Tag: Reviews
I had a great time at this show. The venue was very nice, small, and intimate, the drinks weren't too expensive, and at least one of the bands that played was very good. I saw Shout Out Louds play support for the magnificent The Magic Numbers the week before this show, but I didn't really enjoy them too much that time. This time though, their quirky indie rock was perfectly suited, and to describe the whole experience in one word I had to say it was very cozy. By the way, the "main band" this night was VHS or BETA (they were rubbish).
- Simon Tagestam
Imagine Mark Lanegan with a band that is slightly depressed, wonderfully melancholic and subtly rock more than Screaming Trees. Sounds like later day QotSA? Well, yes, but different. Coloursound Revolution are very similar to QotSA but remain themselves somehow and this album is certainly a lot better than "Lullabies to paralyze".
- Simon Thibaudeau
Sharif, the first band ever signed to Adrian Recordings, has just released its second album--six years after its first. The Malmö group has clearly had its ups and downs, something reflected in the fragility of its compositions. The blend of mid-tempo and slower songs on "Lost causes, causes lost" benefit from simple, stark arrangements that allow world-weary vocals to make the biggest impression. For example, the spare acoustic guitar part on "E.A.A. (Eagerly awaiting anytime)" heightens the melancholy of lyrics like, "Could it be you're afraid/of the words you think I'll say?" The distorted vocals and bells on the woozy "Ordinary" bear a resemblance to Sparklehorse, while the jazzy instrumental "Glow in the dark" shows versatility, but strays too far from the album's mournful simplicity. That's the nearest thing I can find to a low point on this album because its well-constructed songs are more impressive with each listen. With understated melodies wrapped around lines like, "there's no such thing as personal freedom/it's all just part of a game," the second effort by Sharif comes highly recommended. John, Rikard, Magnus and Johan deserve a lot of praise for this record--and hopefully it won't be six more years before they make another.
- Matthew W. Smith
My first impression of Mr. Crocket's music was Elvis Costello, the more rocking of his personas, with his deceptively powerful voice and quirky melodies that seem to float and yet never quite grab you and a more modern indie rock. You see I am not a Costello fan and to me Crocket has much of the same flaws. Credit where it is due, "12 inches" is an outstanding song.
- Simon Thibaudeau
I like psychedelic jams. I like post rock. I like Spacious Mind. Simple as that. If I were to explain it a bit more I would say that if Mike Oldfield would have gone to sleep after the first Tubular Bells and woke up after 1999 and listened exclusively to post-rock he would have founded Spacious Mind. Great.
- Simon Thibaudeau
This is Peter Gunnarson from the magnificent Suburban Kids With Biblical Names and his (girl?)friend Lina Cullemark making some pleasant and melodic songs together. It's all nice and summery, and of course, very twee. I'm looking forward to see Springfactory perform their jolly songs live, preferably outdoors in the afternoon with the sun out, and my girl on one side and some cool raspberry beers on the other side.
- Simon Tagestam
This is a bit better than "Scandinavian leather", but nowhere near as perfect as "Apocalypse dudes". There are some kick ass songs here though, like "All my friends are dead", "Blow me (Like the wind)", and "If you see Kaye (Tell her I L-O-V-E her)", and they almost make the album worth buying. There's an uncomfortable aspect of this album though, and that's how Turbonegro look as if they're about to evolve into a travesty of themselves, something that I really hope won't ever happen.
- Simon Tagestam
In the press release for this EP, Wan Light are compared to such bands as The Postal Service and Galaxie 500, and although there are hints of those bands within Wan Light's music, the title track on this EP sounds like it comes directly from The Flaming Lips' "The soft bulletin" (an album I was totally obsessed with when it came out). The other 5 songs are not as fantastic as "That grim reality" (how could they?), but that doesn't mean you shouldn't buy this EP (and with its 6 tracks, you'll get your money's worth).
- Simon Tagestam
Wan Light started their set at the ridiculously early time of 8:15, to a mostly empty Barfly. This band is the perfect hybrid of Mercury Rev and Flaming Lips. I hate to use clichés but it's true, and such a comparison is not a bad thing at all. The singer has a voice made out of a combination of sandpaper and glue, whilst the samples the band use are like a slightly more toned down version of modern day Flaming Lips, using the sound of hands clapping in place of Japanese robots. Tonight, just two members of the band play, with the singer back backed by an acoustic guitar player and some sparse samples. The effect of this is that greater emphasis is put on the actual performance of the songs. Momus, half-jokingly coined the genre "folk-tronica" back in 2001 but the live performance from Wan Light proves that the genre is in existence and rude health.
- Nick Levine
This was the first time I had been to the infamous Betsey Trotwood, the 60 capacity venue in Farringdon. It's the one venue in London that always seems to attract Swedish bands on their first visit to this country. The sound of Audrey is hard to pin down as they have so many fantastic influences. Prior to seeing the performance I had read about their comparisons to Low and Red House Painters. Whilst Audrey do have their sombre moments, there is also an underlying depth of their songs which suggests that beneath every cloud there is a silver lining. The band is made up of four young girls from Göteborg who display a maturity beyond their years. In fact, it is hard to believe that their recently released EP is their debut. During the performance the only song that the band play from their record is "Box and fights", which is mostly instrumental and builds up into a waltz-like pace, and features a whispered narrative from drummer/vocalist Anna Tomlin. To sum things up, Audrey make music which is as fresh as the morning on a clear spring day. With a little more touring in the UK they could well pick up a sizable cult audience.
- Nick Levine
This is awful metal with some of the silliest lyrics and vocals that have ever been recorded. I rather eat a rotten orange than listen to this again.
- Simon Tagestam
How can it be so hard to find good, new hardcore that's filled with passion and an actual message? Thank goodness there's bands like Lack around to help carry us forward because I've come awfully close to giving up hope. So yeah, no bedroom poetry, no crap about wanting to murder your ex-girlfriend (or other ugly misogyny), just high-quality rock with meaning and a purpose. Amazing duel guitar lines don't hurt matters either. This record gets a solid A for Awesome.
- Avi Roig
Listen to this, here's a guy who wears jeans with holes in them, got holes in his head and problems with someone, and to top it all off he's walking out in the bloody snow (what will his mum say when she hears this song!). Such a masochistic setting sounds more like the template for a Nine Inch Nails song, but what we get treated to instead (thankfully), is a nice little folk sounding number that reminds me a lot of Currituck Co., and that, ladies and gentlemen, is a great compliment, you know.
- Simon Tagestam
When I first listened to this CD it felt like I've stumbled on a treasure chest, then it turned out that the gold coins were full of chocolate and there were just too many of them, and it consequently made me feel sick and tired. This album is good in small doses, some of the tracks are superb, such as the mad nice opening and title track (an instant classic!) or "Stray" that has some strings that would make RZA blush. But, as I tried to say in the contrived metaphor in the beginning of this review, the album doesn't stay that great for all 13 songs, which is a bit of shame, really.
- Simon Tagestam
If you like your music twee and melodic, you should check out this compilation from Popsicle, a Swedish band that were active in the '90s, and released some fine albums. This is a double cd, with the standard "one cd full of hits / the other full of b-sides" design. Earlier this year, Popsicle came back from the dead for a one-off gig, and every day I prick my stomach with a needle for missing that show. I have many fond memories from these tunes, and if you're a fan of Teenage Fanclub and their ilk – you should get this and get some of those memories yourself!
- Simon Tagestam
Sharif
Lack