THE DUDEBOX

MMT Reviews the Number One Singles of 2011 (part two)

2011-12-29T13:41:00.008Z

Part Two: Jul - Dec

JULY

“Don’t Wanna Go Home”: JASON DERULO (2 weeks)
Goodness gracious me! Why am I only hearing this for the first time now? Bizarrely mashing up early 90s dance standard “Show Me Love” and Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O”? And coming out with 2011-R-n-B-by-numbers? Surely that can only be the work of some kind of twisted leftfield visionary genius? Well, that or an idiot unblessed with any imagination or self-awareness. “Jaason Deruuulo”!

“Louder”: DJ FRESH feat SIAN EVANS (1 week)
Summery and faceless rave-pop with attendant vidjo featuring roller-skating honeys. For what it’s worth, although this barely moves me musically it still succeeds in doing all the things that that LMFAO single fails to.

“Glad You Came”: THE WANTED (2 weeks)
Chart-topping Boy Bands are usually interchangeable no matter what year it is, and this bunch of testosterone-free reality-show rejects are no exception. Heavily seasoned with Ibiza synths to sound like they know what year it is – as if the Little Girls care!

AUGUST

“She Makes Me Wanna”: JLS feat DEV (1 week)
Pretty similar to the preceding Wanted track only very slightly better – I can’t believe these guys are already on their third album. Contains a ‘guest slot’ (i.e. eight lines in the bridge) from some lady called Dev who is apparently a pop star in the States, though that’s presumably in the same way JLS are pop stars here, i.e. 'not particularly'.

“Swagger Jagger”: CHER LLOYD (1 week)
Proving that it doesn’t matter whether you win X Factor or not, 2010’s fourth-placed finalist Cher Lloyd still got signed by Simon Cowell anyway. The gist of the song is that we (i.e. music critics I suppose) can’t stop writing about her or looking her up on YouTube, which is a bit rich given that I’d never heard of her till just now. I think the shouty verses are supposed to conjure up images of Gwen Stefani ‘hollering back’, but actually they remind me more of Daphne & Celeste, should you have cause to remember them (shudders). This is badly judged, badly constructed balderdash.

“Promises”: NERO (1 week)
The first number one for this London-based electronic duo, and a pleasingly intriguing slice of 21^st Century Pop. You can hear their drum & bass roots but it’s close enough to the mainstream too to appeal to the T4 watching kidz. Certainly stands out among most of the other tracks to top the charts this year. Nice one. It’s no Crystal Castles or Robyn, fo’ sho’, but I actually quite like it. If I was giving out an award for my favourite #1 of the year it’d be this. But I’m not.

“Don’t Go”: WRETCH 32 feat JOSH KUMRA (1 week)
In the Vodka Boy camp we really enjoyed Wretch’s debut single “Traktor” at the start of the year, it’s one of the year’s best - but this is an altogether gentler affair. I’m all for UK rappers topping the hit parade, but it’s a shame it’s usually their more palatable ballady tracks that seem to manage it. This is a shrugged shoulder of a song, shame.

SEPTEMBER

“Heart Skips A Beat”: OLLY MURS feat. RIZZLE KICKS (1 week)
Limp but amiable enough reggae-pop from the hat-wearing X Factor ’09 silver medallist. The video features him looking all urban in a graffiti-covered skate park, and the likeable middle-eight cameo from rising Brit-hoppers Rizzle Kicks helps. He’s one of the least intolerable of his cohort, I suppose. And that’s a compliment.

“Stay Awake”: EXAMPLE (1 week)
Not as catchy as “Changed The Way You Kiss Me”, but a similar template. I just think there’s something about the way he comes across which makes me reluctant about him. Not sure what though. Maybe it’s cos he looks like one of those simian Northmen who populated all those post-Oasis lad-rock bands in the late 90s – my mortal enemies!

“All About Tonight”: PIXIE LOTT (1 week)
Incredibly, Pixie Lott has already had as many Number 1 singles as The Kinks and Frank Sinatra, and as many as Madness, The Beach Boys and The Who combined! Even more incredibly she’s a new young pop star who hasn't come from X Factor or any other reality TV show. Although it doesn’t make any difference to how she sounds – it’s essentially a British (i.e. politer) equivalent of Ke$ha’s chart-topper from February. (sighs)

“What Makes You Beautiful”: ONE DIRECTION (1 week)
And talking of the X Factor... Literally created by the TV programme moguls from five unsuccessful solo boy entrants, this is sappy, non-threatening pretend-edgy-pop for ten-year-old girls. Remember North & South? No, me neither.

OCTOBER

“No Regrets”: DAPPY (1 week)
It’d be a nice journalistic device to be able to say here that all this X Factor dross makes even Dappy sound good, but the twatty-hatted goon has let me down with his debut solo single. Looking moody behind a chain link fence in an American suburb even though he’s from Camden, this is heavily diluted RnB with only some – possibly unintentionally! – funny lines in the rap sections to redeem it.

“Loca People”: SAK NOEL (1 week)
Haha! One of those Eurobeat dancefloor fillers I thought had long died out – like “Encore Une Fois”, “Would You (Go To Bed With Me?)” or “Short Dick Man”, it hinges on a posh-voiced chica (Dutch in this case, though it’s set in Spain!) drawling swear words over repetitive bleeps. Makes me wistfully nostalgic and cheerfully bored at the same time. But I’m glad of some respite from Cowell & Co at least.

“We Found Love”: RIHANNA feat. CALVIN HARRIS (6 weeks)
Rihanna’s fifth UK Number 1, and a bit less forgettable than the rest of them apart from “Umbrella”. Calvin Harris adds the now-compulsory 2011 clubby synth production, while Rihanna herself goes through some pretty grim emotional turmoil in the video – which is not reflected in the diet-euphorix pop song one iota. Still, it was the first track since July to hang onto pole position for more than a solitary week – even returning to the top after a fortnight from Professor Green (see next)! And after a couple of listens it does seem to have started burrowing into my brain.

NOVEMBER

“Read All About It”: PROFESSOR GREEN feat. EMELI SANDE (2 weeks)
Prof Green takes the “British Eminem” comparison to the logical next level – which sadly means airing his turbulent family history in confessional rap mode. The point missed I’m afraid is that the songs where Eminem bangs on remorselessly about his Mom are among the worst tracks he’s done. I don’t mind some of the Professor’s earlier singles, in point of fact – but this smacks of taking himself too seriously too quickly.

DECEMBER

“Wishing On A Star”: THE X FACTOR FINALISTS (1 week)
Okay. Let me get this straight... they get to have Number 1 singles now just for getting to the final? Then they can have another couple next year even for finishing ninth or whatever? Could Cowell perhaps be gearing up for a year where EVERY SINGLE #1 is down to him? Oh, sorry. This is for charity, of course. So I’m not supposed to hate it with every fibre of my being.

“Dance With Me Tonight”: OLLY MURS (1 week)
Again, I find Murs’ output harmless enough – in fact this airy slice of 50’s rock-infused pop makes me nostalgic for my own youth and the output of Mr Shakin’ Stevens. Though I’m not sure that was his intention. On the plus side, he’s at least finally taken that damn hat off!

“Cannonball”: LITTLE MIX (1 week)
I can almost hear YC Olie’s teeth grinding from here. And I can feel his pain. I wonder if next year’s winner will get their obligatory #1 single covering “Brother My Cup Is Empty” by Nick Cave? Stranger things have happened. I’m not going to review this single, by the way. You all know the answer.

“Wherever You Are”: MILITARY WIVES with GARETH MALONE (1 week)
Still... at least there was (kind of) a happy ending to the charts in 2011. A far more Christmassy single than we’ve had in some years sitting proudly atop the tree. Looks like though he may be all-powerful, Simon Cowell can’t compete with the notion of our brave boys overseas fighting for all our freedom (it sez here). Or maybe he just knew that and deliberately released the Little Mix single a week early so as to still get a week at the top. I wouldn’t be surprised.

And that’s it! Blimey, that was fun. Sort of. If you made it this far, you've probably realised that there's no real philosophical point behind any of this - it's mainly just been an excuse for me to write sarcastic things about mainstream pop on the internet! Yeeha! See ya next year, kidz!

Words by MMT.

MMT Reviews the Number One Singles of 2011 (part one)

2011-12-21T21:05:00.012Z

In the interests of The History Of Pop Music, oh ye merry blog-readers, I thought I’d mark the end of this fine year by casting a genially paternal eye over each of the Number One Singles in the UK chart for 2011. Y’know, a kind of State Of The Union from the front line of contemporary rhythm sounds.

There were 30 number 1 singles this year, and as is now the standard, most of them only reached the top for a single fleeting week – though we did have some bona fide smashes: one shit / ironic / shit ironic dance anthem; one from an über-successful R’n’B mega-star (and not Beyoncé!); and one from a chunky lass with a shapely set of lungs on her.

Of those 30, you’d realistically not expect me to like very many in any given chart year. How has 2011 fared? Let’s have a look, innit.

Part One: Jan – Jun

JANUARY

“When We Collide”: MATT CARDLE (2 weeks)
A festive hangover lingering into mid-Jan like dry turkey sarnies from the X Factor – their fifth Christmas #1 out of the last six years. But I’m not going to get into that again here. Yet. Anyway, from what I gather Matt Cardle is one of the more ‘realistic’ characters Cowell & Co. have elevated over the years, but that doesn’t mean this isn't a disinfectedly limp rendition of the Biffy Clyro anthem – even down to the sanitisation of the title from the original “Many Of Horror”. Tiresome.

“What’s My Name?”: RIHANNA featuring DRAKE (1 week)
R’n’B Pop would appear to be by far the dominant musical genre of the age, if you flick around the music channels at least – and inexplicably, ‘Ri-Ri’ is one of the top predators of the ecosystem. Maybe it’s just me, but didn’t chart pop used to be a lot more fun than this? Still, it’s the first example of what turns out to be the typical 2011 phenotype: basic pop with some gently clubby flavours and what I can only describe as “ravy synths” for seasoning. Mid tempo, middle of the road. Clearly Rihanna finds her own output as forgettable as me, otherwise she’d be able to remember her own name.

“Grenade”: BRUNO MARS (2 weeks)
There’s a very mild flavour of soul on this, but the shiny production has ironed out any interesting wrinkles into a flat featureless surface. I know Bruno Mars (one of this year’s biggest new chart ‘playas’) is somehow hailed as an exciting character in the world of pop because he can write his own songs and play his own instruments, so he gets at least half a point for that, but otherwise meh.

FEBRUARY

“We R Who We R”: KE$HA (1 week)
Even though most of it is drawled in her annoying accent rather than sung, at least Ke$ha seems to get that pop music is supposed to sound exuberant, youthful and catchy. Sadly this ode to going out and ‘dancing like we’re dumb’ still sounds tacky and low-rent, though I suppose that could be what she was intending... And she’s “looking sick and sexyfied”? Um, no. In the vidjo she looks for all the world like hard-faced harridan Jordan. Yeesh.

“Price Tag”: JESSIE J feat. B.o.B. (2 weeks)
I guess Jessie J is probably 2011’s biggest new break-out pop star, but whether she’ll end up becoming a Lily Allen or merely a Natasha Bedingfield is yet to be seen. My favourite memory of this cheery bounce-pop single is seeing her playing it live on Comic Relief – when the lyric “it’s not about the money, money, we don’t need your money, money” turned out to be not perhaps the best-judged choice of song for such a mega-charidee telethon.

MARCH

“Someone Like You”: ADELE (5 weeks)
A notable chart-topper in that it wasn’t officially ‘out’ as a single when she performed it at the Brit Awards, but so many people downloaded it off the album that it hit the top anyway. I’m not a fan of this kind of thing either, but even I will grudgingly accept that it is ‘quite a good song’ (though given a choice I prefer “Rolling In The Deep”), and Adele is at least less airbrushed than yer standard chart character, so I don’t mind her elevation to the big leagues this year. And she managed to keep the worst Lady Gaga single so far (“Born This Way”) off the top of the pops.

“Don’t Hold Your Breath”: NICOLE SCHERZINGER (1 week)
I always believed that Pussycat Dolls were genetically created by some US über-producer, SO soulless and generic were their pop ‘tunes’, and Nicole Scherzinger seems to have carried this ethos on into her implausibly successful solo career. This is grown in a test-tube, from equal parts Gaga, Rihanna, Beyoncé and ‘flavour of the moment’ (in this case synthy diet-dance beats) and almost indistinguishable from almost everything else you hear in the charts these days.

APRIL

“On The Floor”: JENNIFER LOPEZ feat. PITBULL (2 weeks)
Ah, the Lambada! (wipes a nostalgic tear from the eye) I mean, it’s hardly “Stairway To Heaven”, but the addition of some euphoric synths and whomping noises and an actual tune – even one cribbed from a shit late 80s dance craze – means that this pisses all over the previous tracks by Ke$ha and Scherzinger. If you do have to do this kind of music, I suppose this is how it should be done. An unexpected return to the top of the charts for the big-bottomed señorita. This Pitbull bloke looks like a dick though.

“Party Rock Anthem”: LMFAO feat. LAUREN BENNETT and GOONROCK (4 weeks)
OMG. Fun for about the first two minutes and then you can just see a million exercise classes across the globe clapping their hands in time as they kick out their legs in a lame hokey-cokey. Disco music for eight years olds, dance music for people who find the Black Eyed Peas just a bit too edgy. I do however fear that repeated listens may cause infection. Proceed with caution.

MAY

“The Lazy Song”: BRUNO MARS (1 week)
Another chart-topper from one of the ‘faces’ of 2011, and as sonically lazy as the title implies. His ambition to have “some really nice sex” probably says it all. I quite like the chimp masks in the vidjo though. And am pleasantly surprised we’ve not encountered any covers of this at MK open mics this year (yet!)

“Give Me Everything”: PITBULL featuring NE-YO / AFROJACK / NAYER (3 weeks)
This is like a who’s who of modern-day acts I have heard of but know nothing about! The quirky synth production slathered all over this year’s RnB standards continues, and is insistent at least. Compared to some of the rest of these #1s it’s… alright. I see (from Wikipedia) that this Pitbull character is also “a spokesman” for Kodak, which is presumably why he mentions them several times at the start.

JUNE

“Changed The Way You Kiss Me”: EXAMPLE (2 weeks)
He may look like a proper dick, but I’ll take the Nineties Rave flavours of this ubiquitous Summer ‘chart banger’ every single time over the bloodless R’n’B of Rihanna or Scherzinger or the pap pop of Bruno Mars. The opening “I’ve never been afraid of the highest heights” hook is even one which I’ve found stuck in my head from time to time this year, which is something, to be sure.

To Be Continued...

Words by MMT (feat Pitbull)

The Secret Screens ALBUM

2011-10-04T21:14:00.004+01:00

THE SECRET SCREENS – “Relics Part 1” and “Relics Part 2”
Words by MMT

So I was in the kitchen at MADCAP telling The Secret Screens’ Spatts (Drum Programming, Synths and “Determinism”!) that I didn’t have enough of a musical vocabulary to do justice to reviewing their epic double-album “Relics” (parts 1&2). "There’s so much in it", I was saying, "and I’m honestly not sure what bits to describe as what. Electro, Big Beat, Hip Hop, Scuzzy Indie Dance, Rave, Scratch, Soul, I don’t know where one begins and another one ends..."

Spatts told me not to worry, that he wasn’t sure either, and I felt better. On their website they describe themselves as a “collision of breakbeat, britcore rap, punk, acid house and experimentallica.” So I didn’t get any of those right! But whatever labels you want to stick on this vast swathe of music, it’s extremely impressive stuff!

My indie-kid guitar-band credentials also don’t prepare me for the sheer length of these two CDs. Between them they contain over two and a half hours’ worth of music, three or four times what I would expect a ‘regular’ album to be. But the concept behind the release is that it spans more than two decades’ worth of styles and work by the figures behind The Secret Screens, all mixed up with new production and tracks - just another reason why it’s hard to pin down.

Another is that though there are seven members of The Secret Screens listed on the CD inserts, there were only four (or possibly five) when we saw them live in action at MADCAP last week, and there’s also an extended family of guest stars, samples, collaborators and ‘supporting characters’ past and present along for the ride. The live incarnation focused heavily on the “Scuzzy Indie Dance” I mentioned earlier, but with the sheer amount of other minds and voices at work it’s surely no surprise that the album/s are a diverse ride!

The production throughout is excellent: fully polished and entirely professional. Though there’s plenty of atmospheric instrumentals (the uptempo beats of the infectious “Lost Boy”, the sci-fi zooms and swooshes of “No Tongues / Crazy Legs”, the synth washes of “A Tribute To NYC”, the bleeping trancy shuffle of “My DMX Killed A Man”), there’s also plenty for the likes of me who enjoy a well-turned vocal/lyric.

I enjoy the drawled vocals and punky electronics of the kind of tracks we saw performed by the “live” Secret Screens line-up – I doubt anyone reading this will remember bands like Renegade Soundwave mixing indie and dance together over twenty years ago, but it’s like a superior update of that vibe. And for a pretty dancey album all round there’s a reassuring amount of loud guitars too!

But I particularly enjoy the range of styles which the guest stars also bring with them: MK’s supreme soul singer Nicky Prince appears on “I’m Hearing You” and the frenetic “The Game” with her delicious voice. And if she brings the class, then rappers Graffik (from the legendary The Criminal Minds, one of Spatts’ previous bands) and long-term Monkey Kettle favourites True Element between them bring the energy and urgency of the very best of local rap on tracks like “My Dark Places” or the scratchtastic “On Pause”. There’s even guest samples from the next generation, on the hypnotic “Drum Lord” it’s clearly a young Secret Screen daughter advising us “my Daddy’s a genius, he is a drum lord. If you don’t believe me, check this...” Brilliant! (and she returns again to tell us about her Mum on the second CD too!)

Overall, the sense is that of a bunch of extremely creative and talented musicians and producers coming together for a party that’s never going to stop. And you can’t say fairer than that. Have a listen, whatever your tastes. There’s so much in here that you could easily get lost. But join the party anyway.

The Further Adventures Of Vodka Boy ALBUM

2011-09-22T09:58:00.002+01:00

The Further Adventures Of Vodka Boy - "Triple Filtered"
Words by Phil W.

There’s a man; not an old man but maybe not such a young man either. He stands in front of the bathroom mirror and examines the faint lines creeping around the far edges of his eyes. He makes cocoa and reads a little by the light of the bedside lamp. It’s late and he is tired and he turns out the light and lays back in his bed and pulls the covers up close to his chin. For a minute he looks up at the ceiling where the orange light from the street lamp beyond the bedroom curtains make turbulent shapes out of the ceiling paper that seem to blend and swirl into each other as if the contours of a rolling Atlantic sea. As he closes his eyes he can still see the dark, burning sea rolling beneath his eyelids and far away across the ocean he can see ships like mountains that float on the sea breaking over the horizon….

The Further Adventures Of Vodka Boy's third album and first with drummer / percussionist James Türl begins with the gentle strum of an acoustic guitar, some distant percussive thumps and an understated horn section that literally carries you off with the tide into the dream-like world of Triple Filtered. It’s a feeling that infects the whole record, as dozens of disjointed images and ideas are played out in the lyrics of songs like Brady Flinched and Iridium Layer, creating the soundtrack for a dreamy night’s sleep. Even the more straight-forward songs here sound like they’re breaking through a dreamy haze only to drop back into it again like the more memorable episodes of a restless night. Obvious single April sounds like a collection of teenage memories all combined into the personification of a girl you’ve never met but miss when you wake. The song is beautifully balanced at the end of the record by Humanist Love Song that is perhaps one of the most honest love songs about love and being in love I’ve ever heard.

The dream-like world that The Further Adventures Of Vodka Boy have built here seems to have freed them to write some very honest observations of their world. Cleavers Avenue and the brilliant Cougar Bait both rock and both contemplate issues of growing older and moving on but both in very different ways. Cougar Bait sounds like comic relief on the surface but underneath seems to be making some shrewd observations about age and finding your place in the world. Awkward Much delivers up a painting of people who prefer to talk about themselves in the detached third person, who don’t feel they fit in with the world around them. But this also means Humanist Love Song sounds so completely honest – it’s humorous, clever and totally heartfelt. And by the end of the record Vodka Boy seem quite happy to wake up and quite at peace with themselves in Cheerful Is The New Miserable as Matthew tells everyone to turn left to the rising sun breaking over the horizon. The song starts with some angular punk momentum and stories of girls building spaceships in their sheds, before breaking into a cheery sing-along that turns Bob Dylan’s frown upside-down before clattering into the impulsive round of clapping that closes the album.

Guitarist Martin Ibbotson pens two songs on the record, both of which slot seamlessly into the mix, albeit with Martin’s trademark songcraftsmanship. Hold Out Your Arms combines some dark imagery with a broad uplifting sentiment and one of the catchiest choruses on the record. He also produced the album and the result is a record that sounds very cohesive and focused, and meticulous in a well assembled kind of way. Vodka Boy don’t sound like anyone else here and this album doesn’t sound much like the previous two records but this all works to their advantage as they forge out confidently on their own path. At times this is an album that can make you smile or frown, that feels at odds with the world but can still smile when the sun rises again. It is an album full of all the contradictions of the human psyche and gives no explanation or apology for the ideas that swirl around inside its insular, dreamy world. It’s not worried about making a fool of its self in the pursuit of something great, and that’s what actually makes it truly great. The xylophone solo on The Cats Of Queen Berúthiel and the goofy smiles at the end of Cheerful Is The New Miserable sound like genius next to wonderful pop of April, Humanist Love Song and Hold Out Your Arms, the dreamy Brady Flinched, Cleavers Avenue and Iridium Layer, the bold Cougar Bait and the dark Awkward Much. And for all these reasons, this may be the Vodka Boys’ finest record to date.

