Music to drink tea by
Archive for May, 2009
The Watermarks drop thoughts like bombs
02 years ago
in MP3s
The first time you listen to Fast Song by The Watermarks, there is a moment right near the start where you think it’s all going to go horribly wrong. Mere seconds into the song, the band pull off the kind of musical stunt that would only feel at home over the closing credits of Airwolf, or another 80s action show of that ilk.
Thankfully, things rapidly improve from there. We’re thrown into a distortion covered song that manages to remain incredibly danceable. The pace picks right up, never once slowing down throughout. Underneath, this is the kind of indie rock that has been coming out of the US a lot of late. What separates The Watermarks though is how messy that make it all sound. This amount of distortion simply isn’t done these days. In the 80s you probably couldn’t have turned round without hearing a band do this, but it’s refreshing to hear it again now. The cyclical nature of the industry rears it’s head once again.
Thoughts Like Bombs is out now as a free download directly from the band’s website. They are also looking for another member, so if you can play guitar and sing and shit, I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.
The Brownies pick a very loud fight
12 years ago
in MP3s
Sometimes you just aren’t prepared for what you get when you pop in a promo CD. Upon picking up the debut album from The Brownies, I got the impression that it would be some kind of synthy-dance thing. Granted, that impression was purely from glancing at the cover, which is probably a tad unfair. Still, I popped it into the car CD player (the only one I have these days outside of my computer!) for the drive home and got one hell of a shock.
Instantly, my senses were being assaulted by very loud, very fast rock music. The feeling was actually somewhat similar to the first time I stumbled across Johnny Foreigner. I’m not comparing the two musically as there is a world of difference here, but the underlying feeling was there. The second song blasted out in much the same way. Then the third. It went on like this until the whole record was done, by which time I’d already driven an extra twenty minutes out of my way just to listen through the entire thing. It also meant the disc didn’t leave my car for a week.
From those early listens though, I didn’t quite know what to make of it. It all seemed a bit simplistic, and some of the lyrics are a bit rough around the edges. But after listening through a couple more times, it didn’t seem to matter. I can analyse it as much as I like, but no matter what, I enjoy this record immensely. It’s actually the same way that I can appreciate Be Your Own Pet: far from perfect but bloody entertaining. So ultimately not the best album I’ve heard this year, but damn if it doesn’t have me tapping along with it and driving just that little bit faster.
Ourknife Yourback will be released on June 22 via NRone Records.
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Music festivals in Kent 2009
42 years ago
in Kent Scene
As part as our ongoing attempts to cover what little exists of a Kent music scene, it seemed only prudent to put together a brief guide to the major music festivals taking place in the county over the next couple of months. A few years ago such a thing would have been impossible due to a lack of said events, but now new festivals seem to be popping up each year. Obviously not all of them work (like Electric Gardens) and some will probably have their organisers lynched if they ever come back (Zoo8) but it’s good to see a varied selection appearing.
When June 4-6
Where Hope Farm, Ashford
How much £55 weekend / £35 daily
Lineup (AFOR endorsements in bold)
Supergrass, The Holloways, Emmy the Great, Ben’s Brother, Red Light Company, Alessi’s Ark, Cut La Roc, Hoxton Whores, Thomas Tantrum, The Answering Machine, Karima Francis, The Young Knives, Tubelord, Marina and the Diamonds, Alex Cornish, Oh, Atoms, Royal Treatment Plant, Bender, The Rosie Taylor Project, William, 4 or 5 Magicians, motion picture soundtrack, Video Nasties, Bobby Long, The Domino State, The Ryes, Micky Slim, Silvery, Hungry Ghosts, Los Salvadores, Minnaars, Lucy and the Caterpillar, Kids Love Lies, Barefoot Confessor, Right Turn Left, Tin Soldiers, Far From The Dance, Seven Story Down, Ten Bears, Tom Williams & The Boat, The Suggestions, Elephants, The Dirty Disco, Junkstar, Brandon Block, Mr Basista, Monday Street, Romanov, Polka Party, HANDSHAKE, Greg McDonald, The Quirk Burglars, The SheBeats, Alma Mahler, Floors & Walls, Eddy Temple-Morris, Rob Cockerton, Adam Bloom, Haunted Stereo, Small Fry, Joe Mac, The Streetlight Conspiracy, The Little Philistines, Illegitimate Sons of the King, AEF, Shadow Aspect, Vagner Love, Peter Andrews, Twisted DJs, Rhys morgan, Krissy and the Jackdaws, The Hidden Revolution, Bruised Beauties, Groove Monkey, Cocos Lovers, Everybody Be cool, Waterhorse, Lotte Mullan, Lucy Holliday, Circle of Rage, Kouncilhouse, Amoriste, Sean Mooney, Steve Day, Spooka, Jamie Abbott, Robbie Styles, Nic Bennett, Hal Cruttenden, Jamie Ley, Nathan Caton, Outa City Committee, Lester Clayton, Jeff Barker, Kev Harris, Lizzy Spit, Jarmean?, Pete Jonas, Delta Connection, danny reject, Matt Rudge, Adam Crow, Sally-Anne Hayward, Christian Reilly and 3 Parts DJ
In 2007, Sellindge was populated by bands you’ve never heard of. Last year, they managed to nab Idlewild to headline more bands you’ve never heard of. This year, there are a few solid bands at the top of the bill, a handful of decent ones underneath, and of course, a whole slew that you’ve never heard of. Still, for the money you can’t really go wrong.
