Author Archives: iknoweno

‘Just Lovely’ Split EP, released January 2016

Described by the bands as “A 3-way split EP featuring 2 songs each by 3 aging indie pop bands from Motherwell“, this is a sharp collection of varied poptastic finery.

The Just Joans (named after the agony aunt in the Daily Record newspaper) open proceedings with ‘I Love Me, Who Do You Love?’, the title alone saying it all over some rolling guitar and percussion.
GUMS! contribute ‘Two Girls With The Same Name’, a slice of jangly summery delight, but tinged with a bit of regret (“I went to the party but you’d already left…”).

The Hector Collectors, as well as having a great name, have the lyrical intricacy and obscure pop-cultural reference points of Half Man Half Biscuit for the title track ‘Just Lovely’. It is in the great tradition of list songs, backed by relentless guitar skiffle to push along these reasons to be cheerful….

The Just Joans get their banjo and acoustic guitar out for the wistful desperation of ‘Back To High School’, (“I’m phoning the headmaster, my life is a disaster, won’t you take me back…?”), the uptempo ‘I’m Still Awake’ from GUMS! is indeed just lovely, then the disc finishes with the Hectors narrating ‘Leeson Windfarm’, a strange tale over a looming bass and spiked guitar.

Three of Scotland’s finest, listen and enjoy!

https://myspace.com/thejustjoans
https://www.facebook.com/gumsband
https://thehectorcollectors.bandcamp.com/

The Magic Es : We Are Magic EP, released January 2016

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Describing themselves as “a righteous quartet of musical adventurers”, The Magic Es are part of the Norwich music scene.

This impressive four track EP is rooted firmly in a pure, unadorned sound, with strong influences from bands such as the Who. Opener ‘Headrush’ starts with a simple guitar figure and lonely vocal but then a great bass sound rolls in and the track gradually builds. The production gives a very good ‘as live’ sound which I am sure would be even stronger in a cramped and dedicated music venue. ‘Running Through’ has a more country-rock feel with vocals from Pete Thompson having a yearning and strained quality similar to Roger Daltrey.

My favourite song ‘Melody Jane’ has a garage-band simplicity, but that can be deceptive, all of the tracks on this EP have surprise middle sections, snatches of guitar solo and many other deft touches. The more epic soundscape of final track ‘Cellar Door’ is driven by acoustic guitar and a cryptic vocal, finally fading into an electronic coda.

This is a confident debut EP, it needs to be played loud. Very loud…

http://www.wearemagic.uk/

King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard : Paper Mâché Dream Balloon, released November 2015

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Banish any winter blues with ‘Paper Mâché Dream Balloon’, the latest album from Australian psychedelic troubadours King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard. The energetic seven-piece band sing and play an array of acoustic instruments (except Eric Moore credited with ‘nothing’!) and each of the songs is a musical burst of summery optimism, although some of the lyrics are a bit darker, such as ‘Cold Cadaver’….

Opening track ‘Sense’ starts with laid-back clarinet over a jazz groove and a lyric of bewilderment. Two more songs with a similar flavour then the sumptuous title track adds punctuations of unpredictable drums, lots of flute, harmonica and kaleidoscopic words (“stuck in a daydream, under a moonbeam…”). ‘Trapdoor’ is a fast paranoid work-out, ‘The Bitter Boogie’ is a longer blues reminiscent of The Doors.

The elements used in the songs recur and drift in and out, seemingly almost random at times but always mesmerising. I saw the sound praised somewhere as ‘tightly shambolic’…
The final track has the flute playing the opening part of all the songs that came before on the album, then rewound fast to a concluding explosion!

They are gaining a reputation for brilliant live shows, I will be seeing them soon!

http://kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/index.html

Flaming June : In Pursuit Of Happiness EP, released December 2015

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As well as a flourishing Indie music scene in Cambridge there are many performers who take that attitude and apply it in a folk setting, one of the most regarded being Flaming June, fronted by singer/guitarist/songwriter Louise Eatock. They have been recording and playing live since 2010; I saw her recently playing a spirited and well-received solo set outdoors at the Mill Road Winter Fair, just after this EP was released.

‘In Pursuit Of Happiness’ is a lively opening track, propelled by tight drumming from Paul Richards (multi-skilled member of many Cambridge bands) and smooth violin by Di Llewellyn giving the authentic folk texture. The lyric of ‘Dopamine Oxytocin’ is about the chemical balance that causes emotional response (I think), over a frenetic acoustic guitar. Then slowing down for the yearning delights of ‘The Sailor Boy’, as so often in traditional folk it doesn’t sound like the story ends well. ‘Freedom’s Fairytale For Girls’ is the new single and pivotal track on this EP, a slow-burning song using imagery from traditional tales. ‘The Devilling Kind’ is another veiled warning, again with atmospheric violin.

