All the latest news from High Voltage en-us http://highvoltage.org.uk/ Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=707 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=707 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=704 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=704 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=703 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=703 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=702 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=702 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=706 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=706 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=701 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=701 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=699 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=699 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT  ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=698 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=698 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=697 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=697 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=695 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=695 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=694 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=694 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=692 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=692 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=691 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=691 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=690 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=690 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=688 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=688 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=687 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=687 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT  ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=686 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=686 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=685 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=685 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=683 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=683 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=696 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=696 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=693 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=693 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=684 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=684 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=689 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=689 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=679 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=679 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=678 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=678 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=676 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=676 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=675 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=675 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=677 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=677 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=673 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=673 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=672 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=672 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=674 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=674 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT little songs like this one. Some happy chords, some cutesy vocals and a drumbeat as simple as a retarded chicken.     Nice. But
I just started watching a video of these guys doing an outdoors
acoustic cover of a Simon and Garfunkel song on YouTube. Pretty cool,
oh wait.....no, don’t go near that tree with those drumsticks! Please!
Dammit. That’s what ruined this band for me - getting a pair of
drumsticks and doing some impromptu fucking percussion on whatever you
can find is not ‘cool man’, it is FUCKING LAME. The thought immediately
conjures up images in my head of dreadlocked hippies and marketing
executives on their day off united at a festival round a bonfire
covered in burning wrongbow cans and giving off the putrid, toxic
stench of burning chemicals and unwashed hippy crotches with fungus
growing on their pubes. It’s almost as bad as flashmobs.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=669 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=669 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT get lost on Hampstead Heath on a Saturday afternoon on my way to a
party, and I must have listened to it so many times by now as I zig-zag
my way about in the heat - it’s a classic holiday tune. I picture
Amadou and Mariam grooving side by side in their familiar dark glasses,
they are perfect in the sun, it’s as if their music exudes heat. Here,
Amadou’s fidgety little riffs bleed sanguine sunshine over another
exothermically summery track from Mali that’s impossible not to dance
to, a benevolent problem compounded by Bob-Sinclair’s jump-up
re-working of the album version. Having heard the sacrileges that were
K’Naan’s Dylan and Marley ‘tribute’ albums, I am pleasantly surprised
to discover that the annoying prick’s presence on this single is not
overwhelmingly detrimental. Back in the park, I smile at some
kids playing frisbee, a couple having a picnic, a man and his dog. But
then I get bored so I go into the bushes with my binoculars and watch
the female-only bathing area for half an hour. Aaaah, summer!]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=668 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=668 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT ‘Butterfly House’ itself is ‘supposed to be a place...that the modern
world and all the information and technology in it can’t touch.” Yeah
alright then. The whole album feels like a clever retrospective re-hash
of a whole load of styles: twiddly guitars and vocals by the Doors and
the Beatles, phasers like the Eagles, vocals à la Echo and the Bunnymen
and The Church, that sort of thing. The solid album opener ‘More Than A
Lover’, for instance, could easily be mistaken for Echo or The Church,
but then that means that you can’t really call this album ‘modern’ or
‘forward thinking.’ But I can’t really decide whether that matters or
not. It probs does. The title track, like many others on the
album, is a well-calculated, middle of the road kind of song with some
tasty vocal melodies and a pretty rad guitar solo, and I especially
like the instrumental arrangement on ‘Green is The Colour’, but I just
feel a band should be doing or should have done something a bit more
adventurous by their fifth album, no?When
drilling for oil, you start off boring and end up with a well, but
conversely, the problem with a lot of these tracks is that they start
off well and then just get boring. Sorry, but after about two thirds of
the song you’re like ‘right, done this, NEXT!’ Same applies after two
thirds of the album. They’re ‘nice’ songs, but I don’t feel overtly
inspired or stimulated.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=667 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=667 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT slightly more ‘commercially viable’ release this one, although that
sounds too much like a criticism when it isn’t. Just maybe a bit more
conservative than James Murphy’s norm? ‘I Can Change’ is essentially
more of a straightforward pop song than anything on the last album,
2007’s ‘Sound of Silver’, but it’s a fun one at that - layered in the
measured, mature quirk of 80s Talking Heads and Numan. At
first I really didn’t think the lyrics fitted at all with the music,
but given time I changed my mind. Any gloominess imbued by the fact the
protagonist isn’t (yet) loved as much as he would like is juxtaposed
with (and therefore neutralised by) upbeat electronica. There
isn’t the same robotic solidity as previous, more abstractly formed
songs like ‘Sound of Silver’ and ‘Get Innocuous!’, but the facile
accessibility of this song is likely to earn LCD Soundsystem a wealth
of new fans in the mainstream.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=666 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=666 Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=682 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=682 Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT Love’ is the all-singing, all-dancing last single to be released from
Florence Welch’s million-selling debut album, marking the end of
chapter one, so to speak. Initially I was a bit disappointed
when I heard ‘Lungs’ - having a full band, backing vocalists, plus
whatever else does dampen somewhat the incredible power of Florence’s
voice, the kind that commands and completely enraptures everyone in the
room, but on a song like ‘Cosmic Love’ having the full orchestra is
definitely a good plan. The slinky soul Flo of early demos like ‘Donkey
Kosh’ and ‘My Best Dress’ shows here that she has another guise - that
of some kind of galactic superpower, which I suppose makes sense if
you’ve ever seen her live - this ethereal, otherworldly flame bouncing
around the place - it’s amazing. And
then there’s the video, which is not at all like the last one. Phew.
The last one (a remake of the original and perfectly good ‘Dog Days’
video) is directed by the usually sound pair of Georgie Greville and
Jeremy Jasper, but fuck knows what they were thinking of when they did
this - it’s shocking! A frizzy haired, ginger geisha with ice white
skin isn’t the best look, nor is it well complimented by smurf versions
of Ronnie Spector and dickhead purple ninjas playing the bongos and
dancing like bell-ends. Makes me so fucking angry, gad!]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=670 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=670 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=705 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=705 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT it’s a good idea to run screaming when you see the words ‘double ‘A’
side’ on a press release. The norm for these occasions is that both
singles are shit - it’s as if the band are hedging their bets by
putting out two and hoping that means there’s double the chance of
someone liking at least one of them. The vocal harmonies on
‘World’s End’ are good, but other than that there is not much to
report. I was a bit distracted when Crook’s press release
optimistically described the single as ‘a blistering attack of
self-analysis and defiant nihilism,’ (?) but that didn’t throw me off
course enough to remember that it’s actually pretty dull, and cheesy. ‘Devil’s
Son’ reminds me of being in a car on a scorching day when you’re two
hours late and stuck in traffic. You’re uncomfortably hot and
irritated, you’re desperately impatient to get to your destination (the
end of the song) and your pants are riding up your sweaty asscrack.
Recipe for disaster.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=671 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=671 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=665 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=665 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=664 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=664 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=663 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=663 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=661 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=661 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT Something done from the age of three is second nature. And, since I’d grown up improvising a lot, it didn’t even feel like a departure.Do you ever wander into other genres? The word ‘jazz’ often creeps into discussions about Bell Orchestre. Have you ever had a go at traditional fiddle styles?For sure. When I say ‘neighbourhood hippy jamming’, I also mean celtic fiddling. My earliest moment of fame was winning a fiddle contest at a community hall when I was seven. Twenty bucks, a bolo tie and a big headline in the town paper. Though, I never felt super connected to that sort of music, it was fun to play and I liked some of the melodic stuff. I also studied jazz in University – I wanted to take my brain out of diatonic music and try to wrap it around modal playing and constant chord changes. Fun!Bell Orchestre began as accompaniment to dance. It seems logical that a film score would follow, and this has been the case recently in the form of Craig Teper’s Vidal Sassoon The Movie. Was it something you’d always aimed to do?Yeah, film is something we’ve always talked about doing, and as a full band have yet to really do. But some of us had a go of it this past year and it was really interesting, creative, and definitely the sort of project that suits us. Bell Orchestre records sound improvised: fluid and flexible. But surely there has to be an element of scripting in there, else how could you record an album?There’s a ton of scripting. I’d say 95% is through composed. But we don’t go for a super polished aesthetic: we like an element of chaos, and lot’s (sic) of our compositions are based on improvisations. Hence the trickery.Are we likely to see a new Bell Orchestre album in the near future? Would you ever consider bringing vocals and lyrics to the table, or will it always be an instrumental ensemble?Future yes. Near never! No, but really, we are writing some very cool new stuff. Lyrics if they happened in the right way could be a great thing, but not the aim.What kind of people are Bell Orchestre fans? How do the classical music fraternity respond to Bell Orchestre? That’s one of the best things. Bell Orchestre fans are really a bit of everybody. Because we span so many different genres of music, we get the types of people from each audience with really open ears.Do you find it difficult to prioritize your musical commitments? Yes, it’s difficult! [Bell Orchestre] comes first in my heart for sure. But it’s hard to arrange the world according to one’s heart….How involved are you in the writing and arranging in Arcade Fire? Is it Win and Regine’s engine in which you act as session musician? I’m a bit involved. We, the strings on Arcade Fire records, work with ideas that are already there. Owen Pallet writes some arrangements, and we also come up with our own ideas and co-arrange on the fly as a quartet. It works quite well. And I guess you know by now that yes, there’s a new album on its way...]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=660 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=660 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT Institute this Friday (16th June) on tour in support of their latest
single 'Sailor Song' from the album 'The Big Black And The Blue'. Fresh from a number of sold out shows in the USA, the talented young
siblings Klara and Johanna bring arrive in Manchester just over a year
after the release of their lauded debut, the 'Drunken Trees' EP. "We
aim for the hearts, not the charts", claims their MySpace profile, and
their unmissable live act is certain to land a direct hit. For fans of
Noah And The Whale, Kimya Dawson and Regina Spektor, this seems sure to
be a memorable occasion. And for those unlucky enough to be otherwise engaged this weekend, a
series of festival dates are scheduled for the summer including Kendal
Calling (31st July) and Green Man (21st August), offering an ideal
opportunity to catch the Söderberg sisters in great outdoors.Tickets are £8 advance from the venue and Ticketline.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=659 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=659 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=658 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=658 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=657 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=657 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=655 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=655 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=653 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=653 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=654 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=654 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=652 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=652 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=662 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=662 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=656 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=656 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=651 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=651 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=649 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=649 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT This remix comes from Dreamtrak, who can count Gaggle, Foals and, anothern HV fave, Internet Forever amongst their CV. You might say these acts are somewhat unremixable, yet Dreamtrak's background in recording and mixing for the likes of Zun Zun Gui and Youthmovies shows an ability to pick melodies and enhance them. In fact, the debut release on Dreaktrack Diamond Sound's own label; the italo-disco flavoured 'Meltdown' by Valerio Loveland, points to the inspiration behind 'See Spaces' blissed out baleriac feel.
London based readers can catch the trio with Sleigh Bells on 9th August at the Lexington. Whilst those Festival bound to Latitude and Offset should check your programmes to make sure you're down the front.
 ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=647 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=647 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=646 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=646 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=636 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=636 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=650 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=650 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=645 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=645 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=639 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=639 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=638 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=638 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=637 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=637 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT To get you in the mood there's a hot as hell mix tape available to download from the link below. Here's the tracklisting...1) The Chemical Brothers – Swoon [ Lindstrom & Prins Thomas Remix ]2) Monarchy – Love Get Out Of My Way [ Holy Ghost remix ]3) Ali Love – Smoke & Mirrors [ Villa Remix ]4) Flight Facilities – Crave You [ Version 2 ]5) Jonny Dynell – Jam Hot [ Tensnake remix ]6) Ramadanman & Midland – Your Words Matter7) Kink – Bitter sweet8) Brinton McKay – Spindle9) Try To Find Me – It’ll Happen
Tickets for the show are a more £9.50 adv, and are available from Ticketline or Deaf Institute, with limited numbers on the door.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=635 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=635 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT The follow up to their debut single 'Stray Cat' will be 'Take Another Ride' out on 9th August.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=634 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=634 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=641 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=641 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=631 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=631 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=648 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=648 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=642 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=642 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=640 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=640 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT Its not all bad, as there would be many math rock enthusiasts that may lap up what on offer here, but as a follow up to their debut album it's weak, and you'd expect a step forward from this talented band.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=644 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=644 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=643 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=643 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=633 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=633 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT What’s the best venue you’ve played?"We did a gig last week actually in a venue in Lyon in France. It was an old Roman amphitheatre, so it was carved into stone, it was amazing."I’m very excited about the Manchester Cathedral, I’ve seen it from the outside but I’ve never been in, so it’ll be exciting seeing that. What’s the best festival you’ve played?"The best festival... Either Coachella in California, or maybe Latitude Festival actually, we’re doing that again in two weeks, that’s a really cool festival."Do you have any musical guilty pleasures?"I don’t feel guilty about my guilty pleasures, you know what I mean? The music that people would class as a guilty pleasure I’m pretty proud about liking. This isn’t guilty at all, but I absolutely love La Roux, that’s one of my favourite records of the past year. Er, I like Yazoo, I like Michael Jackson, is he is a guilty pleasure? Prince, I love him. Prince is like one of my favourite artists at the moment."Finally, do you have anything to say to fans or aspiring artists?"Well obviously thank you to the fans, I love you guys. Aspiring artists, I never know what to say. Just do it, go for it. Enjoy it."Tickets are available for £15 from www.ticketline.co.uk]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=630 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=630 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=632 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=632 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=629 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=629 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=627 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=627 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=626 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=626 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=624 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=624 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=700 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=700 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=625 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=625 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=620 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=620 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=618 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=618 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=615 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=615 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT Its rare to find yourself at a gig and
spend a solid 50% adoring the music and the other 50% laughing (perhaps
a bit too) heartily at the on stage banter. Impressively, We Are
Scientists manage to balance this wit with a sturdy canon of songs that
have stood the test of fickle indie times.
Coming straight from their set at
Glastonbury the night before, it felt almost a treat to watch the band
in such an intimate surrounding and they seemed to flourish all the
better for it. Their line up may have changed in recent years but the
chemistry between lead singer Keith, and bassist Chris still remains
and it is within this partnership where the band's longevity arises.
However it is not personality alone that has got them this far, as they
display an impressive array of new songs coupled with debut album
favourites which were performed with more gusto than
anticipated by this eager crowd.With a bassist that demanded Jager shots
be brought the the stage whilst consuming a bottle of wine and still
managing to seamlessly perform a track, it becomes hard to be anything
other than impressed. It's cliché to say the atmosphere was electric
but its a struggle to describe the excitement in any other way. With
all this in their favour, its all the more strange that WAS aren't huge. They have always been on the brink of mainstream popularity but
there is perhaps an intelligence behind their music which lacks
universal appeal. The show tonight proves their ability, whilst also confirming their level of intelligence; and it shouldn't be any other way.
 ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=614 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=614 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=611 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=611 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=613 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=613 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT First single ‘Architects’ is an aggressive display of innocuous chart friendly rock done right, and is already a shoe in to most mainstream playlists. ‘Alcatraz’ another potential single again demonstrates a rapid approach, with arena filling guitars and front man Andy’s impressive vocals.
‘106 (still the words)’ is a welcome break from the norm, with a slowly stirring synth, and a punkier guitar style, shows the band are also keen to demonstrate there influences are not confined to stadium rockers.‘Backs of Butterfly’s is one of the weaker tracks here. Like most songs the band throw everything into it, with the Radio 1 officiated number of choruses and key changes all ticking the right boxes, but it’s unmemorable and a bit flat.What Came From Fire, is a highly charged, lighters in the air of an album. Its sheer inoffensiveness and guitar heavy pounding choruses ensures that you should be hearing much more from these guys throughout the summer on the wireless, and unlike similar acts like Snow Patrol, or 30 Seconds To Mars, there is very little that grates about Sound Of Guns sound.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=612 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=612 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=622 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=622 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=628 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=628 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=609 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=609 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=608 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=608 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=607 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=607 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=606 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=606 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=604 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=604 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=603 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=603 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=617 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=617 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=610 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=610 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=605 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=605 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=601 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=601 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=599 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=599 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=597 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=597 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=595 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=595 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=593 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=593 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=596 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=596 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=594 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=594 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=616 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=616 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT force; irritable and dejected. Burley middle-aged men yell at tele boxes,
neglect their families and convince one another that they “could do a better
job than that prick, Cappello. Wanker!”. England becomes infested with Dutch
uncles. How then, does the Manchester musical outfit, Dutch Uncles, cope with
all these impostors? Well, their world cup contribution is a typically complex
musical skit, ‘Fabio Acappella’, which compromises of the players’ names being
sung a cappella in several different time signatures. Each signature relates to
a player’s shirt number. For example, Ashley Cole is sung in 3/4, and Arron
Lennon in 7/8 and… No, this is not the emblematic banter of the Stella-wielding
Dutch uncles, but the five non-brutish Dutch Uncles are far too couth and
intelligent to become engaged with mindless degradation.Stealing away some moments prior to a JD set with Mike Joyce
and The Whip at Band On The Wall, Dutch Uncles frontman, Duncan Wallis
considers the intricacies of his own band and the wider spectrum in which Dutch
Uncles reside.“We all originate from round here, Marple,” explains Duncan.
“Our original band was called The Headlines, but with that, we were just
writing music that we thought people wanted to hear.” Shifting uncomfortably,
Duncan acknowledges, “We try and brush all that under the carpet a little bit”.
Despite the slight awkwardness regarding this period of musical adolescence,
the previous entity (which sported the exact same line up) is residual in
current Dutch Uncles material. “’Face In’ was actually written as The
Headlines,” admits Duncan. And if you look hard enough, you’ll find a version
‘Takeover’ on t’Internet. Anyway, that was then…Dutch Uncles toured with The Futureheads earlier this year,
something that Duncan seems surprisingly wide-eyed about. “That was our first
proper tour really, one where we got to stay in Travel Lodges! And it was such a
privilege to be on tour with The Futureheads; we’ve been fans of there’s for
such a long time and they’re just really nice people.” It transpires that this
refreshingly untainted approach to lack of serious experience (compared with
The Futureheads) is often coupled with a healthy self-critique and frustrated
concern. When asked about other local bands who ascend with haste, Duncan
confesses: “Yeah, when I see another band who are in a similar position to us
get signed or become big, I do question what we do; you re-evaluate things. But
then within days you forget about it and get on with your own thing.”This outward-looking conscience often serves musicians well
but as is the case with Dutch Uncles, time is often better spent on crafting
their own material as opposed to scoping competition. And this particular
subject gives rise to another quirk: “Robin, our bassist writes most of our
music on a computer. He’ll write the whole song and bring it to a rehearsal,
we’ll all sit round and work out our own parts and develop the song.” Despite
Robin taking the role of head songwriter, it seems to be Duncan who becomes
most bullish when the five collaborate. “I would say it’s a diplomatic
dictatorship,” says a timid Duncan. “Sped and Pete sometimes put loads into a
song and it becomes too busy, so I just have to say, ‘you can have this bit,
but that bit has to go’”.And what about Duncan’s role on stage? There have been
several comparisons with Manchester greats, something that Duncan is unmoved
by. “I never really take notice of press that suggests ‘I have the croons of
Morrissey and the yelps of Ian Curtis’ [cue mocking tone]. It’s just lazy
journalism really.” And you can understand this mild frustration when he
alleges his favourite frontman is David Byrnes, someone who is perhaps more
akin to the manic idiosyncrasies of Dutch Uncles than any Mancunian legend.So, as the summer gig drought turns Manchester’s city centre
venues into arid reticent boxes and most bands either gather around the
festival oases or hibernate, what are Dutch Uncles planning. “We’re just going
to concentrate on writing the next album,” says Duncan. “It’s strange because,
this should be the ‘difficult second album’ but a lot of people still haven’t
heard our first, which means there’s less pressure in a way.” Granted, their
eponymous debut didn’t see the band go ultra global: it still exists as an
unearthed gem.Latest single, ‘The Ink’ is also another sparkling display
of wizardry, a teaser that pundits were keen to applaud. And based on this
recent release, Dutch Uncles can be forgiven for bedding down in a studio for
the summer, while the world cup Dutch uncles scathe over an unproductive
English football team. No doubt, Duncan’s re-emergence (post summer discontent)
will raise spirits and give the English something to be proud of.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=592 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=592 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT has had to overcome the occasional unflattering comparison to Ryan Adams after
Ryan Adams became the yardstick to all Americana flavoured folk-rock. Now,
while ‘Americana folk-rock’ is a pretty generalised basis for comparison… while
I was guilty of making this rather lazy observation (I was feeling tired last
night, get out of my face) the facts are these; Slim’s third offering, in
leaving behind the lo-fi charm of his previous releases and fully embracing a
slew of backing musicians and singers, has resulted in a wholly polished album,
very much in the vein of Adam’s Gold. However, it should be mentioned that this
is no tragedy; these are excellently written, dare I say crafted, songs that
stand in their own right as both varied and perhaps more emotionally involved
that Adam’s more raucous offering.Things start with a bang on ‘Back
To The Wild’ its chiming pianos,
world-spun ruminations along with its upbeat chord progressions put it very
much in the vein of Johnny Cash’s awesome ‘The Man Comes Around’. The album
dances this pretty little shuffle between the upbeat and the reflective as ‘I
Love You But Goodbye’ follows,
proving that Smith can also work with full string backing and just about avoid
lyrical cliché (“a bird with clipped wings can still sing but no longer can
fly” being the leaden exception). This is all complemented by Slim’s voice, a
slightly broken thing that really sells the songs; injecting his sometimes
bleak lyrics with a true pathos, while on the poppier numbers a real optimism
that is truly compelling – that his voice can still stand more or less on its
own is evidenced in the charmingly naive ‘Blow Your Mind’. Whilst this isn’t a record that
constantly grabs you by the face and serrates your ears with the overblown;
it’s a finely realised, ambitious folk album that perfectly plays through its
run time with enough stylistic experimentation and mood shifting to justify its
place in this world of singer-songwriting giants.    ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=591 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=591 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT soft and gentle acoustic number backed by fiery electronic beats, to give what
might have been a fairly ordinary sound a bit of a kick.Now he’s returned with a new repertoire that’s got even more
kick than before – so much so, in fact, that the acoustic substance is now
drowning in an electronic sea.Movement In A Storm is still an album written with acoustic
principles: the poetic words and simple melodies simply scream
singer/songwriter material. But these are acoustic songs from a future where
guitars have been replaced by computers. Beneath the vocals are drum machines, bleeps
and heavy, synthesized noises.Occasionally an acoustic guitar will prevail, bringing back
a bit of tradition on tracks like ‘Foreign Shore’... Until the next one, ‘On
Your Own’, hits in with massive keyboard riffs that turns the mood all of a
sudden into that of a disco.Listening to Movement In A Storm is a little bit like
drifting between the loud and quiet rooms of an obscure nightclub, never quite
being able to make up your mind which you prefer. But while the contrast makes
the electronic songs more exciting, it does make the acoustic ones out to be
fillers.All that is making this album interesting is the sheer
strangeness of the clash between electronic and acoustic influences. The more
lo-fi tracks are pleasant enough to listen to, but just feel a little out of place.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=590 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=590 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=619 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=619 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=600 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=600 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=598 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=598 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT say you weren’t warned about this. This isn’t an out of the blue, Kid A style
affair. We should have seen it coming really. There were the remix albums. That
was the first sign. Then guesting on a Chemical Brothers track. Then look at
Bloc Party’s actual musical output – see ‘Mercury’, ‘One More Chance’, ‘Flux’. This
is a record that asks as many questions as it answers. Is this just a side
project? Has Kele just been playing at being an indie superstar? Was he just
keeping his true musical leanings under wraps until he felt comfortable enough
in his own creative skin to let them loose on the record-buying public? The
jury’s out so far. Try asking again in a couple of years.Single ‘Tenderoni’ is a reasonable precursor of what you’re
going to get on this album. A full-on dance floor banger, much more likely to
turn up on Pete Tong’s radio show than Zane Lowe’s. If you’re thinking this is just
going to be a more beat-driven Bloc Party then you’re going to be disappointed.
