New journalists, new reviews, videos of the week, competitions and new music now all under one roof!! Check it out, and expect more content to be added daily!!
Come on over!
Monday 4 February 2013
There are times when the only way to initially describe something is through the use of free association, as many a performing wine taster will probably testify.
Old Colours make the kind of music that could be seen as being of such a descriptive vintage, which can only be a good thing, because if they are creating feelings through association, as a by product of their creative output and craft, then they must surely be getting it a hundred percent right-shouldn't they?
Thus, to put no finer point on it, Old Colours sound like the joy of chasing a rapidly deflating balloon, around a large room, when you're a kid; of smiling at old memories, as you run your fingers over dusty note books; they're a steaming hot, sugery cup of tea, drunk with a hearty slice of orange, apricot and brandy sponge, while it pelts it with rain outside, and you lounge in a big leather chair, engrossed in a good book; or opening an ornate looking box, and being suddenly taken aghast by a plume of gently escaping butterflies.
At this moment in time, the company of Zoe Mead, Daniel June, Jamie Warren and Loic Wall, have been trading under the name of Old Colours since 2011, but have been making music together for many years, a factor most evident in the quirky intricacies that can be heard in their songs, pointing towards a gang who have not only individually honed their respective crafts, but have come to fully understand how each fellow musician works to bring their essence to the whole, rendering songs that sound like they came together intuitively, and organically, rather than through anything close to contrivance.
They are a band who assault the senses, in a very filmic way; with a nod towards that sort of driving folk music that is de rigeur, in certain circles, these days, and with an aural aesthetic not too dissimilar to (recent 'Dead Oceans' signing) Night Beds.
Notable song Giants is four minutes twenty nine seconds of profuse loveliness, backed by almost tribal sounding drums, sometimes chugging along in the background, like a steam train running over sleepers; occasionally dropping out to rhythmic drum rim taps, and markable floor tom interjections- or disappearing altogether-accompanied by floaty lullaby xylophone notes, all of which amble playfully around carefully poised guitar sketches, and non menacing, barely there shadowy 'vibes', which converse with one note keyboard reflections and minimal bass lilts; reminiscent of aspects of the work of Brian Eno, notably his collaboration with early nineties shoe gazing band 'Slowdive', but also like listening to the voices of nature, through an open window at night, while you're in that comfy place a stones throw from sleep. This heady cocktail lovingly underpins , and punctuates, a clear, sweet, but angsty,female vocal (curtesy of Mead), and is reminiscent of a female Nick Drake with light traces of Joanna Newsom.
There's not a stick of bubble gum in sight, from this clan-though their sound could be described as being poppy, and also extremely radio friendly, though one could argue that, although positive for their career, it would be a shame to dilute the magic of their songs by over exposure. Everyone knows what that is like; fall head over heels for a tune, that is played on heavy rotation-and, after a while, the fairy dust can wear off.
There are definite parallels to Stevie Nicks era Fleetwood Mac in The Morning After - a rolling, breezy little number, with a roly poly, 'pa pum pa pum pum' bass line (that could be on the whistling set list of milk men across the land), hatched abreast 'swing-your- hips' drums and guitar shapes that Zoe Mead's (wordy) vocals take pasture within.
Since their inception, Old Colours have been far from lazy, performing at a host of festivals, across the kingdom, including 2000 Trees Festival, OneFest and Fieldview, as well as doing a number of gigs, supporting well known illuminates,including Turin Breaks, and being tipped by BBC Introducing as the band to watch for 2012!
Snuggling in a warm blanket,with a hot drink, a pack of menthol cigarettes - and the wind blowing a tempest outside; one laments that there are a million and one places where the band could be, this time next year-both in terms of their music, and their career.
After making a three track EP, and working with notable producer, Jim Sclavunos ( Primal Scream, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Sonic Youth, The Horrors), what is next? Hopefully, a full blooded album-and soon!
Whilst
browsing local artists on Soundcloud, you can never quite anticipate the level
of quality, in tracks. The first thing I noticed about this exciting, new,
Electronica artist, was his impressive back catalogue, which to me, signifies
something very special.
