I didn’t know what to expect but boy is this great. It’s a soulful languid thing. It has a bassline that just sits there, it sits there just pulsing away, it’s the thing that everything else sits on. Sparse drums and guitar add to the feel, and then there’s this wonderfully light vocal, a voice singing lovely words. It has a retro feel, to my ears it has something of a late 60s’ thing going, the merest hint of psychedelic sound in there.
Look it’s hard to know what else to say about this song, it’s absolutely fantastic. It takes you to a good place, it’s just lovely. Go get yourself a listen now.
The single comes with a bonus in the the shape of ‘Heard It Was Beautiful REMIX’. This track was produced by Samh’s labelmate Savvy aka Asaviour who also lends a vocal duties, unleashing a profound verse about everything & nothing at the same time.
While the original is a alt-folkish thing, this remix turns it all funky, Savvy uses the original as a jumping off point into something that had me throwing some very bad shapes (thankfully not in public).
The info
Written & produced by Samh “We Have Been Here Forever” tells a tale of love & the universe a soulful dream-like trip of whimsy which makes to flashback to those long summer evenings with your closest compadres, The lyrics depict these idyllic moments in time that we all experience in our lives that seem to be internal. Reflecting on the work of Alan Watts and Nagarjuna the song explores the middle of existence and non-existence, never and always, everything and nothing.
I reviewed Moi_6’s ‘Music Made on a Cash Register’ EP a while back and may have surprised some of you by really liking it (I may, of course, not surprised anyone but I don’t know for sure). This EP I really like again. Moi_6’s music is both hugely engaging and clever.
It’s similar in having track names that are enigmatic (‘Del.sperad’ for example), but as I said in my previous review the track names are not that important to your enjoyment of this music. It’s different in that on some tracks the sound is somewhat more ambient and richer sounding than the tracks on ‘Music Made on a Cash Register’. This doesn’t make it better, just different OK?
‘Breakchop1(bnc2)’ is, as the title might suggest, based around a choppy breakbeat. It’s atmospheric and, in common with all of the tracks, sounds ‘organic’. What I mean by this is that while it’s obviously layers of programmed sounds it feels like it could be performed live, given enough people to play it.
‘Del.sperad(lowdel Mix))’ sounds, as did the tracks on the previous EP, a little like an 80s’ tech programme theme. Although what this doesn’t tell you is that it comes with a sense of darkness. The underlying synth washes have something of 80s’ post-punk electronica. ‘X06.bond (finmas)’ is darker still. Sounds jab out at you out of the moody atmospheric backing. Small sounds suddenly sound out. It actually sounds rather scary. This is definitely the stand out track for me.
‘X06.bond (finmas)’ sounds retro electronixa. ‘Oscdrft.test’ is all slow, dark and atmospheric – rich synth and clanging sounds. The EP closer is a slow version of ‘Del.sperad’.
These simple descriptions don’t tell you that the tracks develop, they change, they have structure, carefully thought out structure. This is very definitely music not a collection of random sounds. It’s music you can immerse yourself in, and it’s emotionally satisfying. If this type of music is new to you I suggest you take a listen, take your time and listen properly. This is lovely stuff.
Following live shows, which included sold out London Barbican and Edinburgh performances, Erland embarks on his first UK tour this autumn on dates that will see him joined by his multi-instrumental ensemble.
Dates
NOVEMBER
Sun 17 LANCASTER Central Library
Wed 20 MANCHESTER Band on The Wall
Thu 21 BRISTOL Arnolfini (SOLD OUT)
Fri 22 BRIGHTON Unitarian Church (SOLD OUT)
Sun 24 LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
Sat 30 GLASGOW Mackintosh Queen’s Cross Church
ERLAND COOPER has shared an excerpt from SEACHANGE – the ambient companion to his acclaimed album SULE SKERRY – released earlier in October.
Seachange was created in collaboration with producer, artist and guitarist Leo Abrahams, who guests on Sule Skerry and, as with MURMURATION (the collaboration with William Doyle that accompanied Erland’s debut solo release SOLAN GOOSE – both albums featuring in Quietus’ Best of 2018) Seachange is a continuous ambient work, split over three movements, or Tides.
Seachange is a seamless sonic poem, evoking the place and memory of the record that came before it. As Erland explains:
“It’s just a different perspective, or way of seeing. I imagine this music being created by placing recyclable source material into the North Sea and watching it become torn, pulled apart, diluted, stretched, weathered and then reassembled in an Orkney Geo* It creates a different form, with dissolved and overlapping melodies that eventually disappear into granules like plankton. This record is an upcycling of sounds, themes and layers into a new collaborative work.”
