Stuff and Nonsense

Ever since I first heard it announced I have been looking forward to the third release by Silversun Pickups as I am a big fan of their previous two albums.

The lead single from the album, Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings), hit with a blast. It is a beautifully crafted song and certainly showed a change in the bands output. The vocals still have that dreampop feel, being reminiscent of Billy Corgan on classic Smashing Pumpkins, but the rest of the sound is more robust and less fuzzy with a definite lean towards something darker. The song starts with some electro and starts to build with the inclusion of guitar and drums before dropping to have the opening verse sung with the accompaniment of a barely strummed guitar. This rise and fall continues throughout the track with some wonderful harmonisation between Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninger that carries you through the full five minutes as if it was a lot less.

On the back of this fantastic single I eagerly awaited the album…

Neck of the Woods starts slowly, a slow beat with minimal accompaniment until you are suddenly hit by a wall of noise which is replaced by a simple electro-pop melody which later in the song is replaced by heavy rock riffs. This diversity in a single song is repeated through the album and is one of the reasons why Silversun Pickups are hard to categorise, they merge sounds from various different genres to produce a sound that is truly their own.

Silversun Pickups have been accused of being ’90s revivalists with their sound being reminiscent of bands like Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine and while there are still hints of these influences on the album the overall sound has the band moving forward and trying something new.

This is an album that is a mixture of the familiar and the new. The immense songwriting is still there, as are the catchy hooks, original lyrics and vocalisation but gone has some of the fuzz which is replaced with more electronica, shoegaze and even dance beats. The inclusion of a big time producer hasn’t robbed the band of their raw edginess but instead allowed them grow beyond their origins and continue to create some of the most original alternative rock music out there today.

In essence Neck of the Woods might not be as catchy as some of Silversun Pickups earlier material but instead has more depth for those willing to look beyond their first impressions and shows a band not wanting to sit on their laurels but wanting to move forward and try new things and true listeners should experiment with them.

Loftbeat. Had never heard of them before a friend advised me to check out their new single and never being one to avoid new music I duely browsed my way to their Facebook page. There are three tracks currently available to listen to online (and a radio edit of one track for those of a more sensitive nature) so I thought I’d check out the other tracks to get a feel for the band before giving the new song a listen.

The first track I listened to was Hysterical, I’m not saying that is was an immensely funny song, that is just what they have chosen to title the track. The first things that came to mind upon firing the track up were likenesses to The Stranglers and New Model Army and if you are going to have a similarity to any artists those aren’t bad choices. This is a very old school rock sound, fuzzy guitars are joined by a simple drum beat for the intro before vocals truly reminiscent of the Stranglers kick in. Lyrically strong and beautifully simple this track would easily stand up next to anything produced by the bands that sprang to mind whilst listening

Next track was Death of Youth. Again a nice fuzzy guitar and drum intro but this time there is more of a T-Rex tinged with Joy Division feel. Again the lyrics are clear and strong. The instrumentation doesn’t overpower the vocals but instead adds a perfect accompaniment as the track builds throughout in classic rock fashion. This is a very catchy track and can easily see it going over well and getting the crowd moving when played live.

And so on to Some Kinda Karma. More fuzzy guitar to start and you can’t knock a band that likes a proper intro to a song. This time though there is a more up to date feel to the rock riffs being played with a sound more akin to something from the late ’90s or early 2000s. The earlier rock influences are still there but added to by more contemporary artists. Vocally also there is a change, this time there is less of a Stranglers feel and more of a lean towards the Levellers or New Model Army. Proving that good rock music is crafted from simple components with the true brilliance being in how the parts are combined Loftbeat have produced a track that is modern in feel but classic in influence, guitars, drums and vocals are given equal weight, no single element rushes to the fore, instead they are interwoven into a beautiful balance that epitomises all that is good about rock.

Neil Finn has for a long time been one of my favourite artists. Right back from the early days when he was in Split Enz, through Crowded House, into his solo career, and including the sublime 7 Worlds Collide everything he does is fantastic.

But that doesn’t seem to be enough for the veteran troubadour as he has yet another musical project on the go. Along with his wife, Sharon, Sean Donnelly and Alana Skyring, Neil has started a new band called the Pajama Club and their debut album is available for pre-order as of today.

For a taster of what this new act are like there are a couple of tracks on Spotify that you can check out

UPDATE

You can now also stream the entire album online here

The name Finn is pretty synonymous with the music from New Zealand. Tim Finn was one of the founder members of Split Enz, one of the most successful bands ever to come out of New Zealand. Tim in turn brought his brother, Neil, into the band and Neil went on to form Crowded House another fairly successful band to come from the land of the long white cloud.

Both brothers have also had solo success as well as teaming up again for a couple of collaboration albums and on Neil’s side project 7 Worlds Collide.

But there is now a third Finn that deserves a mention. Liam, son of Neil, has obviously been brought up in a musical environment and has gone on to form part of the band Betchadupa and has also played with Crowded House (unsurprisingly), Wilco, Pearl Jam and the Black Keys.