From the outset, Kele makes it abundantly clear he’s making a very different
point. Opener ‘Walk Tall’ is like Robbie Williams releasing ‘Freedom’ when he
left Take That but, you know, cool. “I don’t know what you’ve been told, but
this starts now, walk tall, walk tall,” chants Kele, mantra-like, over a
Leftfield-esque bassline. Then you know this is going to be a very different
proposition from his day job.Kele’s move into dancier climes isn’t restricted to one
particular genre either. We’ve got techno, we’ve got drum and bass, house,
two-step, garage. This is the sound of any number of musical frustrations
getting an airing all at once. This is a man with an awful lot to get off his
chest. The tracklisting almost sounds like a list of self-help seminars for a
conference on ‘finding yourself’ – ‘Walk Tall’, ‘Everything You Wanted’, ‘The
New Rules’, ‘All The Things I Could Never Say’, ‘Yesterday’s Gone’. If he
wasn’t such an affable chap this could be more than a little nauseating but
thankfully every one of these tracks is better than its title.This is a man who has always wrestled with inner demons and
this record seems as much musical therapy as it is a flexing of artistic
muscle. It’s also a straddling of genres that Kele himself is clearly not
entirely comfortable with yet. Half way through the album you have ballad ‘The
New Rules’ which could have slotted happily on the end of Silent Alarm.
Following up is ‘Unholy Thoughts’ which could have lifted straight out the
‘Intimacy’ sessions. Then it is almost as if he remembers that he’s making a
dance record half way through ‘Rise’ and the beat kicks back in.So this is neither a Bloc Party record nor a full-on dance
record so it’s difficult to know who it will appeal to. Dance fans will be
suspicious of an indie-boy vanity project. Indie fans will be confused by the
full-on Ministry of Sound-ness of some of the tracks. Kele the solo artist is
not yet the finished article. But there’s enough charm and ingenuity here that
you can stop, for a while, worrying about the future of Bloc Party. At least for
the rest of the summer. ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=589 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=589 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT someone has a guilty crush on Frozen-era Madge. Go on, admit it. Being sold as
the future of ‘proper’ Goth (and also appearing on covers of staunchly non-Goth
fashion magazines), Zola undoubtedly has the lungs and the Robert Smith thatch
to go far, so it’s a pity that ‘Night’ is so yawn-inducingly bland.With cloister echo effects and standard witching lyrics
(“bed of stones”, “it’s getting dark” etc), presumably a Twilight tie-in isn’t
too far off, or at least it’s more likely than a rookery naming ceremony or a
sexy televised exorcism. With her Nietzsche-quoting interviews, Xiu Xiu
collaborations and Fever Ray support slot there is a lot to like about Miss
Jesus. Until her music kicks in.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=588 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=588 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT about to give birth to an even bigger export. Compromising Pepo Durantez,
Pascal Hoerner and Renoi Jacob Mathieu, the boys of Alba Lua have put together
an EP of stunning simplicity and dream-like wonder, three sun-kissed wanderings
as sumptuous as they are immediately recognisable.‘Ballad of Joseph Merrick’ is a rich shoe-gazey feast which
climaxes in fits of glee, while ‘Sungaze’ is Sunday morning listening at its
finest, and not a million miles away from My Bloody Valentine tackling ‘Here
Come The Sun’.But closer ‘Valley of Abra’ steals the show with its gentle ‘Losing
My Religion’ intro and Screamadelica plateau, a song so euphoric it should be
prescribed by The Samaritans. The name, incidentally, “describes that moment when
something appears in some place where it shouldn't, and what at first seems out
of the blue shows in fact a real beauty.’ Rarely have a band been more
perfectly christened.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=587 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=587 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT up there with classical-rave, techno-gospel and Charlie Brooker/Konnie Huq. But
jazz-metal is what brothers Caleb and Ashton Bird provide, the obvious
combination of Sabbath guitars and saxophone – not together, mind; A Sun/Ahh
Ahh is strictly a two-parter, dividing halfway to end as far from the beginning
as scientifically possible. Seeing Tweak Bird live must be wild, a flurry of
sweaty moshers suddenly stopping to click their fingers and read poetry.Supporting Tool on tour comes as no great surprise
considering their Fibonacci-dabbling tendencies, and in fact we might just have
stumbled upon one of the few untapped genre combos (expect Gaga to follow suit
imminently). I’d suggest that the Birds are on their way to greatness, if only
their surname didn’t immediately conjure up nostalgia-riffic images of custard.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=586 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=586 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT Sex Pistols to the Manic Street Preachers, music history is littered with big
ideas (hell, even Franz Ferdinand stated their music was to make girls dance),
and protest songs have been around almost as long as, well, normal songs. But
dust off your flak jacket: rebellion is back on the agenda!Get Ready/Let’s Start Marching is a straightforward attack
on the “frenzied mass-media”, “our so-called leader”, “the junk that steals our
lives” and “the super-rich and their pet monkeys (?!)”, devised by a
Brighton-based Public Enemy consisting one of urchin-rockers Eastern Lane and
the old drummer from The Maccabees. Yes, really. The Maccabees have never
screamed ‘politically agitated’ to me (more middle class comfort), and it’s
hard to take The Agitator completely seriously with the slogan ‘a little bit of
treason gets you through the day’ plastered on the CD cover, but the underlying
message is obviously a sound one...even if the noise is something Cameron might
commission to devalue the protest movement rather than empower it.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=585 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=585 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=602 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=602 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT since 2008. So, what has the UK's first man of folk been doing in the meantime?
Stealing the political baton off the punks and coming over all Levellers/Billy
Bragg, it appears.Normally one to steer clear of more serious political
statements, Mr Lakeman's punk-folk voice has piped up in Hearts and Minds, with
the title of this latest full-length release even echoing the US' Vietnam war
tagline.The effects of this are as can be expected from a musician
who suddenly busts into the business of politics, social change and
togetherness - slightly cringe-worthy in places and expressing nothing that
hasn't been said before by musicians more staunchly dedicated to the cause.