Louise Eatock is a charismatic and talented performer and this is a strong set of songs, drawing effectively on folk traditions with added modern twists.

http://loui552.wix.com/flamingjuneuk

Dos Floris : The Widowed Earth, released November 2017

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Based in Italy, Dos Floris is the performing and recording name of Florence Donovan. Her debut album ‘The Widowed Earth’ is a dense, multi-layered collection of atmospheric vocal and electronic pieces. Each track is crafted and complex, substantial yet brittle enough to slip through your fingers.

Every one of these cinematic soundscapes is given plenty of time to construct the right instrumental mood and reveals more on subsequent listens.A brief intro of a cassette loading gives way to ‘Rivers’, a pastoral theme built from a simple flute figure with the addition of ever-changing keyboards. The vocal simmers and yearns before final resignation. The electronic waves of ‘Before You Loved Me’ pulsing through the track, the gentle and unpredictable piano chords like droplets of rain in ‘Water’, the loose drum patterns in ‘The Other Side’ supporting simple vocal phrases; it is all elegant and addictive.
I really like the title track ‘The Widowed Earth’, huge swathes of synthesised strings in the introduction then the sustained vocal interweaves like another instrument.

In nearly an hour of music there is plenty more to get lost in, including the two part epic ‘To The Wolves’. As a change to guitar music, give this album a late-night listen.

https://www.facebook.com/dosfloris

12 Highlights from 2015 : A Sampler of The Year

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A distillation of tracks taken from some of the memorable albums and shows of 2015…

1. Mammoth Penguins: Work It Out
Pure pop pleasure from the album ‘Hide and Seek’

2. Wave Pictures: I Can Hear The Telephone(3 Floors Above Me)
Great live show featuring this and other tracks from another high quality album release ‘Great Big Flamingo Burning Moon’

3. Chorusgirl: No Moon
Indiepoptastic live show and debut self-titled album

4. Model Village: Sorry
Super set played after Chorusgirl to launch irresistable new album ‘Healing Centre’

5. Ryley Walker: Hide In The Roses
Supreme guitar at an intimate live show and on thoughtful album ‘Primrose Green’

6. British IBM: We Were The Stars
Mature crafted lyrics and arrangements on their second album

7. Motor Tapes: Falling Away
Cambridge four piece return with four distinctive and vivid tracks

8. Tellison: Orion
From third album ‘Hope Fading Nightly’, subtle start then hear those guitars crash in…

9. Wilko Johnson: Going Back Home
Triumphant and emotional live return from still the coolest guitarist around

10. Van Morrison: Carrying A Torch
The Master, returning with ‘Duets’ album. This is a sublime, sumptuous ballad with jazz singer Clare Teal

11. Public Service Broadcasting: Go!
Impressive live show with space, Everest, electronica, colour…listen and learn!

12. Bouquet Of Dead Crows: Just A Little More
Album launch for ‘Of The Night’ was a show to remember..

Jeffrey Lewis, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 16 December 2015

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A strong line-up at the Portland Arms again, first on stage was Emma Kupa; last seen fronting indie-edgy trio Mammoth Penguins she was giving a live debut to solo material, some from the mini-album ‘Home Cinema’. As a six-piece band, the acoustic guitar and banjo lends a country-rock styling to these tales of regret and longing. Emma has a distinctive voice, relaxed and affecting and as in her other band the musical balance allows it to guide the emotion of the song, shown to full effect in ‘Half-Sister’ and the catchy melody of ‘Consequences’.

After that well-received performance six-piece ensemble Model Village played a confident set drawing on their recently released and highly recommended album ‘Healing Centre’, the launch gig reviewed on this site at https://cambridgemusicreviews.net/2015/11/15/model-village-blue-moon-cambridge-13-november-2015/ .

‘Anti-folk’ performer Jeffrey Lewis plays guitar, sings, rants, raps, draws, paints, loops and tells stories and histories. Opening song ‘I Got Lost’ is a simple but heartbreaking acoustic delight, giving way to the political rant of ‘WWPRD’. ‘Support Tours’ is a neat wry summary of the position many bands find themselves in.
There was so much variety in this show; the epic eight minute ‘Back To Manhattan’ then the history of Vietnam narrated by Jeffrey as he leafed through his densely drawn comic book and a stealthy bass line kept it all moving. ‘Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror’ is an intense nightmare train journey with never ending lyric, ‘The Single Thing I Love Most About England’ (..is the food!) is an affectionate tribute and ‘Mosquito Mass-Murderist’ is a cautionary tale….
There was a cover of the Wave Pictures song ‘Too Many Questions’ then ‘Scowling Crackhead Ian’ and ‘Sad Screaming Old Man’ were unnerving characters featured on ‘Manhattan’, the latest album release.

