Tag Archives: Cambridge

Trick Bird : Window EP, released June 2015

The new EP from Cambridge musician Trick Bird, a collection of self-penned tracks, well-crafted inviting sounds with their apparent summery lightness tempered by a darkening edge.

1. Window. The title song is a catchy pop tune, nicely arranged with a distinctive hook in which the narrator is fascinated and tempted by a vision/imagined temptation in a window, but like Odysseus drawn to the Sirens’ enchanted call you sense it would not end well.

2. Horizontal View. A similar musical feel to track one, evolving from an echoing guitar intro into a more complex sound. A slightly sinister lyric about snow, forests and hidden paths. Driven along well by drums and multi layered guitars, but still a feeling of claustrophobia..

3.The Great Escape. Pulsing bass line with almost whispered vocal, not sure what the paranoid singer is escaping from, this one is all about texture and ambience.

4. Chase. Relaxing acoustic strumming and a gentle repeating guitar line coiling around the layers of other instruments floating in and out, including some rather lovely strings taking over at the end..

5. Sleep All Day (Dream All Night). A suggestion of early Pink Floyd or Genesis (1970 album ‘Trespass’) for this song describing cycling through a graveyard and then becoming enveloped in its more mystical elements (like the ivy entangling the gravestones?). It is my favourite track, a sparse but rich arrangement, with atmospheric keyboards and more strings..

http://www.trickbird.co.uk/
http://trickbird.bandcamp.com/releases

Tellison, Corner House, Cambridge, 4 June 2015

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It was time for the rockier side of Indie tonight at a packed and hot Corner House. First on were Goldblume, a Cambridge based trio, their ‘angsty rock’ featuring great interplay between guitar and punchy bass and compact, optimistic songs. Frontman Jethro built a good rapport with the audience, it was a strong opening to the show.
Accompanying Tellison on several dates this tour, quartet Bad Ideas from Lincoln are soon to record a third album. They have a fearsome and formidable sound, convincingly played, with lots of clever guitar touches. The pace and enthusiasm of their set did not relent and they were well received by the crowd.

Based in London, Tellison formed in 2003 are working on their third album, the follow-up to the highly regarded ‘The Wages of Fear’ from 2011.
They are definitely a compelling and interesting band, with their feet in many camps, from noisy anthemic rock to quirky or intellectual lyrical twists and musical turns. It was all on show tonight, I was very impressed.

‘Freud Links The Teeth And The Heart’ is a subtle song ‘..about falling in love with your dentist..’, representing their quieter side, while the more recent ‘Tact is Dead’ is a showstopper, with great descending guitar riff and the loudest grinding bass line I have heard for a while.

Singer Stephen Davidson has a dry humour and confident presence; he was surprised how comparatively quiet the Cambridge audience were but he decided it was because we were listening attentively. I think he was right, there certainly was plenty to take in and appreciate.

According to their website they are ‘…stepping up to take another swing at, if not the big time, at least the medium time…’
I look forward to the new album…

http://www.tellison.co.uk/
http://badideasband.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/goldblumeband

The Ukrainians, Junction, Cambridge, 25 May 2015

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The Ukrainians returned to Cambridge on a Monday bank holiday evening in the intimate setting of Junction J2. Singer-songwriter Ellie Jamison opened the show, performing heartfelt songs with her pure natural voice and gently played acoustic guitar, accompanied by subtle percussion. The set was well received, with her warm and engaging personality evident in her asides to the audience, but the numbers in the venue were few at this point so it was difficult to create much of an atmosphere, until the final more up-tempo track.

In 1991 The Ukrainians were founded by ex-Wedding Present guitarist Peter Solowka and violinist and singer Len Liggins. Quickly establishing a reputation for frenetic live shows they have continued to record and tour. Always singing in ukrainian, with a mixture of traditional folk and rock instruments they have appeal across many genres. During their career they have occasionally recorded versions of some cult rock classics such as an early EP of four Smiths songs. Now their latest project is a new album ‘A History Of Rock Music In Ukrainian’ with a tour featuring tracks from it…

Chronologically and thematically random, ‘I Predict A Riot’, ‘Psycho Killer’, ‘Venus In Furs’ and ‘The Model’ all work really well and who can resist ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ with an accordion break or ‘Hound Dog’ accelerating from slow blues to full speed blast. When all six musicians are in full flight the combination of guitar, mandolin, bass, drums, violin, accordion, unidentified pipes and vocals is unstoppable, a bit like The Pogues in their heyday (and still now, see my review from last year…). Western music does not in general get gradually faster over the duration of the song, but it is an infectious and addictive rush when it does.
I missed some of their more ‘traditional’ and much-loved songs (with lyrics about crows, bread and lost donkeys?), but I like the idea that they are trying something a bit different on this tour.

