FRENCH FOR CARTRIDGE – Liquorice

This band is truly something unique. And with the two minds that make up the group, Catherine Kontz and Henri Vaxby hailing from Luxembourg and Scandinavia respectively, it might not come as much of a surprise that the mixing of cultures would produce something so different.
The use of instrumentation on the album borders genius, mixing your usual instrumentation with more exotic means to create some wonderful sounds that aren’t heard in your run of the mill pop nuggets.
Depending on your opinion, the lyrics are either another stroke of crazy inventiveness from French For Cartridge or irrelevant nonsense. For me, lyrics have always been a big part of any record but on this album the rulebook is thrown out the window. For example, one of the songs takes its lyrics entirely from a TV guide. At least it shows some originality, and the music business could certainly do with bands who take risks, even if it means some of the songs essentially have nothing to say.
Whether you end up loving it or hating it, this is an album that must be heard once purely to experience it. While it is experimental in almost every sense, there is still a strong sense for a good pop melody throughout their songs that will lodge themselves in your head and refuse to move. While this particular brand of liquorice may be too sweet for some, give it a taste and you may just fall in love with it.

THE TENEBROUS LIAR – Jackknifed & Slaughtered

Headed up by renowned music photographer Steve Gullick, The Tenebrous Liar’s new album is somewhat of a depressing experience. That’s not to say that this is a bad album per se, but much like depression itself it seems to go nowhere and wallow in itself too much. Their sound has a very earthy quality to it, you can imagine the drums kicking up dust as the bass rumbles along, the choice of cover art is commendable as it mirrors the feel of the album brilliantly.
Gullick’s vocal delivery won’t be to everyone’s tastes, going as it does from rambling drunk to hypnotic preacher, but it fits in well with the fuzzy downbeat music. The first half of the album goes by without leaving much of an impression, then everything comes to a crushing halt with the fifth and title track, an absolutely abysmal 2 and a half minutes limps by before the track shows any signs of life, but even then it doesn’t seem to go anywhere.
One exciting thing about the album is the inclusion of a secret track, hidden at the end of a period of silence after the last song. It’s been a while since I’ve stumbled upon one, but unfortunately it’s just as unimpressive as the rest of the tracks.
You can’t help but feeling you’re missing something by listening to The Tenebrous Liar on record, something which may very well be rectified by seeing them perform live in a sweaty venue. As it stands though, this is a very uninspiring and tiresome album.

GAY FOR JOHNNY DEPP – Manthology

Coming out of the seedy underbelly of New York, Gay For Johnny Depp are one of those rare breeds, a band that can’t easily be pigeon holed into one specific genre, and therein lies their appeal. Collecting pretty much every one of their recordings, it’s not only the daunting 31 song tracklist that is challenging, the music is too. They are the antithesis of easy listening, and this realisation strikes you the moment you hit play, sounding like the guitars and drums are playing entirely different songs while the vocalist unleashes shrill screams of “You wanna go? /Think you can take me? /You wanna fight now/ Well hit me, hit me”.
Don’t think the entire record is as confrontational as that lyrical nugget would suggest though, as you can probably guess from their moniker the band have a humorous side too which manifest itself in “Hey Sailor!” A frankly bizarre, but amusing, song complete with piano and finger clicks. Elsewhere there is more humour buried in the vocals, if you can manage to decipher them.
While the majority of the album follows the spazzy hardcore footprints of The Locust or The Blood Brothers, albeit with their own unique twist, the end of this compilation marks a massive musical departure. A 7” tour EP which is heavily inspired by bands such as Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor, after being mercilessly beaten for the last hour, these two closing tracks soothes your ears back to health. While it might not be the easiest compilation to sit through the entirety of, it’s enjoyable to hear a band not afraid to experiment and cross boundaries while keeping a sense of fun about them.

FLYLEAF – Memento Mori

While I’m not against people having their own beliefs, I’ve found that more often than not so called Christian bands can be very bland, and Flyleaf are no exception. Having sold over a million copies of their self titled album the number of units their sophomore release will shift is bound to be impressive, it’s a shame the same can’t be said about their music.
Sounding similar to the radio arena rock sounds of Nickleback, Flyleaf’s UPS is that their vocalist is a female, something you’re made painfully aware of the instant the first track kicks in. Her vocals are high in the mix, often dominating the other instruments, this wouldn’t be a complaint if there was anything exceptional about the vocals but here they are entirely unassuming. The fact that the vocalist is the only member appearing on the front of the album cover also indicates their labels obvious desire to put her in the spotlight at the expense of the other band members.
When they slow things down, such as on “Tiny Heart”, it makes an enjoyable change from the countless stock rock riffs present in every song, but moments like this are too few and far between. At least they have attempted to inject some sort of variety in their sound, but it’s a case of too little too late. By the time these moments come around you’ve already grown tired of the album.
The songs contained within “Memento Mori” are harmless enough, easy to listen to rock music albeit with some half hearted attempts at some metal growling. Fans of Evanescence and their ilk are likely to find something they enjoy in this CD, but those who like their music heavier or more challenging won’t get any pleasure from this release.

