Author Archives: iknoweno

Model Village, Blue Moon, Cambridge, 13 November 2015

Good to see another show at The Blue Moon, lined with sofas and Christmas lights, it was like your lounge at home but with better entertainment and beer. It was to celebrate two bands releasing their albums on the same day, Cambridge favourites Model Village and first on stage London quartet Chorusgirl.

Silvia Wersing is the songwriter, singer and rhythm guitarist of this stunning indie pop band, sounding like a jangly version of the Cure, B-52s and Talking Heads with one of the sharpest bass sounds I have heard live for a while. Opening with ‘No Moon’ (‘ice and ammonia, never been lonelier’ ), the vocals skate over ultra-tight backing. That was good but then ‘Dream On, Baby Blue’ was even better, that bass again and a catchy chorus. More deft tracks from the album, then a bit of a change with their Velvet Underground style cover of Bill Callahan’s ‘Ex-Con’ and then a strong finish with the urgent riff and soaring chorus of ‘This Town Kills’.

The album is ‘Chorusgirl’, they sound even better live, highly recommended..

There seems to be a band in Cambridge filling every musical niche and it feels good to be invited into the melodic dreamy rock of Model Village. With a six-piece lineup featuring 2 guitars, bass, organ, electric ukelele and guest drummer, ‘Red Chair’ is a low key opener that immediately shows the flexibility of the collective. There are varied instrumental touches and the smooth vocals of main singer Lily Somerville, also well showcased in ‘Sunlight’, the first of the songs from the new album ‘Healing Centre’ (‘a name taken from one of Cambridge’s most joyless-looking buildings’). The vocal duelling and overlapping in ‘Back Together’ is another strength as is the Steely Dan jazz feel of ‘Family Restaurant’ and ‘Sorry’. ‘Time To Share’ ended the set, an insistent rhythmic figure through the song all the way to a noisy finish.

Available as vinyl, download and cassette(!), give it a listen, this excellent new album is a grower.

http://modelvillagethepopgroup.tumblr.com/
http://modelvillage.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/modelvillagers

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Bouquet Of Dead Crows, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 6 November 2015

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The launch party for the new album ‘Of The Night’ from Cambridge rockers Bouquet Of Dead Crows. First band on were Londoners Cherry White, with some down and earthy blues-rock, vocalist Donata Sounds belting them out over some tight backing from a fluent rock trio, notable especially for some John Entwistle bass styling and some good contrasts of light and shade.

Gavin Chappell-Bates brought his sensitive tunes to the stage flanked by two microphones and a bank of pedals to facilitate an elaborate level of looping creating a multi-layered texture of sound, all from the acoustic guitar, voice and simple percussion. Impressive indeed. There is a warm and nostalgic feel to his songs, including recent singles ’95’ and ‘We Are The Ones’.

An exuberant performance from Cambridge stalwarts The Scissors impressed the growing audience, their sharp pop songs a riot of colourful Hammond organ flavoured keyboards, edgy guitar, crescendos of drums and punching bass, with some interesting lyrical twists. Hopefully a new CD is due soon, to include the dark blues of ‘Why Don’t You Cry?’ currently one of the standout songs in their live set.

As the stage filled with smoke the headliners arrived to a welcoming crowd. Opening with the slowly building ‘Everything Is Temporary’ then into the heavier delights of ‘Epicentre’ and blasting single ‘Just A Little More’, it is clear that the continual gigging and recording of these songs is paying off with a finely honed instrumental unity, topped with Antoinette Cooper’s confident vocals.
The dark riff of ‘Drownout’ pairs well with the sadness of ‘Without You’, ‘Fundamental Flaw Of Solitude’ sets us up nicely for the epic opus ‘Endless’ (its not a happy lyric, ‘over and over I’m drowning in the flames’) with one of the best instrumental work-outs of the evening. Time for a quick encore of early track ‘Implode/Explode’ (‘We should be killing time, but you’re killing me..’) then it was the end of the party.