S-P-E-LLS,
is a Bristol producer and DJ. For the most part, his music is focused on
electro/house. However, his collected works also experiment with Dubstep, Drum
and Bass and a nice blend of more soulful, ambient tracks. This guy is weaving
his way in and out of genres, like it’s nobody’s business, fashioning a very
bold and multi-disciplinarily, approach to electronic music.
After
bopping your way through the first two or three tracks, his dynamic and
versatile style, begins to grow on you, immensely. First you are introduced to
glimmers of light and bouncy house music, only for it to be turned on its head-
throwing you into the deep, dark, abyss of filthy, raw, dubstep.
With a lot
of Electronic artists, the core focus and attention, has always been on introducing
something new -cementing your own sound in the scene, paving the way for new
artists. Skrillex, did exactly that. He bought something new with him, and
developed a very special kind of electronic music, leaving behind a huge gaping
hole, for new artists to come and do the same. Providing the fundamentals of electronic
music are applied -engaging and connecting with people’s brain waves – then the
creative process, certainly becomes the most exciting part. The creativity is
when the artist is really called into action.
S-P-E-LLS
will surprise you at any given moment. Whilst some of his tracks may seem quite
generic, others leap across to the other side of the electronica continuum.
Some of his stuff sounds very industrial and raw - A very welcomed versatile
approach to electronic music, similar to that of Canadian Indietronica artist,
‘Grimes'.
Another
great thing about S-P-E-LLS, is that he doesn’t bore with you with too much obscurity
or pretentiousness, like some new artists are trying to do. Every track makes
you want to dance and every sound or sample has a purpose, in the direction of
the song.
He
collaborates with a number of artists, that bring something new to the table and
offer a classic sound. I think with electronic music, it’s important to look
back as well as looking forward and this is something that S-P-E-L-L-S does
really well, particularly with the drum and bass. There’s nothing too risky or
over the top about it, but he keeps it nice and subtle. I love it!
Another thing
worth crediting S-P-E-LLS for, which I mentioned briefly, is that he is making
LOTS of music. It’s really the only way to be successful in a competitive music
market, particularly within the genre of electronic music. Type any decent
dubstep artist into Youtube, and I almost guarantee that they’ll have a back
catalogue, longer than your arm.
Get yourself
out of the house, gather your pals and celebrate diversity and originality, in
electronic music and the coming together of sub cultures. Need something to
kick off the weekend? S-P-E-LLS, is your new rave partner.
Unless you've been living a hermit like existence, on the far side of Pluto, since 1994, then you'll know that the Internet has become a massive platform for the advertisement of artists big and small; from universal titanic stadium fillers, to tiny bands and artists barely making waves in their own bedrooms, who are eager for the world to hear their sound.
We also know that broken links, pages that take a billion years to load, and complex, labyrinthine websites are always the bug bare of the music fan/net surfer, these days, and are more than likely to make you switch off, and move on to something else, rather than persist.
The first positive thing that must be said about Sharfla then, is how consumer friendly their website is. Maybe not what you want to hear, so much, when reading a review, but it's true; the site is neat, nice and simple to use, and glean information from, which makes the process of listening, and getting into this band, that extra bit more enjoyable!
Hailing from sunny Edinburgh, Scotland, Sharfla are (to some extent) an electronic dance quartet, comprising of Roncey Horton (vocals, synth and samples), Grainne Foster (electric violin and synth) Paolo Goglia on bass -and percussive powerhouse Paul Worth (drums, percussion and synth).
To date, they have self-released an EP, ‘Where It's True’ (2008), a single - ‘Where it's True’ - which has been unleashed on Italian electronic music label DavidDance, and an award winning mini album, ‘Shiny Shiny’ (which won 'Best Electronic Record' at 'The Scottish New Music Awards' at the end of last year), as well as doing plenty of gigging. So, it is clear that this is a band that is going places!
Clap your ears around debut mini album 'Shiny Shiny’(released in the autumn of 2011), and the first impression of the band could be that this sounds like synth pop-and in a vein not too dissimilar to the array of artists, including La Roux, Calvin Harris, and Little Boots, who ignited the charts, with music that could be described as having cherry picked influences from the synth laden period of the early to mid-eighties, a few years back.
