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Post by incoasterble on Jan 21, 2014 1:50:20 GMT
The Preachers' sound takes my head straight to The Brudenell on a Summer's night, although I think they'll sound brilliant in there regardless the season. I don't know their music too well just yet but I do enjoy something that's not seemingly pushing the boundaries of novelty/sanity - the sort of thing Radio 1 now does the opposite of spinning all too often... Anyhow my latest find and honestly I wish I'd been on their proverbial boat from day one: Brighton band Fear Of Men - dreamy, shoe-gazy, at times a bit retro and at times a bit hypnotic. They bring to mind 2:54, Let's Buy Happiness, Stealing Sheep, Veronica Falls & (dare I say) Howling Bells amongst other favourites. Their real strengths besides all around making good sounds are in the songwriting: very coherent, balanced and not asking too much of the listener whilst employing a variety of elements including interesting chord progression varying mood and texture which I feel help to maintain one's interest throughout. Some examples: SeerDoldrums (Live)Green SeaMosaic
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Post by blade on Jan 25, 2014 14:33:50 GMT
Fear of Men are another of those many bands you recommend incoasterble that I like but I can't buy everything...
What I have bought this week though is Kyla La Grange's "Ashes", which you recommended maybe a year ago. I nearly bought it then but sort of forgot, then I read in a magazine somewhere that she is a Hot Tip for 2014, so I thought I'd better get in before she becomes too famous.
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Post by riseandfall on Jan 26, 2014 11:49:40 GMT
I bought one of the tracks of Fear of Men - very good thanks!
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Post by incoasterble on Feb 1, 2014 2:44:10 GMT
Fear of Men are another of those many bands you recommend incoasterble that I like but I can't buy everything... What I have bought this week though is Kyla La Grange's "Ashes", which you recommended maybe a year ago. I nearly bought it then but sort of forgot, then I read in a magazine somewhere that she is a Hot Tip for 2014, so I thought I'd better get in before she becomes too famous. Honestly I'm the same boat there - if I spot a band like that I'll stream a few songs, maybe post a rec and get a bit objective but getting round to buying it all... They're well up on the slate but it's getting so big now! Kyla's first album is an excellent one. Great to hear she's picking up pace. As likely I've alluded to before, I like a good portion of the Alt/Heavy stuff in my life... So last Saturday I added another five excellent bands to the 'I need to buy some of their music' list. A certain 'I Will Eat You Alive' festival took place in Leeds' Cockpit utilising stages 2 & 3. Started at 4pm, having done a little research & as I'm only human I went in at 7.30 - and was treated to some fantastic sets from four relatively heavy lady-fronted bands back to back with the sacrifice of only a couple of songs due to timing clash! Without going into depths I'm now a fan of and need to buy some music by: Leeds' Chasing Dragons, North Lincolnshire's Skarlett Riot, Huddersfield/Manchester/Sheffield's Bad Pollyanna and Reading's We Caught The Castle. Bad Pollyanna and We Caught the Castle were the real highlights for me, I felt the 'connection/magic'. Both hard to define and really pushing on with creativity. Olivia Hyde, frontwoman of Bad Pollyanna has a tremendous style and stage presence, really avid, dark, strangely seductive... They sound absolutely brilliant too, using some really interesting effects to punctuate their music here and there; which I really digged. As for We Caught The Castle they're harder still to define. I love the juxtaposition of the frontwoman's quite dreamy and smooth vocals against one of the guitarist's awesome hardcore 'Gallows' style interjections. I'm not sure Leeds is quite ready for a band like that... I topped off catching a relatively under-subscribed but utterly brilliant headline set from a transfixingly tallented metal-core band from Guildford called No Consequence. Had myself a great night out. And for £8.50? Gladly they've been successful enough to fulfil their plan of making it an annual event, as they are already planning the next one for April of 2015. Back on subject topic - right this instant Metric albums from Fantasies and working back - nearing the end of Old World Underground now - song - 'On a Slow Night'... Also I've finally gotten round to checking David Bowie's stuff out (at least the greatest hits). Starman is becoming a total favourite. Also some fantastic news in that lately I picked up some Denon cans for £50 reduced from £150 in our HMV - they're brilliant (if perhaps so wide I look like Princess Leia..) and I'm pretty much either at work or listening to stuff in a whole new light through them.. Honestly they're better than my way over-prices/marketed Bose QC3's which developed a loose connection between ears and to be honest given the amount of times the more expendable parts and cables break on me much I'm not willing to get them fixed. Had a pretty decent retro styled pair of Philips ones for a while but these Denons - they're just magic, and a lot more robust than the bose's. I'm slowly upgrading my recordings of all my fave CD's from 320kbps mp3 to the reasonable compromise of 'apple lossless' (about 2/3 the size of a straight 'wav' recording) and becoming more reluctant to part with actual money for mp3s by the day...
