Cryptacize, London Union Chapel

Cryptacize's Nedelle Torrisi

May 28, 2009

Preceding a sublime Final Fantasy set is Asthmatic Kitty’s Cryptacize, all the way from lovely Oakland. Featuring ex-Deerhoof guitarist Chris Cohen and the wistful, rueful vocals of Nedelle Torrisi, their songs somehow strike an awkward balance between too much and not enough.

The extremely comprehensive set evokes Camera Obscura circa Underacheivers Please Try Harder (particularly ‘New Spell’ – grammer-lover’s- dream), Beirut’s Balkan folk through soft focus and the rhythms of American vaudeville. So to go back to that earlier point, it’s strange that it should feel any part of ‘not enough’ – to expand on the point a little further, the problem lies with the way every component is conveyed with such a sense of sparseness, making it ever-difficult to engage with the variety.

Song structures veer between comfortable and predictable even though the rhythms and misnomer of an upbeat are far from easy; the performance just feels a tad tentative. Yet while maintaining this sense of perhaps deliberate restraint, parts also feel indulgent.

Cohen’s detuned guitar is mythical, almost, and Torrisi’s electronic interludes are disorientating, but the ordering of the set needs context or to be sped up.  ‘Blue Tears’ is opened with a wonderful syncopated collaborative effort, which then eases off into something too consciously psychedelic; ‘Mythomania’ is delightful but feels like a half-baked effort at showcasing Torrisi’s vocals; ‘One Block Wonders’ is strikingly stark but lacks the drive to fully carry it off. And the staticness of the bassist and drummer simply adds to this confusing dichotomy. … Continue Reading

Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Leeds Cockpit

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

May 21, 2009

Earlier this week, a review appeared on this site for the London show of this stint of dates that The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are playing in the UK. The write up was quite gushing; describing the gig as “fucking brilliant” with the crowd singing along in “almost tangible unity” [Ed - and it really was]. It just goes to show how wildly perceptions can differ between shows just a few days apart. A remarkably well attended crowd fill the Leeds Cockpit tonight but POBPAH put on a show that is merely likeable and comfortably received rather than expletive invoking.

When you think of how POBPAH have been setting the internet on fire over the past few months with their twee and adorable debut album, it seems odd that they choose to open their set with a little known non-album track. It’s a move that scuppers their own momentum from the off and is never clawed back throughout the duration of the set. Each song is met with polite clapping and subdued cheers and, even though the crowd are clearly pre-established Pains fans, the band fail to stir up much of a sense of occasion or excitement. Despite the fact that the band are appreciated enough to provoke an encore, the whole affair has a definite feel of restraint to it. … Continue Reading

Camera Obscura, Newcastle Carling Academy 2

Camera Obscura

April 21st, 2009

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The Loves – Three

The Loves - Three

The Loves’ Three is not an album or a CD. It is a record.

The difference in this naming convention is all about how certain words are more evocative than others. When the kids of the ’60s and ’70s used to pop to their local music emporium of choice, they were after the latest record. This was a time of sunshine, flowery shirts and most importantly, free love. It’s no great surprise to learn that The Loves are all about, well, love. This record oozes love, optimism and (eugh) fun and musically it’s jangly, full of playful organs (careful now) and wholesomely, sickeningly (eugh) nice.

Opening track ‘One-Two-Three’ is a precise melding: one-part Kinks to two-parts Beatles. It’s pleasant and harmless (two adjectives that keep coming to mind) but it’s been done before so many times that this homage comes across as totally tiresome and not a great way to open an album. We understand that there is plenty of room in this world for smiley pop and we can’t all listen to challenging, multi-layered music all day but it’s reasonable to expect just a little bit of depth and originality. Will the lyrics “I love you/You love me/We’ll be together, one-two-three” elicit any kind of emotional response from a listener other than “meh”? Doubtful. … Continue Reading

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

Taking in all the twee 80s British indie you can think of (The Vaselines, The Field Mice, Shop Assistants, 14 Iced Bears, etc) and more besides, New York’s The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s debut full-length is an impressive serving of bedsit indie rock for the 21st century.

As if the band’s name wasn’t an obvious enough pointer as to what to expect, the album is littered with references to its influences – ‘This Love is Fucking Right!’ is a dead ringer for My Bloody Valentine’s ‘Paint a Rainbow’ (albeit in slowed-down form), whilst the song’s title tips its hat in the direction of The Field Mice’s ‘This Love is Not Wrong’. As pleasant as all that sounds, it’s for the best that The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have enough tricks in their locker to ensure they don’t slide aimlessly into retro fanboyism.

Lead singer Kip Berman certainly sounds the part, his studiously British vocal mannerisms falling somewhere between Morrissey and, curiously, The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess, with the odd hint of Ride’s Mark Gardener thrown in. Although he sticks resolutely to the C86 blueprint, his self-consciously fey affectations feel totally at home here, aided and abetted by some (though more would perhaps be welcome) lovely backing vocals from keyboardist Peggy Wang. … Continue Reading

The Boy Least Likely To – The First Snowflake

The Boy Least Likely To - The First Snowflake

Every so often there comes along a perfectly-formed ditty to which nothing could be added ‐ even if the artist had a decade to work on it with masterclasses from Lennon, McCartney and Garfunkel. … Continue Reading

Slow Club, Islington Union Chapel

Slow Club

December 1st, 2008

Most people walking along Upper Street in Islington are oblivious to the fact that they pass one of London’s most unique and wonderfully atmospheric venues on a daily basis.

