Something Old, Something New, Something To Look Forward To: September

After a few months absence, a return for my trio of recommendations of old, new and forthcoming releases for those seeking the alternative.

Something Old: This Heat-Deceit
Very much overlooked (by me included), the influence this short-lived London-based experimental band cannot be underestimated. Released in 1981, Deceit was the band’s second and ultimately final album. It’s chilling lyrics depict a damning view of the potential devastation of the Cold War (the cover is a collage of images of mushroom clouds, Ronald Reagan, Nikita Khrushchev and the like), but musically this was light years ahead of its time, and remains remarkably fresh and unsettling. The tribal drumming and angular guitars of Sleep paves the way for the monstrous Paper Hats, whose repeated discordant outro is like a template for the current crop of experimental noise/punk bands on the other side of the Atlantic (see Liars and Oneida). Elsewhere, strange, seething tape loops (Radio Prague), metallic percussion and unlikely instrument combinations (Triumph) make this a less than compromising listen, but Deceit skilfully weaves these attributes around genuinely memorable songs. SPQR genuinely rocks with its fierce guitars, and if you only hear one This Heat song, make it the phenomenal A New Kind Of Water, a genuine anti-anthem, and lyrically the most clear-cut (“acrid stench and festering tongue/New York, Moscow, Nairobi in flames”) in its condemnation of nuclear war.
If you like this try: The Pop Group: Y (1979), Liars: Drum’s Not Dead (2006)

Something New: Ponytail-Ice Cream Spiritual
One of the most outright fun albums to come out this year, Ice Cream Spiritual is an explosive blend of sugary melodies, bulldozer guitars and insane vocals. Ponytail share many of their best traits with fellow art-rockers Deerhoof: the sweet, almost child-like innocence of the tunes contrasted with the maniacal guitars and heavyweight percussion, the breakneck speed at which they can play, the surf-rock undertones, the female vocals. On the last point, however, the two bands do in fact differ: whilst Deerhoof’s Satomi Matsuzaki sounds like a Japanese schoolgirl, Molly Siegel shrieks, growls, squeals and generally throws a fit at the mic, and never actually sings as such. This all adds to the band’s appeal of course, particularly on the head-spinning opener Beg Waves, and on Late For School, where one of the other band members pipes up with the line “Oh no, I’m late for school!” and the song aptly descends into chaos. At 34 minutes, Ice Cream Spiritual is merciful enough not to pound you into the dust, but leaves you out of breath and knowing you’ve been on a heck of an ordeal, one you won’t mind experiencing again and again.
If you like this try: Deerhoof: Reveille (2002), Melt Banana: Bambi’s Dilemma (2007)

Something To Look Forward To: Of Montreal-Skeletal Lamping
Part of the anglophilic Elephant Six Collective (the source of cult acts such as Neutral Milk Hotel, the Olivia Tremor Control and the Apples In Stereo) so enthralled by late-60’s psychedelia, Of Montreal had churned out album after album of colourful whimsy and daft song/album titles for the best part of a decade, before they finally came of age with last year’s outstanding Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer. Following the break-up of singer Kevin Barnes’ relationship with his girlfriend, Hissing Fauna charted the bitterness and self-destruction of a clearly fragile persona. It was by far the band’s most ambitious effort, putting genuine substance behind the irrepressibly camp and chirpy nature of the band’s work (and backed up by a bizarre live show which could probably best be described as a homo-erotic take on Peter Gabriel-era Genesis). All of which makes next month’s follow-up Skeletal Lamping (for me at least) one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year. The album apparently continues the narrative from their last album, which sees Barnes descend into his androgynous alter-ego Georgie Fruit. Echoes of Ziggy Stardust anyone?
If you like their earlier work, try: The Beatles: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), The Olivia Tremor Control: Dusk At Cubist Castle (1996)

Mindless Self Indulgence – Roundhouse, Camden – 11.07.08

First up on tonight’s electro-themed line-up is duo Robots in Disguise, bringing their girl punk band vocals to catchy yet silly electro-pop. With songs like “The Sex Has Made Me Stupid” and an energetic cover of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” they serve as a perfect opening to the evening.

Next up, a move towards rave as IAMX and his band, dressed like true cabaret stars in glitter, heavy make-up and frills, take the stage and boom out some heavy-beat, synth-infused dark dance. Lyrics are mainly about parties, sex and sexuality – “Wanna be a sailor?” – but the audience laps it up and with surprising enthusiasm for a support band.

And then, Mindless Self Indulgence take the stage and fill all of it with their presence. Little Jimmy Urine leaps from the shadows to begin a frenzied rendition of “Shut Me Up,” complete with perfect high squeals for the phrase “knock me up.”

Any parents accompanying hyper-14 year olds would at this point be wondering just what they’ve let themselves in for. And that’s when Jimmy decides to introduce the show. “Tonight, people, we’re going to abuse you like hard drugs! What kind of drugs are you?...Love? Love?! Eugh! Get the f*** out of here, you hippy!” And welcome to the general repertoire of abuse that is to be the main part of the on-stage banter for the evening.

