Thursday 31 October 2013

Darlia - Queen Of Hearts

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


Having just spent part of a review pointing out how the current generation are seemingly sick of being spoon-fed vile excuses for pop music, it seems only right that we feature another exciting group of teenagers who are making a different noise. Darlia are three guys from Blackpool and their current single 'Queen Of Hearts' is pretty exceptional. Again, this isn't a band at the forefront of new technological advances; the music they make could be described as grunge, but it doesn't sound twenty years old. It sounds like now. Somehow they've taken elements of that scene and totally freshened it up, possibly by retaining the ferocity and the vitality but combining it with great pop hooks. Again, this is a band who know a tune when it smacks them round the face.

From their EP 'Knock Knock', this track contains enough crunching guitars and pummelling drums to satisfy the punk in you, as well as a melodic, memorable verse and then a killer chorus that cranks everything back up again. Although the end result may have varied slightly, just about any of the original grunge pack (or the many disciples since) would have given their ripped jeans entire wardrobe to get their hands on a song with this much potential. It's lucky for us that it's not until now that this song was written, because Darlia's version is surely difficult to improve on. If they can keep penning tunes like this then when the approaching guitar revival fully hits next year this band will be very big news indeed.





Darlia's website

Buy the single

Catch them live:

Nov 05 Club Academy w/ Deap Vally, Manchester, UK
Nov 14 Queens Social Club w/ The Family Rain, Sheffield, UK
Nov 15 Reds Bar w/ The Family Rain, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
Nov 17 King Tut's Wah Wah Hut w/ The Family Rain, Glasgow, UK
Nov 18 The Ruby Lounge w/ The Family Rain, Manchester, UK
Nov 19 Brudenell Social Club w/ The Family Rain, Leeds, UK
Nov 20 Academy 2 w/ The Family Rain, Oxford, UK
Nov 22 Komedia w/ The Family Rain, Bath, UK
Nov 23 Institute - The Library w/ The Family Rain, Birmingham, UK
Nov 24 Rescue Rooms w/ The Family Rain, Nottingham, UK
Nov 26 Concorde 2 w/ The Family Rain, Brighton, UK
Nov 27 Joiners w/ The Family Rain, Southampton, UK
Nov 28 Thekla w/ The Family Rain, Bristol, UK
Dec 10 Apollo (XFM Winter Wonderland), Manchester, UK





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Reporters - Meet Me In The Morning

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


This year, perhaps more than any I can remember, there have been teenagers picking up guitars and making various forms of rock n' roll music. And we're not talking about Jake Bugg. The Strypes have announced themselves in a big way, and Misty Miller looks set to do the same next year. Add to that list young bands like Catfish and the Bottlemen, Jungle Doctors, Two Jackal, Foreign Talks, Lily & Madeleine and more, and it starts to become clear just how premature those "death of guitar music" statements were. Some of these acts are retro, some are very modern and unique. Well stick Milton Keynes duo Reporters on that list. This is a drummer and a guitarist/vocalist, so this is the bit where we compare them to The White Stripes and The Black keys, right?

Nope. This isn't raw blues-rock, indeed it was difficult to believe there were only two of them creating this sound until watching the video. Dan Stock and Josh Ringsell favour an indie-rock sound, perhaps one that's more inspired by The Libertines and others of that ilk; they will possibly serve as the closest comparison, the difference being that 'Meet Me In The Morning' is less shambolic. It's still driven by clattering drums and electrified guitar chords though. They don't particularly have individuality on their side in that respect, but this is just a band starting out. What they do have is an ear for a tune and a great understanding of how two people can be in tune with each other well enough to create such a complete sound with such a small set-up. It'll be interesting to see how these guys develop (and how many jokes people can find that will somehow compare them to Editors...).





Reporters' website

Buy the EP





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Joe Symes & the Loving Kind - Joe Symes & the Loving Kind

Album review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


Take a look at the album cover to this self-titled debut from Liverpool's Joe Symes & the Loving Kind. Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover, and this is no trick. It's an old-fashioned look, it harks back to the 1960s, even the back cover (of the CD!) says "LONG PLAY 33⅓ R.P.M.". The whole thing is stylised to take you back to the golden age of vinyl and a golden age for British music. You might be thinking this is going to be a '60s garage ride, and opening track 'Fallen Down' would definitely make this assumption appear correct. It's upbeat, it's energetic and it has that timeless sound, but it's not representative of the rest of the album. With the success of The Strypes and the inevitable imitators (of this band of imitators) that will follow, this is probably for the best. This is a record that's still locked in that decade though, and the other tunes here prove it, with perhaps the overriding influence being The Kinks.

By all accounts, it's in the live arena that Joe Symes & the Loving Kind made their name, and despite this being a very good collection of recordings, that may be where they consider that they excel the most. They've caught the attention of fellow retro-loving rock royalty such as Noel Gallagher and Steve Cradock, both of whom can be counted as fans. They even launched the album at Liverpool's Zanzibar club with an introduction by Beatles promoter Sam Leach. I think you're beginning to get the picture. Recreating sounds from this era can be good and it can be bad. At the tail-end of Britpop the sheer amount of bands that were attempting to pillage from the past made the whole scene become a joke. Dad-rock was invented and Noel, Weller, Ocean Colour Scene and co. were accused of promoting (and creating) tired old stodge. These guys don't suffer from that problem. These might be vintage songs in style, but they're not dull regurgitations or over-earnest tunes for people who want "real" music (is there such a thing as fake music?). There's a freshness here and indulgence is barely even considered.

You can look at early Small Faces, The Kinks and even Donovan when listening to songs like 'Fine Line'. They touch upon blues without going off into real dad-rock heaven by incorporating drawn-out guitar solos and twelve-bar bores. 'Ready To Ride' does the job nicely with simple guitar and piano, the quirky nature and brushed drums adding a certain idiosyncratic quality. 'Lovers Undercover' is simply classic songwriting that could have come from any period since the "rock era" began; the same could be said for 'Happy When It Hurts' and by now the whole garage idea is long forgotten. This band are as focused on songs as style, although they rarely sound modern and are certainly far from being cutting-edge in any way, but that's not the point. An entertaining spoken-word interlude interrupts the album, announcing that the next song with be their last and thinking everyone for listening, perhaps to give some connection to their live shows. What follows is more piano-led rock/pop in the form of 'Love Is The Reason', maybe the most electrified track since the opener, but one with a whole different vibe. It's a definite highlight. Naturally no live show is finished without the encore, so (and despite none of these songs actually being live) we get two "bonus tracks". 'A World Out Your Window' pales slightly compared to what it had to follow, although it's hardly a bad tune, but the ending of 'Where Do I Belong?' is more slightly madcap '60s psych-pop and brings things to a close nicely. Well, almost. They couldn't resist one last surprise with an unnamed secret track that's little more than some messing about for a few seconds. Joe Symes & the Loving Kind have a refreshing disregard for what the music world is doing. They do what they do, and for that they deserve some respect.





