A posting about a band that are very much still with us but one of my favourite bands. Olly and Gale produce some wonderful acoustic edged pop songs.
Their debut album 'The Optimist LP' came out in 2001 and is in my Top 10 of all time and contains some classic songs in 'The Door', 'Underdog (Save Me)', 'Emergency 72' in fact each of the 12 tracks on the disc. I first saw them at an acoustic only show at the Shepherds Bush Empire (probably my favourite venue for intimacy) where they played a wonderful show (supported by Ffion Regan who went on to make the Mercury Prize nominated 'The End of History' and is a regular support act every time I've seen them play).
I also saw them at a pretty special show at the London Palladium in 2005 which was then released on download a few days later. The were totally on form that night with some great acoustic versions of their songs including covers of the Red Hot Chili Peppers 'Breaking The Girl' and an impromtu jam of Survivor's 'Eye Of The Tiger'!! I kid you not. A downside from the show were the two girls who stood behind us yapping away for half the show paynig no attention to the music and more concerned with each others love lives. At one stage we had to turn round and tell them to shut the f*%k up or get out - why do people do that - pay good money to see a gig and then spend most of it just talking to their friends?! if you want to do that go down the pub.
Anyway here is a smattering of tracks from across their career including a few rarer items. I'd encourage you to enjoy and then go out and buy the bands latest album 'Dark On Fire'.
For more information:
Turin Brakes on Wikipedia
Turin Brakes Official Website
Essential Listening:
The Optimist LP
Dark On Fire
Thursday 29 November 2007
Pop Will Eat Itself
The Incredible PWEI! (or Pop Will Eat Itself or even The Poppies!)
OK, so I lied. I posted the files a couple of weeks ago and then didn't have time to add all the other stuff around it. Let's try again though.
I can't remember how I first got into the Poppies but it was many years ago when I was at school and just starting to get into the more 'alternative' bands having previously been a follower of Duran Duran and Five Star (I can't believe I've just admitted to that in such an open way). I have a vivid memory of borrowing a tape from a school friend (Andrew Little) which had the debut album's from The Wonderstuff and The Stone Roses on it (at the time I thought the Roses album was shit - that soon changed). In return I know that I offered the first PWEI album that I had which was 'This is the day...' and I have a feeling that it was one where I just took a punt on it as I was experimenting with new music and never looked back from there. At that time the Poppies had moved on to a major label after spending their early years in the West Midlands 'Grebo' scene. I think I first heard of them through The Chart Show on ITV when Beaver Patrol was released and was just listed in their Indie Top10 but there was no video and they had to be careful to not play too much of the song with its lovely PC lyrics. 'This is the day....' was a big step forward and brought with it not only wild guitars, breaks, samples and catchy lyrics but also some great images and designs courtesy of the Design Republic. In fact PWEI were part of the breed of bands at the time who probably sold more T-shirts than records (other examples being Carter, Neds etc.)
I only saw them live once but what a gig it was. Live at The Marquee in London (legendary venue) - a small venue, packed to the rafters, the gig certainly wore ni my leather jacket and I was soaked to the skin by the end. I think they were supported by Yeah God (and the lead guitarist 'The Buzzard' smashed his guitar to pieces at the end of the set) and TAD (and Tad himself threatened to crowd surf during his set and for those of you who remember TAD he was not a small chap!.
Follow up album 'A Cure For Sanity' increased the dance/beats element and reduced the guitars but was still something special. However I think their best stuff was certainly from the 'This is the day...' era where apart from the obvious standout singles (Wise Up Sucker, Can U Dig It?) there was some great album tracks and then my favourite piece of vinyl ever was the 'Very Metal Noise Pollution EP' shaped picture disc pictured here which also featured some of their best tracks 'PWEIzation' and 'Preaching to the Perverted'.
The band broke up in '96 with the most famous offshoot being when Richard March and Mike Stokes formed 'Bentley Rhythm Ace'. Most of the stuff I had from the Poppies was on vinyl (inc. the multi-formatted singles that record companies churned out at the time) so its been great to rediscover a lot of the albums by getting digital versions from Blogs.
For more information:
PWEI on Wikipedia
PWEInation
Essential Listening:
PWEI Product 1986-1994: The Pop Will Eat Itself Anthology
This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This!
OK, so I lied. I posted the files a couple of weeks ago and then didn't have time to add all the other stuff around it. Let's try again though.
