Cow And Field - Reviews

Erik Mongrain � Equilibrium (Prophase Music)

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Michael Bates discovers a new guitar hero

Guitar albums can get very boring very quickly.
I love Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, but even I admit that wanking up and down the scales like pro-dickhead Yngwie Malmsteen gets samey almost as fast as he runs through his arpeggios.

But what if there were guitar albums out there that are (brace yourself) 'fresh, interesting, original and imaginative'? Well, Michael Hedges may have died last century but with Erik Mongrain�s new record �Equilibrium�, you can enjoy the same sort of technically precise yet beautifully free acoustic joy once again without the new-age hippy image attached to it.

Those of you familiar with Erik Mongrain know what to expect. Those who aren�t get a box of Kleenex ready and watch this.

Now you�ve had a crash course in Mongrain�s fresh approach to guitar playing, you can understand that he doesn�t release run-of-the-mill acoustic guitar records. Last year�s �Fates� was joyous yet contemplative and definitely one of the finest debut albums I�ve heard in a long time, however many acts struggle with album number two, so it was interesting to see how Erik would approach the new challenge.

Luckily Erik has shown some serious cojones and actually chosen (perhaps controversially) to not use the lap-tapping technique on this release. Instead what we have is a more thoughtful and mature album using a traditional guitar posture in an experimental way.

Finger-bleeding opener A Ripple Effect provides an exciting introduction before we lunge into the more relaxed core of the album with tracks like Alone in the Mist. Pieces such as Equilibrium and Pandora�s Box both utilise the different percussive properties of the guitar body brilliantly whilst the melody is played throughout on one of Mongrain�s (seemingly limitless) appendages.

Throughout the album, Erik provides us with piece after piece of perfectly formed chillout music. Unfortunately, Michael Manring's fretless bass on Maelstrom and Alone in the Mist somewhat overpowers these tracks so that you have to concentrate to hear exactly what the guitar is doing. The only other criticism I have for this album is that while Fates was multifaceted and fascinating title track are much more of a one-sided affair, dealing almost exclusively in down-tempo meditations. However, having only taken a year to write, record and release, it gains some kudos back for being so prompt.

Otherwise this is a lovely little album, and when you can download it for a measly �6, you�d be hard pressed to find a better bargain.

Let�s face it; given the choice of helping a young talented musician like Mongrain out and getting 40 minutes of original music for your troubles or buying an old U2 record and making that wanker Bono even richer we know where the smart money would go. And for those retards who still think Bono looks good with his sunglasses and floppy hair head over to Erik�s Youtube channel and watch him playing some of his new material before you damn yourself to musical purgatory.

8.0/10.0

Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling (Wall Of Sound)

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

James Longsden's still getting wet over Mogwai

Ah my dearest Mogwai, a band that I can honestly say changed my life from the first time I heard Young Team. Sentiment aside, I wouldn't say that I was left a bit underwhelmed by Mr. Beast but it was most certainly a B+, a 'could have tried harder' effort.

'I'm Jim Morrision I'm Dead' most certainly has the Young Team vibe about it - a slow melodic pace building up into an anthemic chorus, most notably is the ridiculous song titles (even more so on the Batcat EP) but let's not let them take us away from the music.

Recently I have found Mogwai fans are split into three categories; post-Rock Action, pre-Rock Action and all of the above, some think the quiet-loud sound is too clich�d and some think the chilled out Happy Songs-era is too soft, but with 'The Hawk Is Howling' they seem to have finally got the equation right.

'Batcat' starts where 'Glasgow Mega Snake' left off, a heavy riff of a song smashing its way through five minutes of fuzz guitars, its nice to have this without the ten minutes or so build up as on 'Like Herod' but that was then and this is now.

This is typical Mogwai but with a much more mature feel to it, its taken a good few listens to fully appreciate the song writing and on 'The Sun Smells Too Loud', they are going for the electro pop feel that breaks up the album really nicely, but the highlight of the album for me is 'Scotland's Shame' a song which all Mancunians can relate too, with a slow brooding mix of synths and wah pedals, akin to Mogwai's signature timing.

This isn't Mogwai's best album, but its the best in recent years, 'Zidane' aside. It has everything you want from a Mogwai album without the frills, they are still one of the loudest and entertaining bands around and this is by no means the last we will hear from them. All in all, a perfect band and a bloody good album.

8/10

Level 42 + Mercurymen - Opera House, M/CR - 4 Oct 08

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

James Longsden unashamedly bares his Level 42 love

I had never heard of The Mercurymen before, not a snippet so I had no idea what to expect. Now I must say I am no music fascist and I was preparing to watch Level 42 but here I was presented with a new up and coming act.

I missed the first few songs due to traffic and horrible weather, so a warm venue with folksy hooks was welcome. I did start getting into them with the Neil Young-type acoustic riffs and triple vocal harmonies, then something hit me; all I could start thinking of was X Factor, yes the "sell your soul for fame" TV show and again realised they had been put together by Sandi Thoms management and were signed to Sony.

In all fairness, it was not my thing especially the high notes with the practised-in-front-of-the-mirror look but one thing you can say about The Mercurymen is that if they want to make it big, now is the perfect time.

Everyone I know who found out I was going to see Level 42 instantly said "why the hell would you want to see them?"
My instant response was always because they are brilliant, most people think Level 42 are a casualty of the 80s pop scene but they are far from it. Of course they have the pop songs but they are a bloody good pop funk band.

This was a tour where old favourites such as 'Running In The Family' and 'Turn It On' were funked out and surprises in the form of 'The Machine Stops' took the crowd by surprise, it was also weird to see the dreaded Manchester crowd syndrome happen here, only until three-quarters through the set people were getting up and going to the front.

Of course, there is a guilty side to liking Level 42 but again, I don't care, it was a treat to see them for the first time and I am sure next time round I will go again.

Millencolin - Academy 3, M/CR - 28 Sept 2008

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Alex Phelan looks on as a slightly melancholic Millencolin watch their fanbase fizzle away...

It�s undeniably testament to the musical climate in which Millencolin fight to survive that they play to a far-from-full Academy 3 tonight when their previous couple of visits saw them next door at Academy 1 and The Apollo albeit opening for Good Charlotte.

Despite evolving their sound from its skate punk beginnings to a more poppy and radio friendly listen, it�s obvious tastes have changed and they�re another example of a punk rock band who will have to rely on their most loyal fans from hereon in.

First on were Brummy's Templeton Pek. Their name has been floating around on the undercurrent of the UK punk scene for a while now. However, their somewhat disjointed sound struggles to impress, veering uncomfortably between melodic hardcore and aggressive pop punk, slightly reminiscent of A. Although musicianship is tight throughout, the songs had little flow and the vocals seemed to sit uncomfortably within the mix, often a tad flat.

Newport act Strawberry Blondes then took the baton but produced little improvement. Although the vocalist was enthusiastic and got a few heads bobbing, they amount to little more than a Rancid rip-off, and even the relatively young crowd in front of them yearned for something with a little more impact.

All credit to Millencolin then who in the face of a deflated turnout gave it their all. A pleasing mix of new and old, their set was riddled with classics such as �Fox�, �No Cigar� and �Bullion� alongside fresher material from new release 'Machine 15'. Monkeying around and providing plenty of banter, the crowd responded likewise with the youthful audience going wild at the front and the older fans reminiscing contently at the back.

It must be said that frontman Nikola seemed a little distant; certainly involved but not very active onstage. Fatigue could explain that but it may be more likely he was a little fazed by the drastic dip in numbers.

Even that couldn�t take the shine off the performance though, and despite the poor support bands, Millencolin continue to deliver for those that still care.

Grails - Doomsdayer's Holiday (Temporary Residence)

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Longsden gets out his bong and gets fruity with Grails

Grails are a band that seem to just release albums without any warning or advertising.