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Post by incoasterble on Apr 3, 2014 0:16:40 GMT
Song right now - Scorpio Rising by Death in Vegas
Wow, some few months... I was kept a Li'l quiet when one Saturday morning my Ipod totally died on me. I had all my eggs in one basket and knew it. 3+ years old. I think the choice to use daily at every possible opportunity in a very mix, browse and match; plus my starting to use less lossy coding limiting cache alongsides the odd knock around kinda killed it along with my planned lie in. After a frantic day, and a few nights of collating music which whilst all backed up; not in the most organised selection of folders & HDs.. Thankfully by the evening I had a fantastic solution implemented with everything together on one dedicated drive and multiple options for streaming to my headphones, with bluetooth gadgets, phone & tablet - all kit I had already, just a few apps bought! Awesome. Seriously.. I benefit loads from being able to type searches or pick & arrange queues on a bigger screen whilst my 'phones pick up the music so I can walk round freely!
On the live front the British Wildlife Festival at Brudenell was a good punt - loads of "noisealt" with highlights being an excellent set from the Parisian 'Electric Electric' and some serious madness from the crazy 'S**twife' where the crowd were surrounding the drum-&-effect masters literally 360 degrees round, then the set from masked band 'Evil Blizzard' was essentially like an endless wall of sound which along with the general showmanship was befitting of their name.. One of the most genuinely evil things I've ever observed. Sadly a quick powernap gone wrong before setting off meant 'Dark Bells' eluded me, as did 'Witch Hunt'.
A few weeks latter, stepping up to a Saturday headline slot passed on from Black Moth who had better things to do than keep appointments, Witch Hunt again shook it up & pulled out more tricks and tried some new songs, as well as no less than a rather focussed looking new drummer (I think they still use the machine too). With the now immensely powerful vocals of the good lady, even whilst pulling a full backbend, and their live drummer giving them more freedom with the duelling guitars and effects, yet a focus remaining if not even moreso on the flow and smoothness of their songs they really are progressing into something very special so I can't wait for whatever is next from them... On the more upscale front I was immensely impressed with recent shows, from to me much loved but never seen live; bands Maximo Park and Franz Ferdinand. Wow. I also have stack of CD's and an old 90s Panasonic portable cd player which I use as my 'deck' - getting good spin time is the new Blood Red Shoes album, Maximo Park's 'Too Much Information' also Warpaint and Kanye West's 'Yeezus', London Grammar's 'If You Stay', as well as a bit of The Pet Shop Boys & HIMs best of albums plus Metallica' live 2 disc and career spanning masterpiece 'Through The Never' Also can I recommend Austra - Olympia, a bit along the lines of Braids but also quite different. Excellent work from this well toured band.
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Post by incoasterble on May 29, 2014 14:51:37 GMT
The Dum Dum Girls' albums Too True and Only In Dreams have been a real theme of late, also I keep coming back to Paul McCartney's NEW. I'm sure Heartstrings will be getting a lot of play quite shortly!
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Post by blade on Jun 23, 2014 9:59:09 GMT
One of the bands mentioned here a couple of times, Keep Shelly in Athens, no longer have the evocative vocals of Sarah P, who left last January. She has started her own electro-project under the name Fina Fisken. Listen here to "Save the Day": soundcloud.com/#fina-fisken/fina-fiksen-save-the-day
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Post by blade on Jul 3, 2014 7:55:42 GMT
The new(ish) album "Tookah" by the incredibly talented Emiliana Torrini.
Here's an excerpt from one review:
"There's something magical and mystical about 'Tookah'. A thread of electro runs through these nine tracks, introducing a whole new musical landscape to this singer's stunningly beautiful songs. Every track gives you something new and exciting, while holding tightly on to Emilíana’s flawless voice and melodies."