THE DUDEBOX CHRONICLES, Vol.2

2011-08-12T14:13:00.005+01:00

Venue: MADCAP, Wolverton
Bands: The White Moths / Phil Sky / The Further Adventures Of Vodka Boy / The Baron Makabre Band / Harikiri Heartbreak
Words: MMT & Phil W.

We think its criminal - given the amount of talent on show - that the recent MADCAP Fundraiser gigs have been so thin on the ground for audience. Not that we’re biased or anything, given that these gigs currently operate under the name of “The Dudebox Chronicles”! But if another one comes around, you really should check it out – whether it’s cos you dig the bands on offer, or just because it’s all for a good cause! And when you see the lights flashing and hear the sounds pumping, you’ll wish every night could be a MADCAP night!

The opening chapter of this second volume in The Dudebox Chronicles was written by THE WHITE MOTHS, who I hope won’t be offended if I describe them as having an impressively hard rock sound given that they all look very young indeed! Powerful bass and pummelling drums topped off with squalling electric riffs and very strong vocals which don’t like they should physically be able to come out of the body of the singer! I’d not seen them before, but I very much liked what I saw – definitely excited to see how they progress. Check out the live footage from this very gig on their Facebook group!

What The Dudebox Chronicles aim to do is mix together some of the best up-and-coming talent from the young bands who play in and around the MADCAP Music Centre along with some of the more established acts around. And I think the “lo-fi King of Milton Keynes” (© MK Citizen) PHIL SKY very much falls into that second category. Playing some totally new songs, the dude seemed totally at home framed by the beautiful old proscenium stage. I’m fast thinking his newish track “Supergirl” with its Evan Dando charm might be one of his best yet.

The second of the more established acts on this evening were none other than Milton Keynes's premier acoustic three-piece ‘man band’ THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF VODKA BOY, who this evening were also launching their third and probably best album yet – “Triple Filtered”. The band tore through a set of hits both old and new, plus a couple of covers reflecting the broad range of skills this band have accumulated over the last few years. I probably enjoyed the last two songs of the set best - a brilliant Eddie Cochran cover followed by their own new song “Cheerful Is The New Miserable”.

If you’ve never before seen Baron Makabre in action, I’m honestly not sure how to describe it to you! But if even if you have, if you’ve not seen him in action with THE BARON MAKABRE BAND then you totally have to! It makes the whole experience at least a thousand times better, if you can imagine such a thing! With a whole backing band of henchmen – sorry... Igors! – the songs become fully fledged monsters of rock. Literally! Plus the Baron’s use of stage props and his commitment to the role (he comperes the evening too) puts other acts to shame.

Final act of the night - HARIKIRI HEARTBREAK – seemed a little cross that their drummer couldn’t be with them because he’d gone on holiday! All sounds pretty rock n’ roll to me... We’ve seen them before as a full-on electric proposition, but it was actually interesting to see them perform as a duo, with just one acoustic guitar and a bass. The vocalist’s particular vocal technique was effective in a very different way stripped of the usual background sound. Intriguing!

All in all a fascinating night of musical variety – if you see a third volume advertised, get along. It doesn’t matter that you may not have read the first two in the series... it could still prove the read of your life! (yes... this metaphor is going to run and run!)

FOO FIGHTERS

2011-07-03T15:27:00.002+01:00

Venue: The National Bowl, Milton Keynes
Support: Biffy Clyro / Jimmy Eat World / The Hot Rats
Words: Phil W.

Every now and then it’s nice to take in a local gig rather than always heading down to London - I’ve been telling my editor for months I’ll get round to reviewing more local gigs so when some American band called the Foo Fighters announced they’d be playing a gig just round the corner from the Furzton Lodge where my brother and me regularly meet up for a pint, we thought we might pop along and see what they sounded like.

I was vaguely aware I’d caught them live a handful of times around a decade ago and they sounded pretty decent then and they had a record called The Color And The Shape which I’d liked a lot when it came out. I know since then they’ve picked up a few more fans - somehow this dude called Dave Grohl, who used to drum for popular beat combo Nirvana before front man Kurt Cobain met with an unfortunate accident with a shotgun in his garage, has put together a band that’s reached mass appeal with everyone from the toughest rocker to the trendiest grandparents all wanting in on his shows. Reportedly some 65,000 people had descended that warm Sunday afternoon to watch Dave’s rock n roll band so it was lucky he chose the large outdoor oval we like to call our National Bowl for the gig. I know we’d have loved to have him play our gig nights down at the Slug (every second Thursday of the month dudes!!) but I don’t think we’d have been able to fit everyone inside. (Sorry Chad, we didn’t even try to ask them! I think we may have dropped the ball on that one.)

The entertainment all kicked off around 4:30 with first support act The Hot Rats - a covers band duo formed by Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey of UK act Supergrass. They got everyone in the mood with a set of seventies standards churned out with a massive Jack White style guitar sound and they were followed by Arizona pop-punks Jimmy Eat World that similarly worked the crowd as everyone baked in the afternoon sun. Between acts we got beer and Chinese food and then settled down for a great set from Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro. I remember seeing these guys play the Soundhouse in Northampton a few years back before they had a record out, sharing the stage with now defunct MK band Noon Layer Drive, so it was nice to see them come back and play a Milton Keynes gig and they seemed to go down well with a lot of the audience. I dug them a lot but, after their set as I stood in the men’s urinals and unconsciously listened in to the conversation of the guy relieving himself next to me, I heard him say “I feel bad for the Foo Fighters really, they’ll never be able to follow a set like that!” Now I’d seen the Foos ten years ago and they put on a pretty decent show then and was already sure the band would do pretty well tonight.

I wasn’t wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I dug the Biffy Clyro set but Dave’s rock n roll band really did go down a storm performing what I might describe as a truly awesome set. Now I know I use words like “awesome” and “legendary” quite a lot but I tell you it’s not my fault if the world is generally so awesome and legendary on such a regular basis, the whole thing is out of my control. Seriously dude, I live in Milton Keynes! And what could be a more awesome way of telling you how awesome and legendary this gig was than by writing it all down in a list??

10 Awesome Reasons Why The Foos Were Truly Awesome And Legendary On Sunday Night

1. They played This Is A Call! Dude!

2. Dave Grohl!! (see later list)

3. They played Monkey Wrench!! Dude!!!

4. Pat Smear!!

5. They played Stacked Actors!!! Dude!!!

6. The stage! It had these really groovy cylindrical shaped lights with screens on them and they moved around and somehow made the stage seem big and small all at the same time! Genius!

7. Seasick Steve!! There was an awesome moment when Dave welcomed Seasick Steve to the stage! Then he introduced John Paul Jones and then he asked if he could get behind the drums! As a bewildered Seasick Steve took on the role of front man with his three string guitar he said “ya know, five years ago I didn’t even have a job! And now I’m gonna play with Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones and to all you guys! I tell ya, anything can happen!” before playing Dog House Boogie.

8. The runway!! Straight down the middle of the pit, all the way to the sound desk was a runway that Dave energetically ran back and forth along. I tell you, for a 42 year old he’s got a hell of a lot of energy! On the other side of the sound desk was a second stage where Dave could say hi to the people at the back from and play his guitar from. At one point the three guitarists had a duel, one on each corner of the stage and Dave out on his little stage in the middle of the audience. Awesome!!

9. Butch Vig!! The dude came on stage and said hi to the audience at Dave’s request!

10. Taylor Hawkins and all the rest of the Foos!! This may have been an arena gig but this was definitely not a show, it was a gig. For all the flashing lights it was just a band rocking out, playing rock n roll from a stage covered in amps. Even the keyboard player got an intro from Dave.

11. For an encore they played Everlong!!!! Dude!!!!! :-D

5 Awesome Reasons Why Dave Grohl Is Awesome

1. The dude spent the whole gig with the biggest grin on his face and his mood was infectious – throughout the gig the whole band grinned, laughed, joked and hugged each other. Cool people tend not to grin, you’ve gotta be übercool to pull off the grin. You know, the kind of cool where you really just don’t care about being cool cause you know, if you care you just aren’t cool anymore.

2. He told everyone repeatedly how much he loved them. I know there were 64,999 other people there but he made me feel special. Not a lot of entertainers can do that. Not many can include the whole audience in the collective feeling of being at a gig rather than watching one happen far away.

3. At some point he gushed in front of the audience and said “you know, you guys have always treated us like we’re the biggest band in the world. You know, I start to wonder, maybe tonight we ARE the biggest band in the world.” Somehow he still seemed humble when he said this.

4. The dude plays a mean guitar and writes a mean song, effortlessly combining the angst and the upbeat without ever sounding clichéd.

5. Dude, the dude played in Nirvana!

In the end, it was Dave Grohl’s ability to work 65,000 people and make them all seem included in the magic that turned this gig from a vast arena concert into an intimate gig with your mates Dave and Pat and Taylor and all the other Foos. I walked away feeling like I knew the guy - he was like an old friend I hadn’t seen in years. Sure, he got really popular sometime back and after that I didn’t see him as often, bands never seem as cool once your parents want to go to their gigs, but as he debated over the big screens from back stage how many songs the band should play in the encore I felt like my screams mattered, that he was at least partly talking to me. As he stood on his little stage out in the audience he said “you know, you all feel like family to me! This doesn’t seem weird! I just love you guys!” Dave is the final proof that nice guys can finish first, they may not do it as often as the nasty ones but when they do they seriously kick ass! What can I say – Dave, man, you’re a dude!

Dudebox "Track Of The Spring"

2011-05-20T17:01:00.011+01:00

I guess this could be the last Dudebox Track Of The Season review in this format – as this year has gone on it’s become more and more apparent that MySpace is well Over. Always a slightly clunky format, it looks like it’s been finally killed off by the twin attack of YouTube and Facebook. I’m finding more and more that new bands haven’t bothered with it, and old bands aren’t updating theirs. So until Facebook allows you to listen to bands’ music without Liking them – or until I decide I’m happy to Like every single band I come across, we might be approaching a Reviewing Impasse!

Still – that doesn’t mean we haven’t got some more great local music for you to listen to right here! Get it while you can!

((As always, I am duty-bound to announce the Disclaimer that none of these bands have asked us to review their music – in fact I’d be surprised if any of them ever realise we’ve done it! – but the point of the matter is to try and shine some lights onto all the corners of this always-surprisingly-large-and-vibrant-and-various local music scene. Break out the cutlery and let’s have some dinner. A dinner of Rock!))

MMT.

“All Burned Out”: KASTAPHOR

Forget MySpace or Facebook - Kastaphor are professional enough to have their own website with music on anyway – they play gigs in London, all over the adjoining counties, and at The Stables! They’ve got that kind of ‘polished’ ‘adult’ vibe, without being dull. Singer Emma has an incredibly soulful voice, there some excellent guitar soloing, and although it’s not really my sort of music it’s unarguably an accomplished song which you can imagine going down perfectly in a smoky rock club.

“Mexican Doom”: VOMIT WHORES

We reviewed Vomit Whores way back in our first ever Dudebox Track Of The Season review a couple of years back, and at the time I wasn’t sure if they might even be a joke band – but this is much better! The kind of queasy funk-edged metal you’d expect from Mike Patton fans, muscular and relentless. A punchy treat that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

“Gangsters”: IDOLTRIBE

We discovered this on DJ Michael’s Basement Music compilation, and for me their session version of this track was the standout track on that CD. It bounces along in an incredibly jaunty semi-acoustic manner, and then when the backing vocals kick in in the chorus you think “blimey, this is something special”. There’s even a bass solo! It’s the sort of song I feel compelled to learn the words to so I can sing / chant drunkenly along to – and I can’t give much higher praise than that!

“Hold Your Own”: KEEPER OF THE RIFLE

This season’s MK Metal Korner! As hairy and intense as you’d imagine, but reassuringly still has a strong sense of melody in amongst the shouting and growling. And as we’ve noted before in these reviews, the local metal bands seem to have no problem whatsoever in producing studio-quality recordings, this could easily be a long-established national band by the sound of this track. Love the solos too. (flicks devil horns)

“Farewell Goodbye”: ROSES AND PIRATES

Another lovely song by the R&P ladeez, our Track Of The Season winners last Summer with “The Rose”. This is altogether more reflective, a gentle lullaby for the end of a long and testing night. You can almost hear the bar staff trying to clear out the audience, who won’t leave till they’ve heard the final beautiful note fade.

“Flaming Sun”: WITHOUT REASON

Surfing the quiet-loud dynamic as well as any local band I’ve heard recently, this mixes beautiful vocal harmonies, a persistent groove from the bass, a casual yet cool solo and occasional full on hard-rock choruses. Another new name to me, but I’m hoping to catch them live very soon. We don’t have enough bands who sound like this.

“Is It Real Yet?”: FALL SHORT FOR GLORY

Some beautifully intricate lead guitar ushers us right into this sugary slice of punk-pop – it feels like a sunny day in FSFG’s world and I’m happy to be in it with them! That spiralling solo effect is almost mesmerising, but the rest of the song is impressive too – melodic, upbeat, well produced and an intriguing first experience of this band for me. I’m keen to hear more.

“Don’t Believe Her Smile”: ISABELLE

One of the most prolific of local bands – I can’t believe they’ve also got time to fit in running the excellent Sno!Bar Open Mic as well as their Leighton Buzzard gigs and social lives! – are back with another new album... and they’re so prolific that thing song isn’t even on it!! I love the keyboard on this – or it could even be an actual organ! Summery, soulful, sumptuous. They can’t miss at this kind of stuff.

RUNNER UP DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE SPRING

“Red, Green, Black”: SOUTH SEA COMPANY

We may have reviewed them last time round as well, but this track especially shows a definite step on since we first heard them. It’s confident, mature (in a good way!) – the bass drives along a slowly building indie-pop gem. This is a really impressive song, indicating not just a good present but a very good future if they’re already at this standard!

DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE SPRING

“Shyrite”: HOUSE OF JOHN PLAYER

Whatever else, it’s the different stuff that I really get excited by! Loops, synths, shuffly beats and vocals drifting between emotionless droning and an emotional falsetto. This is an excellent track – a standout among a bunch of almost-equally as impressive tracks. This dude played at the Sno!Bar a month or two back and I missed it – will be looking out for him in action again though. Hypnotic, a midsummer day’s dream.

ON AIR:MK CD Review

2011-04-25T15:57:00.013+01:00

“ON AIR:MK” – Live Sessions Of ‘Basement Music’
Review by MMT.

Basement Music on MySpace
Basement Music on Facebook

We’ll get to the other reasons to buy a copy of “On Air:MK” in a minute, but #1 and surely the Main Reason – it’s a really good compilation by a load of MK acts! Musak technology has improved to the point where it’s actually reassuringly easy to get together a collection of local band recordings these days – but that doesn’t always mean they’re going to be good collections!

But this 21-track extravaganza, culled from roughly a billion live sessions (give or take) recorded by DJ Michael Andrews and his team over the first year-and-a-bit of his “Basement Music” show on CRMK? This is good. So that’s reason enough alone – from the opening clatter of “Crash & Burn” by the excellent SuperMassiveMonkeyMen via the rolling “The Call” by City By Dawn to the scattergun rap of Soul which closes the CD – it’s a great mix of the sorts of bands they have on every single flippin' week!

People are downright sick of me & Phil banging on about the great local acts we see all over the place at acoustic open mics, full on gig gigs and all sorts of super festivals in town, so it’s a pleasure to hear so many of the performers we enthuse over collected together by someone else who appreciates them: people like Seeking Salvation Through Love, Isabelle, and YC Olie are familiar treats to us by now. But there’s new stuff here too, bands we’ve never heard before. The jaunty but tuneful “Gangsters” by Idoltribe is one of the best tracks featured, I’ll definitely be looking out for them on the local circuit now. Likewise Beds act Embrace The City, whose full electric sound doesn’t lose any energy in this acoustic translation.

One of the things I like best about the compilation is that they’ve left in some of the rawness of the sessions. Several of the tracks open with the artist’s own introduction from the show, and on occasion we hear DJ Michael himself chatting with the acts. So it may be a bit rough round the edges, but that’s all part of the ‘live session’ charm. Having said that, several of the bands manage to create a full sound despite the tinyness of the CRMK studios (the excellent dance act Dusque especially).

Though not every single track is necessarily My Cup Of Tea, it’s also a nice mix of genres – though there is a lot of acoustic stuff (due to the nature of the studio) it covers lots of differing flavours therein (folky, soulful, lo-fi, poppy, rocky), and there’s also dancier sounds (hip-hop n’ scratching from Soul & DJ Kraze1 and funky grooves: Dusque again). And some of the acts do something a little different from their usual work – there’s a beautiful ukulele version of “Old Rosie” by Dudebox regular, the artist formerly known as Project Wolverine.

Reason #2. Though we absolutely and loyally support Basement Music and all who sail in her, we’re just not able listen every week. It’s a crying shame given how much work Michael does for local music – and so if you, like us, can’t listen to every single show, buy this instead! Use it as a handy compendium of all the great stuff you’ve missed!

Reason #3. It’s for charity. And a charity close to home to some of the people involved in the compilation too (Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund). And that’s a reason you really can’t argue with. Dig deep. And rock on.

Mitchell Taylor ALBUM

2011-04-08T09:40:00.005+01:00

“Tales From Albion” by MITCHELL TAYLOR

Review: Phil

The record opens in a pub barroom with “Pub Politics” in which a carefree Mitchell tells us "we're all going to die, so let’s enjoy tonight, let’s not fuss and fight." Casually throwing caution to the wind for one more pint over conversation involving furniture and revolutionary politics, the record plunges us into the uncertain world of being 18 and in England in the first decade of the 21st Century. It’s a world he paints clearly as he lets us glimpse fleeting images of life through his eyes that capture all the joy, heartache, ambivalence and certainty of life just on the edge of adulthood.

“Tales From Albion” is the exceptional debut album from Mitchell Taylor - at 18, the artist formally known as Project Wolverine has recorded something of a masterpiece carefully assembled into ten superbly crafted songs. Yes, it’s high praise but it’s well deserved as the culmination of several years’ hard work. In 2009 and 2010 Mitchell Taylor (under the name Project Wolverine) released two albums - 2009's “Life, Love, Loss & Politics” and 2010’s “Lost Boy Blues”, two great lo-fi records that sometimes played more like demos but showed an artist with a burgeoning talent - and it is songs culled and re-recorded from these two collections that make up the bulk of “Tales From Albion”. But even then, with two lo-fi albums and a string of impressive live performances under his belt, the leap to “Tales From Albion” is still a very big one and not just in the production or the addition of a smattering of extra instruments - or the near perfect performances captured in these recordings. It is in the songs he's chosen and the order they play. If being an artist is about making decisions then Mitchell has made all the right ones here. He has recorded an album that is above all shockingly cohesive and single-minded in its vision.

On “Daily Mail” Mitchell proclaims that his generation just need some clarification that they are the future of this nation, sliding the statement next to the image of him and some friends being moved on by a policeman for loitering. He explains it wasn’t like they really meant to cause any trouble, they were just looking for somewhere to hang. On “Cold Baked Beans”, Mitchell sounds defeated and lonely in a world consumed by rampant consumerism, and he takes the same tone later on the album with “England”, an alternative anthem that paints an England defeated and cold - yet the song still sounds patriotic, the sadness conveying the curious love we all have deep inside for our cynical island. On “Socialism Is For Lovers” Mitchell worries about the life of debt he's destined to live after university while he expresses his darkest fears for the future on “Coalition Blues” when he paints a dystopian future without a National Health Service.

Mitchell’s 21st Century England is a dark and cynical place, obsessed with consumerism and rampant with lazy tabloid journalists and overzealous policemen ready to pull apart today’s youth at every turn, but it is also an England cluttered with characters - friend and foe - whose encounters fill the lyrics of every song like Polaroid snapshots tacked onto a bedroom wall. The album’s final two tracks take us even closer to home; what picture of teenage life would be complete without the girl he pines for on “Loves You More Than I” and asks “is there a man who loves you more than I?” The final track ("Some Girl"), framed inside an encounter with a police officer who tells Mitchell he looks like a thief, has him responding that he's not looking to steal, he's just looking for love. There's hope still for Mitchell in his dark world of policemen and politicians. Yes, his subject matter can be heavy but this doesn’t stop the album being enjoyable and uplifting in its youthful exuberance.

“Tales From Albion” is a meteoric step forward, well arranged and almost perfectly crafted, and with just enough fray around the edges to retain the rawness we loved on his earlier records. Throughout the record the smattering of extra instruments is just enough to keep the record interesting but not so many that it takes the focus away from Mitchell as a solo artist. From the drums on “Cold Baked Beans”, the strings on “Coalition Blues” and the uprising of instruments on “Some Girl”, the balance is never over-powering leaving Mitchell with his tunes and his lyrics to take centre stage. “Tales From Albion” is nothing short of a masterpiece from the prolific Mitchell Taylor, for forty minutes or so he lets us see the world through his eyes and this is his greatest achievement. He sounds like the voice of his generation; he shows us how the youth see the world of today and he dares us not to ignore him. And ignoring an album as good as this would be criminal.