Listen further, and shades of other genres can be detected on this small opus, including smidgens of trip hop, rock, and slithers of drum and bass, which all add to a lightly dark, dance orientated sound.
As with many vocalists, who happen to feature on dance records, or front dance acts, the eastern licked intonations of singer Roncey Horton’s vocals wouldn't sound out of place on a willowy folk record, with a (stylistic) tone somewhere between the voice of Beth Hirsch (who featured on Air's 1998 Moon Safari album) and pop queen Madonna.
Witnessed predominantly on ‘Shiny Shiny’, Horton's singing lends a ‘poppier’ vibe, to the band's sound, that has changed a little since the making of the EP, and would probably appeal to a wider audience than their earlier work.
Notable track,'Stupid Things’ bears more than a fleeting resemblance to Depeche Mode's magnificent 1997 smash ‘Barrel of a Gun’, but pleasingly pumping with a warmer pop heart!
Sharfla describe themselves as 'Dub-Hop' which is one of those slightly mysterious sub genres that, according to various web based sources, appears to be a fusion of elements of Hip-Hop and Dub-Step (quite suprisingly). Whether they state this with a little tongue wedged in cheek would be interesting to know, but, to be honest, doesn’t really detract from the enjoyment of listening to their work.
They list a range of influences, though, which aren't immediately reminiscent of, or devoted exclusively to, either genre, including arch experimentalist Bjork, through to dance wonder kids, Daft Punk, Manchester Electronica duo, Lamb, and eighties synth poppers, turned electric rock monsters, Depeche Mode.
Their first EP, 'We Are Free', released in 2008, is awash with exciting instrumentals (often with smatterings of wordless vocals) and snatches of spoken word samples, that are teeming with eastern leanings; tracks which sound incredibly filmic, invoking the feeling that they would work perfectly well sound tracking some form of independent classy epic, and bringing to mind the dance orientated work of tabla/producer/DJ genius, Talvin Singh, with 'string' sounds that wouldn't sound out of place on the William Orbit produced 'Ray Of Light' - era Madonna tracks, and also aspects quirkily reminiscent of (Happy Monday/Black Grape front man) Sean Ryder’s solo album 'Amateur Night In The Big Top', but without his gruff, stream of consciousness poetry. Maybe a future collaboration could be in order here?
A highlight, amongst this small arsenal of songs, is Top banana (Live) - a pulsing, rhythmic, progressive track, constructed on the back bone of a steady, repetitive barrage of heavy synth sounds, and 'baggy ' jazz style drumming; blocky, a bit like teletext, recalling smidgens of Green album period Orbital-and decorated with a platter of squiggly electronic noodling, which could be easily slipped into the ‘lysergically’ bubbling mix of a psyche trance anthem.
With so much going on for this band, the question is- what will happen next? How will their sound evolve; where will they go from here? Is there a full album in gestation?
Well, the answer to that, dear audient, is that we will just have to wait and see!
In the meantime, the award winning ‘Shiny Shiny’ is available on the bands website now, for the moderate price of four pounds-with 500 limited edition CDs available (in a high quality digipack); so give your ears a taste, and if you like what you hear, then order a copy from their website, before it is too late!
Introducing Mexico
Indigo, a must listen for people that enjoy fun, no strings attached, rock
music. Formed in 2008, the band from Woking, draw their influences from 60’s
Rock n Roll and the underground sounds of late 1970’s Punk.
Their sound consists of
soft melodies infused with punk undertones, that carry a great pace and energy
to their music. The vocals are perfectly light hearted, with a twist of angst. Mexico
Indigo’s influences are evident when listening, collecting bits and pieces of
different sub-genres, within classic rock music, to form their own sound. This
is very clear in the difference in pace, between most of the songs. Also, loose
fragments of the nineties Nirvana and Green Day, can be heard, whilst
incorporating a modern indie sound, comparable to the likes of the Libertines.
