SINGES CORNER! 03/03/2010

So, here we are, back again with part two of this week’s singles roundup. Looking at the tracks below (and our ever growing pile of singles to review), it’s nice to see that not only is the quantity of tracks available to us increasing, but the quality too!

TWIN ATLANTIC – Lightspeed
Red Bull Records

For those of you who haven’t heard Twin Atlantic yet (and why not, we’ve written about them a few times not?), this is the perfect introduction to the Scots rockers, encapsulating their pacy guitars and highlighting Sam McTrusty’s vocal – lovely stuff!

WITH THAT KNIFE – This Place, A Thousand Times
Withthatknife.com

This, the debut single from a bunch of lads who met at Manchester University mixes punkish vitality with the sort of modern Britsh alt-rock sound that is growing ever more prevalent – good stuff!

DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIUS PIP – Get Better
Sunday Best

Casiotone electronics create a contrasted backing to Pip’s spoken word musing on why society seems to be going down hill. It’s not deep reaching social commentary, but it rings true, and as well as being thought provoking, it’s very catchy. What more could you ask for, really?

THOMAS WHITE – The Last Blast
Cooking Vinyl

The Electric Soft Parade/Brakes man’s solo work is every bit as interesting as the songs he performs with his bands. This one, a driving beat, fuelled by staccato drums is strangely engaging, all the more so because of the laconic vocals.

ANGUS AND JULIA STONE – And The Boys
Flock Music

I saw this pair a couple of years ago and really wasn’t impressed, but this track is a world away from that bland live show, endearing quirky folk fronted by a sweet and off kilter vocal, this bodes well for their forthcoming album.

SINGLES CORNER! 02/03/2010

Well, here we are, into March already, and there are so many singles on the desk this week that we’ve had to do two roundups. So, without any delay, let’s get cracking on the first…

WILL AND THE PEOPLE – Addicted
Myspace.com/willandthepeople

We saw these guys support Paulo Nutini late last year and were swept away by the sense of fun in their set and this song captures it perfectly. A tasty slice of pop that you’ll be whistling without even realising it, we like this… we like it a lot!

LATE OF THE PIER – Blueberry/Best In The Class
Phantasy

The more astute of you may already be aware that  Blueberry was released for download last year, but now it’s available on the vinyl too. To be honest though, the track lacks a punch and feels like three minutes of build up without the payoff, and it’s flip side (or the second mp3) isn’t too much better, a pity because there are some great ideas here that just need a little push to turn into flly fledged songs.

MUMFORD & SONS – The Cave
Island

We like Mumford and his progeny, and this track is a great example of why. Building slowly and, despite it’s simple and folksy sound, it swells into something gorgeous!

EXPATRIATE – Blackbird
Expatriate Music

A pinch of Killers, a hint of Elbow, all blended with plenty of Editors… this is a recipe for commercial rock. That said, it’s by no means bad and if it turned up on the radio, I’d be more inclined to raise the volume than change the station.

THE MISERABLE RICH – Somerhill
Humble Soul

I’ll be honest, prior to hearing this, I’d heard of these guys, but never actually listened to them. What an intro though, quirky music, charismatic vocals, this is stirring stuff indeed and I can’t recommend it highly enough!

SINGLES CORNER! 16/02/2010

It’s time once again to check out some of the most exciting tracks set for release in the next week or two (and, first up, one that came out last week). We’ve had a lot of good singles pop through our letterbox in the last year, but judging by the ones we’ve been receiving lately, 2010 is going to be a very good year for music indeed. So, without further ado, let’s find out what is out and about.

JAPANESE VOYEURS – That Love Sound
Slimeball Records

Cute and quirky vocals buckled to some dirty grunge riffs are the order of the day here, it all starts out innocuously enough, lulling you with sweet and soft singing, then the guitars kick in and before you realise it you’ve been mugged by their punchy rock & roll!

GIRLS – Morning Light
Fantasytrashcan

This track is a strange one, sounding like it’s attacking you through a pair of 1980’s headphones before you realise it’s actually a production technique to add a hazy otherworldly tone. Still, although it sounds like something copied from a copy of a copy of a copy and played on a cheap knock off walkman it has it’s own certain charm.

HARDLY HEROES – Cardigan Party
Myspace.com/hardlyheroes06

Currently being given away at gigs, this track perhaps shows this young bands change of tack from their early days of pop punk into a more straight up rock sound. Driving guitars propel the song along while a catchy chorus hooks the listener. I can guarantee that once you’ve heard this it’ll be in your head for weeks.

MAVERICK SABRE – Sometimes
Impala Records

Not, as I suspected, a rock band, but actually a singer/songwriter with an urban approach, Maverick sabre is an interesting proposition. There’s a hint of Just Jack or Plan B here, but shackled to a much better singing voice. I’ll certainly be listening out for more from this intriguing artist!