*an inlet, gully or narrow and deep cleft in the face of a cliff formed by the sea in Orkney and Shetland
Erland also recently announced a new collaboration, this time for the Young Vic production of PORTIA COUGHLAN due to run from 16 September – 31 October 2020. Invited by the director Carolyn Byrne, he will compose the score to Marina Car’s play, with Academy Award nominee Ruth Negga making her Young Vic debut in the title role. In addition, Erland will explore the natural world of his homeland through an evocative mix of music, words and imagery in AN ORKNEY TRIPTYCH at London Barbican on Saturday 13 June 2020.
Sule Skerry – which includes the BBC 6Music playlisted track FIRST OF THE TIDE – is the second album in a triptych shaped by his childhood home, the Orkney Islands and, in particular, by the air, the sea and the land.
More about Erland Cooper
Hailing from the archipelago of Orkney in Scotland, Erland Cooper explores the natural world of birds, landscape and place, manifesting in an immersive collection of music, words and imagery. Originally part of acclaimed bands THE MAGNETIC NORTH and ERLAND & THE CARNIVAL, he has a diverse musical background. His first solo album, Solan Goose, was an ode to escapism, written to ease personal anxiety working in a busy city through soothing piano, electronics, strings and wild bird calls. His celebrated second record, Sule Skerry, turned his attention to the North Sea, and Seachange completes Part III of a trilogy of albums about his childhood home of Orkney. Erland also works across multi-arts projects including gallery, film and installations, most recently scoring Nest, a giant, kinetic light and sound installation opening London’s first borough of culture.
The Fargo Railroad Company are a southern rock / Americana band from Sheffield UK. Building a strong local fan base, their shows are dynamic soulful and rousing. Founded in 2013, the four-piece use a strong southern influenced sound as a vehicle for their songs of barrooms, broken relationships and a little bit of gospel.
8th November – Church House, Sheffield, S1 2EW
15th November – Wroot Rocks, Wroot, Doncaster, DN9 2BW
23rd November (Solo Acoustic) – Northern Guitars Café Bar, Leeds, LS1 7BT
30th November (Acoustic Duo) – Santiago Bar, Leeds, LS1 6PG
7th December – (Our Big Birthday Bash) Greystones, Sheffield, S11 7BS
15th December (Acoustic) – Edinburgh Arms, York, YO10 4AE
I wasn’t sure what I expected to hear when I listened to The Azenas EP for the first time but it wasn’t what I heard. Describing yourself as alternative pop doesn’t really prepare the listener for the songs on this EP at all. The full listing of instruments on it might lead you to expect the unexpected – for the record these are the usual guitars, bass and drums with ukulele, harmonica, maracas, tambourine, wurlitzer, vibraphone, piano, rotary organ, timpani, clavichord and spoons!
EP opener ‘Play It Again, Sam’ starts with a ukulele but then goes into a full blown what I can only describe as a 50s’ or 60s’ ballad. It has, and I assume this comes from their parents’ extensive record collections, sometime of a Beatles feel to the lead and backing vocals. I’m not sure that the Beatles ever used a ukulele though (I may, and probably am, probably wrong about that). That ukulele adds something of a twenties feel to the track. It’s a lovely thing, I’ve basically fallen head over heels musically in love with this.
‘Darjeeling’ is something I find hard to pin down musically. There are elements of Stevie Winwood – there’s organ – in there, there are elements of 60s’ pop, there is a bizarre guitar break that’s weirdly DIY rock sounding, there’s even something of a psychedelic pop thing going on. This sounds like an unholy mess, it isn’t.
We are back at 60s’ pop ballad feel for ‘And So Why Should I Pretend?’, including a rather fab high pitched lead vocal.
‘Sooner Or Later’ sounds, and I hesitate, to say this somewhat Roy Harper, folk rock and strangely remind me of some acoustic led Yes tracks to start off. But it kinda explodes into something louder before going back to that acoustic led thing. It is weirdly alternative rock – it does that quiet/loud thing but the loud bits are revved up RnBish, and the quiet bits feature acoustic, strangely classical piano, lovely massed vocals, you get the picture. Again you’re going to be saying ‘But Frank this sounds like something that shouldn’t work at all’. The thing is it does, it’s rather beautiful and crucially has to be heard to be believed.
