Sunday 9 August 2009

Bloc Party - One More Chance

What a massive tunnnnneeee! We all know the Bloc Party guys can deliver absolutely rocking indie/dance beats, ideal for getting things started (i.e. “Banquet”, “Prayer”, “Hunting for Witches”), but boy have they excelled themselves here! Blasting this one out at their summer festival appearances, ever since, there’s been a swarming demand for a single release, and here it is after much mass hysteria.
Starting off with an all-too-familiar, and infectious 90’s dance beat, the “Give me one more chance, give me one chance, give me one more chance to love you” intro, is just as contagious, getting into your head, your feet and right into your veins. A band just couldn’t wish for a better summer release, and the storming (yet ironic) chorus “This time things will be different”, sees them play out their rock edge, which doesn’t sound out of place whatsoever, but somewhat goes towards complimenting the underlying dance beat which makes it so damn good!
Anyone without an even remote interest in music couldn’t help but be drawn in by the massive magnet of musical magnitude. It’s one for the club scene: foot tapping, rave-tastic and highly addictive. It’s as if they’ve remixed a classic from say 1994, and brought it right up to date with phenomenal effect; an exemplary piece of music experimentation. In 15 years from now I’d go as far to say it’ll be just as head-turning, what with the effect of drugs pulsing throughout your body, and taking you on such a musical high. Electro, indie, feel-good vibes and Kele Okereke, what more could you need towards this true summer anthem of 2009? It is quite delicious, and I just need one more chance…to hear it…on repeat

Noah and the Whale - Blue Skies

Firstly, thank the Lord for Zane Lowe’s podcasts and for introducing me to this track. In fact, for introducing me to the best track I’ve heard in a long, long time. It’s actually the best indie song, the best folk song, and above all the best love song I’ve heard in a long, long time.
To listen to it makes you feel like you’ve discovered sound and music for the very first time; it’s like choirs of angels combined with a heavenly and dreamlike quality, to produce a synergy which immediately hits you in the heart.
Not 100% convinced with “Peaceful the World Lays Me Down”, liking the odd song here and there, “First Days of Spring” looks like it’s set up to be where the band will truly find their feet, especially due to this stunning and epic first single.
A song for the broken-hearted, a song for everyone to relate to whether in love, out of love, been-there-done-that, or as the opening line resounds: “This is a song for anyone…” leaves it open for mass appeal. The faith, the hope, the light the conviction, and the positivity that lies within the chanting “Blue skies are calling”, truly makes you believe that you can “do anything to be happy”, even though it’s “hard”, and that times will get better. The struggle and beauty bind together through both notes and words, in order to create this spell-binding effect.
An enchanting lullaby to some, or even a strengthening comfort, “Blue Skies” is astounding and will prove to be timeless. I only hope that it will be as highly regarded as a classic as I consider it to be, and just as cherished.

Saturday 11 July 2009

Withnail - Let me Finish EP

Withnail - Let me Finish EP
Withnail. Know of them? No? Nor did I, but, by the end of this you’ll want to…

Receiving their 5 track acoustic EP: “Let me Finish”, this ..Stoke-on-Trent.. threesome opens up a new wave of sound available on our very own doorstep.

“TV with the Sound Off” is a fantastic opener and a firm favourite off the EP. It echoes the familiar, with similar sounding riffs to what would be found on Incubus’s Morning View album, and would fit perfectly on XFM’s radio playlist. This track in particular could be easily sub-genred into 90’s sounding rock, like those fine British and American alternative tunes, which are still cherished today (e.g. Smashing Pumpkins). Lyrics: “I’ll be obliged to please tomorrow” and “Everything is beautiful” hits on the key points of what they’re evidently trying to achieve: a scenic and gratifying sound. Listen more closely, and you’ll hear the brilliance that lies within the words; a consistent element throughout the EP, and yes they’re abstract, and yes you can say that about a lot of bands and their songs, but they open your mind and just seem to be heavenly placed, (a rare talent for a band to possess who’ve been established for less than a year.)

From discovering the band from my previous work with Hollywood Tease, I was expecting something similar, and sorry to be clichéd (but who cares?), I was surprised, and I was blown away. Their standard is high and their instrumentals which fuse with explosions of words are infectious.

“The Lust of a Misanthrope” allows them to show off more of their alternative aura, they’re not raw, and boisterous and in your face, they’re somewhere in the middle of gentle rock, but are still able to make their own mark and statements. For this reason, there’s no doubt that they’re a great live band and that you could absorb their talent, whether an electric set or acoustic. There’s an identifiable place for them in the industry, whilst still being quite distinguishable to our local scene. Their upsurges of guitar to vocals are reminiscent of the Manic’s “....Australia....”, whilst some of the riffs are as worldly as Biffy Clyro’s “Questions and Answers”. These effects allow you to get lifted into a musical crescendo in the midst of an epic journey.

