Antiquarian book dealer, illustrator, singer, taxidermist.
READ MOREYour worst fears about ‘Nothing’ are probably right. The late-year, post-album extended-play sounds like the runoff of a few constructions that didn’t make the cut for ‘Dedication’.
It’s hard to fathom that British Sea Power now have five albums under their belts.
READ MORE
|
Bear In Heaven
Brudenell Social Club
Leeds
25/04/10 |
As New Yorkers, Bear In Heaven prowl onto the stage, a skinny trio of Ron Burgundy moustaches, the pounding drums of ‘Beast In Peace’ pulling the crowd out from its Sunday evening stupor. Singer Jon Philpott massages the synths with almost pornographic delight as he fixes the audience with his penetrating stare. Wallowing in layers of feedback, they cast darker shadows with the melancholy sonic distortions of ‘Deafening Love’. Drummer Joe Stickney writhes around drenched in sweat as they attack it from all sides with an unrelenting barrage of white noise. Restlessly seeking perfection they plague the sound guy with endless little adjustments and when they finally loosen their grip ‘You Do You’ bursts with passion as guitars dart out of fluttering drums. Close you eyes and you could be at an early Smashing Pumpkins concert, with Jon as the perfect Billy Corgan substitute. The brooding swoon of ‘Lovesick Teenagers’ illicits nods of recognition from the crowd, who start reticently shuffling out of the shadows. Cocooned within a swirling mass of sound, the band add in clever little pauses and unexpected flourishes that make them stand out from other synth rock, which makes us think that this is what MGMT should sound like live – understated and stealthily euphoric.
By Kate Parkin
———–
Originally published in issue 17 (vol 3) of Loud And Quiet. May 2010
The best shows are most often those where artist and audience fall into a frenzied feedback loop of mutual appreciation.
Some tech-savvy good Samaritan recently ripped and uploaded a BBC radio documentary about house music grandaddy Larry Levan.
King’s College seems an odd venue for Australian singer-songwriter Gotye.
Save for an old electronic keyboard and a delay pedal that makes singer Kamal’s vocals ping-pong out of the room, Flamingods don’t do instruments with wires.
Drugs. They’re rife within popular music. Especially within the type that Texan trio Pure X make, courtesy of a Spiritualized habit they just can’t (or won’t) kick.
Sisters Hannah and Colette Thurlow famously named their bristly, glowering rock band after a favourite moment on a Melvins song, 2 minutes and 54 seconds in, to be precise.
The man formerly known as MF Doom returns to the Roundhouse for a sold-out show, barely a year after his debut European performance in the same venue.
In the studio, Caged Animals (Soft Black’s Vincent Cacchione’s new baby) deal in a faintly cloying, suburban youth-channelling indie with a twist.
Despite the days of Union Jack plastered guitars and weather-worn parkas being a prerequisite of any northern based guitar band being long gone.
“It’s hard to believe that in this very room they used to have gladiators fighting to the death,” exclaims Metronomy main-man Joe Mount.
This week we’ve been listening to new music from The Proper Ornaments, The Weeknd, Electricity In Our Homes, Sunless ’97 and Ceremony [pictured].
LISTEN HEREDropping his iPhone was the best thing that ever happened to Reef Younis.
READ MORE