CELLARTAPES

2011-03-18T20:00:00.005Z

The Cellartapes Experience
(Reviewer - MMT)

There’s something infinitely mysterious about the Cellartapes label. Or maybe it’s just that my ordered librarian’s mind seeks always to define and classify – Cellartapes seem to defy definition, and that’s what I find so perversely intriguing about them. A superlative example of how groups of creative minds can come together via the Internet and create whole scenes under their own steam – in Cellartapes’ case a brilliant batch of electronica, dance, ambient, trance, jam-band and other types of music I don’t even have the vocabulary to describe.

Anyway, the many and various acts signed (well, maybe signed isn’t the right word. They’re more mysterious than that!) - affiliated to the Cellartapes label can all be seen at their page on the ReverbNation site. Which I must admit is also a site I find very mysterious! Kind of an alternative MySpace which is also able to compile local download charts… now that does interest my librarian’s mind.

OTL, described as “the producer and technical studio dogsbody at the centre of operations” is a character we know pretty well from Real Life™. But that’s about as much as we do know. Though if you’ve been beautiful and shrewd enough to buy yourself a copy of the latest “Monkey Kettle & Friends Rock” compilation CD, you might already be familiar with Invisible Rhino's “Charge Consumer”. Invisible Rhino describe themselves as making “Dancing Upside-down Music”. Which is about right. Bouncy, atmospheric mood dance. “In Imitation Of Our Better Selves” is a particularly good example, evolving into a squelchy track that’s almost industrial at times. “Credit Card Or Bust” is even stompier.

Mucky Badger has possibly the best name among the Cellartapes artists, and my favourite track by him / them has probably the best track name too: “Billie Moo Moos Again” – presumably referring to the lowing noise which drifts in and out over the jittery rhythm and cartoon chattering. While Stasis looks like it’s another name under which OTL himself records, this time in a much more ambient / dreamlike mode – and one which I enjoyed in particular, the moody “Ducks Of Midnight” a particular standout. And it would appear The Ninth Tentacle is also OTL (though you never know!!), here in ongoing dancey jams featuring spiralling electric guitars (such as “i believe in milko” (the title a subtle “Home & Away” reference I think!) and the excellently atmospheric “Developing Fluid”) – maybe the best place to start for those people who like guitars!

Definitely a band in their own right – because we’ve seen them play live several times! – are Dusque, who are a groovy synthy outfit with punchy rhythms and a summery vibe. If you ever get the chance to check them out live, you definitely should.

Some of the acts do appear to be based further afield, Alex Final who makes off-kilter blocks of robot poetry appears to be from California; Coccinella’s trancey synths are from the Netherlands; while Bachuus looks like he’s from Denmark and records the sort of laid-back stuff that someone like me who doesn’t listen to enough of this sort of stuff might call “chillwave”. But maybe this is all recorded in Emerson Valley, who knows?

So, some of the above artists may or may not be the same people. Or some of the same people in different combinations. Or some different people under the same pseudonyms, for that matter. We just don’t know. That's how mysterious the whole Cellartapes affair is, and y’know what? That’s the way I like it. The only real answers are the tracks – which are smashing. Come on in.

Final Clearance - ALBUM

2011-03-08T20:59:00.005Z

The year is only two and a bit months old, and here at Monkey Kettle Towers we’ve already heard two full-length, professionally produced albums by local musicians which would be nailed-on Album Of The Year contenders in most years – but the fact they’ve come so early on in 2011 makes me agog about what else we may get to hear this year from the local circuit!

Reasonably soon, Phil will be regaling us with his thoughts on The Artist Formerly Known As Project Wolverine, but in the meantime let me wax enthusiastic about “No Love Lost” by the always exciting Final Clearance.

Obviously my hopefully-not-too-creepily-oversold love for their sound has already been covered here on The Dudebox, but this set of songs recorded at The Lodge Studios in Northampton sounds as polished, well-produced and textured as pretty much anything I have ever heard by a “Milton Keynes Band”. Perhaps the most telling moment was when the jaw-dropping “Synth Song” came on my mp3 player’s random shuffle while walking to work and for the first time ever with a local band I didn’t realise I wasn’t listening to a commercially released label act. It was only when I looked at the track display that the penny dropped. This wasn’t a Killers or Depeche Mode album track I’d forgotten I had – this was the work of an ambitious band from my very doorstep.

And that’s not to say that they sound derivative, either – in fact they’re possibly harder to pin down to a genre than any other local act. It’s indie-rock, sure, but it’s not the usual metal-tinged or punk-edged standards (though it does rock out in places: “Deadly Obsession” kicks in furiously and “Rebound” stamps along with great big seven-league boots), rather FC are occasionally folky, sometimes poppy, even Soulful once in a while.

Tom assures us he’s far happier with the songs on this – their second full album – which reflect a more mature place in his life than their previous work, but to me that’s always been one of the reasons to dig Final Clearance most of all among their contemporaries. Their sound is “Grown-Up” without being dull. In a scene where most bands have split up by the time they’re 20 it’s so refreshing to hear what comes next. Their song-writing, both Tom’s lyrics and musically as a band, is genuinely very very good. From the rumble of the drums and the choppy guitars which kick off “In This World” via the solid drive of the bass parts to the wistful piano which heralds “Sleeping” and the imperious organ which opens and underpinned the empassioned finale "Hush". They’re all extremely tight performers. You can tell they’ve been playing together as a unit for some time, that tightness don't come easy.

Of course of course of course, the haunting voice of the violin calls out to me always too, turning my heart to mush. There’s cello which hits me deep in the chest as well, courtesy of prolific orchestratess Nicole Collarbone. And trombone too! You wouldn’t get that on any tracks by this year’s latest screamo teens. Except possibly if they were skacore!

Not only are the production values of the actual music worthy of superlative praise, but the whole package is slick, professional and in this latter-day world of downloads and streaming still a CD artifact worth buying: lyrics, photos, a full-on proper insert booklet like there used to be. Cool.

On “No Love Lost” Final Clearance have set the bar very high indeed. I hope we hear plenty more from them over the next few years, I think they genuinely could have a chance of going somewhere way beyond the borders of MK – and I’m honestly looking forward to watching them try. In the meantime, you really really should try and hear a copy of this album. For real.

MMT.

Dudebox "Track Of The Autumn"

2010-12-28T13:19:00.008Z

Happy Christmas, Dudebox readers, and a Merry Nu-Year too! As 2010 draws to a blissed out snowy climax, what better way to end the year than with one final Dudebox Review Of Some Local Bands’ MySpaces? This time on the 'turntables' it's MMT & Phil, musing on another great few months on the MK Music Scene!

(regular disclaimer: these bands haven’t asked us to review their MySpaces, we’re doing it because we dig local music and are always trying to bring you something new. Something you might not have come across before – it’s a big town. So jump in - and don’t forget to place your bets now as to what point in the reviewing Phil is going to first mention Sonic Youth!)

“Ideas For A Weekend”: SOUTH SEA COMPANY
[[Only formed this year, but SSC have already played some notable gigs, and their sound is an intriguingly refreshing indie rock one]]

MMT: Sounds like a slightly post-Britpop, melodic… very well produced. It’s not far off the edge of some shoegazing bands actually, got a sort of… reverby vibe to it.
Phil: It’d be good driving music, actually. The sort of thing I might put on in the morning and listen to while I’m driving along.
MMT: This is the song I like best on their MySpace.

“Let Me Go”: CANVAS
[[A boy-girl acoustic duo, though I can’t tell if they’re still gigging. If they ARE, we’re interested!]]

Phil: I’m enjoying this straight away. It sounds modern. Indieish, but slightly bluesy indieish. I like it.
MMT: Reading on their MySpace it looks like they may have evolved into a full band more recently, though I don’t think I’ve ever seen them advertised anywhere. It’s a funny world, MySpace. I still don’t like the new layout.
Phil: I’d like to see them at an open mic or a gig.

“We are here, we are waiting Pt. II”: WEAREWOLF
[[If it seems like we review an inordinate amount of intensely proggy and / or metally bands from MK, it’s only an indication of how many there are proportionately on the local scene at any one time! Here’s another, who played some high profile gigs at The Craufurd Arms in the last few months…]]

MMT: Interesting that the recordings by all the metally bands in Milton Keynes is, on average, of a much higher production standard than any other genre.
Phil: I’m liking it so far… I love all this melodic stuff at the beginning. I like the chilled out bits and pieces. There are a lot of bands doing this well right now.
MMT: Where do you stand on the Screamy Vocal / Singy Vocal dynamic generally?
Phil: I would prefer just a Singy Vocal, though I don’t mind a little bit of Screamy.

“Lemonade Pockets”: DUKE OF MARMALADE
[[A hard-edged indie rock act who we were lucky enough to see play live recently when they stepped in at the last minute to help us out in our ‘dress rehearsal’ for the new “Monkey Kettle Presents…” music promotion!]]

MMT: One of my favourite things about them when we saw them live was the little… footwork the lead singer was doing while he was playing – what he was playing was quite complex as well. Clearly very tight musicians, performance-wise. They made it look deceptively easy.
Phil: I liked the diversity of their set too. I liked the deliberate feedback – too many bands try and go for a polished sound all the time. I enjoy this track.

“No Tomorrow”: SAHARA C
[[Zimbabwean-born but living in MK, Sahara is an RnB singer who’s done very well in national songwriting contests over the last few years.]]

Phil: I have to say, RnB isn’t really my genre –
MMT: (astonished) It’s not?
Phil: - but I’m liking her voice, and the little flourishes of the production. It breezes along. You can imagine hearing it in a bar somewhere.
MMT: It sounds like mainstream RnB. I mean it sounds ‘national’, not ‘local’. It’s summery.
Phil: It’s professionally put together.
MMT: Have you ever liked any RnB?
Phil: (long pause) … I kinda liked the first Rage Against The Machine album.

“Ghosts”: PROJECTNOISE
[[A diverse-sounding bunch: indie, dub, post-rock, instrumental, punk, hip-hop, folk – s’all on their MySpace!]]

MMT: It’s an eclectic mix of styles… It’s good that you can’t pigeonhole them into one thing.
Phil: Yeah, I enjoy the random sound. I really like them.
MMT: I like this bit that’s gone down into just bass. And I really like their band manifesto on MySpace [which includes ‘…if you can’t understand us, f**k off and listen to the radio”].
Phil: I think that’s right. That’s why it reminds me of Sonic Youth, really. When you get things that are really ‘different’, it’s hard to say if they’re good or bad. It’s preference.
MMT: I really like how this has turned out, the kind of chuggy reggae-beat bounce…
Phil: What I liked when I saw them live [at the “Shocktower” Halloween festival] was how their songs would blend into each other as well. It’s music without rules. It’s definitely something I like. They’re a box of tricks – you don’t really know what you’re going to get.

“Alejandro”: INVOCATION
[[A bit of fun, maybe – but definitely worth a listen! Last we could tell, Invocation was the side project of one of the guitarists in the brilliant Machinist – this is a genius prog metal remix of a pop fave!]]

Phil: It makes her sound like Evanescence!
MMT: It’s actually one of my least favourite Lady Gaga singles, but he’s made it better…
Phil: I think it sounds great!
MMT: I just love the fact it even exists!
Phil: People should do more of that, playing around and messing around with music.

“Ophelia”: GLASS TEARS
[[An experienced folky jazzy trio such as you might see on the Stony Stratford circuit or at a chilled out festival in a field]]

Phil: I quite like this straight away, it’s very Joni Mitchell, very 60s / 70s kinda vibe. It’s very folky. Folky pop music. Thoughtful, lyrical stuff.
MMT: The recording is very clear, you can hear the nice calm bass. It’s gonna sound very muso-ey, but I like the sound of the guitar. And I love the way – though this isn’t necessarily ‘my kind of music’ – that it’s built into a more emotional…
Phil: I like the building. You get sucked into it. She’s got a great voice. It’s done with heart.

RUNNER-UP DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE AUTUMN

“Thalassophobia”: SCARED OF THE OCEAN
[[Yes, it’s another Milton Keynes metally outfit – but definitely at the ‘upper end’ of the genre]]

MMT: Thalassophobia means ‘fear of the sea’, hence ‘Scared Of The Ocean’, that’s very clever!
Phil: It’s good – I’m liking the bass just now.
MMT: It’s ‘broken down’. I love that echoey vocal in the middle – and there we are back into the metal! I mean, fair enough, it’s metal – but it’s got angles to it. Layers. I dig it.
Phil: Really like them. Definitely my favourite of the more metally bands this time round.

DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE AUTUMN

“Never Returned”: FAULTLINES
[[We saw this off-kilter progressive indie trio play at one of the Sunset Acoustic Lounge’s spin-off music nights at the Red Dot Bar, stadium:MK this Autumn, and absolutely loved them! And their MySpace recordings are just as impressive!]]

MMT: I love that guitar sound. I dunno what effect that is? Is it distortion?
Phil: Distortion, definitely. Though it might be flanger and / or a phaser. They were the most exciting band on that night.
MMT: Some of it is reasonably straight-forward hard rock, but just some of the… sounds being created by the guitarist, and the unpredictability about where each song was gonna go… ‘where are they going to go next? Oh, they’ve gone that way, that’s brilliant!’
Phil: To me, this sounds timeless.
MMT: Lovely solo as well, one of those ‘space solos’ I really like. Beamed back by satellite. And then back in with the riff. Cool.

BASEMENT MUSIC

2010-10-29T12:13:00.004+01:00

"Basement Music On CRMK", or "A Short Article About Something Really Great"

Words by: Phil W.

Back in January 2010, I attended a small launch party for a new show on Milton Keynes's internet based local radio station CRMK. The show was Basement Music, the brain-child of budding radio DJ Michael Andrews. The Concept: to promote original local music from all over Milton Keynes, covering all genres. Every week he'd get a different act in the studio, interview them and get them to play a few songs... and in-between he'd play nothing but music recorded by Milton Keynes bands and artists, and talk about and plug everything from open mic's to gigs at the Sno!Bar. It’s a home-grown Milton Keynes story of a passion for local music, rather like CRMK itself.

CRMK (Cable Radio Milton Keynes) has its roots at the very start of Milton Keynes along with the Milton Keynes TV station. The TV station is long gone but CRMK still struggles along with unpaid DJ’s and local volunteers, and a criminally small listenership. At some point, around the time that local radio began its slow extinction, CRMK was taken over by Horizon. Under Horizon things weren't too bad really but once Heart took over CRMK lost its analogue signal and was only accessible via the internet. The upshot of course is that they can basically broadcast what they like (though if you go on the show you have to try not to swear!). It’s still broadcast from the same studios as it was back in the 80's and stepping inside the small, wood-panelled studio with the huge mixing desk and the red "On Air" lamp is an exciting experience for any aspiring DJ or artist - and the first stop for numerous DJ hopefuls over the years including, from January this year, Michael Andrews.

"The Milton Keynes music scene is so separated into lots of different groups and each one is very insular," commented Michael. "If only we could bring them all together in one place." And that’s pretty much exactly what Basement Music does. Since January over thirty acts have walked through his studio doors including Footswitch, Project Wolverine, Roses & Pirates, Phil Sky, Dusque, Seeking Salvation Through Love, The Further Adventures Of Vodka Boy, Scribe, Bine The Peg and Tombstone Bullets to name a few. When Dusque performed live they arrived an hour before their set and carted their entire arsenal of stage equipment into the tiny studio for a fully plugged in set. This really is a great thing going on. And there's more to come, Michael tells me he's fully booked with acts until January now.

I was in the CRMK studio again in October and have been a regular listener throughout the year. In the 21st century, a show like Basement Music is a more relevant thing than ever before. Macbooks have given every aspiring artist studio-quality recordings and across the board the standard of the tracks Michael plays is universally good. And there really is something to be said for the diversity of the Milton Keynes music scene, even if it can be a little insular. There’s something about this being a new city - that so many different groups of people have come together relatively recently into one place that gives Milton Keynes such a thriving arts scene, music included. In a world where bands big and small are more and more frequently going it alone, free of the record labels, an independent radio station like this just makes sense. Never before have so many high quality recordings been available to capture a thriving local music scene.

But despite this, The Man is always lurking round the corner. Rumour has it that Heart FM, CRMK's current owners, would like to close the studio down, ending the last bastion of local, independent radio in Milton Keynes. And to lose it really would be a sad thing. If you're in a band, it’s unlikely you'd be able to get your song played on Heart, let along drop in the studio and play a live set.

So if you can find the time, tune in to Basement Music, 7:30 till 9 every Thursday evening and support local music and local radio.

LECARLA

2010-10-18T19:43:00.008+01:00

Gig: Lecarla, supporting Evarose
Venue: The Craufurd Arms, Wolverton, MK.
Words: Phil W.

It was cold and dark in the back room of the Craufurd Arms but it was impossible to repress a thrill of excitement in seeing the stage set up and ready for a local band I was genuinely excited to see. Looking at the stage bathed in purple lights, I couldn’t help thinking it had been too long since I’d seen a gig in here. For the first half hour DJ Michael Andrews and myself had hidden with the locals in the main bar but stepping into the backroom immediately took me back into the magical world of gig-land. For all the hundreds of acoustic open mic nights, there’s still something special about basses and drums, and smoke machines, and the smell of burning amplifiers, and the bright lights, and the pitch dark auditoriums.

Matthew and I discovered home-grown Milton Keynes band Lecarla back in April when we reviewed them for Dudebox Track Of The Season with “Where Do We Go?” and then again in September with "DILLIGAF". Both tracks are tight, well-written slices of metallic pop rock with an awesome guitar sound and strong female vocals while "DILLIGAF" comes with an impressive music video. In fact when we first discovered them, the band seemed too good to be true; still unsigned, they already seem like the complete package. Their well-produced, polished songs already sound like singles, they have professional-looking music videos and they already sell a range of t-shirts branded Lecarla Armour. Besides the MySpace and Facebook, their own slick website boasts past tours with the likes of The Blackout and We Are The Ocean. According to their MySpace, the band even have clothing sponsors. It seemed high time I made an effort on behalf of the Dudebox to check them out live.

Two things are immediately apparent when Lecarla start to play: firstly every member of the band is stunningly musically proficient, and secondly they are very, very loud. Their sound is truly awesome, landing somewhere between pop rock and metal. In fact the Deftones is just as much a comparison as Paramore. The duel guitar sound is huge, the massive guitar distortion punctured by softer moments of refrained melody. Lead singer Lizzy Dent's vocals are strong and melodic while drummer Steve North adds just a little screaming while he pummels the drums, driving the songs forward with a impressive barrage of beats. All five members of Lecarla seem at ease and enjoying themselves on stage, the guitarist and bassist pulling out every rock n roll pose and grinning the whole while. This is a band that already looks and sounds like they are ready for a bigger stage, they are tight and cohesive and confident. But in the end it’s the songs that really shine; interesting, hook-laden and original. "DILLIGAF" already sounds like a radio hit while all the other songs stand out well in the set. If you’re looking for the next big thing in music to come out of Milton Keynes, Lecarla might very well be the place to start.

So DJ Michael Andrews and myself headed back to the bar and accidently missed most of the set from Oxford-based all female four piece Evarose which was a shame because what we caught we really liked - but this evening was really all about catching Milton Keynes’s very own Lecarla live and it was well worth it.

GRINDERMAN

2010-10-02T16:22:00.006+01:00

Venue: The Coronet, London.
Words: Phil W and MMT.

For years I just never really GOT Nick Cave. I know that that’s a controversial statement but I just didn't GET it. Most of all I just didn't really think it was my thing, in the same way I'm still not sure Bob Dylan is really my thing. I am fully aware of all the things that are there to appreciate and I can hardly knock either artist, they are both very good at what they do whether I like them or not, but I just wasn't sure I really GOT Nick Cave.

Then one evening a few years ago while loafing around the Monkey Kettle offices, Nikki told me if I didn't really GET Nick Cave then maybe I'd GET Tom Waits, that might be more my thing. Apparently people often like one or the other, but in that moment my brain knotted the two artists inseparably together despite them both having wildly different styles and backgrounds and yet I still wasn’t sure EITHER was really my thing.

In fact it wasn't until I heard Scarlett Johansson’s solo album that I really began to appreciate the genius behind Tom Waits’ songs and I began to suspect it MIGHT actually be my thing. It was the lyrics; it was all about the lyrics, and suddenly Nick Cave's “Red Right Hand” entirely made sense; the words, the imagery; he was creating his own world in the lyrics, he was telling stories, drawing out characters and it was his lyrics that often provided the strongest hooks rather than the guitar. And now I got it all. Of course Matthew had been talking about Nick Cave for years; I'm a relative newcomer to his work.

Dude, I GET Nick Cave. Oh man, I GET him. Right about here.

The first time I GOT him was in 1992, when I saw him on “The Chart Show”, of all places! It was the video for “Straight To You”, the first single off “Henry’s Dream” – coincidentally my favourite album by yer man Cave & The Bad Seeds. And when I dug deeper and BOUGHT that album, I was hooked for ever. Intricate and evocative lyrics, like you mention. An accomplished writer who was also cool enough to be the stick-thin suit-wearing frontman of an astonishingly tight band of stick-thin suit-wearing hench-musos. And my avid love for his – and their – recorded output subsequently stretched out in both directions to span now more than 30 years. From the sinister garage thrashings of The Birthday Party, through his clattery blues phase, his indie-goth darling phase, his razor-sharp pop rock phase, even his mournful religious piano ballad and his upbeat gospel phases! I have dug it all, and been lucky to see him play live several times over at least two decades. I’ve got his novels, his books of poetry, even him reading his own latest novel across a 7-CD box set. He is, in a very real sense, one of my absolute heroes.

