London-based Communion label graced the Cluny 2 as part of their national tour as four fledgling beacons for new music. The evening peaked early with Annie Eve's silky smooth tones and Farewell J.R's weave of ethereal layers and folky vocals before the commercially-friendly Eliza and The Bear hopped, skipped and jumped into Lumineers-esque fist-pumping choruses fated for festival singalongs. The sprightly fivesome will undoubtedly be appearing on the soundtrack of every festival montage VT this summer.

Having been longlisted for BBC's Sound of 2014 accolade, my expectations of Luke Sital-Singh as headliner were high. His faultless vocal ability seemed almost mismatched to the predictable, repetitive lyrics of his self-penned anthems. I couldn't help but compare the overly sentimental choruses of 'Greatest Lovers' and 'Nothing Stays The Same' to something which could easily be scattered in gold confetti and revealed as the American Idol winner's song. The well-spoken young singer-songwriter had perfected the inter-song audience patter, and with his closed-eyed catchy ballads I have no doubt he'll be the next Ben Howard or Benjamin Francis Leftwich, but his candid tunes are bordering on cheesy pop which needs to make like a cheddar and mature.

Review: NME Awards Tour 2013

NARC. Issue #82, March 2013

NME Awards Tour: Django Django, Miles Kane, Palma Violets, Peace
@ O2 Academy, Newcastle (07.02.13)

With a mixed offering of the hyped, the blogged and Miles Kane, the good folk at NME kicked off their annual showcase in Newcastle once more back in early February. In previous years the tour has helped to launch artists such as Coldplay, Florence and The Machine and Arctic Monkeys to (arguably) legendary status, and with guitar bands taking the forefront this year without a token dash of Magnetic Man or Azealia Banks of yore, perhaps we'll be seeing 2013 as a year for the indie rock set-up.

Opening the tour was Peace, a Birmingham four-piece with vivacious summery anthems undoubtedly set to become a vital soundtrack for any dreamy montage this festival season. South London's Palma Violets followed, making up with their energy and catchy riffs what they lacked in originality, taking more than a hint of inspiration from The Clash and The Libertines in their sound and stage presence.

A sea of primarily Paul Weller haircuts muscled their way to the front for Miles Kane: Last Shadow Puppet and lad-rock hero. Resembling a double-leather-wearing excitable baby monkey, he sailed through crowd-pleasing hits 'Inhaler' and 'Rearrange' with more of an endearing charm than his usual likenesses of the Gallaghers and pal Alex Turner.

The anticipated act of the night was the Mercury Prize-nominated headliners Django Django, emerging to a Kraftwerk-reminiscent stage set-up in self-designed matching shirts. Their stunningly tight dweeb-barbershop harmonies complemented beachy guitar riffs and dramatic African inspired synth effects, 'Default' stepping up as the song of the night.

Review: We Are Augustines

We Are Augustines @ O2 Academy 2, Newcastle (05.10.12)

“Join a band, it’s the best fucking thing in the world,” bellows Billy McCarthy, lead singer of Brookyln-based We Are Augustines and leading contender for the most considerate frontman of the decade. In between his endearing deluge of thanks, he wins over the crowd with small talk about Newcy Brown (“wow so it actually comes from here?!”). As an audience, we seem all too accustomed to shelling out with the expectation of diva-ish, unappreciative bands, and it’s a heartening change to witness a group of guys doing something they evidently love, and with it expressing genuine gratitude to every single sweat-drenched, devoted ticket-payer in the packed full venue.