Bouquet Of Dead Crows should be very proud of this album (with its striking design by Stewart Harris of The Scissors and triple gatefold sleeve..!) and it translates brilliantly to a live environment like the Portland, or of course to a larger venue…

http://www.bouquetofdeadcrows.com/
http://thescissors.blogspot.co.uk/
http://gavinchappellbates.com/

Cherry White

Bouquet Of Dead Crows : Of The Night, released November 2015

The Proclaimers, Corn Exchange , Cambridge, 4 November 2015

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The ever-popular Proclaimers arrived in Cambridge as part of their latest tour. First on stage was Pete Williams; as a vocal foil to Kevin Rowland in Dexys (and an original member of the band from its founding in 1978) he knows how to build a rapport with the audience as his well-paced set related tales of growing up, working and relationships, drawn from his two albums and ably played by his compact band.

Craig and Charlie Reid have continued to perform to packed halls and festival audiences and their music has lodged itself into the general consciousness. The opening ‘Sky Takes The Soul’ from their first album recalled the days when they performed as a duo rather than with the multi-textured full band now featured.

They still pack a punch with their powerful semi-shouting vocal delivery, of course with no concessions to rock and roll conventions by modulating their Scottish accents. They have so many good songs, from the wistful longings of ‘Letter From America’, the infectious optimism of ‘Lets Get Married’, the waltzing splendour of ‘Spinning Around In The Air’ to the relentless barrage of ‘Joyful Kilmarnock Blues’.

As many new bands steer clear of any political or controversial references the Proclaimers are happy to step up on Independence (‘Cap In Hand’) and immigration (‘Scotland’s Story’). Then of course there is the one that everyone knows, ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)’, closing the main set tonight, a song that most folk-rock exponents would be very glad to have written.

Their other anthem ‘Sunshine On Leith’ is a perfect song, with an emotional and musical timelessness (a future national anthem for an independent Scotland?). The film of the same name has given their profile a recent boost (gently affecting ‘Misty Blue’ one of several tunes featured tonight) and as they continue to record and perform they will go on forever….?
Hopefully.

http://www.proclaimers.co.uk/

Father John Misty, Junction, Cambridge, 27 October 2015

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Father John Misty arrived at J1 as part of a sell-out UK tour. First onstage was singer Anna B Savage, performing compositions accompanied by her subtle and spacious guitar playing. Opening with cryptically titled ‘IV’ from her debut EP her intense, personal lyrics pulled us into a private world. Background audience noise spoilt the moment a bit but many were appreciative.
Song ‘I’ is a lovely melody over gently picked chords and the more free-form ‘II’ with opening line ‘I will never amount to anything…’ and build-up to an abrupt ending completed the short set strongly.

Father John Misty is the performing name of former Fleet Foxes drummer Joshua Tillman and after showcasing his new sound on the album ‘Fear Fun’ he has now released the highly acclaimed ‘I Love You, Honeybear’. And what an album it is, a lush mixture of folk, rock and country with an overarching and personal theme of falling in love. So how would this transfer to live performance? Brilliantly.

Playing acoustic and electric guitar FJM was backed by guitar, keyboards and drums. From the first (title) track, we were bowled over by the magnetic stage presence and his great singing voice and connection with the audience. ‘Strange Encounter’ echoed the retro western themes played between the acts and ‘True Affection’ is a neat electronica based surprise. ‘When You’re Smiling…’ is a soaring ballad delivered even more powerfully than the album version and was an early highlight among many.

Some of his astute modern life observations were shared with the audience between songs but of course many of the lyrics contain these too, especially ‘Bored In The USA’, a bit of a show-stopper with just piano accompaniment and described tongue-in-cheek as a meta-ballad about despair. During this he used a borrowed phone from the audience for an elaborate selfie/filming session, this ‘special’ moment then absurdly deflated when the phone-owner pointed out it wasn’t recording anyway!

I’m Writing A Novel’ was a country rock rouser then the compact delight of ‘Chateau Lobby #4…’ had the crowd singing. And plenty more…
It was a great show, one of the best I have seen at The Junction in a long while.

http://www.fatherjohnmisty.com
http://annabsavage.tumblr.com/

The Travis Waltons, Corner House, Cambridge, 3 Oct 2015

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The world cup hopes of the England rugby team slowly faded away on the big screen of the Corner House….meanwhile in the stage area it was much more uplifting as The Vigilantes opened their set with the brash optimistic blast of ‘No Money’, featuring a hypnotic repetitive monosyllabic riff and rolling chorus. Hailing from the unlikely musical territory of Boston (Lincolnshire) they play noisy, confident indie guitar rock, bursting with energy and ideas. ‘Get What You Pay For’ is a strong pop song and throughout the set their wall of sound was punctuated with clever guitar touches and solid drumming.