Mindless Self Indulgence love to insult their audience. They want a reaction. Frontman Jimmy spends an embarrassingly long time between songs informing us on just how ugly and stupid we are. At one point, the audience is “held hostage” – he refuses to play on until someone hands him a £20 note. Which some unwitting and most likely drunk fool does. A fool who is now £20 less rich.

But all of this adds to the sense of juvenile joy that Mindless Self Indulgence put into their music. Even though they play their most well-known material at the beginning, causing to a slight dip in atmosphere towards the end, their performance cannot be faulted on its raw energy. Steve Righ? swings his guitar around, mancially eyeing the audience. Drummer Kitty grins wildly. Bassist Lyn-Z arches backwards until her head almost touches the floor before springing two feet into the air. And Jimmy is like a kid having drunk 8 litres of Coca Cola.

Crazy lyrics and crazy stage antics? A gimmick? Many would think so. But then many take music far too seriously. MSI write songs that are bizarre, and quite frankly hilarious. And they just happen to be damn catchy. “Never Wanted To Dance,” a strange combo of electro-industrial-rock, is ironically one of their best dance songs. “Bitches” verges on rap, with repetitive bass and disjointed lyrics. “Faggot” gets the entire audience squealing hopelessly out of tune and chanting gleefully “I’ve been denied all the best ultra-sex.” What other band could get an audience to chant such things willingly?

And this is the essence of Mindless Self Indulgence. They’re like no other band and they’re a whole lot of fun.

Wherever you go Hugo: Urusen @ The Boathouse 01/08

Friday night saw the upcoming Urusen play at the Boathouse. Hotly tipped by the musical press, and shortlisted as one of the twenty bands vying for a Glastonbury '09 slot via the Rockstar '08 competition, they very much warrant the "one to watch" tag. But the night wasn't their's alone, as they were supported by a crop of local acoustic talent.

First off, my apologies to Lonnie Story, who I arrived too late to see. I was, however, fortunate enough to catch Cambridge-based Tallis Anne. If her quiet, fast-spoken words between songs and the occasional bum note suggested a hint of stage nerves then her incredibly powerful, emotive singing voice suggested otherwise, and I hope to see her become a regular on the Cambridge music scene, and maybe beyond. Next up was Peterborough-based Alex Hel and his mischievous guitar Timothy, which caused him no end of grief, as it went in and out of tune at the drop of a hat under his hard, fast playing. To his credit though, the charismatic Alex kept the crowd entertained at all times, and rallied well towards the end to play The Forester's Lament, which was denied from him earlier in the set by Timothy's erratic behaviour.

Finally it was the turn of the headliners. The only full band lineup of the night (although even they were a man down, missing double-bassist Jay Darwish), their rich, full sound captivated throughout. Urusen certainly boast an interesting and unique setup: the twin vocals and acoustic guitars of Ben and Peter interlink effortlessly, Nick adding another layer of sound with his cello, and Kieran providing drums and, later, keyboard. It was impressive to see the host of additional instruments which embellish Urusen's sound, most notably the Charango (imagine a twelve-string guitar in lute form). Each song seemed to have its own interesting background: Hugo ponders what it would be like to travel around with Venezualan president Hugo Chavez, whereas a long introduction to Impossibly revealed it to be the story of an embarrassing two-year teenage crush. The band was rapturously received, and returned for a one-song encore.

A good night of acoustic music at the Boathouse then, and there are plenty more ahead: check out here and http://www.myspace.com/acousticstage for the latest acoustic delights at The Boathouse and other local venues.

The People!!! The People!!! The Music@The Junction 26/06/08

Term-time may be over in Cambridge, but that doesn’t mean the music scene grinds to a halt, and whilst not playing to a packed-out Junction, there was, as the night progressed, a healthy turn-up for The Music. First up though were support act Exit Calm. Heavy on guitar delay and reverb effects, they proved functional, but ultimately felt detached from the audience, never achieving the big, atmospheric sound they were clearly striving for. Lacking any kind of stage presence, the singer uncomfortably mumbled “this is a brilliant song that nobody knows about”, only for the subsequent song to be largely indistinguishable from those preceding it. Sure enough after three or four songs, I was thinking less Exit Calm, and more Exit Stage Left.

Thankfully, the main act were very soon to follow. Although entering the stage in trousers baggy enough to make Madness look twice, with his now shaven head, Robert Harvey from The Music looked less like the Madchester castaway of old, but in many ways, in spite of their Leeds roots, that’s what The Music's sound still resembles: crunching riffs from Second Coming-era Stone Roses, with the shuffling beats and dance influences of the Happy Mondays. Live, however, there’s no denying that their songs, the singles in particular, pack a real clout. They wasted no time, opening with Take The Long Road And Walk It, much to the delight of an enthusiastic crowd, and whilst Exit Calm were devoid of stage presence, Rob had it in bucketloads, deftly dancing with precision timing to the music.

