You are currently browsing the monthly archive for August 2008.
Regular readers may remember my enthusiastic review of the solo album by Sleeping in the Aviary drummer Michael Sienkowski (released under the nom de plume Whatfor) a few months ago. A beautifully realised homage to classic sixties pop with a heavy Kinks influence, it remains one of my favourite releases of 2008 so far. As a consequence, I had high hopes for Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel. After all, I mused, if the drummer can write a near-classic, what kind of artistic heights might the full band be capable of scaling?
It seems I let myself get a little carried away.
While it’s not a bad record by any stretch, I can’t help but feel a touch disappointed by Sleeping in the Aviary’s latest offering. It’s decent indie-rock fare, sure, but in a sense that’s the chief problem with Expensive Vomit; like many other artists currently operating in the genre, SitA’s music is often good, yet seldom great. The melancholy piano-led You’re a Party is one notable exception, and certainly the strongest track here, but for the most part Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel – which, for the record, is a truly atrocious album title – consists of mid-tempo, rough and ready indie-rock tunes. You’ll have heard their kind before, but if you must download one I’d have to recommend the rousing opener Write On.
It’s seems ungrateful to grumble over a solid, competent release, but it’s a crowded marketplace out there and unless you’ve got an insatiable appetite for North American indie-rock, Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel is almost certainly an album that you can go on happily living without. That Whatfor record on the other hand… (6)
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
A sleepy, isolated town on the West Cumbrian coast, Whitehaven is probably one of the last places – in England, and possibly the world – where you’d expect to find a thriving indie-pop record label. There are no proper record shops (no, Smith’s and Woolies don’t count) and the only established music venue has, at the time of writing, precisely three gigs booked for 2008. Don’t get me wrong, Whitehaven’s a nice place in many ways – it’s also happens to be my hometown – but I can tell from experience that growing up as a music fan there is pretty tough.
Thanks to the efforts of one man, however, things are changing. Whitehaven may not have a great band to call its own but now, thanks to Gavin Stephenson’s Letterbox Records, it does at least have a great record label. Specialising in classic indie-pop music, Letterbox is rapidly gaining a name for itself on the back of a string of impressive album releases including, most recently, the debut albums from Scotland’s Amateurs and Sweden’s Penny Century. This is the story behind the label’s success.
After graduating from university, Gavin moved to Glasgow on the basis of the city’s “super indie-pop scene”. From here, he made what he describes as his “most ludicrous yet enterprising decision” by applying for an unpaid internship at Shelflife Records in San Francisco. His application was accepted and Gavin packed his bags and crossed the Atlantic to serve a valuable apprenticeship with the label. He explains:
“I applied for this internship so I could ‘learn the trade’, before creating Letterbox, but I gained some much more from my time at Shelflife, not least a wonderful friendship. After a year, I moved back to the UK, bought letterboxrecords.com and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Upon his return, Gavin returned home to Whitehaven home to set up his label. Despite the town’s location, a draining 320 mile drive from London, the supposed epicentre of the UK music industry, he doesn’t see it as a major disadvantage “thanks to the Internet”.
It’s perhaps indicative of the San Francisco label’s influence on Gavin that his first Letterbox release came from a former Shelflife act, The Arrogants. The band had already released You’ve Always Known When Best to Say Goodbye themselves stateside when Gavin arranged a deal to handle the UK release and distribution. A similar deal was arranged with another American artist, Aaron Schroeder, but Gavin returned to Scotland (Edinburgh this time) to make a charmingly quirky indie-folk sextet called The Amateurs the label’s first ‘proper’ signing. Although the band’s charismatic Hongu Kongu album is nominally catalogue number LET001, it was actually the last of the label’s 2007 offerings to be released due to a few problems with recording and artwork.
The first Letterbox-signed band to release an album on the label was London-based Anglo-American quintet Morning Bride, whose Lea Valley Delta Blues earned Letterbox its first mainstream press. The Word dubbed the band “The best thing to come out of Hackney since the White Stripes recorded Elephant there”; Plan B and Rock ‘n’ Reel were equally enamoured with the record. Gavin soon found himself on BBC Radio 5 Live talking about indie label success stories!
The highly-rated debut album from Glasgow’s California Snow Story followed. CSS (no, not that one) are another ex-Shelflife band, led by former Camera Obscura guitarist/songwriter David Skirving. While mainstream press has surprisingly eluded the record, CSS’ Close to the Ocean has steadily become Letterbox’s top selling release as the result of blog support and word of mouth throughout the indie-pop community. The band’s Suddenly Everything Happens single topped a twee.net poll for Best Single of 2007, beating off such heavyweight challengers as Jens Lekman and the Clientele in the process.