It was a good night for the drummers and I was pleased to see Cambridge favourites The British IBM back playing as a full band, boosted by the complex and riveting drumming of Paul Richards. Opening with ‘Cannibal’, ‘Animal’ and ‘Sugar Water’ from their debut album they were soon into the more mellow and introspective tones of the recently released ‘Psychopaths Dream…’, the string-laden recorded versions being rendered with plenty of fuzzy guitar and a emphasised edge in the vocals. This was particularly showcased in set closers ‘We Were The Stars’ and of course ‘The British IBM’, both being stylish hymns of longing and regret expertly crafted by singer/guitarist and creative force Adrian Killens.

I never knew quite where Bristol-based headliners and enigmatically named The Travis Waltons were coming from musically, which I view as a very positive quality. The guitar/bass/drums line-up was augmented by subtle keyboard lines and from the opening ‘Land Of The Giants’, with calm solo electric guitar and vocal, followed by the stately ‘Vampire Bite’ I was not sure what was to be next. It was a strong performance, successfully absorbing the appreciative audience, with tales of drastically thwarted relationships inbetween songs. There was even a cover of ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out'(referred to in some quarters as ‘the National Anthem of Smithdom’) and not forgetting ‘Separation Season’ their unique collaboration with Charlie Simpson of Busted and the closing and moving ‘Millionaire’. I really enjoyed their set, I am still trying to pin their sound down in a few well-chosen words….

http://thetraviswaltons.tumblr.com/
http://www.thebritishibm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thevigilantesmusic

The Granite Shore : Once More From The Top, released May 2015

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The Granite Shore is the project of Occultation Records curator Nick Halliwell. This is a proper concept album, chronicling the life and death of a rock band as a metaphor for the passing of time and the nature of regret.

It is a thoughtful and complex undertaking, starting with the enigmatic castle pictured on the sleeve, the long quote from Chaucer’s Man Of Law’s Prologue balanced against a quote from Ian Hunter(a minor hero of mine since seeing him practically dragged off stage for starting late and over-running at a festival) of Mott The Hoople and a tempting menu of guest players, mostly acoustic.

To the music, it is divided into two 5 song sections ‘In Public’ and ‘Behind The Scenes’. The opening two songs are rich arrangements with buoyant and idealistic lyrics; ‘Nine Days’ Wonder’ is positively jaunty and suggests that ‘I would dance from here to Norwich in the rain, as long as crowds came out to see me in my triumph and my pain’. Notwithstanding the low annual rainfall in East Anglia, the optimistic lyrical sentiment soon starts to go a bit sour as ‘The Management’ gets entwined with the band and there is also tension with the fan/band relationship. All of this sung to a backdrop of pure sonic joy as the carefully balanced instrumentation glides beneath the melancholy vocal.

Side Two delves deeper behind the façade, with ‘Recorded Sound’ an early highlight with guitar arpeggios and achingly beautiful brass textures. The alcoholic drummer dies, to be replaced with a drum machine in ‘Keeping Time’ then legal wrangling and finally a long meditation by the burned out narrator reminiscing, when it is all over.

It is a triumphant and ambitious piece of work, introspective in parts but the vision and musical realisation of the concept has to be admired. Like Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ it cannot be a relentlessly cheery tale but the sombre words deserve study, as repeated plays of the music continue to reward the listener.

http://thegraniteshore.co.uk/

Sound Menagerie : Clocks & Towers, released May 2015

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In this site’s pursuit of the full range of independent music around Cambridge I’m not sure how this one slipped by, but better late than never!

Sound Menagerie are the vocals of Abi Parker and the songs and guitar/bass of Steven C Wilson, accompanied on this album by a range of guest musicians. It is the follow up to ‘Far Or Through’, released in 2011. They describe their sound as Alternative/Dream Pop and they have plans to perform live with a band at some point.

I could be down the front of the venue for that, or wistfully considering it from further away as the textures of voice and varied instrumentation blend into a timeless concoction. ‘Smile in The Sky’, the opening track is a jaunty piano driven delight, ‘Stay With Me’ an inviting mixture of acoustic yearning. The title track is a darker affair and echoes the multiple coloured images of clocks and towers on the album cover. Sinister waltz ‘Cat In The Mirror’ ends with haunting sound effects leading into intricate up-tempo love song ‘Colour Of The Rose’. ‘The Silver Tree’ is a lovely brittle folk song, especially in the first minute before the main band comes in and takes it in another direction.