Anyway… can we go and see Grinderman now please?

There's no support tonight, at least none that we come across. We got in early and grabbed a couple of seats on the front row of the balcony with a perfect view of the stage. It’s exceptionally dark and mellow inside the cavernous Coronet, a former music hall and cinema that was converted into a music venue in 2003. We're several beers down when Grinderman take to the stage with riotous opener “Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man” that’s also the first track of their new album “Grinderman 2”. Up to now I've only heard the first Grinderman album but the new material sounds fantastic live. The exceptionally tall, waif-like figure of Nick Cave darts around the stage, gleefully attacking a guitar or craning over the adoring audience while the impressively bearded Warren (Ellis) constantly threatens to upstage him and even sets off chants of "Warren, Warren" at one point during the set, which Nick Cave joins in with. I've not seen Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds live but tonight Grinderman defiantly felt like a complete band with all members met on equal terms. The anthemic “Get It On” barrages through like a steam train, “Depth Charge Ethel” rocks the pews while “No Pussy Blues” sounds triumphant as well as helpless. The evening closes fittingly with the eponymous “Grinderman”.

If I’m being totally honest, I almost don’t count Grinderman as a separate band – despite what Cap’n Caveman clearly wants us to think. All four members are, after all, IN Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and for all the fuss about the loudness of the guitars on their two albums, it’s still not a million miles from their other recent albums – except with slightly louder guitars. Even the NC&TBS album which comes in between “Grinderman” and “Grinderman 2” (“Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!”) sounds like Grinderman. But none of this is the point.

The point is the smiles on the heavily bearded faces of these men in their forties and fifties. The point is the FUN they’re having, the playfulness in Cave’s lyrics – his best in years, and that’s saying something. The point is that you CAN do both, be BOTH the best writer of mournful religious piano ballads of your generation AND rock out with a ridiculous moustache. The most telling moment of any of Grinderman’s output is the self-revelatory “Damn!” in their best song, “No Pussy Blues”. Says it all.

If I was looking to fully understand Nick Cave then in the live setting I found what I was looking for; it’s Nick Cave's self-mocking humour that really steals the show in the end. That he can be both cool and funny, self mocking and serious all at the same time is at the heart the genius behind his act. “No Pussy Blues” makes not getting laid cool, he tells you he's tried sucking in his gut and he’s trying to stay up late and he's still just so cool about it and we end up smiling about the problem of growing older and still wanting to rock. From the way he leaps around the stage on his impossibly slender frame, you'd never know he was in his fifties and yet his lyrics don't pretend he's still twenty and angst ridden. He's middle-aged and coping fine, he's the Grinderman but that’s okay. It’s a better place to be than six feet under, he sounds like he's okay with it. He's not hiding anything and he still looks so damn cool about it. And now I know this is definitely my thing.

Man, I hope I can still leap about like that when I’M 53 years of age. I bet he feels it in the morning. But yeah, that’s it in a nutshell – he’s clever enough, talented enough, and shrewd enough to surround himself with way talented kindred spirits to do BOTH. Absolutely fantastic – a great gig by a great band… DAMN!

DUM DUM GIRLS

2010-09-28T19:54:00.005+01:00

Venue: XOYO, London.
Support: Mazes, Wild Palms
Words: Phil W.

"Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout" begs to be sung along to, "It Only Takes One Night" thumps along like a demented banshee with a hangover while "I Will Be" plays like the Latin-infused soundtrack to a Tarantino movie. The ballad "Baby Don't Go" pleads with your heartstrings but it’s the utterly beautiful "Rest of Our Lives" - a song written by band leader Dee Dee to her husband - that's really the stand out moment of the set. This is the sound of Los Angeles-based four piece girl band Dum Dum Girls, one of a host of bands leading America's new lo-fi scene across the Atlantic.

Perhaps it all started a couple of years ago with the brilliant Vivian Girls, brilliant and brief in every way. The Dum Dum Girls even share the same drummer in their live line-up. But on record, the Dum Dum Girls are only Dee Dee (aka Kristin Gundred) and a drum machine. In the same month Dee Dee's debut album "I Will Be" hit the UK shelf’s so did fellow California-based lo-fi act Best Coast with their debut album "Crazy For You" but in the age of the Macbook the lo-fi sound that infuses these records is more of an aesthetic of choice than a forced necessity due to the limited accessibility of technology or money. The Dum Dum Girls sound raw and noisy because that’s how Dee Dee wants it. She wants the album to sound like it was recorded on an eight track in the walk-in wardrobe full of tatty shoeboxes her mother is photographed standing in on the front cover of the LP. There's a selfconscious cool in these records, these bands care very deeply about appearing not to care from behind their impenetrable shades and their stories of Californian shores and half forgotten romances. There's a passion behind their basement recordings and carefully assembled pop songs, aside from the fact Dee Dee’s album probably was recorded in her back room and Best Coast probably did record their album live in a band member's basement - even if The Pixies “Come On Pilgrim” never sounded as under-produced as this.

Back in London's effortlessly cool new basement club XOYO, seemingly the perfect setting for a new generation of deep thinking slackers, the very noisy Mazes sound like Pavement meets Weezer and sum it all up with the line "I never wanna get out of bed, I never wanna do what you say". They may be a decade too late but they could also be a couple of years too early, because if this is coming back then that'd be awesome! Wild Palms brought in a host of influences from New Order to Arcade Fire and won me over in the end but then it was all about the Dum Dum Girls.

The Dum Dum Girls' set is short and tight, all four of them in black dresses and fishnets, gently rocking back and forth and looking distantly cool. Their songs are all over in under three minutes and sound like the Rolling Stones played on a buzz-saw with vocals lazily applied where needed, and I dug the vibe. Like I told Dee Dee after the show: "awesome show by the way!" "Thanks", she replied shyly from under her mop of jet black hair as she arranged a small stack of Sub Pop 7"s and cassette tapes.

ROSES & PIRATES / APOLLO / FINAL CLEARANCE

2010-09-26T17:02:00.006+01:00

Venue: Northampton Roadmender
Reviewers: MMT and Phil.

Between us over the years Phil and I have seen some magnificent national bands at the Roadmender in Northampton: Kenickie and Anti-Product stand out for me, My Vitriol, Defenestration, Deftones and many more for Phil. So when we discovered they do a monthly “open mic” gig (albeit one of those “open mic” gigs where you have to apply and be accepted to play. But I guess you can forgive them that given the quality of the stage / sound system / venue) on a Sunday afternoon, we were up for a visit... especially when we subsequently discovered that two of our current favourite Milton Keynes bands were both on!

It was a weird start to the afternoon in that there’s no compere – we only realised the gig had kicked off when they switched on the speakers in the bar to alert the few dozen afternoon drinkers that Roses & Pirates were coming to the end of their soundcheck. So the whole thing felt a bit more like an exclusive “fans-only” show in a semi-abandoned venue – but once we were in the main space, it was easy to get lost in the quality of the sound system and imposing stage. Not to mention the quality of the music!

Since we awarded Roses & Pirates our latest Dudebox Track Of The Season a few weeks back, they’ve continued their impressive rise. One week they’re playing a gig with Vodka Boy & Phil Sky at the Grebe in Great Holm, this week they were fresh from supporting The Bluetones the night before this gig – and are apparently off to London again soon to support Skunk Anansie! You can’t really argue with that trajectory!

But you can also hear why they’re doing so well, they’ve got an engaging sound – lying just on that border between “indie” and “poppy” but with enough to be able to appeal to fans of either. Phil?

I really enjoyed their set, especially the last song in which the bassist swapped her bass for an acoustic guitar. I love their combination of acoustic and electric songs and the choppy time changes that fill their songs. They’re constantly interesting. There's also something very 90's about their songs. I dug them!

In between R&P and their fellow MK emissaries came a tough-rocking act from Corby, no less! Apollo played a variety of muscular almost-funk metal-rock which was pitched one-quarter Red Hot Chili Peppers (at worst!), three-quarters Rage Against The Machine (at best!). However, it’s a Rage Against The Machine featuring Nigel Tufnel not Tom Morello: the guitarist is excellent, riffing and soloing with breathtaking skill – and gurning and cheek-puffing as he does so, weirdly reminiscent of an old-skool axe-slinger circa 1975.

It was the singer who put me off to begin with – his cocksurety while setting up and soundchecking gave the impression that he may actually have the papers which prove he owns the venue, and although I’m as happy with a bit of cartoon bravado from my rock stars as anyone else there’s nothing in the rulebook that says lead singers have to be swaggering prannets!

Having said that, by a few songs in I was grudgingly admitting he had the talent to back it up. They whipped what small patchy crowd there was into a proper froth and are clearly fully at home on a stage that size.

By the midpoint of the set, Apollo had won me over too. The bassist worked hard with his axe while the guitarist sure played a mean guitar – their style hitting the gap somewhere between Rage Against The Machine and Motorhead. There was plenty of aggression in the vocals but between the vocalist’s posturing and the guitarist's facial expressions you couldn't take it too seriously. They just seriously rocked!

So, Apollo are tight, loud and exciting. Sadly I can’t direct you to find their music online – there are dozens of Apollos on MySpace and I can’t be bothered to wade through them now. But if I ever do find them I’ll let you know.

And then - Final Clearance... Simply awesome. We'd seen these guys before of course, on our Waterside stage, but it was great to see them in the impressively big venue under the coloured lights. They were the only band of the three to use all their 45 minutes – (we think that was the deal!) - but they certainly have the material, the set just felt like it got better and better. Their sound was truly awesome in that big indie rock vein, their songs really coming together in the live setting.

I’ve been enthusing about them all year (and beyond!) of course – but this was the first time I’d seen them on a Proper Stage™ and they didn’t disappoint. New songs and old alike filled all of the big space – one of the best compliments I can pay them is that they managed to hang on to a substantial portion of Apollo’s crowd, despite the difference in musical style.

“Hush” and “Naïve Child” were especially anthemic, and there was a definite harder edge to many of the songs than on CD. Still for me it’s the moments where the violin kicks in as a lead, to counterpoint the hard work of the rest of those songs, that are the cherries on the, er, rock cake. So good that even I almost danced. Fantastic.

And in the eternal darkness of the Roadmender's main stage you'd never know it was only 5 in the afternoon!

True – when we staggered onwards to our next engagement (“Northampton’s Best Kebab Shop”!) it was with eyes blinking in the unaccustomed daylight! Great stuff! And all for just two quid a pop! Kerching! Definitely worth checking out, even if there aren’t any MK bands on. The only real drawback is the temptation of all that beer on a Sunday afternoon. (rubs stomach ruefully)

Dudebox "Track Of The Summer"

2010-09-07T13:11:00.010+01:00

Yes yes, yes yes, yes yes, yes and yes – the waiting is finally over! Dudebox Track Of The Season is back back back! Our semi-regular round-up of new tracks added to the MySpaces of local bands from all across the spectrum of the local music scene is this time conducted by MMT and Phil. As always, in most cases the bands and musicians featured here haven’t directly asked us to review their stuff, but thanks to them anyway. And hopefully if you’re reading this you’ll find something that you like! Uh-huh. Let’s kick off…

“Love My Madness”: THE SASSY JUDYS
[[Glam-flavoured hard rock from an act we’ve not come across before – but a great name!]]

Phil: Here’s one for Brian!
MMT: I like it. I love the guitar solo, then the bass bit and then there’s a sort of drum flourish. It’s good time music, isn’t it?
Phil: It’s well put together, well produced. Not really my sort of thing, but they sound really polished. Like you could be singing along to it while you’re driving in your car. I think I’d enjoy them live, you get the energy, and the kind of… excitement of it.

“Devil Red”: PHILIPPA MOYLE
[[Young singer-songwriter who we saw earlier in the year performing with the excellent Apple and the Core at the MADCAP Turn It Up contest]]

MMT: Bounces along quite pleasantly, doesn’t it? Something summery about it.
Phil: I love her vocals. I love the delivery she has.
MMT: Is it somehow jazzy? Kind of… (struggles and fails to describe it)
Phil: It’s an intelligent, well-put-together pop song.

“Descent”: MACHINIST
[[Prog-metallists featuring our old mate Tom H on guitar – and who’ve finally got themselves sorted out with some vocals!]]

Phil: I like the fact the song sounds like an invading army, bombing the beaches.
MMT: It’s really… I mean, the beefiness of the bass and the drums is… is… I mean, I would probably be scared live, but… you also get the nice vocal / screamy vocal dynamic, and then it descends into sort of, really nice widdly guitar.
Phil: There’s some really mellow, melodic stuff going on in there as well, along with some very… controlled… beef.
MMT: Yeah. It’s great too that they’ve kept going, persevered with the band.
Phil: I think they could go far if they keep writing songs like this.
MMT: They already sound ‘more than local’, and we’ve already seen it’s easy enough for Milton Keynes bands of this genre to make the next step up.

“D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F.”: LECARLA
[[MK’s hottest band in 2010, the ace pop-metallers step up another level with their new single – check out the video on YouTube! Apparently DILLIGAF stands for ‘Does It Look Like I Give A Fuck?’ Yowch!]]

MMT: It doesn’t feel like they’re unsigned, does it?
Phil: Maybe these days you can just call up some guys on the phone and they come out and make your video for you! It just looked so well put-together, so well produced. You wouldn’t know they weren’t signed, you could have watched that on Kerrang TV quite happily.
MMT: Where would you put it on a scale between Power Pop and… Metal?
Phil: I like it. I like the vocals, I like the fact they’re not screaming. It’s heavy, but you can tap your foot along to it with a smile.
MMT: There’s a brilliant bit where it stops and they all do a sort of… choir bit together, that was fantastic. They look cool.
Phil: I’m intrigued.
MMT: I’d love a clothing endorsement of my own. I’m gonna try and see if Oxfam or Cancer Research are interested…

“Waves”: ELLIE WALSH
[[Long-standing solo performer at Monkey Kettle events, now coming back to MK after a couple of years away]]

Phil: I think it’s good. It’s well put together, well recorded, well written and everything. Some great imagery going on. It’s another broken love song.
MMT: I really like the clarity in her voice, it’s one of my favourite Milton Keynes singery voices. It sounds deceptively simple at times, but it’s genuinely affecting, especially when you see her live. Welcome back!

“Dance Rummy, Dance”: FOOTSWITCH
[[Young rockers who are new to us here at the Dudebox Lounge…]]

Phil: The first band I thought of – without them sounding that much like them – were Jane’s Addiction, in that Jane’s Addiction were a bunch of people who wanted to make something new out of rock and just threw in lots of influences from Funk, to Classic Rock, to all those things.
MMT: Yeah, you want to hear the individual influences of the members combined together to make something different, that’s the only way you’re ever going to come up with something different. It is nice to hear four or five different sorts of “sound” in there.
Phil: There’s lots going on.

“Scatter Me In The Ocean”: THE SECRET CIRCUS
[[The new band from hard-working young solo talent Josh Timmins, on an altogether darker Eighties tip]]

MMT: I think it’s a really interesting change of direction from young Josh. Kind of Gothy, Synthy Pop. Did you say something at the Waterside about Eighties Film Soundtracks?
Phil: Um… maybe…
MMT: Was that not you? Must have been somebody else.
Phil: It definitely sounds like the Eighties. I like the idea of him taking it so far as going in a completely different direction to his solo material.
MMT: The sound they’re driving at is really interesting. I love the synths. I’m also very pleased to see that a photo I took for them is their MySpace photo. And I haven’t received a penny yet.

“Bionic”: GO LUCKY
[[This season’s Great Act We Really Enjoyed But From Outside Milton Keynes – Go Lucky came and performed at one of our open mic nights, but sounds even better on these studio recordings]]

MMT: Fantastic.
Phil: I really like it too. It’s not the kind of music I’m into, but I’m inspired… a fairly simple techno backing track, and her vocal is the melodic instrument running through it. If techno’s the right word?
MMT: The genre as given on her MySpace is Electro – Club – Disco – House.
Phil: It sounds so cool. It bubbles with kind of… lots of different things going on.
MMT: I feel really bad that the sound didn’t work out for her when she came and played our open mic – hopefully we can get her back and rectify that at some point.

RUNNER-UP DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE SUMMER

“Little Moments”: JET-LAGGED JEFF
[[How has it taken us this long to review the beautiful Jeff? Criminal, is what it is – although the fact he’s now getting full recordings onto his MySpace does help]]

Phil: I love it, I think it’s fantastic.
MMT: He’s one of the nicest guys we’ve met in the entire Milton Keynes music scene. There’s something about his voice, isn’t there, that –
Phil: He growls… well, not growls, that’s the wrong word. But he kind of… growls everything in this wonderful way. It sounds original, while still sounding classic. The imagery that you can hear in the song – you can feel like the old town where it might be set in. I might have misheard all of the lyrics. And there’s something deceptively simple about his guitar work, when it’s actually quite complex underneath.
MMT: I wouldn’t normally choose to sit and listen to a whole album of just acoustic recordings, but I could easily feel like I could listen to a whole album of Jeff. When you see him live, he’s so easy with an audience, isn’t he? Due to his regular compering at the Sunset Lounge, I suppose. He’s a really good live performer.

DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE SUMMER

“The Rose”: ROSES & PIRATES
[[There’s been a lot of “Facebook Buzz” - if I can legitimately use such a term about an MK band – about R&P this Summer, and on this early evidence it’s well justified]]

Phil: I like it a lot. I love the guitar work, I like the bass. I love the way the song builds up and then drops down again. I like the way the vocals sounded quite emotional.
MMT: I really like the drums, the sort of… there was a kind of… I dunno how to describe it. Probably I should do if I’m a reviewer on the Internet. Like a, sort of a shuffling beat to it that was at odds with the guitar work, but I really liked how it sounded.
Phil: I like them a lot. I’m trying to think of a band they reminded me of…
MMT: Not every band has to sound like another band.
Phil: No. No. They definitely remind me of bands. And they had a bit of distortion in there as well. There’s a sort of different tone going on to it.
MMT: Yeah, definitely an interesting new sound.

SUMMER ROUND-UP - Phil

2010-09-02T16:56:00.007+01:00

Review: Phil

Live From London: A Gig Round Up, March - August 2010

Kaki King - March 10th - Scala, Kings Cross:
Guitar wondergirl Kaki King returned to the UK with her new live band to perform another stunning set heavy in songs from her new album "Junior". It really doesn't get better than this. Anna Calvi was once again in support with her own impressive guitar skills, she's got a well overdue record out soon apparently and it can't come soon enough.

Hole - May 5th - Brixton Academy:
Courtney Love dragged herself on stage like a washed up lounge singer for her long awaited return. The new songs with the new band sounded tired and messy but there was still something very special about Love's crow on classic "Violet". A bigger highlight was her support acts, alterna-rock newbie Tiffany Page and the ever brilliant punk blues duo Little Fish.

She and Him - May 7th - Koko, Camden:
The irresistibly cool Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward rode into town with their sixties inspired pop and country songs spilling out of their saddle bags. Zooey bounced around on stage like a kitten on catnip, oozing enthusiasm and charm. And The Chaplin Sisters provided strong support with their country-infused harmonies and Zooey bounded on stage toward the end of their set to further fill out their sound.

Tegan and Sara - 24th June - Roundhouse, Camden:
Twin sisters Tegan and Sara returned for a magical performance at the Roundhouse in Camden. Read the earlier Dudebox review for more.

Kaki King - 13th July - Dingwalls, Camden:
Kaki King was back again, this time backed only by long term collaborator Dan Branagan on the Electronic EVI Synth, for another mesmerising performance. No support tonight, just more than two hours of Kaki King wonderment with a set heavy with songs from her earlier albums and lengthy improvisations. It was like peeking through from behind the door on her private jam session and it was pure magic.

Redfest - 23rd July - Redhill:
Just south of London in the middle of a farm, Redfest happened in the midst of the gorgeous summer weather. Without a doubt my favourite act of the day was mesmerising punk blues duo Little Fish. Imagine PJ Harvey meets The White Stripes. But other highlights included techno-punk act Subsource fronted by a double bass wielding vocalist and on the acoustic stage Twin Brother, a melodic five piece with a country pop sound that invoked Arcade Fire and The Shins.

The Dandy Warhols - 8th August - Koko, Camden:
Underrated American indie stalwarts The Dandy Warhols returned for another epic set, playing songs from right across their 15-year career and ending with a rare performance of "The Dandy Warhols Sixteen Minutes Rave Up" from their first record. Awesome as always.

Little Fish / Jenny Owen Youngs / Phil Recommends... ALBUMS

2010-08-26T14:36:00.006+01:00

Reviewer: Phil

“Baffled And Beat”: LITTLE FISH

So I was planning an article called "Phil Recommends: Little Fish" on account that I've seen them twice live and loved them - and yesterday I got their newly released debut album through the post. Sadly though, I'm a little disappointed with the album, it just doesn't feel like it represents the guitarist / drummer combo very well. Live, imagine PJ Harvey meets The White Stripes with acres of massive guitar distortion. On record, the songs are there and so are the vocals, but they don't feel as good with all that massive guitar distortion reined in for a more polished, radio-friendly sound.