France’s Watoo Watoo was all set to release its second album la fuite elsewhere when disaster struck; their label unexpectedly folded leaving the Bordeaux-based indie-pop duo homeless. David from California Snow Story alerted Gavin to the news and within a couple of weeks the record was released on Letterbox. I haven’t heard the whole album myself (yet) but I can highly recommend the free download-only single Perdu. Comparisons with Stereolab are inevitable due to chanteuse Pascale’s soothing French-language vocals, but the Watoo Watoo sound is jauntier and more pop-based.
Every good indie-pop label needs a classy Swedish act on its roster, and Gavin found his in the beautiful Northern lakeside city of Östersund. I’ve visited the place a few times and I can safely say it’s even more isolated than Whitehaven. Penny Century accidentally deleted Gavin’s first e-mail, mistaking it for spam, but their wires were eventually uncrossed as the Swedes became the newest addition the Letterbox stable. Their accomplished debut Between a Hundred Lies was released in the summer to further acclaim and respectable sales. The band even turned up to play a date in Whitehaven, which must have been an experience for them. Perhaps the most commercial sounding band on the label, Penny Century could well be the one that helps Letterbox break through to a more mainstream audience. I certainly hope so, because both parties certainly deserve that kind of recognition.
. . .
Listen To Letterbox Online:
Penny Century – “Nothing Burns Like Bridges”
Watoo Watoo – “Perdu”
The Amateurs – “Things You Only Know If You Don’t Drive”
Morning Bride – “Stepping Out In Front of Cars”
California Snow Story – “Suddenly Everything Happens”
The Arrogants – “Don’t Be So Cynical”
Aaron Schroeder – “A Movin’ Movin’ Train”
. . .
Please visit http://www.letterboxrecords.com for more information about the label and its artists. CDs can be purchased from the label’s online store or iTunes.
Originally published on No Ripcord on 26 July, this is the first edition of my new column for the site, “A Question Of Sound”.
. . .
Whether you like it or not, a lot of people get their music for free these days. Rare tracks, unreleased albums, even entire back catalogues – they’re all readily available at the click of a mouse. It just depends on your ethical standpoint, your level of computer expertise and, perhaps most significantly, the size of your hard drive. But if the perceived worth of recorded music has declined in the last decade, then the stock of live music has surely risen. Even with live video streams and concert DVDs, there’s no experience that comes close to just being there. This is perhaps why the reunion show has become such a big concept in the last five years or so.
As someone who worries far too much about things like artistic legacies, I’ve made a habit of avoiding almost all of the grizzled legends currently blazing the comeback trail; notable exceptions include Dinosaur Jr (definitely worth it) and Janes Addiction (a favour to a friend, and probably not). When the long-awaited live return of My Bloody Valentine was announced in November 2007, however, I found myself overcome with a sense of giddy excitement and anticipation that I haven’t experienced in response to a musical event, be it an album release or a live show, for a very long time. Now, I could happily scribble a 1,000 word hypothesis as to why an MBV comeback felt so right, but I’m assuming you’d sooner hear about the comeback itself. So I’ll try to focus on that without running off on too many tangents…
Having ordered three tickets for the Saturday show at London’s Roundhouse, I proceeded to tell everyone I knew (well, anyone who would be at least marginally interested) the good news. And then I waited. In April one of my friends phoned up to tell me that he wouldn’t be able to attend the London show (a friend’s wedding was his dismal excuse – priorities, eh?). This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Determined not to miss out, he bought two tickets for the Manchester Apollo show on 29/6/2008 and invited me along. My excitement levels literally doubled, I began counting the days.
. . .
Saturday June 21 – The Roundhouse, London
As we enter the rather attractive amphitheatre of Camden’s Roundhouse, we are greeted by one of the security guards who is enthusiastically handing out earplugs. He has a word of warning for those who decline his offer: “Are you sure? You’ll regret it!” I’m too young to have seen My Bloody Valentine prior to the legendary extended hiatus, but I’ve heard plenty of stories (and rumours) about the blistering noise sections, in particular the cacophonous middle eight-thousand of You Made Me Realise. I love music, I value my hearing – I’ll take a pair of your earplugs please, sir.
After a brief but enjoyable set from Sonic Boom (highlight: a heavenly version of Transparent Radiation) the four original members My Bloody Valentine – who incidentally look pretty much unchanged from the Loveless era publicity shots – take to the stage and launch into a meaty version of Only Shallow. I promptly insert my newly acquired ear plugs and something approaching the song’s vocal melody becomes apparent. And it sounds fantastic.
