New Music: Chapter 24

Chapter 24 are a new art punk band with plenty of exciting Riot Grrrl and first wave punk influences. This four piece band, consisting of two girls and two guys, are making significant waves in the underground indie scene, and with an eponymous EP released earlier in the year, along with an imminent US tour, the band are surely destined for success.

The group have had excellent press from the NME, Artrocker, Downed in Sound and The Other Woman amongst many others, perhaps because their sound is so fresh, compelling and direct. Chapter 24 create a sparser style of punk than what has been typical over the past few years, instead offering stripped down instrumentation full of front. Major audible influences on their work include original UK punk acts such as The Clash and Crass, and fairly obvious similarities to The Slits have also been drawn. That is not to say however that Chapter 24 are simply 1976 wannabes, romantically recreating music from a by-gone era. Their music also contains elements of twee, Afro punk, surf rock, garage punk and grunge, to make a far more electric and modern sound than you might expect.

This hip band are making some very cool music, which has a genuine, not imitation, punk edge, full of punchy nihilism and a hint perhaps of insolence. They are however still upbeat, with a vague, accessible pop edge, which helps stop the music from getting too heavy and aggressive. The London based quartet do not currently have any further shows lined up in the UK at present, but Chapter 24 do have a AA side single set for release on 28^th November.

See this at MTTM at: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/the-next-best-thing/new-music-chapter-24/

MORE THAN THE MUSIC POST: 11/10/11 | Gruff Rhys – Sub 89, Reading

Quite an old crowd grace this long-standing Reading venue – mostly late 20s to mid-40s grown-ups who think it is acceptable to attend a gig wearing a fleece from Millets. You know, people who have mellowed. This attendee demographic would initially make sense when placed in cursory context of Gruff Rhys’ musical career. At 41, he is not particularly young himself, and (arguably) reached the height of his fame back in the mid-1990s with Super Furry Animals.

However, when I first heard Rhys’ new material from Hotel Shampoo, the artist’s third solo effort release in February 2011, I thought it was some of the freshest, most exciting and original music I had heard all year. His music has a light indie-folk veneer that on paper might not seem particularly innovative, but in practise Rhys’ music is clever, interesting, observant, and subtle, (all the adjectival hallmarks of hip genres du jour, such as chillwave and post-dubstep, for example). It is therefore a surprise that there are not more Reading scenesters here to sample Gruff Rhys’ juicy musical offering.

Rhys transfers all the complex subtleties and insightfulness clearly inherent in his creative mind into a performance full of multi-faceted artistry and consummate conceptual effort. This performance feels like an occasion – it is highly captivating, and above all professional. Rhys has three technicians, one purely dedicated to providing a real 16mm film slideshow as a visual backdrop, which has images tailored to each track. No images are recycled, and reel is constantly being maintained. There are also plenty of apt sound effects and recorded announcements, as well as visual props, including Rhys’ now renowned “applause boards”, which the artist coyly holds up at intervals throughout the performance.

Rhys offers a full set, with plenty of tracks from his back catalogue. He starts simply with Gwnmi Wn, a track with solid harmonies and a beautiful piano/keyboard part. He then ploughs through a variety of tracks, from calmer, softer, more melodious songs to the heavy, distorted mess of In a House with No Mirrors. Rhys performs a fair few of his Welsh language tracks, which surprisingly (for a staunchly southern English audience) go down well. These tracks in general have a slightly more folky vibe, but they should not be mistaken for trad-folk music. These tracks still have a good degree of oomph, and often feature a cool, eerily modal vibe, solidified by the visual and light displays. The inclusion of these Welsh tracks works – it does not feel alien, it just feels like good music.

Rhys finishes the night with Skylon, which runs like a complex, audio-visual play, featuring aeroplane sound effects, costumes, perfectly placed visuals and a complex narrative, all synced up in a very consummate and considered way. In a way this track is a good metaphor for Rhys’ entire performance, and indeed approach to music in general. He offers the audience an entire artistic experience, with a polite, pleasant confidence and diverse, perfectly executed music, in terms of sound, style, technique and presence. An excellent performance and a warm, though-provoking experience.