CHAPEL CLUB – O Maybe I
East City

With a bass driven sound that hints at White Lies or perhaps Editors, and a vocalist who has clearly listened to a Smiths album or two, this is clearly not forward facing pop. It’s good though, catchy and interesting in equal measure. Well, worth checking out.

THE WHO – Greatest Hits & More

Released in time to be snapped up by people who caught The Who’s spot-on Superbowl half time show, you’d be forgiven for calling this greatest hits set a cash in. To be honest, you’d be partially right as the first disc contains the usual assortment of classics such as My Generation, Pinball Wizard and Won’t Get Fooled Again, mostly in their original album formats.
To be fair though, if you’re into The Who you probably have most of this already, so why should you feel the need to head out and splash your cash?
Well, disc two is where this all gets interesting, with live cuts that show just why Daltrey, Townsend, Entwhistle and Moon were one of the most highly rated live bands of the late sixties and seventies (perhaps only surpassed by Led Zeppelin and The Stones).
From a version of Magic Bus recorded for the BBC in 1965 through to A Man In A Purple Dress, recorded in 2007 in Nassau, there’s a wide ranging appraisal of The Who at their best (with only one track coming from the legendary Live at Leeds album).
In all, while disc one will already be covered by the collection of any fan, it’s a great way to introduce yourself to the band, while disc two will bring an excited smile to the face of even the most ardent fan of The ‘Orrible ‘Oo!

THE DAWN CHORUS – The Carnival Leaves Town

The Dawn Chorus are an act we’ve had our eye on for some time, ever since we got our grubby little paws on their debut album (reviewed here) we’ve been excited by their ability to weave the mundane and everyday into something rather lovely.
With this, their second album the band – aided and abetted by guitar toting cult punk-troubadour Frank Turner – have expanded their sound and also taken it to some intriguing, dark places. If the first disc introduced The Dawn Chorus, then this is their Empire Strikes Back, a much more complex and interesting piece.
The carnival theme runs throughout, as do topics and characters touched up on in earlier songs, and the album flows much better as a whole than as a set of songs. The exception to this rule would be first single Carnivalesque. I won’t go into too much detail on this track as I’ve already reviewed it here, but suffice it to say that it’s a great introduction to the themes of this set of songs. Other tracks well worth a look include Heartbeats in 5/4 and Green, Unpleasant Land but, as previously stated, it is as a cohesive whole that this album is strongest.
Once again The Dawn Chorus prove to be exciting and interesting in equal measure and I, for one, can’t wait for the third instalment!

Check out The Dawn Chorus here: www.myspace.com/thedawnchorusuk

ANDREW FOSTER – The Garden

Andrew Foster is something of a favourite of ours here at Call Upon The Author, some may even accuse us of favouritism, though they’d be wrong, the reason we like Foster so much is because of his consistently high quality output.
As such, it was with more than a little excitement that we contemplated listening to Andrew’s second album on a bleary Monday morning journey into work. The immediate thought was that leaps and bounds have been made in terms of production, this is a bolder piece perhaps influenced a little by the quality of other artists in Portsmouth like B of the Bang, Dawn Chorus and Foster’s sometime colleague Loz Bridge. Whatever the reasons what we have here is an intriguing album that plays out as one long piece more so than a bunch of disparate tracks.
Opener Evil Tree is an atmospheric beast and sets the tone perfectly for an album that, despite Foster’s subtle vocals, has a brooding presence. The real highlight here though is the title track, from the Eastern influences (I’m not sure that an actual sitar, but at the least it’s an impressive approximation) that lend the track an other worldly air against the simple instrumentation elsewhere to the menacing and claustrophobic feel as the music ebbs and swirls about the ears, this is a truly great track!
So, Foster remains an artist this site is proud to champion and one that we heartily recommend you check out!

Check out Andrew Foster’s music at: www.myspace.com/andrewfostermusic

MELODRAMAS – Melodramas

When south coast youngsters Melodramas released their debut EP last year, we grabbed a copy, liked it and stated that the band were “on the cusp of stepping up to the next level” (read the full review here ). Since then the lads have played Southsea Fest (I missed them, but did catch up with Greg for a chat, whilst CUTA writer Matthew Clarke seemed to thoroughly enjoy them), had a mini-tour of Australia, supported The New York Dolls, played Kuwait-stock(!) and are, as I write this, making final preparation for a gig in Vietnam (at a club called Apocalypse Now – how I want to go there!).
Things have most certainly changed for the band then, and this is reflected in the songs here. Where their first release dealt with life in and around Portsmouth, the scope is wider here, as is the sound. Gone is the indie-pop and in it’s place we hear a more wide ranging arc of influences, from the garage-rock scuzziness of The Paris Metro to Ewoks, with a sound that reminds these ears of early Yeah Yeah Yeahs, or perhaps Hot Hot Heat with it’s angular guitars. The outlook is a little less rose tinted too, perhaps as the last year has seen the boys mature rapidly.
If they were on the cusp of bigger things when we saw them last, today finds Melodramas making their way along that road at a brisk pace and all this with a set of tunes knocked up in a garage for thirty quid… splendid!