And much, much more. Spot-on contributions from bass and drums kept the music sparking off the words through the whole of this memorable show.

(Quoted from a bbc.co.uk article: Lewis himself does not mind the ‘antifolk’ tag: “I think it’s a cool title. The fact that no one knows what it means, including me, makes it kind of mysterious and more interesting than saying that you’re a singer/songwriter or that you play indie rock..”)

http://emmakupa-homecinema.blogspot.co.uk/
http://modelvillagethepopgroup.tumblr.com/

The Seven Twenty : album released November 2015

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The Seven Twenty is the musical project of singer/songwriter/guitarist James Burling, in the making for many years and involving many guest musicians. It is an diverse collection of personal songs, with many styles to frame each tale of love, disappointment and comment on modern culture.

The opening song ‘Corridors’ is a cinematic waltzing ballad with roving bass line and swooping strings, featuring a catchy hook line and evocative guitar solo. In total contrast is the two chord noisy attack of ‘Haiku’, complete with obsessive lyric and garage-band production. Then ‘Wonderful’, an electric ballad overlayed with multiple choral voices brilliantly interweaved as if they are almost performing a different song. No criticism intended, the combined effect is hypnotic, rich and original.

After three strong opening tracks, there are plenty more to come, each adding something a bit different. This includes ‘FU,NY’, a low-key Dylanesque ballad with sparse guitar and more reference to New York which seems a recurring lyrical theme throughout the album (parts were recorded there, including some distant sound effects and there is a photo on the inner sleeve).

At the album launch James was accompanied on stage by bass player Stewart Harris and guest guitarist Neil Bruce from this album and the live sound was augmented by drumming from Helen Robertson, all adding an extra dimension to the recorded versions.

http://www.theseventwenty.com/

Smoke Fairies : Wild Winter, released November 2015

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While on the lookout for another seasonal disc to complement the grizzled optimism of Bob Dylan’s ‘Christmas In The Heart’ I found this atmospheric offering from Smoke Fairies, originally given a limited release last year and now reissued.
Opening track ‘Christmas Without A Kiss’ sets the tone for the album, as deep bass pedals and distant sharp-edged guitar underpin a world-weary lyric ‘I don’t have the one I love, I want snow I get rain’. This album is clearly no jaunty collection of clichéd sleigh bells and happiness revolving around the big day.

‘Steal Softly Thru Snow’ showcases the duo’s hypnotic harmony vocals with an attractive instrumental break in there too. ‘Give And Receive’ has abstract references to the Christmas story, all floating over an elegant instrumental backdrop. ‘Circles In The Snow’ is a shimmering delight, ‘Bad Good’ is a more disquieting affair, then the title track ‘Wild Winter’ is like a sinister walk in the woods, followed by an acoustic interlude, ‘Snowglobe Blizzard’.

‘So Much Wine’ is a disturbing tale of domestic disharmony, then final song ‘All Up In The Air’ is a distillation of what has been before, the gentle introduction building to an impressive finish.

So ideally sat in front of the fire with mulled wine in hand (or perhaps some ‘Wild Winter’, a 6.8% beer brewed for this release?), slow down, hibernate and listen to this bittersweet album, contemplating the unchanging rhythms of the winter solstice.

http://www.smokefairies.com/

Tellison : Hope Fading Nightly, released September 2015

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A belated review of ‘Hope Fading Nightly’, the third album release from indie-rockers Tellison.

Opening track ‘Letter To The Team – After Another Imperfect Season’ is a plaintive tale of fate and failure, sung over gentle acoustic background with a bit of keyboard. It is a distinctive, unusual and effectively disturbing song. When the guitars crash in for ‘Helix And Ferman’ we feel on more familiar territory but the lyrical despondency ‘now all things just pass, you still come in last…’only has the answer of ‘drink red wine’ . It is a belting rock song, quickly followed by the energy and superior pop structure of ‘Boy’ with its hookline that you can’t get out of your head.

There is more despondency in the lyric of ‘Wrecker’ with an efficient demolishing guitar. And so it goes on, mostly lyrically bleak and musically powerful (the sublime ‘Tact is Dead’ needs to be played extra loud..!), especially on my favourite track ‘Orion’. Beginning delicately, then the band crash in as the narrator walks out on his life ‘And Orion looked down vengefully on me…’. I look forward to hearing this one live when they return to Cambridge next year.

‘Hellhole’ sounds like pure electronica but played on guitars. ‘Tsundoko’ is a Japanese word for the act of buying books and never reading them, I’m glad there is a special word for that, it is also the title of the epic final track, with the closing line ‘They said if I tried and tried I’d be happy…’

This is a heartfelt, thought-provoking, challenging album and there is a musical and lyrical depth that makes it a bit special.

http://www.tellison.co.uk/