Tag Archives: review

Wave Pictures, Portland Arms, Cambridge,17 February 2016

Singer/guitarist B-Sydes (the performing name of Ben Sydes) opened the show playing tracks from his debut long-player ‘Constant Fictions’. On the album (check out the cover artwork?) a full band give more of a variety of aural textures, but with his solo guitar and intense vocals he convincingly expresses some heartfelt emotional lyrics. He has folk influences but the rockier rhythms come through strongly and there was a positive audience reaction.

The Wave Pictures are one of my favourite bands, so I was very pleased to see them here playing again to a sold-out Portland Arms. The core of Dave Tattersall on guitar and vocals, Franic Rozycki on bass and Jonny Helm on drums were augmented with well-judged percussion from guest Dave Beauchamp and they were promoting their newly released vinyl only (no download/CD!) ‘A Season In Hull’, recorded in one day around one microphone…

There were a few of these new songs featured, sounding promising on first hearing but we also had a selection across nearly all of their extensive back catalogue. Their sound is uncluttered, no effects pedals for guitar and bass and Dave Tattersall’s lyrics draw you into a personal world of memories, wry observations, wistful longings and regrets.

All three members have their turn in the spotlight, sliding bass breaks, pounding drum solos and the dynamic yet relaxed guitar lines which anchors it all. They can rock out; ‘Pea Green Coat’ is polite-ish punk, ‘Give Me A Second Chance’ is pleading desperation over rock-solid drums and bass. ‘Cassius Clay’ and ‘Now You Are Pregnant’ are quieter tracks with an extra emotional punch to the lyrics.

And who can resist the tempting delights of ‘Friday Night In Loughborough’??

The band can easily move into cross-cultural rhythmic and dance styles, such as ‘Blink Back A Tear’ and the tour-de-force nostalgia rush of ‘Before This Day’. And much much more.

It was a stunning show, go and see them…

http://thewavepictures.com/
ttp://www.b-sydes.co.uk/

King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 16 February 2016

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Yak are a three-piece onslaught of drums, bass and guitar, with little of the quiet peaceful nature of their bovine namesakes. The guitar and vocals are twisted and distorted adding extra punch to ‘Hungry Heart’ and ‘No’. Singer Ollie Burslem plays occasional and strangely vertical keyboard sounding like he is opening some hellish vault to release more thunderous sounds. New single ‘Victorious(National Anthem)’ would have my vote if entered as a contender. Great show openers, a blistering performance.

With their recent project ‘Paper Mâché Dream Balloon’, King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard branched out into acoustic, pastoral grooves to make a summer concoction well worth a listen.
Only the up-tempo ‘Trapdoor’ from that album had an airing tonight; the seven-piece band filling the stage were tight, electric and more into some of the extended workouts featured on previous long-player ‘I’m In Your Mind Fuzz’ as well as a few new songs. ‘Hot Wax’ was an addictive groove as was the jazz-tinged ‘The River’.
Although mainly electric, singer/guitarist Stu Mackenzie added some flute and there was plenty of harmonica to hear too. The band’s energetic live performance is driven from the back by twin drummers, mostly in complete synchronisation, a hypnotic effect to watch.

The Rescue Rooms is a near-perfect compact venue with very good sound, you can stand around the balcony or get down the front. Bars in the music room and bars to retreat to, but you wouldn’t have wanted to miss a moment when the music was of this high calibre…

https://www.facebook.com/yakyakyak
http://kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/

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

T-Shirt Weather : Pig Beach, released January 2016

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T-Shirt Weather are a pop/punk trio from Durham, making their mark with this first long-player.

‘Devin O’Leary’ is a boisterous opening track spiced up with thrown-in violin, sounding like a powerful hybrid of Arctic Monkeys and something off an early Roxy Music album. ‘Gum’ keeps the momentum going, plenty of brass, a sublime middle eight and a sharp play-out. There is a singalong chorus on ‘The Undersigned’ to splice together some deft instrumentation including a bit of keyboard in there.

I thought that ‘My Dad’s Black Polo’ referred to cool parental 1960s Gallic upper-body wear but it is the car that the singer reminiscences about wistfully. Don’t worry, its not a slow lament and neither is the next song ‘Sometimes’, a punchy tale of not quite coping, with some choice lyrics (“I wear my face to keep my brain in place…”) .

The widescreen sweeping sound of ‘Spaghetti Western (school reunion version)’ is a heartfelt ballad, different in tone and pace from the rest of the album (“it’s not the films I miss, it’s someone to watch them with…”) The last tracks are two more frenetic energy bursts; taken together they sound like a mini-musical with contrasting sections crammed into very short running times.

Noisy, intense, edgy…a great debut!

https://www.facebook.com/tshirtweather

‘Beach Sessions’, Waterbeach, Cambridge, 30 January 2016

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Just north of Cambridge, in the village of Waterbeach, the unassuming ‘Sun Inn’ is host to some well-kept ales and also a well-kept secret…there is some great music being made in the upstairs gig room. The ‘Beach Sessions’ bring together a mix of local acts, carefully curated for their musical distinctiveness.

The room was packed to the rafters from the start for the opening act The British IBM. A favourite of mine and the incentive for the trip, they were playing a moody and thoughtful set, with just acoustic guitar and bass as accompaniment to the intense vocals of Adrian Killens. On the albums, the complex strings and drum arrangements work well, but stripped down the lyrics and sentiments take centre stage. ‘Nothing Ever Lasts That Long’ is an outsider’s desolation and ‘We Were The Stars’ and ‘The British IBM’ are still subtle but powerful anthems and close the set tonight.

Atomised are a six-piece Indie-rock band with roots in the 80s and 90s sounds of Echo and The Bunnymen, REM, Sisters Of Mercy and Simple Minds. A prestigious pedigree then, and with the excellent sound quality in this venue tonight (there is an enormous mixing desk at the back…) their sound is clear and multi-layered, with keyboard textures and lots of stirring guitar and strong lead vocals. Many of the tracks played were from their album ‘Dreamlands’, with a new one due out this year.

The memorably named Creepy Neighbour finished the show, even more people crammed in and there was a real sense of anticipation. With two members of the band soon leaving to be part of Mika’s touring band the musicianship was spot-on, with pure ethereal vocals from Max Taylor over some eighties popstyled keyboards, bass and guitar. It was a punchy and sharp performance and as the dry ice filled the room we realised that we had seen a storming show (and it was free?!). Roll on the next one…

http://www.thebritishibm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Atomised-1180454188650600/
http://creepyneighbourhood.tumblr.com/

‘Just Lovely’ Split EP, released January 2016

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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..