One of my favourite things about Loveless is the way it seems to possess different sonic qualities at different volumes; in the live setting, with a pair of earplugs, it is possible to have a similar experience, although in the louder sections there is the added bonus of a more physical element. At various intervals tonight I can genuinely feel my thorax vibrating. I can almost visualise the ossicles in my ears whirring away like miniature pneumatic drills, conducting the thunderous noise of the band, those little hammers and anvils beating in time with Colm O’Ciosoig’s powerful, metronomic drumming.
The band manages to get through a surprising number of classic tracks tonight – indeed, they play pretty much everything you’d want them to play: When You Sleep, Sueisfine, (When You Wake) You’re Still In A Dream, Come In Alone, To Hear Knows When, Feed Me With Your Kiss, Nothing Much To Lose, etc.
Nevertheless, the obvious highlights for me – as conventional as this may be – are still Soon, the peerless shimmering dance-shoegaze crossover, and the live signature track, You Made Me Realise. Every great band should have a classic track that frustratingly isn’t on any of its albums; this is My Bloody Valentine’s. It’s Kevin Shields’ best kept secret and tonight, true to form, it is transformed into thirty-minute ear-splitting monster. To say the noise levels during the extended noise section are uncomfortable would be a gross understatement: I try taking my earplugs out for a minute and I can barely believe it. Those ossicles I was talking about are presumably in the process of constructing a picket line as I insert those little foam protectors back into my ear canals. It’s abrasive, but with something to take the edge of the volume levels (which, if you believe everything you read in Internet forums, peaks at around 130dB) it’s an interesting physical experience. Not something you’d want to do every day and, looking around me at some of the contorted, uncomfortable facial expressions, clearly not something you’d want to expose naked eardrums to for any significant length of time.
You Made Me Realise rounds off a memorable set and as I leave the Roundhouse with my ears ringing I feel slightly smug in knowledge that I’ll be returning for a second helping of My Bloody Valentine in eight days time. Did I say slightly smug? Sorry, that should read enormously smug.
London Set List:
Only Shallow; When You Sleep; You Never Should; When You Wake; Cigarette In Your Bed; I Only Said; Come In Alone; Thorn; Nothing Much To Lose; To Here Knows When; Slow; Blown A Wish; Soon; Feed Me With Your Kiss; Sueisfine; You Made Me Realise
. . .
Sunday June 28 – The Apollo, Manchester
Here we are again. A different venue and a different friend to share the experience with, but the same brilliant band. Buoyed by my experience at the Roundhouse, and perhaps influenced by a few days in our nation’s capital, I soon find myself becoming one of those annoyingly arrogant audience members that thinks he knows better than everyone else. “Of course, they’ll start with Only Shallow” I condescendingly tell my friend, seconds before being blown away by a rousing version of I Only Said. In an instant I feel rather foolish.
There aren’t too many other major surprises tonight, although I can’t help but feel I’m watching a technically tighter group of musicians. With the exception of a clunky false start on either When You Sleep or Only Shallow, I forget which one, the songs sound more rehearsed tonight, as you’d expect from a band with a handful of reunion shows under its belt. Perhaps it’s because of my position in relation to the speakers, although more likely it’s because I’m sober this time, but the overall sound quality seems less muddy tonight, too.
I find myself enjoying some of the more unsung tunes like Cigarette in Your Bed, which I couldn’t even remember them playing in London, and the dirge-y Slow (also from the You Made Me Realise EP). Come In Alone and Blown A Wish are also pretty great.
I didn’t see anyone handing out earplugs at the start of the night this time round, and consequently You Made Me Realise manages to claim a few more victims than it did in London: from my vantage point I can see at least one person crying, which isn’t really a surprise. I’m pretty sure there are jet engines out there that kick out less noise than My Bloody Valentine at full tilt. And you wouldn’t put your head next to one of those, would you?
Manchester Set List:
I Only Said; When You Sleep; (When You Wake) You’re Still In A Dream; You Never Should; Cigarette In Your Bed; Come In Alone; Only Shallow; Thorn; Nothing Much To Lose; To Here Knows When; Blown A Wish; Slow;
Soon; Feed Me With Your Kiss; Sueisfine; You Made Me Realise
You may have heard this one before.
Although its initial release last summer through Burly Time Records was relatively low key, the debut album from nu-folk types Bowerbirds garnered all sorts of praise from people in the know. The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle called the ‘Birds “my favourite new band in forever” and Pitchfork bestowed a prestigious 8.4 rating on the record, whatever that means. Perhaps you downloaded it? Maybe you even paid for it. Who knows; the crucial point is it’s back, and it sounds even better in 2008.
The band’s rather awesome new label Dead Oceans obviously feels that the record deserved a bigger audience than the Burly Time release afforded it, which is why I’m sat here reviewing this slightly expanded re-issue in summer 2008. This release is great news for all involved, though: I never received a promo from Burly Time so I finally get a hard copy; the band will be happy because they can win over a few more fans and earn a few more dollars; thanks to the unreleased bonus tracks, there’s even something for the more hardcore fan to get excited about.