I can't remember how I first got into the Poppies but it was many years ago when I was at school and just starting to get into the more 'alternative' bands having previously been a follower of Duran Duran and Five Star (I can't believe I've just admitted to that in such an open way). I have a vivid memory of borrowing a tape from a school friend (Andrew Little) which had the debut album's from The Wonderstuff and The Stone Roses on it (at the time I thought the Roses album was shit - that soon changed). In return I know that I offered the first PWEI album that I had which was 'This is the day...' and I have a feeling that it was one where I just took a punt on it as I was experimenting with new music and never looked back from there. At that time the Poppies had moved on to a major label after spending their early years in the West Midlands 'Grebo' scene. I think I first heard of them through The Chart Show on ITV when Beaver Patrol was released and was just listed in their Indie Top10 but there was no video and they had to be careful to not play too much of the song with its lovely PC lyrics. 'This is the day....' was a big step forward and brought with it not only wild guitars, breaks, samples and catchy lyrics but also some great images and designs courtesy of the Design Republic. In fact PWEI were part of the breed of bands at the time who probably sold more T-shirts than records (other examples being Carter, Neds etc.)
I only saw them live once but what a gig it was. Live at The Marquee in London (legendary venue) - a small venue, packed to the rafters, the gig certainly wore ni my leather jacket and I was soaked to the skin by the end. I think they were supported by Yeah God (and the lead guitarist 'The Buzzard' smashed his guitar to pieces at the end of the set) and TAD (and Tad himself threatened to crowd surf during his set and for those of you who remember TAD he was not a small chap!.
Follow up album 'A Cure For Sanity' increased the dance/beats element and reduced the guitars but was still something special. However I think their best stuff was certainly from the 'This is the day...' era where apart from the obvious standout singles (Wise Up Sucker, Can U Dig It?) there was some great album tracks and then my favourite piece of vinyl ever was the 'Very Metal Noise Pollution EP' shaped picture disc pictured here which also featured some of their best tracks 'PWEIzation' and 'Preaching to the Perverted'.
The band broke up in '96 with the most famous offshoot being when Richard March and Mike Stokes formed 'Bentley Rhythm Ace'. Most of the stuff I had from the Poppies was on vinyl (inc. the multi-formatted singles that record companies churned out at the time) so its been great to rediscover a lot of the albums by getting digital versions from Blogs.
For more information:
PWEI on Wikipedia
PWEInation
Essential Listening:
PWEI Product 1986-1994: The Pop Will Eat Itself Anthology
This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This!
Sunday 11 November 2007
Radiohead - without peers
I'll start off with just a bit of comment.
So just a couple of weeks after releasing yet another stunning album (yes I love them all, even the one's after OK Computer) Radiohead held one of their webcasts on Friday night with some great footage including live versions of some of the tracks from 'In Rainbows' (if you haven't already bought it - for whatever price, don't download it for free from a blog get the real deal from the band) with live versions of Reckoner, Bodysnatchers and Faust Arp but they also perform some great new cover versions with The Smiths 'Headmaster Ritual' and Joy Division's 'Ceremony'.
THIS is a great band making music the way THEY want to make it, releasing it the way THEY want to release it and promoting it the way THEY want. They are truly without any peers.
So just a couple of weeks after releasing yet another stunning album (yes I love them all, even the one's after OK Computer) Radiohead held one of their webcasts on Friday night with some great footage including live versions of some of the tracks from 'In Rainbows' (if you haven't already bought it - for whatever price, don't download it for free from a blog get the real deal from the band) with live versions of Reckoner, Bodysnatchers and Faust Arp but they also perform some great new cover versions with The Smiths 'Headmaster Ritual' and Joy Division's 'Ceremony'.
THIS is a great band making music the way THEY want to make it, releasing it the way THEY want to release it and promoting it the way THEY want. They are truly without any peers.
Saturday 3 November 2007
Geneva
Geneva, the band with a lead singer possessing the voice of an Angel. Andrew Montgomery (he of said voice) and bandmates formed Geneva in 1992. Their debut single 'No One Speaks' began to make waves in the music press (mainly due to Andrew's voice and the rich melodies of the song). I got hold of the single and then saw them play at some small gig in Bristol (which probably would have been the Fleece & Firkin. They quickly became one of my favourite bands and in a similar vein to Embrace (see other posting on this blog) I started to create a website dedicated to them. Through this I met many Geneva fans and even got name checked in a letter to one of the other guys from Andrew.