Showcasing material from their new album Strength In Numbers, it was clear that whilst The Music haven’t digressed very far from their initial trajectory, they’ve added a couple of strings to their bow. The fluid bass work of both Drugs and Idle both hinted at a more new-wave direction, the former reminiscent of Blondie’s Heart Of Glass, the latter, along with Human off their first album, showing a subtler but slinkier side of the band which sorely needs to be fleshed out. Other more muscular songs from Strength In Numbers, such as the title track and The Spike were business as usual.

Still, if The Music become stuck in a rut musically, it will all have been worthwhile to have written a song as good as Getaway, saved as the penultimate song of the set, and sending the crowd into a frenzy (one diminutively-sized guy next to us making a particular idiot of himself). Finishing off the night with a wondrous version of Bleed From Within, complemented with an array of additional percussion, the band left the stage in triumph, whilst we were left to trudge into the night rain, smelling, thanks to an over-zealous crowd of Strongbow cider.

The Subways - Live at The Junction June 8th

“I wanna see you go f***ing crazy, Cambridge!” screams topless frontman and guitarist Billy. He strikes a chord and eyes the audience slightly manically. It’s clear he’s pleased to be back on the road.

And The Subways are back, touring in support of their forthcoming album “All or “Nothing.” With several setbacks, including an operation on Billy’s vocal chords, it really seems an all or nothing effort. The title track itself is full of the energy which is so characteristic of The Subways: upbeat, bold rock – simple, in-your-face and above all, fun. It’s a fantastic formula – it’s reflected in the diversity of the age ranges here tonight. Sure the fourteen-year olds are bopping around but the forty-year old men are also giving it their all.

The accessibility of The Subways’ music means that the atmosphere here tonight never falters, despite many not having heard the new material. Current single “Alright” receives a few nods but by the end of new track “I Won’t Let You Down,” the chorus is on everyone’s lips. “Shake! Shake!” is so catchy that it’s frustratingly familiar from the opening bass line to the chorus during which Charlotte lends her vocals, as she does far more regularly on the new record.

It’s been three years since The Subways’ first effort “Young For Eternity”, a fact of which they’re evidently very conscious. “I don’t know if any of you remember it” says Billy. But there’s no need as the crowd goes wild. “I Want To Hear What You’ve Got To Say” invokes a mass crowd sing-along. The hyper kids at the front even attempt to mosh to “Mary,” which is jaunty enough to dance to, but with a chorus that consists of the lyrics “I’m so lonely,” it doesn’t seem to quite warrant full-scale headbanging.

It seems a short while before it’s encore time. With just a guitar, Billy walks onto stage and strums out the beginning of new track “Strawberry Blonde”, before Charlotte and drummer Josh join him for the chorus. Next up, “Girls and Boys”, a rock track with a riff to demolish buildings to, followed by the immensely popular “Rock and Roll Queen.” The crowd are left euphorically chanting the words.

The Subways gave us all the energy they could give. And Cambridge did indeed go crazy for them.

Flav for Prime Minister: Public Enemy address the nation. Cambridge Junction 24/05/08

Cambridge. A curious place for one of the most pivotal bands of all time to perform what is widely regarded as the finest album of its kind in its entirety, especially given the selectivity of the tour (Manchester, Dublin, Nottingham, Glasgow and London were the more conventional choices). But if you were to believe the rantings of the larger-than-life Flavour Flav (adorned with his equally large clock), playing in Cambridge means a lot to Public Enemy, and on the basis of this monumental night, who could disagree?

Entering the stage to the sound of air-raid sirens, Public Enemy quickly got the packed Junction crowd moving with the invincible duo of Bring The Noise and Don’t Believe The Hype, the opening tracks of the seminal It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. The unique dynamic of Chuck D’s hard-hitting rhymes and Flav’s comic additions were every bit as exhilarating live as they are on album, and age has done nothing to tarnish their intensity or rapping abilities (Chuck D’s referral to Flav as “the world’s oldest teenager” was right on the money). Stirling support was supplied by DJ Lord, who honourably assumed the name of his predecessor Terminator X on Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic, whilst showcasing his own formidable scratching skills in a remarkable solo display towards the end of the night. The instrumental tracks meanwhile, provided the menacing looking S1W the chance to strut their moves.

There was plenty of in-between-song banter, with Chuck D promising the Cambridge crowd that they were receiving their own unique rendition of It Takes A Nation…: certainly, this was not simply a by-numbers performance, and a good deal of improv was evident. The bruising metal underpinnings of She Watch Channel Zero?! was arguably the highlight of the set, and even as the album’s finale Party For Your Right To Fight came to a close, PE were far from finished, launching into a range of hits both new and old. Finally bringing the set to a close with a brilliant rendition of Fight The Power, Flavour Flav clearly felt that Public Enemy’s political agenda wasn’t clear enough, with an impassioned rant to the crowd ensuing, and some rather unflattering comments on certain political figures made. Few bands are capable of pulling off such preaching with dignity, but Public Enemy are certainly one of them. Rant over, and the time 11:30pm: a full 30 minutes after curfew time. Perhaps the powers that be were looking at the hands on the stationary clock around Flav’s neck. But then who would want to bring a night like this to a close?

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.