The National finally seemed to catch up with their own popularity and embrace it in 2010. Their record, High Violet, really brought further sympathisers to their cause and made them the sleeper success story of the year. Though their growing fanbase had not gone unnoticed in our circles, the general public only began to learn of this band who’ve been around since 2000. No complaints here, that’s the way it is. I’m glad they’ve made an impact where most bands don’t deserve to. They really do. So below is my November cover story for Playmusic Pickup, header and standfirst intact. Bryce Dessner is a talkative, eloquent chap, as are they all I believe. Read on, dear reader, read on…
Part five of my alphabetical retrospective of interview features I wrote for Playmusic last year continues with the return - in a collective sense - of Field Music. The brothers Brewis are essentially Field Music. Andrew Moore may play drums, but it seems the trio format was always dispensable. The second self-titled album was entirely written and recorded by the Sunderland pair after they separated their efforts into two projects: namely School of Language and The Week That Was, though they both played on each other’s ‘solo’ records.
The Intelligence, pic by Kelly O
I think this is my first SxSW related post since I booked my (bargain) flights to Austin, so there’s definitely no backing out now. Not long til I go either so these posts need to step up a gear.
So below are the highlights of the I, J and K pile winging their way to Texas state in March. Let’s dig in and find some excellence shall we?
It’s pretty impossible for me to pick out particular producers for special attention, especially as - unlike guitar bands and suchlike - I have less scope for explaining and referencing how they craft their music. It’s something I always attempt to correct every year but it feels impossible to keep on top of the amount of amazing electronically-designed music out there.
Anyway, Debruit - or Xavier Thomas to his friends and family - caught my attention with his Spatioin Temporel EP. It’s a blustery cluster of disparate rhythms, slinky spring sounds and cutting samples that all bring to mind a clash between exotic street parties and underground club ambience.
Ripping asunder the very sky in some biblical approximation of a very natural disaster, duelling violins rip, shred and tear at the onslaught of guitar violence that’s being committed kamikaze-style upon the rumbling drums.
If you were to dissect and wrench the most dramatic elements of Sigur Rós’ instrumental assault, cure them and then throw them to lions you’d be hearing what Talons are trying to imitate.
Last week was fairly exciting what with Micachu and the Shapes giving it their all at Proud in Camden for a Haiti benefit gig, The Invisible performing excellent new material to those at the Borderline and an Audra Mae showcase at Gibson Guitars Studios, not to mention the extra curricular activities (okay drinking) involved at those shows. Now settling down for the next installment of SxSW’s showcasing bands, we begin with a charming Americana-countryesque band…
Ha Ha Tonka (www.myspace.com/hahatonka)
Gadarene (www.myspace.com/gadarenemusic)
Elegant folk-strewn and fiddle led instrumentals.
Gay Witch Abortion (www.myspace.com/gaywitchabortion)
LISTEN JUST FOR THE NAME. Noisy two piece intent on doing lo-fi Lightning Bolt with less skillz and more controversy.
Geeks (www.myspace.com/thexgeeks)
Probably isn’t these guys but Korean hardcore punk is brilliant, even if it is generic.
Get Back Guinozzi! (www.myspace.com/getbackguinozzi)
Female fronted duo that get round cutsey by spewing velvet pop adorned with velcro - it attaches itself to your ears while listening through its odd soaring nature.
Explode into Colours, pic by Cameron Browne
The sun is now shining, gleaming off the quilt of white snow over everything outside. I still have very little reason to go outside so onwards with the next alphabetical characters in SxSW’s list of showcasing bands….except I’ve changed my mind. This is actually insane and I have far more important things to do. So, I’m only going to recommend bands, and forget about the ones who are plain terrible.
While the snow softens everyone’s will to work, I continue - with no excuse about transport or avalanches to get me out of it - to plug away at this gargantuan task of listening to and approving of/dismissing the acts playing SxSW in March this year. Here we go again…
As expected, SxSW decided to sprinkle their already well-populated list of artists with a few more undesirables, and therefore I’ve had to trudge all the way back to A and add my thoughts to these newcomers. *sigh* It’s gonna be a long journey.
Photos from a recent FOE gig - a friend of our friends Hold Your Horse Is - she’s gonna be big!!! Read the gig review after the jump.
Shots of North Carolina’s folk-rocking Avett Brothers’ stop in Glasgow - 22.08.11
Read the review of the gig here.
Take a look at the acts and art on offer at this year’s Latitude Festival in Suffolk. Included are the likes of Fight Like Apes, Lykke Li, Sea of Bees and Seasick Steve. Photos from our own...
Good time with Bad Guys. Photos from the May 29th gig at the Old Blue Last. Read the review by the Bad Guy himself, Stuart London after the jump.
Artrocker.com exclusive: for fans of White Lies and Crocodiles we’ve got some fresh pictures from their UK show at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire earlier this month, courtesy of Alessandro...
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