Whilst the message, or
indeed narrative to their lyrics, seems somewhat unclear to the listener, the
vocals create a perfect ambience, which allows you to interpret the songs in
your own way. What is clear, is that there is intent and direction in the
songs. Almost a struggle, which is a classic punk trait.
Their best song ‘Lost
and lonely’ has a rough and urban feel. The songs theme, sounds almost as if it
were written in the moment of a gig, in their local underground punk scene,
drawn from a library of past sounds. Their music is a testament to classic song
writing, displaying a good variety of tastes, revealing a very unique kind of
energy to their music, which is filled with angst, gritty bass and an
appreciation for rock and roll, and thrashy punk music. Clearly, a well read
band, who know exactly what they like and know how to party.
Overall, it’s a very fun
sound, from a band that carries a lot of enthusiasm. A must listen.
The All
Mighty Whispers are a 3 piece band based in Norwich. They have previously
released music through Shellshock however recently they have released music
through their own label, Ex Label. The band believes in being involved in all
aspects of their own music from the recording, mixing and even the marketing
and release of their music.
The first
track 'Underground' opens with a driving guitar line backed by keyboards which
could easily be overlooked but prove to be integral to creating the rich
orchestration this band create. When the vocals come in the band drops out apart from the drums, this
gives you a chance to appreciate the production that went into this album, it
simply allows the track to breathe more and lets you bask in its ambience. This
is part of the brilliance of the track, the subtleties which weave around it
from the backing vocals, sneaking guitar lines and synthesised strings which
come in and out. The track, to me sounds similar to Elvis Costello’s work
particularly as he matured as a writer and reached the mid-point of his career.
The rich instrumentation and production present in the track really help to
show off the bands strength and vision.
'Electricity' (the third track) opens with
sheer noisy chaos amidst a racing full band assault before the vocals burst
onto the scene. This track reminds me of some of Paul Wellers work, particularly
during his Jam days. Full of attitude and bravado, yet has far more style than
most punk. Once again the backing vocals are spot on, never over powering just
right on the money. The bridge is a big change in pace if only for a moment
before building back up and throwing you straight back into the hectic ride the
song started with.
'What do you
say' starts with some laid back guitar work before gradually revving it up, the
band seem to have a real talent for dynamics within their songs. Something that
often seems to be lacking these days but it is ever present within this album.
This track is slightly different from the rest lush chords assault the ear as
subtle synth lines fall in place to back them up. This track seems to be the 'symphony' of the album so far, it is not so much of a race to the finish more
of a journey featuring melodic guitar lines and fantastically atmospheric
drumming and percussion.
The fifth
track 'Tanks' seems to take on a totally different feel from the
rest of the album so far, beginning with an acoustic guitar and a subtle bass
line which backs it up sublimely. The vocal arrangement which begins midway
through further helps to pull the vocals to a new level (I keep mentioning these
backing vocals throughout this review but it really is an enjoyable aspect of
the band). The synth conjures up orchestral pads throughout the track which help
to embellish the laid back nature which began in this track.
'My Release' really is a stand out
track, when listening to the first few tracks I was convinced I had an idea of
what the album would be like as a whole. I was wrong; this track seems to
borrow the mood from the last one but is filled with guitar work that just
seems so lush during the verses while adding a fair amount of bite during the
choruses. The backing vocals are once again in full swing here as are the
keyboards subtly underpinning everything and creating a great slice of
atmosphere for the track. The track builds and builds to a full steam ahead,
firing on all cylinders anthem towards the end before fading to the bare bones
to let it all sink in.
This album
is great, it has points when it could be considered straight up punk including
the aggression and nature of the tracks however I believe when this album
really shines is during the second half the songs have more room to breathe and
you can tell the band have thought carefully about the arrangement of each
track. Nothing gets in the way of anything else the guitar lines don’t step on
the brass sections feet and you can still hear the synth lines clearly. The
band remind me of Elvis Costello at some points, The Police at other points and
occasionally The Jam but even although you can sit all day and name similar
acts the band still have their own sense of identity. This is becoming harder
to achieve during these modern times, particularly with modern pop acts which
seem to go out of date faster than a pint of milk, but the All Mighty Whispers
seem to have it in spades on this album.