"Hold your heads up to the sky/stand together to survive/with true hearts
and minds." Still, sound-wise, it's inoffensive enough and definitely not
half-arsed.Another noticeable departure from Lakeman's earlier stuff is
that this more determined lyrical theme is matched with some violent violin
fests, coming off occasionally like Hendrix attempting to bust out his best
riff on a fiddle.For card-carrying folksters however, all of the reassuring
basics are still here - laid-back Celtic sounds, gentle but sturdy drum beats
and, of course, Lakeman's recognisable but almost adolescent-sounding vocals. Not
that there aren't subtle flirtations with other sounds going on here for
the closer listener - 'Preacher's Ghost' has an almost Asian vibe to begin
with, thanks to its shimasen-like twang and sparse beat, and the bending
bass line of 'The Circle Grows' sounds weirdly like the Pearl Jam circa Ten.Thematically, whether this more socially minded approach
will continue into the future remains to be seen, but for now, all of the basic
elements of Seth Lakeman are very much intact and Hearts and Minds is enough to
keep the fan machine well-oiled.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=584 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=584 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT fresh-faced but from the sounds of this latest single from their upcoming
album, To Black And White To Gold, it’s certainly done nothing to hinder their
ability to deliver well put together, passionate music. Driven by the powerful
vocals of frontman Olly, ‘The Unsung’ is 3 minutes of pure anthemic indie-rock.As the shoe-gazer tinge of The Verve seeps through the
passion, complimenting those lyrics that seem to simply drip in emotion, it
becomes clear that while the package as a whole is hardly innovative and
ground-breaking, it’s the personality and drive behind the music and the voice
that makes this particular band so irresistible. Their name aptly shouts
everything about who the band are and what they are here to achieve. States of
Emotion have set the bar high for unsigned music. ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=583 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=583 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT answer you’re most likely to give, whether you  like them or not, is AC/DC, possibly then followed by the
one hit wonder, Jet, and then maybe, just maybe, Wolfmother. Hailing from
Wolfmother’s hometown of Melbourne, Blackchords might just be the next band to
add to this short, albeit highly celebrated, list. After much success down under, this indie quartet is back to storm the UK with
a string of tour dates, including Birmingham and Sheffield as well as a number
of stints in the capital. If this single and b-side is anything to go by,
expect intense, Jekyll and Hyde dynamics, able to turn you into a
hair-stuck-to-your-forehead, sweaty, dancing mess one minute to cool, calm and
collected the next. It’s a promising start from a promising band so get stuck
in while they’re around.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=582 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=582 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT machine, something not lost on stripped-back aggressors, Little Fish. This
Oxford duo (trio if you count the cameo key player) had the awkward task this
evening, of warming up one of Britain’s best-loved pop acts, Blondie. It was
probably a coy choice that another pop act wasn’t chosen to share the same
stage then, as naturally, Blondie would’ve make them look a little amateurish.Luckily, Little Fish take a hard line approach to their
music, employing the grit a gall of Hole and the over-exposed rawness of PJ
Harvey. Despite these reference points, Little Fish refrain from becoming a
feminist activist group and simply plough though a solid set of catchy lo-fi
rock. The huge, operatic setting of the Apollo Theatre probably negated some of
the immediacy usually coupled with this type of sound, but to suggest these
guys were a little fish in a big pond would be a gross injustice. ‘Darling Dear’
and ‘Am I Crazy’ render Little Fish a fearsome predator (a piranha if you will)
armed with an infectious and ballsy breed of Americana, which might just have
smaller venues by the short and curlies over the coming months.When you reach the dizzy heights of fame and remain there
for a few decades, it must be so easy to jeopardise core elements that
allowed this prominence with gargantuan stage shows and other such non-music
related nonsense. It was refreshing then, to see Blondie untainted and recognisable
tonight, as they remained true to the hybrid pop / punk sound and ehtos that had garnered
them so much support decades ago.Early crowd-pleasers such as comeback anthem ‘Maria’ are
flanked by newer material, which is equally as accomplished despite not receiving
the same reaction. Sadly, there’s some doubt as to whether these latest
offerings will ever see the light of day. “If we ever get the next album
released, it’ll be a fucking miracle,” explains Harry, still sporting a brazen
attitude.At 64, one could be forgiven for expecting a slight demise
in Ms Harry’s vocal capability, but she’s still as powerful and accurate as
ever. And when she talks, that hypnotic sassiness turns a diverse audience into
gawping puppets. Granted, Harry is not the sprightliest anymore and does a mean
impression of an inebriated mother at a wedding, but this only adds to her
charm.Despite nearly being eligible for a free bus pass, Harry and
co play for a solid 90 minutes and after supplying classics such as, ‘Call Me’,
‘Hanging On The Telephone’ and ‘Atomic’, the New Yorkers end with ‘Heart Of
Glass’ and in a tantalizing display of affection, Harry blows a kiss to the
audience and exits stage right.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=581 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=581 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT she affects a similar petulant sassy delivery to Allen’s and is also ‘informed
about the stresses of modern life, teenage aggro…’ However, whilst not quite as
lyrically distinctive as her shit-gobbed forbearer, Doolittle has a charm all
of her own. The melodies are catchy and, coupled with the honking percussion
and motown-lite sax, Doolittle has crafted a pop gem for the summer. Sampling
the chorus of ‘Pack Up Your Troubles And Your Old Kit Bag’ is possibly
overstating her influences somewhat but when you’ve got influences like the
Supremes and the Shangri-Las I suppose there are worse crimes. (Is she really named after the screeching harpy from
Pygmallion? Is that common in London?)]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=580 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=580 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT Andrew Wagstaff on ‘Attention All Departments’, in direct contradiction to the
“delicate pop hooks” mentioned in the promo material. He’s no precious flower
on the strength of the bellowing going on here and the demented power chords of
the chorus recall the delirious awesomeness of Electric Six (… their first two
singles, not everything else they ever did). Special note goes to the LCD
soundsystem-esque keyboards which round of the whole the whole thing
wonderfully, creating a hella’ catchy song about office shenanigans.‘They Launched A Probe’ veers dangerously close to the
stadium cock-rockery of the Killers before landing on safer ground (British
Heavy Metal stadium twattery; it’s no non-sense, fat guitar rock, thank fuck).
Professing to lay out a simple band credo of being ‘amazing’ and aspiring for
nothing more than amazement, the Winter Olympics have made a good start.    ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=579 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=579 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT release is a bewildering place indeed; what would the common man make of Joe
Galen if he was introduced at a party thusly: “A lonely king of a pastoral
domain that is yet so intensely violent… delivering poetry as light-hearted as
it is melancholic.” Partygoers would be non-plussed, no-one would want to be
left alone with him; he’d never get laid! I suppose that mere favourable
platitudes about the pleasantness of his music would paint him as too bland, a
reassuring mauve in an industry that demands garish technicolour. It’s a shame,
because this really is very pleasant stuff and that shouldn’t be seen as
derogatory in any sense of the word… He should get laid!For Triangles’ opening 3 tracks are all delicately and
lushly arranged; subtle electronica elements sit quite comfortably with more
traditional folky standards (flutes… cellos), to create a slightly fresher
sound. ‘Fish and Chips’ especially is a remarkably pretty thing; a perfect
amalgamation of everything Galen is trying to create: slightly off kilter,
stark lyricism with a stirring arrangement and propulsive electronic
percussion.Unfortunately, there are times when the yin/yang dynamic of
folk and technology sounds somewhat skewed, ‘Uncertain’ for instance is almost
completely digital and sounds a little too disjointed, overawing the melodies
and Galen’s vocals (which are never really at the forefront of the mix
throughout the album) are almost lost. Given the pastoral flavouring throughout
the rest of the album it does stick out somewhat, though it starts to make a
little more sense towards the end - slightly more successful in this regard is
upcoming single ‘Persuasion (Back and Forth)’ and slightly less successful in this, or any regard, is ‘Contravention’ whose filthy garage loops only further the
stereotype that garage music is rubbish. However, Björk has shown that the combination of pitter-patter electric drums and poppy string
arrangement and, on the whole, the album is littered with gems; both ‘Tiled
Smiles’ and ‘Interlude To Get Stuff’ are dapper marriages of said electronica
and folky instrumentation and album closer ‘Searching For Someone’ is an affirmation of the emotional depth and
uplifting lyricism that is hinted at throughout the rest of the songs, sounding
not unlike the Phoenix Foundation which is no problem, no problem at all. ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=578 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=578 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=623 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=623 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=577 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=577 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=576 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=576 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=574 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=574 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=573 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=573 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=572 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=572 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=570 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=570 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=569 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=569 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=566 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=566 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=564 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=564 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=562 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=562 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=561 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=561 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=560 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=560 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=571 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=571 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=565 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=565 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=567 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=567 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=559 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=559 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=558 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=558 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=557 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=557 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=555 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=555 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT make your first recordings, your first sonic offerings stand out. This is
clearly something that is not lost on Casino Zone, who have produced a
tantalising snap shot of their off kilter indie pop world. This ‘indie pop’
label is used with some caution however, as this five piece are probably a
little too ragged and urgent to be considered a pop act. Likewise, they’re also
a little too intelligent to be considered ‘indie’.‘No Reward’ is a charming and witty number, layered with
well thought out guitar parts that swoop from unobtrusive minimalism to hefty
Foo Fighters-esque choruses. Intelligent lyrics further augment the intrigue
and the delivery is intent and assured.‘Love’s on TOTP’ is the standout track on this four-track
demo, fusing the pace and aggression of The Cribs with undertones of Happy
Mondays boogie. Panic not though, this is not another band clutching at a dead
sound and pigeonholing them as Northern, Mancunian or 2010’s answer to any
previous outfit from this area would be doing them a serious injustice. Casino
Zone exist in splendid isolation, which has clearly allowed them to create an
unsullied sound.The two remaining tracks on the demo highlight Casino Zone’s
musical adeptness, utilising a 7/8 time signature in ‘TV Personality’ and
combining staccato interludes with raw guitar pop in ‘Torrentialism’. The
former of these is perhaps the most ordinary of the four songs, but is still
carried by the band’s vigour, which is immovable throughout the four tracks.
Closing track ‘Torrentialism’ is the cherry on top of what is essentially an impeccable
demonstration from an exciting and atypical pop outfit. Well worth a listen.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=554 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=554 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=553 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=553 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT Unlike the debut, CC II shines when it’s less frazzled. 'Celestica' could be the best thing they’ve concocted, a dancefloor space odyssey with Alice hitting all the right notes rather than the usual banshee wail; it’s 'Magic Spells' from the debut expanded fifty-fold. 'Suffocation' is cut from the same sweat-and-urine soaked cloth, a surprisingly heart-wrenching burst of euphoria which sends the hormones not just raging but full-on copulating with each other. Well, mine anyway. Away from the relative calm of these the rioters once again take over, this being a Crystal Castles album after all. The skewed fuzz of early taster 'Doe Deer' sets the hammer horror standard (and is all the more powerful coming after the heights of 'Celestica'), with the screams of ‘this is your baptism!’ on Baptism again showcasing the raw aggression of Alice’s vocals if not her band’s ability with words.At times CC II is startlingly good and as close to modern-day punk as you’ll get. But as with the debut it peters out instead of exploding in a mess of its own putrid stomach lining, which would be preferable. The final four could perhaps become a final two simply as they do the same jobs of winding things down, but this is a small gripe aimed at a band showing too much creativity rather than too little. On their second album Crystal Castles have given us the key to the asylum, making the insanity more accessible without taking away any of the edge which makes this band such a unique draw.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=552 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=552 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=563 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=563 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT release their debut album this August, but before they let it all hang out,
they’ve decided to provide some titillation in the form of their new single,
‘Schoolin’.Not to judge a book by its cover (or record by its title in
this case), but ‘Schoolin’ sounds more like the lead track off a Nelly album
and to be fair, minus the crude misogyny, this track seems to nod wryly in the
direction of that early naughties US hip hop sound.Opening with cute whistles, which are quickly usurped by a
huge hydraulic bass bounce, ‘Schoolin’ is a complete deviation from the grey
industrial Manchester landscape, which has spawned EE. This alone is refreshing
but the song itself could easily work as the sound track to a chopper being
casually pedalled along a Californian beachfront.Instrumentally, ‘Schoolin’ is probably more hip pop that hip
hop; guitars become more notable in the chorus which bond it closely to
quintessential indie. But rest assured, ‘Schoolin’ is not your average indie
record. Rolling up on 21-inch rims, it’s an accomplished and cheeky little
number and if we’re lucky enough to see any sun this summer, ‘Schoolin’ might
just be the soundtrack to the country’s barbeques this summer.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=550 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=550 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=547 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=547 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT Yet the Brooklyn four-piece have found support lacking in some quarters. Partly due to their on-going love affair with NME, which seems to be a sure fire way of pissing some people off.
Let's not forget the shimmering loveliness of 'Let's Go Surfing' though. A track that reared from SXSW 09 and found fans the world over. Listening to the track again sure as hell reinforces everything the band have achieved so far.