They’ve experienced their fair share of lows: following Billy’s schizophrenic brother tragically committing suicide came the demise of previous band Pela. After McCarthy reunited with Pela bassist Eric Sanderson, We Are Augustines rose from the ashes, earning themselves a rapidly flourishing following fuelled by their rocky road. With the highly emotive anthems of debut album Rise Ye Sunken Ships under their belt, their live show brims with impassioned sing-alongs led by McCarthy’s grainy roar, ‘Book of James’ prompting crowd-wide accompaniments. The small, elongated venue was an odd match for these ballads, which seem fated to be met with pints in the air and teary eyes in stadium proportions. As the piano-led ‘Philadelphia (The City of Brotherly Love)’ started the encore, the audience were brought together in a state of optimistic bromance before the awaited ‘Chapel Song’, a mesmerising ditty with heaps of emotional baggage chronicled openly by Billy beforehand. With a refreshingly grateful outlook on their music, We Are Augustines are a thoroughly rewarding and inspiring band to catch live. As David Letterman put it when they performed on the Late Show, “life is an ocean and we are all ships, if your ship has sunk, don't despair, don't lose hope, rise ye sunken ships.”

Review: St Vincent & David Byrne - Love This Giant

Living North: Issue 124

LOVE THIS GIANT - David Byrne & St. Vincent

It’s said that opposites attract, but the partnership of Talking Heads ex-frontman David Byrne and critically acclaimed singer songwriter Annie Clark, AKA St. Vincent, marries together their creative similarities and fortes. As the culmination of more than two years in the making, Clark’s dreamy, alluring vocals complement the gutsy tones of Byrne, his sound still unmistakeable from the huge new-wave hits Road to Nowhere and Once In A Lifetime of the early eighties. Offering inventive arrangements centered around a brass band rather than a typical rock ensemble, the record has a carnivalistic vibe with a vivacious afrobeat vein running throughout, exemplified by the vibrant Dinner For Two and The One Who Broke Your Heart.

Byrne offers stunning harmonisation with an unexpectedly grimy afrobeat on I Should Watch TV, whilst St. Vincent’s vocals are goosebump-inducing on Ice Age, a tranquil number contrasted by the buildup of a lo-fi rhythm. Since the culmination of Talking Heads in 1991, Scottish-born Byrne has been inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and reveled in solo, theatrical, art and film projects, achieving an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Grammy for his film compositions. Whilst 30 years his junior, Manhattan-based Clark has firmly established herself as a significant artist, working with Bon Iver, touring with Sufjan Stevens and releasing three solo albums, her most recent in 2011 - the particularly celebrated Strange Mercy. Filled with fluctuating narratives with moods of both zest and enigma, Love This Giant is anything but predictable, yet perfectly showcases the pair’s likeminded creativity. The opening track and lead single, Who, is currently available to download for free.

TheLineOfBestFit.com Review: Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow

Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow

by Olivia Swash on December 22, 2011 in Record Reviews

To deem the second installation of Kate Bush‘s 2011 comeback  a “Christmas album” would be more than a little off-target. Perhaps it’s Scrooge-like to deny its festive merit, but the seven-track collection is far from the novelty ‘I Wish It Could Be A Wombling Merry Christmas Every Day’ approach to a Christmas release. After all, there isn’t a jingle bell nor a flashing Santa hat in sight.

After Bush’s release of re-recordings earlier this year, 50 Words For Snow marks her tenth studio album after a six year hiatus. Whilst clearly standing its ground as a winter-influenced album, any of the more jovially twee aspects of the chilly months are firmly wrapped away. Every song, whether overtly or subtly, seems to tell a solemn tale with a lonely and melancholic ambiance running throughout. Nevertheless the record is anything but frigid; and drifts effortlessly in and out of a twinkly piano-based backdrop, its delicate vocals complemented by jazz-flecked drums.

Supporting vocals come from Kate’s son Albert “Bertie” on ‘Snowflake’, his celestially clear The Snowman-esque vocals contrasting with his mother’s breathy tones. Elton John and Stephen Fry also make foolproof cameos in ‘Snowed In at Wheeler Street’ and ’50 Words for Snow’ respectively; although the latter does come across as a little too predictable. Although comfortable on a bed of tribal beats, the track simply does what it says on the tin and little more. Ranging from the ordinary (“white-out”) to the graceful (“Wenceslas air”), the count-down of increasingly surreal terms seems to exist principally for the sake of justifying the album’s title.