Only a couple of times do we ever get brief momentary bursts of that live sound I found really inspiring. Otherwise, for a guitar / drums White Stripes-style combo, the studio polished radio-ready album is also bursting with other instruments including a very prominent bass guitar running all the way through from a guest bassist that’s mostly mixed higher than the guitar! To make a comparison, on Amanda Palmer / Dresden Dolls records there are other instruments but they never outshine the piano and vocals, always complementing them. Here, the singer / guitarist is lost most of the time and as if to add insult to the attempt to make these songs radio-ready, there isn't a single guitar solo on the whole record despite their live show featuring big face-melting searing solos!

So… well, I guess I just reviewed it there! A great live show but I expected a raw, guttural snarl of blues rock and searing vocals, rather than a polished slab of subdued radio-friendliness. I may grow to like the record anyway, there are still those great songs and vocals, but without the snarl of the live show they feel a little empty and without the simplicity of the guitar / bass combo they don't feel half as impressive. One of those moments when I remember why I don't buy many new CD's.

A final thought: it was with some sinking feeling after listening to the Little Fish album through for the first time, that I read the liner notes and discovered the album to be produced by Linda Perry! No wonder a live act I thought really stood out among the crowd has ended up sounding like everyone else! Makes you wonder why breaking bands aren’t producing their own albums in the way the internet underground now seem to be in droves, and with studio quality sound that would embarrass Jack White. Ahh well…

“Transmitter Failure”: JENNY OWEN YOUNGS

Another new artist album I bought this year was by American artist Jenny Owen Youngs. Seeing her live before her album came out, she's a lone singer / songwriter who plays a combination of country and punk songs with quirky lyrics and when she rocks she beats real punk energy from her acoustic guitar. So just up my street! But I was disappointed to find the debut album turned out to be all recorded with a guest band, with all the energy sucked out of the songs and everything rolling out like a watered down Arcade Fire which I guess is rather like what Florence and the Machine must sound like if I got around to listening to them. I'm guessing another example of record labels turning exciting live acts into more bankable album sales.

But after all this negativity, what about albums released this year I have liked?

Phil Recommends:

“Crazy For You”: BEST COAST – Debut album from the California based trio, imagine Beach Boy’s tunes recorded in your basement with noisy shoe gazing guitars and a female vocalist. It really is that awesome!!

“Volume Two”: SHE and HIM – Another slab of sixties inspired tunes from the impossibly cool Zooey Deschanel. It’s more of the same on her and M. Ward’s sophomore album but that makes it no less wonderful.

And last but not least “Junior”: KAKI KING – Miss King goes rock n roll on her fifth album to stunning results with guitar work to melt your mind and a set of songs that just get better every time you hear them. Truly awesome!

SUMMER ROUND-UP - MMT

2010-08-16T17:56:00.015+01:00

Review: MMT

Before I get into the “Dudebox Track Of The Summer” review – which is coming soon, Scout’s Honour!! – I’d like to do a round-up of some of the various demo CDs, EPs and fully produced albums (yay!) that have been pressed into my hands (often in exchange for monies or our own CDs) at the gigs, festivals and open mics we’ve been at over the last few months. It’s been another great summer for MK music, and here’s just some of what we’ve been hearing around and about…

* * *

And where better to start than the Sno!Bar? Aficionados of the Milton Keynes Acoustic Open Mic scene will no doubt know all about the Sno!Jam Sunday nights up at the Sno!Bar in the XScape – and if so, I’m sure you’ll already have a copy of their recent collection “The Sounds Of The SNO!Bar (vol.1)” (a compilation of 12 of the regular acts who frequent their open mic night… hmm, gives me an idea!)…

The CD is bookended by tracks by Isabelle, the fabulous five-piece who also act as regular hosts of the Sno!Jam night, as well as putting on gigs down in Leighton Buzzard. And if you’re keen on the kind of laid-back / soulful / summery / folky / heartfelt acoustic singer-songwriting usually on show at any of their nights, you’ll dig this. Featuring Sno!Jam regulars such as Jon Kendall, Robin Grimmer and Social Resin, I think my favourite choon is the shimmering harmonies of “The Man Who Fell Out Of The Moon”, by Isabelle escapees The Trotsky Assortment. Though it’d be a crime to omit a mention of “Girl Nowhere” by the superb (and apparently “hobosexual”!!) Jet Lagged Jeff, another legend of the local open mic world. An impressive collection.

* * *

YC Olie’s “Miss Direction EP” is a surprise. Well, a surprise to us – we’ve only ever seen him at open mics like The Cannon or the above-mentioned Sno!Jam night, where we’ve kind of got used to hearing him delivering confidently tuneful acoustic gems (and his rousing Killers cover!!). But this six-track EP is a totally different kettle of fish – it’s a balls-out fully-electric pop-metal treat!

It’s actually interesting to hear songs we’ve heard played solo live become melodic punky anthems – “Same Old Girl” and “Miss Direction” turning into much bigger, wilder beasts. Bigger, but not necessarily Better, of course. Just Different – cos naturally I like the acoustic versions too! You can hear the occasional influence of genre masters (like Green Day - listed as such under his MySpace Influences) though, and addition of these extra layers, like the buzzsaw guitars of “Anthem For The Broken Hearted” or the handclaps on “Two”, are a revelation. I’m intrigued to see what might be next for this voyage into “full band” territory. Will Olie gather together a full gang of musicians and translate these songs permanently? I think if he did they would make in instant impact on the local scene, such is the joyful catchiness of the tunes. Watch this space, I guess.

* * *

I’d like to include a brief but heartfelt “Ladies From Not Far Outside Milton Keynes” section here too – quick shout-outs therefore to Rozism who came down from Northampton and headlined our July Monkey Kettle Open Mic night. I managed to swap some Monkey Kettle CDs for her “Sketches EP”, which contains several songs from off her MySpace. “Special Brew” is well worth a listen, though her live cover of “Smelly Cat” will live long in the memory. Likewise I should also big up Jammiesammy who came up to MK to play at the Poetry Kapow! at the end of July: there’s a definite buzz growing around her charmingly wry gems – if you’ve got a short attention span check out her anthem “Weirdo-eo”, but if you’ve got any heart you’ll play them all!

* * *

And last, but by no means least - Final Clearance. We finally – after much Dudebox enthusiasm over them in the past – got to see them live when we had them headline our stage (Stage 2 – aka the Monkey Kettle Stage!) at the Great Linford Waterside Festival in June. And I was lucky enough to get not one but two of their CDs – the five track “Window Cleaners Of Amsterdam EP” (2008) and last year’s full debut album "Teenage Dreamland".

I’ve tried a few times in the past to qualify just why I enjoy their sound so much. The best I’ve managed to do till now is: in a local music scene which is predominantly teenage metal acts, acoustic solo artists or ageing blues-rock covers combos, they don’t sound like much else. But let’s unpack that a bit…

They’re an indie-rock band, for sure – but with the added weaponry of piano-keyboard and violins in their arsenal. The violin in particular makes a difference for me – it adds an elegance, an emotion, an urgency to the sound. But the more I listen, the more I’m drawn to Tom Simpson’s voice as well. Rich and deep with the occasional crack of humanity, it totally suits the band’s songwriting, complemented well by the occasional female b/vox. And let’s not forget, they make their own music videos too (see their MySpace) – as far as I’m concerned, that shows they know what it’s all about! ;-)

What makes them equally exciting to listen to on compact disc is the quality of the recordings of those songs. Both CDs were recorded in a “proper” studio (The Lodge Studios in Northampton), and it shows. The sound is rich, well-mixed and allows the songs to come through… the spiralling lead guitar runs on “After The Scream”. The heartaching harmonies and the military rhythms in the middle of “She’s So Pretty”. Great stuff.

The full album (a year on from the EP) is slightly more rounded and mature, as you’d expect. FC have a poppy, occasionally folky sensibility but that doesn’t make them inoffensive. There’s a definite edge to their music and their lyrics which shows through regularly. Phil mentioned once when we were reviewing them before that he could hear a definite “Nineties indie” influence, and that’s not a million miles off. “Stupid Things” for example calls to mind The Wedding Present, of all people. And the piano-led "The Final Word" could almost be intelligent Britpoppers Gene. But better!

Standout tracks for me are the forlorn and beautiful “Circles Round You” (again, the violin! I’m clutching at my heart) and the bouncy “She’s So Pretty” from “Teenage Dreamland”; and “Started A War” and “Naïve Child” from “Window Cleaners…” – this last I absolutely love – it’s fast becoming one of my favourite ever songs by an MK band!

So, then. Final Clearance. I hope the sale goes on and on. Check out their stock as soon as you can. Before the metaphor police come and nab me.

TEGAN & SARA

2010-06-24T12:20:00.002+01:00

Venue: The Roundhouse, Camden.
Support: Hesta Prynn
Reviewer: Phil W

It was a hot evening in Camden Town, the sun still high on the early evening streets and the throng of colourful bohemians and the steam of street food pouring from vendors along the canal. It had been hot on the tube too, the air stifling, heavy and thick.

From the entrance opposite Belmont, right down to the old horse hospital, a long queue of predominantly teenage lesbians had formed, huddled against the walls of the old Victorian viaduct. A girl at the end of the queue was handing out flyers and I asked her if this was the queue for Tegan & Sara. “Yes,” she replied, “you’ve got a bit of a wait.”

The Roundhouse is a truly unique venue; built in 1847 as a railway roundhouse with turntable, it has been used as an arts venue since the 60’s. The feeling is very different from the old music halls that litter the London area though are no less spectacular.

I was up on the front row, elbows leaning on the steel railings to the right of the stage. Support act Hesta Prynn, lead singer from New York band Northern State, was here on a solo outing backed by a guitarist/bassist/fiddler with a looping Macbook and a drummer. The music was deeply pop-infused dominated by heavy drum and bass and Hesta strutted her stuff with aspirations of pop diva stardom that’s currently so vogue. But she won me over by the fourth song and I was almost tempted to buy her EP.

In 2008 I saw Tegan & Sara at the Shepherds Bush Empire. I’d only recently discovered them, via Kaki King who’d played guitar on one of their songs on their superb album The Con released that same year. At the time I remember thinking it was one of the best gigs I’d seen that year but two years later I’d been trying to remember exactly why. This question was quickly answered in what turned out to be a truly magical gig. These twin sisters are just so good! It’s in the simple, well written pop, the touching lyrical insights into life and love and their off key but emotionally grounded delivery. It’s the combination of Tegan’s straight forward punk songs and Sara’s quirky pop musings. Sara’s best moment is at the start of the set with an acoustic rendition of I Just Want Back In Your Head, Tegan’s best moment is in the set closer, the epic Nineteen, and everything inbetween was pure electricity. Their songs come alive on stage as the likable Canadian twins work the audience with a smile and a nod, oozing sincerity, and introducing songs with conversational back stories. The final encore and also the oldest song in the set, Tegan’s brilliant country infused Living Room proved to be the final highlight of another brilliant show. It was over all too soon.

Outside, the air was still warm in the night-time streets of Camden Town as revellers moved in and out of The Stables and across the canal. Queues of teenage lesbians heading for the tube.

Project Wolverine ALBUM

2010-05-20T10:15:00.005+01:00

“Lost Boy Blues” by PROJECT WOLVERINE

Review: MMT.

Is it really only six months since we reviewed Project Wolverine’s debut album? Criminy, the enthusiasm of the young, eh? Well, he’s already back with a second CD in under a year – the mammoth 17-track, hour-long “Lost Boy Blues”.

Even in this short time-frame though, a step on from “Life, Love, Loss & Politics” has definitely been taken - as you’ll probably know if you’ve caught Proj W live recently (his set at the MADCAP Battle of the Bands was one of the best gigs by a local artist we’ve seen this year!). His songwriting is developing fast – there’s still reassuring dashes of his trademark pro-Labour anti-Murdoch rhetoric, but I’m more enthused (as always) by his more personal-sounding lyrics. Generally he’s sounding more confident, more comfortable with his voice and his music.

The recordings are occasionally scrappy-edged or raw – more akin to demos perhaps, but if you’re into the lo-fi, urgent sound of a live musician then it works fine. I enjoy it. During “Won’t See Us Again” he coughs while singing, laughs and at the end chuckles “leave it in, leave it in”. And at the start of the fragile “Broken Glass” he informs us “this is another miserable one, by the way”. I think I'd call it 'downbeat' rather than 'miserable'! ;-)

So this is an impressive album. You can’t argue with his prolificity (I wish I wrote half as many songs!), but 17 tracks is a lot to get through without too many changes in the musical soundscape. I’m tempted to wonder how some of these songs might sound with a full band, or at least some bass and percussion. I think the bouncy “Walls Come Down” and “Max’s Song” would be killer. I can almost hear cellos on “Two Months Ago”… but then I do tend to hear cellos everywhere! The mournful piano on the excellent “Socialism Is For Lovers” leads into a beautiful chorus melody, maybe some strings wouldn’t be overkill?

But having said that, there is a musical development too. Quite apart from the start of the chorus to “Socialism Is For Lovers”, the laid-back “Some Girl” has a lovely shimmery guitar melody. So a lengthy work it may be, but worth persevering with – especially as an accurate snapshot of the Project Wolverine live experience.

As I described in the last review though, it’s his lyrics I’m most into. “Snap Election” is the pick of the political ones – though “Organise” (a protest song about the possibility that Cameron’s Tories might get in!) is particularly poignant in hindsight*. There’s even love songs! (“Loves You More Than I”, “Two Months Ago” etc) “Max’s Song” is possibly the best song on the CD, though I’m also very much into the pessimistic piano ballad “Sonny Boy” - and find myself singing the chorus to myself as I potter round the flat today!

Well then... a definite step on from Project Wolverine, one of the city’s most unique songwriting voices. He’s off to University at the end of the Summer, so it’ll be intriguing to see which direction that ends up sending him in! In the meantime, try and catch him live in MK if you can!

* Though on his MySpace he’s already up to date – check out new track, the bitter “Coalition Blues”!

Dudebox "Track Of The Winter / Early Spring"

2010-05-04T11:24:00.018+01:00

Yeah yeah yeah. It’s a wee bit late, like a month or something, but hey – we’re busy people! Here’s our semi-usual round-up of some great stuff we’ve blundered across while scouring the MySpaces of the great and good of the Milton Keynes music scene. As always, the bands have not asked us to do this – we’re just doing it to try and bring you some stuff you might like to hear… This time around it's Matthew & Phil on the reviewing 'decks'.

“City Reversal”: SEE WHAT HAPPENS
[[Young guitary indie rock fellas who we saw live at The Cannon back in February]]

Phil: I thought they were really good live. They created a good atmosphere. It was a breath of fresh air that they played all original stuff, I think.
MMT: When we were watching them, me and James were very much put in mind of The Bluetones, that kind of slightly post-Britpop guitar feel. And I remember – admittedly I’d had a few to drink – but I remember really enjoying the guitar solos. You don’t see many proper guitar solos any more. And they were lovely lads, as well. Friendly and enthusiastic about stuff. Which can only be a good thing.
Phil: They’ve got a lot of potential.
MMT: I really like that (makes widdly guitar noise)… is that a “riff”, would you say?
Phil: (slightly unsure) Er… yeah. That’s a riff.
MMT: A “motif”? (reiterates widdly guitar noise)
Phil: Um… I don’t know what the right word is. But it’s nice.

“Fall Away”: THIS CONTRAST KILLS
[[or, what some of Capdown did next]]

MMT: How aware are you of Capdown’s legacy?
Phil: I’m not particularly aware of Capdown’s legacy at all.
MMT: So you’re listening to this with fresh ears?
Phil: Yeah… it’s got a great drive, generally like it.
MMT: I really like this, it sounds intelligent musically. I like the… some kind of keyboard sound in the background is driving it, hard. They sound like they know what they’re doing.
[MMT proceeds to explain Capdown’s legacy to Phil without really knowing that much about it either other than what he’s read in magazines]

“Take Your Chance”: THE MAZE
[[The new band from former members of last Summer’s Indie smashers Equinox]]

Phil: I like that reducing of everything down to just like, a vocal and a bass.
MMT: The recording’s not quite as polished as some of the other bands we’ve heard tonight, but then they’ve only been going a few months.
Phil: There’s still something interesting and innovative about their music.
MMT: I love when the little keyboard/piano riff comes back in.
Phil: Yeah… it’s creative, it’s interesting, and it’s fun.
MMT: This middle bit is brilliant. Listen to that solo!
Phil: It’s like a lot of ideas coming together at once.

“Stop”: ISABELLE
[[Crystal-clear folky rock from a five-piece who recently appeared in one of the first ever Featured Act slots at our all-new Monkey Kettle Open Mic nights]]

MMT: What was good about them at the Open Mic night was that they mixed their own stuff with some really good soul-pop covers from the 60s, drew people in. Obviously this track has a harder edge, because it’s not their acoustic incarnation.
Phil: It rocks! Here they sound much more edgy to me, more interesting. I really like this.
MMT: It’s really tight, really polished.
Phil: It’s good. Very good.
MMT: I bet they’re excellent at festivals. I’d love to see them play Folk on the Green. That’d be an ideal summer’s afternoon!

“Lament”: TESSERACT
[[Now based in London but native to MK, these prog-metallers have toured Europe and are tipped as ones to watch in 2010 by Rock Sound Magazine no less! So I doubt they need our praise, but…]]

Phil: (enthusiastic) Yeah! I really like it. It’s one of the first acts that we’ve reviewed that I would actually think “I would buy this on CD”.
MMT: There’s light and shade. It’s not just relentless metal.
Phil: I like it.
MMT: Their MySpace profile has had over 600,000 views, and they’ve got almost 18,000 Friends. They’re on Scuzz TV. They’ve got upcoming gigs in Russia, Germany, Poland, Switzerland. I think it’s probably ridiculous for us to even consider criticising it in any way, given that they’ve gone way beyond the confines of Milton Keynes and are successful in a world such as we will never know… but I would listen to their album. It’s rare that I would say that about a Metal band from Milton Keynes.

“Day Job”: THE DISCIPLES OF GONZO
[[Ever-popular Bletchley rockers, coming soon to a Monkey Kettle Waterside Stage near you!!]]

MMT: I have Disciples of Gonzo firmly in my head as a ‘good-time’ band.
Phil: They’re the “Cheap Trick” of Milton Keynes.
MMT: I don’t know what that means.
Phil: They were a ‘good-time’ band.
MMT: This is punky pop, though we’ve also seen them play, I dunno, folky acoustic rock? There’s always an energy to them, though.
Phil: They’re playing rock n’ roll music. I totally dig that. And they’re right up my street with the sentiment behind this song.
MMT: You can hear the smiles on their faces.

“Freedom”: SOLSTICE
[[Incredibly long-lived folk-rock leviathans (formed in 1980!) continue to go strong with this joyous choral number]]

Phil: It’s not a genre of music that I’m that into, but it’s perfectly listenable. Perfect for an afternoon slot at a festival.
MMT: I hope they carry on for ever. And there’ll always be a festival somewhere where they’re playing.
Phil: Whether or not I like the music, I get the impression that they love doing it, and they love playing it. They’re living the dream!
MMT: These guys, and in fact This Contrast Kills with their Capdown heritage, and TesseracT too – I think it’s important to celebrate that these bands are successful Milton Keynes bands – not necessarily genres we would listen to on a daily basis, but legitimately big acts that started round these here parts. And maybe don’t get lumped together into the same basket.

“MidgetDayCake (The Song The Audience Named)” : W.A.s
[[When we last saw them - at MonKeyVision – they were brilliantly scrappy teen-punk oiks. However, it sounds like they’re ‘coming of age’, as t’were…]]

MMT: I guess there’s a true story behind the song title! But… it’s completely – it’s almost like a different band.
Phil: It’s really Gothy… it’s like Type O Negative or something. I love the guitar sound.
MMT: I think it’s an incredible vocal. The falsetto there. And I love the way it moves in between slow and fast as well.
Phil: I love the genre-swapping.
MMT: Now this bit’s like punk but through a filter. It feels… genuinely mental.

RUNNER UP DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE SEASON

“Naïve Child“: FINAL CLEARANCE
[[Their second successive Dudebox Track Of The Season Runner-Up track (and it was a very close-run thing) – with some breaking news!]]

MMT: I think it’s criminal how much I’ve liked all the stuff we’ve heard by them on their MySpace etc, but we’ve failed to see them live. I absolutely love this, I think it’s one of the best sounds I’ve heard from a Milton Keynes band. They don’t sound like anything else round here at the moment, that’s what I find so refreshing I think. I love their orchestral flavour as well.
Phil: I agree. Are we allowed to keep praising them every time? I’d really like to see them live. You can list lots of people they sound a bit like, but… they sound like themselves.
MMT: That guitar solo’s great. And also – what’s not to like about a band who make their own videos? They’ve got The Theory in place.
Phil: I really love it.
MMT: We should so go and see them.
Phil: It’s a pact, dude.

[[STOP PRESS – Final Clearance are now confirmed in one of the headline slots for the Monkey Kettle Stage at the Waterside Festival this year – so Matthew & Phil will finally have their dream come true. Bless them!]]

DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE SEASON

“Where Do We Go?”: LECARLA
[[Fast-rising young polished punk-metallers just back from a national tour]]

Phil: It’s great. It’s well-produced, a well-put-together song. They’re tight, they sound great… um… I’m almost sceptical of their very existence!
MMT: Yeah, they’re almost too good to be true! It seems the full package, a really good MySpace, they’re touring nationally…
Phil: They’re all well-written, well-structured songs. They’re very talented kids. I love the big guitar sound… the big, massive guitar sound. The anthemicness of the song. I like the Quiet-Loud dynamic. I like the sparing use of screaming… there’s a little bit of screaming, just to keep you interested…
MMT: - if you like screaming!
Phil: With bands like this and TesseracT I begin to wonder what The Dudebox is about – whether they’re almost too big for us.
MMT: Beyond our radar? Well, they’re still bands connected to Milton Keynes in some way. Like Felix, who aren’t based in MK at all but make me very excited nonetheless. No, if I saw them [Lecarla] on “Scuzz” I’d think… that’s the sort of band I like.
Phil: It just feels fun, and exciting. And it feels like it’s the music they want to be playing.