Does this sound like alternative pop to you? Sure it’s poppy in the main – ‘Sooner Or Later’ isn’t but that’s the exception. It sounds rather retro I guess, and some of the sounds and feels are, but then again it isn’t. This wouldn’t work if the members of The Azenas couldn’t play exceptionally well or arrange these songs with skill and craft – that’s a big yes to both of these as you may have assumed.
What The Azenas have done is make a set of songs that are compelling, musically brilliant and inventive. Something that doesn’t fit into any genre niche – and I love music that doesn’t fit into a niche – beyond that of wonderful music. This is beautiful stuff.
The info
The Azenas are a three-piece, alternative pop band from Sheffield. Having dabbled in a spot of DIY ethic recording and released their own material on Bandcamp, Merry-Go-Round magazine commented they “sound like they’re having a blast and are inspired by nothing more than a love of music” whilst Tonic Grain described them as “an exceptional band/with some really contagious tunes”.
Their Bandcamp bio – which is a thing of loveliness – says ‘What happens when three mates delve into their parents extensive and varied record collections, find some random instruments lying around, then decide to dabble in a spot of DIY recording? The result is The Azenas’.
Archie Noble (Vocals, guitar, harmonica, ukulele)
Tom Stewart (Vocals, bass, drums, guitar)
Edward Simons (Piano, organ, backing vocals, percussion)
Since forming in 2009, Crow Black Chicken have earned back-pats aplenty for their dirty southern blues sound. This power trio of Christy O Hanlon (Vocals, Guitar), Stephen McGrath (Bass) and Gev Barrett (Drums, Backing vocals) combine elements of folk, hard rock and the blues of bands like Gov’t Mule to create their greasy blues rock sound. Crow Black Chicken have supported ZZ Top at The Marquee in Cork, played Glastonbury twice and were picked in the top 5 blues albums by Classic Rock Blues Magazine
It doesn’t end there though and earlier this year they were voted the “best act” by the audience of the Introducing Stage at The Great British Rock & Blues Festival. Consequently they will be returning in 2020 for an appearance on the festival’s main stage. On this performance the review by Bluesdoodles said “Crow Black Chicken deliver foot stomping, mouth whooping music. With tall tales and carries-on of life on the road, CBC blew what was left of the roof off Skegness. It was a fabulous if too short a set from this fabulous live-wire trio”
Studio 5 Live @ Jam On Top is located at Melbourne House, 17 Chesham Street, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 4LB
KILNSEY GREEN will be playing at KEIGHLEY EXCHANGE on FRIDAY 8TH NOVEMBER with support from SHIP’S CAT and JACK MAZURKE.
KILNSEY GREEN are a Bradford four piece who recently released their self-titled debut EP, which duly cemented their position as one of the most talked about and respected emerging bands in the North of England. Fusing acoustic, neo-soul ambience with savoury blues, they create thoughtful folk-rock tunes that pack a punch and have been championed by press and radio alike, including BBC Introducing who commented: “I may not smoke, but I can imagine walking onto a Tarantino set with a cigar to this”.
SHIP’S CAT are five musicians from Leeds, borne of a desire to create music which is unique, heartfelt and epic. Influenced by artists such as Frightened Rabbit, Sparklehorse, Ultrasound, Mastersystem and Nick Cave, their songs shimmer with emotion and sadness fed by a sense of tragedy to resonate with people who have loved and lost and lived to tell the tale. A Ship’s Cat gig is an intense experience that ultimately uplifts the soul and leaves a notion that there is always a way out of the darkness.
JACK MAZURKE is a young blues-inspired singer-songwriter and guitarist from Burley-In-Wharfedale near to both Leeds and Bradford. Influenced by the legendary Dylan, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, The Doors and The Beatles, he is a self-taught musician whose immediate aim is to make a lasting impression on a live audience. “I’ve always loved making music to express myself and to keep improving my art,” he says, “but to play for a handful of people and make them buzz has made me wonder how it would feel making a room of 400 people buzz.”
Following the release of their critically acclaimed second album ‘A Picture Of Good Health’, a recent A-listing on BBC 6 Music for ‘Hollow Thing’, a blistering BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale session for Jack Saunders and a packed out album launch in a Camden kebab shop, Hull outfit LIFE have shared a new video for album track ‘Excites Me’.