The highlight of the album, ‘Lake Tahoe’ opens with a luscious operatic duet and sails off into beautiful lulling waves of warm, soft piano and sustained strings. This spacious tranquility contrasts with the song’s tale of a ghostly woman rising from the depths of the Californian lake “wearing Victorian dress”. Myth has it that Tahoe’s depths are lined with illicitly dumped bodies, perfectly preserved due to its extreme temperature.

A yellow spot in the more-or-less unblemished whole picture rears its head in the 13 minute long ‘Misty’. Whilst Bush’s vocal is refreshingly raw and gritty, a distinct awkwardness meets these slightly-too-literal depictions of a night of passion with a snowman. She leaves us no clues as to the reasoning behind the surreal fantasy, describing his mouth as “full of dead leaves / and bits of twisted branches / and frozen garden”. Prudishness aside, Bush doesn’t leave much to the imagination with this bizarre narrative, concluding with the universally-dismal lines of ”Sunday morning / I can’t find him / the sheets are soaking”… It could almost be the subject of a French & Saunders Christmas Special spoof, perhaps accompanied by a censored music video.

While the rest of the album fails to rise to the complexities of ‘Lake Tahoe’, 50 Words For Snow is another stepping stone away from the interpretive-dancing-in-a-field Kate Bush of yore. It proves her credentials of distinct maturity as well as exhibiting her ability to experiment successfully with deep-set and sombre but thoroughly captivating music.

Review for TLOBF: Tubelord – R O M A N C E

thelineofbestfit.com  Record Review  Tubelord - R O M A N C E

Happy-go-lucky Kingston-based rockers Tubelord return with their second studio full-length, along with a fourth band member and a newly honed rhythmic maturity that last year’s Aztec-inspired EP Tezcatlipōca narrowly lacked. R O M A N C E is a collection of jittery noise-pop ditties brimming with a sprightly energy, neatly encapsulating early Biffy riffs with the childlike optimism of Dananananaykroyd.

The growth from a twee fidgety trio through to a fledged and tangible electro foursome is reflected through the concept behind the album. Not that R O M A N C E can be described as a ‘concept album’ per se: there is no overt mystical vein or grand operatic tale running throughout, but the album’s methodical compilation is subtly intriguing. Lead vocalist Joseph Prendergast has rejected a conventionally emotive writing stimulus in favour of a complete lack of personal attachment to the lyrics. Rather than using egocentric references to relationships or even vague abstract depictions of events that hold meaning to him, the words are a hotchpotch of borrowed and adopted references from female poets throughout history. Prendergast defines this emotional disconnectedness as putting himself in the position of reader rather than writer.

But although it could be considered a lazy method of penning lyrics, the words as an essentially meaningless device means that Prendergast’s distinctive voice plays the part of just another instrumental layer in the unpredictable swoops of spacious intervals. The jigsaw of words, sometimes ‘re-wind and double-check that’s what he actually said’ phrases drawing you in (“Sun-tusk haze of golden / east will swallow your Comic Sans lover” – These lines alone cite the works of 6 poets over 3 decades, in case you wondered).

tubelord ≈ my first castle by tubelord 

 The new presence of fourth member and producer James Elliot Field is clear throughout, as the zany and sometimes theramin-reminiscent synths (‘My First Castle’ bordering on Clangers-esque blips and bloops) add a woozy Nintendo level, distinctly separating the sound from their debut Our First American Friends.

For the Poirot wannabes amongst you, the band have created a secret password-protected online index citing the references of dozens of writers from Sylvia Plath to Carol Ann Duffy alongside the lyrics. Only the eagle-eyed fans who spot the details hidden amongst the album artwork will be able to access the expansive appendix and figure out just where those odd lyrics you thought you heard have come from.

While edgy and chipper for the most part with a few deliciously dreamy lulls (’4T3′), the album is never boring. With the help of fans trusting enough to preorder so that the band could afford to create the album, it is the first release from Pink Mist – a collaborative music group made up of Scary Monsters, Holy Roar Records and Blood & Biscuits.

(Oooo!)