TURN IT UP Battle of the Bands - The Final

2010-04-26T14:50:00.002+01:00

THE FINAL – Saturday night

Well, it’s been a great week for me behind the seating rake, but all good things must come to an end – and on Saturday night the biggest audience of all the four nights (as you’d imagine) gathered to watch Hikaru, SuperMassiveMonkeyMen (yes, Men not Man, despite what the compere says!) and Knuckle*Down compete for the title of Turn It Up winner.

Before we get down to business, a massive shout out to Gawaine and the MADCAP Music Project in general – this has been a great advert to the work they’re doing with young people, and I’ve been impressed most of all by the sheer variety of bands they seem to be encouraging and developing! Kudos!

HIKARU

It’s nice to be able to see Hikaru get a second bite at the cherry – tonight their sound and mix are far better than Thursday night, and you really got the full benefit of their quiet-LOUD metal dynamic. I also realise that when I praised one of their lead guitarist’s work the other night, I’d missed the fact that the other lead guitarist is every bit as good – this time he’s higher in the mix and you can hear how well he can play too. It might not be 'my kind of thing' necessarily, but Hikaru definitely deserve to be classed up there alongside any other young MK band in this genre.

Phil sez: “Solid alt-metal in the vein of System Of A Down complete with a cover of Toxicity and some stunning guitar and drum work.”

SUPERMASSIVEMONKEYMEN

It’s another casually confident set from the SuperMassiveMonkeyMen – some of the same songs from last night sound just as fresh, and there’s some new tracks thrown in too for good measure. The last song (Myles later claims many of them don't have titles??) is a doomy epic which shows another angle to them, and overall I genuinely dig their cheerful scuzz-rock sound. It’s right up my alley anyway of course, but for me – Band Of The Week.

Phil sez: “Brilliant indie rock, this is much more my thing, with great songs, some sharp guitar work and a solid rhythm section that holds it all together.”

KNUCKLE*DOWN

But really you'd have to say that the competition has saved one of the most impressive sets for last. Knuckle*Down seem to have managed to bring along the biggest fanbase, and clearly fancied their chances of winning as a consequence, which helped them. They just seemed livelier, more sure of themselves tonight – and the crowd responded. It’s a joyous, friendly rush through their songs – the singer has us in the palm of his hand, even organising a stage invasion (benevolent rather than revolutionary!). A day later, two days later and I still have their anthem “We Are Knuckle*Down” going round and round in my head.

Phil sez: “These guys really picked up their game tonight and gave us a very solid performance of their hip-hop infused alt-metal. They were definitely a crowd favourite and when the kids invaded the stage it was no surprise they ended up winning.”

RESULT:

Yes, Phil’s on the money. Knuckle*Down were the winners, and given their massive popularity on the night no-one can have any complaints. As local bands go their sound is fresh and energetic – and in their frontman they have a unique weapon. But all three bands tonight – in fact all the bands we’ve seen this week – have had something to offer, and should all be proud of themselves in their own way. I gather several of the acts already have plans to take indefinite hiatuses come the Summer when University beckons, but if they do they can go out with their heads held high. And just maybe form new bands at Uni and come back and play at MADCAP again some day! Thanks for listening.

TURN IT UP Battle of the Bands - Heat # 3

2010-04-24T11:49:00.005+01:00

HEAT THREE – Friday night

There’s not really any getting round the fact there weren’t many people there Friday night. With two bands dropping out this time thus halving (at least) the number of fans in attendance, I briefly considered nipping off for a shave and trying to sneak in at the last minute as a battered-looking 19 year old a capella singer. But for the two bands that did show: SuperMassiveMonkeyMen and Northampton’s The Lab Rats, it was a great chance to make Saturday night’s final…

SUPERMASSIVEMONKEYMEN

There’s a deceptive ease to the way frontman Myles plays guitar and provides the focus for SuperMassiveMonkeyMen. He comes across as casual and self-deprecating (introducing their best song with an apology that they’ll probably get it wrong!), and appears to be laidback while simultaneously playing what seems to me at least to be pretty complex lead guitar riffs. They’re an indie-punk trio with a dash of scuzzy blues at times – the bass player and drummer form an exceedingly tight, reliable rhythm section for Myles to play over. Despite the circumstances they play a really impressive set, one of the best of the week for me.

THE LAB RATS

It’s difficult to review The Lab Rats without mentioning the Arctic Monkeys – I lost count near the end, but I think 6 or 7 of their 10-song set were covers of Sheffield’s finest. They did them pretty well, don't get me wrong – but it was so Arctics-heavy a set that by the time they played some other stuff I couldn’t get the Arctics out of my head! The singer-rhythm guitar kid seemed to be smashed off his box to start with, mumbling and repeating himself in between the songs, but wasn’t having any problem with the lyrics at least. Their best choon was called “Danny’s Riff”, which had a kind of reggae beat – I’m assuming that one wasn’t a cover, which bodes well for them in the future. They finished with “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” (of course!) and a cover of “Wipeout” which showed how good the drummer was – that one takes stamina!

RESULT:

In the end I think this was one of those weird-vibed gigs that all young bands – and some not so young, I can vouch for that! – have to go through at one stage or another. For the first time this week though I backed a winner – SuperMassiveMonkeyMen sneaked it and take their place in the Grand Final with Knuckle*Down and Hikaru... and it’s anyone’s guess who could take the ultimate crown! I’m looking forward to finding out!

TURN IT UP Battle of the Bands - Heat # 2

2010-04-23T12:10:00.008+01:00

HEAT TWO – Thursday night

The curse of the teen bands has struck again and for the second night in a row (and a third tomorrow already confirmed) one of the bands has dropped out, leaving a straight three-way dust-up between Hikaru, The Abyss and Project Wolverine. It’s immediately obvious that the audience appears to be split into two big gangs brought along by the two full bands – so which one has brought the most? Or can the acoustic stylings of Project Wolverine split the vote? Away we go!

HIKARU

In a way, Hikaru are a lot more like I was expecting the bands competing in a 14 – 19 year old Battle of the Bands to sound - I’d describe them as “metally metal”. Brilliantly, they apologise for their second vocalist’s absence – “he does the screams”. The lead vocalist does his best to make up for it though, foot up on the monitor he switches between singing and growling gutturally. But they’re good musicians into the bargain: the drummer and the lead guitarist are particularly noticeable - the rhythms are a barrage, and the widdly soloing produced by the little dude on lead is impressive. Despite the slightly muddy sound, I enjoyed the three songs, particularly the second one which contains a gothy circling riff.

Phil sez: "Dude, I totally missed them! I can't believe they started on time!"

THE ABYSS

The Abyss have a metal sound too, but it’s a more regimented yet melodic affair. Their mix seems better, their riffs heavier and more precise. I’m struggling to think which band they remind me of when on their fourth song they announce “this is our second System Of A Down cover tonight, this is Chop Suey”. Aha! Overall, their second track was their best, I don’t think that was a SOAD cover – though I did get a bit busy at the bar, so I didn’t see the whole set, just heard it. But there’s a nice balance to their loudness and quietness. Good stuff. Also, they’re all dressed in black except the guitarist on the left who clearly didn’t get the memo!

Phil sez: “Solid alterna-metal, I liked the second song best with the slightly more melodic feel that almost echoed My Bloody Valentine, and the final instrumental closer with the surfy guitar lead.”

PROJECT WOLVERINE

Regular Monkey Kettle watchers will know that we have “previous” with the fantastic Project Wolverine, so hopefully this won’t sound too biased. As if already resigned to not winning – he later told us that if he’d got through to the final he’d have struggled to book the night off work! – Proj W is relaxed enough with the audience to banter away, yet also seemingly determined to get through as many songs as he can while he’s on the stage! He manages twelve choons, easily more than the other two bands put together! Many of his classic left-leaning anthems are included, along with a Billy Bragg cover - and he’s even stuck a “Vote Labour” poster on the front monitor! But I’m really pleased to hear his newer songs also contain some even more well-turned lyrics about life and love. In fact my “Tune Of The Night” combines both: “Socialism Is For Lovers”. There’s widespread singing along from the audience, plus a philosophical discussion on the nature of Metaphor. What more could you ask? Coming soon to an Open Mic near you!!! ;-)

Phil sez: “A brilliant almost-headline set from Project Wolverine, with intelligent song writing and a confident performance he won over the crowd with his tales of teenage woe in the Mirror City. If I could choose, he'd have been the winner.”

RESULT:

I don’t think it’ll surprise you that my vote (I made sure I got a voting slip this time!) was for Project Wolverine too, but the biggest army of fans was clearly brought by Hikaru – they join Knuckle*Down in Saturday’s final. Just one slot left – who will join them?

TURN IT UP Battle of the Bands - Heat # 1

2010-04-22T11:35:00.002+01:00

HEAT ONE – Wednesday night

I’m not sure of all the rules to “Turn It Up” – for example in Heat One each band played a different number of songs and were on stage for differing lengths of time! I do know that the acts have to be between 14 and 19, and that many of them hail from MADCAP’s ace Music Project – as do the technical crew, who did a great job with the lights, sound and smoke! Apart from some of the band’s parents and Gawaine who runs the Music Project, me Phil and DJ Mikey seemed to be the only grown-ups in the building! Cripes! Another brilliant example of the self-sufficiency which MADCAP instils in da kidz.

Oh, though I mustn’t forget (of course!) the legendary Baron Makabre who’s our compere for the duration of the competition. I’m sure he won’t mind me describing him as horrific, terrifying and blood-curdling – and the crowd seem to love him! He performs a set of his own while the votes are being counted, and manages to whip up a mosh-pit and a stage invasion!

One of the four acts scheduled to appear are now off the bill, so it’s down to a three-way fight for the first of the Final slots between Knuckle*Down, Soul Of A Kid and Apple And The Core. Let battle commence!

KNUCKLE*DOWN

Opening the competition with a hefty funk-rock clatter, “We Are Knuckledown” sets out the band’s stall. The frontman sounds very much like he hails from America, and his semi-rap vocals are definitely the main attraction, he’s a charismatic focal point. They cleverly manage to give us their complete MySpace address in the intro to their first song - now that's media-savvy! But it’s their third and final song which is the stand-out, adding a dark melody to the beef.

Phil sez: “Down tuned funk metal with attitude! Every song stands out on its own but its their last song that really shines and grooves with an unlikely Joy Division vibe.”

SOUL OF A KID

Soul Of A Kid are an acoustic duo, George & Manny. Both have genuinely touching soul-infused voices, and while George strums Manny sings and jerks his arms seemingly uncontrollably – like he’s got Tourettes of the limbs! Their second song is a cover of Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved”, which goes down really well with the crowd, who sing along so enthusiastically I’m moved to ask Phil “dude… when did it become okay to like Maroon 5 again? Did I miss a meeting?” Their best song is their third one too, “Hope”, where Manny (hopefully I’ve got the two the right way round) raps the verses, it’s an effective mix.

Phil sez: “Intelligent, emotional and quite beautiful, they certainly bring some soul to the evening.”

APPLE AND THE CORE

Remarkably, this is Apple And The Core’s first ever gig – having amalgamated together as a band specifically for this competition and the few months they have left before they all leave for University! Their main skill is their multi-instrumentalism: between the five of them over their five-song set they incorporate: vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, beatboxing, bongos, violin, flute, oboe, piano-keyboard and the ukulele! The resulting mix is a refreshing folky orchestral pop sound, and lead singer & songwriter Philippa’s voice is very strong. The best track of the entire night comes on their second song, “Sirens”, apparently based on her A Level History homework! The only quibble you could have is that their sheer variety of instrument playing makes for a few gaps while they all switch around – but otherwise an impressively mature sound. I wish them all well in their Higher Education! :-D

Phil sez: “If I could choose the winner it'd be these guys! The songs are more engaging than Bat For Lashes… this is intelligent pop music backed by staggeringly talented multi-instrumentalists.”

RESULT:
The winners are... Knuckle*Down! I think I personally preferred Apple And The Core too, but you can’t argue with Democracy!

KAKI KING

2010-03-10T12:08:00.003Z

Venue: Scala, London.
Support: Anna Calvi.
Words: Phil W.

Standing alone between metal barriers at the entrance of the Scala in Kings Cross I began to suspect I may be Kaki King’s biggest fan. I had a whole twenty minutes to ponder this before anyone else joined me in the queue.

First one inside, I eagerly ascended the stairs and being a seasoned veteran of the front row, my first port of call was the bathroom. Last stop before I spend the night pressed up against the front of the stage with no room for escape! As I leave the bathroom, Kaki walks past me down the corridor and we share a momentary glance. I wonder if she recognises me from the Jazz Café. No, it’s unlikely; there must have been hundreds of gigs and hundreds of fans since then. I watch her glide away like a spectra into the bowls of the building.

There’s still no one in the main hall, everyone’s still at the bar and I take my place at the front centre of the stage. There’s no barrier tonight between the audience and the stage and I’m able to perch on the stage to chat with the people that join the audience behind me. We talk music and musicians - we’re music geeks, that’s the kind of gig this is, the kind of fans Kaki’s stuck with. We talk guitars, effects pedals, session musicians and obscure albums.

Once again Kaki is supported by the superb Anna Calvi. She opens with a massive five-minute guitar solo and it’s all up from there. Deep reverb guitar solos and passionate Latin infused vocals. As Anna’s packing away her effects pedals after the set I lean over the stage to her and ask her about CDs; there’s an album out in August apparently. It’s long overdue.

Kaki open’s with ukulele driven Spit It Back In My Mouth from the new album Junior before ploughing through a two hour set of material from all five albums. There’s a beautiful full band version of Jessica. Part way through the gig Dan and the new drummer leave the stage and Kaki dazzles us with her solo instrumental work including the epic All The Landslides Birds Have Seen Since The Beginning Of The World and the fantastic Carmine Street from her first album. “Its been a long time since I played that one!” she tells us. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched footage of her playing that song on YouTube but to see her play it live now is mesmerising. Other highlights include a full band version of Pull Me Out Alive and an epic version of You Don’t Have To Be Afraid. For an encore she performs Gay Sons Of Lesbian Mothers on the lap steel and then closes with the heartbroken Sunnyside from the new album.

After the show I said hi again (I’d meet Kaki King again in July). It was another superb gig from the guitar wondergirl but what can I say, I’m a fan! Can she really be the artist I’ve been waiting for all these years? Just when I thought I was done with being a fan, an artist comes along that truly is everything I’ve been looking for. The answer may well be yes.

PETER GREEN & FRIENDS

2010-03-09T18:15:00.007Z

Venue: The Stables, Wavendon, MK
Support: Dot Allison
Reviewer: MMT

Okay kids: Rock History 101. If you might not know who Peter Green is, I guess that’s fair enough – I only knew the half of it myself. His stitch in Rock’s Rich Tapestry™ has often come unravelled. But in a nutshell, the bald facts are:

1. He formed Fleetwood Mac in 1967. This version of “the Mac” were not the FM-radio friendly soft-rock band you probably know and maybe mistrust - Peter Green’s version were a full-on blues outfit who had such hits as “Black Magic Woman” and “Oh Well”, not to mention luxuriant instrumental “Albatross” which was the band’s only ever UK #1 single in any incarnation.

2. The more successful the band got internationally, the less he liked it – often threatening to turn them into a “charity band” who gave all their money away to more deserving causes. At this time he was also taking “large doses” of acid and wearing long flowing robes. In 1970 he left Fleetwood Mac.

3. His solo career dwindled to a standstill as the 70s went on. He dropped out of sight, working as a cemetery gardener and a hospital porter (among other things), sleeping on people’s floors and jamming in pubs. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and underwent electro-convulsive shock therapy. In the early 80s Green was well enough to release a few more solo LPs, but in 1984 he “retired” again and sat about for the rest of the decade watching TV and attending a day care centre for the mentally ill.

4. In 1996 he played his first music for over a decade. Since then he’s been touring and recording on and off with a variety of low-key bands - under the radar in a way which he’s clearly far more comfortable with than the pressures of international rock stardom.

And that’s where we come in. Yes, it’s another fine instalment of: Matthew Goes To A Dadrock Gig At The Stables With His Dad.

First though, a male/female acoustic duo came on and did a short set of pleasant if unmemorable songs. I was left wishing they’d talk to the audience though – at least to tell us who they were! Remarkably, we discovered the next day it was Dot Allison, 40-year-old ex-singer in mid-90s dance-pop act One Dove! Man, she’s looking good for 40! I’d assumed it was a local young singer-songwriter. Having said that, you’d think by now she’d have learned a bit of stagecraft… How are you supposed to buy their CDs if they don’t tell you who they are?

Then the real deal. More than forty years on, Peter Green seems barely able to walk, talk, stand up while playing, or in any way interact with his band – but when he gets a guitar in his hands, he still knows what to do with it! Backed by a selection of more-than-competent musos, it feels like he gets through a 90+ minute set almost despite the odds. As you’d imagine, the bulk of the music is largely Dad/Trad blues-rock, but somehow his fascinating presence lifts it up to something more.

The rest of the band are solid if unspectacular. Geraint Watkins on keyboard/organ is the standout, you can tell he’s been around himself (he’s played with Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and, er, Shakin’ Stevens among others). But “solid if unspectacular” is actually what they need to be – they are, after all, not the ‘star turn’ here. But it’s a peculiar vibe given that Peter Green himself isn’t willing or able to take centre stage - literally. Rhythm guitarist Mike Dodd fills that position (along with lead vocals on several tracks) and does all of the interaction with the crowd. He’s clearly trying his best – and you can almost feel the band looking out for Green (who’s on a stool off to one side) while they’re playing… making sure he knows where he is, that he’s still with them. And for the most part, he is.

It’s tempting to over-sentimentalise – to forego any criticism just for the very fact that Peter Green is still alive. And to the uninitiated he may look a little bit like a Pirate Henry VIII playing guitar. But I found it difficult to take my eyes off him nonetheless. Partly it’s the charisma of Living History, but partly too it’s the emotion in his playing. His voice is half-shot: at times a cracked whisper, a croak, a broken rumble. But it warmed up a few songs in and was largely fine. In fact, in the songs where Dodd took the lead with his perfectly standard blues/rock voice you somehow missed the damaged delivery of Green.

But it’s his guitar playing, while obviously not what it clearly once was – Eric Clapton once described him as “one of the best” ever and B B King said “he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats” – that’s worth the admission price alone*. Given the way he looks, how he moves, you just don’t imagine he’s able to play like he still does. I don’t know many of the songs, but most of them have a deadly cool bluesy solo in them, and Green still delivers pretty much all of them bang on. The standouts I guess are the ones I’m already familiar with – “Oh Well” is arranged into a welcome heavier number, and I find myself totally entranced by the gentle, forlorn “Albatross”.

The Stables audience, as you’d predict, is largely made up of fans old enough to remember Peter Green in his heyday. My Dad certainly remembers seeing him play a couple of times in the 60s – and I can only begin to imagine the comparison they’re able to make between the two Peter Greens. But even now, though his flickering star is burning ever fainter, it’s a star nonetheless. And there’s not many of those out here in the blackness of space. Far out.

* Well, my Dad paid for my ticket (cheers Dad!). But you know what I mean.

The Further Adventures Of Vodka Boy ALBUM

2010-02-14T17:07:00.013Z

“Three Drinks Ahead”: The Further Adventures Of Vodka Boy

Words by Phil Sky

It’s June 2008 and I’m sitting cross legged in the thick grass at the bottom of Beacon Point. It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon in the pale sunshine, a peaceful moment sitting with friends and a picnic, a light breeze rustling through the pond reeds. It’s also the first time I heard Thistledown, debuted here on Vodka Boy’s “Back to the Land” tour. It was one of those fragile moments when everything feels right in the world. At the end of the year the tour was immortalised with a live LP and Dill from the Dudebox wrote a glowing article on the band, but for me that performance of Thistledown was the highlight of it all. Perhaps it was the same for everyone there, maybe that’s why Thistledown became an instant fan favourite; between the broken hearts, the loneliness, the lies and the regrets, there’s always something to smile about, something beautiful.

Forty-five miles north of London, the big sprawl of Milton Keynes spreads out across the Buckinghamshire farmland; in the 1960 and 70’s three existing towns and fifteen villages were swallowed up to build our mutual hometown. Matthew Taylor used to play the Winter Gardens and other long-disappeared venues back in the early 90’s with pre-Britpop groundbreakers Rhythmic Noise Pollution and then toured with Sebastian Windsor who briefly got back together in 2009 but I sadly couldn’t make their only tour date. Martin Ibbotson also played in Sebastian Windsor and I played with them both in short lived super-band Stone Circle. From Wolverton to Bletchley, I’ve toured with The Further Adventures Of Vodka Boy countless times, joining them for the ups and the downs. It was in the Sunset Lounge in Newport Pagnell in February 2008 that I first heard Tell Her Lies, a slice of riotous Latin infused punk. It was the week after Diane came back from New Zealand and two weeks after me and Matthew recorded Space Punk Goddess with Nikki on vocals for our soon to be released double album. It was also in early 2008 that Grahame got a gig down at the Living Room in the Hub and we all tried to get in and support him but the bouncers on the door wouldn’t let us in on account of our footwear and we all grimly retired to Wetherspoons and vowed never to step foot in the Living Room. But things change, time heals all wounds and months and years can find you seeing things in perspective. Nearly two years later Vodka Boy were on the other side of the Living Room doors, performing their new regretsong.