MO’LIVE LAUNCH NIGHT @ The Mo’Club Southampton, 22/01/2010

A roller disco club may seem like a strange place to see a line-up of some of Southampton’s most promising alternative acts, but that’s exactly where the newest music venue in the city is located. Hoping to plug the gap between the sweaty pubs and clubs, and the larger venues such as the Guildhall, the Mo’Club is just the right size and in a perfect location situated close to the train station and bus routes. The sound in the venue is excellent, although lacks in volume a bit towards the back but as the bar is situated there it makes it easier to order drinks.
Burn The Fleet play a brand of rock similar to Fall Of Troy, with melodic passages giving way to some more metallic sounding moments. They warm up the crowd nicely, although they seem to lack a bit in the stage presence department. This can be forgiven though, as it must be quite a jump from playing on tiny stages in clubs. Their musicianship live is excellent however, and their last song has the crowd singing the final refrain and cheering for more.
Having recently released their album “Live, Love, Let Go”, Our Time Down Here are on top form and full of energy tonight. Lead singer Will Gould making full use of the stage, and even taking to the crowd during several of their songs to the delight of the front rows. Their sounds reminiscent of a more hardcore New Found Glory, they rip through their songs in no time and even throw in a cover of Saves The Day’s “At Your Funeral”. Already popular in their hometown, let’s hope they can convert the rest of the UK with their great live show.
The first of the co-headliners are up next, Not Advised, who get the crowd really moving with their pop punk sound. While not necessarily carving a new niche, they don’t really have any need to as their songs lodge themselves in your cranium just as soon as they’re over. They probably should’ve left the legacy of Michael Jackson alone though, as their cover of “Man in the Mirror” could never reach the heights of the original.
Tonight’s headliners, Bury Tomorrow, are easily the heaviest band on the bill tonight. Playing a hometown show on the eve of an American tour with Attack Attack! (the US metalcore band, easily confused with the other Attack! Attack! from Wales) they are pumped up and prepared to lay waste to the fresh new venue. Similar in sound to major metalcore bands such as Killswitch Engage, incorporating soaring background vocals coupled with more harsh growls and vicious breakdowns. Even a broken bass string can’t derail their performance tonight, their bassist ditching the instrument and taking part in some crowd surfing instead.
On the evidence of tonight’s show the new venue could easily play a major part in Southampton’s music scene over the coming years. Hopefully word will get around about the new venue and bands will begin to include it in their touring schedule. Although with the calibre of bands on display in Southampton right now, it might not be needed.

Many thanks to Josh Beedle for the photo you see above!

DEAD SWANS Live @ The Joiners, Southampton, 11/01/2010

For a dreary Monday evening the Joiners is surprisingly full, and the anticipation for the line-up tonight is noticeable. After arriving a little late (oops), the first band that I saw hit the stage were Southampton’s own Kerouac who ripped through a short and fast set of their thrash inspired hardcore. Watch out for their debut release in February, released by Ebb and Flow records, these guys are definitely going places.
Before Boston’s The Carrier even kick off their set the front of the venue begin warming up to throw some shapes in the pit. While I have a certain distaste for “hardcore dancing” it’s great to see a crowd who are actually moving, all too often the atmosphere at smaller shows can be ruined due to people standing back and observing cross armed. The energy The Carrier display is infectious, and their melodic tinged hardcore even influences a couple of reckless individuals to stage dive. Despite their sound seeming rather formulaic, a couple of songs displaying nothing that separates them from the last, they clearly have a love and passion for their music which is just as important as pushing any musical boundaries.
Dead Swans headline the show and give the impression that they’d put in 110% whether playing to 10 people or 10,000. Lead singer Nicholas bounding about the stage, thrusting the mic in the faces of those shouting along. Playing a mix of songs from their debut EP and recently released album. The UK needs more bands like Dead Swans that play passionately and sound vital both on record and in a live setting. On the evidence of their performance tonight there’s no reason they can’t reach the same heights as such bands as Gallows.