It�s like they just write and write and write, then record whenever they can � �Yep its a Monday, let�s put an album out.�

Popping out of the ever-fertile Grails fadge in May, �Take Refuge In Clean Living� caught most off-guard, but then it emerged that �Doomsdayer's Holiday� was swiftly following it out, virtually straight after!

Anyway, �Doomsdayer's Holiday� is the Portlander's newest offering. Drenched in eastern influence, they�ve created some desert rock/post rock mutant. Hell they do a bit of everything but the thing is they do it well, almost as if an erratic live jam has been recorded and stuck on the CD racks.

Aptly titled, �Doomsdayer's Holiday� sums up what to expect from the album; a magic carpet ride of echoed guitars, multi-layered percussion and swelling build-ups that wouldn't seem out of place in a Hammer Horror film.

This is a new direction for Grails, wildly determined to shake off the �post rock� tag and �Doomsdayer�s� is another step up and deviation in direction.

Grails - Red Light (live)

Grails often get pigeonholed with the wrong bands and for me, they carry the torch of King Crimson, Hawkwind and, to a lesser extent, early Flaming Lips. Everything about this album is near perfect; instrumental music is hard to get right and Grails seem to have hit it the nail on the head.

It isn�t a record with a stand-out track per se as each track flows and binds to the next and you just have to imagine it as one big fuck-off track.

Grails have been skimming the surface for a while now, here is hoping �Doomsdayer's Holiday� attracts the credit they deserve.

8.0/10.0

'Doomsdayer's Holiday' is out now on Temporary Residence. Order it from temporaryresidence.com/

Links:
Take Refuge live
Grails Myspace

Born Ruffians - Night + Day, M/CR - 16 Sept 08

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tuesday nights.
Eurgh.
They�re almost as unstimulating than Monday nights and the prospect of heading out to the city centre after a 9-5 shift should really be something to look forward to, alas, all I want to do is meh-about.

Arriving just in time to hear the final few seconds of support Gallops!, little warranted sticking around in a close sweaty Night + Day. Instead opting to walk a minute down the road to stroke a local shop�s dog seemed a more enjoyable idea.

Fair play, the honchos at Night + Day have played their part and invested plenty in providing decent ventilation at the Northern Quarter venue to make it much more tolerable but tonight, it was like wearing a mask constructed from a deceased homeless man�s barse - you need a definition? clicky click.

Returning to the horridly humid Night + Day had better be worth it and once Born Ruffians pop up, right on cue, the stale air is instantly shifted.

Three-piece Born Ruffians are living proof that it ain�t what you got, its what you do with it as they pummel through highlights of debut album Red Yellow + Blue.

While the likes of Muse integrate tapes and allsorts of technical cheatery, Born Ruffians create their busy indie rabble in a more honest fashion, touching on Neil Young as much as they do Q + Not U and Les Savy Fav.

Exactly how �Foxes Mate For Life�s multiple busy guitar parts would translate live proves no hurdle as guitarist and lead man Luke Lalonde utilises some pinpoint sampling with bassist Mitch Derosier and frontstage drummer Steven Hamelin beefing out those vital harmonies.

It makes one wonder if those filming set climax �Hummingbird� on their mobiles are on the Orange network, the very network that gained them so much exposure on mainstream TV recently, and while most would rely and ultimately cripple under such attention, their set is on the whole worthy of just as much in-your-face-ness.

Its been two years since these three Toronto boys passed through Manchester and its highly plausible that next time, they wont be playing a crummy Night + Day.

Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night (Capitol)

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Michael Bates documents what may become the Kings' dethroning

Kings of Leon�s career has been a fairy-tale come true; four ugly hairy blokes from American have been transformed by their fairy godmother into insanely popular superstars, and the foursome's success has continued to peak with every release. With �Only by the Night�, we can only wait to see whether the clock is about to strike midnight for the four Cinderellas, or if the sky really is the only remaining limit after all.

One thing to note is that, to be perfectly honest, not much has changed. Caleb�s vocals are still pretty much the focal point of the band as he fulls off a fucking stellar job throughout. Passionate yowls as well as soulful groans, moans and yelps all act as the dish of the day and it all works well.

The album gets off to a great start with a moody opener; �Closer� which is absolutely gorgeous, dissonant and at the same time has a strange sort of swagger to it. The attitude and emotion that leak out of its sweaty, claustrophobic cocoon is utterly irresistible and gets album going perfectly. Lead single �Sex On Fire� is an absolute beast of a track that showcases the band�s knack to write effortlessly catchy, hell-raising party tunes, the only downside of it being that it ends. Simply put, if you don�t enjoy this song then you don�t like fun. The joy continues into the teenage love-song �Use Somebody� that would make the stoniest hearted individual reflect on past romances with a knowing smile and recollections of irresponsible and quasi-illegal sex acts.

However, with the middle of the album come a few middle-of-the-road songs. There�s plenty to be said for keeping things simple but it's becomes obvious that the Fallowils seem to take only one idea per track and the songs somehow feel too long, even at three minutes.

Another issue is that for some reason �17� features, what sound like, Tubular Bells in the opening seconds... which, for me at least, is a definite no-no. It isn�t Christmas and it isn�t clever, so fuck off.

Luckily things pick back up with �Notion�, which is the song that they�ve been reaching for over the last few tracks. It remains simple but just rocks so much more. This is followed by a hangover track �I Want You� which is similarly good, despite sporting a drum beat that scarily reminds me of Genesis� �I Can�t Dance�.

The final pair of �Be Somebody� and �Cold Desert� round the album off well, even though there�s a pointless fake ending before the band waltz back in to sight and finish off the disc. When �Only By the Night� works it�s electrifying, however it remains marred by a mediocre middle which drags the rest of the experience down.

In all respects, it�s better than most other band�s shitty attempts to make a good album (I�m still laughing at Metallica), but by the Kings' own standards it sits comfortably alongside their back catalogue rather than bringing them to even greater heights of achievement. Regardless it�ll still sell a trillion copies and keep everybody happy until the next one.

7/10

'Only By The Night' is out now.

Pelican/Torche - Sheffield Corporation - 13 Sept 08

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Having waddled down to Corporation ready to see �Pelican, Torche + guests�, I was surprised when in actuality the guests were...well, Torche as a matter of fact!

Due to Corporation�s ludicrous �club nights open at 10pm� rule, time would not have allowed for a support act so both bands have a decent set. However, as soon as Torche began, it quickly became apparent that no support act was necessary; galloping through their back catalogue - sandwiched between thick slabs of material from Meanderthal - everyone has a whale of a time, not least of all the band themselves.

Juan Montoya looked like a supercharged Derek Smalls from Spinal Tap, flailing his guitar around like it was one of Michael Jackson�s kids on a balcony, and the grin on Steve Brook�s face rarely fades. The sound was perfect; the solos cut through brilliantly and every note can be heard as a horde of dedicatees sing along to Torche�s ungodly racket. Newer songs such as �Grenades� and �Healer� were received just as warmly as oldies such as �In Return�, and �Rockit� definitely lived up to its name as the guys stormed through track after track, rarely pausing for a breather.

It�s impossible to put into words just how exciting and invigorating seeing this band is, and as they rumbled through set closer �Meanderthal�, I couldn�t help but feel two things; happy as fuck, and sorry for Pelican, who�d have to do something spectacular to equal this.

Corporation, as a venue, has a lot to answer for in general. Last time I was here, a few days prior to see Meshuggah, the lead guitar was so loud it gave both me and my compadre headaches, gigs always end early, prompting Silver Mt Zion to cut their encore short in the past, and worst of all; if you attend their 14+ gigs you have to be 18 to enter the room the gig is actually in, staying in the main bar area if you�re younger. I don�t know about you, but shoving a load of kids into a room full of alcohol because they can�t handle loud music sounds fucking retarded. However, the latest offence in their long list of misdemeanours is their crime against the noble Pelican tonight.