Following all this Liam has gone on to become a solo artist releasing his debut album, I’ll Be Lightning, back in 2007 which he has followed up this year with the release of FOMO.

FOMO is a slightly tamer beast that his debut album and it’s hard to say that someone with the heritage and experience of Liam is maturing as a solo singer/songwriter but maybe he is now more comfortable in the role and more convinced that he is being seen as a musician in his own right rather than just his father’s son.

This is definitely a more thoughtful and soulful album but Liam still full of the exuberance that is seen on I’ll Be Lightning. He never really settles on a single style throughout the album and still builds the sound through layering effects, Liam tours as a solo artist and during his shows loops the different sounds to create the full effect of his music and also shows the multi-instrumental talents he has learnt from his father.

FOMO is a production of another Finn but is most definitely the work of an musician who is an artist in his own right and not one resting on the laurels of the family name

For years the standard rock band setup has been the four piece and it has to be said that there are many bands in my collection that follow this blueprint.

But this isn’t the only configuration you can use for a great band. Lately I have been seeing more and more bands going for the simplicity of a three piece line up.

One such example of this is a Sheffield outfit (by way of Australia) called The Monicans.

Any geeks among you may recognise the name of the band coming from series Aeon Flux but this has nothing to do with the look or the sound of the group.

I first caught the Monicans at the Cheltenham Underground’s Decent Days and Nights weekender earlier in the where they were easily the highlight of the weekend and they returned to Cheltenham last week for another Underground show.

Raw and raucous this band makes a sound that belies the number of participants. Grungy, rocky, this is a sometimes visceral sound based around some solid, straight forward drumming and sturdy base lines which is topped off with layered and some times experimental guitar sounds.

The sound is often so immense that you wonder how it can be made with a single guitar but it never overpowers the other instruments, these songs are crafted so that everyone has their moment in the sun.

Vocals are handled by Paul Beard whilst also playing guitar and the style ranges from dirty grunge through indie rock right up to heavy shoegaze/post-rock. Backing vocals and harmonies are provided by Heather Lonie who also takes the lead on the track Lonely No More off their EP Epic Entree which is not just a departure because of the vocals but the whole song being lighter and simpler than usual and highlighting the bands abilities and versatility.

Live this band are stunning, they don’t interact with the crowd much preferring to let their music talk for them and those that listen will easily lose themselves to the fantastic rhythm and outstanding melodies produced by a band that obviously trust each others abilities and are totally comfortable playing together.

If you get a chance to take in a live show I would recommend going but if you are unable to get to a gig you could do worse than pick up a copy of the bands EP which is available from most good music distributors or can be streamed off Spotify

Ok so recently I have been quite useless, I haven’t been updating this blog at all regularly and I need to rectify that. I have some half finished articales/reviews but that’s not very good at all so I thought to get the blog moving again I’d start linking to music I like as well as writing about it..

So here we are with a couple of musical links.

Kill It Kid are a blues/Americana/rock band formed at Bath University and about to launch their second album (that is if there is stock left following the PIAS fire)

Their self titled debut received a lot of favourable reviews and despite a line up change the follow up release is hotly anticipated and as a taste they have released a video of their single Heart Rested With You which is well wotth checking out

Also following a random response to a late night Tweet a month or so ago I have been listening to School Of Pisces a fair amount recently.

This American rock band has a 5 track mini album out that you can stream from their site or on Spotify but don’t go looking for it on iTunes as it has recently been banned due to the implications of the mini album title This Is A Subliminal Message…

Yeah it makes no sense to me either but check out their tracks for some interesting new music

If there was one band in 2010 that I was extremely pleased to stumble across it was the Rural Alberta Advantage. With no expectations or preconceptions their debut album Hometowns grabbed me like little else did last year.

And so it was with much anticipation I awaited the release of the bands second album back in March.

When I first listened to Departing I’d hate to say that I was disappointed, as I wasn’t, but the album didn’t seem to have the same impact as Hometowns.

One of the things that stood out on Hometowns was Paul Banwatt’s drumming, high in the mix and full more energy it seemed to plough through the album with such mad abandon that it just forced everyone to follow it’s lead.

However this time the drumming didn’t take centre stage and that was an initial let down. However what this then let me do was appreciate the contributions of the other members and the music as a whole a lot more.

When you stop and listen there is a lot on Departing that is similar to Hometowns. There are still a lot of deeply personal lyrics centred around love and home and belonging.

The tracks still range from the frenzied rock to the soulful folk with the shift in gears through the album producing pleasing results. Banwatt’s drumming still moves with an intensity on the upbeat tracks and Amy Cole still adds a wonderful counter point to Nils Edenloff’s earthy vocals.

However this time there is a more melancholy and moody feel to the tracks. It’s as if summer has gone and we have moved into a tense, cold, harsh, rural winter.