This was the fourth time I have seen the band, it is always a real treat, catch them next time they are here!

http://www.the-ukrainians.com/
https://www.facebook.com/eljamisonmusic/app_2405167945

Psychic Lemon, Corner House, Cambridge, 16 May 2015

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Free entry to the Corner House pub to see two Cambridge guitar bands of individuality and distinction, that’s a good night out!

The British IBM (named after a line in a TV drama about the aspirations of computer pioneers in Cambridge) were minus their drummer and so chose to play with just acoustic guitar and bass.
I have seen the full line-up previously and heard many of these songs so I knew they are sharp and impressive, even in the ‘unplugged’ mode. The opening two songs ‘Animal’ and ‘Sugar Water’ are short segments of pop zest, with interesting lyrical ideas (…do you want to sell sugar water or do you want to change the world?…). ‘3 Years’ and ‘Cannibal’ are heavier and angrier and promising new songs from their delayed second album were also featured. The stately final song ‘The British IBM’ is exceptional, the recorded version with strings (and exemplary drumming!) has the feel of Oasis and The Beatles with an aching lyric of disappointment and longing. And a great hook-line chorus that lodges into your brain. Tonight it was the perfect finish to a great set.

Psychic Lemon, reviewed previously on this site, have a contrasting sound, twin effects-laden guitars and long instrumental sections recreate the atmosphere of heady 1960s experimental shows and they do it incredibly well. Opening track ‘Dilator’ blended seamlessly into the next two. ‘Good Cop/Bad Cop’ was lighter, then the rest of the set built up to the explosive finale of ‘TickToc’.
I think their intensity (especially the formidable drumming!) had increased since the last time I saw them, perhaps the bass and drums were a little muddy in the mix this time, but I love the music and the dedicated way they play it.
Hopefully an album is appearing soon?

https://psychiclemon.bandcamp.com/
http://www.thebritishibm.com/

Belle and Sebastian, Corn Exchange, Cambridge, 7 May 2015

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Belle and Sebastian formed in Glasgow in 1996 and despite several albums and live performances they have passed me by, so tonight at the long sold-out Corn Exchange was a chance for me to see what I have been missing…

Opening the show were Lower Dens from Baltimore, a four piece band fronted by the emotive voice of enigmatic songwriter Jana Hunter, the vocals sounding like a hybrid of Anna Calvi and Siouxsie Sioux. Musically dark and quite sparse, at times a variant on pop keyboard electronica and then taking a turn into bottleneck guitar loops. There was a gorgeous song featuring the unique tones of a fretless bass. The intriguing and compact set was well received (the Cambridge audience in place early as usual!) and lingered in the mind long after they had left the stage.

While the stage was being set for the headliners, we were treated to a documentary film about the history of Glasgow up to 1980. Fascinating stuff, then finally the string players arrived on stage, followed by the rest of the band, thirteen in total to reproduce the instrumental style and quirks of their recorded output with a combination of guitars, keyboards, cello, recorder, flute and more. Stuart Murdoch is one of the most relaxed and engaging frontmen I have seen for a while, starting seated at the electric piano for ‘Nobody’s Empire’, he was soon off the stage and walking along the tightrope of the front barrier, supported by the arms of the crowd (including me!?). ‘I’m A Cuckoo’, one of their more well known songs was followed by the disco-stomp of ‘The Party Line’ (an appropriate title for general election day). ‘Perfect Couples’ was sung by guitarist Stevie Jackson and like many of the songs this featured artfully designed back projections. Just for this show this included a quick view of ‘University Challenge’ while the string section performed the theme tune…

There was always plenty going on, scan the stage and see that the band had swapped instruments or something new to contribute to the sound had appeared. There was a big crowd reaction for the stripped back acoustic ‘Piazza, New York Catcher’ which I think shows the key to their longevity; I heard that a fan said that whatever your emotional state or life-experience there was a Belle and Sebastian song that would describe it and their devoted fan base have bought into this. They are not always comfortable lyrics, as some of the slightly strange album and song titles indicate. ‘The Cat With The Cream’ was introduced as their political song, ‘Enter Sylvia Plath’ was high energy europop. Members of the audience were on stage dancing to the sixties hipster vibe of ‘The Boy With The Arab Strap’, some stayed up there for another song and somehow it just seemed part of the laid back celebratory feel of the evening.

‘Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance’ is the new album, many reviewers say it shows a new direction but all the essentials are still there and they sound superb live…

http://www.belleandsebastian.com/news
http://lowerdens.com/

Glass Animals, Junction, Cambridge, 27 April 2015

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Four-piece Oxford band Glass Animals arrived in Cambridge for their sold-out show at the ideal venue, Junction J2. First on stage was Alicia Catling, a local songwriter/guitarist with a steadily rising profile. Playing a gently strummed and unadorned electric guitar her pure voice floats above, telling dream-like and dark tales.