Few 14-year olds appear to be in attendance, but when Pelican appear, it seems even the 18+�s aren�t allowed to hear them. The band come on to find all their instruments drowned out by the drums and after fucking about with the sound staff for a good quarter of an hour, they finally get things to an acceptable state of affairs.

It boggles the mind how the venue got Torche to sound so good but make a complete balls up of the headline act. It was pretty much impossible for me to identify the first half of their set; guitars were inaudible and it was so bad that quieter passages sounded quite heavy while the heavier bits were just plain noisy.

It�s only towards the end of the set that Pelican�s sound was sorted, and when they hit their groove things went swimmingly with �Drought� being particularly well-received as well as the eponymous �City of Echoes�, even if Trevor de Brauw�s guitar parts were still inaudible.

Eventually Trevor and Bryan Herweg swapped instruments for �a new song�, which left everybody a little cold since it was more a couple of new riffs than the well-thought out epics that Pelican are capable of.

However, the die-hards still appreciated it, and after some polite applause the set proper could continue. Don�t get me wrong, what they had was good, it just needs some more work and will definitely sound better when it isn�t at Corporation.

As the clock reached 9:58 Pelican left the stage and the crowd, being undoubtedly aware of Corporation�s fascist time policies, began to leave. About 60 of us stayed around to see the band come out for a triumphant last song, and as the lights come up I realised that it was the first time all night you could hear each one of Pelican�s instruments, which is a massive shame since the guys were really trying their damnedest to give us a show despite being understandably ticked off.

Torche: 9/10

Pelican: 7/10

Corporation: 0/10

This Town Needs Guns � Animals (Big Scary Monsters)

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Guns? This Town? Needs? With an ever-flowing torrent of knife-crime incidents in the media, how can Oxford-based five-piece be so irresponsible and downright balmy to suggest that we now need guns?

Regardless of their bobbins name, This Town Needs Guns present their debut full-length on the back of a solid, if compact catalogue of EPs and mini-releases.

Nicely limbering everyone�s ears with last year�s Cats + Cats + Cats split EP, it�s been a intriguing 12 months since then and �Animals� should have been as enjoyable as an icecream sandwich sandwich. That's right, an ice cream sandwich made of ice cream sandwiches.

Individual ability amongst the ranks is obvious, showcasing a masterclass in double guitar-tapping, faultless drumming and beartrap tight time-signatures that would have you checking the back of the CD for scratches if you didn�t know any better.

Sadly, this only holds weight for so long and once the frankly brilliant openers �Chinchilla� and �Baboon� are out the way, TTNG quickly run out of bullets.

It�d be cruel and plain untrue to say �Panda� or �Pig� are bad songs - oh by the way, all the songs are named after animals, just like a certain 70s prog album � but the incessant time changes become tiresome while flashy guitar tapping is employed way beyond the point of exhaustion. A welcome interlude comes in the form of the delicate 'Elk' after 'Pig' shows promise of further brilliance, its never materialises and we're back in blandsville.

When they�re on it, TTNG punch to the weight of Minus The Bear and Maps + Atlases, otherwise it feels like a tragic waste of talent.

5.3/10
- minus one point for not having a song called 'Cat' or any feline for that matter.

Link:
This Town Needs Myspace

Mister Ma�ana - Caprisun & Wrongbow (self-released)

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Having three guitars in your line-up is easy. Utilising them to create something that warrants those extra six strings is a little more of a task.

Oceansize are a perfect example of how it�s done and strangely enough, mentioning them in the same sentence as Mister Ma�ana isn�t an unreasonable comparison.

Big riffs are clearly the agenda of the day and at points, you wouldn�t be surprised to learn that Chris Cornell and Kim Thayil had handed them leftover licks from the Down On The Upside days with �Human Fly� (a homage to the Leeds quartet? Let�s hope not) coming on like its long-lost and forgotten hidden track.

Tsunami-like grandeur soon tides for lush soundscapes which paint from the same pots as Oceansize or perhaps Isis. Delay washes over a water-tight rhythm section and while they might not possess the complexity of Oceansize, they certainly boast the swagger and ambition.

That�s the third time I�ve mentioned Oceansize.
That�s four now, meh!
It shouldn�t be even considered that Mister Ma�ana are a clone or are ripping them off. If anything, there aren�t enough bands that can sound as vast and tuneful as MM. Manatees and Red Sparrows are just two other respected names that come to mind during this four-track taster.

A sneaky hidden song displays a complete departure for the ear-pummeling epicness for a dark Tom Waits-esque acoustic number and rather than being plonked on the end, it should be flaunted with pride half way through, nicely breaking up the rawwwk.

Despite the Strongbow knocking and rather silly name (pfft, Cow + Field? I can talk!), Mister Ma�ana should find residence on iPods packed with tunes boasting production bigger than King Kong�s unmilked goolies.

See them on tour in September...

8.2/10.0

Link:
Mister Ma�ana

Pivot - O Soundtrack My Heart (Warp Records)

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Pivot's 2005 debut 'Make Me Love You' was a brilliant lo-fi record that flew under many people's radars - full of beautiful multi-layered keyboards, intricate guitar work and skittering drums.

Since then, they've lost three of their founding members and recruited one multi-instrumentalist mentalist and listening to 'O Soundtrack My Heart', it's hard to picture only three people making this massively dense and complex sound. However thanks to the power of Youtube, it's clear to see that they can pull it off masterfully.

With 'O Soundtrack My Heart', Pivot prove themselves to be a band of polar opposites. One minute they can be a dark, dirgy, pretty heavy guitar band before skilfully mutating into a mass of glitchy, computerised sounds - all broken drum machines and exploding modems. They can also flit between dirty funk and lilting synth-pop in an heartbeat without it ever sounding contrived or messy - take for instance, the transition from the title track to the beautifully whimsical 'Fool In Rain'.

The highlight of the album is reserved for 'Sing You Sinners' with an opening guitar line reminiscent of 'The Living Years' by Mike And The Mechanics, multi-layered vocal harmonies, maniacal handclaps and Vangelis-esque synths.

If you can imagine Sonic Youth and Autechre creating a sound integrating prepared guitars and digital fuckery, or Battles and Jean Michel-Jarre concocting a sound of progressive synth-sanity, then you can imagine Pivot's extraordinary sound.

8.9/10

Linky loo:
Pivot MySpace
O Soundtrack My Heart - ItaliaWave 2008

The north of England is a wonderful place.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hello there. It�s been a while. I haven�t contributed anything to this site for almost twelve months. My last effort being a beautiful piece of erotica in tribute to Fightstar. This, however, is much more serious. The truth of the matter is that music has been pissing me off. I�m bored of watching boring bands rip off bands that I hate and I�m bored of hearing hyped up bands that have left me feeling like a balloon that has slowly deflated over two weeks after a birthday party that only seven people attended. I�ve recently been trying to fall back in love with music.

I�ve gone back to the records that excited me when I was a decade younger to find out why I fell in love with music in the first place. Early records by Blur, Radiohead and Idlewild. In comparison to a lot of my peers I actually embraced music quite late but these were the bands that formed my first love. I felt like I haven�t heard a new release by a truly great band for quite some time. More specifically though, a GREAT release by a GREAT BRITISH band. This however, has changed.

Most people that know me know I get a huge hard on for Leeds outfit Bilge Pump. One of the last things I wrote for this site was a review of a gig where I mentioned that they had started to play some new songs that weren�t part of their first album, �Let Me Breathe�. The reason I mention this is because the new album, �Rupert The Sky� is here and it is everything I had been waiting for over the last six years. I always feel slightly weird talking about this band because it feels like I�m either stating the obvious or repeating myself at every turn. These guys really are three of the most accomplished musicians I�ve ever seen and the wonderful thing about the band is that they�re clearly not satisfied with being clever. What they really want to do is make pop music. This record is made for your feet as much as it is for your mind. The intertwined vocals on �A Storm In A Teacup� are a prime example of how they can be clever and catchy at the same time while the groove they lay on �The Fuckover� is pure for dancin� man.