So, with their debut album out this week check the link below for an exclusive mix of 'Forever and Forever Amen'. Get yourself down to one of these shows too:
June9 - Heaven [sold out] , London     10 - La Cigale (Jalouse Rocks Paris), Paris, 14 - Duo, Tokyo25 - Open Air, St. Gallen    27 -Glastonbury Festival29 - Junction, Cambridge    30 - Hyde Park, LondonJuly2 - Hove Festival - Tromøy, Norway4 - Eurockeennees - Belfort, France     5 - Montreux Jazz Fest, Montreux, Switzerland8 - Optimus Alive Festival - Lisbon, Portugal    10 - Oxegen- Punchestown Racecourse, Ireland     11 - T in the Park - Kinross, ScotlandAugust13 - Flow Festival - Helsinki, Finland14 - Way Out West Festival, Goteborg, Sweden15 - Dockville - Hamburg, Germany     17 - Atomic Cafe - Munich, Germany19 - Frequency Festival - Salzburg, Austria20 - Highfield Festival - Grosspösna, Germany    21 - Pukkelpop     Hasselt, Belgium22 - Lowlands, Biddinghuizen,24 - Ibiza Rocks Hotel - Ibiza, Spain     28 - Leeds Festival - NME Stage - Leeds     29 - Reading Festival - NME Stage - Reading
 ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=546 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=546 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT French, and I seem to have forgotten the translation for “please put me
through to the producer and synth-player from Ratatat. He’s somewhere
in your hotel”. Eventually the message gets through and a sleepy
sounding Evan Mast comes on the line, sounding as far removed from the
hype storm surrounding the impending release of his band’s new album as
it is possible to be, without actually being unaware of it. But beneath
the calm exterior lies some kind of creative genius – welcome to the
intriguing world of Ratatat.A day or two before the interview
the blogosphere is awash with tracks from Ratatat’s  forthcoming fourth
LP, titled LP4 (following the equally cannily named LP3). So what does
Evan make of all the fuss?  “The first time I saw the leaks I
downloaded it and it was this really horrible copy. The people who are
particularly excited about hearing [the album] are hearing the early
leaks – those people especially you want to hear the best quality
version, with the artwork too. With our music there are a lot of
details that you can miss.” He can say that again. For those unfamiliar
with the kitchen sink approach of the band, think Holy Fuck beats and
the jerk of Battles combined with Animal Collective’s ludicrous ideas,
piling in beatboxing, synths and the most overblown
proggy-double-guitars this side of Queen. All the more impressive
considering there’s just the two people in the band. “We Can’t Be
Stopped is pretty small, probably only 40 tracks. On the other hand
something like Neckbrace has 90 or 100.” Bet The Fratellis never said
that.LP4 was recorded during the same sessions as LP3 in a Kid
A/Amnesiac-style relationship, but the latter is far denser and
(whisper it) more out-there. What gives? “Basically we went into the
studio and recorded as many songs as we possibly could and then cut it
in half chronologically. We already had a whole record under our belt
and had all this studio time so we had a chance to try out all the
craziest ideas we could come up with! (laughs) It was nice to be in
that position, to be able to really try the weirdest stuff possible and
to entertain every idea that came into our heads. It was the most fun
I’ve had making a record”. And how can you possibly transfer the
complex world of LP4 to the live arena? “Good question – I haven’t
figured that out yet! There are so many layers of sound, and a lot of
it is not very guitar-based. We’ve talked about getting a string
quartet and making new arrangements for the songs”. With the amount of
ideas fizzing from his brain and heard in LP4 I don’t think he has
anything to worry about. And the award for the band least likely to
suffer from writers block goes to...
 ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=465 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=465 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=549 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=549 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=542 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=542 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=621 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=621 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT which he explored the relationship between the coast and the music of the
British Isles, Richard Hawley has released what could arguably be called a concept
EP. I too shudder at the notion of anything that could be deemed ‘conceptual’,
however, this four track offering from one of the UK’s most respected solo
artists is conceptually and musically brilliant.Opener, ‘Remorse Code’ (which appears on his acclaimed
album, Truelove’s Gutter) is a gnat’s whisker away from 10 minutes, which by
anyone’s books is pushing the limits of attention span. This gentle giant is
far too unimposing to warrant intense involvement though. Rather, it seduces
the listener with its cathartic melody upon which Hawley’s vocals croon, never
becoming prominent, merely supplementing the simple arrangement.Equally as understated is Hawley’s rendition of ‘Shallow
Brown’. This number is performed a cappella and despite the emotive subject,
the song remains as subtle as ‘Remorse Code’. This West Indian shanty comes
from the same ilk as numbers such as Alison Krauss’ ‘Down To The River To
Pray’, both of which have no backing to hide behind and stress the tonal
quality and vocal excellence of the artist.Hawley also offers another cover, this time a take on The
Spinners’ ‘The Ellan Vannin Tragedy’, which as it’s name might suggest is a
harrowing tale of a ship that sank in Liverpool Bay back in 1909. And much like
the original, Hawley relays this account with the utmost sincerity and
tenderness.Continuing in the same restrained vein, the EP culminates
with ‘There’s A Storm A Comin’, which is much more jovial than the three
previous tracks. And while never reaching the crescendo of ‘Moon River’,
there’s a certain Andy Williams-ness about the closing number. It’s the kind of
song you could here Granddad muttering, the type of song that induces a sense
of security.Collectively, False Lights From The Land displays Hawley at
his best, emphasizing his musical awareness and the ability to recreate aged
pieces of music with confidence and ease.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=556 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=556 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT new record, Been Listening. The follow up to 2008’s A Larum steals a notable
Irish twinge, not only in sound but also through the archetypal story-telling
that clings to Irish culture. Flynn however, is not a native of Ireland, in
fact he was born in Johannesburg and ended up in London via South Wales. Several critics have been quick to lump Flynn in the same
ilk as fellow London folksters Mumford & Sons but there is a depth and
rustic quality to Flynn that fuels a mystique upon which his material breathes.
Futhermore, Flynn has broadened his horizons and stepped outside of the
relative comforts of folk to incorporate genres such as Afrobeat and Americana.
Opener, ‘Kentucky Pill’ is the product of this departure and arguably, the strongest track on the album. The carnival atmosphere soon becomes overcast as ‘Kentucky
Pill’ is followed by the delicate and sombre ‘Lost And Found’. Here, Flynn’s
vocals are masterful, every word doused in faith and delivered with the utmost
certainty. The story becomes vivid and the mantra transports you away from reality,
so much so that when ‘Lost And Found’ concludes and brass of ‘Churlish May’
begins, there’s a sharp jolt of tangibility. Further highlights come in the shape of ‘Barnacled Warship’,
a trudging account of a confused soldier who “feels like going to bed”. This
number highlights Flynn greatest feat; his ability to take a universal and
contemporary topic and deliver on an unrelated musical platform without
sounding artificial. Been Listening comes in at an unexpected angle and spins off
in several directions throughout the 11 tracks. The album however, is coherent
and points towards an artist who is brave enough to utilise a number of
different influences to create a unique and authentic sound.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=548 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=548 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=541 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=541 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT ‘Leave Argentina’ is written with guitar band aesthetics and lined with the kinds of samba rhythms Friendly Fires would be proud of, but culminates in a swell of old-school synthesizer sounds – dance ‘anthem’-style.Their top notch observational lyrics might seem typical of almost every decent indie band of the last ten years, but are made special by the almost out-of-place, yet oh-so-right electro riffs.And even their happy hand claps and vocal harmonies are interspersed with robotic electronic beeps (until bursts of distorted guitar riffs come in to further confuse any attempt at pigeonholing).In this case it’s better to ignore any primal instinct that tells you to conjure up a genre in which to categorise Polarsets, and simply embrace the soundclash.Recommended track: 'Leave Argentina']]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=532 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=532 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=531 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=531 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=530 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=530 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=543 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=543 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=540 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=540 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=539 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=539 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=537 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=537 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT As part of a Weekend of music the guys behind Manchester’s The Warehouse Project bring Ian Brown to Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield this Friday. Joining king monkey, is a roster of various Manchester legends including Bad Lieutenant, Mr Scruff, A Certain Ratio, The Whip & Peter Hook, as well as a rare appearance from Unkle who have previously collaborated with Brown.There's only a limited batch of tickets left. But we have blagged a pair to giveaway, so to be in with a chance of winning simply answer the following question:Q:  What is the name of Ian Browns debut single released in 1998?(a)    Your Moon(b)    My Star(c)    Her WorldSubmit you name and answer to richard@highvoltage.org.uk]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=528 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=528 Sat, 05 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=538 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=538 Sat, 05 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT composition is based around eleven motifs representing a possible
England line up for the World Cup finals. Each motif is in a different
time signature corresponding with the shirt numbers worn by each
player. For Example, number 7 Aaron Lennon has a repeating melody in
7/8. Think Oliver Messiaen meets Fat Les...”
I personally would love to see England fans get their vocal chords around this track, which has more in common with Frank Zappa than Frank Lampard.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=529 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=529 Sat, 05 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=527 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=527 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT tempestuous college rock sound famed by Deftones and Papa Roach. Certainly,
surf rock is not something that a Sacramentonian would have in their
vocabulary. Unless you’re a member of Ganglians.This Californian four-piece however, are looking a little
further south and towards their 1960s forefathers for inspiration. Layered with
vocal harmonies and clean-shaven naivety, Ganglians could easily be considered
as obsolete, but they recreate a bygone sound so well, it becomes difficult to
naysay them. To do so would feel like you were simultaneously slapping Brian
Wilson right in the Speedos. Nostalgia aside, Monster Head Room is still some
way off Pet Sounds, but what it does so well, with the help of delay drenched
vocals, ocean samples and crooning harmonies is develop a vibrant mental image:
Palm trees, glistening, bronzed torsos, burger bars and innocent 60s sexual
tinkering.‘Candy Girl’ is the most explicit rendition of this theme
but most of the 11 songs on this LP cling to this rigid formula. And for those
who struggle with this kind of floss, Monster Head Room might just rot your
teeth. If, however, optimistic easy listening is your bag, this Souterrain
Transmissions release is worth investigating.Despite being musically impeccable, Monster Head Room is
unlikely to bring about any seismic shift in UK listening trends. However, it
does serve as a warming reminder of an erstwhile sound that a generation of
American (and British) teenagers grew up on. And if a belligerent Deftones fan
gets hold of a copy, they might just chill out, obey mom’s rules and thank the
lord that sun makes regular appearances during a Sacramento summer.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=551 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=551 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=535 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=535 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=568 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=568 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=536 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=536 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=534 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=534 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=526 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=526 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=544 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=544 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=533 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=533 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=523 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=523 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=520 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=520 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=519 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=519 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=518 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=518 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT trade for the best part of a decade and having just released their fourth
studio album, We Were Exploding Anyway, Yorkshire’s finest are still evidently
still keen as mustard. Midway round their European tour, High Voltage caught up
with 65days’ Paul Wolinski…
You've been together in one form or another for nearly 10
years now.  How do you stay enthusiastic about the band?
Loads of coffee and vodka. Also, we've just written this new
album that we feel is the most exciting thing we've ever done. It took us quite
a while to make, which meant we didn't tour as much as we would have liked last
year. But now the recording part is over, being back out on the road feels like
the reward. We have the best job in the world. If we were to lose the ability
to remain incredibly enthusiastic about it at all times it would mean we have
fallen into that rockstar abyss of self-indulgence from which few ever return.
It's really deep, man.
You guys are from Sheffield which is a dirty steel-making
town.  Do you feel as though your music is influenced by your heritage?
 Or would you say you're an 'ungeographical' band?