Joe Symes & the Loving Kind's website

Buy the album

Catch them live:

NOVEMBER:
2nd - The Zanzibar Club, Liverpool.
9th - White Rooms, Warrington.
15th - Salford Arms, Manchester.
22nd - The Water Rats, London.
DECEMBER:
6th - Alan McGee's 359 Records night at District, Liverpool.
13th - Eric's Live, Liverpool. (Blockheads Support)
14th - Bumper, Liverpool.





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Grass House - A Sun Full and Drowning

Album review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


Well they kept us waiting long enough. Remember this? It's been just over two years since 'The Breeze' and 'Faun' dazzled us by appearing as fully-formed, cinematic alt-rock that was streets ahead of the competition. We expected big things, and judging by the evident quality, we expected them fairly soon. Certainly an album before 2012 was out. We did get new material that year; a single in September. So what was keeping them? Was it a case of limited ideas or writer's block, the kind that stalled the initially promising career of Klaxons and finished off Elastica several years before? Of were there difficulties of another kind? The sort of thing that made it seem like we'd get the second coming of Jesus before The Stone Roses gave us theirs? It's not as simple as that when you look at the facts. Grass House only formed in 2010, so three years to piece together a debut album with a band line-up that works and everyone is happy with isn't uncommon. It's easy to get carried away by a band who announce themselves with such quality that, although it feels reasonably long, the time taken is perfectly normal. It's simply more noticeable with an exciting band (see also another one of our big tips, HUSH!).

It was apparent, and stated by the band, that they were aiming to slightly downplay the grand production and cinematic sound of those first two songs. 'The Breeze' doesn't even make the cut, and the same goes for last September's 'The Boredom Rose'. So what are we given on the Yorkshire band's debut album, 'A Sun Full and Drowning'? It's not totally out with the old and in with the new. The live preview of 'A Thousand Generators' is now converted into the finished article, complete with their trademark lyrics which show just how poor some other wordsmiths in the music world are. The campaign for this record began in earnest with single 'And Now For The Wild' early this summer, and then with 'I Was A Streetlight' a couple of months later. Never are those lyrics allowed to dip into the mundane or the routine, and it's much the same with the music. These songs (rerecorded for the album) indicated that although Grass House might be aiming for something more real, less reliant on production and layers to get their point across, they were still aiming for a little majesty, and they still wanted the production to fit and be the match of the songs; it sounds like the plan was for balance, to make everything equal with no one facet of the songs allowed to stand-out: they had to stand-out as a whole.

Comparisons are a reviewer's best friend, but it doesn't quite work like that here. The best plan in that respect is to give a passing mention to Tindersticks, Cave, Waits and so on, but reimagined so they were allowed to put more life into their music and weren't quite so morbid. 'A Sun Full and Drowning' does have its share of slower, perhaps less, shall we say, cheerful tracks like 'Tasteless But Taciturn', yet they're not as impenetrable to the average music fan as those cult legends. The whole tone is set by opening track 'Spinning As We Turn', the perfect choice to show the different sides of the band, something that's continued to even greater effect on the powerful 'Of Haste And Art'. Then we get to 'Faun', the one early release that does survive, although in rerecorded form, and it's still a highlight, it's still cinematic, and even though it's been toned-down a touch it impresses with distinct grace and majesty that others barely get close to. Each track fits gels and allows the album to flow, and each bears the many of the same hallmarks, but never do things become repetitive and never could you mistake one song for another. Whether it's 'The Colours In The Light May Obscure' or the more upbeat, almost jolly 'Wild And In Love' that follows it, you know it's the same band. With the classic-sounding baroque-pop of 'Avocado Eyes' taking us out in reflective but fitting style the opinion is definitive. Grass House haven't taken as much time as it may have felt, they simply got off to an early and shockingly good start. As for the wait that we have had, I think we can safely say it's been worth every second.







Grass House's website

Stream the album in full

Buy the album

Catch them live:

NOV 02ND MANCHESTER - THE CASTLE (MAIN SUPPORT)
NOV 03RD LEICESTER - THE SCHOLAR BAR
NOV 04TH LIVERPOOL - KOROVA
NOV 05TH NORWICH - OLIVES
NOV 06TH DERBY - VICTORIA INN
NOV 07TH SHEFFIELD - DADA
NOV 08TH LEEDS - COCKPIT
NOV 10TH YORK - BASEMENT (CO HEADLINE)
NOV 11TH BRIGHTON - HOPE
NOV 12TH CARDIFF – BOGIEZ
NOV 14TH THE MACBETH, LONDON





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Wednesday 30 October 2013

Parquet Courts - Tally All The Things That You Broke EP

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


There's a good call for Brooklyn garage-punks Parquet Courts being the surprise package of 2013. Their debut album proper (following a self-released cassette) arrived in the States last year, and word-of-mouth quickly spread - the band have no social media sites, if you find Facebook or Twitter accounts they're not official - and upon its release in the UK early this year, 'Light Up Gold' received rave reviews, and these have only intensified as more people have heard the record and time has allowed it to become absorbed into people's consciousness better. Those end of year lists will be with us any day now, just wait and see how many high placings it gets. So it was little surprise that this month's brand new EP 'Tally All The Things That You Broke' was on the receiving end of much of the same. Is the hype justified or will they simply be considered another good band in a year or two from now?

As a lover of garage-punk, my personal view is that these four guys do have something a little extra; you could even throw in comparisons to Pixies as well as the usual 1977 punk bands. They're well above average, but perhaps not the saviours of the Universe as some would have you believe. Single 'You've Got Me Wondering Now' does everything right and is a thrill; the feedback-riddled, spiky-riffed 'Descend (The Way)' is even better. Songs such as 'The More It Works' dip deeper into the sharp post-punk of Gang Of Four: their references are a music journalist's dream. You get a similar feeling of revolutionary sounds being brushed up and presented to a new generation as happened with the first Strokes album, only Parquet Courts don't have the pop songs to make that kind of sales impact, and that's not a bad thing. The final two tracks are a contrast. 'Fall On Yr Face' falls short of a minute-and-a-half and is stylistically different too, perhaps not quite fitting with the rest, not that Parquet Courts are really about "fitting" with anything; and the equally diverse 'He's Seeing paths' is over seven minutes of Beck-like experimental rock with a nod to hip-hop and something of The Beta Band about it. The praise is justified for now, and Parquet Courts seem open to diversification too, so if they can nail that aspect then they'll be here to stay.





Parquet Courts' website

Stream the EP in full

Catch them live:

Oct 30 – Brudenell, Leeds, UK
Oct 31 – Mono, Glasgow, UK





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Lily & Madeleine - The Devil We Know

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


It's a little frustrating knowing that when I was 16 or 18 I couldn't play a single chord, let alone compose a decent song. In fact at twice that age I still can't. So this just proves that you either have the talent or you don't, and teenage sisters Lily & Madeleine have it by the bucket-load. Their self-titled debut album is out this week and includes recent single 'The Devil We Know' which now has a studio-filmed video to go with it. There may be other players, and in Kenny Childers of Gentlemen Caller a long-time collaborator, but this track feels very much like the work of these two prodigious sisters. Vocally and instrumentally they're both streets ahead of most others who deal in this particular style already.

It's this that makes 'The Devil We Know' all the more impressive: really this is the kind of folky, alt-country/indiepop that so many bands are boring us to tears with, but in Lily & Madeleine's hands it becomes something of rare beauty; vibrant, fresh, irresistible. Perhaps that's what's been needed all along. Out with the old-guard and in with exciting new talent who don't have the inhibitions to become bogged down in the genre's standard format. 'The Devil We Know' isn't the first song they've impressed with and is unlikely to be the last, we just hope that they never get forced to break from what they want to do and be stylised into something different, because as it stands they're one of the most exciting new duos we've heard.



Lily & Madeline's website

Buy the album

Catch them live:

08 Nov Arlington, VA, IOTA
07 Dec Detroit, MI, Detroit Institute of Arts





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The Witch Hunt - Army Man

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


Halloween's become just as bad as Christmas when it comes to usually credible bands degrading themselves by releasing "special" singles for the occasion. Either novelty rubbish or an ironic cover of some cheesy crap as a rule, but that needn't be the case. You might think that a band called The Witch Hunt releasing an EP called 'The Little Book Of Hate' on October 31st might fall into that category, but you'd be very wrong. This Leeds duo aren't a one-off creation for a cash-in, in fact we featured their last single 'Crawl' when it was released in the totally non-spooky month of April. They simply have this name. 'The Little Book Of Hate' isn't filled with clichéd horror tales or pantomime shock tactics either; it is, as we should expect from these two, some very fine alt-rock with no obvious connection to its release date.

Now that our anti-cash-in rant is over, let's check out lead single 'Army Man'. This is certainly dark and menacing, because that's how these guys sound in general. This track is like a slowly approaching menace; a tsunami going at half speed. All the force, all the power and all the atmosphere is here, but it's delivered in a way that makes it sound all the more ominous, and this is because there is no shock, it won't surprise you; from the opening notes you can hear the bewitching percussion and the groaning guitars and you know exactly what's in store. It's this technique rather than any surprise tactics that add an extra air of stunning bleakness to the track. The vocals are strong and a real asset, the lyrics are totally free of vampires or skeletons and the music is surprisingly complex and carefully pieced together. This will beat any of the plastic pap hands-down if you want something that captures the real essence of horror.



The Witch Hunt's website

Buy the EP

Catch them live:

Oct 31 Wharf Chambers, Leeds, United Kingdom
Nov 01 The Coliseum, Whitby, United Kingdom
Nov 15 Spanky Van Dyke's, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Nov 23 Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, United Kingdom





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Five For Free #239

Diane Coffee - Hymn


The pause between Foxygen records is proving to be quite exciting, with Jonathan Rado releasing some great solo material, Sam France possibly starting a project with Elizabeth Fey, and Shaun Fleming making some stunning sounds under the alias Diane Coffee. 'Hymn' is from album 'My Friend Fish' and is a mixture of Beach House, classic soul and magical songwriting.



Diane Coffee's website

Buy the album

Catch him live:

Nov 2 - Austin, TX * Red 7 *
Nov 5 - Phoenix, AZ * The Rhythm Room *
Nov 7 - Los Angeles, CA * The Echo *
Nov 8 - Santa Ana, CA * The Constellation Room *
Nov 13 - San Francisco, CA * The Chapel *
Nov 15 - Seattle, WA * Barboza *
Nov 16 - Portland, OR * Bunk Bar *
Nov 19 - Denver, CO * Hi-Dive *
Nov 21 - Kansas City, MO * The Record Bar *
Nov 22 - Carbondale, IL * Hangar 9 *
Nov 23 - Louisville, KY * The Zanzabar *
* = w/ Those Darlins





Fiig - Bass Drum


Yet more instantly lovable indiepop from Melbourne. 'Bass Drum' is the catchy, lively, irresistible new single from quintet Fiig (who formerly went by the name Atluk) and is taken from their debut album 'Largely Happy'. They began by winning the Melbourne Fresh Band Competition in 2011, and on the evidence of this bright and breezy pop it's easy to see why.



Fiig's website

Stream or buy the album

Catch them live:

22nd Nov Oxford Arts Factory, Darlinghurst, Sydney
1st Dec The Empress Hotel, 714 Nicholson St, Fitzroy North





Lux Lisbon - Demons You Show


Although based in London, the seeds for Lux Lisbon were sown in Nottingham, a city that's really on the map when it comes to new music right now. The group release the unusual, slightly spooky alt-rock of 'Demons You Show' this week. With a certain cinematic element to their sound (which adds welcome individuality) this cracking video is a perfect accompaniment.





Download 'Demons You Show' for free by heading here

Buy the single

Catch them live:

WED 30 OCT Queen of Hoxton, London, UK
SAT 02 NOV The Bodega Social Club, Nottingham, UK
THU 07 NOV Surya, London, UK
SAT 09 NOV The Indie Lounge (Selly Oak), Birmingham, UK





The Gravity Drive - Circles


Because of the lyrics it's difficult not to think of The Rolling Stones' 'Miss You' when listening to The Gravity Drive's new single 'Circles', but one fairly common repeated phrase doesn't make for much of a comparison, and musically this is vastly different. Instead of classic rock, 'Circles' is a song that reaches across, alt-pop, folk and dreampop to create something with a subtle beauty.



The Gravity Drive's website

Buy the single

Catch them live:

Dec 14 The Railway Inn, Winchester, United Kingdom





Taffy - No Endings But Only The Beginnings


Japanese fuzz-rock/pop/shoegaze band Taffy showed with their album 'Lixiviate' that they can do '90s guitar music better than many who did it the first time around. This week they release a new single from the album, 'Train', and are also giving away its closing track, the melodic scuzz-bomb of 'No Endings But Only The Beginnings', both from one of the most underrated albums of the year.



Taffy's website

Buy the album

Catch them live:

Wed Oct 30th 02 Academy, Leicester, UK
Thu Oct 31st Roadmender, Northampton, Northamptonshire, UK
Fri Nov 1st 02 Shepherds Bush Empire, London, UK





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Tuesday 29 October 2013

Those Darlins - Blur The Line

Album review by scott@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


Tennessee-based country-punk outfit Those Darlins now release their third album 'Blur The Line' which is making its way into record store near you. Has it got grit! Formed in 2006, the band features Jessi Darlin, Nikki Darlin, Kelley Darlin and drummer Linwood Regensburg, and after the release their debut 5 years ago they have hit the road and never looked back. They have toured and supported the likes of The Black Keys, Deer Tick, Jon Spencer and queen of rockabilly, Wanda Jackson. Jessi herself is quoted as saying "This album is about honesty, being true to who you are".

It surely a more mature approach and a richer sound than their first two albums, which is an oblivious statement, but this is a band that enjoys playing and writing music. They seem to have come a long way since their self-titled release. Even the album cover suggesting "COME AND PLAY" gives you the invitation to be bold and take risks. The weight and intimacy in the lyrics also gives a wide range of dynamics and means Those Darlins become more than just a another lo-fi punk band: it gives them an identity.







Those Darlins' website

Stream the album in full

Buy the album

Catch them live:

11/01/13 New Orleans, LA, VOODOO MUSIC EXPERIENCE
11/02/13 Austin, TX, RED7
11/04/13 Santa Fe, NM, Molly’s Kitchen & Lounge
11/05/13 Phoenix, AZ, RHYTHM ROOM
11/07/13 Los Angeles, CA, THE ECHO
11/08/13 Santa Ana, CA, THE CONSTELLATION ROOM
11/13/13 San Francisco, CA, THE CHAPEL
11/15/13 Seattle, WA, BARBOZA
11/16/13 Portland, OR, BUNK BAR
11/19/13 Denver, CO, HI-DIVE
11/20/13 Lincoln, NE, VEGA
11/21/13 Kansas City, MO, THE RECORD BAR
11/22/13 Carbondale, IL, HANGAR 9
11/23/13 Louisville, KY, ZANZABAR
12/05/13 Athens, GA, GREEN ROOM
12/06/13 Birmingham, AL, BOTTLETREE
12/07/13 Memphis, TN, HI-TONE CAFE
12/12/13 Asheville, NC, EMERALD LOUNGE
12/13/13 Charlotte SNUG HARBOR
12/14/13 West Columbia, SC, NEWBROOKLAND TAVERN





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The Crooked Fiddle Band - Moving Pieces of the Sea

Album review by tatjana@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


Sometimes a review starts out with a daggy pro and con list. Con: over art awful; producer Steve Albini worked with Pixies and Nirvana - big fat pro. Con: my being jaded by folk musicians "jamming" around a fire who are more drunk than talented; pro: sounds of non-conformist intelligent soundscapes made by accomplished musicians. And so it goes, The Crooked Fiddle Band are a four-piece that are clearly influenced by more than the traditional, weaving through every genre with a slanted bow and the odd guizoki if you don't mind.

The album is mostly instrumental, with violinist Jess Randall making a spectacular mess of "spot that instrument" as she mimics every sound possible. 'Vanishing Shapes Of A Better World' is like the sweet girl in the string section deciding to run off with the grungy drummer and they had some words; apparently achieved by popping a snare drum to a bass amp. 'Neptune's Fool' sounds like below deck at the Titanic if Jack and Rose had taken a mood enhancer, while 'Shanti And The Singing Fish' is the contemplative morning after.

They only hint at the classical sounds that may have once filled their repertoires; now they are able to piece together a piñata of sound, hacked at with droning bass thuds as it smashes into shanties John Hillcoat would be proud of. This is the soundtrack to The Proposition at sea, you can hear the high pitched wail of the seagulls as they circle overhead, smell the salty air as you bob along on your boat without a paddle, and yet breathe a sigh of relief that it will never be the waterlogged mess of an overpriced Costner flick.







The Crooked Fiddle Band's website

Stream the album in full

Buy the album

Catch them live:

Fri, 01 Nov Maroochydore, QLD, AU Sol Bar
Sat, 02 Nov Brisbane, QLD, AU Queen Street Mall
Sat, 02 Nov Brisbane, QLD, AU The Joynt
Sun, 03 Nov Brisbane, QLD, AU Queen Street Mall
Fri, 08 Nov Richmond, VIC, AU The Corner Hotel
Fri, 15 Nov Wollongong, NSW, AU City Diggers, Wollongong
Fri, 22 Nov Katoomba, NSW, AU Baroque Room (inside The Carrington)
Sat, 23 Nov Darlinghurst, NSW, AU The Standard
Sat, 30 Nov Margaret River, WA, AU Settlers Tavern
Sun, 01 Dec Dunsborough, WA, AU Clancy's Fish Pub





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Jazz Mills - Little Baby

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


I think we can safely say that if you've opened shows for Arcade Fire, Stevie Wonder and Fleet Foxes amongst other big names then you're doing something right.Texan artist Jazz Mills has done just that, and that's before we mention collaborations with The Black Angels and The Kills. So it's quite a mix of styles that she's been associated with, and quite a diverse list of fans, so it's not that surprising that new single 'Little Baby' (taken from her self-titled debut EP, out next week) is not only very good but it somehow transcends genre somewhat as well. This song sounds like lots of different things all at once, yet not quite like anything else currently doing the rounds.

You might at first notice a '60s soul vibe going on which brings in the Motown connection, but the bass and the structure are from country, so that explains why the alt-country crowd may like this too. At its heart 'Little Baby' is purely and simply a classic pop song, but one that engages with everyone, from uber-cool types like The Kills to commercial stadium acts like Coldplay (another she's warmed-up the crowd for). What makes this work so well is just how understated the whole song is. In another artist or producer's hands there would be temptation to push everything forward in the mix or go overboard with certain aspects. That never happens here; it's the song and the voice that do the work, and what mighty fine work they do.


Jazz Mills - Little Baby from Trevor Wiggins on Vimeo.



Jazz Mills' website





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National Pastime - All Our Yesterdays

Album review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


'All Our Yesterdays' is perhaps the perfect title for this new album from National Pastime, as their sound is distinctly and deliberately retro. They cite Sarah Records, C86, The Smiths, The Television Personalities and so on as inspiration for their music. When you think of indiepop there are often centres where there's always been a big focus on the genre. Glasgow, London and Manchester would all be notable for their past and present scenes, but search a little more and you find pockets all over the UK that are home to bands of a similar ilk who maybe aren't as celebrated due to little more than their location. Recently places such as Nottingham, Brighton, East Anglia and various parts of Wales have all delivered some great guitar-pop. The scene in the south-west is equally worth investigating, from exciting newcomers like Bridport's HUSH! and Torquay's Big Wave, to more established bands who've been quietly plying their trade for a while.

This quartet from Exeter (where it seems most men are called Andy) fit the latter description, with this album being their first since 2010's 'Bookmarks'. National Pastime's third long-player is also the 28th release on local independent label Pastime Records, a great find whose artists we've featured regularly: see also Falling TreesThe MorrisonsAndy B as well as the precursor to this album, the 'Don't Let It Get Away' EP, the title-track from which opens proceedings here. It's not just the music that recalls the cult heroes of indie fans everywhere; the simple, almost DIY production (how ungainly these songs would sound with the kind of styling that neighbours Muse and Coldplay use), the jangly guitars, nicely bobbing bass and wonderful clattering beats and so on, it's also the lyrics that occasionally seem to yearn for days gone by. You only need to head to second track, the lovely, swoonsome 'All Of My Life' ("will I ever stop dreaming about yesterday?") or its successor 'Long Lost Summer' which focuses solely on a love story that ended too soon, many years ago.

While the sounds, style and formats may all be recreations of past stars (in our eyes at least), these are new songs, so while you will hear the echo of long forgotten bands, this album isn't a copy and it relies on decent songwriting in much the same way that the current psych revival (Tame Impala, Pond, Temples etc.) does. Those bands recreate and re-imagine names from way back when and are celebrated for it, and so National Pastime should be celebrated for their take on their favourite artists. Especially as they may achieve more commercial success with a different sound, but becoming stars isn't the reason for this band's existence. 'My Star Has Fallen' adds some piano to give a little extra dimension and isn't the only track to do so, but it's the organs of the excellent 'When Not If', the constant hum of guitar on 'Real Deal' and the classic pop of 'Run With Me Now' and 'Leave Them In The Shade' that present a wonderful mid-album run of top tunes. The catch being that the run doesn't end; 'Running Scared' is a highlight and the reflective closer 'Judge A Book' sounds like an old 45 from three decades ago, just like it should. We don't know what the yesterdays of the members of National Pastime entailed, but we suspect that a great record collection accounts for at least part of them.







National Pastime's website

Buy the album





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Monday 28 October 2013

Half Loon - Swearword

Single review by jay@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


You know that point where you're in the hottest bath, and for no other reason than that you can, you slip under the water, becoming totally cocooned in the womb-like warmth and all you can hear is the soft pounding of your heart and the gentle whoosh of the blood ebbing and flowing in your veins. You open your eyes and the familiar sights of the bathroom are suddenly far away and everything is swaddled in a view that is at once lysergic, melded with the clarity of a viewpoint of a brave, singular, new world? (No, then you should try it. Absinthe will make it easier to reach.) Then the soundtrack to this experience is the newest sound from Half Loon.

If you want a taste of normality, point of views, then look to Syd Barrett, MGMT, The Zombies and Flaming Lips. Then if that is just a little too straight, start running that bath and pouring that delectable green liquid. For this is this sound of 'Swearword' and I am going to go for the latter. If I don't come up for air, don't worry, for I am smiling wherever I'll be.





Half Loon's website

'Swearword' will be available for free soon via Bandcamp





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Constant Supply - 3rd In Line

Single review by scott@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


This two piece band consisting of James Gillian (vox & guitar), Conal Sweeney (bass) and their digital third member, Drum Machine, hail from the north-west of Ireland and play the kind of rock you expect to hear some DJ blasting out at some sleazy bar at 1am in the morning. They clearly have '90s-influenced alt-rock roots with a clean grunge guitar sound chomping its way through, which you can hear on their latest single release '3rd In Line'. To support this release is their debut album 'The Coast Ain't Clear', recorded with Villagers bloke Tommy Mclaughlin in his Attica studio. The album is drenched in clean layers of guitar and vocals, and a driving bassline backed by the effects of a drum machine.

At first listening to this single it's somewhat reminiscent of the Stone Temple Pilots early recordings, but the drum machine doesn't really have that same impertinence you can quite hear on those early records and just becomes a bit dry and dejected. Thus saying it lacks that hard-hitting backline sound we so love on those classic albums, but this band clearly has the potential to go places and given the airplay they could a achieve good things. I recommend fans of Soungarden, Elliott Smith and Slint take a chance to indulge in Constant Supply.



Constant Supply's website

Download the single





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Subtitles - Just a Little Bit Brighter EP

EP review by jay@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


This is the sound of James Dean heading to that dead man's curve. It is a world where brothel creepers, quiffs and drainpipes are the uniform, Cream soda and speed are the consumables of choice. Wi-fi is just the sound of static at the end of the dial. All the while you will be unable to resist, be damned to deny the danceability, the groove, to refuse the riot of sonic righteousness that is the lead track off Subtitles latest EP 'Just A Little Bit Brighter': 'High School Confidential'. It is a supernova blast of testifying, stomping rock n' roll delivered down the barrel of a megazoid confetti gun. Not since JSBX fell for those bell-bottoms and Johnny and Dee Dee found Judy did such a song get your ass shakin' and your head spinning.

Riding in on a riff so filthy that you are gonna feel that you have been dragged through a swamp of primordial sludge, 'I'm Gonna Get Spooned By You' coats you in a maniacal, Dickies-esque slap of Dick Dale guitar-swinging glory that shakes you down and strips you naked in less than 90 seconds. Kerpow! Following that is 'You're The One' which is rammed full of mop-topped fury that will leave Long Tall Sally sweaty with rips in her frillies. It is a perfectly, raggedly vicious ode to the girl of the title, and she will be yours after this tramping dervish has finished with her. Then we go out in a true brimstone-fired blaze of glory with 'Cunthair Motel'. It unashamedly pillages Elvis and sends him through a blender, ripping him apart on the most excellently evil sounding guitar and delivering it all on a silver platter filled with lust, love and some good hard fuckin'. Subtitles have given us four songs that are primal, perfectly formed, and above all garagetastically superb. Now, where's the Brylcreem?



Subtitles' website

Stream or buy the EP

Catch them live:

Thu, Oct 31, Pirates Bar, Leicester, UK





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The Diamond Lights - Secret Hell

Single review by jay@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


Picture the scene. You're sat in the pub. It's a good five pints into your night. Ed is arguing that Therapy? are the pinnacle. Rob spits out his pint, nearly lamps Ed and says The Ramones are godhead. Rhys laughs at them and preaches about Dead Kennedys. Al mentions The Beach Boys, Dan gets on the table, spilling pints declaring that nothing surpasses Nirvana, well, maybe except the Foos. Jim just laughs and drinks more gin. Then 'Secret Hell' comes on the jukebox. Silences them all for a second. Then those pints are drained and they all illustriously dance on the pool table, Al air guitars with the pool cue and Jim shimmies across the floor, leaving women swooning in his wake.

'Secret Hell' is everything they all love wrapped up with a ribbon (and a bow of course) delivered in the perfectly, deadly-executed package that is The Diamond Light's new 158-second poptastic, punkiod, pillaging single. Failing to mention the most perfectly placed "woos" since Kim Gordon found "devastating blonde" as a hair colour that are the granite core upon which B-side 'Yes Sir' is built would be tantamount to calling a Cornishman a Devonian (it's a south-west, cider thing). The Diamond Lights are that good.





The Diamond Lights' website

Buy the single

Catch them live:

Nov 01 Hope & Anchor, London, UK
Nov 07 Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, London, UK





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Out This Week - 28th October 2013

Upset - She's Gone


Made up of Ali Koehler who played with Best Coast and Vivian Girls, former Hole member Patty Schemel and Jennifer Prince, Upset are a trio of ladies with pedigree in making classic alternative guitar tunes, and 'She's Gone' sounds just like you'd hope. Gritty, fuzzy, visceral but with sweet melodies underlining the fact that we're listening to pop, only pop done in a much better fashion.



Upset's website

Buy the album

Catch them live:

Nov. 15—Black Lodge—Seattle, Washington *
Nov. 16—The Know Bar—Portland, Oregon *
Nov. 18—The Blank Club—San Jose, California *
Nov. 19—1-2-3-4 Go! Records—Oakland, California *
Nov. 20—Bottom Of The Hill—San Francisco, California *
Nov. 21—Echoplex—Los Angeles, California *
Nov. 22—Harold’s Place—San Pedro, California *
Nov. 23—Soda Bar—San Diego, California *
* with Screaming Females





The Lonesome Southern Comfort Company - When He's Down


The wealth of Americana/alt-country bands that have sprung up over the past few years have lessened the impact of all but the best of the genre, so it's up to bands like The Lonesome Southern Comfort Company (actually based in Switzerland) to push things forward by adding groovy beats and a psychedelic edge to tracks like 'When He's Down' from new album 'The Big Hunt'.



The Lonesome Southern Comfort Company's website

Buy the album

Catch them live:

Oct 30 Rete Tre, Lugano, Switzerland
Nov 02 La Sauna, Varese, Italy
Nov 15 Bundeshaus Zu Wiedikon, Zürich, Switzerland
Nov 16 Teatro Nuovo Studio Foce, Lugano, Switzerland





Chris - Forsyth - Solar Motel Pt 1


Working with an impressive array of musicians, this section of the first part of Chris Forsyth's 'Solar Motel' EP is designed to explore the grooves found in guitar music throughout the ages, the hypnotic effect that certain pieces by The Doors, Eno, Television and more created. This results in a subtle and understated track that successfully recaptures those often hard to find styles.



Chris Forsyth's website

Buy the EP

Catch him live:

10/29 - PARIS @ Les Nautes w/ Paul Metzger
10/30 - LYON @ Grrrnd Zero
11/1 - CHARLEROI BE @ Le Vecteur w/ Paul Metzger
11/2 - NANTES @ SOY Festival w/ Helm
11/15 - @ The Rotunda, Philadelphia
11/29 - SEATTLE @ Gallery 1412
11/30 - PORTLAND @ Little Axe Records
12/1 - EUGENE @ @ Planktown
12/2 - ARCATA @ Missing Link Records
12/3 - DAVIS @ tba
12/4 - OAKLAND @ Nightlight w/ Common Eider, King Eider
12/5 - SAN FRANCISCO @ Hemlock Tavern w/ Michael Beach
12/6 - LOS ANGELES @ tba
12/7 - SAN DIEGO @ Craftlab Gallery w/ Octagrape





John Wolfington - Planetarium


Despite being relatively unknown, New York artist John Wolfington has been making music since the '90s and can count some famous musicians as fans. It seems inevitable that a breakthrough of some kind will happen at some point, so maybe new record 'The Magic Album' will go some way to making this happen. Mysterious alt-rock like 'Planetarium' can only help his cause.



John Wolfington's website

Buy the album





OBLIGATORY RECORD OF THE WEEK

Crown Estate - Battlesbridge


Like many musical projects of recent times, Crown Estate began with two friends, one in London, the other in Hong Kong (now in California), sending sections of music and ideas to each other. Soon Julie Rumsey and Sacha Galvagna worked these fragments into songs which they describe as being "lo-fi minimalist electro-pop", and you can't really argue. New single 'Battlesbridge' is a wonderful combination of muffled vocals, simple electronic beats, washes of synth and an excellent bobbing bassline. They sound a little bit like lots of things, but not enough for a direst comparison (that I can think of anyway), but those lots of things are likely to be bands that you like. There's twinkling beauty found in this song, particularly the majestic ending that tells of the determination of a "bright new day... bring it on" and "I'm gonna do it my way". Well, they have done it their way, and the result is a splendid tune that simply keeps on getting better with each play.





Crown Estate's website





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Sunday 27 October 2013

KURBd - The Cause.... The Defect EP

EP review by jay@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


There are some sounds that just worm into your DNA. It can come from your Nan sending you off to sleep with a nursery rhyme or a sound that sound-tracked your musical puberty. When the guitar stutters, then sets it's phaser to crunching, pulverizing stun with pear drop sweet harmonies in the first few seconds of 'Beware The Silence', the lead-track of the debut EP 'The Cause... The Defect' from KURBd, I am that fledgling long hair, being beautifully brutalised by Alice In Chains at Rock City. That's not to say that this track is some grunge rehash, rather it takes the touchstones of Alice, Sugar and yes the "N" shaped shadow that all bands since have had to bear, and crushes your head with an incendiary, iridescent blast of groove, grunge and bloody great rock that is utterly here and now. The harmonies and power are as measured and precise as a guided missile to your cortex.

'Wreck' has a darker, menacing hue to it. It pulls you in slowly, then overpowers you with a monolith-sized chorus, then slowly lets you reach out before fully immersing you in its wonderfully warm, delicious, irresistible, carny-esque whirlpool of pleasure. 'Wreck' is a song that Scott Weiland would go sober for. Then to the piledriver of cacophonous, splenetic, beautifully tempered fury that is the EP's final delight, 'Kerosene'. This is a blast of malevolent marvel that will whip your head back and forth while taking over your limbs to flail around, and wake days later with the bruises of size 9s on your spine as the whole crowd is transformed into a singular stage-diving, crowd-surfing beast. C'mon then KURBd, we want more. Please. (If I didn't say please my Nan would sing to me again!).





KURBd's website

Stream the EP in full





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Carousels & Limousines - Alive/ Shape (Demos)

Demo reviews by jay@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


Occasionally music takes your breath away and makes the hairs on your neck stand up. It's the hit that all of us who are so passionate about music look for. It can come when you least expect it, from the most unlikely corners. But when it hits from a band that already you are a little in love with, the shiver down your spine is that bit deeper. When after a handful of plays it still stimulates you in the same way, then you really are enraptured. This is exactly what 'Alive' by Carousels & Limousines does for you. Carousels have given us two demos that are easily the equal of anything that they have delivered to us so far. 'Alive' is a majestic song of sheer class, grace and epic scope. It tells of being enchanted, bewitched, how someone can complete you for a singular moment. It has a masterful, exquisite restraint that belies the youthfulness of the band, and simply sweeps you up, parts the clouds and bathes you in life-affirming, joyous, golden sunshine. It has a transcendental quality that does not diminish with repeated plays. It embodies the sense of finding your true love in that kiss, hearing your child laugh, singing arms aloft with your best friends as your band plays your song. Bono or Brian Fallon would have given an arm for this song. If there's a complaint, it's that it's over too quickly.

Then we have the punch of 'Shape'. This is a perfect slice of timeless, classic rock. It takes the mantle laid down by '17s' off the debut album and hangs it off the highest rafters. It will have you hoarse from the utterly irresistible chorus, and will be played in court rooms as reason why you have broken the speed limit so many times (and you will be let off). It's full with the same streak of uplifting joy as 'Alive', but is wrapped up with a more raucous plethora of good-time abandonment and some of the best roaring piano laid down since Roy Bittan unploughed us into 'Jungleland'. With these tracks Carousels & Limousines have given us two huge reasons to be excited about their next chapter. It just can't come quickly enough.





Carousels & Limousines' website

Catch them live:

Oct 27 The Fleece w/ Big Country, Bristol, UK
Oct 31 The Nest, Bath, UK





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Antony Raine Q&A + Track Stream

Article by jay@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


Following our stellar review of Antony Raine's recent EP 'Farewell To Arms', we asked him about how his time in the forces affected his music, the influences he finds in modern and past sounds, his appreciation of poetry and future live plans.


TSOC: Thanks for taking the time to have a chat with us Antony. You've come to us with a wonderful EP of rather special songs and a quick flick through your bio tells that you have not just come to us box-fresh off some production line. How did your experiences while serving the places you've been impact and shape the music you write?

AR: Well, thank you first of all for your compliments on the EP! I think travel is always a good thing for anyone who is creative. The senses become conditioned to the environment you're in and the way you think about a variety of things is shaped by it. Personally, it made a man out of me and gave me a broader outlook, which then affected what I wanted to write about. 


TSOC: Did you find the writing a cathartic exercise to allow you to manage things that you have inevitably experienced? Or did it enable you to escape? For there seem to be reflections, insights into the life of someone serving in some of your music. 

AR: Yes, it is cathartic for sure. 'Desperate Times', is a song about redemption I guess, but mainly I wrote it as a kick up the backside to myself, to get myself out of a particular mindset I was in at the time. All art, one way or another, allows escapism and to some extent my songs are stories. Not all are autobiographical, but they're always reflections of an experience I may have had, or maybe even someone I know has had.


TSOC: Was there any indigenous music that caught your ear while away? If so, are there any elements that you have or are going to incorporate into your music? When you were away how easy was it for you to hear music? And what would get you through the days?

AR: I think wherever I have travelled there has always been something that has caught my ear. Although the EP is new, there are elements that were inspired from my time working out in Zambia, even though lyrically the songs are about other things. The vocal harmony at the end of 'Tommy' for instance, was inspired purely from the voices I would hear practising every day in the local church; and with the main guitar melody in 'Silhouettes', though a different rhythm, it is a reflection of a guitar sound I would often hear out there and it stuck in my head for years. Certainly in Afghanistan, I didn't hear much local music though I did once jam along with some local militia playing some home-made sitars, which was fun, but the noise we made was definitely not good on the ear! I had my iPod with me out there, and I remember listening a lot to the Gaslight Anthem's 'The '59 Sound', Laura Marling, whose voice I found/find so calming, Billie Holiday, Sigur Ros and Creedence.......


TSOC: Fundamentally it's just you, but was there anyone for you to bounce off, any figure that you found invaluable while making the EP? 

AR: My sound engineer Dan Mizen was instrumental. I can't read or write music but I had all these sounds in my head that I wanted in the songs. We gelled pretty quickly, but he is so talented he somehow seemed to be able to translate my musically inarticulate ideas I had in my head and help me put them into what you hear on the EP. I had loads of ideas, limited time and money, but I'm very pleased with what two of us managed to produce. We'll be working together again on the next project which is great.


TSOC: There are some classic influences running through your music. Is this a conscious decision or more a case of your musical DNA coming through?

AR: I think probably a conscious decision because I have connected with these influences, but at the same time to me it kind of feels natural. Similarly, themes that have been dealt with by writers of the past will always keep repeating themselves, but in different ways. I think that is just human nature. Writers and musicians throughout the ages have always tipped their hat to their forebears as a means of self-education. Even Dylan did it, citing Woody Guthrie and Arthur Rimbault for example.


TSOC: Are you weary of comparisons to Springsteen, Brain Fallon, Ryan Adams or do you see it as a compliment? I remember a few years ago that Brian Fallon became quite worn by the Sringsteen comparisons, even though he had appeared on stage a few times with The Boss.

AR: I see it as a compliment certainly. They are all incredibly gifted artists and I cannot say I match up to them in the slightest. But like them, I aim to try and write songs that are lyrically interesting and tell a story, so I cannot claim to be wholly unique. Fundamentally I'm just a man singing with a guitar, and there have been men playing guitar, singing about love, war and telling stories for centuries. I just hope the way I do it connects with people.


TSOC: Who are you influences in all ways? Who inspires you?

AR: Wow, lots of things! Anything and everything from books, to art, to my friends. I listen to a wide range of music; one minute I'll listen to Elgar for example, but equally I'm quite happy listening to Rage Against The Machine.  


TSOC: There is a very literary feel to some of your lyrics. You have poems and Hemingway is quoted on your site. Do you think that lyrics are poems? Do you approach them similarly? There are some very good and very bad examples of singers doing poetry. (Dylan-good. Morrison-Bad). Do you think that a musician can successfully write poetry?

AR: Yes I think that a set of lyrics can be a poem. But not all will fit to music. If I'm writing a poem I approach it differently and it usually it comes a lot quicker because you don't have all the different variables like verse, chorus, middle 8 etc. to contend with. With a song, I spend a lot more time on it, because I want to ensure that if I do use anything poetic, it fits with the melody, sounds good on the ear, and is also challenging the listener to question what it is I'm saying. Whether musicians can be successful poets, I'm not so sure. The fact there are not many speaks for itself! I enjoy writing it, but whether or not it merits publication is another matter!


TSOC: As lyricists, who captures your ear and why? For me Nick Cave, Richey Edwards from the Manics, Guy Garvey are a few who spring to mind.

AR: Matt Berninger from the National is currently my favourite. I find his lyrics often ambiguous which renders the listener to judge what he is actually saying. I also really like Justin Vernon of Bon Iver for the way he writes, his use of words to match the way he likes to sing. Willy Mason I think is also hugely talented.


TSOC: Is Hemingway an influence? If so how? Is it more in how he wrote, or his actions as a man? (The Spanish Civil war part rather than the Key West Gin lush). I visited his house there a few years ago, it's amazing and all the cats there have six toes!

AR: I like his themes. He drew a lot of inspiration from the places he lived and worked, which gave a lot of colour to his writing, and this is something I like to try and do. In respects to his writing style, no, because his use of language was deliberately kept quite simple. I probably take a bit of an influence from the way he liked to leave out key details of the story. There is always something underlying in his writing which allows the reader to question, which ultimately in my view strengthens the narrative.


TSOC: Are there any plans to tour soon? (Bristol is a pretty good place. Nothing to do with the fact I live here.)

AR: Yes that's the plan after the New Year! I'm in the process of trying to work out places I'd like to play, so if you have any recommendations I'd gladly accept!


TSOC: When you do tour will it be a full band or just you and guitar?

AR: Probably just me at the moment but I'd love to take a cellist with me. The ultimate plan/dream would be to have a full band.


TSOC: Are there any new acts that you'd recommend for us to check out?

AR: Hush Mikolka are a London based band I've shared the stage with once and have seen them play a few times, and another band called Ay Ducane I think are pretty cool. They've both got a great live sound and Hush Mikolka are bringing out an EP next month. 


TSOC: And to the final question. Fantasy festival. You are headlining your own festival. You can chose any five acts past or present to be on the bill with you. Who would you have?

AR: Amazing question! Bob Dylan (of early 60s vintage), Nina Simone, Jeff Buckley, Sigur Ros and the National.




Antony Raine's website

Buy the EP





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Arctic Monkeys/The Strypes Live At The Manchester Arena 23rd October 2013

Live review by Jon Bird


The recent release of the critically acclaimed album 'AM', Arctic Monkeys fifth album in 7 years, meant a wealth of material to choose from for their set on the current tour. And a bold move to include The Strypes as the support act shows the band are in confident mood. This young band took to the stage in front of thousands at the Manchester Arena and played a terrific set at 100 mph with barely a breath between songs, culminating in an electric 'Blue Collar Jane' and finishing with 'Rollin & Tumblin' they are a band of 16-year-olds with the presence of a well-tuned machine. "I reek of sweat and teenage innocence..." sings Ross Farrelly, impressive in familiar shades and zoot suit.

Photo courtesy of Gigwise

Once upon a time, Alex Turner had the same young innocence with an array of strong tracks to back him up. Now sporting an Elvis quiff and swagger he owns the writhing crowd the moment the Arctics take to the stage with 'Do I Wanna Know?', the grand opening track from 'AM'. There is no relief for the moshing, slam-dancing Mancunian crowd for the next 1 hour 40 minutes set. 'Brianstorm' follows, then a set of all too familiar songs including 'Teddy Picker', 'Fluorescent Adolescent' and a predictably exuberant 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor' leaving the exhausted crowd screaming with adulation. An acoustic version of 'Mardy Bum' is sung word-for-word by almost the whole arena during the three song encore before the finale 'R U Mine'. Two sell-out shows at Earls Court follow before playing the rest of the country's arenas and shows a confident band still riding the crest of a wave... a truly wonderful evening.





The Strypes' website

Arctic Monkeys' website






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