Glass Animals know how to put on a good show, the opener ‘Black Mamba’ sets the tone, with distinctive sparse introduction and haunting melody line eventually giving way to louder layers of synthesisers and drums. Singer Dave Bayley is a likeable frontman, he is a confident presence and you can tell that he and the rest of the band have total commitment to the music.

The surreal quality of the lyrics and mostly one-word titled songs continue, there is always something going on sonically with constantly changing combinations of keyboards, guitars and deep bass. Sometimes they become a more conventional indie rock band and rock out, but the dominant sound is multi-layered and spacious. Four songs in, the familiar introduction of catchy 6 Music favourite ‘Gooey’ appears, to huge crowd reaction. It is a standout song, the sound of endless summer on the way.

‘Walla Walla’ has a funky and percussive feel that could be an experimental David Byrne track, ‘Toes’ has a laid-back but relentless edge. The atmosphere created is enhanced by a coloured backdrop, four large tree-like structures and a subtle but effective lightshow; all indicating the effort being put into making this gig a bit special. Finishing the set with ‘Wyrd’ they returned for an encore of ‘Love Lockdown'(a Kanye West cover(!?)) then finally ‘Pools’, a strong closing song.

I think they will need a bigger venue the next time they come to Cambridge…

http://glassanimals.eu/

Public Service Broadcasting, Corn Exchange, Cambridge, 25 April 2015

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Public Service Broadcasting arrived at a sold-out Corn Exchange as part of their biggest tour so far. Support was from the excellent Smoke Fairies, playing dreamy, atmospheric folk-guitar based songs, the dual female voices blended carefully in the mix to become like another instrumental texture for most of the time, occasionally with a single lead vocal. Sustained bass and deep keyboard notes hovered over some mighty drumming and the atmospheric retro/future look of black and silver for simple stage set and costumes worked well.

Then there was an intriguing half hour while the stage was set, roadies and band members all up there fixing the bits and pieces. No doubt there was probably more technological power than that used to control the moon landings. The three bespectacled and necktied musicians of PSB, complete with visuals and effects co-ordinator opened with ‘Sputnik’ (including a satellite rising from the stage) and set the tone for a great show. They were playing live drums, percussion, various guitars, keyboards, loops, flugel horn and banjo (!)….on CD the music and sampled voices work well (see my earlier review), but beef up the concert sound and add the visuals too and it makes the band a formidable live attraction.

Two large screens at the back and flanking towers of retro TVs show images of the space race, film of the band as they played and in the most arresting and poignant section of the show, civilian preparations for World War Two and the development of the Spitfire. All communication with the audience was through pre-recorded then manipulated soundbites in a robot voice, which is either a subtle comment on the artifice of modern rock shows or actually just a very entertaining joke (why are robot voices intrinsically funny?).

I was stunned by the hypnotic roll of ‘Night Mail’, the rocking out of ‘The Now Generation’ and ‘Signal 30’, the pulsing electronica of ‘Theme From PSB’ and the newer space songs were woven in to maximum effect. Smoke Fairies were back on stage to add heavenly voices to ‘Valentina’ and the final Moon landing song and new single ‘Go!’ closed the main show. Back for the encore with the musically different and extra-funky ‘Gagarin’, complete with brass section and astronaut dancer. Finally it was ‘Everest’ (have the band peaked?!) and that was it, the crowd were very happy and it was one of the best shows I have seen at the Corn Exchange for a long time.

I think there is much more to come…

http://publicservicebroadcasting.net/
http://www.smokefairies.com/

Motor Tapes : Count To Ten EP, released April 2015

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Cambridge four-piece band Motor Tapes continue to record carefully crafted quality music as shown on their new EP. After many hours in the studio the resulting four tracks show a new and varied musical direction. So what do we get?

1. Everything. This great opening track was previously released as a single. The shimmering synthesiser introduction drifts in and out then gives way to pounding drums and a powerful guitar rock riff, lyrically it sounds like the resignation at the end of a relationship as the insistent chorus that ‘I’ve given you everything….’ is left hanging and unresolved. Musically every recurrence of the main theme has an extra twist, that synth garnish appears throughout and finally drifts out as it arrived.

2. Falling Away. A bit deeper and darker, with a deceptively simple melody and drum pattern that sticks in your head. Again the arrangements and sonic textures keep changing slightly around the tune; by the end of the track so much has been crammed in you are surprised that it was only just over three minutes.