Only two of us are from Sheffield originally, but we have
been based there for a long time. Sheffield is a crazy balance of being
supportive and incredibly unsupportive at the same time, so has probably been
more helpful to us than we'll ever know. A kind of tough love... That being
said, I don't think where we have found ourselves based is an overriding
feature of our identity. We're living in the future and, like everybody else,
influences from all over the world are hitting us every second of every day. I
think to understand and appreciate where you come from is very important for
people individually, but  for bands it shouldn't necessarily have to
define you. At least not nowadays.
You're a fearsomely passionate live band and have been
very vocal about your love for playing live.  Which do you prefer though,
recording or performing?
Performing, definitely. Recording is incredibly rewarding
too, and I don't think it's really fair to compare the two things because they
are very, very different disciplines. 'Performing', for us, is intrinsically
tied up with 'touring' - which involves just as many non-musical skills if you
really wanna start doing it seriously. Basically - whilst our records are
hopefully going to be around a lot longer than we are, nothing can beat that
tangible, instant joy of interacting with a crowd, seeing them smile, and then
trying to deafen them.
You’ve pulled huge crowds at Manchester Academy 2 but the
last time you played in Manchester, you played The Deaf Institute, a much
smaller venue.  Do you prefer playing smaller venues?  And do you see
fluctuations when it comes to crowd sizes?
We have come to appreciate the different strengths and
weaknesses that different size shows provide. We did a tour of America a couple
of years ago where we were literally playing arenas to 20,000 one night and
then arts centres to 15 people the next. In the giant shows, what you lose in
intimacy (essentially playing into a huge, black cavern with lights in your
eyes) you make up for with the feeling of your music bouncing around so loud in
those huge spaces. It's pretty satisfying. And then at the other extreme, you
can't beat the sense of chaos and intensity when you're in some tiny venue,
trying not to knock out the front row by accidentally swinging your guitar too
hard.
Where do you feel you are best received?  The North?
 UK?  Europe?
It's hard to say. And I'm not sure it matters in any case.
The fact that we can go to cities further and further afield from where we
started and people come out to see us play the music we've written is
incredibly flattering. And the fact that they continue coming to cities that
we've played what feels like a thousand times is equally reassuring.
You've had to cancel the SXSW shows due to 'financial
reasons'.  How difficult and frustrating do you find the financial restraints
and how do you think this effects the wider industry?  How do you think
the industry helps or hinders artists today?
SXSW was a shame, but we didn't lose sleep over it. More
than ever it seems to be a place for all the people in the music industry who
aren't in bands to go and pretend that they're coked-up rockstars for a week.
For a band, it's a nightmare. We have forever operated within massive financial
restraints and can't see that changing anytime soon. The industry is slowing
killing itself and, to tell you the truth, I  don't really care any more.
I don't give it much thought. It'd be good to sell some records, to continue to
make a living... I'm not even sure what 'the industry' really is anymore.
There's certainly a lot of idiots that we try and steer clear of. Also, the
internet is finally learning how to provide bands with really direct ways to
reach people who are likely to be fans and build a community around them,
without any middlemen whatsoever. I guess that can only be a good thing. THIS
IS A VERY CONVOLUTED ANSWER, YO!
You've got an album coming out, We Were Exploding Away.
 How do you deal with your releases?  Are you protective over people
downloading your music?  And how do you think the industry can combat the
downloading issue?
It's out now. It's good. The record didn't leak until the
weekend before its release, which is really impressive. We'd assumed it had
leaked earlier because we kicked off the tour and the sets were and are very
new-song-centric, but the reaction was so good that we thought people must
already be familiar with the tunes.
It's not really a case of being protective about people
downloading our music because there is absolutely nothing we can do to protect
ourselves. The only sensible solution is to not have our heads stuck in the
sand and ignore it. That's why we streamed the whole record on myspace and gave
away a bunch the songs for free on our website... Get people excited about the
music. I don't think the industry can combat the downloading issue. They should
adapt, rather fight it, I think. If there is a future, I think that it is
making a more concentrated effort to connect with the real music fans who
always prefer to have physical products, who appreciate all the extra material
around an album release, - nice artwork, heavyweight vinyl... Making things
that are worth people's money, rather than just a cd in a cheap jewel case
featuring only things that you can grab off a torrent in a matter of seconds.
Bands and labels have to try harder. Maybe that's the way it ought to be.
Music's important.
When making the new album, were you influenced by any
artist in particular?  And how do you expect it to be received?
 Would you it was a departure from previous 65days stuff?
We were influenced by everything. Not just artists. Every
single thing that happened to us during the two years we were writing. Every
single thing that happened to us prior to that, even. This album has helped us
reach some kind of new confidence plateau. I don't expect it to be received in
any particular way. I will wait and see. On one level, I don't think any of us
care because we knew that we did the best we possibly could have done within
the confines of the time and means we had. I guess it could be called a
departure, but that sort of implies that we'd been standing still. I'd rather
see it as a continuation. Or evolution of previous 65 stuff.
How was the recording of the album?  Difficult?
 A shit load of fun?  Stressful?  And why did you pick the
title, We Were Exploding Anyway?
Difficult, a shit load of fun and stressful. We picked that
title because it made sense to us at the time. I know that's not a very helpful
answer, but that's the way it's always been with 65daysofstatic. We don't
really have high brow conversations abouts the concepts and meaning
underpinning all the things that we do. We trust in each other and accepted a
long time ago that we're far more articulate commnunicating ideas with big
fuck-off beats and sheets of guitar noise rather than actual words. We must
have gone through a hundred or more titles before we came to that one, and it
just felt right. Because we were. Isn't everybody?
You're not playing Manchester this time around … any
particular reason?
No. I love Manchester.
And finally, what new stuff have you guys been listening
to recently? Any new bands that are raising eyebrows in the 65days camp?
Nedry, who are on tour with us right now, are fantastic. I'm
a big fan of the new Autechre album too. We've been on tour for coming up to
 six weeks now though, so I am a little bit out of the loop, to tell you
the truth.
And what about your tour buddies, the mighty Kong?  Did they piss on you?
They're fucking crackers and amazing. Touring with them was
an insane amount of fun. They didn't piss on us. They are very polite
underneath the masks and vomit.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=545 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=545 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=516 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=516 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=515 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=515 Mon, 31 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT amount of Mancunian ‘soldiers’ and the Boon Army were out in force tonight, all
in uniform. Past the sea of jeans/Adidas sportswear combo and Paul Weller mop
chops stands a stage that plays host to some consistently average lad rock
support bands.No Flash readily admit they’re not musicians; they’re just
lads who, in 2008 fancied starting a band. This flimsy enthusiasm seems to have
led to a lack of dynamism, diversity and innovation and a collection of songs
that fails to stir up anything other than mild appreciation. However, having
only decided that being in a band was for them a couple of years ago, they’re
clearly still finding their feet and once they learn to stand up right, they
might just knock out a couple of belters.With a little more swagger and some of that unmistakable Manc attitude, No Tokyo are like the more aggressive older brother of No Flash.
The songs however are equally as tedious and rely heavily on that all too
familiar ‘Manchester sound’. Bear in mind, Moho is pretty much full with the
Boon Army though and they love a bit of nostalgia, so this well presented relic
of a bygone era is received well.Having rescheduled the initial date for this gig, there was some restless anticipation fizzing through Moho prior to The Sunshine
Underground set this evening. Their shows are notoriously lively but the added
expectation and impatience coupled with the underground setting created exciting
clandestine atmosphere. It’s shoulder to shoulder and as soon as the collective
sound of The Sunshine Underground brushes the crowd, the army jump in unison.
Most of their latest album, Nobody’s Coming To Save You is played and numbers
like ‘Spell It Out’ and ‘In Your Arms’ do little to simmer a fiercely energetic audience. Their new material is much more measured and assured than older Raise
The Alarm tracks and it packs a huge punch that translates well in a live
setting. The Sunshine Underground are still one of the best indie dance rock
outfits around and tonight they turned the underbelly of Manchester into an
unmissable disco.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=524 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=524 Mon, 31 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=517 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=517 Mon, 31 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT Picture by Gemma Louise Harris]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=512 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=512 Sun, 30 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=525 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=525 Sun, 30 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=522 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=522 Sun, 30 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT Musically, however, MBD are more ambitious with dark baroque arrangements typified by Balliet’s brooding work on the Cello. It’s not the most uplifting of axis, and too often the only saviour from the depression is Dagan’s marching snare that punctuates the ever increasing doom.  The first to offer any respite is ‘King of the Gutters’ an understated amble which sees MBD relax somewhat. It’s still heavily clichéd but feels less forced and pleasantly accelerates from a depressive ditch to an almost joyous celebration of the drifter, egged on by Dagan’s troubadour snare. ‘Good Morning Magpie’ the album’s title track, rears like an inverted Elbow A-side, soaring in its ability to depress, militant yet also meandering it evolves into the albums most obvious anthem.When MBD emerge from the depressive into the more oppressive realms of ‘White Noise’ things begin to get interesting. Darker than Nick Cave or any Grinderman output ‘White Noise’ eloquently delivers a sinister bed of bass rumble to build a claustrophobic and murderous sound that would fit Cave’s literary debut perfectly. ‘Foxglove’ the only track that dodges grim undertones for a more tender line is less Andy Williams grave digging and more Turla cracking his heart open.Good Morning Magpie is a confusing assortment, often touches of brilliance like the aforementioned tracks are trounced by messy ill-conceived terrace sing-alongs. To walk away from the more articulate tracks of ‘Good Morning Magpie’ is not an easy affair; those mentioned are both gripping and enigmatic. But the gold-star stench of what remains is certainly enough to speed the process.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=521 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=521 Sun, 30 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT Bureau, whose irresistible debut single ‘After Midnight’ was released
through this very sites label), Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson’s
deft touch for ear-worming electro-pop was always destined to seduce
the masses, and this debut single is a stormer! This has dance floor hit all over it, from singer Theo’s spirited
delivery to Anderson’s huge synth lines and euro-beats looking equally
well in the most glamorous of night spots or the grimmest of
sticky-dancefloored clubs on a Friday night. You get the impression that there’s plenty more seductive singles in
the Hurts cannon too, and with a summer schedule of high-profile gigs
over the summer you can’t help but feel that it won’t be long before
they’re almost unavoidable. Excellent.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=511 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=511 Sun, 30 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT amongst their back catalogue than Brooklyn collective, The National,
previous releases have been relentlessly cheerless affairs and for the
most part this return doesn’t buck the trend. Whilst the lyrics are mostly in a minor vain the five-piece have
embraced the kind of unifying-exhileration inducing arrangements more
than ever before, opener ‘Terrible Love’ begins proceedings in dramatic
fashion, recalling the big-choruses of more-recent Mercury-prize
charming Bury group Elbow. It’s immediate follow up ‘Sorrow’ conversely is just about the
loveliest and understated tune the group have ever hung their name on,
with singer Matt Berninger’s baritone mumbled chorus line of “I don’t
want to get over you” able to affect even those with the stoniest of
hearts. Similarly, ‘Runaway’ and closing number ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks’ find
Berninger in introspection, the meditative mood compounded by guitarist
Bryce Dessner’s subtle backing. If this group of songs doesn't quite contain much of the downbeat
energy they've previously shown with albums 'Alligator' and 'Boxer',
what you get here is a group becoming more confident with hushed
moments, and despite the spotlight being on them following what's been
a slow accent the group haven't slumped into a commercial trap here. With some already placing bets on this album featuring highly in the
usual 'Best Of' critics lists come the end of the year- despite this
being something of a slow burner, demanding attention and too easily
lay open to accusations of being listless- but for those that put in
the effort will no doubt revel in the albums subdued beauty.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=510 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=510 Fri, 28 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=509 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=509 Thu, 27 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT latest single, ‘Never Stop’ sounds more like Germany’s Eurovision entry than
Herbie Hancock. Born in Canada, Chilly now resides in Paris and has clearly
succumbed to his immediate habit. Simple keys that sound like the product of a
GCSE music lesson, sampled claps, shakers and a hideously dated dance beat make
for an altogether unsavoury trip down the memory autobahn.