If you�re interested in dancing, standing at the back or listening from outside while smoking I suggest you go and buy this record and see them live at the first opportunity. I don�t know whether they�re an intelligent punk band, an experimental pop group or a rockin� jazz ensemble but it really doesn�t matter. This band can be all that and more. I suggest you get involved.

Speaking of experimental pop, I want to move across the Pennines to share some thoughts on the debut album from Cats In Paris, �Court Case 2000�. Three gents and a lady from Manchester that have previously been involved in making online comics, translating things, listening to Prince and having a moustache have come together to form one of our city�s most exciting prospects for quite some time. The release of their debut has marked the end of twelve months that has seen them go from strength to strength.

Like Bilge Pump, they make music that is as intelligent as it is melodious. The use of synths and violin through a multitude of effects gives them a very different sound to a lot of bands doing the rounds but that doesn�t mean that they�re hiding anything. Arpeggio keys and sections of noise create a feeling of chaos and provide a stark contrast to the pop music that is often, but not always, the sound they aim to create. Without wanting to sound pretentious (much) they use the contrast between noise and melody in the much the same way an artist will use colour theory to amplify the feeling of light and shade in a painting.

To tell you exactly what they sound like is to undermine exactly what makes Cats special. Sometimes they�re a pop band, sometimes they sound a bit French and sometimes a little R&B. The record is out now through Akoustik Anarkhy and I strongly suggest you check it out to see what all the fuss is about.

I was going to post links to Bilge Pump, Cats In Paris and Akoustik Anarkhy but I reckon you know how to use the Internet to listen to mpthreez.

Russian Circles - Station (Suicide Squeeze Records)

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The latest offering from Russian Circles sounds eerily familiar.

Layers of sound that build up. Songs start quiet and soar to dizzying heights of noise. It's all very...done.
In parts reminiscent of Sigur R�s, in parts it sounds like unused and forgotten Minus The Bear riffs, as though they've been hidden in the depths of a track, in the hope that no one will quite be able to work out why the tune sounds familiar.

As much of a compliment as it should be to be compared to such magnificent bands, the problem is that it's not the Sigur Ros/MTB sounds of the future, or even the sounds of now...it's the sound of last year.

As an album, it's a treat to listen to, but with a strictly nostalgic feel. This would have been outstanding back then, but now it just sounds like they missed the boat that was heading to the land that pushed post-rock to new boundaries.

It's by no means 'unlistenable' and their collective talent is obvious, but there were already hundreds of bands doing this. And unfortunately for these Chicago boys, those bands have already tried and tired this trick and then moved it up a notch.

For Russian Circles to really contend with today's generation of instrumental post-rock bands, they needed to throw down the e-bow gauntlet, slap us round the face with a quiet yet thundering epic that unnerves you and comforts you in one blast.

Sadly, it seems they didn't feel the need to listen to what was going on in the world, didn't heed the progression going on around them and failed to realise that the boundaries for music like theirs had shifted. It's not as if they've not tried to throw down the gauntlet but have beat a hasty retreat back to the safety of what they know, when it's obvious they're more than capable of leaping out of their comfort zone.

It keeps you wondering if you've missed something' some small hidden trick that would justify the hype, or maybe it's just something that a real fanboy would hear.
Who knows.
It's a worthwhile album but it needs a reasonable effort to really make it stick, and it's a shame to say that I probably wouldn't take much notice if I heard one of the tracks on its own.

Saying that - 'Harper Lewis' could well be a super slowed down Hot Bone.

Which is nice.

6.7/10.0

'Station' is available through Suicide Squeeze Records now

Tellison & Tubelord - Split 7" (Banquet Records)

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

There's a fine line between perfectly encapsulating the joys of Summer and just sounding like a bunch of tacky annoying cunts.

If you're wondering who falls into the latter classification, think Alphabeat, Dashboard Confessional, but this split from two of the finest upcoming bands unequivocally belongs to the earlier category.

It's as if the air becomes flooded with pollen the moment Tellison strike the first ringing chord of 'Wasps Nest' and the next seven minutes will bring much comfort to those mourning another Summer's death come September; if Summer ever gets started that is.

Tellison have been banging their Stapleton-esque pop rock for a few years now and the formula isn't tiring. 'Wasps Nest' bunches together cracking melodies, intoxicating harmonies and enough clever little structure deviations to ensure a genre that can be easily criticised for rehashing old ideas, remains as fresh as when Get Up Kids had something to write home about.

Tubelord's arse might not be as fragrant as Tellison's but they make up for their hint of scattery showers by picking up where Biffy Clyro left off when they came out with 'Blackened Sky'. As a three-piece, they specialise in the quiet-loud, start-stop trick that everybody's favourite hairy Scots have made a career out of but with a fresh naive approach that makes the jaunt more progressive.

'Night Of The Pencils' drum sound could be seen as offensive at first but it's quickly forgotten when you find yourself trying to keep up with their sporadic changes, being flung from riff to riff. "It's such a ride" wails vocalist Dave and with such turbulent shifts, it definitely is.

Two great bands, two great songs, one glossy little 7". Done.

8.7/10

Link:
Listen to Tellison - 'Wasps Nest'
then listen to Tubelord - 'Night Of The Pencils'
then clear your conscience and buy the 7"

Deerhunter - 'Microcastle' (Kranky records)

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Ian Breen OBE finds out if psycho tits Bradford Cox can top 'Cryptograms'...

Deerhunter have always been an enigma to me - their records have been dark, experimental affairs - they simultaneously draw you in with their melodic, droning songs and exclude you with their icy, oblique atmospheres - often within the same song. Does that make sense? Previous album 'Cryptograms' was an awesome, yet confusing, record - you couldn't play it at parties, but it had its moments where you just wanted to dance your socks off.

New album 'Microcastle' condenses everything that made 'Cryptograms' so awesome into a much easier-to-digest little package. The songs are more direct, more "traditional", more melodic, more dancey...more awesome! Opening the album with chorus-free slow number 'Agoraphobia' is a brave yet brilliant move - the final instrumental section as the song builds is truly beautiful and leads nicely into the anthemic 'Never Stops', with its pounding drums and wailing drones complementing the cheeky bass and catchy vocals nicely.

They do occasionally drift back into their old, frosty ways, particularly with the middle section of the album. 'Calvary Scars', 'Green Jacket' and 'Activa' sound like lost tracks from a David Lynch soundtrack - the sound of Ronette Polaski walking barefoot down a railway track; the sound of Alvin Straight driving his tractor down a desolate midnight road - it's the music that Julee Cruise and Angelo Badalamenti would be making now.

The peace doesn't last, as evil part-monster Frank Booth (sorry, 'Nothing Ever Happened') appears and shakes things up. Easily the album's highlight, the vocal and guitar line during the verse is just amazing, the chorus so simplistic you'll be wondering why no-one's ever written anything this catchy and brilliant before. The extended finger-tapping jam that rounds off the track becomes the album's master-stroke and warrants the album's pricetag alone.

Having had the pleasure of witnessing live tracks from 'Microcastle' recently - completely upstaging Liars in the process - I can say hand on heart that if you love music and melodies then you will love 'Microcastle'.

9.0/10.0

'Microcastle' is released on 27 October through 4AD

Link:
Deerspacer

Scouting For Girls - 'It's Not About You' (single - Epic Records)

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Plinky-plonk plonkers release the same song under a different title a fourth time round...

A couple of years ago, I came across an amusing website that contained images of the wav files for songs by Linkin Park. It exposed their tried-and-tested formula towards song structures as each song looked almost identical with quiet patterings suddenly exploding into a smattering of decibels.