This is the video of the haunting title track:
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Post by blade on Aug 1, 2014 14:07:36 GMT
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Post by blade on Aug 8, 2014 23:19:49 GMT
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Post by incoasterble on Aug 10, 2014 18:11:06 GMT
I came across 'Alvvays' myself recently, was rather impressed and have contemplated delving further, all the more reason to do so now!!
I also had a listen to 'Broods' music which reminds me of 'Lorde'; but sounding more grounded and less 'instant teenage global icon'. I find myself strangely compelled to both...
All in all with Leeds' gig scene seeing a 'Summertime lull' of sorts it's been a more reflective time for me than anything else. Nevertheless I have gotten myself rather into Jack White's Lazaretto, and the London Grammar's If You Stay, also I can't stop revisiting the most recent self titled albums from both Warpaint and Blood Red Shoes. Also I'm growing an interest in Bombay Bicycle Club and Arcade Fire, having found their respective televised Glastonbury sets somewhat compelling.
Then there's Kasabian's latest offering, what do I say...? As all else fails me, I don't see any harm in suggesting we all have a listen to the gem that is 'Clouds'...
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Post by incoasterble on Sept 3, 2014 21:44:12 GMT
The Vines have just released a new album titled Wicked NatureThe album has quite a remarkable backstory: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_NatureIn a ways it plays like 2 EP's which whilst intoning quite different agendas feel rather linked to themselves. The first is notably if not 'unbelieveably' metal orientated with the second carrying more of a retro feel. Frontman Craig Nicholls is the sole remaining member of the band, and it's just him on guitar now. Really it's not easy to describe but I could almost say it's as if Craig's created a new form of 'amplified' folk music - loud, straightforward and to-the-point whilst full of ideas, messages and melodies. Throughout my adult life I've been a big fan of The Vines and as I listen and reflect to 'Wicked Nature' I find myself affirming that this is one aspect of my character that isn't likely to change..
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Post by blade on Sept 11, 2014 14:59:23 GMT
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Post by incoasterble on Oct 7, 2014 22:32:09 GMT
The 'Original Sin' single.. and Ali Barter as mentioned above as I type... Brilliant
I had the fortune to attend three wonderful gigs at the Brudenell during September; taking in music from a brilliant new artist on each.
Honeyblood - It was special to be at their first show with new drummer Cat Myers joining singer / guitarist / frontwoman Stina Tweeddale. They perform astonishingly well and certainly deserve as much recognition as they're getting if not more. The suspensions / dischords give the songs a deep, complex mood. Whilst technically their rig is more straightforward than more established 2-piece bands the integrity of the songs and musicianship has the power to really engage; Honeyblood already stand up well to many more established bands. They played about as much music as they have recorded, as they're still emerging I'd more than forgive them the short-but-sweet set. Their debut album's been a listening staple for me since!
Angel Olsen – I stumbled across Angel’s music whilst checking out local gig listings and decided to attend only a couple of nights before her show; I’m so glad I did. She drew a large crowd into the Social Club on a Monday night and played an extensive and truly encapsulating set; with her band, and for the last twenty minutes alone. Olsen lives up well to the ‘hype’ surrounding her, breathing youth and new life into the crooning style she’s so well adopted. A truly wonderful experience, her recordings make excellent listening also.
Fear of Men – A Brighton band I mentioned a few months ago and was glad to see perform. They come across hugely devoted to and at one with their music, with an entrancing synergy of upbeat energy and delicate intricacy. Jess Weiss has a wonderful voice and Daniel Falvey plays guitar exceptionally well but together they create something enthralling. As the band illustrate on their LP they are different and interesting whilst everything flows beautifully and coheres, making their music a pleasure to listen to.
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Post by blade on Oct 9, 2014 7:45:34 GMT
I was supposed to be going to see Honeyblood at a free gig in Sheffield a few weeks ago, but it was cancelled. I thought it might be because of the following day's Scotish Referendum and they wanted to get home to vote... I listened to Fear of Men yesterday on Spotify for a while, and also Angel Olsen, who - with respect - is not a patch on someone I doscovered by chance last week - Annie Eve. I was watching "Original Sin" on Youtube and she came up next on somebody's playlist. I was immediately hoooked. What a beautiful and distinctive voice! What's more, she's touring this month, playing the Brudenell on the 16th and the Harley in Sheffield on the 17th - go see! www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOjc1yDR4pEwww.youtube.com/watch?v=022iSZeLZLkwww.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd1_RSVpEskwww.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ8hqSApWaQ
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