The worst thing about this whole sordid affair is that it’s
impossible to turn off. Everyone’s got that shit single they bought as a
13-year-old - Gala’s ‘Freed From Desire’ for example. Well, this single fits
into that category. ‘Never Stop’ is the pickled onion of the finger buffet;
only the most unashamed will indulge themselves in it.
If you are willing to loose your inhibitions momentarily and
deconstruct this europop travesty, you’ll pick up on the clever interwoven
piano lines, the pulsating back beat upon which Brazilian-esque instruments
start edging their way into the frame along with techno oscillations. However,
for a jazz virtuoso, it’s all a bit elementary.
Another one of Chilly Gonzales’ achievements is his world
record for the longest solo-artist performance at 27 hours. To know what that
feels like, listen to ‘Never Stop’.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=508 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=508 Thu, 27 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT know’ so when your dad is Paul Simon, you’re born half way up the musical
ladder, wielding a pretty sweet contacts book and a $5000 Gretsch. Such gross
unfairness turns easily in bitter resentment and anything written by said
fortunate bastard usually gets written off rather rapidly. However, unlike the
Geldof trolls, Harper Simon actually has an ounce of talent and such hasty
indignation would see a surprisingly adequate debut album, overlooked.
After initial
recording sessions in Nashville, Simon then went on to enlist the help of
several note-worthy musicians (including his father) and producer, Bob Johnston (Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan). Those he collaborated with span nearly 40
years of musical history however, the eclecticism that you might hope to find
as a result of this, is strangely void.
Judged as an isolated piece of music however, Harper Simon’s
eponymous debut is certainly worthy of some credit. Opener, ‘All To God’ is
feather light and so reticent at times that you feel like you’re invading a
private moment. This relatively personal start quickly dissipates into a
typical ‘Simon’ track, Paul Simon that is, with the truly nostalgic ‘Wishes And
Stars’. It’s not until ‘Shooting Star’, mid-way through the album that any
evidence of these Nashville sessions emerge. Slide guitar prominent and saloon
piano in tow, ‘Shooting Star’ is undeniably Southern, minus the rock spuds of
Drive-By Truckers. Continuing in the same Southern vein, ‘Tennessee’ adds a
touch of the Ben Kwellers, an influence that crops up throughout the rest of
the album.
Unfortunately, the many influences and collaborations that
have generated this album seem to have impeded Harper Simon’s true sound. To coin his own lyric, he's got "more friends than he can use". As a
result, his debut LP is more the diluted sum of all its parts than a
proud independent statement.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=507 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=507 Thu, 27 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT spot tonight, testing their promising set of delicate simplicity against two of
the biggest local hopes for this year. Rightly deserving of the opportunity,
the three-piece’s brooding jangle and cracked wail has enough hook to suggest
that their progress is going to be well worth monitoring in the upcoming
months.
Meanwhile, finding their way on Red Deer Club’s imprint,
Young British Artists are fine-tuning their frantic angularisms into something
a bit more than just toe-tapping. Their rough and ready sound on record
translates into a pulsating live set of machine gun drums and the occasional
stab of a synthesiser, and has no lack of energy to see us through.
Returning from a recent tour that took in a trip to the
continent, it is staggering how much Airship have come on in the past year, and
not because they were lacking much before. Long-haired, Conversed and inspired
by the last decade of American alt. indie dominance, they present an unusual and
very welcome prospect to these parts, and now they’ve got an awe-inducing stage
presence to bolster it.
The quite awesome ‘Kids’ is propelled with the kind of
liberating vibrancy that The Arcade Fire would be lucky to have on their next
record, whilst the lull and crescendo of the earth-shaking ‘Woodworm’ shows
just how capable of stadium enormity these boys are, even in the relatively
intimate confines of The Deaf Institute. Judging by this performance, Airship
are almost the complete article already, and look set to produce what could be
one of the biggest, most far-reaching albums in recent Manchester history.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=506 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=506 Thu, 27 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT band had playing an aristocratic wedding in Rome, seeing the bourgeois quaffing
a lavish banquet and showing that wealth does not bring happiness. Unlike
money, which doesn’t necessarily induce happiness The Miserable Rich’s second
album Of Flight and Fury does. This is the Brighton groups second LP and its 13
songs are a perfect accompaniment to those lazy summer nights.
‘Pegasus’ with its orchestral arrangements, folk plucked
guitars and James de Malplaquet’s
melencholy vocals are a perfect opener. ‘Chestnut Sunday’ demonstrates the
bands firm grasp of the Nu-folk movement we have seen of late and should grace
many a BBQ’s over the summer.
As like much good
folk, the subject matter occasionally takes a Mythical, almost fairytale nature
as ‘The Mouth of the Wolf’ is very little red riding hood in its lyrics against
the delicate and fragile guitar and strings.  ‘For A Day’s Americana sound is perfectly dirty and whisky
soaked, due largely to the deep double bass playing throughout.
There is also a humorous
and self deprecating side to the album with ‘Let me Fade’. It’s a typical
breakup song with the barbershop harmonies accompanying lyrics of a non existent
sex life.
The most surprising
thing about Of Flight & Fury is that of the recording of it. The record was
recorded at various band members’ houses in Brighton over a few months, with
the recording suffering interruptions from disgruntled neighbours, and floods.
This kind of approach is normally favored by lo-fi indie guitar bands, and adds
a rougher more authenticate edge. It is therefore surprising as Of Flight &
Fury is a very well produced, rich tapestry of sound. The music has been
delicately layered together, with the finished article a very forward thinking piece
of chamber pop.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=504 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=504 Thu, 27 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT weekend and it looks set to top last year’s inaugural event. It is an
amalgamation of all things creative, with music, film, fashion photography and
art coming together to create a special spring bank holiday weekend festival in
Manchester. Athlete are the headline music act, performing in Piccadilly
Gardens on the Saturday; but they are not the only stand-out act set to
perform, with Reverand Soundsystem, The Longcut, Liam Frost, Karima Francis, I
Am Blackbird, Kirsty Almeida, The Travelling Band, MAY68 and Kid British all
set to play. As Hungry Pigeon continues to soar, expect it to dominate the
festival scene in Manchester for many years to come.
This year’s offering encompasses a diverse array of talent.
From big-name musicians to high-profile photographers and artists, Hungry
Pigeon encapsulates the very essence of creativity that defines Manchester, and
with two of the most respected promoters in town on board, one can expect a
thoroughly well-organised and exciting weekend. Somewhere close to 150 bands
will play over the 3 day event, ensuring most popular music tastes are catered
for.
Entry to the outdoor event in Piccadilly Gardens is free,
unless capacity is reached, in which case a wristband is the only way to
guarantee entry. Access to the indoor venues requires a weekend ticket or day
pass. See www.ticketline.co.uk and www.seetickets.com in order to purchase one,
or alternatively, pop into Piccadilly Records to buy in person. For more
information consult the official Hungry Pigeon website www.hungrypigeon.com.
Amazingly, a weekend pass only costs £25 and ensures you can see everything on
display. A day pass is £12.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=503 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=503 Wed, 26 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT Not Made Of Eyes’, General Fiasco’s latest single, lacks the killer choruses of
their previous release ‘Ever So Shy’ it’s hard to describe it as anything other than
radio-friendly. The songs maintains a fast, poppy momentum throughout and the
production is clean; their influenced have been practically tattooed on their
foreheads (the bluntness of the FEEDER imprint has probably been infected and
given them hepatitis) – though it’s hard to resent them too much for that;
there are enough nuances in the playing to keep the listener engaged, the
vocals while never overcoming the overdriven guitars have a certain innocence…
This kind of indie has been floating through the radio throughout the
noughties, it seems almost hypocritical to turn against it now.
 ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=505 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=505 Wed, 26 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT really know where to begin with this one. Two in One, the UK debut album of
Berlin electro outfit Bodi Bill, is such a schizophrenic record (arguably what
the title is alluding to) that it really is difficult to pin down exactly what
you're listening to half the time.
It all
starts off rather routinely with 'Be Home For Dinner' and 'I Like Holden
Caulfield', both of which are fairly generic euro-dance tracks: so far, so
uninspiring. However, the handbag house ends after these two songs, and then things
start to get a lot more experimental, and in turn, a lot more interesting.
As the
album progresses, more and more influences/reference points become apparent.
There's a hint of Kid A/Amnesiac-era Radiohead in a number of tracks, most
notably 'Traffic Jam' and 'Henry', while 'Tip Toe Walk', 'Very Small' and
'Willem' are all just a synth sample or two away from sounding as though
they've been lifted from an early Genesis album, although this is mostly down
to vocalist Fabien Fenk's Peter Gabriel-a-like delivery, and the fact that some
of lyrics are just absolute bollocks (in a good way, though...) Elsewhere on
the album, 'Depart Tropical' and 'Head in my Hands' have an 80s pop vibe to
them, while the faster-paced 'Needles' and 'Schattenspiele Remix' show that,
despite the alt/folk/prog pretensions of the songs listed above, Bodi Bill
haven't quite fully abandoned their dance roots.
It really
is a strange beast of an album. The opening two tracks seem grossly out of
place, and in my opinion, detract from what is otherwise a decent record.
However, if you take my advice and simply gloss over them, then you're in for
an intriguing listen.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=502 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=502 Wed, 26 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT a brief overview of Transatlantic, they're considered to be somewhat of a prog
rock 'super group', consisting of Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Pete Trewavas
(Marillion), Neal Morse (Spock's Beard) and Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings), and
helped out on tour by Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain of Salvation). For the uninitiated
out there, you'll just have to take my word for it that that is a pretty damn
fine musical heritage. So, considering this pedigree, as well as the fact that
this is first time the band have toured since 2001 (and only the second time
they've been on the road ever), tonight promised to be one of those rare
occasions not be missed, especially for Manchester-based fans of all things
prog.