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When July 5-6
Where The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood
How much £125 weekend / £65 daily
Lineup (AFOR endorsements in bold)
The Fratellis, Editors, Doves, Echo & The Bunnymen, Ash, The Pigeon Detectives, The View, Mystery Jets, Super Furry Animals, Paul Weller, Ladyhawke, 65daysofstatic, British Sea Power, The Rifles, Alex Gopher, Noah and the Whale, Bell X1, Cage the Elephant, The Twang, The Twilight Sad, Howling Bells, Florence and The Machine, Johnny Foreigner, Eight Legs, Dananananaykroyd, Jape, Fight Like Apes, Etienne De Crecy, That Petrol Emotion, Let’s Wrestle, Dr. Lektroluv, D.I.M, The Chapman Family, Burn The Negative, The Good the Bad, R.S.A.G, and 2Manydj’s
The Hop Farm Festival has jumped from being a one-day event last year to a two day festival this year. It’s gimmick is that it has no sponsorship (yay!) and no VIP areas (boo!). Of course, such things come at a price, which results in the excessive £125 cost for the weekend. Which is a shame as I actually quite like the lineup. The main stage doesn’t do much for me, but the creatively named “third stage” with the likes of Johnny Foreigner, Let’s Wrestle and Dananananaykroyd looks like the place to be.
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When July 10-12
Where Merton Farm, Canterbury
How much £85 weekend / £35 daily
Lineup (AFOR endorsements in bold)
Dub Pistols, Bent, DJ Food, The Horrors, Nostalgia 77, Cage the Elephant, Edwyn Collins, The James Taylor Quartet, Horse Feathers, DJ Format, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, The Aliens, Krafty Kuts, Jeremy Warmsley, Lights, DJ Food & DK, Zomby, Wild Beasts, The King Blues, Chris Murray, Kid Harpoon, Mr Scruff, Ipso Facto, Solid Steel, Golden Silvers, Portico Quartet, Jonquil, Son Of Dave, Chris Difford, It Hugs Back, The Temper Trap, Jay Jay Pistolet, Flamboyant Bella, The Invisible, Sargasso Trio, Trost, 6 Day Riot, DK, Mumford & Sons, James Taylor Quartet, Baddies, Chris T-T, Toddla T, Greg Wilson, Pete Molinari, Casiokids, The XX, Drums Of Death, Cha Cha, The Pan I Am, The Congregation, Peggy sue, Congregation, Greco Roman, Rae, S.C.U.M, Joe Gideon & The Shark, Josh Weller, Skeleton, cherbourg, Wave Pictures, Tom Allalone, Elephants, Black Market Karma, Psychotic Reaction, Onlookers, Ghost of a thousand, Tom Williams and The Boat, Monday Street, The Simonsound, Syd Arthur, Hobo Jones & the Junkyard Dogs, Wheeler Street, The Goodtimes, Moon Music Orchestra, Zombie Met Girl, The 18 Carat Love Affair, Amber Room, J*Star, Zoo for you, The Lovedays, Cocos Lovers, The Startover, The Wild Wolves, Trevor Moss, Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou, Samondi, Mr Lovebucket, Mc Serocee, MC Honeybrown, djbunjy, Ukulele Gangstas, The Chihuahuas, The Mind Without Maths, The Steve Hillage Band, calico street riots, Greco Roman Soundsystem w/ Ross Allen, Raf Daddy & Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, VJ LSDave, Comfy Porn DJs, Hannah Lou and Boxing Octopus
Lounge on the Farm is the almost the little festival that could. Growing from strength to strength over since the first in 2006, the event now boasts over 100 acts including a decent mix between minor recognisable bands and a ton of local talent. Operated by the same team that run the delightful Farmhouse in Canterbury, they really do seem to be doing everything they can to foster a local scene.