But the pessimism of the tone is tempered by the glimmers of hope of the first rays of light or discovery of new loves spaced throughout the album and all of it over ridden by the catchy melodies that stop the emotions, though often stark and discomforting, are never truly depressing

Though maybe lacking the raw power and intensity of it’s predecessor Departing is a tense ride of a different nature whose mere 32 minutes running time will be over before you know it leaving you breathless and thoughtful.

But if either album can touch you and leave you speechless they both pale into insignificance when compared to the bands live performance.

Dragging along three friends to the Jericho Tavern in Oxford, two of which didn’t know much of the band, all of us left in awe with the RAA having gained at least two more fans.

Mention has first to be made of Banwatt’s drumming. However impressive it appears on the albums it does not give credit to the mans abilities. The speed and the precision of the drumming would at times make you think that Banwatt must be an octopus but there is no way an octopus could play the drum kit as there are simply not enough drums there for an octopus to hit. How someone can do so much with such a small drum kit is way beyond me.

But this is not a one man show. The threesome honed their talents with extensive touring to promote their self released debut album and this shows in their performance with an easy air of confidence in each others abilities. Early technical problems in the set left the band unfazed and in fact emphasised how comfortable they were bantering with each other and the audience.

The atmosphere grew throughout the set to be pulled wonderfully to the ground with a fantastic set piece ending. I have seen many folk and acoustic bands leave the stage to mingle with the crowd during their sets with varying degrees of success. What I would say is if any of the acts want to see how to do it properly they need to see the RAA in action. Having walked into the middle of the room they had the attention of the entire audience. So quiet was it just before Edenloff launched into Good Night that you could have heard a pin drop.

This wasn’t just one of best gigs I’ve been to this year but one of the best gigs I have ever been to and I eagerly await their return to our shores so that I can catch their live performance again.

It’s been a while since I have blogged. Is that because I have had nothing to write about?

Hell no!

Over the last couple of months I have been to some of the best gigs I have ever been to and heard a large amount of extremely good music.

So why haven’t I been blogging?

Well I basically haven’t been in the mood. I have been feeling quite stressed and down when not at gigs letting off steam and so trying to write hasn’t been easy. I have wanted to write but I don’t think I would have been able to do adequte justice to the musicians that I was writing about and I don’t think that would be fair

So has something changed?

Well no. Still feeling down about some personal things but also thinking that doing things I like might help cheer me up. And whilst I may not be very good at it I do like writing, especially about music, but in general I think I will attempt to blog more often and see where that leads

So stay tuned as hopefully there will be more soon

If I had a band and some reviewer came along and said that my band sounded a lot like R.E.M. I really don’t think I’d complain as being compared to one of the best and longest lived bands of the last 30 years is no bad thing. But when The Decemberists released their latest album this was one of the criticisms levelled on the band by many reviewers.

The Decemberists previous release was the fantastic concept folk rock album The Hazards of Love which was such an outstanding and original release many people were expecting more of the same from Colin Meloy with his follow up. However Meloy had other ideas of where he wanted to go with his music.

The King is Dead is still a folk album at it’s heart but there is no over reaching concept to it as with the bands previous work and this time the folk essence of the album rises from their American homeland rather than British folk feel of earlier recordings.

But where you may ask do R.E.M. come into the picture? Well Meloy has long held that R.E.M. is a major influence on him and much of the album is inspired by them. Add to this the fact that Peter Buck plays guitar on three tracks on the album, including lead single Down By The Water, and you cannot escape the influence of one band on the other.

Despite the obvious influences this is by no means a tribute album, this is without a shadow of a doubt a Decemberists album, just one of a very different nature. Meloy’s thought provoking and heartfelt lyrics are are still at the forefront with the usual traces of whimsical melancholy and intellectual complexity that fans have come to expect.

Overall The King is Dead is less ambitious but more accessible album than Hazards of Love but is in no way a lesser album it just goes to show the versatility of Meloy and the musicality of the regular members of the band and guest musicians and vocalists that join them on a regular basis.

A night out in Birmingham, well there are worse places to go (or so I’m told), but at least as compensation we were treated to a performance from Broken Social Scene.

Unfortunately arriving too late to catch the support act, Sky Larkin, but with enough time to be told by friends that they were really good I had a drink and got into postion for the concert.

More of a collective than just a band Broken Social Scene didn’t just take to the stage but took the stage over. With artists moving around stage, swapping instruments and holding impromptu meetings BSS gave the impression of being very haphazard with everything been thrown together at the last minute but as soon as they start playing you are left with no doubt that these guys are tighter than numerous proverbial items.

It was hotter than hell in the Academy but the band still got the crowd moving with new songs such as Forced to Love and World sick as well as older material like Fire Eye’d Boy and 7/4 (Shoreline). But with such a range of performers in the group this band doesn’t just do one style or sound but somehow manage to meld an eclectic mix of inputs to create a wonderful mix of upbeat and down tempo songs with a host of different feels that comes together in one awesome experience.

In the bands own words they wanted to send us off into the world like a ballon and an energetic performance of Meet Me In The Basement did just that…

…just a shame the indie disco that followed was a massive pin