So how do I sell Bowerbirds to the uninitiated? Well, it’s pretty straightforward – all I have to do is persuade you to listen to one or two songs and the band will take care of the rest. And let’s be honest – John Darnielle’s recommendation probably had you heading over to MySpace already. But while we’re here: Bowerbirds is new and folk, without all the baggage that often accompanies those words. This isn’t a self-important jam band we’re talking about and there’s nothing approaching psychedelia on the record. There are no obscure covers of lost folk legends and there’s only one beard in the band. And even that’s neatly trimmed.
Crucially, Hymns For A Dark Horse is the sound of three American folk musicians playing the music that comes natural to them and having a great time in the process. Like current tour buddies Bon Iver, Bowerbirds specialise in timeless, honest and earthy folk music. This is no calculated tribute to the British folk scenes of the 60s and 70s; this is the real deal. Savour it. (8/10)
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
What is it with Wisconsin this year? Not content with producing the most acclaimed record of the year in Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, the state seems to be developing quite the fertile independent music scene. And it’s Madison rather than the much larger Milwaukee that has captured my attention.
Science of Sound is one of those close-knit community type of record labels, where all the bands seem to consist of varying combinations of the same seven or eight musicians. This isn’t a criticism, it’s actually quite charming, and the music speaks for itself: these guys are all pretty talented songwriters and players.
Whatfor is the brainchild of Michael Sienkowski, drummer for fellow SoS artists Sleeping In The Aviary by day, lo-fi singer-songwriter with a penchant for 60’s influenced pop songs by night. To further confuse matters, Sienkowski is joined here by his SITA bandmates Elliott Kozel (guitar) and Phil Mahlstadt (bass) to flesh out his compositions, and the result is a remarkably accomplished debut that combines the classic songwriting of Ray Davies with the inventiveness of early Of Montreal.
One of Sooner Late Than Never’s strengths is Sienkowski’s willingness to deviate from the classic bass/drums/guitar format. Perhaps it’s because he’s a drummer by trade, but some of the best songs here feel like they weren’t written by a guy with a battered up acoustic guitar, which is a breath of fresh air. There are flashes of cello, trombone, even harpsichord, and some of the compositions that rely most heavily on these instruments are the eventual standouts; Fast Asleep, with its longing vocal and jaunty cello riff for example, is a classic spin on the baroque-pop style. I’m Not Fooling Around probably was composed on guitar, but it deserves special mention for its beautiful harmonies and tinkling xylophone flourishes. It’s probably my favourite thing here and on a debut this strong that’s really saying something. (8/10)
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
. . .
Please visit the Science of Sound website, check out Whatfor’s music and support this great independent label.
My favourite Wire album is Chairs Missing. Released only eight months after the band’s début, the more immediate, punky Pink Flag, it captured an inventive young band developing at an exponential rate in terms of both songwriting and musicianship. Next month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Chairs Missing’s release. It’s amazing really – there aren’t many records from 1998 that sound as fresh and as interesting today as this outstanding post-punk document. Indeed, given that this band built its reputation on such a classic triptych of albums (1979’s 154 isn’t half bad either) it’s hardly surprisingly that Wire is still producing relevant and exciting music in the year 2008.
The key to Wire’s continuing success is artistic control. The band is very much operating on its own terms. All releases are issued on Pink Flag, Wire’s own label, and the music arrives when it’s ready. Ok, so releases have been relatively infrequent in the last decade, but listeners have been rewarded for their patience by a high quality threshold.
Object 47 – so called because it’s the 47th item in the Wire discography – is only nine tracks long, but each of those nine tracks is compelling in its own way. The best tracks, such as the feedback drenched All Fours and the sublime Circumspect, are simply electrifying.
In the unlikely event that anyone doubted it, Object 47 is proof that Wire’s edge remains as sharp as ever. (8/10)
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
Fleet Foxes – “Fleet Foxes” (Sub Pop)
August 25, 2008 in Comment | Tags: Fleet Foxes | Leave a comment
One of my No Ripcord contributors beat me to punch (with a guarded 7/10, nonetheless) and I think Rock ‘N’ Reel has already published something too, so I won’t be reviewing Fleet Foxes, which is something of a shame as it’s touched me unlike any other record in 2008 (yes, even the Bon Iver album).
Think Band Of Horses with better guitar parts and stronger songs, but with slightly inferior beards. Fleet Foxes is an absolutely spellbinding album and one which I urge to check out right away. It’s going to take something special to knock this off my number one spot for 2008.