The Big Bang: Explosions In The Sky curate All Tomorrow’s Parties 16/05/08-18/05/08

ATP festivals and life as a Cambridge student are two things that generally don’t go hand in hand: after all, deciding to hold your festivals in the middle of May doesn’t tend to fit too well into anyone’s exam schedule. Fortunately, having dealt once and for all with exams (apologies, I don’t wish to rub it in), I was in the fortunate position of being able to attend the Explosions In The Sky-curated ATP festival (apologies again). With just 6,000 attendees, chalet accommodation next to a seaside resort, and three indoor stages, this is far from your ordinary festival, as one look at the lineup would also confirm. Here’s a roundup of the best of the three days:

FRIDAY

Papiere Tigre: Whilst their music has its limitations, French art-punk three-piece Papiere Tigre delivered a ferocious and highly convincing set of dischord and punishing (in a good way) percussion.
Sunset Rubdown: In spite of multiple broken guitar string moments (why didn’t you bring spare guitars guys?), Spencer Krug’s wonky indie-prog parade triumphed with an energetic set capturing all the best moments from last year’s superb Random Spirit Lover.
Explosions In The Sky: The hosts were no disappointment, bringing their tense mix of pretty guitar shimmers and earth-shattering freak-outs to a rapturous audience. Whilst consistently falling just short of greatness on album, live they a different (and very loud) proposition.
The Octopus Project (left): The most fun set of the festival came from the instrumental/noise/pop/electronic collective The Octopus Project and their strange ghost/cat things. Plus a load of illuminated balloons. And a theremin.

SATURDAY

World’s End Girlfriend: An unexpected highlight of the festival, Japanese act World’s End Girlfriend is just one guy (Katsuhiko Maeda) and his thunderous touring drummer. Somehow encapsulating serene oriental beauty, crushing guitar noise, jazz and electronica into the space of one 45 minute set, World’s End Girlfriend proved a revelation
A Hawk And A Hacksaw (right): Ex-Neutral Milk Hotel drummer Jeremy Barnes fronts the Balkan-infused trio AHAAH with some lavish accordion skills, and equally accomplished violin and mandolin accompaniment. Limited in scope, perhaps, but highly enjoyable over 45 minutes nonetheless.
Okkervil River: Contrary to my prior worries over Will Sheff’s supposed vocal fragilities, OR delivered a superb set of their brand of literate folk indie-rock, with Sheff himself in particularly good form.
The National: As with Okkervil River, I had heard somewhat discouraging accounts of The National as a live act. Thankfully, these proved completely unfounded, with the National injecting a lot of extra oomph factor to expand the songs from last year’s stately Boxer. The highlight came with the set-closing Abel.

SUNDAY

Animal Collective: After a slow start to the day (admittedly I’d missed Jens Lekman earlier, which might have changed matters), AC laid down a bewildering hour of electronics, flashing lights, screams and tribal percussion which the acoustics of the centre stage could barely cope with. With just two songs taken from last year’s Strawberry Jam, the set suggested yet another new musical direction for this ever-evolving band.
Broken Social Scene (left): Headlining the Pavilion stage on the final night, BSS fittingly provided the highlight of the festival. As if their own numbers weren’t enough, the band were joined by Explosions In The Sky, The Constantines and J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. At the same time. Bolstered by lots of trumpets and the irrepressible charisma of Kevin Drew, this was a performance of true greatness.
Lichens: Robert Lowe a.k.a. Lichens used just a guitar, some strange vocal effects and a handful of electronic sounds to build up his 30-minute set from scratch. With just enough variation to keep it fresh, this was a strangely compelling performance.
Battles: In spite of playing two sets across the weekend, the queue into Battles was enormous, and subsequently we missed the first half of the set. What we did catch though, was a band of ever increasing powers in fine form, turning the hitherto difficult genre of math rock into something altogether cooler. Worth the hype
Envy: The final set we saw of the festival was also the loudest, with the Japanese post-rock-metallers throwing everything into their ferocious set in front an impressively packed out Reds stage. A most satisfying end to a most satisfying festival.