The XX

Crystalised

I know it's old news since the days of yore (what, a year ago?) when they were the hype with the all the jaunty Camden kids and eventually music journos, but I just think this song and video are so hauntingly beautiful. A band I'm now gutted I've never seen, and it doesn't look likely that wish will be fulfilled any time soon, as it seems they're only doing one UK date this summer. Shockingly, not in the North East.
I was also impressed how well their music transferred to acoustic unplugged- as per the second video down. It proves how simple and classically-formed the layers of a lot of today's electro-based stuff is. Not to say that The XX are standard modern indie/electro. Their music has a subtle edge on the others, a hushed and modest sincerity. Romy and Oliver's voices drift, effortlessly pure alongside eachother in the most relaxed way. Like a chilling Sonny and Cher, citing late 80s pop throughout.
One small single reason I wish I hadn't watched the video- now I've noticed that Romy has a speech impediment, and now I can't not notice it...

U.S. Girls and Foot Hair

Weds 24th Feb.
Head of Steam, Newcastle
Drone metal is quite the niche. It's not really a genre which is listed on many of our friends' Facebook profiles. In fact, it's probably down there with skiffle and South African psytrance. Hell you may have even stopped reading when you saw that this is about drone metal. Sticking up for these genre-specific underground metal bands is a standpoint I usually find hard to justify to those who aren't involved in it, unlike any scenario where I am the elaboratee- looking on doe-eyed and habitually intrigued about how preposterously varied this metal world actually is.
If I didn't know the Foot Hair vocalist personally, sporting his pig-head shaped black leather gimp mask, I'd probably have been a smidge scared as he peered from behind the eyeholes around the eager crowd in the characteristic cubby-hole of a venue, growling the lyrics to my new favourite of theirs- 'Casual Rape'. I'm not justifying it very well, I told you.
The feral and ritualistic nature of each individual instrument flows together and evolves through gnarly effects, making you aware of becoming slightly entranced as each song progresses. This five-piece will draw you in with their lack of boundaries and in any way traditional song structure.
Headlining the night was U.S. Girls hailing from Philadelphia, being not remotely plural. She rips and tears apart those old sickly sweet American pop songs and reconstructs them into her own DIY gritty renditions- meaning the potentially awkward stage set of just Megan Remy and her machines (and our two newly acquainted and unrestrained friends after catching an unavoidable glimpse down her baggy top). The vast contrast between grainy noise and pop ditties seems to fuse together using her suprisingly sweet voice as the glue. You could call it a political standpoint, a post-modern take on the stagnant American Dream. But I think it's like having an ice cream named after fish food with little chocolate fish. Why not? It seems wrong, but it just works.

you and i go shopping and fall asleep inside the mattress store

Darwin Deez- Radar Detector
I never describe anything as 'lovely'. But this video truly is. The primary coloured regressive charm leaves you sitting back and wondering 'Why can't I do that every day? The world would be a better place!' ...Those of us who still own a Barbie drivable Jammin' Jeep circa 1995, plethora of disposable cameras, a waffle maker and some engineering skills indeed could do so.
Listened to in passing without the aid of the simplistically cute video, the ditty could be mistaken for a Mika-esque vacuous pop tune. But witness the Heath-Ledger-if-he'd-gone-indie puppy haired singer cavorting and bopping about with delightfully gawky moves and a look which you probably last saw on the face of that kid in the playground when he finally got a shiny Charizard.
Watch, and try not to wonder where the nearest plastic fork is...

Palatinate Music Review: Florence + The Machine - Lungs

Palatinate- October 2009

Olivia Swash takes a look at one of the hottest albums this summer

Unless you have been living under a rock for the whole festival season this year, there is no doubt the strikingly powerful screech of Florence Welch has been nestled amongst your Spotify summer soundtrack. The Mercury Prize nominated ginger banshee has been pushed into the limelight pre and post-debut release thanks to BBC Introducing and Steve Lamacq.