Taking us back most obviously to heady late 60s summer days is the restless ‘Agatha Jones’ and especially one of the strongest tracks on the collection ‘Penny Farthing’, possibly a homage to their love of Syd Barrett and his ‘Bike’ and many of the other influences from Pink Floyd’s debut album.

The album ‘clocks’ in at 52 minutes of enigmatic and carefully crafted songs, plenty to get lost in on a summer afternoon or a late evening…

http://www.soundmenagerie.co.uk/

Bouquet Of Dead Crows : Of The Night, released November 2015

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After their boisterous double A-side single set the pace, a track by track review of the forthcoming album from the Cambridge four-piece rockers…

1. Everything Is Temporary. A distant wind blows in some pensive guitar notes; like many bands they have opted for a gradually building introductory track. The vocal sounds world-weary to reflect the title and the instruments have a subtle presence until it all steps up a gear, guitar crashes in and we have a fully developed anthem. A sinister electronic insect swarm ends the track and starts the next…

2. Epicentre. This is when the band kick off the earthquake, you can sense the pleasure they get playing this one, plenty of noise but some sophisticated and varied arrangements too.

3. Just A Little More. Released as a single and reviewed on this site, the track slots in nicely here. “…seems to cram a lot into the three minutes, opening with a guitar figure partly reminiscent of classic prog-rock ‘Heart Of The Sunrise’ by Yes (high-praise indeed!) and dominated by Antoinette’s powerful vocals and a strong hook line. A short bass interlude(Graeme Clarke) is some quieter relief then the track rocks to a heavy finish….”

4. Without You. Slower and sad, excellent sharp bass. As is clearly shown on this track the production on this album is excellent, capturing their ‘live’ energy and contrasting dynamics very well.

5. Drownout. Distorted and heavy, the guitar sounds like some stalking creature, threatening to engulf the vocal. Intense stuff, again with some nice bass touches.

6. The Fundamental Flaw Of Solitude. A lovingly crafted epic track, from the title to the bluesy intro and grinding riff. The hookline works into your brain effectively as does thunderous drumming and extra-low bass.

7. The Silent Path (Time Goes By). A gentler meditation on the nature of time. Acoustic guitar (and drum machine?) framework for some thoughtful lyrics and layered instrumentation.

8. Don’t Panic! The second song on the single, from my previous review “…starts with a thunderous guitar riff from Neil Bruce that hardly lets up and I am always pleased to hear dynamic drumming, energetic stuff from Andrew Coxall, especially in the anarchic instrumental break towards the end…”

9. Like A Flower. In full acoustic mode for this subtle but pivotal piece, featuring the album title line and some neat harmonies.

10. Endless. At just over seven minutes you know that this song is going to cover some extensive ground and it doesn’t disappoint. A catchy vocal line and some well developed instrumental passages.

The album will be launched at the Portland Arms on Friday November 6th…

Bouquet Of Dead Crows : Don’t Panic!/Just A Little More, released 28 August 2015

http://www.bouquetofdeadcrows.com/

Horse Party : Paydirt EP, released September 2015

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Since their bewitching 2014 album ‘Cover Your Eyes’ Horse Party have continued to build their profile, play live and release singles. On this latest set of three new songs the title track ‘Paydirt’ starts with their recognisable sparse indie blues double guitar, with vocal from Ellie Langley coiling around before it all becomes a bit more boisterous, a wall of guitar crashes in and drives the hookline home. Shannon Hope lets loose on the drums and brings it all to a shattering conclusion.

At the moment I slightly prefer the second song ‘Animal’, an unrelenting ascending riff appears in various guises, mostly very noisy. Although there is a brief pause when ‘I’m animal, you’re animal’ is repeated and is definitely not referring to a zoological collection.

Final cut ‘October’ is slow and spare, but tension is maintained throughout and shows that the band’s skill as songwriters continues to develop. This EP is a very good sample of their ‘live’ sound; unprocessed, energetic and straight to the point.

https://horsepartyparty.bandcamp.com/