In March 2007 I was playing bass in the now legendary Stone Circle with Matthew and Martin. We played the Zaks club in Wolverton before it burnt down and at the end of our set Dan angrily put his drumstick through his snare and the next day he was out of the band. Down to a three piece we rehearsed in the backroom of the house in Pennyland where Matthew and me recorded Sick Of Stickney and next to the room we recorded Don’t Let The Winter In a year later and where Stone Circle played both their first and last gigs. It was hear that we first played I Want You along with the other Stone Circle rarity Mavis and Silas. 2007 was also the year Facebook swept the nation and got a word check in Vodka Boy song Knee Deep In New Leaves. I particularly remember the song being played at the legendary Korfstock 2008, probably most remembered because it was followed up that evening with the Vicarage Party. We played songs under a canopy next to the face painting stall and Brian and Cathy came along.

Summer 2009 turned out to be the one, the long hot summer of love we’d all been waiting for. Matthew and Simon and Helen and Diane and Brian and Caroline and Grahame and Cathy and me all headed off to France. Back home, our stage at the Waterside Festival was the most successful yet. We played two gigs together at The Enigma Tavern; we took it in turns to headline. It was here that Vodka Boy played Me And The Heron for the first time. That summer it felt as if our waterways were being invaded by herons, I couldn’t remember ever having seen so many. It was at Furzton Lake that I bumped into Matthew’s brother Chris and we commented on the abundance of herons standing sentry, motionless at the waters edge.

At some point in 2008 it seemed that ace Seth Gordon documentary "King Of Kong" was being watched by everyone. I had to borrow Simon’s copy just to see what all the fuss was about. The documentary is also almost my only contact ever with the shadowy world of Donkey Kong. I remember the song bouncing along at Vodka Boy’s afternoon set at Waterside 2009. 2009 also saw the debut of a new Martin song in the band. There’s only a few Martin penned songs in Vodka Boy’s back catalogue, one of them famously being former Stone Circle rocker I’m So. But when I first heard Close My Eyes it was in the Living Room toward the end of last year during a particularly tumultuous time in my life. The lyrics could have been about dozens of things but during the song I found myself thinking of the people around me and how much harder life would be without them and I like to think maybe that’s what the song is about.

One of my best Vodka Boy memories is of seeing Dakota Steps performed live at the Vicarage Party in July 2008, seeing Matthew and Martin bathed in red light on the stage that Wayne built in the grounds of the old Vicarage. We’d both performed at Korfstock that day where Vodka Boy had performed two sets for some indifferent korfers but their performance at the Vicarage Party turned out to be one of their greatest triumphs. We all sat down on the grass to watch and found we were ironically sitting next to the same girls who’d run the face painting stall at Korfstock.

It was in July 2007 that Matthew first brought to our attention on his blog the mysterious stickers that began appearing on lamp-posts all over Milton Keynes with the slogan Your Sister Stayed Over. It was nearly a year before any of us had any idea of their origin.

At a recent gig at the Sno! Bar, James who used to drum with Sebastian Windsor joined Vodka Boy on stage with a beat box. I remember James’ wedding in 2007, Matthew got me into a conversation with a mate of his who’s also an avid reader of his blog and we soon got into a conversation about James’ stag do, a trip to Krakow that neither of us were at. But it was Matthew’s description of the fading summer sun setting behind the trees at Birkenau that lived with me the longest, finding beauty in such surroundings proving there is always something to smile about, something beautiful.

So what about the new album I’ve completely forgotten to review? It’s awesome! It’s a lo-fi masterpiece; great songs, great music. Check it out dudes! ;-)

Kids Picked Last ALBUM

2010-02-01T14:43:00.008Z

“Rumours”: KIDS PICKED LAST

Reviewer: MMT

First of all, how exciting is it to be able to queue up in HMV and buy an album by one of your favourite local bands? “Yes, young man. I’ll take the Ladyhawke and Animal Collective albums from your “2 for £10” deal. And the slightly disappointing latest Muse album for a reasonable enough £5 too please. Oh, and while I’m here, I do believe I’ll pick up the new release by fantastic MK synth-rock combo Kids Picked Last, if you’d be so kind…” Sweet!

Monkey Kettle-watchers will be more than familiar with KPL by now – not only did they play at both the MonKeyVision Song Contest and the Monkey Kettle Stage @ The Waterside last year, but their anthem “Never Leave Me” also graces the wonderful “Monkey Kettle & Friends Vol. 2” compilation which has recently come among the world.

At their age though, twelve months is a looong time for a band, and while “Never Leave Me” and the accompanying “Death On The Trance Floor” EP were a chirpy punk-pop treat, this is an altogether harder-edged collection. Technically I suppose you’d call it a ‘mini-album’ – its eight tracks last a mere 23 (and a half!) minutes – but it’s long enough to see a definite progression has taken place.

Overall, the synths which seem to sometimes split opinion (but that're one of the major selling points for me!) are more integrated than on previous recordings – they’re part of the whole aural cake rather than being the generous top layer of sugary icing, if you’ll allow me the metaphor… And the rest of the sound is heavier, harder, more muscular. The Kids have beefed up! For the first time it’s obvious how good the choppy metal guitars are too. I’m pretty sure this maturing of their sound’ll give them wider appeal – as their impressive gig schedule for 2010 so far would seem to bear out!

Since the last EP there has also been a line-up change, seeing Toby step out from behind the drums and join Joel (“guitar & screams”) at the front, resulting in a new Linkin Park-style dual vocal scenario, one ‘soft’, one ‘hard’ as it were. This allows KPL 2.0 to be both intense and melodic at the same time, a neat trick if you can pull it off – such as on the chugging “Kite Flying” where one vocal is Auto-Tuned pop stylee and the other vocal seems to be gargled through a broken sink full of rusty water. Not to mention the exuberant crowd-chanting too – I bet that one is a killer live!

But despite the screaming and shouting, there are still pop sensibilities in the mix too. My favourite moments are still the ones where Ashley’s synth programming is to the fore: the short instrumentals “Intro”, “Rumours (reprise)” and especially the euphoric “Luced” help break up – or regulate at least – the intensity. The confident (and brilliantly-titled) “Fat People Are Harder To Kidnap” stands out: the chunky thud of the bass & geetars complemented well by the ravey electronics and the genuinely constructed tune. “To Infinity And Beyond” is good too – as close as they get to an epic ballad. And “Pirateze” is probably my favourite track, the lyrics finally intriguing, the vocals cracking with emotion and the synths (again) colouring everything fabulously sour. There’s a great bit of weird guitar / keyboard meshing together in the middle section and outro too.

Kids Picked Last are still not the finished article, as I’m sure they would admit themselves. But with “Rumours” they’ve moved another big step closer (“One Step Closer”?) – and it’s great fun watching them evolve. Right now there’s a “blipcore” remix of “Kite Flying” on their MySpace which makes me grin like a goon. How many MK guitar bands would try something like that? Not many. Skillz.

Dudebox "Track Of The Autumn / Christmas"

2010-01-10T11:08:00.008Z

Reviewers: Brian, Grahame, Matthew, Phil

Happy New Year, Dudebox fans! We’re kicking Twenty Ten off with a gigantic beast as we reveal the long-awaited latest Dudebox Track Of The Season: for the Autumny / Festive period that was Late 2009 – but this time with the added bonus that we attempted to review a bunch of MK MySpace tracks as a communal foursome!

Phil and I decided we’d like another (perhaps less overtly enthusiastic-about-everything!) voice, so we asked Brian along to temper us – and he arrived hotfoot from the pub with Grahame in tow too! As it turned out, we couldn’t use a lot of the stuff Grahame said – he’s clearly the Simon Cowell of our panel, keen on good production, accomplished musicianship, drum machines being in time etc etc. – but it was a splendid experience nonetheless, with plenty of cups of tea and much raucous laughter. And despite plenty of arguments over such subjects as how long “potential” can last before something more needs to be delivered – and loads on what constitutes “generic”, we even almost managed to come to a consensus. Plus Phil got in his now-obligatory mention of the Smashing Pumpkins. So we’re all good.

As always, thanks to the bands – almost exclusively they haven’t asked us to review their work, we’ve just done so by picking stuff almost at random off of their MySpaces. And our main aim really is just to try and bring you something new you might love. Why not try it yourself at home? The MK Music Scene – dive in!

“Sex For Cigarettes”: TOMBSTONE BULLETS
[[70s Hard Rock coming atcha from MOST of the members of MonKeyVision winners Harassing Anna]]

Grahame: “They’re playing something that really appeals to me.”
Phil: “What I like about them is they sound really noisy and really loud. The guitar sounds loud.”
Matthew: “Did you like them at the Waterside when they played [on the Monkey Kettle stage]?”
Phil: “I did. I would say I dug them. It’s interesting to compare them to Harassing Anna.”
Grahame: “They’re very very good. All of them are incredibly good instrumental players. They’ve got a really good pop sensibility.”
Brian: “It’s good, it’s accomplished, but I listen to that and I think ‘I’ve heard that all my life’”. But I’ve seen them play live, and they’re full of energy, they can really entertain a crowd.”
Matthew: “Playing Devil’s Advocate though, is there a sense that Harassing Anna are the ‘real band’ and Tombstone Bullets are them ‘having fun’? I’d be interested to know what they think.”

“Get It / M.I.A. / Used To Be (samplers)”: LIONSEX
[[Self-professed “balls-out” rockers, one of Brian’s total favourite local bands]]

Brian: “They’ve got energy, they’ve got a different look… They’re not scared to be different. They actually try and live it. They’re scuzzy Eighties throwbacks and they love their rock n’ roll. They’re very good value for money live, they know how to work a crowd. The lead singer’s got a great voice.”
Phil: “I think they’re alright. Sounds good, but it’s not really… I was never really into that anyway. I quite like the fake name thing. They’re doing their thing.”
Grahame: “They’re very tight, they’re very accomplished. I like the design of their MySpace. They’ve actually personalised it really well. Very slick.”
Matthew: “Compared to Tombstone Bullets, musically they’re doing similar things from slightly different eras - but with a different image too, I guess. They were one of the only bands at MonKeyVision that brought their own t-shirts as well, weren’t they? Which is pretty cool.”
Brian: “I own a Lionsex t-shirt, and I wear it with pride. [NB – no pun intended, we checked!] I think I’m a bona fide fan now. I reckon I’ll go and see them on a regular basis.”

“Saving Grace”: THE BITTER SUITE
[[Dark electro-pop duo who you could almost class as local music “veterans” now, having formed in 2004.]]

Matthew: “I really liked it. I’d like to go and see them play live.”
Phil: “The first time I saw them, I was drawn to the Waterside stage three years ago on account of they were playing a Smashing Pumpkins cover. The second time I saw them in Bedford – both times as a five-piece. Cure-y, Depeche Mode-y. I like it a lot.”
Brian: “It’s very much “These Guys Wear Black”. It’s not a comfortable type of music for me.”
Grahame: “You can tell they’ve been going a while, the calibre of the actual song itself is really good. I like the sound of his voice.”

“Crystals”: THE MACHINIST
[[Hard-edged prog metal six-piece still in their early days of writing and recording. In fact I think this may even be an unfinished instrumental track, so it’s probably unfair to review it at this stage. And here goes...]]

Grahame: “Musically it’s not that appealing to me. It’s played perfectly, it’s all in tune, it’s all very very well done, really nice quality recording as well, but for me… lacked the through line of a vocal.”
Brian: “They’ve got a sound, and they’ve got it down pat.”
Phil: “It’s more a tank than a sports car.”
Brian: “I think they’re going along the right lines. They need a vocalist.” [NB – they do actually have one now]
Matthew: “What I’m really keen on, we’ve been waiting a long time to see them live, and I would like to see that.”
Phil: “The influence of Tool is massive. It’s slow… but that’s the idea. I think these guys could get really really good.”
[this section of the review descends into jokes about massive tools. Sigh.]

“The Seas / Vermillion” : BOBBY WOTNOT
[[Experienced producer of electronica as featured on National Radio!… not to mention a bona fide visual artist in his own right and of course mates with Jimi Volcano]]

Phil: “Perhaps it’s not really my thing. It feels very mathematical.”
Brian: “They’re very structured tracks… very… what’s the word?”
Grahame: “A bit of a feel of Bristol… trip-hop stuff. I don’t think it’s any of our kind of music. But I would listen to that, if someone played it in a club I’d dance for a while.”
Phil: “I think it would go well as a film soundtrack sort of thing.”
Matthew: “I like it. They’re still songs, every bit as much as the other bands. In fact, there’s more variety here than with many guitar acts. Different sounds, different vibes. Works for me.”

“Limosine”: SOCIAL RESIN
[[Kinda funky acoustic three-piece who describe themselves as “Like Engine Oil For Your Eardrums”]]

Phil: “It’s the sort of thing that goes down very well in pubs.”
Matthew: “It’s not really my sort of thing.”
Grahame: “There’s not enough of bands doing this sort of thing. I know it’s quite poppy, but I mean… I like that. They’re going for quite a soulful sort of sound there.”

“KyteFlying (GoiaGoia SuperRemix)”: KIDS PICKED LAST
[[Exuberant blipcore remix from Matthew’s favourite local punk-pop laser-toting scamps. Brian has to have “blipcore” explained to him]]

Brian: “I was a champion at Tetris when I was in my early twenties at university, and I feel like I’m on Level 17.”
Matthew: “Look… that’s a photo of their album in HMV!”
Grahame: “They’re playing with sound, which is good, because they’re experimenting… I don’t think they’re ‘There’ yet. They might well get ‘There’, because they seem quite confident to explore like, different combinations of sounds and timings.”
Phil: “The first time I saw them I was really drunk and did really dig the synth…”
Matthew: “They were one of the most exciting things I’d ever seen!”
Phil: “I like the idea, but I’m not quite as keen on the reality. Having said that, the song we just heard I loved. I just couldn’t help smiling all the way through it. This is not just great, but genius.”

“Sonny Boy”: PROJECT WOLVERINE
[[More new work by prolific young Monkey Kettle fave Project W – this time just piano & vocals]]

Grahame: “I like that. It’s a really nice sweet little folky love song.”
Brian: “I’ve always been a person who’s enjoyed loud cranking guitars rather than voices… However, this guy’s thinking about the world around him, and he’s asking you to look at the world around him with him, through his eyes. And there’s not enough of that going on, so all power to his elbow.”
Matthew: “I love him for his lyrics. This song is beautiful.”
Phil: “It’s all about his lyrics. I think it’s a great song. Good stuff.”
Brian: “He’s got… he’s got something coming out of him.”
[predictable dissolution into childish laughter again]

RUNNER UP DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE SEASON

“Rebound”: FINAL CLEARANCE
[[A rare”traditional indie” local band in amongst the metal and the teen-punks, and all the better for it]]

Brian: “From that song, they’ve got a very catchy style, um… they hooked me and they had my foot tapping.”
Phil: “While I hear their influences too, I don’t mind, because I like the bands they’re influenced by. These guys don’t smile in their photos – and I know that indie bands never do smile in their photos, but um… I think it could be something they could start doing? This song pushes my buttons.”
Matthew: “It’s much more my sort of thing. I would like to see them live.”
[checks gig list on MySpace]

DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE SEASON

“Infected Lights”: 1000 HERTZ
[[Popular MK hardcore chaps, reviewed in Kerrang and everything - about to release their second album!]]

Matthew: “I like the screaming-stroke-melody of it, I liked the melody in the chorus. They’re confident in their playing. If I saw them live I would probably be quite scared… and stand near the side. But it makes me move around.”
Grahame: “Er… yeah – it was good, it was polished, it was tight, it was all those other sort of generic blank shit words you use… they’ve ticked the most boxes in terms of what I would say is good.”
Phil: “Strong drums, strong guitars. They’ve avoided all the pitfalls, really. Other bands fall in the trap of hair metal solos. It’s a great song.”
Grahame: “Confident is about right. A well put-together song.”
Brian: “I tell you what, there is something to that. There’s an awful lot of cleverness behind it, the musicians are very very tight. They’re thinkin’ about the music, I really like that. I can see me playing that in my car first thing in the morning as I was driving out of my driveway. And that’s actually a very important decision for me in my life.”

"The Noise Made By People": Broadcast

2009-11-26T22:24:00.009Z

(SONGS FROM UNDER MY BED – Lost Classics Rediscovered)
by MMT.

#3 – “The Noise Made By People” : BROADCAST (2000)

“The Noise Made By People” was Birmingham-based Broadcast's debut, released in 2000 on the excellent indie/electronica label Warp. It didn’t even scratch the charts (there’s still relatively little about them on the internet, even now), but it did well enough critically to cement them a place in the cool fringes of Noughties alternative. I think I heard the beautiful “Papercuts” on John Peel about a year or so later, and it captivated me enough to track down the mother album – and it has stayed with me ever since, a true Lost Classic.

I was trying to think of a way of describing the whole atmosphere of the album – and absolutely truthfully I swear to God had grasped the term “Retro-Futurist” out of the air before moments later seeing the same phrase used on their Wikipedia entry! You kinda know what I (and Wikipedia!) mean by that I'm sure. It’s that envisioning from the viewpoint of the past as to what the future would be / could be / will be like. Stereolab were another excellent band who pulled off a similar sound, though never as catchily – and again the comparison is on the Wikipedia entry, I notice after making it myself! Perhaps I should read the whole Wikipedia entry before writing any more…

(does so)

Well… apparently Broadcast often use “amorphous samples” and um, “analogue dissonance” to create their “retro-futuristic sci-fi edge”. Hmm. I don’t know much about analogue dissonance, but I know what I like.

Let me try and do it in my own words, then. The crystal clarity of the vocals. That melancholic air, gazing out at both yesterday and tomorrow with equally sad and tired eyes. You can tell they listened to a lot of French Pop and movie soundtracks while they were recording it. I’m sure there’s some kind of musicology behind the chord progressions that explains how the album sounds… Though I don’t know for sure, I’ll bet a lot of them are minors.

There’s 12 tracks: opener “Long Was The Year” sets out the stall with a cold vocal from singer Trish Keenan - Broadcast’s secret weapon - laid over chiming piano and a mildly industrial set of clanks and whooshes. “Unchanging Window” is warmer – but still chilly, the Gallic influence is clearly present. “Minus One” is a bleakly regimented instrumental which feels unsettling somehow.

Then, perversely, the poppiest moment of the album arrives, with second single “Come On Let’s Go” which sounds a bit like Saint Etienne swirling down Carnaby Street in The Sixties of an alternative universe where sexy lady robots rule the world from a pod above Swingin’ London. The other single, “Echo’s Answer” lays Keenan’s deadpan vocals over an atmospheric mass of droning whirrs and glitchy strings and would surely never even be considered single-worthy by a less adventurous band. “Tower Of Our Tuning” is another instrumental, but more optimistic – deep-set percussive echoes with relentless slightly discordant music hidden way down somewhere else in the mix.

I often think a lot of great albums have a ‘centre’ though, and “The Noise Made By People”’s is just inside the second half. “Papercuts”, the song that drew me in originally is still superb – a bleeping off-kilter Sixties pop song which swoops and soars. And “You Can Fall”, which turned up on the brilliant ‘Morvern Callar’ soundtrack album (famously better than the intriguingly awkward film!) and re-invigorated my love for these songs a couple of years later on is defiantly defeatist – the vocals chiming with robotic effects, the music played by slowly dying machines. Man, I dig it.

After that, “Look Outside” is almost a change of mood into laidback retro lounge music, Keenan’s vocals approaching cheerful for a change… though further listens reveal a host of clicks and clacks under the powerful drums which hint at something more sinister. “Until Then” moves at a weary pace, backed by queasy whistles and broken electrics. “City In Progress” is akin to early 70s electro-prog like the ace Curved Air, and final track “Dead The Long Year” is a circling trip-hop groove topped with some kind of feedback and scratchy electric guitar which abruptly caves in to form a sinister ambient pulse.

I think ultimately what I love about this album is the pitch-perfect marriage between the glitch-tronica dabbled in by many of Broadcast’s label-mates on Warp (Squarepusher, Aphex Twin etc) and the ice-cool Sixties Pop vibe of much of the vocals and lyrics. There’s very few things I’ve ever heard like this. And at the end of the day, that’s what you want, innit. Groovy.

LINKS

Official website, intermittently updated

The video to Come On Let’s Go

The video to the fantastic Papercuts

Project Wolverine / Felix ALBUMS

2009-11-10T15:00:00.008Z

I’m extremely biased, of course, but I think it’s been an absolutely magnificent year for music in Milton Keynes. The always-healthy Rock n’ Metal scene has provided the sturdy bassline as ever, but there’s plenty of other stuff going on right now too – the rise of the Craufurd Arms as a national venue; a Hip-Hop presence that we’re definitely vaguely aware of; certainly the extremely wide variety of ace bands we came across through the MonKeyVision Song Contest – and also the rise of what I’m going to call the New Acoustic Generation, curated by the brilliant open mics in Newport, Wolverton and now in CMK!