“For Him” holds a more dark aspect, full of angst and waves of emotion, more definitive guitar ending and even the mention of a “peroxide tangerine tan” for an artful motion, which leads nicely into “Mark Collett”. This brings out the best in northern vocals; as airy as that of the Happy Mondays/The Stone Roses in the early 1990’s. Speaking of “fascist fantasies” and wishing: “If only I wasn’t so allergic to progression”, it’s unclear whether this refers to their music beliefs or ways of life, but their prog rock rocks.

The finale: “Let me Finish” has an intro, hauntingly like the King of Leon’s “Arizona”, with the potential of being every ounce as good, what with it’s lulling tones and loving sentiments which reels from the acoustic notes, to the lyrical genius of singer Richy and it’s richness in intricacy. “Fingers caress” and “hands overlook” help to picture the singer working his magic on the mic stand, making the whole thing come alive. Even the pronunciation of “droplets” makes the track gentile and picturesque.

Thought provoking and different, they are one to see live to capture their feel and to see a whole band contribution, even though their acoustic EP is highly compelling. They describe themselves as alt rock and that’s probably the closest thing to it. It all works, and you just want to hear and see more of the finished article. They’ll put their own mark on the local music map (as seen by the quoted envelope the EP arrived in), as they’re definitely unique, and hopefully that’ll be their key to success to taking it further. So be part of it, see them live or request your 5 track EP today.

Monday 15 June 2009

Model Radio

Model Radio @ The Underground, Hanley 12th June 2009

Review by Sian Eardley

Photo by Gig Junkie


To sum up tonight, I’d have to quote Alex Turner and say: “Get on your dancing shoes!” With a fully charged set and no signs of flagging, (did someone give these guys a Redbull?) Model Radio were the perfect Friday night act for firing it up.

With a huge electro intro and an “Orate?” from the band, the crowd were instantly involved in the bouncy, upbeat, and swarming energy that is Model Radio. Drums were on form as well as guitars that soared through the pounding electro beats, whilst almost having the speed, intricacy and electricity of Chris Urbanowicz (Editors), to boot with great backing vocals from the bassist and keyboard fella’, showing they all have a part to play in achieving their sound.

The singer describes the night with lyrics: “Feel like everything’s gonna be alright”, “Something’s going on”, and “You’re not alone”, with the last statement being especially true. There are definitely fans about, and from front to back people know the tunes and the cool kids are doing their thing.

Throughout the set, there are a fusion of sounds; indie pop, sounding somewhat like One Night Only’s “Just for Tonight” (great for airplay), grittier rock, reminiscent of Pendulum, and then a more space-age feel, well suited by the line: “Welcome to the new dimension”, all to make an interesting contrast of sounds. Model Radio do pull out some “massive” tunes and have clarity and a clean sound, but the great thing about this band is that they’re not offensive in any way, and you could get into them from the hypnotic beats alone. It’s certainly music to turn your head and drag you in, as seen by tonight’s audience with a spectrum from 16 – 30+ years.

Tonight was about the music and feel good times, the party was started down by the stage with an array of jumpers, and the singer gave off a Happy Mondays/Stone Roses vibe, whereby you could almost envision Bez up there dancing with him.

To end on a high, drum and bass madness was unleashed, echoing the best of 90’s dance, which was fitting as they then leaped into a thrashing cover of Prodigy’s “No Good/Start the Dance”. With practically a full house, everyone was pumping it up, and it’s that sort of scene which is phenomenal to see. It was absolutely fantastic for starting the weekend and unsurprisingly ended in a deafening roar from the crowd. If you want to see a gig where you won’t be disappointed then go and catch Model Radio.

Sunday 24 May 2009

Elephant

Elephant; another little gem that I’ve managed to come across thanks to the wondrous, and technological joys of MySpace (yes, that old chestnut), is an Italian foursome comprising of two pairs of brothers who come together with the lyrical and musical know-how, to produce a cascade of sound of their own.

Influenced by British and American alt/rock/indie bands, Elephant manage to take their own inspirations and create something new. Long gone are the days when any British band strummed out anything as well constructed as these riffs and fine picking, you’d have to go back to the alternative glory days of the early-mid 1990’s. Now, everything is mixed with electro, or produced to be too polished to make it radio-worthy, and it all ends up sounding “samey”, but not Elephant.  These guys have somewhat of a diverse quality about them and that’s what I really like.