3. What I Want. Clipped bass and a pulsing synthesiser to the fore, drums start calm then let loose as if striking all the objects found in a forgotten attic. Sharp unnerving guitar interjections weave into the mix. I am not sure of the lyrical message, or is the vocal used as another instrument, punctuating with cut-up words?

4. Count To Ten. Lots of keyboards again with some prog-rock style deep bass sustained notes. This could be Gary Numan (with a better voice) fronting dour indie popsters The Twilight Sad for slabs of keyboard delight and images of death and foreboding. This is my favourite track, you hear some extra chord directions and adornments creeping in when you play it loud. As the track ends there are some spoken voices in the background, annoyingly indecipherable and hopefully not some satanic hidden messages…

All good stuff, the best recordings they have done so far. These tracks sound great live and loud and will there be more new songs soon?

http://www.motortapes.co.uk/

Marika Hackman, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 14 April 2015

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With just a range of guitars and her haunting voice, Marika Hackman held the packed Portland audience in rapt attention. It was a master class in the power of well-crafted songs, intricate yet subtle playing and an engaging personality. She was clearly pleased to be on stage and appreciative of the audience reaction, there was a genuine short smile at the end of each song.

She has roots in folk, but the dream-like textures and sinister overtones of some of her lyrics have a style all their own. She manages to faithfully recreate the echoes and delays of the vocals of her current album, ‘We Slept At Last’ and second song in we were treated to one of the standout tracks ‘Drown’. ‘Monday Afternoon’ is a mellow tale of pastoral delights with unexpected death thrown in. There are also similar ominous feelings in new single ‘Ophelia’.

I have an obsessive fondness for songs of all genres in waltz time and ‘Claudes’s Girl’, a lullaby tribute to Claude Debussy did not disappoint. There was a cover version of ’81’ by avant-garde folk harpist Joanna Newsom then the thoughtful soundscape of final song ‘Cinnamon’ left us a bit breathless. I’m not sure if an encore was usual or expected but she came back and played folky and jokey ‘Bath Is Black’ to send us off into the night…

http://marikahackman.com/

Courtney Barnett, Junction, Cambridge, 7 April 2015

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Courtney Barnett returned to Cambridge after a sellout show at The Portland last year, this show was originally scheduled for the cosy J2 venue but was moved due to demand resulting in a full house for the much larger J1. There was a huge atmosphere of anticipation and both support acts did her proud, starting with singer/songwriter Fraser A Gorman, all the way from Melbourne. A powerfully strummed acoustic guitar and occasional harmonica were the accompaniment to well-delivered tales of love and life, with a bit of self-deprecating humour between songs, including reference to any perceived similarities to Mr Dylan…

The venue was virtually full (Cambridge audiences get there early…) when Spring King took to the stage. A four piece from Manchester with a singing drummer, two guitars, bass and all four contributing anthemic vocals. Wow. From the first note it was fast, raw, with a loud post-punk simplicity belying some sharp musicianship, a bit like some speeded up mid-period Clash. The short set was a high-energy onslaught, ‘Can I?’ and ‘Better Man’ being standout tracks. Dancing started in the crowd, it was an irresistible sound.

Having seen Courtney Barnett at the much smaller venue I wondered if the intimacy of the lyrical observations and compactness of the band would translate to the echoing chamber of J1, but I need not have worried. There was even a billowing tent-type ceiling angled over the stage, making it smaller and lower and acting as a screen for projections of strange growing plant patterns and psychedelic colours.
Much deserved praise has been written about her way with words, her rambling narratives and wry observations. This was all in place, such as in the opening song ‘Elevator Operator’. Hearing live versions of nearly all of the new album ‘Sometimes I Sit…’, the music shines through too. Bones Sloane on bass plays preposterous low rolling notes on ‘An Illustration Of Loneliness’ creating an atmospheric song that you don’t want to end. A simple two chord structure on ‘Small Poppies’ is developed musically and as you lose yourself into the intoxication of it, fortunately this one never seems to end.

Courtney and the band can rock out, she can extract some adventurous noise from her guitar and drummer Dave Mudie adds the pyrotechnics when necessary. There are quieter times, ‘Depreston’ is mellow and resigned, ‘Debbie Downer’ is a straight down the line pop song. There was easy relaxed interplay from the band with each other and the audience, then gradually the set picked up pace, building towards a finale of ‘History Eraser’ and ‘Pedestrian At Best’ and a bit of crowd surfing from the guitarist from Spring King and others was good to see.
An encore of short burst of energy ‘Aqua Profunda’ and a cover of ‘I’ll Make You Happy’ by the Easybeats and they were gone.

As Courtney’s lyric says ‘Put me on a pedestal and I’ll only disappoint you…’
On this form, I don’t think there will be any disappointment.

http://courtneybarnett.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/springkingmusic
http://www.marathonartists.com/artist/fraser-a-gorman/