Slip into a rustic bottle of something Scottish, Russian or French: bejewel with ice if you pick the Scottish or Russian options-then pour over some 'Jag Harps'.
Sit back and...well, the music says it all!
In a culture where everyone and everything, including your toaster, is telling you how you should live your life, who am I to order you to relax?
Other serving suggestions:
Consume in liberal quantities,when all the bars have closed. Listen to them on your head phones, as you're ambling home - not with the one you love, today-but dreaming of a warmer, brighter tomorrow!
Alternately, save for the wee small hours of the morning, following a big night out, when your vision is blurred through tiredness and intoxication, and you're lounging around talking random rubbish with mates.
Or when you've scaled the assault course of a long, hard day at work and your mind and body feel like they've been shunted between rock and hard place.
Sit back, close your eyes, and let this soul food for the ears, embrace your brain like a comfort blanket, and transport you to a place where your thoughts can feast, rather than vegging out in front of the variety of reality TV dross that we pay our license fees for these days.
Recently, I put on some of their music, when I was at my desk at work. I had listened to 'Jag Harps' before, sparingly, but at that moment, I had an epiphany!
It was one of those mornings when returning to bed would have been lovely. I felt cold, ill, uninspired-and sick of heart. Within seconds of putting it on, the first track I listened to gave me a warm hug, like an old friend, or lover, and I started to feel a little better inside.
'Jag Harps' currently specialise in instrumental music that could be described, most notably, as jazz inspired with gentle hints of dance, electronica and light splashes of glitch techno. Many of their tracks are fecund with flourishes of flamenco guitar, and squiggles of restrained electric axe noodling, burly, smooth bass, and a gentle teasing of horns (mainly trumpet and sax), which would probably have some jazz traditionalists and purists quivering, angrily, with the sheer nerve of it!
But not being a purist, by any stretch of the imagination - or too much of a fascist from this quarter, I don't care. I love stuff like this!
I suppose one direct comparison could be Ninja tune's 'The Cinematic Orchestra', a band I was obsessed with a few years back, but with a vibe that is a lot sunnier and clear headed. There are also hints of 'Amon Tobin' and 'Vertigo'/ 'Goodbye Country-Hello Nightclub'-era 'Groove Armada', in the sound.
Conceived initially as a bedroom project, when producer Graham Rutherford (production, guitars, bass and synths), an experienced live musician, started fiddling about with some musical ideas at home, 'Jag Harps' began to take shape as a band when Rutherford joined forces with drummer Garry Kroll, and the pair spent a number of months jamming, and coming up with new ideas-as well as building upon those that Rutherford had been beavering away at.
These eventually resulted in recordings being made, over a three day period in a studio in Bristol, with session musicians from Bristol and London joining the party (including Frederico Parodi on keys, Daniel Hillman on sax, Simon Dobson on trumpet-and Portishead live bassist Jim Barr) which Graham then took home to tinker with, infusing with extra electronic bells and whistles, before committing to 'wax'.
(Since the recording, there have been slight changes in line up, with the following musicians filling roles: Nguyen Green taking over on keys, Graham Dalzell playing double bass, and Adam Campbell triggering samples from Ableton Live ).
Each track, on their 'Theta Waves EP' (which they released in November 2011) is, for want of a better word, delicious; a delight to behold with the ears and the mind, and a lovely panacea for when you're feeling a bit wrong. So imagine what the effect is when you're feeling a bit right, or a bit normal!
Jumping up and down, and flexing your unmentionables on the dance floor is a lot of fun, I know - but this isn't an arena that you would find 'Jag Harps' frequenting.
They're really more suited, I would argue, to an intimate venue, because this is a band who deserve your full attention, maybe with the aid of a few civilised drinks and in the company of good friends, rather than as a soundtrack to your drunken wild side.
After all, I honestly don't think that 'Jag Harps', in their current incarnation would ever stir up a mosh pit! But then again, why would they want to?
Watch this space for more from 'Jag Harps' who, as well as having an EP and a few live shows under their belt, are set to take 2013 by storm, with more gigging, another EP and possibly an album in the pipeline!
.jpg)