Sure, with festivals like this, you’ll always have the odd pretentious and horribly self-indulgent performance (Atlas Sound, much to my horror, definitely fell into this category), but the array of genre-pushing sounds and the general sense of community between both festival goers and the bands/artists are not to be missed. Unless you have exams. But hey, there’s always the Nightmare Before Christmas ATP in December: beach shorts are not a recommendation.

Crystal Castles-Crystal Castles

I have been waiting for this album for over a year, not for lack of material posted on the interenet: Crystal Castles is truly a band of the Myspace generation, but more for a definitive collection of their work. The album ‘Crystal Castles’ is a success in this sense: 16 tracks of unadulterated electronic bleeps, but to me its the linking of each singularly awesome track together that lets it down. Crystal Castles as an act need to decide whether they are the kind of band that produces 3 minute or so gems of songs clearly definable from one another or if they are DJs, mixing them together to make a cohesive whole. In some cases, links between songs are more than tenuous: between Crimewave and Magic Spells, both of which are great songs comes a noise that sounds like a bin falling down the stairs: not good. Links aside, each tune on the album is great: ranging from chilled out ambience (Good Time and Magic Spells), to angst ridden, noisy electro (Alice Band Love and Caring and Xxzxcuzx Me). How do you sum up the sound of Canadian electro-rockers Crystal Castles? To me, their music evokes the sound your computer would make if it were alive, in the manner of the Transformers and the like: bizarre and robotic.
Stand out tracks: Alice Band, Crime Wave and Knights.
www.myspace.com/crystalcastles
If you like what you hear, they’re going on tour courtesy of NME and Topman in May.

What Happens In Aldershot...

I tend not to travel too far for gigs. I don't have a car and most public transport shuts down just after 11 so quite often it's just not much of an option for me. However when I heard that Reuben were putting on a Christmas spectacular in Aldershot and Arthur were supporting I couldn't resist so my friend Adam and I made the 2 1/2 hour trek from the sussex coast.
So after a long drive in thick fog and a long wait in the carpark (missing the rush hour made so much sense before we arrived 2 hours early) playing I-Spy (I won hands down). We finally got in. Tickets were like golddust, anticipation was high and the venue was intimate and great. So far so good

First up were Extravagatron. Drafted in as last minute replacements for the original openers Audit, nobody knew what to expect. What nobody expected was a lead singer wearing only kneepads, black briefs and a luchadore's mask. I would post a picture here but I realised that would mean having a picture of a muscled, sweaty, near naked bloke in his pants on my laptop and I didn't really want to have to explain that one to my girlfriend, so you're just going to have to imagine this one. The music itself was very varied, ranging from cock-rock to jazz in neat little bursts with lyrics as filthy as the space under my 19 year old brother's bed. Never taking itself too serriously these guys are no maestros but for a bizare 30 minutes I just didn't care. Needless to say this performance was an experience, and a damn fun one at that. See them live and you won't regret it. Unless you feel the need afterwards to scour your eyes.

So onto Arthur. I've been supporting this band for a long time on CUR1350 and for good reason. Arthur have produced some of the finest indie/pop tunes I have ever heard. Youthful and exuberant somehow combining raw energy and passion in a way few bands ever havce into three minute blasts of bliss, this was my first time seeing them in the live arena and I was a little bit worried whether they would live up to my expectations. Cue one magnificent performance to put any doubts to rest within 2 tracks.
The set tonight is wholly build around their newer material, showcasing a greater complexity in their songwriting than previous EPs and it pays off superbly. Tortured Artist' is a manic uncontrollable hook twister while old favourite 'Me and the Minister' is revamped into a new twisted electro shape and seems to like it. The new material is waht stands out tonight though with a song about rocket ships impressing with its brilliant flicks between sections and one of the best vocal hooks I have heard in ages. Even after one listen it sounds like a classic. On record Hannah Shark's vocals are magnificently emotive. Live they have the ability to melt spines and break hearts at will. An most people would gladly let them. To take a crowd of rock fans and make such a good impression is a big feat especially for a band whose members are still in 6th Form college but they really won over the crowd. I've said it a million times. This band deserve it all.