It's perfectly likely the same joke could be made with Scouting With Girls and those shouting 'oi oi oi!' should have a listen to 'It's Not About You' then their biggest and most fucking annoying single to date 'She's So Lovely' and open their dumb ears.

IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME CHORDS!
AT EXACTLY THE SAME TEMPO!
WITH EXACTLY THE SAME STRUCTURE!
AND THE EXACT SAME STARTY/STOPPY THING THEY DO IN EVERY OTHER SONG!

The only difference between 'It's Not About You' and their irritating breakthrough (s)hit is the lyrics, which are too fucking hideous to look at without thinking dismembered kittens would be a less grizzly affair.

A lot of press have slammed Scouting For Girls and before hearing this, thought much of it was a little unwarranted but balls to it, Scouting For Girls are the evil bastard offspring of Busted + Keane. They should be behanded, like beheaded but with hands, so even if they try to make any more music like this then their heads thumbing erratically against piano keys would be make more enjoyable listening.

0.2/10.0

'It's Not About You' is released on 4 August through Epic. God help us.

Link:
That website that proves all Linkin Park songs are the same
Video: 'It's All About You'
Video: She's So Loverrrrrrly

Underground Railroad - 'Sticks and Stones' (single - One Little Indian)

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

London three-piece state the bleeding obvious.

'Sticks and stones' yells Marion Andrau 'will break your bones'. Golly! While reiterating what everyone has known since they were four years old, Underground Railroad play the type of electronica-fueled alt rock that most would have bored of before leaving high school. Remember Sunna? It's not much different, in approach, to that.

At least that's how the lead single comes across, b-side 'Homeless Town' tells another story capturing what Idlewild clumsily misplaced after '100 Broken Windows' with scrappy spackhanded guitars and disorientated slurred vocals reminiscent of Thurston Moore. Whoever decided to put this as the b-side made a massive boo-boo as this disc was taking the gravity express out the third floor window into the pissy bushes before this dose of saving grace kicked in.

So Underground Railroad, 50% trainwreck, 50% Orient Express.

5.0001/10.0

'Sticks And Stones' is released on 21 July through One Little Indian.

Link:
Listen to both tracks here

Video: 'Sticks And Stones'

Death Cab For Cutie - 'Cath...' (single - Atlantic/Barsuk)

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Following the slight dip in form that was 2005's 'Plans', Death Cab For Cutie, Seattle's finest [Nirvana?] ok, second finest export has bounced back with 'Narrow Stairs', a confident and well-accomplished record of healthy guitar indie for those who already love them will find difficult not to foam at the mouth over.

'Cath...' is one such example why Death Cab, despite how bitter and whiney they can be in person, should be loved by any person who has ever been slightly excited by the sound of a loud guitar. Sure to be one of the jewels in their upcoming tour setlists, it would have been a genius idea, if not slightly obvious, to release 'Cath...' with its preceding track on 'Narrow Stairs', 'No Sunlight'. They're like salt and pepper, wheat and hops, blood and bone.

Nonetheless, 'Cath...' possesses a simple barebones drumbeat for the verse that frequently has me airdrumming while stuck in traffic. Ben Gibbard's vocals are just as stark, yelping when it seems fit. It's a perfect case of "less is more" with the song breathing as its if on a country walk.

Despite its huge soaring chorus and being fully deserved, it's doubtful to reach Radio One's main playlist which is probably for the best but 'Cath...' should easily please anyone who had an ear orgasm at 'The Photo Album' all those years ago.

8.4/10

Links:
deathcabforcutie.com

Singles Round-up

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Oh dear, it seems a small mountain of singles has spawned on my desk so as a measure to resolve this, I thought a quick and slightly flippant round-up would be the best method.

First to walk the plank is Brighton three-piece Elle Milano with their latest single �Laughing All The Way To The Plank�. Nautical profiteering sadly isn�t the subject at hand but more yuppie twats who bum up to Ikea, finding themselves alone with unpacked furniture.

The Cribs meets Muse with a non-irritating measure of Kaiser Chiefs is the order of the day as vocalist Adam M. Crisp [a pseudonym, surely] spits snide jibes at a section of today�s society who claim "it's easy, like getting your attention. We go "Sex! Sex! Sex! Sex! Sex!"

Initial listens are a bit cringey but once the irritation subsides, �Laughing All The Way�� shows it colours as a catchy little number and honest listeners would see their acclaim in mainstream press as warranted.

Maybe the slower, less- wacky b-sides �Killin� Time� and �Chess Tragedy� should have started the disk but Elle Milano will nicely fill the Cribs-shaped hole in many of the NME generation�s lives.
7.6/10.0

What happened to Black Kids?
Barely a couple months have passed since C+F was shouting from the rooftops about how infallible Black Kids are but now it feels we�ve hardly been back a week from the honeymoon before we�re exchanging the divorce papers.

The �Wizard Of Ahhhs� EP demonstrated a promise too few exhume so early and the huge step up as regards to production value in debut single and album sneak-peek �I�m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You� lost a lot of what was so attractive about their sound. Sadly, follow-up single �Hurricane Jane� suffers the same fate.

Glossy, over-produced re-recordings were not the way with Black Kids and the slow-burning mystique of the original EP version has been suffocated in sea of very shiney paint.

�It�s Friday night and I aint got nobody, what�s the use in making the bed?� whines Reggie Youngblood. Well let me ask you Mr Youngblood, what�s the use in jazzing-out near perfect tunes for the mass-market if they're going to sound this lifeless?

Black Kids should say �No thank you� to Mr. Major Record Label, give their advance back and get back to recording songs in dingy studios if that�s what brings out the best of them.
3.2/10.0

There�s very little that hasn�t been said about Frank Turner on C+F. He�s been like the patron saint of this website since before it started and we barely said a bad word about him [okay, maybe one] but we aren�t going to start now; especially at a time when Turner is knocking out quality tunes like �Reasons Not To Be An Idiot�.

�Reasons�� has had 'single' scrawled all over it since the album promo dropped through our door months ago. The Billy Bragg-isms are thankfully less frequent and a more frank Frank shine through. Straight-forward infectious guitar pop doesn�t get much better than this.

Frank spouts �Deep down you�re just like everybody else�; sadly, there aren�t many like Frank Turner.
9.3/10.0

Innerpartysystem - �Don�t Stop� - single (Island/Fallout Records)

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tatty electro-rock from over the water.

The name �Innerpartysystem� rings far too closely to Love City Groove, Eurovision Also Rans from 1995, to warrant really being taken seriously.

So upon learning that Innerpartysystem arenothing more than a Pendulum clone, its safe to say this initial discovery didn�t cause much upset.

Not wanting to dwell on the name but what does that mean? It doesn�t make sense. �Inner�? Okay, makes enough sense so far. �Innerparty�? Right, maybe that refers to being savagely bummed. �Innerpartysystem�? Whaaaat?! Makes no sense!

Anyway who cares about the name when the music is so old hat. Plenty of electro goon work and scrappy razorwire guitar make up debut single �Don�t Stop� and maybe this would have got a few people excited when the Prodigy through up The Fat Of The Land over ten years ago, but today, its like letting your dad loose on GarageBand for an hour. Comparisons to Squarepusher and Autechre are comical also.

Innerpartysystem, do stop!

1.1/10.0

'Don't Stop' is released on 30 June through Island/Fallout Records

Link: Innerpartymyspace

�Don�t Stop� video:

Radiohead � The Best Of (Parlophone)

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Oxford's finest gets a good milking from bitter record label

If you missed the review for Led Zeppelin�s �Mothership� back in November, you may as well read that and substitute the names accordingly because this is another shameful act of moneymilking from bereaved record labels.