The animated, stop-motion video was directed by Manchester/York based artist Callum Scott-Dyson who says, “For ‘Excites Me’, we really wanted to do something manic and full of energy to match the pace of the track, while also develop a loose narrative that echoed some of the ideas in the song and lyrics. What started out as a more vague thing based around wanting to escape boring situations and explode with pent up rage, became a bit of a character piece about a man stuck in a boring job with lots of mundane things going on, who has to do something crazy to escape this life. Then the narrative gets crazier and crazier as his inner demon comes out and he grows into a rage filled monster.”
Speaking about the single, frontman Mez Green, said “Sometimes music hits you like a shot of pure adrenaline, like electricity in your blood stream, like a never ending firework. Sometimes music heals you. Sometimes music excites you. Music excites me. Let it excite you.”
A staple of the band’s set and a live favourite amongst fans, the video is announced midway through the bands UK headline tour. The band will be supported Night Flowers and local rising Hull band New Meds across their forthcoming shows. They will play the following dates:
Tues 5, November – Cookie, Leicester UK (^)
Wed 6, November – Moth Club, London UK (w/ Italia90)
Thurs 7, November – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff UK (#)
Fri 8, November – West End Centre, Aldershot UK (^)
Sun 10, November – Anvil, Bournemouth, UK (^)
Mon 11, November – Green Door Store, Brighton UK (^)
Tues 12, November – Joiners, Southampton UK (^)
Wed 13, November – Forum, Tunbridge Wells UK (^)
Thurs 14, November – Horn, St Albans UK (w/ Fiende Fatale)
Fri 15, November – Crauford Arms, Milton Keynes UK
Weds 4, December – Academy 2, Dublin IRE
Thurs 5, December – McHughs Basement, Belfast UK
Fri 6, December – Kasbah Club, Limerick UK
Alongside the tour starting, ‘A Picture Of Good Health’ was also recently announced as Album Of The Day on BBC 6 Music, leading to the B-list addition of their previous single ‘Bum Hour’.
The band also embarked on a sold out two-week European tour as main support for IDLES as well as playing one of three sold-out London shows at the Electric Ballroom and have played packed out sets at various festivals throughout the year including: Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City, Pukkelpop, Best Kept Secret, Rock For People, Pahoda, Latitude and more.
Produced by Luke Smith (Foals) and mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer (Parquet Courts), the new album sees the band home in on a bigger and more focused sound whilst also channelling the lyrical content inwards. Whereas the band’s debut album ‘Popular Music’ was broadly political, the new album takes a more personal approach with beguilingly honest and brave lyrics that are bold in both sound and feeling, whilst also retaining the core DNA of their previous material.
Going on to speak about the album Mez says “A Picture of Good Health is not a collage of work but rather a snapshot of time; our time and the time of those around us. It’s political, but in a personal way. It’s a body of work that explores and examines the band’s inner-selves through a precise period; a period that has brought pain, loneliness, blood, guts, single parenthood, depression and the need for survival and love. It is the sense and need for belonging that is the resounding end note!”
‘A Picture Of Good Health’ is out now via band’s own label ‘Afghan Moon’ and also sees them partner for the first time with [PIAS].
I rather like Huddersfield’s Northern Quarter, which while it’s, let’s say, intimate, it has banging sound. It also has the advantage of being a short walk from LSF Towers, so travelling to a gig there is easy. So I walked down there to see DeadWax launch their new single ‘Run It’ and, with much anticipation, Fudge playing my home town.
Deepdiver
But first up were Deepdiver. Deepdiver seem to do that ‘sometimes rather indie, and sometimes rather alt-rock’ thing. Not being a huge indie fan, I wasn’t that sure of some of the songs early in the set. This is very much a personal view – taking the objective music reviewer stance, this is a band who certainly can play and their songs are not the usual indie/alt-rock thing.
In fact as their set went on I started first to get what they did, and then really like what they did. That happens to me sometimes, I start off all ‘I’m too sure about this’ and end up all ‘actually they’re rather good, I like this’.
DeepdiverDeepdiver
Having that that conversion I often wish I could travel back in time to the beginning of a set to listen with my new ‘I rather like this’ thing going on. This is clearly impossible. I have to wait until I can see the bend play again which I definitely want to do with Deepdiver. Until I see them again it’s hard to do anything too detailed but if you like a band who play great indie/alt-rock music go see Deepdiver if you get the chance.
Fudge
I had been rather worried about seeing Fudge play second on the bill and in Huddersfield. I know they have lots of fans in Leeds but Hudds who knows. If I sound rather ‘invested’ in Fudge, I am, I love Fudge.