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Sky Larkin and Those Dancing Days, London King’s College

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A couple of hundred lucky Londoners are treated to a welcome break from economic doom and gloom when Wichita labelmates Sky Larkin and Those Dancing Days trundle into town to light up an autumnal October evening. First up are Sky Larkin, a trio from Leeds. Having served their apprenticeship with hometown label Dance To The Radio, they’ve been recording with Sleater-Kinney producer John Goodmanson. Their live show is tight and full of energy. Vocalist and guitarist Katie Harkin channels the spirit of PJ Harvey through her own sunnier pop melodies, while drummer Nestor Matthews, all facial expressions and arms, really propels the songs forward. Current single ‘Fossil, I’ was a highlight, with its mantra-like lyrcics, underlining why many have high hopes for Sky Larkin in the coming year.

Those Dancing Days, meanwhile, seem to have emerged from some indie-pop haven where everyone is beautiful and sings gorgeous pop songs about boys and dancing, otherwise known as Sweden. Barely out of school, these five girls have been causing ripples of hype on the internet since this time last year and while one look at their twee uniform is enough to provoke cynicism, their songs are so utterly irresistible that you’re grinning like an idiot as soon as they start playing. They make you feel like the happiest ugly person in the room.

Combining northern soul, girl groups and pop, Those Dancing Days seem almost too good to be true. Who listens to northern soul in Sweden, for crying out loud? But then, they’re a band born out of the internet age, where bits of Stoke-on-Trent can be rediscovered by some upstarts in Stockholm. After a steady start, ‘Hitten’ sees the band commence a run of songs that takes the whole mood of the night up a level. Curly-haired singer Linnea Jönsson tells us she has goosebumps by the end, and it is certainly a special moment, as the whole audience finally returns some of the energy that the girls have been exuding since song number one.

‘Run, Run’ is another highlight, combining gorgeous harmonies with carefree lyrics. They close out the set with ‘Those Dancing Days’, with its crazy organ melodies, pounding drums and Jönsson’s soulful tones. Having converted those weren’t already raving about them, Those Dancing Days leave waving and hugging each other, their sunny teenage escapism having provided just what the audience needed. Why worry when you’re that young, pretty and talented?

Those Dancing Days – In Our Space Hero Suits

With a cartoon clarion call, In Our Space Hero Suits gets underway with the anxious ‘Falling In Fall’ that sees this female five-piece display their ability to write a catchy pop song and put it in the correct position on the album.

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Los Campesinos!, Brixton Windmill

Brixton Windmill, London – 14.04.08

Upon arriving at the tube station, I braved the streets of Brixton and eventually made it up the hill (alive) to the tiny pub in the middle of a residential street where Los Campesinos! and friends were patiently awaiting them. So in I went, to the sounds of opening act Lovvers and shortly after, the main support act Sky Larkin. Both were delightful.

But now onto the focal point – from previous experiences of seeing Los Camp! live, they’ve consistently teetered the line between imperfection and shambles; always on the verge of greatness. Tonight, however, the iceberg is all and for once overcome – a piece of magic occurs before our very eyes, just not quite in the way I expected it. Aleksandra, Ellen, Gareth, Harriet, Neil, Ollie and Tom took off their masks (yes, literally) and revealed their true identities. It may be hard to believe, but the fact is thus: they are all in fact middle-aged accountants, living their dreams. Well, to an extent anyway – the music that they have been ‘performing’ is in fact nothing to do with them. They’re mere mime artists who can’t play any of their instruments, just like Milli Vanilli; and prosthetics these days can be truly convincing. ‘Don’t Tell Me To Do The Math(s)’ was inspired by purchase ledger, it’s later admitted.

Tonight is the night that they finally tire of the charade and confess that in fact they haven’t the foggiest idea about the back catalogues of Pavement, Beulah, Xiu Xiu, Casiotone For The Painfully Alone or bis and in fact they far prefer listening to Jameses Morrison and Blunt, KT Tunstall and The Feeling. At first, the audience almost uniformly faint in disbelief. But then they realise that what they are witnessing is a true one-off event, the unveiling of the self in a post-Freudian world – the pastiche to top all pastiches, accompanied by one thing remaining relentlessly consistent throughout – yes, that’d of course be the handclaps and manic dancing. What else is there to do in a situation so bizarre?

It doesn’t matter what Los Campesinos! really look like anymore as they launch into their fantastic cover versions of ‘Fill My Little World’ and ‘You’re Beautiful’ with the help of just a CD backing track – they almost blow the roof off of the venue when the crowd yelps along to the performance of Paolo Nutini’s ‘Last Request’. Los Campesinos! may not be from Cardiff or write their own songs but tonight they prove themselves to be more convincing than anything seen this century. It’s a sonic revolution. And we, for one, can’t believe that the songs that they are covering somehow escaped us the first time around. ***

*** The above review is entirely fabricated – at the height of the gig’s climax, the band made the audience form a pact, swear an oath or something of similar ilk not to blog or review the festivities. Though who can tell whether we’re bluffing, double bluffing or giving you a true recollection after all… that’s the joy of Los Campesinos! We’ve even got the setlist sat right in front of us, but we’re not ones to go back on our word. Though all I can tell you is that the word “dichotomy” figured and we overheard a less knowledgeable (well, clearly) gig-goer enquire whether its definition was “some sort of operation”.