 

Teasing listeners with only 3 songs up on their profile, they still show glimpses of big potential and an exclusive sound. “Will to Breathe” has strength in its layered (musically) intro, and does remind me somewhat of the VLA, and then the vocals meet with the sound to push the whole thing forward, and to give force and integrity to the elements of the track.  The instrumental parts are very inspiring and encouraging, especially when hearing soft and tender interludes to draw you in. I may keep going on about the guitar aspect, but it really is a highlight of their whole package. They’re a really great and consistent rock/alt band who appear to deliver. Towards the end of “Will to Breathe”, distant, phased vocals sound similar to that of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek”, and the band also draw on (the very cool) blonde redhead, however, this is not to say they exactly copy them. In fact, (and also another plus point) Elephant cannot be assigned to one fixed genre, they just happen to be whatever you feel at the point of listening to them.

“Borderline” is another guitar-picking stunner, featuring mid-verse Biddy-esque riffs (impressive). “You just can’t think that you’re borderline” front man Erik sings, well Elephant aren’t borderline. They’re great. The rockier, grungier chorus also gives more impact and drive to their well-established composition. They combine elements to make something new and definitely interesting, and from the quality, I expect they make a very entertaining live band.

Luckily, the band have their own studio in which they’re free to roam and experiment, and I think that this pays off as they’re unique and distinct, rocky and engaging. Now let’s hear more please!

Saturday 23 May 2009

Hollywood Tease

Hollywood Tease.

22nd May 2009 @ The Underground.

 

Friday night, the weekend has begun, and Hollywood Tease are headlining at The Underground. You can feel it, it’s gonna be huge. Even members of the band are milling about in the crowd before their set, mingling and creating suspense. Even the progression of the poor, and if generous, mediocre support bands, could not tarnish the monster performance that was in store from Hollywood Tease (HT) tonight.

You can almost smell the hairspray in the room from the glam-rock members of HT, but kudos to their attire, what with “Back to the Future” t-shirts, ripped leggings and various items of leather-wear, we see that 80’s rock is where their love lies, and where they draw inspiration from and make it their own. “You’ve been teased” fans are filling the place sporting tops and such like, indicating that the band already has an avid and steady following.

A curtain hides the stage (a first I’ve seen at The Underground, let alone for a local act, thus highlighting their supremacy), ready for the unveiling of the extravaganza known as HT. Queue in circus-like music and the theatrics, this is the show, and may the musical mayhem commence.  “Let Go” is the opener, featuring soaring guitar riffs and pounding drum rolls, along with a screaming: “Yeeeeeaahhhhhh!” from lead singer Ashe. If you close your eyes, you could almost swear it was Axl Rose on stage, and they do look the part too; bare chested and thrusting, complete with a “raw, loud and aggressive presence”.

Balloons start flying around the place with various obscenities written on them to emphasise their rock ‘n’ roll image, and more and more people begin to edge forward. The sexy women in the house also begin to swarm, swooning and surrounding the stage; going gaga for rockstars.  There are even women in the crowd wearing latex HT pants! Come to think of it, HT should have their own personal female entourage, yet, this is their effect, they ooze sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, even from the amps.

As I’ve said about this band before, they’re not distinct to Stoke. You wouldn’t guess that they’re a local band, and that, I believe, is where part of their magic lies. And, (whilst the crowd ruckus gets louder) as I’ve also said before, someone please get these guys a slot on the Download stage! From record to live performance, the translation is superb, and once more, for a local band they certainly exceed expectations.

There’s twin guitarring from Scotti and Tim, and their side-by-side action really portrays that guys really believe in and love what they’re doing, even if the giant crowd before them wasn’t there. The band synchronicity really does it for me. The vocals are astounding, and looking around, everyone is engaged, what with: solos, windmilling and mic swinging, HT have got their stage act to perfection as well as their sound. “See me on the stage…bring me to the top” has never been more poignant.

As they play on, it does actually make you feel guilty. You come to think: “Did I really just pay £4 to see this band, when they ought to be playing sell-out tours at stadiums here, there and everywhere?” At the risk of sounding snobby, they’re far too good for Stoke.  The guys also stop to take time to ask how the crowd are, thank the support acts, and of course to sweet talk the women, showing that they even have their swagger down to a fine art.

“Dirty Days” has one of the finest guitar intros; sounding finely tuned and having sweeping notes (none of this muffle rubbish that usually comes from similar bands trying to achieve the same thing), therefore showing that they are masters of their craft. You can hear every component working perfectly in harmony together to create their distinctive sound, and it’s mind-blowing.

Ashe continually caresses the mic stand, after all, making love is making music and that is their gospel. They even go on to play a cover of “Wild Side” paying homage to Motley Cru, for being a strong influence in what they do, and it’s a rampaging hit with the crowd, creating headbang central. In response to this, solos are carried out on the shoulders of the bassist and singer; becoming one (that one being a musical love machine), met with a deafening cheer.