So unless you�ve just been born, you�ll need no introduction to Radiohead. Forerunners and pioneers of modern music for over ten years (I don�t count debut �Pablo Honey�), Lord Gammy-eye Yorke and his moody rabble have produced albums so strong they could stand two nuclear holocausts.

But once again as per usual with bands of such an influential nature; fantastic music, awful motive. Parlophone, still nursing the sores from when Radiohead punched them in the eye socket and decided they could handle their own shit now, have issued this double-disc collection in an effort to squeeze what cash they can from Radiohead. However the Oxford five-piece can smirk at the fact that they�ve rendered this �best of� redundant before it was even released. Where�s �Nude�? Where�s �Jigsaw Falling Into Place�? On �In Rainbows�, that�s where.

There�s almost no point listening to this. Everyone�s heard the songs to the point that it just feels weird to listen to them away from album context.

One for the completists if ever there was one, even �rarities� such as �Talk Show Host� and �True Love Waits� can be sought out easily. The real �Radiohead: The Best Of� can only be evaluated once Yorke + co have laid down their efforts and this really only needs to belong to curious newcomers or your dad.

Music: 10/10
Ethics: -9/10

'Radiohead: The Best Of' is out now on Parlophone

'Fake Plastic Trees':

Wax Tailor - Hope & Sorrow (Decon)

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Anita Smith waxes lyrical on Hip-hop's newest hope.

I�ve never heard of Wax Tailor until now. But I do like hearing new things. Especially when they impress as much as �Hope & Sorrow�.
It�s not an album that will immediately blow your mind, or make you question your life before this moment, but nonetheless, I insist that you give it a chance if you know what�s good for your ears and your mind.

With songs that grow organically around samples and beats, 'Hope & Sorrow's intelligence lies in its simplicity, and that only makes the songs improve with each listen.
Nothing is overdone, and with tracks veering from a dark, urban feel to a laid-back Jurassic 5 sound, this album deserves to be heard by anyone who has even a passing interest in hip-hop.
What am I saying? I hate pigeon-holing like that. Even if you�re not into hip-hop, you should check it out. It�s an album that keeps you interested from start to finish, without being too demanding � a healthy mix of technique and instinct�plus a cello. Yes, a cello.

Stand out tracks are �Positively Inclined� and �There Is Danger� for something upbeat, and for all you Jazz enthusiasts trying to branch out, have a listen to 'Beyond Words.
'Alien In My Belly' could practically be a tribute to Portishead or Lamb � it�s one of the best tracks on the album and you can see why the �trip hop� label has been thrown in to the mix.

What allows this album to stand proudly, apart from the efforts of most hip-hop/sample artists, is the eclectic nature of its influences. There�s the obvious, but then there�s a darker underbelly. A knowing nod to soul and jazz, which allows it to hold its head just that little bit higher than its peers. It turns out Wax Tailor is French. This should only add to the reasons you need to hear 'Hope & Sorrow' - don�t be the last to know.

7.3/10

Opeth - Watershed (Roadrunner Records)

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Michael Bates gets wanky all over the new Opeth disc...

First things first � yes, this is the recording debut of Bloodbath�s Axe and ex-Arch Enemy guitarist Fredrik �kesson for the Stockholm superstars that are Opeth.

It�s also Opeth�s first original material to be released in three years, something that would never have occurred in the band�s early career when an album a year was the norm. So this release was always going to be interesting from the outset; would Axe tip Opeth too far into death metal territory with his horrendously punishing drumming? Would Fredrik try taking over guitar parts with too many widdily- widdily bits? Did it take three years because it wasn�t as good? Would Opeth stop sounding like Opeth?

Pftt, don�t be fucking ridiculous. Even though he�s the only remaining original member, there has only ever been the odd Opeth song that wasn�t penned by singer/songwriter/deity Mikael �kerfeldt. So, yes it took longer to do. Yes, it has new members. And yes, it has a name suggesting a pivotal moment in their career as a band, but the album is unmistakably Opeth. Vocals might be the teensiest bit cleaner than usual, but when its �kerfeldt singing, who gives a toss? Mikael �kerfeldt is one of the finest vocalists ever to grace the planet, and his soaring vocal performance on album centrepiece �Burden� prove that he owns you, your gran and her pet budgerigar. And when he decides to scream you shit yourself. He must have balls the size of the late Lolo Ferrari�s knockers to make that sound.

The guitar parts are pure sex, the melodies are soaring, dissonant, beautiful and haunting, the drums are as hard hitting as ever, a tad more death metal than Martin Lopez would have recorded, but how is that a bad thing on, what is essentially, a metal record? I want to marry this record, have sex with the disc and rub its essence all over my face until I absorb some of its awesomeness in the vain hope that I will become as perfectly well-rounded and as enjoyable as this CD is.

Opening track �Coil� is gorgeous, lush guitar chords and a stunning performance from �kerfeldt before the band tastefully brings Axe�s girlfriend Nathalie Lorichs in to sing the refrain in a heartbreaking moment of fragility. It�s only the opening track and already, it�s perfect; it only gets better. The succeeding tracks take you through death-metal chaos and whirling eclecticism (random dancey bit in �The Lotus Eaters� anyone?), moments of sublime virtuosity and maturity with a nice dose of fun thrown in at the same time, towards a final mellotron-soaked cosy closer that makes you feel all warm and snug and want to stay in bed and listen to the album just. one. more. time.

I DO NOT HAVE A SINGLE BAD WORD TO SAY ABOUT THIS ALBUM. I have one less-than-creaming-my-pants thing; album closer �Hex Omega� could have gone out with more of a bang, but it�s still a perfect fucking album. Believe the hype, why Opeth aren�t fucking millionaires by now is perhaps the biggest question one could ask, and if you found the answer your head would explode into tiny bits.

This isn�t just Opeth, this is Opeth squared. Maybe even cubed. Everything that made the band musical heroin before is now so perfect, they are practically made of ambrosia. Both the rice pudding and the food of the Gods. Did I mention it�s good? Not even the woman off those sexy Marks and Spencer�s food adverts could do this album justice.

Rating?
Eleventy out of ten. And that�s me being conservative.

'Watershed' is out now through Roadrunner Records.

The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing (Columbia)

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Ian Breen OBE gives a heads-up on 'the next big thing's debut...

So, The Ting Tings.
Quite a difficult one to review, this. Having played their first show a mere twelve months ago, they seem to have gone supernova - Radio 1 A-listers, interviews in The Sun, top 20 singles and so on. Having seen them play one of their "intimate" shows at Islington Mill last summer and being pleasantly surprised by their catchy awesomeness, the wait for the debut full length has been a long and strange one.

Things start off brilliantly with their two amazing singles 'Great DJ' and 'Thats Not My Name' - both brilliant sing-along pop rock songs, the former boasting a nagging, slightly annoying yet still brilliant chorus. Then all of a sudden, it seems like The Ting Tings may have spunked their wad too early, as 'Traffic Light', the fourth track on the album, stumbles onto the scene and barely even makes it's presence known. Total filler, very light, quickly forgettable.
Pfft.
Is this what we've been waiting for?
Great.
Yeah, great.

However, as the album progresses, some totally genius moments shine through. 'Keep Your Head' and 'Be The One' both disarm and delight with their melodic beauty and simplicity, the former's cowbell-heavy beat augmented by vocal harmonies, cheap keyboard melodies and guitars are reminiscent of local legends The Longcut at their understated best. 'We Walk's driving piano-and-cowbell combo really gets pulses racing - a truly brilliant pop song that sounds like Rihanna jamming with The Rapture.

However, 'Impacilla Caprisung' lets the side down somewhat - all muddled, rambling nonsense. The album's closer, 'We Started Nothing', has a slight Mark Ronson-feel, which would normally have this reviewer in fits of rage, smashing everything in sight (I mean, come on, Ronson really is just a cunt with a trumpet - making already-mediocre songs sound like some horrible Netto-bargain-bin knock off bollocks... or something)...anyway that's a rant for another time. So, the album ends on a bit of a downer, which is a shame, as the middle of the album is absolutely cracking.