See this at MTTM at: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/gig-reviews/111011-gruff-rhys-sub-89-reading/

GOD IS IN THE TV POST (Album Review): Future Islands – On the Water

On the Water is the third full-length release from Baltimore’s synth-pop aficionados Future Islands, and this new effort sees the group return with a far more reflective, mature, and introverted effort than anything previously offered. Unlike the group’s earlier work, which was typically catchy, quirky and upbeat, On the Water is deep, cool and dramatic, and times even borders on sombre and melancholy. Quite literally more downbeat, fans of Future Island’s earlier work may be disappointed – the entire album features an undercurrent of pulsating, visceral, coldly menacing synths and calm, impassive ambient segments with little of their previous irreverence or positivity.

On the Water is an ambitious statement however – the album is darkly grandiose, precise, powerful and captivating. The group have drawn far more on ambient artists and new wave synth-pop influences than ever before, and far fewer rock and indie elements are present. Bowie circa the Berlin trilogy, Brian Eno, OMD, and The Pet Shop Boys are all very heavily present in the music, from the choices of synth and guitar timbres to the deep, staccato vocal phrasing. The result is that Future Islands sound unlike anything contemporary, but conversely, the group are not necessarily doing anything new or innovative either. Where before their work was more an experimental fusion of past and present, 80s’ synth-pop and currently alt-indie, with On the Water Future Islands mostly sound like an 80s throwback band. Each timbre replicated is catastrophically accurate and representative of its 30-year-old influences, so much so that at times the music is simply a pastiche – a replication of music past. On the Water is not a 2011 reimagining of late 70s/early 80s synth-pop, and as such it often feels like an exercise or project rather than true artistic development.

There are some interesting moments, however. When tracks have more of an ambient vibe rather than a synth-pop vibe, the music can be quite curious and beautiful. These soundscapes, built from music, samples and found sounds work well together and sound fresh. Indeed, there does seem to be more of a focus, especially in these ambient sections on how the music is constructed than Future Islands’ previous work. Tracks such as ‘Tybee Island’, ‘Where I Found You’ and ‘Close to Me’ almost have an almost pastoral, ambient collage vibe at times. The also sound more modern and innovative.

On the Water has some very nice moments, and at times the quieter, colder, enigmatic vibe works, adding to the Future Islands catalogue of musical styles. The lyrics are also very nice throughout, offering quietly romantic and aspirational sentiments about life and love. But one does have to ask the question of what exactly the band are trying to achieve with this effort. It is far less interesting or developed than their previous work, with only small elements of curiosity. Superficially the album might seem more serious and mature, but in reality the album offers little artistic or musical progress. It is instead a pastiche, and ultimately a fairly mediocre one, with only hints of Future Islands’ usual personality or charisma. 

See this at GiitTV at: http://godisinthetvzine.co.uk/index.php/2011/10/10/future-island-on-the-water-thrill-jockey/

MORE THAN THE MUSIC POST (ALBUM REVIEW): Lisa Hannigan – Passenger

A Mercury Prize nomination can sometimes be a poisoned chalice. You receive wonderfully positive press coverage, immense demand, and probably a slot on Later With Jools Holland, but in return you owe the press, your new fans and Jools a truly unbelievable follow up album. So it would be fair to say that something pretty top notch is expected from Lisa Hannigan’s sophomore effort, Passenger.

Despite the folk veneer of Hannigan’s songs, her vocal style fits somewhere between Eliza Carthy and Leslie Feist. Her music throughout Passenger sits comfortable amongst more traditional folk styles, though elements from the very base of her music have an almost jazz-like vibe, with brushed drums and double bass permeating gracefully throughout. This combination of styles was also apparent with her debut album Sea Sew, which was frequently up-tempo and warm. With Passenger, however, we are presented with something that is cooler, evoking sentimentality and themes of homesickness, which add a somewhat darker shade to this new music.

Recollection is not the only theme in Passenger. With the track Safe Travels (Don’t Die), Hannigan’s anxiety flows beautifully between the double bass and ukulele combination (which frequently acts as a point of inception for many songs in Passenger). Hannigan and her accomplished band often start the music light, but it builds, typically climactically, to something that is startling and rich. This is especially notable in the title track, which finishes with a wonderful trumpet and violin combination that frequently adorned tracks on the Sea Saw.