Debut album 'Further' was a classy piece of work and also contained the singles 'Into The Blue' and 'Tranquilizer'. The follow up 'Weather Underground' maintained the quality and infact the soundscapes were even more spectacular with influences from outer space in particular with 'Dollars in the Heavens' and 'Rockets Over California'. Sadly the second album was not so commercially successful and shortly after the band split.
From there a few post-Geneva bands were formed notably Amityville who released, the now very rare, Pacific Radio Fire EP which contained Andrew's trademark vocals. Andrew now forms part of St Famous. 69 Corp and The High Wire also follow in the footsteps of Geneva.
For more information:
Geneva on Wikipedia
A Place In The Sun - A Geneva Archive
St Famous on MySpace
69 Corp on MySpace
The High Wire on MySpace
Essential Listening:
Further
Weather Underground
Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
I was going to do something else next but after seeing Kurt's request its time for a look back at the output of Jimbob and Fruitbat.
A very simple concept: 2 guitars and a tape machine but one of the liveliest pairings on the circuit. The traditional start to the gig was when the band's lighting engineer and compere Jon Beast would take to the stage to introduce the band. Now Mr Beast was no slight fellow and used to take to the stage without a shirt and so the legend "You Fat Bastard" began as highlighted at the start of 'Surfin' USM' on the '30 Something' album.
I think I probably saw Carter a handful of times. The two gigs that stick out in my mind were from two slightly different times. The first was a Christmas Party style Gig at the Old Trout, Windsor which was probably after '101 Damnations' had come out but pre-30 Something. It was another hot and sweaty one and I remember ending up sitting on the stage during the last few songs (this was before the Old Trout got a bit more organised, and the Health and Safety people had stepped in, in order to erect a crash barrier in front of the stage). The second was a much larger gig at Slough College (now called, Thames Valley Poly or something similar). It was after the '30 Something' album came out and there was a much larger crowd. There were no doubt times when the tape machine played up but it was a fab gig.
The thing that I loved about Carter was probably the one thing that annoys many and that is how catchy the music is how clever the lyrics. Shouty, sing along chorus' are the order of the day and Jimbob's standard approach is to take an everyday phrase and then tweak it to fit with the lyrics of the song. The song titles 'Taking of Peckham 123' and 'Sealed With A Glasgow Kiss' are just two examples of this and you haven't even got into the actual lyrics. The band also did some great cover versions. The first notable one was the Pet Shop Boys 'Rent' which was on the b-side of Rubbish but my favourite was the Inspiral Carpets 'This Is How It Feels' which is so much better than the original (and that was pretty good).
Perhaps seen by many as a throw away band I still love 'em.
For more information:
Carter USM on Wikipedia
The Official Carter Website
Essential Listening:
30 Something
You Fat Bastard
A very simple concept: 2 guitars and a tape machine but one of the liveliest pairings on the circuit. The traditional start to the gig was when the band's lighting engineer and compere Jon Beast would take to the stage to introduce the band. Now Mr Beast was no slight fellow and used to take to the stage without a shirt and so the legend "You Fat Bastard" began as highlighted at the start of 'Surfin' USM' on the '30 Something' album.
I think I probably saw Carter a handful of times. The two gigs that stick out in my mind were from two slightly different times. The first was a Christmas Party style Gig at the Old Trout, Windsor which was probably after '101 Damnations' had come out but pre-30 Something. It was another hot and sweaty one and I remember ending up sitting on the stage during the last few songs (this was before the Old Trout got a bit more organised, and the Health and Safety people had stepped in, in order to erect a crash barrier in front of the stage). The second was a much larger gig at Slough College (now called, Thames Valley Poly or something similar). It was after the '30 Something' album came out and there was a much larger crowd. There were no doubt times when the tape machine played up but it was a fab gig.
The thing that I loved about Carter was probably the one thing that annoys many and that is how catchy the music is how clever the lyrics. Shouty, sing along chorus' are the order of the day and Jimbob's standard approach is to take an everyday phrase and then tweak it to fit with the lyrics of the song. The song titles 'Taking of Peckham 123' and 'Sealed With A Glasgow Kiss' are just two examples of this and you haven't even got into the actual lyrics. The band also did some great cover versions. The first notable one was the Pet Shop Boys 'Rent' which was on the b-side of Rubbish but my favourite was the Inspiral Carpets 'This Is How It Feels' which is so much better than the original (and that was pretty good).Perhaps seen by many as a throw away band I still love 'em.
For more information:
Carter USM on Wikipedia
The Official Carter Website
Essential Listening:
30 Something
You Fat Bastard
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)