check out Melodramas at: www.myspace.com/melodramastheband

CHARLY COOMBES AND THE NEW BREED Live @ The Eastney Cellars, 22/01/2010

Charly Coombes

We start tonight’s musical entertainment with George Lenton and his band. Lenton, the former Aviators/Tiny Spark front man, seems to have moved on from the subtle tunes of his last incarnation for some more ballsy rock, it’s early days yet, but this could get interesting.
Next up are The Elizans, an intriguingly oddball group whose upbeat rock, channelled through front man Will Keel, is tinged with elements of swing which, when coupled with Keel’s unique outfit and the fact their drummer resembles a long lost Ramone, makes you wonder whether they were compiled by way of some bizarre time travel experiment.
Light Effect are well versed at capturing the attention of the audience, made up as they are of members of a number of longstanding south coast bands. Their effortless way with a catchy melody and relaxed, pop driven approach may lend them comparisons to the likes of Snow Patrol, but although the effect may be similar the approach is markedly different, these guys coming from a background of strong song writing matched with a natural stage presence and the sort of cohesive look that so many bands lack these days.
Charly Coombes and his band present a completely different approach to their support acts, immediately giving an impression of the dishevelled touring act crammed into the back of a van, playing gigs to make enough cash for petrol money. The moment they start playing though, you realise these guys are good. There’s a definite indie rock vibe here, but pleasingly Charly’s sound (and indeed voice) don’t remind you of his brothers band so much as a modern day Spencer Davis Group. Perhaps it’s the fact the sound is driven by keys as much as guitar, maybe it’s the slabs of soul that are mixed into their musical pot… it could be the delicious aroma of Dominos pizza wafting out from backstage, but this is rapidly becoming a superb feel good gig, and judging by the audience reaction I’m not the only one who thinks so!

Check out The Elizans: www.myspace.com/theelizans
Check out Light Effect: http://www.myspace.com/lighteffectband
Check out Charly Coombes and the New Breed: www.myspace.com/charlycoombes

Thanks to Justin Parry for the photo.

DANNY AND THE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD – Streets Of Our Time

Formerly the front man of Americana outfit Grand Drive, Danny George Wilson has turned to Roald Dahl’s classic children’s story to name his latest group. This, their debut album, is an intriguing one, on one hand it gives an idea of what Springsteen and his E Street Band may have sounded like if they’d been born and bred in middle England (never more so than on Follow The River, a lovely little track that evokes the sound of Springsteen’s similarly titled album).
Elsewhere the sound is more like Bob Dylan in his country phase, backed by Marcus Mumford & Sons. When Danny sighs and states that “I guess we’re both getting old” on opener Henry The Van, the tale of an aging and faithful tour bus, you really feel the emotion of the song and pine for the faithful old steed yourself.
We may be smack bang in the middle of the second coming of the synthesizer, but these guys prove that you can wring much more emotion from more primitive instruments like the pedal steel, banjos and strings that waft over these tracks. This album is full of loose folk jingles and soulful sound that warms the listener like nothing I’ve heard in a long while.

VARIOUS ARTISTS: Rough Trade Indiepop ‘09

If the ‘indie’ in the title is making you think of the watered down likes of The Kooks or even of Arctic Monkeys and other modern rockers, then you’re getting the wrong end of the stick, for the band here hark back to the early days of indie as practiced by pastie faced youths in hand me down clothes in their bedrooms throughout the early 80s.
From London upstarts Veronica Falls and their mix of saccharine sweet backing vocals and a jagged, insistent guitar on ‘Beachy Head’ to the USA and the rather wonderful Girls who bring hints of classic 80’s alternative pop that comes all the way from San Francisco. Slightly better known perhaps are Los Campesinos! They may be a pretty well known touring outfit, but although they’re a little more polished the Welsh popsters fit in nicely alongside all these young upstarts. Lastly, we have to mention the fierce, aggressively paced, but still sweet and rather lovely ‘David Cassidy’ by Betty and the Werewolves.
All in all this is a great mix of lo-fi, simple tunes that are ‘indie’ in the traditional sense of the word, reminding us that it used to be a badge that bands wore with pride, rather than a shorthand way of saying ‘band that wants to be Oasis’, and thank god we have groups like these to remind us!