Snowglobe do the distance with fourth album release
02 years ago
in MP3s
Snowglobe are a Memphis band that seem to have blended the Elephant 6 sound with a rather more classic American rock feeling. Something which I think you’ll agree should be a disaster, yet they manage to make it work for them.
I think the closest comparison I can make for the band is Oh No! Oh My! which is somewhat fitting given the two bands share members. What we’ve got here are nice little, sometimes elaborate, musical constructs which pause to give the words some room. Then make to the music again. It’s the closest thing you’ll get a call-and-response style with only one vocalist.
I’m not going to launch into hyperbole about how this is the greatest band since yesterday’s greatest band. I will say that this is the kind of gentle but occasionally surprising music that makes perfect background music as I work. It always feels like it’s insulting to praise music that works in such a way, but I don’t mean it as such. There is depth to be found within their songs, but it’s also possible to just pop them on and just have them soundtrack your day.
No Need To Light A Night Light On A Night Like Tonight (possibly my favourite title this year) will be released on May 26 by Makeshift Music.
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Wild Moccasins: Better than Crazy Slippers
02 years ago
in MP3s
Well this is certainly long. I feel slightly bad to open with this, but it’s by far the main thing that stands out to me about Fruit Tea by the Wild Moccasins. This Houston band have produced a song layered in so much indiepop goodness that it feels wrong to pick it up over something so trivial as the length. For the record, I should point out that “long” here is actually about five minutes. Now I’m not opposed to songs of this length, but Fruit Tea feels like the perfect three minute pop song stretched two minutes past it’s prime. Which is a shame as up until that point it’s lovely. Male-female vocals play off of each other and occasionally combine, words are shouted out seemingly at random, and it all leads into a rousing chorus. But no matter how much I try to not let it, my mind starts to wander off befor…
Microscopic Metronomes is out now and can be bought directly from the band here.
Great British Hopes: Tigers That Talked
22 years ago
Continuing the seemingly never-ending trend of great bands coming out of Leeds, Tigers That Talked may well be the best of the current crop. Despite being together for a while now, I only discovered them recently, meaning I’ve skipped any early awkwardness the band may have experienced. This meant the band I started listening to was fully formed and almost ready to be the UK’s own Arcade Fire. It’s the obvious comparison to make, but the sound is certainly eerily similar at times.
Which is actually a disservice to Tigers That Talked. You see, if there’s one thing I never really cared for with that band, it was the words. Sure, songs like Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) were stunning, but most of them were rather too abstract for my own tastes. Tigers That Talked seem to have found the perfect balance. The verses are reasonably vague, but after a few listens you notice that there are grounded meanings in the songs.
Talk Black Heart Blue Eyes. Listen through a couple of times and you think it sounds rather pleasant. Listen a couple more times and you start to notice nice little wordplay like “bigotry’s obligatory round here”. A few more times and you’ve realised you’re listening to a song about something as mundane as the threatening atmosphere for a seaside town. Which is something you’ll be familiar with if you’ve ever visited Margate or a hundred other such places around the country.
Then there’s the video. I’m loathe to post videos usually as I don’t really like the format, but when one captures a song as perfectly as this, it only seems appropriate. Filmed largely at a British Legion club in Blackpool, you get to see the awkwardness of a band and an audience who are completely incompatible. Glimpses of the town punctuate throughout, seguing easily between the tourist glamour and dodgy looking estates. It’d be a remarkable achievement even without the song.
The Black Heart Blue Eyes EP will be released on June 8 via Bad Sneakers Records. Obviously on 7″ and download only because vinyl is far more useful to those who us want a physical copy that a round bit of fucking plastic that’ll play in anything.
The Honey Brothers hug it out
02 years ago
in MP3s
So I receive a press release from Adrian Grenier’s band. Nothing too odd about that, although I’m usually wary of bands with people in who are more famous for other things. Skimming through the details, I notice that there is also someone in the band called Ari Gold. As an Entourage fan, all of this is very confusing to me.
I still haven’t figured out exactly what is going on, but I’ve at least come to the conclusion that it isn’t the most elaborate prank ever created. The real Adrian Grenier and an Ari Gold that isn’t Jeremy Piven really do play in a band together. Sadly that the greatest band in the world either. They are certainly nowhere near as bad as Dogstar, but they aren’t the mighty 30 Odd Foot of Grunts either.