As you
might expect, the show is pretty far removed from your typical set of three
minute songs played rigidly in 4/4; instead, Transatlantic take a good three
hours to play a total of just six songs. The first of these is all 77 minutes
of The Whirlwind (AKA the band's new album), which truly runs the gamut of
musical styles and influences, taking numerous cues from each member's
respective bands in various places, along with the odd neat homage to other
prog luminaries, such as (early) Genesis and Pink Floyd, and even a bizarre nod
to Family Guy. After a brief interval, the band return for a suitably lengthy
encore, consisting of the epic 'All of the Above' and the significantly shorter
'We All Need Some Light' from the band's debut album, SMPT:e, followed by
'Dance with the Devil', 'Bridge Across Forever' and closing track 'Stranger in
your Soul', all of which are as noodly and/or expansive as the last.
Throughout
the night, the band play with unflinching togetherness, made all the more
remarkable considering they've been on hiatus for nine years. If there's one
criticism, I have to admit that I did find some parts of the show rather more
sedate than I was expecting, but as a big fan of drummer Mike Portnoy's primary
band, the much heavier Dream Theater, I was probably looking for more of the
same, whereas Portnoy himself is more than likely actively avoiding doing
anything too similar. However, that's just a personal gripe, and it shouldn't
detract from what was an otherwise impressive show.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=501 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=501 Tue, 25 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=514 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=514 Tue, 25 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=498 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=498 Mon, 24 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT Brian Jonestown Massacre. They ply their trade through the same full-arm
pummelled chords, dripping in chimey treble and melodies you could’ve sworn
you’ve heard before. But that’s no bad thing – here, they infuse the audience
with pumping momentum, squeaking those leather jacket-coated arms into vertical
positions of praise. They’re the boys next door in comparison to the Jonestown,
full of enthusiasm and positive thinking.
Brian Jonestown Massacre, however, are, of course, known for
being quite a volatile bunch. There’s always the thought that there’s no point
getting to the venue on time as they’re bound to be late on, whether it’s half
an hour or two hours. And then, of course, last time they played Academy 2,
Anton dragged on his young Welsh girlfriend to sing who could barely be heard
anyway. But this time, things seemed to be smooth and straightforward with no
hidden surprises.
The band arrived on stage to a masculine belly-growl of a cheer,
raising in pitch and volume as Anton appeared, promptly at nine. With a five
guitar-strong lineup, it was anticipated that the set would be whirlingly
over-indulgent, enjoying the reticent, plodding chords as they lilt and swagger
seemingly forever. But this was a livelier incarnation. Sure, there were the
eyelid-drooping favourites like ‘Here It Comes’, but a speedy rattle through
‘Hide And Seek’ and a football-chorus rant of ‘Let’s Go Fucking Mental’ during
a brief pause of breath left the audience decidedly pumped.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=500 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=500 Mon, 24 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=496 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=496 Mon, 24 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=495 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=495 Mon, 24 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=492 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=492 Sun, 23 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=513 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=513 Sun, 23 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT ‘The Ballad Of Moose Broose’ has a very country & Western beat, and illustrates perfectly the direction that the band are trying to pull in with their newer sound, whilst at the same time seeming to be lacking a chorus and never really leads anywhere. ‘Higher & Higher’ has a pleasant enough calypso feel, if not a patch on Vampire Weekends current work, and ‘Come Back’ touches on the Americana sound, if never being memorable.‘Blood ,The Sun & Water’ is undoubtedly the albums lowest point, its as if they had a fantastic idea for the song but never really finished it. In all the bands previous chaotic angular sound is replaced by a rounder one, leading to the albums feel as a grower, and at times embracing a sound that doesn’t suit them. A very promising band, with an excellent debut already in the bag, have come back and made an album no one really wanted them too. Too serious! Too young!]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=494 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=494 Sat, 22 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT some ‘alone time’. The mind does funny things when it’s lonely though, and
little does more to espouse this notion than Ingram’s rather peculiar LP,
Consolamentum. 
Having taken a couple of days to read through a very wordy
press release and another week to find the motivation to play this six-track record, it’s fair to say this ‘acoustic doom’ entry is
hard going. The irony of course is that the 2549 word blurb supporting
Consolamentum basically says “this record is so fucking weird and different,
you can’t really say anything about it.” Alas, that would not make for a beneficial
review and ‘Shit Sandwich’ is crass.
Rather than speak musically, this album attempts, in some
rather convoluted way to speak ethereally. No, that’s not a D minor sus two you
are hearing, that’s the harrowing and oppressive Manchester skyline, heaving
its acid breath on your imprisoned face, melting your eyes into pitiful
globules of working class angst, stroking your hunched spine with a rusty scythe
and licking your wilted boneless banquet ears with a sour smelling fetus. Much
like the painter who is revered as "revolutionary" for using a crab’s penis to
paint a rotting apple, Richard A Ingram, has either tried too hard, or not hard
enough to create something meaningful. Then again, maybe the listener isn’t
trying hard enough to understand the meaning?
Opener, ‘Kll Thm Ll’ or ‘Kill Them All’ for those who are
not pretentious enough to neglect vowels, sets the pace for the next 46 minutes worth of improvised ambience – slow. The innovation seems to rest on
Ingram’s use of tape recorders and the whole thing collectively gets lost in
its own incoherence. According to Ingram, “this is not a fucking religious
concept album” but if there were ever an award for the sound track to a
crucifixion or an equally slow death, Consolamentum would scoop it. ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=499 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=499 Fri, 21 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT The advice, given by one the producers of the film beforehand, was simple, “sit back, enjoy and don’t try to figure anything out”. That proved to be just about the best advice one could receive because making complete sense of ODDSAC is difficult on first viewing. Long stretches of abstract colours and trippy patterns were interweaved with more vivid narrative sequences, but the way in which the visuals allowed the spectator to get swallowed up and consumed by the music was spectacular. It’s a far from perfect production but one which intrigues and entertains and asks questions of its audience.It is the bands collaboration with director Danny Perez which was the most unusual aspect of the production. The band are familiar to many but working in a spontaneous fashion with a long-time friend has seemingly created an off-kilter approach that compliments the experimental nature of the band’s music superbly. With vibrant landscapes and scenes with clear horror film associations, it is guaranteed to cut deep into the mind of all who watch it. For anyone with a passion for Animal Collective’s unique brand of musicianship this stimulating visual exhibition is a must-see experience.DVD/iTunes release is scheduled for July 26th.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=497 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=497 Fri, 21 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT The 'Algebra EP' is available digitally and on Ltd 10' Vinyl & CD from Piccadilly Records and the link below.
 ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=490 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=490 Fri, 21 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=488 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=488 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=493 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=493 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=487 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=487 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=486 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=486 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=485 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=485 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=472 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=472 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT The TRAMP! Parties at Bierkeller featured Justice, The Presets, New Young Pony Club and loads more. As Manchester clubbers drank gallons of Bavarian lager whilst dancing on the venue's tables. More recently their NYE parties at Night & Day, along with scores of guest DJ spots around town have kept the brand alive. But this event is their first big name event for some time. Download the mix below for a sample of the night's signature tunes, featuring Modeselektor, Shit Robot, Padded Cell and, er, Throbbing Gristle.
Also on the decks are esteemed local promoters Now Wave, with Jon and Wes showing why their weekly Wednesday at Deaf Institute has become THE mid-week night out. Not to mention the massive acts they've championed at venues across town over the past couple of years.Tickets are just £5 adv from Piccadilly Records, Ticketline and See.Also coming soon //
Thursday 8th July @ The Deaf InstituteTRAMP! & Now Wave presents... HOLY GHOST (live) SBTRKT DJ, SAMPHA (live)+ Now Wave and Tramp! Djs Tickets £9.50 from the venue,  Piccadilly Records and Ticketline
 ]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=471 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=471 Wed, 19 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT Fortunately this is Slow Club at their finest, a Motown-tinged barnstormer perfectly playing the girl/boy vocals off against each other in a way that suggests neither is really giving up on love any time soon. B-Side 'Willow Tree' is worth searching out too - it’s lo-fi, doo-wop, blissed-out and takes Charles and Rebecca’s relationship to whole new, uncharted territories. Sexy business. The songs I mean.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=484 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=484 Wed, 19 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=481 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=481 Wed, 19 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=473 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=473 Tue, 18 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=489 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=489 Tue, 18 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=467 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=467 Mon, 17 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=483 http://highvoltage.org.uk/features.php?id=483 Mon, 17 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=480 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=480 Mon, 17 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=474 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=474 Mon, 17 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT Commenting on the release, Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh said: "Thirty years ago, people said that we were cynical, that we had a bad attitude. But now, when you ask people if de-evolution is real, they understand that there was something to what we were saying. It’s not the kind of thing you want to see proven right, but it does make it easier to talk about."
Since the release of Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo have amassed a cult following of fans. Leading to a show at the Vancouver Winter Olympics earlier this year, featuring the line-up Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, Gerald and Bob Casale with drummer Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, Guns n' Roses).Another choice comment regarding the new LP comes from Gerald Casale: "The world is in sync with Devo. We’re not the guys who freak people
out and scare them - we’re like the house band on the Titanic,
entertaining everybody as we go down."]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=466 http://highvoltage.org.uk/news.php?id=466 Sun, 16 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=482 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=482 Sun, 16 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT unbelievable to find out what position the London five-piece find
themselves in. Six years and two albums after the original line-up
formed, and with strong accreditation from fans including Paul Weller,
who performed on Tall Stories from under the Table (2007), the group is
still struggling to gain recognition on the main scene. A recent pledge
group on Facebook saw Dogs sell posters, lyrics and collectable CDs,
simply to find the funds for their forthcoming EP.
Playing the atmospheric, but
modestly-sized, Moho Live, you can't help but wonder why they aren't
enjoying a bigger and better fate. The band, and most notably lead
singer Johnny Cooke, storm the stage with an incredibly enigmatic
presence. They are using this tour to promote their new 'We are the
Dogs' EP, and even though the die-hard Dogs fans are keen to hear their
old favourites, such as Tuned to a Different Station, London Bridge and
Dirty Little Shop, the new stuff commands the same passion, aggressive
rock and desperate lyrics to keep their followers entertained.
Going to a Dogs gig is like some sort of
reunion for people whose only thing in common is their love of the
band. Fans, although admittedly limited in number, travel from all over
the place for a chance to see them and the result is a frenzied mosh
pit at the front, not a traditional one of mindless jumping, but one
where strangers are quite happy to pogo about in mutual respect and
understanding of their shared passion.
The new songs go down well, with Long
Walk Home and Twenty-odd Wrongs among the stand-out tracks. They are
melodic and passionate, with a heaviness somewhat absent from the
current mainstream scene, apart from notable exceptions like Biffy
Clyro. But it's the old favourites that go down the best. The venue is
torn up by the end of the Sunday night gig as three tracks from 2005
debut album Turn Against This Land reward the captivated fans. Given
time, the new songs are sure to render a similar affection and demand.
You can't help fearing, as Johnny and
the other lads leave the stage, that their die-hard crew of fans will
be the only ones to hear their forthcoming efforts, and that would be a
crying shame.
Dogs are destined for, and deserve, more success than many of their peers are enjoying. Go on, give them a listen.]]> http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=468 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=468 Sat, 15 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=479 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=479 Sat, 15 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=478 http://highvoltage.org.uk/readreview.php?id=478 Sat, 15 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT