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FebruaryFeb 12 Thursday 09
WE HAVE BAND - OH!
Launching head-first into a dark, heavy synth beat, this three-piece London debut single, then settle into a cross of Hot Chip / Fisherspooner. It flows effortlessly, a repetition of "oh/oh/oh" gliding over the music. The contrast of vocals though keeps you on edge, …
JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN - TO AMERICA
After stepping out of Rufus Wainwright's shadow (once a member of his band), this song on her second album sees them reunited once more.
Her soft sensual voice is laid out over a simple, repetitive piano melody. Its simplicity and beauty combined, seductive in its …
IRVINE - RAISING WEATHERED SAILS
It's true that brothers Bob and Chris Thorpe have a certain fervour for rock music and they clearly put their heart and soul into their new EP but it's all rather...generic. If you've heard Incubus, Lost Prophets, Funeral For A Friend or any other band that falls into …
SAXON - INTO THE LABYRINTH
While almost old enough to recall the glory days of the NWOBHM and grudgingly recognise the contribution of Biff and co to the movement, I didn't really 'get' Saxon, even at the time they were meant to be 'got'.
Not wishing to hide in the sub-basement and take pot-shots …
THE BACKYARD FLAMES + ALAN BONNER + LIGHTHOUSES @ THE WATER RATS, LONDON 08/02/09
First of all a few words about the venue: it's great, with a spot on sound system and reasonably priced drinks. The Water Rats boasts an enviably eclectic variety of guests, which throughout the years have alternated between Ash and more recently Black Kids.
Of lesser …
JUSTICE FEAT. UFFIE - TTHHEE PPAARRTTYY
Justice have never been ones to fit the mould and this epic track, taken from their new live album 'A Cross The Universe' is certainly no different.
Projected over a background of screams, cheers and frantic applause, 'Tthhee Ppaarrttyy' is a glittering montage of …
SAVE YOUR BREATH - NOTHING WORTH HAVING COMES EASY
For those who like to ease their punk rock down with a spoonful of sugar, recovery from the commercial heyday of the late 90s (and the ensuing saturation point) has been a long and protracted process.
Ten years on, we're still very much talking about genre mainstays …
ROYAL TREATMENT PLANT - HALF AS MUCH
Royal Treatment Plant really are a treat to listen to. With vocals that sound like a mixture of Tegan and Sara and The Cardigans, and a feisty female presence dominating this release, what's not to love?
The peaks and lows of 'Half As Much' meld beautifully, coming from …
SKY LARKIN - BEELINE
As Katie Harkin's vocals, reminiscent of Ida Maria meets Bjork, burst through your speakers at the start of 'Beeline', over guitars that make it impossible for your body not to react, it is clear that Sky Larkin are onto a winning formula.
Made up of two men and one …
KIDS LOVE LIES - SWITCH OFF
It's hard to put a price on certain elements that will make people stand up and take notice of a band. With such a distinguished voice backed by driving guitar riffs, Kids Love Lies have everything to win over the hearts of the nation. This post-punk / indie / riotous …
SARA LOV - THE YOUNG EYES EP
It's not surprising that a girl who was kidnapped by her own father at the age of five and taken to Israel has inspiration showering her from all angles. Describing her work as 'simple and sad with a shot of scotch', Sara Lov has produced this magnificent debut EP after …
NICKEL EYE - THE TIME OF THE ASSASSINS
With scratchy vocals in the league of Shane MacGowan and Kurt Cobain and a debut which spans every genre from rock to folk with a tinge of reggae thrown in along the way, you would never guess that this band is the side project of The Strokes' bassist, Nikolai Fraiture …
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE - MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION
Step into the world of Animal Collective. A sort of psychedelic mammal mishmash that conjures images of an Alice In Wonderland inspired paradise. The eleven tracks of their new album engulf and transfer the listener into a refreshingly different place in a way that …
THE DO - ON MY SHOULDERS
Apparently eighteen long years have passed since London last felt the icy grip of winter bite quite so. The snow fell and for one day the city ground to a halt. Covered in an icy blanket the likes of which kids have never seen.
For one day the child in us all came out …
ASOBI SEKSU - FAMILIAR LIGHT
Bands from New York don't have to try very hard to become critically acclaimed. All it takes is either an off kilter sound, a line-up which differs slightly from the norm (i.e.; 17 bass players + a bag piper) or indeed any sort of quirk at all, and the band will be …
BAD BOYS AND WONDER GIRLS: THE NEW KOREAN POP SENSATIONS
If Korean pop Music (or K-Pop as it is commonly abbreviated) is treated as a window into Korean Pop culture on a wider scale the first thing that may spring to the less generously minded are the words 'plastic' and 'shit', yet on closer scrutiny the music can act as a …
WOODPIGEON - TREASURY LIBRARY CANADA
Upon first listen Treasury Library Canada admittedly seems pretty pedestrian. It's really easy for the record just to slide into the background. One track merging with the next leaving only a vague recollection of particulars.
Particulars such as a catchy piano intro or …
SPENCER MCGARRY SEASON - EPISODE 1
Spencer McGarry Season is a Welsh trio with a rather different approach to music. Infused with a sort of amateur dramatics and in the same way that a stage school child can be spotted a mile off - doing star jumps and striving for attention - Spencer McGarry's …
FIRST AID KIT - YOU'RE NOT COMING OUT TONIGHT / TANGERINE
So, they chose the narrow door, through essentialness and rigour instead of some usual, insipid easy-pop filled with tiresome glittering images. Johanna and Klara Soderbergh form an astonishing swedish duo, able to absorb so much precious essence from the great …
SUNNY DAY SETS FIRE - ADRENALINE
After hearing that they chose their name from an internet band name generator, any hopes that Sunny Day Sets Fire would be something innovative and different to pin your lugholes back for may have been dashed. Yet, what's in a name? Not a lot it would appear, as you …