It feels like The Ting Tings could really come into their own on their next record, given more time to work on the strong points - their simplistic melodies, excellent poppy vocals, snappy tunes - and just trim the fat a little.

Still, this is a good record, one that will be great to have on during the summer. Surely they're destined for greatness.

7/10

'We Started Nothing' is out this Monday [19 May] through Columbia.

Link:
Kating does some hula-hooping

The Last Shadow Puppets � The Age of the Understatement (Domino)

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Selina Helen Travis plays with some monkeypuppetsrascals.

With the Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight and Muse seemingly being the only other UK bands who can regularly sellout arenas and dominate the charts, it�s hard to have any real beef with the Arctic Monkeys.
Easily the best of a bad bunch, they�ve always seemed to carry themselves with a certain air of modesty (take note Johnny Borrell) and with their honest uncomplicated approach to songwriting, they�re a decent enough antidote to the absurd and overwrought meanderings of Matt Bellamy & co.

With this in mind, Alex Turner�s latest project 'The Last Shadow Puppets' is worth a fair old chance.

So let�s start with the plusses.
With 12 tracks clocking in at just over 38mins (most of which last under the 3 minute mark), the album moves along at a fine pace. With epic string arrangements courtesy of Owen Pallett and the huge sense of melodrama that hangs over the album, this could have easily veered off into a heap of self-indulgence, but to its credit, this is an album that rarely loses its focus.

Anyone expecting to draw comparisons between this and the Arctic Monkeys will however be disappointed, as Turner has not wasted this opportunity to explore new musical territories. Straying away from his usual observational lyrical style and stripped down indie anthems, Alex Turner and Rascal-in-crime Miles Kane have instead produced a collection of songs owing more to the likes of Scott Walker and Burt Bacharach than nineties Britpop. With sweeping string arrangements and drums that gallop along like an Ennio Morricone soundtrack, these songs wouldn�t sound too out of place in a Bond film.

However, there is a downside. Whilst the album does get off to a promising start, by around the halfway mark everything starts to become much of a muchness and by the end, I couldn�t help but feel that had some of the filler been stripped away we might have been left with a half-decent EP. Another small problem I have is the uber-credible comparisons to Scott Walker et al. I can�t help but feel that at times, this album sounds a bit too much like The Coral. And whilst a staunch fan might celebrate the tongue-in-cheek campness of tracks such as 'Meeting Place�, the haters might well draw comparisons to Baby Spice�s weird sixties pop phase.

No doubt, Alex Turner's biggest fans will love it, whilst the beer-guzzling laddish contingent of Arctic Monkey�s fan base will barely notice it. It�s likely too that The Last Shadow Puppets will pick up some new fans along the way, though where they can take their sound next remains to be seen.

6/10

'The Age Of The Understatement' is out now through Domino

Black Mountain, Wintersleep - MoHo, M/CR - 12 May 08

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Whichever way this evening�s events panned out, it was uncertain whether it�d pale in comparison to the last time I saw Black Mountain: the middle of June, in the blazing sun, by the sea, with friends, in Barcelona and the wrong side of tipsy, how could a murky sub-level Northern venue charging �3.30 for a plastic cup of Carling possibly compete? Such ignorance wouldn�t help the situation, after all, a Black Mountain show is a Black Mountain show, no matter where it is.

Before all that, fellow Canadians Wintersleep showcase a taster of their Band Of Horses-meets-Appleseed Cast Americana indie rock. As pleasant as it was, it wasn�t so much a taster, more an all-you-can-eat buffet leaving us a modestly full MoHo feeling like Mr Creosote. They�ve got their plusses but tonight Wintersleep outstayed their welcome, ruining their initially impressive impression.

It was while Wintersleep were on, I saw that the door to �the Green Room� was slightly ajar and caught a glimpse of Amber Webber. The last time I saw Amber Webber, she probably thought I (and the people I was with) were a bunch of nobheads, insisting on multiple photographs with her. And in hindsight, she was probably right to think so too. As tempting as it was, I resisted my second photo opportunity with the lovely vocal hippy princess.

Guitar pedals can be naughty sometimes and when you have as many as Stephen McBean, things can go wrong. Tonight, they were feeling especially mischievous causing a 20-minute delay. It didn�t help that Mr McBean spent much of the day sat in A+E and was especially not in the mood for especially disobedient technology.

Such timewasting was pittance once �Stormy High� thundered through the place with �Angels� and a superbaggy �Druganaut� not far behind with the quick realisation that as a collective, Black Mountain are sonically flawless. There aren�t many bands this together.

Co-vocalist Amber Webber assumes centre stage jiving about as if nobody�s watching and opens her mouth only to sound like an angelic PJ Harvey who is yet to be deep throated off a pirate. She has vocal cords of sheer gold and while her contribution might not be as plentiful as her bandmates, what she does bring to the pot provides that special euphoric cherry. Even the lack of �Bright Lights� and �Modern Music� couldn�t blot their set.

The forgiving Manchester folk sympathise upon the broadcast of McBean�s diminished health and an encore, no matter how brief, is better than no encore at all. There was big love in MoHo tonight; Black Mountain love us and we love Black Mountain.

Click here to read James Longsden's review of Black Mountain's latest record 'In The Future'

Stapleton - Rest And Be Thankful (Xtra Mile Recordings)

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Simpson hails the return of Stapleton, stronger than ever

Stapleton have a delightful tendency to surprise.
It happened last time in 2005 when, out of absolutely nowhere, they released �Hug The Coast�; a buoyant exercise in quality melodic rock.
Then just as swiftly as they emerged, they disappear again.
It�s like Natalie Portman asking you to bed for the best sex ever and waking to find a note saying she�s decided to grow a beard and become a nun. It�s frustrating but you loved every minute of it.

For those of you rubbing your heads with that last rhetoric trope, let me assure you; Stapleton really are the emo-rock equivalent of Queen Padm� Amidala: sleek, pure and brilliant, their appeal never seems to age. Even a re-recorded �Chez Chef� gets away with sounding like a hundred other bands nowadays despite the forgivable fact that its about 5 years old now.

�Rest And Be Thankful� doesn�t take a single step away from what is universally known as classic Stapleton. Chords happily bounce from one to the other before a missed beat or a key change throws the entire piece on its head and starts to toddle along regardless. It�s a trick Stapleton have done for much of their existance and there aren�t many that can emulate it without sounding like a bunch of tossers. Opener �From Wood To Ridge� is a perfect example how they�re just as keen to derail listeners� anticipations halting abruptly leaving those who were bobbing their heads along in time feeling like numpties.

�Absent Friends' recalls the barer, more subtle moments of Death Cab For Cutie while �Dear Dusk� would please those still mourning The Dismemberment Plan. The sinister �Borovets� comes across very Slint-esque with snail-paced discordant guitars and spooky sludge climax.

Stapleton have re-emerged like returning heroes with a vital record that is sure to be regarded as a vital addition to the emo-rock canon in coming years.

'Rest And Be Thankful' is out now on Xtra Mile Recordings

Linkleton:
C+F's exclusive interview with Stapleton: part one and part two
Stapleton Myspace

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip (The Null Corporation)

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Michael Bates takes advantage of Trent Reznor's charity and lets him give him 'The Slip'.

Trent Reznor has been in a very giving mood of late. First, he releases his ambient music collection �Ghosts I-IV� for download at a measly five monopoly moneys (somewhere around the �2.50 in real currency), and now he�s released �The Slip� for free!
How nice of him.

The initial reaction for anyone is �Is it cheap because it�s shit?�, much like every student does when they�re trying to decide whether they�re they wear a �2 Primark t-shirt, or the slightly better �5 version. However, unlike Primark t-shirts (which are universally shit), �The Slip� manages to be both good AND cheap.