Tonight is Reuben's night though. This is a band on the top of their game after the release of the superb 'In Nothing We Trust' and tonight it is their party. Blitzing through a set made up of material from accross theoir back-catalogue we were promised something special and boy was it delivered. Live debuts for the Brutal 'Crushed Under The Weight Of The Enormous Bullshit' and a passionate 'An Act of Kindness', a rocking little Beatles cover and plenty of tracks that didn't get an outing on the last tour were mixed in with the more familiar singles in a setlist that satisfied the purist and kept faith with those that have just boarded the Reuben train. Combine that with some between song banter that many stand-ups would be proud of and a real regard for the people in front of them Reuben have the crowd around their little fingers but like true gentlemen never take advantage of it. The big fireworks were saved for the end though with a starting with a voice destroying 'No One Wins The War' that threatened to bring the house down from the crowds singing alone. A rare outing for the classic 'Words From Reuben' that breaks your heart before showing you true love and fan favourite 'Everytime A Teenager Listens To Drum and Bass A Rockstar Dies gave way to the most surprising ending that could have been hoped for. 'Shambles'stopped the heart of everybody in the room with its passionate poigniancy befoer exploding in joyus desperation. Faithfulness, and dare I say it, love distilled into sonic form. I could barely speak afterwards and that wasn't just because I'd been singing so hard.

I've reviewed these guys live on this blog before and the effect was the same. A crowd so moved by music that nothing could snap them out of their trance until the band left the stage. On home ground they had nothing to prove. But they damn well did it anyway. What Happens In ALdershot doesn't just stay in Aldershot. When it's this good the experience stays with you for the rest of your life.

[Photos curtesy of the cameraphone of my good friend and chauffeur Mr Adam Pellett]

A Shot Splits The Air And I Am Found...

So the buzz has been a little quiet around here for a little while. I wish I could give you a reason other than 'we were really really busy'but that really is the truth after arriving back at the station to find a pile of discs up to my shoulder (I'm 6'3" or so and not exaggurating at all) as well as college work. The original plan was to write 3 work reviews of everything we have had in. That may still happen at some point (just to show you how much there was) but here's a list of the best stuff that is well worth hunting out:

Stateless - Bloodstream (Oh ye gods this is beautiful - sparce and haunting)

The Delta Fiasco - Paperhouse (big old 80's style pop - yeah!)

Elle Milano - My Brother, The Astronaut (like a british Panic! at the Disco with a Forward Russia chaser)

Paramore - Crushcrushcrush (not so guilty pleasure)

Remi Nicole - Rock N Roll (Acoustic stumalongs should not involve DJ scratching and work goddamit)

Laura Marling - My Manic And I (this lady can do no wrong. stay tuned for the rundown from myself and Chiara on her very very soon. Next years big thing without a doubt)

there's proably a few more - I'll add them when I remember them....


Anyway, on to more recent matters. Chiara, Louis and I were lucky enough to catch a band called The October Game down at the Portland Arms last Tuesday. We've been playing them on Breakthrough for a while now and about a week ago I finally got to hear their album - Box of a Billion Lights.

And it's one of the best things I have heard all year

Blending the complexity and beauty and scale of the best post-rock with fantastic vocals, accesable tunes and a rare sense of vulnerability these guys are superb.

