My favourites of 2012

1. Mystery Jets- Radlands

Having improved, developed and progressed with every release since the 2006 debut 'Making Dens', I was highly anticipating a new Mystery Jets album. Their last two, 'Twenty One' and 'Serotonin' are outstanding from start to finish. The former is an effortlessly classy indie album charting the drama and emotion of being the age in the title. The latter is more matured and reflective. Both highly, highly recommended. Blaine Harrison, the singer/song writer, is an amazing talent. When details of 'Radlands' emerged I started to worry. I was prepared for a new album not to live up to the previous two, having loved them so much. But hearing the band was relocating to Texas to record, and then seeing the album cover featuring them in blue denim/cowboy boots etc and framed by the outline of the Lone Star State, I feared the worst. The album opens with the title track 'Radlands' and thankfully it's a case of evolution not revolution as there's far more that's familiar than different. Blaine Harrison's lyrics are always intelligent and engaging and perfectly suited to his voice which is a key part of the Mystery Jets unmistakable sound. By track two the relief flowed over me as it was clear they had done it again and delivered something special. The 'scope' of the album and the themes and subject of the songs is much wider, looking out at the world and a person's place in it rather than a focus on personal emotions and relationships. Lead single 'Someone Purer' is the best example of this-

'I was gripped with a bitter fear, worried
The one thing that I loved,
Back when I was just a kid,
Might now never be enough,
That the body I was in,
Might belong to someone else,
Someone kinder, someone surer,
Someone innocent, young and beautiful,
Someone purer'

I've thought before that Blaine's vocals are quite Ray-Davies-like at times (quite noticeable on 'You Had Me At Hello') so I was delighted to hear The Kinks name-checked on 'Greatest Hits', along with Bryan Ferry, Paul McCartney, ABC, Belle and Sebastian and more. Any fears that this very English indie band had gone native over in the US were utterly dispelled on this track that could have come from The Kinks themselves, full of 'sha-la-la's'. The fact is I could mention every single track on the album individually and rave about it but I'll round off with the undoubted stand-out, 'Lost In Austin'. Another track concerned with big thoughts about life-

'Is there a world more lonely than ours,
Out there beyond the stars?
Is there another me,
Looking back across the sea?

I wonder if he knows
I wonder if he cares
I wonder if he ever wonders
I wonder if he asks

Am I just a blind spot in his eye,
Am I just a reflection of the light?'

Relatively heavy for a Mystery Jets track, the chorus is yelled out over guitars and drums- 'Take me to the edge, I'm not scared. I want to feel the cold wind in my hair. And if we fall off, it doesn't matter, we'll do it all again'. Captures the essence of a man facing up to the vastness and uncertainty of the universe with defiant abandon. A fantastic album, for the 3rd time in a row.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XILvOrna0RA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV36ryOcAtA

2. Tame Impala- Lonerism

Fitting that this should be runner-up to Mystery Jets, I only played it thanks to a Tweet of theirs proclaiming Lonerism to be 'the great lost Beatles album we never knew was made'. I'd heard the name and seen them mentioned by the likes of Noel Gallagher before, but for some reason in my head had them confused with Tinie Tempah and Noel's word or not, that sort of music will never be my cup of tea. Upon discovering Tame Impala make 'psychedelic hypno-groove melodic rock music' (their description), I gave it a try. Can't give it much higher praise than to say I agree with the Beatles comparison. The vocals, the drums, the harmonies, the Strawberry Fields-distortion. Not much variety on the album, but when you sound like The Beatles, who'd want it?! Reminds me in places of The Vines and The Sleepy Jackson too, two more bands with a healthy love of the Fab Four- strangely enough all three of them are from Australia. Definitely some shared DNA there. Musically, not... literally. On 'Mind Mischief' in particular the singer manages to somehow sound like Lennon AND McCartney at the same time. Like 'Wings' fronted by John instead of Paul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF5E2X55_kg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wycjnCCgUes


3. Devin- Romancing

Genuinely surprised/disappointed this hasn't had much exposure. Proves it's not what you know but who you know because all it should have taken is a bit of radio play or even to have a song on an advert (Willy Moon/iPod) and this could have been the soundtrack of the summer (had we had one...). Like The Hives this comes from the 'big dumb fun' school. A 50's throwback tearing through some good time rock 'n' roll via garage punk. All the necessary elements are present and correct without bringing anything new to the fore but you can't begrudge that when it's done so lovingly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obSyjnkcti8

4. Citizens! - Here We Are

A nice surprise, this year's 'Passion Pit'. Very 'off the radar' and checked out on the off-chance. Danceable indie electro-pop, synthised riffs and beats under a vocalist that is not a million miles away from Brandon Flowers. A modern take on 70's and 80's influences there are hints of Bowie, Bolan and OMD's Andy McCluskey on opening track 'True Romance'. 'Caroline' sounds like The Killers played at slightly too high speed, with the singers aforementioned vocals. 'Let's Go All The Way' is another very Killers song, actually bringing to mind 'All These Things That I've Done' in the chorus. Centrepiece of the album is 'I'm In Love With Your Girlfriend' which builds to an industrial glam-stomp that you can picture a Marc Bolan or Brian Molko, feather boa and all, belting out with all their androgynous might. I'm no dancer but this is not an album you listen to sitting still- every track is indie-disco gold and a remixers dream. From start to finish it plays like a night out on the town, down to the hazy, slower paced 'end of the night' closer 'Know Yourself'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EySm81Q6qIU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzvbLmlzE1k