Opening with some electrified noise heading straight into the driving rhythm of the undeniably dance-tastic �1,000,000�, it becomes clear that Reznor can still rock like the hypothetical mofo. Noisy bass, chaotic guitar work and a vitriolic vocal delivery make this song an instant hit and from here on in, it�s all good.

�Letting You� is another distorted angry mess of noise, pleasing as ever with crackly vocals and erratic drum-work, it continues the trend for funk and anger that is the backbone of this album. Of course, the inevitable and awesome NIN-disco song arrives in the form of �Discipline�. It�s clearly destined to become a dance-floor classic on the same level as �Closer�, with thousands of pilled-up goths already preparing themselves for the dry-humping that will result in clubs the world over.

This pattern of funky drums for a few bars, then other things coming in is prevalent for most of the album [ed: and 99.9% of NIN�s career?] and while it works, it does become derivative. All the songs are fucking great, but you can somehow see a formula at work, which you�d never expect from someone as fucked up as Reznor. However, as soon as you suss his gameplan, he soon throws a spanner in the works with a couple of broody tracks in the middle of the album. After you�ve been bopping away for the last 6 tracks, they feel as welcome as a kick in the groin though, and they�re not half as pleasurable. After this, �The Slip� stays at a sort of middling level of good for the remaining two tracks, which pale in comparison to the first half of the album.

�The Slip� is well worth a download: it�s free for a start, and the first half is classic NIN. For what you�re paying (zilch), it�s a brilliant album, and there�s clearly a lot of effort gone into the package. Each track has its own artwork, the lyrics are already embedded in the files and the album is available in bog-standard MP3 as well as more exotic and lossless audio formats including the individual instrument tracks for your remixing pleasure.

The material itself feels more like the sort of thing Trent would have normally trimmed down and turned into an EP back in the day, and the random depressed middle makes the album lose some brownie points, but at the cost of nothing more than disk space and a few MB of your bandwidth, �The Slip� is a great acquisition. What it lacks in cohesion as an album it makes up for with fun, even if some does get lost along the way.

8/10

Links:
Click here to download 'The Slip' for free

Flight of the Conchords � Flight of the Conchords (Subpop)

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Newbie Michael Bates takes flight with the Kiwi-equivalent of The Mighty Boosh

Folk-comedy albums aren�t usually at the top of anyone�s must-buy list, but can multi-award winning comedy duo Flight of the Conchords change this with their first full-length studio album?

The answer, unfortunately, is no. Despite being able to boast some great tunes, the band have perhaps shot themselves in the foot by releasing what is essentially a soundtrack/best of album for their TV series.

Don�t get me wrong, the Conchords have written some stonking comedic monsters in their time, but without the context of the show we have only half of something we�ve all experienced before. And therein lies the album�s greatest flaw: the band�s fans will have heard all these songs bloody ages ago and are most likely gagging for new material. Even those who haven�t seen the show, have probably seen some Conchords on youtube, and as such we can foresee every gag they hurl at us.

However, remove the songs from their televisual base, and we have an album that is perfectly suited for a Summer party. Most of the songs have a smooth, flamenco-porno feel that makes it perfect background music for a BBQ, and should anyone boring turn up, the unfortunate guest who gets lumped with having their ear chewed off by them can focus their attention to this instead, with the likes of 'Robots' and 'Bowie' providing more than enough distraction. That�s a win/win situation if ever I saw one.

The disc starts out pretty average, nothing particularly hilarious or sonically pleasing, it�s ok, not great. Then as you delve deeper you get further into the Conchords� surreal world of smooth guitars, staccato rhythms and stoner-pleasing pleasantries. The duo�s forays into less guitary material are generally less successful; even the mighty �Rhymenocerous vs. Hiphopapotamus� pales in comparison to the sheer porn-groove-fuzz-bass chorus of �Business Time� (easily the album�s high-point).

The reality is that even though the duo are great comedians, this album won�t exactly hold up to a lot of dedicated listenings. Background music, sure, but the humour becomes predictable and the album is like a flock of pigeons: for every few normal birds, there are just as many with a gammy foot (or no foot at all) ready to try guilt-tripping you out of your crisps. But in the short-term, songs about hermaphrodites who find themselves attractive and hot women eating kebabs are amusing enough. My advice: go on Youtube and you can usually find the clips from the show, and live versions that are generally better delivered and more consistent.

Overall, 7/10.

'Flight Of The Conchords' is out this Monday [12 May] through Subpop.

Video: Ladies Of The World

Matthew Ryan - vs. The Silver State (One Little Indian)

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Pitching up with his latest effort, singer songwriter Matthew Ryan looks to have put together the album which will see him break through to the big time.

Having consistently constructed some of the most well-crafted, intelligent folk-rock songs of the past decade, Ryan has still somehow managed to fly in under the radar at every opportunity here in the UK. And it would be a travesty if things were to repeat themselves and someone with this level of talent was to remain largely unrecognised by press and public alike.

So what�s the deal?

Matthew Ryan�s general style would be best described as Nebraska-era Bruce Springsteen (only better) crossed with the best work of Ryan Adams (only better) with a little bit of The Waterboys circa Fishermans Blues thrown in for good measure (only better).

So with this in mind, you�ll be expecting an album crammed with impressive tuneage from start to finish. You won�t be disappointed. From the husky grandeur of �American Dirt� to the poignantly profound �It Could�ve Been Worse�, there isn�t a second of filler on this lyrically rich, emotionally charged, musically superior eleven track masterpiece.

It�s brilliant. Absolutely, euphorically, unbelievable brilliant and it deserves to be heard by every single man women and child on the planet. Album of the week? Might even be album of the year, or the past two years or even the last five. I don�t know yet, but the more I listen to it the more I am convinced this is a true work of musical genius.

Right that�s me off for a cold shower and a lie down�

'Matthew Ryan vs. The Silver State' is out now on One Little Indian.

Links:
Matthew Ryan Myspace
Matthew Ryan Wikipedia

Frank Turner - Joshua Brooks, M/CR - 15 April

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Not nearly two years ago, Frank Turner was playing to about fifty people in the crummy Star + Garter a few hundred yards away. Tonight, he rams Joshua Brooks to an uncomfortable degree.

Relentless touring has paid off big time for Turner. Nearly every face here feels some sort of connection with Frank and more than most have shared a few lairy drinks with him, going back all the way to his days in Kneehigh. His afro mop has seen the chop and he�s garnered a sleek backing to achieve the scope his material has always promised.

So in the wake of his second solo effort, Turner seems self-satisfied, more so than ever. He�s always enjoyed what he was doing. Even in the days when he was touring Europe via bus all on his billy-lonesome, Turner�s loved every minute. And tonight, when every lyric is sang back in his face twice as loud as he could sing, he loves it.

What most people there weren�t loving was the intensely claustrophobic atmosphere. I�m sure there were a few hundred people let in on the sly, on top of the already sold-out ticket holders. Thankfully, that soon becomes irrelevant.

Beginning with the beginning of his new album, �I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous� retains the same size and scope heard on the brilliant �Love Ire & Song�. Turner�s voice is in fine fettle also and if C+F didn�t hear him warming up backstage, we�d guess he drinks Mother Mary�s piss before going on.

Highlights from last year�s debut �Sleep Is For The Week� play nicely amongst newbies �Reasons Not To Be An Idiot� and �A Love Worth Keeping� with �Long Live The Queen� and an acoustic rendition of �Jet Lag� drawing a few tears, but it was old favourites �Nashville Tennessee� and �The Real Damage� that stirred the rowdiest response.

The road to here may have been a bumpy one for Frank but he�s never been happier and considering most of this tour is sold out, things can only get better.

Album Review:�Love Ire & Song�.