Keith Astbury - Crown and Liver, Ewloe

This was the first time I've seen my good friend Keith play and sing. I'm not going to 'review' him, how could I, except to say I was mega-impressed with his thrash punk acoustic stance. Nice one. Can I be your road manager?

The Kills - Roundhouse, London [3 June 2011]

Thing is about The Kills that I don't really spend my idle hours playing their music on the stereo. I mean I love them and all that, and it's exciting rock and roll, but it's hardly new or experimental or pushing the envelope. How's the new album? Oh, much like the last.... So why is it then that they are just so flashingly explosively essential live? Honestly it's like pouring petrol across water then casually tossing in a lit cigarette (not that I ever played with matches of course).
Especially after the expectation and disappointment of going-through-the-motions Cat's Eyes, Jamie and Alison were simply as raw as torn sinew. Without really knowing why, I'm just drawn to this band when they play, as proved tonight as I found that with every crowd surge I'd pushed forward another row until I was a frazzled mess just in front of the barrier. By the end I was as sweated out as Mr Hince and Ms Mosshart are in this photo

Warpaint, Kentish Town Forum, 25 May 2011

This is the third time I've seen this band in 9 months. There has been a nice escalation - CAMP, then The Scala, tonight a sold-out-well-in-advance HMV Forum. We sat in the posh seats and watched from on high. Apparently the crowd below were somewhat rough - a female friend down there got punched and kicked by another woman. No need for that. And Warpaint? They have just increased so much in confidence, presence and poise. Jenny Lee Lindberg was comfortable simply to be  part of the anchor for Theresa Wayman and Emily Kokal, and didn't seem to want to sing much;  I took that as part of their maturation. As I did that they didn't include B.I.L.L.I.E. in the encore, although that could always have been mis-management of time versus curfew. I can only describe them as compellingly good, connecting with the heart and psyche. Add to that their artistic inventiveness, and you'll end up softly singing 'Undertow' for days afterwards. I've still got it on repeat on the internal jukebox

1. Jubilee
2. Stars
3. Bees
4. Undertow
5. Composure
6. Majesty
7. Warpaint
8. Set Your Arms Down
9. Beetles
----------
1. Baby
2. Elepants

I like this band a lot - here are my thoughts on the two previous Warpaint gigs I've been to

http://catshoegazing.blogspot.com/2010/08/warpaint-camp-basement-london-26-aug.html

http://catshoegazing.blogspot.com/2010/11/warpaint-scala-london-28-oct-2010.html

Support no. 1 were The Entrance Band who were really very much enjoyed by friend's friend hard rocking Aussie Katie. Generic rock. Meh, bleh, did nothing whatsoever for me, but there again neither do AC/DC

Support no. 2 were Connan Mockasin who were really very much enjoyed by no-one but me, and even I went to the toilet, and the bar, etc, etc while they were playing. They were Beefheart / Zappa-esque experimental and that must always be praised. I mean it. Wrong place, wrong time but I would cross the road to see them again.

Support no. 3 were supposed to be Crystal Stilts. Never showed up. How rude of them

FOE - Genie In A Coke Can

I've only just realised that there was more than one video from FOE's BBC Introducing session. This is almost as cracked as Tyrant Song - "Genies in my dressing gown..." ? Don't let her baby-sit your kids or you'll be paying for a child psychologist for years to come. And she's so well spoken too



More here  http://foe-mania.tumblr.com/

Albums round up - Austra, The Horn The Hunt, TD Lind, Death Cab For Cutie, Knesset

It's hard work listening to all this new stuff, and it's also a privilege. I've had sneaky advance peeks of work by Austra, The Horn The Hunt, TD Lind, Death Cab For Cutie and Knesset. I've reviewed them all over at either The Music Fix or Sonic Shocks and the links are below. Sometimes though the problem  - if there is any problem with all this new music for free - is that you end up making judgements based on listening three or four times. In fact in one case it was three times consecutively. And then later you can end up feeling a bit different. So to take the five as a tranche.

The one that is probably a classic and I don't know it yet is singer songwriter TD Lind, with his Americana and Gypsy jazz guitar http://music.thedigitalfix.com/content.php?contentid=14250&single=true

The one that I should like but still feels a bit worthy is Death Cab's new piece - maybe I just find Mr Zooey a bit creepy. Well, I mean he is, what was that other Death Cab song? I Will Possess Your Heart? Definite harassment order material before your very eyes there !! Mark my words Zooey, mark my words.... http://music.thedigitalfix.com/content/review/14286/death-cab-for-cutie.html

The one that should excite me the most, and does in some ways, is The Horn The Hunt. It turns out that I did their first ever live review back in January. They're right nice people and I'm sure I'll come back to this again to satisfy my fascination. I'm sure it's better than I've given it credit for so far (a 7/10 review) and I just need to get under it a bit more http://music.thedigitalfix.com/content/review/14248/the-horn-the-hunt.html

The one that is a-l-m-o-s-t top of the month is Knessett, a young US band - this is their debut. It's deceptive (aren't they all?) in that it sounds all sweet but the words are a lot more serious (hmm, I've seen that done before too). But I really like it, in a Springsteen vs Gareth Campesinos way. Evan from the band emailed me after reading this review http://sonicshocks.com/KNESSET-Coming-of-Age.php  Trust me, there is some serious buzz about this lot

And the one I have actually played most, for pleasure, to other people, and to myself, more than several times over? Austra. Shout it loud. Cool as fuck electro. I loves it m'dears, loves it to pieces
http://music.thedigitalfix.com/content.php?contentid=14157&single=true

...here is a video of SXSW, which is where the buzz for her really started. When you see the quality of this live performance, you start to get some idea. Sorry to follow the scenesters, but you simply can't argue with this. While you watch, remind yourself that they are making this all happen, live on stage, in front of your very eyes. Amazing

Plant Plants

I'm sadly playing catch up due to demands elsewhere in my life, but things are looking good again, yin and yang and all that. First up, here is my review / interview with the excellent Plant Plants, playing their second ever gig..


Plant Plants are completely and utterly brand new and his month sees the release of their debut EP. We'd had a sneaky preview and it had us pretty excited, treading a heady path between electronic dance and rocking out. Tonight was going to be their second ever gig. No pressure then! We caught up with Stuart Francis and Howard Whatley before soundcheck at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen. Howie is a natural born southerner, from outside London, while Stu is a Canadian import. Both are now located in in London, and have been working in some seclusion for a solid year before going public.


Carry on to the review and interview HERE