Sea Sew set a precedent for Hannigan, which she has managed to exceed without disregarding her original sound. With Passenger, she has written songs and music that sound as if they were cultivated parallel to her initial crop of heart warmers – this new music is the same quality, with the same vibe and the same charm as it ever had. The new album is a testament to Hannigan’s song writing as well as her creativity. Hannigan has not rested on her laurels; instead she has driven her music further and stretched her songs, her lyrics and her musical prowess to something that is both personally innovative and beautiful.

See this at MTTM at: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/album-reviews/lisa-hannigan-%E2%80%93-passenger/

GIITTV POST (Album Review): Tubelord – R O M A N C E

R O M A N C E is the hotly anticipated sophomore album from Kingston (upon-Thames) based band Tubelord. The group have become renowned for their incredibly diverse, changeable music through a number of EP releases and their debut album, Our First American Friends, which was released to critical acclaim in 2009.

Whilst the group’s music is perhaps best described of as post-rock, throughout R O M A N C E Tubelord twist and turn through an assortment of music genres, creating a complex, confusing, and sometimes frustratingly diverse variety of sounds and styles. For example, the album’s opening track, ‘Over in Brooklyn’ cites heavy American influences, mixing melodic rock, pop punk and emo to create a sound disturbingly similar to the likes of My Chemical Romance and Panic at the Disco. This quickly changes in track however to a more indie-pop vibe, with some prolific nu-prog and alternative indie elements. The track immediately becomes more feisty, quirky and interesting, but also morphs into a slightly bewildering bricolage of mixed sonic messages.

This song is a fairly accurate microcosm of the album in general, which features multiple stylistic traits. Evident as well as emo, pop-punk, prog and a variety of indie styles are synth pop, piano ballads and 80s’ power pop. Indeed, R O M A N C E as a body of work is relentlessly, almost monotonously diverse. The problem with including all these influences, however is that depending on your musical tastes and prejudices, you might find you like one moment (and one set of influences) in a song, then the next its gone, lost in a whirl of sound.

R O M A N C E examples a catalogue of instrumental timbres, mostly based around the battle of supremacy between synth parts and guitar sounds. Guitar riffs are catchy and genre specific, treading along atypically, whilst synths vary from disgusting 80s saw-waves to cute Nintendo blips, and everything in-between. Vocal styles are mixed too. Whilst the often-present lead vocals are a bit too whiney and purposefully strained, there are soft moments with attractive backing vocal harmonies. The tracks ‘Charms’ and ‘Never Washboard’ are particularly good examples of the effectiveness of this more subtle vocal style, and how it should be used much more frequently on the album.

R O M A N C E is certainly a feat of variety, but it is almost too complex to simply sit back and simply enjoy. The music is in constant competition between heart and head, rhythm and concepts, synths and guitars. The album is an enigma, and never fully settles into anything direct or autonomous.

See this at GiitTV at: http://godisinthetvzine.co.uk/index.php/2011/10/05/tubelord-r-o-m-a-n-c-e-pink-mist/ 

HERE COMES EVERYONE: Band of the Week – Bitter Ruin

Made up of classically trained musicians Ben Richards and Georgia Train, Bitter Ruin are purveyors of dramatic folk noir. The duo’s music has been described as weird, unique, brilliant and disturbing, and the group have had a huge amount of praise for their up-coming single “Trust” from the likes of Stephen Fry and Tim Minchin to name but a small, small few. Bitter Ruin have released a number of albums since their creative conception in 2007, and have accumulated a significant number of fans. Curiously though, they have yet to find a record deal.

The Brighton-based duo met at music school and are both highly classically trained musicians. Unsurprising then, the likes of Mozart and Beethoven crop up in their list of influences, alongside Regina Spector, Jeff Buckley and Kate Bush. The most significant, audible influence in Bitter Ruin’s sound, however, is The Dresden Dolls, and the general cabaret noir scene. In fact, the group have even toured with Amanda Palmer (the marvellous lead vocalist of The Dresden Dolls).

The result of their collective influences is a dark, cold, sparse, kooky and macabre sound with lashings of blues, jazz, mariachi, folk and classical. The focus is on the vocals (with especially good pipes from Train), with only acoustic guitar and piano as occasional backing. This is accoustica with energy and anger – truly frenzied yet aloof, and understatedly dramatic.

See this at HCE at: http://www.herecomeseveryone.org/_blog/journal.php?id=307