I needn’t have worried, from the get go they had a crowd clearly waiting for ‘hometown heroes’ DeadWax really going. This may have been helped, acually I think it was, by Cam’s epic opening stage dive. Remembering this as I write, it was rather a scary thing to see, he was aiming I think for some people I recognised from previous Fudge gigs. From that moment they had the crowd and the venue Fudge-ified. They do that, they make the crowd part of their gig.
Look, if you’ve been keeping up you’ll know that there is way more to Fudge than frantic moshing, stage diving and chaos. There is great music and songs. Songs with great words – words that are sometimes funny and sometimes make you think. It’s music for the head as well as the feet. They is fantastic playing from a band who really know their stuff. And there is, last but certainly not least, Cam; who as well as singing those songs, and he has a great voice, makes us all feel part of the experience (even me, standing there with a large camera glued to my face, attempting to capture the virtually impossible, the atmosphere of a Fudge gig).
FudgeFudgeFudgeFudgeFudgeFudgeFudgeFudge
And somewhere in the middle of their set was a new song, a song that I’m convinced had the word ten in the title – I may well be wrong, I probably am – but it sounded way good. And even though I’ve heard their songs a lot, I like them more and more every time I hear them. And I find it harder and harder to even try and be objective about them.
There was frantic moshing, there was one crowd member stage dive, there was Cam joining the crowd. The band held nothing back, they may have been playing out of their hometown and second on the bill, but you’d expect nothing less than that from Fudge, it’s all or nothing.I’ve said this before, and will probably say it again, but Fudge are a band you need to see if you haven’t already.
DeadWax
Before I plunge into reviewing DeadWax, I have to be honest. The last time I saw them play and wrote a review of their set, I was on the fence about them, I was unsure. Although hedging my bets I did say that the next time I saw them I’d probably love them. Predictly, at least for me in my head, I did.
If DeadWax are new to you, what they do is to take stuff from a variety of places – one moment it’s all bluesy, the next rap metal, the next funky as fuck, you get the picture – and mix them up into banging tunes. And shit this a band who can play, their lead guitarist, masked that night, is one hot player.
The result people is a maelstrom of sound that you just can’t help being drawn into, your feet just can’t help moving. The fact that their guitarist is great was easy to spot. I had to step back and listen properly to get that the whole band can play – the bass and drums set up a great groove. And the band’s singer has a really good voice – the band’s one slow song highlighted that.
But there’s more to them than that, it’s a live performance. And this is a band who give their all. The set is ‘can’t take your eyes off them good’, visually they’re compelling.
DeadWax, you have me converted. This is band who just play whatever style they want, and they just mix stuff up. Yet there’s a ‘DeadWax sound’ that makes their set hang together. This band rock. Go see them people.
Following the release of their acclaimed UK top 10 album, ‘Restless Minds’, and being awarded the prestigious ‘Global Artist Award’ at the CMA Awards earlier this year, country-pop duo Ward Thomas have announced an intimate acoustic tour for spring 2020. The run includes a show at London’s captivating Union Chapel on 7th May.
The tour sees the twins take in an array of beautiful venues across the UK, in a stripped back light, allowing them to really showcase their incredible harmonies in an up close and personal setting. Across the dates the duo will play fan favourites from their chart topping album ‘Cartwheels’ and 2019’s ‘Restless Minds’, as well as some brand-new tracks.
2019 has been a massive year for Ward Thomas seeing them tour Europe with Jack Savoretti, before joining him to sing a duet of The Killers’ ‘Human’ at his sold-out Wembley Arena show. They also played a triumphant set at Isle of Wight, supported David Gray across his Australian run and joined Brad Paisley on stage at London’s O2 Arena for ‘Whiskey Lullaby’, all on top of releasing their 3rd album ‘Restless Minds’.
Ward Thomas play the following UK dates. Tickets on-sale 8th November at 9am
April
Fri 24th Grand Central, Liverpool
Sat 25th Mackintosh Church, Glasgow
Sun 26th Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
Mon 27th RNCM Concert Hall, Manchester
Wed 29th Forum, Bath
Thurs 30th City Varieties, Leeds
May
Fri 1st Forum Theatre, Barrow
Sat 2nd Engine Shed, Lincoln
Tues 5th O2 Academy, Bournemouth
Wed 6th Assembly, Leamington
Thurs 7th Union Chapel, London
Sat 9th St Georges, Brighton
Sun 10th Palace Theatre, Southend
Mon 11th Epic Studios, Norwich
Wed 13th New Vic Theatre, Woking
The info