In some ways eclectic, Lungs is a fusion of animal passion and quirky fairytales fuelled by love and alcohol (Florence maintains that she is at her best state of creative mind when drunk or hungover. There is hope for us all!).

Not dissimilar to a bloodthirsty Kate Bush in her new single Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up), Florence crescendos sky high with a delicate backbone of intertwining, mellifluous harp tones. However, there are some rough edges which have been somewhat disappointingly smoothed over when her record company asked for ‘more upbeat’ tunes.

Florence, on her initial emergence with the kooky but simplistic Kiss With a Fist, was compared to fellow red-headed songstress Kate Nash and a 'rockier Lily Allen'. However this debut establishes her as a respected writer, a lover and a musician, capable of grandiose stage presence and relentlessly thrilling live performances.

Although there are some low points, the lyrics to Girl With One Eye being slightly disturbing rather than charmingly eccentric. The Source ft. Candi Staton classic You Got the Love provides a masterpiece of a cover, transforming her from nothing into a goddess of our musical age.

Lungs is out now through Island.

You Ain't Born Typical

Palatinate - November 2008

The Kills
The Other Rooms, Newcastle

The crammed and unusually box-like venue on the evening of Wednesday 5th November seemed to perfectly complement the anticipation for the grungy, raw preachings of The Kills that we all know and love.

Although they may be criticised for only being famous because the fella is ‘shagging that skinny bird’, the already sweaty crowd were genuinely there for the music rather than a chance of peeking Mossy’s gaunt phizog.

The Kills’ lack of mainstream music coverage and ability to retain their underground sound despite their sudden boom of appearances in Heat is endearing yet somewhat understandable when seeing them perform – their unrefined chaos on stage is a spectacle of theatre and an acquired taste.

The audience must translate their enigmatic and incredibly visual behaviour personally rather than being spoon-fed a rehearsed performance, which seems a rare element in modern music. Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart (AKA Hotel and VV) have been signed to independent label Domino Records for 5 years, having toured with Primal Scream and Franz Ferdinand as well as having numerous headline tours and summers of festival-hopping. The Baltic art gallery in Gateshead housed 1000 Polaroid photographs and a video by The Kills in 2007 as part of their Andy Warhol vs Dazed and Confused exhibition.

The Kills have an electric presence on stage, emitting soaring levels of sexual chemistry through their dramatic tomfoolery. They tease and physically euphemise each other as props, meaning the experience of seeing them live adds another dimension to merely listening to their gutsy tunes.

The allure of Alison’s voice as it effortlessly dips in and out of Sonic Youth-esque rocky growls is perfectly balanced by Jamie’s hushed and unperturbed accompaniment as The Kills open set with their most recent single, stripped-to-the-bone tune U R A Fever, Hince looking quite the ragamuffin sporting a straw hat, beige cardigan and a black eye. Alison frequently sweeps back her trademark mop of shaggy dark hair to expose a surprisingly calm countenance as she scales the walls and clambers atop speakers.

The pair build anticipation during Tape Song and Last Day of Magic, intertwining the microphones and forcing awkwardly intimate space between the two. The country-influenced Kissy Kissy sees the two seductively singing into the same microphone and feigning head butts at the climaxes.

The crowd was treated to a lingering rendition of Pale Blue Eyes by Velvet Underground, a band which played a major role in forming The Kills back in 2000, as Alison and Jamie had a mutual obsession with the band, amongst other New York 60s and 70s punk bands.

Midnight Boom, the title of the new album, came from their work on song writing, describing their ability to work doubly as hard alone during many nights of nocturnal graft.
The album was influenced by a sixties documentary about sinister songs children sung in American inner-city schools, so Jamie and Alison experimented with an old hip-hop drum sequencer and reeled out what Jamie describes as 'modern-day playground songs'.

The Kills are unpretentious and unadulterated guts, putting to shame most of today’s myopic modern rock music. They encompass the effrontery of the 70s bands which inspired their work, unleashing rusty and unrestrained primal lust. A band such as The Kills comes along but once a decade, so make the most of them.

Midnight Boom is out now on Domino Records.