Demonstration is a perfect example of passable indie-but-almost-folk rock. If I’m honest, I probably wouldn’t have bothered posting about something like this from anyone else, but it holds some limited value for Entourage fans at least.
The Demonstration EP will be out on June 16. Digital only of course. Because we would you actually want to sell copies?
Yves Klein Blue: The best band ever named after a type of paint
12 years ago
in MP3s
Yves Klein Blue are an Australian band seemingly on a mission to blend as many elements of rock music as they possibly can. There are pop sensibilities here, a vaguely garage sound, a dash of punk and everything in between. Most importantly though, the end result is a band that sounds just about ready to be the next indie-mainstream crossover darlings. Assuming their name isn’t just a little too awkward for that at least.
Ragged & Ecstatic will be released on June 26 by the wonderfully named Dew Process.
Live: Sky Larkin at The Farmhouse, Canterbury
02 years ago
One of the things I always find lamentable about Kent is the lack of a quality music scene. Sure, you’d get odd bits and pieces at the Tunbridge Wells Forum, but that was about it for the entire county outside of unknown local bands playing in dodgy bars every now and again. It always amazed me how Canterbury, a city with a large student population, didn’t have any real full-time venue for indie music.
Welcome The Farmhouse. It’s about damn time.
The Farmhouse is operated by the same people that run Canterbury’s Lounge on the Farm festival, an event that is now entering it’s fourth year. The venue has actually been up and running for a while now, but this was the first opportunity I’d had to get down there.
The thing that most struck me upon entering was how unlike a typical venue it was. Sure, it had the usual bar, posters and tiny stage in the corner. But also sofas, a ton of tables and hell, even flowers in the toilets. See, the place is only a live music venue after 9pm. All day, it’s a restaurant, and it retains the laid back feel that comes with that right through the night.
First band on were The Goodtimes from Southend. They started things off pretty well too. Nothing sensationally original granted, but solid, fun rock and roll that kicks off the night perfectly. Next up were local Rochester band The Mind Without Maths. If I’m honest, they weren’t entirely my cup of tea, but they were decent enough.
Finally, and getting close to midnight before even stepping on stage, it was Sky Larkin’s turn. Now Sky Larkin are a band that I have been following on here for the best part of three years now. In that time they have gone from being an unsigned band with a few good songs to a signed band who has released their first album, toured all over the place and even supported the likes of Broken Social Scene and Conor Oberst.
This was the second time I’d seen them the live. That time they were a support to Los Campesinos! but two years later they are enough to attract a crowd themselves. The set itself is of course made up mostly of songs from their recent album The Golden Spike. Songs like Antibodies, Fossil, I and Keepsakes all come across particularly well, even if the last struggled with a minor incident instrument failure (see tweet below). The band seem much more rounded than that last time too, the three of them managing to fill the room with a melodic racket.
weareskylarkin twitter
Scoreboard tonight; 1 Stevie nicks style dancing injury, 1 broken 45yr old snare skin, 1 bottle vin rouge, 1 van rouge. Canterbury roolz kx
Upcoming gigs at The Farmhouse include Jeremy Warmsley, Maths Class and Eben. Details here.
Johnny Foreigner return with a song about summer. What else?
02 years ago
in MP3s
I wasn’t planning on writing about Johnny Foreigner today. I was going to write about Sky Larkin’s Canterbury gig on Friday night, but that’ll have to wait for another day. This is what happens when a new Johnny Foreigner track drops in front of me.
For those keeping up with the band, Feels Like Summer has already been streaming on Myspace for a few days now. The song is the lead single from the band’s upcoming album and sounds about what you’d probably expect really. The Johnny Foreigner playbook hasn’t changed between albums, which is no bad thing when you’ve sounded this fully formed right from the start. If anything, this is even more immediate than their previous work, it’s blistering pace resulting in the whole thing being over in under two minutes.
Feels Like Summer may not bring anything new, which I’d likely be complaining about with a lot of bands. With Johnny Foreigner though, I just want another album that’s even half as good as last year’s Waited Up Til It Was Light. This makes it sound like we’re on the right track.
Feels Like Summer, a new version of Camp Kelly Calm and a new track entitled Wow, Just Wow will be available as free downloads from the Johnny Foreigner website on June 22. Album two will presumably follow not all that long after.