We've been playing 'Gatherers Hands' with its brooding feel and explosive choruses for a while now on Breakthrough and it still shines but what is wonderful si that every single track on this album manages to come close to it's heady heights in some way or another. Take 'Blue Shift' with it's dual personalities, 'No Time For Feelings' and its contrasting strummed and twisting guitars or any other track here and there is something superb to latch onto and all the while there are crisp, desperate vocal and scything, incisive guitars that wring every last gasp of triumph and despair out of the songs. It's a massive and yet accessable listen, a trick that is isanely hard to pull off yet is done time and time again here without ever repeating itself too much.

Not only this but for a band to self record a record that sounds as good as this in their own homes is astounding. The sound is great and the production so deft I was convinced until a couple of nights ago that this was done in a studio with a professional producer rather than being a complete DIY job.

As you can imagine I was rather looking forward to this gig then

Live they guys were great as well, very tight and atmospheric with those shining vocals really taking centre stage on tracks like 'No TIme For Feelings'and forthcoming single 'Heartlines' to great effect. However it was a massive extended rendition of 'Satellites' that stole the show for me with it's stadium sized chorus, sweeping solos and massive bassy underpinnings that lit everything up.

Anyway the moral of this story is: give this band a listen and stay tuned because hopefully we'll be bringing you more from them soon

Remember where you heard it first kids!

Sandy

ps. that's here in case you're wondering :D

Don't You Just Love Us?

So while it seems once again as if half the country is at either Reading or Leeds I'm stuck at home again. I'm going to lose cool points for this but despite being really into my music and Head of Music at a radio station, I've never actually been to a festival, as much as I really want to. Next year is going to be my year though...

Chiara's out there right now though, so watch out for a mega-post from her soon. No doubt it'll fawn over Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins' headlining set so just make sure you are ready ok.

So with everyone else having fun and me stuck working in a supermarket I decided to cheer myself up with some new CD's. Unfortunatly this summer has been rather deader than usual for new releases. The upshot of this though is that this is one of the few times on the year I can work through the 'list of music I really want but never seem to have enough cash to get it because I get distracted by something shiny and new'. So, seeing as I'm avoiding going to sleep right now, heres a list and some quick reviews of the stuff I've been listening to the past few weeks:

MC Mastercuts - Chilled Lounge: So I've recently bought CD decks (more on this in another post) and am starting adventures in DJing, and since doing the chillout set at Wolfson June Event in June I've really got into my chillout stuff (101 CLub anthems was b=purchased with a similar idea in mind). This is a pretty decent compilation for just a few quid actually and has given me a few good tunes for later sets. The best by far though is 'The Sensual Woman' by The Herbaliser. It sounds like a woman reading the dirty pages from Cosmopolitan magazine over Ron Burgundy's 'Yazz flute' from Anchorman. So wrong and yet hilarious. Worth ti just for the looks on other peoples faces when you play it to them

Slipknot - Volume 3 - The Subimimnal Verses: I nicked this from my brother and it's surprisingly good. People often dismiss this band but this album has held up pretty well. There's even some actual singing. And 'Vermillion' is an absolute stormer.

Kosheen - Kokopelli: Resist is one of the best dance albums ever so the logical step is to go indie right? Pretty disappointing but the new stuff is sounding frickin' awesome so for the moment they are forgiven. Give it a listen here

Million Dead - A Song TO Ruin: I love Frank Turner's solo album of acoustic folk tracks so thought it was time to delve into his heavy rock roots. Stuff from the second album should be a little more melodic and to my tastes (it's on order at the moment) but this is fine, angry stuff, even if it lacks the charm of his solo stuff. Just buy 'Sleep Is For The Week now folks - it's the best album of the year so far and I can't wait to see him live again in September. The myspace is here if you need convincing

Mew - Frengers: oh ye Gods yes! One of the most stunningly beautiful albums I have ever heard. Full rant on these guys coming soon but just know that this record soars in every single way.

Dammit that wen't on a little - never mind, I'm on holiday so can afford these long leisurely posts.

Join me later this week when I will be reviewing a musical - those scene points are slipping away as we speak...