So what better way to tip the salute to this superlative year than by reviewing hot new albums by two of our very favourite MK-related acts? – namely rising local singer-songwriter Project Wolverine and rising national stars Felix (one half of whom hails from these parts originally and featured in the classic MK band The Holistic Cleansing Quintet who we saw at The Pitz on more than one occasion back in’t day!). Grand!

First up Project Wolverine, who we were lucky enough to have play a set for us at the most recent Vodka Boy @ The Enigma Tavern gig in September. His new full-length demo album “Life, Love, Loss & Politics” can be picked up for £3 – contact him through his MySpace if you’re interested.

He describes himself on his MySpace as “Bargin Bucket Billy Bragg”, and you can definitely hear that influence, as well as regular touches of a thrashy acoustic Jamie T bounce – his accent is present throughout, though that’s not to say he can’t sing too, cos he can. Bragg’s present too in his subject matter - you certainly don’t hear many young singers penning attacks on the Daily Mail and Rupert Murdoch’s press empire in 2009. But considering his tender years this kind of lyrical and thematic maturity is impressive.

The production is clear and sounds “live” (you can even just about hear some other band playing way down in the mix and a long way in the distance on one or two songs!) – as befits songs which are mostly one voice one guitar, or one voice one piano. There’s an ear-catching guest vocal appearance from Philippa Moyle on “Same Old Game”, her soaring theatrics counter-pointing PW’s gruffer edge to great effect.

For me though, it’s the lyrics that do it. Like a younger Brit-cousin of the fantastic Bright Eyes, you get the sense of a real person behind the songs, that they’re acoustical snapshots of a real life being lived – the rueful “Tame”, the ramshackle busk of “Chance Encounter”, and Official Dudebox Track Of The Summer “Cold Baked Beans” the best examples of this (“It’s £3.20 to get into town… you get there and realise no-one’s around…”). And how could I not love the mournful piano track “Murder Ballad” which seems to literally be a song based on one of my favourite albums of all time?

There’s even a hint at future directions - a possible wider sound - on “Critical Stage” when an electric guitar gives a fittingly emotional backdrop to the dark urgency of the protest song underneath. And the album closes with stand-out track “The Mis-Informed”, which is genuinely touching – gentle but with a steely resolve.

So – a new voice definitely worth listening to. Plus, eleven tracks for just three quid? Where’s the catch? Get involved. And watch out for him on the local circuit too…

Meanwhile in the wider world the debut album from the wonderful Felix is finally out – and on a record label based in Chicago no less! Local girl done extremely good Lucinda should be incredibly proud of herself: “You Are The One I Pick” is not only the best thing I’ve ever heard from a musician outta MK, it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard this year by anyone. So I’ll try and review it without being too gushing. Hopefully.

To be entirely honest, it is musically right up my alley anyway – laid-back intimately recorded girl vox, dramatic yet minimalist orchestration (w/ plenty of cellos and crystalline pianos), and topped off with a light sprinkling of thump-drummy drone-rock. Yes please! And all the tracks kind of flow into each other cinematically, and it swims in effortless cool. At times it even aches with some sort of calm, sad acceptance. Simply beautiful.

It’s almost tricky to pick out favourite tracks, the whole album has a very evocative sound as a whole. But “What I Learned From TV” feels just a wee bit more intimate, more wistful – and is then followed up with Dudebox Track Of The Winter “Back In Style” with its shuffling beats and oblique Twin Peaks references. So that’s definitely a high point in this already lofty plateau.

And the intertwining of Lucinda’s vocal tracks on “Bernard St” is just lovely – the closest Felix come to some kind of mainstream sound maybe, though it’d never sit quite right there. It’s too sinister somehow. Well, not quite sinister p'raps, but something to do with the weirdness of the mundane… what’s really going on behind those nice curtains in that house down your street. And that’s brilliant. It’s not easy to create this effect well, but Felix have absolutely nailed it.

Repeated listens to the album bring the lyrics out from the mix more and more, and with them this uneasy sense of the oddness of normality hangs over proceedings. The bleak side of childhood naivety. So “Ode To The Marlboro Man” becomes a nursery rhyme sung in a round about running away with a cowboy. “I Wish I Was A Pony” becomes far darker than the gently sad little song it at first appeared. And I’m still not sure after five listens, but I think in final track “Song About Zoo” they might even kill their children and escape together from their drab lives. Outstanding.

So. Proof of just what can be achieved from this humble platform, this brilliant city. Let’s see what all you other bands have got. This is the bar, up here. You can do it. Here comes 2010.

THE PIXIES

2009-10-08T15:40:00.000+01:00

Venue: Brixton Academy
Reviewer: Phil

Sepia-toned images from 1929 burn like stubble on an autumn morning against requiem violins. A man stands among giant, rusting machines; he carefully sharpens his razor. A well groomed wife takes a seat in the next room, her face tranquil and poised. The man stands behind her, taking her face in his hand, he parts the lids around her right eye. He takes the sharpened razor and holds it at her eye level. In one clean move he slices through the eyeball. Un chien andalou - an Andalusian dog.

"Do The Manta Ray!" cries Black Francis from the centre of the stage to rapturous applause. The Pixies open with four b-sides all culled from their 1989 album Doolittle before playing the album in full and in order. Black Francis sounds better than he ever did on lead vocals as he hollers, yells, barks and screams his lyrics, one minute soothing, the next shattering. Kim Deal wears a huge grin throughout, her brief words to the audience forming the only banter from the band to the crowd, her surprisingly intricate base lines providing the melody to Black Francis's sparse chords. Joey Santiago plays a mean lead guitar, occasionally grinning, looking cool and like he hasn't aged a day since the band first split in 1991. David Lovering, drummer and magician, keeps the band together with solid yet unlikely rhythms that change fluidly with Black Francis's eccentric song structures.

The Pixies Live

To be performed on a large stage. Deal plays bass, Francis plays lead vocals and guitar, Santiago plays lead guitar and Lovering drums. Behind the band a large screen projects images that correspond with each song.

Darkness. Following a screening of Un Chien Andalou, the band take to the stage.

Dancing The Manta Ray.

DEAL:
B sides.

Weird At My School, Bailey’s Walk, Manta Ray.

The screen behind the band bursts into life, displaying the word Doolittle in huge flashing letters.

Debaser, Tame.

DEAL:
It’s started.

Wave Of Mutilation, I Bleed.

DEAL:
Is it a surprise to you what’s coming next? I mean, do you guys already know it or do you have it on shuffle? It’s a surprise to me! I know, but it’s a surprise!

Here Come’s Your Man, Dead, Monkey Gone To Heaven.

DEAL:
Okay, so we’re either at the end of side one or the beginning of side two.

Mr. Grieves, Crankity Jones.

DEAL:
The dulcet tones of Mr. David Lovering.

FRANCIS:
And Joe!!!

La, La, Love You.

DEAL:
Ok, so we’re defiantly on side two now, definitely on side two.

No. 13 Baby, There Goes My Gun, Hey, Silver, Gouge Away.

DEAL:
That’s it, its over! Yeah, its over, records over!

Pixies leave the stage. Rapturous applause. After a suitable pause the band return to the stage.

DEAL:
More b-sides.

Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf), Into The White.

During the song Into The White the band are almost entirely lost in clouds of white dry ice.

The band leaves the stage for a second time. More rapturous applause. The band returns. The house lights are brought up and the band looks out over their adoring audience and grin. The house lights are left up for their final two songs.

DEAL:
New record!

Caribou, Gigantic.

After the last song, performed with the house lights up and nothing on the giant screens behind them, the band put down their instruments and walk back and forth along the edge of the stage, smiling, waving, triumphant but humble. They just look like ordinary people doing extraordinary things, stripped of all rock n roll pretension; they seem almost surprised at the adoring crowd that came to see them play.

So, how many songs did The Pixies play? They played 25 songs. And what did they play? They played the album Doolittle in its entirety, all its b-sides, plus Caribou from Come On Pilgrim and Gigantic from Surfa Rosa, their first single. And why have you found it so hard to write this review? Because frankly The Pixies were everything I could have hoped for, seeing them live was a dream come true. I was there, on the front row, leaning on the bars, and they were just fantastic. They sounded phenomenal! Did they sound like they do on their records? Yes, they did, exactly like they sound on their records only better, only louder. Not because they perform live exactly what is on the record but because they put on record exactly what they perform live. And to see them live was to see their whole vision come together. In short, to see them live was to have a teenage dream of mine come true. Did they plan any new material? No, but that’s just not the point. This was a reunion gig, a chance to see a band you never thought you’d ever get to see, to see them play like its still 1989. And it’s just difficult to some up in words just how good they were or how much the whole experience meant to me. This was a celebration of The Pixies' music and that’s exactly how it felt. Dude, it was awesome!

AMANDA PALMER

2009-09-11T11:52:00.001+01:00

Venue: Union Chapel, London
Support: Polly Scattergood
Reviewer: Phil

Prologos

“Ok, so this is really weird!” confessed Miss Palmer, two songs into her solo set. “I don’t really know what I’m doing here! I mean, I’m not on tour. I just decided to do this show tomorrow and then I added this one. And like, I’m in a church which is really amazing, but also really intimidating!”

If you’re going to go Gothic, go Gothic! The Union Chapel in Islington, built in 1874, is a breathtaking example of Victorian Gothic architecture. From the outside the Gothic facade is a mass of compromised red brick but inside the hexagonal interior is stunning, a vast monument of carved wood and stone groping for the sky. That night it was lit in soft reds and deep purples, there is a large font in the centre of a stage, a backdrop of carved lattices finishes the dark illusion. Complete with fairy lights and candles arranged around the balcony ledge, it is easy to imagine we are really in some baroque romance.

“It’s just so quiet!” continued Amanda, centre stage from behind her electronic piano. And it was, the cavernous room barely filled by little Amanda in corset and boots. “I had this whole set planned but I think I’m just going to throw it all away and make it up as I go. Does anyone have any requests?”

Behind Amanda, an artist has started work on a large canvas leaned up against the font. We can’t quite see what he’s painting but he continues to work as if not on a stage at all. After a sea of hands, someone suggests Blake Says and Amanda agrees; “Ok, yeah, I’d forgotten about that song! Yeah, I’ll give that a go!”

Strophe

A subdued atmosphere hung over the early evening throng of black clad parishioners queued up outside the Union Chapel. It was early September and wind rustled through dry leaves in lazy trees whispering the secrets of the coming autumn in shades of ochre and gold along the broad street. There were hushed whispers between unlikely revellers; subdued excitement for tonight’s dark mass. A girl in black dress with face of painted white held up a sign and looked up with mournful, lonely gaze; “Free Hugs!” A man with a black hat and a serene and playful smirk operated a Miss Palmer hand puppet - he moved along the crowd seeing that everyone got the briefest kiss. A girl dressed as Alice from Wonderland gave out small, hand crafted envelopes of red and purple, full of stars and hearts and each one accompanied by a wooden rose. As the light dimmed, a man on a piano bicycle machine rode along the crowd and played to us while a girl in a heavy dress sang.

Once inside the cavernous church, we moved quickly for spaces near the front along the pews – it was seating room only in this house of worship. The last remaining rays of the day still shone through stained glass, the atmosphere was light and celebratory. We didn’t “get” Polly Scattergood, not during her support act, and not when she accompanied Amanda with a cover of Puff The Magic Dragon. Her support set was downbeat synth-pop which could have been great but just wasn’t really, while her backing band looked bored and vaguely embarrassed. Polly’s delicate heart was broken and she let us know it repeatedly with her clumsy, humourless lyrics. We’re sorry Polly, maybe he’s just not worth it!?

Then a slender man in dark suit and sporting impressive mutton-chops announced from the stage that a talented young organist from Hereford would now be joining us and what then came to pass proved a far better interlude than Polly Scattergood was a support. His pipe organ playing sent spirals of twisting sound crawling high in the domed Gothic interior with angel wings and devilish hooves. Then Miss Palmer appeared briefly on stage before disappearing behind the font to perform her first song, a very dark and sombre number, from inside the organ console.

Antistrophe

“That was supposed to be completely seamless!” laughed Miss Palmer from her piano stool. She’d played the opened bars to Missed Me on the pipe organ before leaping from the organ console hidden behind the font, diving across the stage, stumbling, reaching behind the keyboard, and attempting to pick up the song again. She went on to play one of the standout tracks from the Dresden Dolls’ self-titled debut and followed it with Astronaut from her latest album Who Killed Amanda Palmer?. Following her performance of Blake Says, a sea of hands reappeared and she had to say “it’s ok, I have an idea.” Looking about herself with glee, at the surroundings of the church, she broke into a riotous performance of Sex Changes.

“Ok, so this is a song written by my wonderful boyfriend Mr. Neil Gaiman. He’s actually a really great songwriter!” she announced before a beautiful and amusing performance of I Google You. “So I’ve just realised, it’s September 11th and I’m in a church so I have to play this song,” she said and then broke into a heart-wrenching performance of Truce. Halfway through, she suddenly stopped playing. “Oh no…. does anyone know the next line?” She laughs and looks genuinely stumped until someone cries out “we can split Germany!” The performance becomes typical of Amanda’s easy going style tonight, performing unrehearsed songs barely remembered just as she thinks of them. It’s intimate, it’s personal, this is a naked Amanda caught in the eye of a magnifying glass but also an Amanda full of humour and optimism and magnetic personality and oozing talent and stagecraft. “This is something I’ve meant to do for a while,” she explained. “I can’t read music you see, not well, but I’ve challenged myself to play some classical piano - and if I fail, well, at least I’ll come away from this with a genuine Catholic guilt!” What came next was full of mistakes but was also a dizzying array of piano skills.

At the end of the set she was joined on stage by Polly Scattergood’s band. Amanda looks about again at the interior of the church, smiles; “we’re all going to hell!” With wild delight the band breaks into Oasis and Amanda rolls out the line “when I got my abortion!” deliciously with all the wielding pleasure of a sledge hammer to the Berlin Wall.

Epode

Miss Palmer straddled the balcony above the stage; cradling a red ukulele she dedicated a cover to Neil Gaiman. “Just to make it clear,” she interrupted half way through, “it’s just because he taught me the song.”

“Ok, so can you see this guy painting behind me?” Amanda indicated to the artist at work behind her on the stage. “It’s a two night painting!” she continued. “I think at the end of the night tomorrow we’re going to auction it off or something.” Back behind her piano, she finished her encore with a spine tingling performance of Point Of It All followed by a final punk burst of Runs In The Family. As she left the stage for a final time, after two hours of music, the audience collectively sighed and wished she didn’t have to go.

Outside the Union Chapel, a huge low moon hung in the night sky. Revelers had their photos taken beside the piano bicycle machine while others moved quickly toward buses and railway stations, disappearing back into the throng of London streets. And so we bid our goodbyes once more, farewell and good evening, until we meet again.

Dudebox "Track Of The Summer"

2009-08-29T20:22:00.009+01:00

Reviewers: MMT & Phil.

Well, it’s been a quiet old Summer here on The Dudebox, but we’re back now – and planning on having a busy Autumn! Phil’s got tickets to plenty of national gigs, we’re hoping to get to far more local bands’ stuff, and there’ll be more reviews from under my bed too! So… what better way to kick things off than to have another of our regular looks at the best new(ish) tracks from the MySpaces of the Milton Keynes talent!

Sadly Re-Writing Destiny - who we dished out the coveted Dudebox Runner-Up Track Of The Winter gong to just a few short months ago – have split up, brilliantly citing “musical indifferences” as one of the reasons. Still, they were one of the better bands we’ve heard this year, so we listened to newish track “Coming Home” in tribute.

P: “I think they’re great.”
M: “Although we never saw them live, sadly. There’s a pattern to when bands break up, isn’t there? There’s a peak in the likelihood when I guess they’re 17, 18 and University calls, that’s the biggest peak. Then there’s probably a peak in their early 20s when they’ve all decided they don’t wanna do it any more, there’s probably another peak when people start getting married and having kids. And then if you get past all those hurdles, you’re good for life! And you can just carry on until you’re old.”
P: “My opinion of the song is clouded a bit by the fact I know it’s a bit like their swansong.”

Then we kicked on with some more local bands who haven't split up yet. Some have been on our radar a while thanks to the MonKeyVision Song Contest and/or the Monkey Kettle Stage at the Waterside Festival, some are totally new to us. Hope you might find something you like…

“HMW” by Dusque
M: “They were so great at the Waterside, that was one of the best sets of the weekend.”
P: "They were. It was an early set, so there wasn’t really anyone to watch them. But they were SO good. And I’m enjoying this now, but I preferred it live.”
M: “It’s good outdoors… festival… it’s mellow, and it’s…”
P: “They’re seasoned musicians.”
M: “This bit now is the kind of stuff I like… like ravey keyboard. I’m at a Trance Tent in Ibiza. And the sun’s rising. I’m in the Chill Zone.”

“No Place Like Rome” by Embrace The Tide
M: “Their singer is Chris Weaver who was in one of our Ludamus plays a few years ago (‘Zombies The Musical’). He’s got a few more tattoos in the meantime, of course.”
P: “Maybe if he’d never done ‘Zombies’ he’d never have ended up here.”
M: “Yeah, I did him a ‘Lead Singer Workshop’ as part of the rehearsals for that.”
P: “Some of these MySpaces look so professional…”
M: “And again, they’re really tight musically when you think of how young they still are.”

“Tap Out” by The Kranx
P: “He’s got a really good voice.”
M: “I know a lot of our mates really liked them at MonKeyVision, didn’t they? (reads from their MySpace) ‘it’d be sick to see you at one of our gigs’. I’m guessing sick means good in the young person’s vernacular…”
P: “They went down really well. A really energetic performance.”

“Recluse” (demo version) by Joshua Timmins & The Newborns
M: “What I… like about him is he seems to still embody that ‘I’ll just take my guitar and do a gig anywhere’ kind of spirit. You can imagine him with his guitar just going anywhere.”
P: “I like that, definitely. He’s got a nice easiness in front of the audience that I kind of envy. And there’s something about this song, and his songs… that he’s always REACHING for something.”
M: “There’s a crack in his voice a bit like Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes, but it’s kind of what makes what he’s singing work. And cos he’s young he’s good at all this technical stuff, look… he’s got a Twitter built into his MySpace.”

“Scar On An Empty Crusade” by Stabbed By Paranoia
M: “What really touched me about them was… not only have they got embedded YouTube footage of them practicing at school, but their Blog from July says ‘we’re still working on new material to complete our set. We have 3 songs and a 4th one nearly finished. We plan to make a 5th song after which will complete our set. so we can go book gigs!’”
P: “I like it. I like the complicated solo, they’re very technically proficient.”
M: “Fair play to ‘em. We should re-visit them when they’ve finished their 5th song.”

“Missing Helstone (Economy Groove)” by Harassing Anna
P: “I thought they played really well at MonKeyVision.”
M: “I think I like the spin-off acts (Tombstone Bullets and Bine The Peg) just as much though. But I like this track particularly, where they sound a little bit bluesy.”
P: “There’s something very retro about it. But I’d like it in a pub atmosphere, after a few pints.”

“Wolves” by Acacia Close
(during the first thirty seconds: Phil laughs in immediate response at the intensity of these 2008 Pitz Band Blitz winners, then both are silent. Then they read the advert for a new guitarist / singer. Phil decides not to apply. Then the song changes, gets less screamy, and they start enjoying it)
M: “It’s really well produced actually, innit.”
P: “It’s a real professional demo. I’m liking it now, actually. I think I’d really like them live.”
M: “There’s more levels to it than it seemed from the start. I like how from their Biog they seem keen to expand, not be ‘just’ a ‘Pitz Band’.”
P: “I can hear where the new guitarist / singer would fit in there.”

“First Light After” by Altersketch
P: “I thought their song at MonKeyVision was one of the best songs of the night, and it still gets stuck in my head.”
M: “I like this one. It’s more sort of… ‘Dark Indie’.”
P: “It’s Indie but it Rocks.”

“The Disappointment” by Rozism
M: “I’m not sure we can allow this to be track of the season, though it is excellent. But cos she’s from Northampton I don’t think she can ‘count’. Shona recommended her to me, and I think she sounds really impressive.”
P: “I always… when I meet people who are really really good musicians, I just want to hear something that makes me go ‘Wow! Where did that come from?’.”
M: “I love a world where people can make this sort of stuff in their bedrooms. That all across the world, people could be making this sort of stuff in their bedrooms.”
(Phil nods enthusiastically)

RUNNER-UP DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE SEASON

“Find And Replace” by Equinox

M: “They really really impressed me at the Waterside. They’re still really young, but I think their songwriting is deceptively mature. I mean, they’re clearly influenced by, like… Muse… Franz Ferdinand… The Killers…”
P: “They are, but there’s more than that. Seeing them live, I thought there was a lot of different stuff going on.”
M: “Their demo CD which was being handed round at the Waterside is one of the best local demos I’ve heard in the last couple of years, for definite. And they brought the biggest audience too, that was really impressive. Made us look good.”
P: “I like this a lot.”

DUDEBOX TRACK OF THE SEASON

“Cold Baked Beans” by Project Wolverine

M: “Describes himself here as… ‘the Bargain Bucket Billy Bragg’.”
P: “I really like this an awful lot. I think it’s great. It’s funny… I like the guitar work… the vocals are really good.”
M: “I like the lyrics. I can see the Billy Bragg comparison. I’d love to see him at The Cannon on a Thursday night. I think he’d go down really well. “Pub Politics” is a good song as well.”
P: “I like the fact it’s all a little bit punky too.”
M: "Good skills. He's the winner."