The gig-goers were lapping it up, especially when encouraged to sing along: “Yeahhhhhh!” and “Hollywoooood!” at the top of their lungs, seeing HT live out their rock ‘n’ roll dreams.  Other standout lyrics “Turn it up…crank up the radio!” have never been more welcomed by the audience, whilst band members stop to pose for a number of cameras like the rockstars they are. Almost Rock-Gods.

Unsurprisingly, there was an encore as the crowd still wanted their fix of HT. They stormed back onto the stage with “Good Times” (one of their best), seeing more showers of sweat and confetti, but the whole feel was sexy.  Fans piled onto the stage also (yes…female fans…) and the whole vibe in the place was alive and electric.  The singer climbed onto the amp to give it his all (note to support bands: this is how it should be done), and then made it into the crowd to do his thing for the finale.

 

Hollywood Tease are definitely one of a kind. They are kind of a big deal. It may sound over-glorifying but it’s true. And I know you can only say “they’re so rock ‘n’ roll” so many times before it gets old, but these guys are rock ‘n’ roll personified.

So, if you’re looking to be highly entertained, aspired, entranced, amazed and enthralled and want to get your kicks to some pretty damn good rock tunes, DO NOT miss your next chance to see HT live.

Wednesday 22 April 2009

PT Walkley

PT Walkley? A random add on Twitter who I stumbled across. He dropped me a line and BAM! I’ve discovered a true hidden gem.
Referring me to his musical homepage in songbook format, he suggested that I listen to a track called “Why”. On the page, the lyrics are also listed and I thought I’d have a quick glance before a listen and wow!
“Why am I so frightened by the little things, the bed bugs, the wedding rings” and “The water cooler’s echoing” are just some of the great, great lines to this song. These words aren’t dressed up or fancy. They’re real. It’s a song to relate to. It’s human; in feeling and thought. And so just from this, I knew before I even hit the play button that I’d be impressed.
The sound is chilled back, and has that sunny summer vibe, as given off by Devendra Banhart and Mr. Jack Johnson. It’s kinda “sweet”, whilst at the same time being one of those funky songs you’d expect to hear on an ad for mobile phones; the kind that everyone flocks to download the song (like Jose Gonzalez with “Heartbeats”).
After hearing the intriguing “Why”, I was compelled to scan the rest of the songbook and found that the songs were produced in NYC (I personally feel NYC is becoming the homeland of all great music, as it never fails to produce or promote great artists, as evidenced here).
The whole feel of the songs uploaded is that it’s soft and gentle, not aggressive or offensive; you can just get lost in it and get carried away. “Audrey Macy” is a bouncy upbeat, to get your feet goin’ to; sounding much like “The Coral”, and once more it’s rather cool, what with the injections of energy being supplied by the electric guitar. Again, summery, and by the time the “la la la’s” kick in you’ll already be singing along.
“No one Needs to Know” opens with a sincere and a collaborative (musically) intro, and it’s absolute antithesis, it’s hushing and melancholy, but there still remains a consistent and underlying uplifting tone.
He certainly is an artist. It’s as though he has a blank canvas and then all of a sudden, there’s a swash of colour and music, as he paints emotions and images in word and song; all good for the soul.
From further listening, I hear glimpses of Ryan Adams and then queue “Daydreaming”. The fiddle is truly impressive in terms of being epic, picturesque and endearing. This is my highlight of the bunch, having never heard anything quite like it before. It’s a truly great love song, seeming to translate all thought and feeling onto record.
By this point I’m thinking just why haven’t I heard of him before (outrage!), and just where can I get hold of an album! His lyrics are just outstanding’ they’re tales, they’re fitting, they’re moving, they’re descriptive and wonderful and you’ll be in awe of them.
With bags of talent and maximum potential, other resemblances which come across are that of Jeff Buckley (on track “Run”), BRMC, and Wilco, whilst still managing to have his own concept and sounds.
“Calvin” is somewhat of a theatrical piece; it’s a story and full of energy and piano notes, until getting softer as the sentimental part of the song comes into play, and now sounding similar to “The Thrills”, and “Albert Hammond Jr.” which is ironic as Walkley sings in Mediocre: “The Strokes wrote a decent love song, I wish I could too”. Oh but you do! His songs are nothing but heartwarming! And then we hear a more ballsy track in “Punch Drunk” and vocals which sound like a young Johnny Cash, it’s country and rock and sounds mighty fine.
I think this songbook idea is excellent, and he should definitely keep it going, updating it and so forth, so that others like me can make the amazing discovery of his music which they can enjoy in their full entirety. I’ve really never came across anything quite like his music and ideas, and it’s to be applauded. Check PT Walkley out at: http://ptwalkley.com/song-book.