5. Alabama Shakes- Boys & Girls

Tipped these at the start of the year and was vindicated very early on with their first live show in the UK causing a stir not seen since The White Stripes debuted to a tiny crowd that had the record labels in a frenzy. Currently on a massive tour they've already progressed to larger venues and sold them out in minutes. Amazing that the singer Brittany Howard is just 22, possessing such a big soulful voice. 'You Ain't Alone' could be an Al Green song. The big soul ballads sit well alongside a couple of more straightforward blues-rock efforts. The musicianship is great but the big draw is the voice whether hitting the high notes or tearing through a gravelly lament such as on 'Heartbreaker'. Probably my highlight of the album, Howard doesn't hold back and gives it her all building to the howl of 'how was I supposed to know?'. God help the man that wronged her as I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of a woman who can shout like that...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEwM2iy_J8E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HxNtWEIKhQ



6. Muse- The 2nd Law

If you'd told anyone listening to 'Showbiz' (Muse's debut album), at it's 1999 release that it would come to be seen as some of their more restrained work I'm not sure what you'd make of that. Although the cover art is typically stellar it's their most grounded and Earth-bound lyrically, but still angsty, dramatic, histrionic with it. A massive album I loved at the time and still do now. And with every subsequent album their ambition, scale and success has only grown. Already by album two (Origin Of Symmetry) with the likes of 'Space Dementia', a 6-minute gothic/operatic/classical space epic, they were leaving the confines of other mere indie bands far behind. And 'Citizen Erased', a sprawling, discordant overblown 7-minutes of everything that makes Muse 'Muse'. 'Absolution', 'Black Holes And Revelations' and 'The Resistance' followed. Intergalactic wars, conspiracies, global catastrophies, usual run-of-the-mill sort of stuff really. Containing everything AND the kitchen sink. Long story short, I'm a fan. And although I could go on a lot more about the last three albums, I'll leave it there, and on to The 2nd Law; Opening with what must surely be their audition for a crack at a Bond theme (they HAVE to do one, please!), 'Supremacy'. 20 seconds in, the strings start up and I don't know how they didn't have to pay Monty Norman royalties. Military drums and a distinctly Shirley Bassey reminiscent vocal rolling along quite nicely, until Matt Bellamy launches his first falsetto to mark the half-way point of the track. Anyone not seeing silhouttes of naked, dancing ladies by the time he sings...;

'You don’t have long,
I am on to you.
The time, it has come to destroy...
Your supremacy'

...has never seen a Bond film in their life. Track 2 is the lead single 'Madness'. And as is the trend, it's the most individual and unrepresentative song on the album. This won't be the first or last time Muse are compared to Queen, and this time they sound like a specific song- namely, 'I Want To Break Free'. Matt Bellamy's vocals are given prominence on a laid-back track, at risk of being understated before the Brian May-esque guitar(!). 'Panic Station' is more Queen, 'Another One Bites The Dust' by way of Prince and Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'. I found it drops off a bit after that and the remainder of the album is not as memorable and doesn't live up to their earlier work so much. The first 4 songs (up tp 'Survival') are good enough that I can see past it. So the album as a whole is slightly disappointing but there's enough to love about it to not judge it too harshly.


7. Metric- Synthetica

I've been 'aware' of Metric for a few years and liked the odd track but never really looked in to them in detail. If this 5th album is anything to go by, that's a mistake I need to rectify pretty soon-ish. The Canadian band are frequently described as indie/new-wave and Emily Haines' vocals have a cold, clinical detachment in keeping with the synthetic instrumentation. 'The Void' reminds me so much of something I can't quite put my finger on, might be something on Daft Punk's 'Discovery' album. Even if not there is something almost robotic about Haines- at times coquettish, kittenish like a sexy android. Looking forward to giving this some repeated plays, think it's a 'grower'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_tJzikK-_I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo-_d9w0V6M

8. Best Coast- The Only Place

The biggest difference between this and 2010's debut 'Crazy For You' can be summed up comparing track titles;

Crazy For You, Summer Mood, Happy, Each And Every Day, When I'm With You
vs
Why I Cry, How They Want Me To Be, Dreaming My Life Away, Do You Love Me Like You Used To, Let's Go Home.

The fuzzy lo-fi has been cleaned up a bit too for a more polished studio sound. Album one was full of carefree 'summer loving' anthems, sunshine and lazy longing. On the surface the second album at times sounds just as upbeat- jangly guitars and beach-y melodies- but it's far more introspective. A result of the success and resultant touring that's taken its toll on the band. The songs are much more personal. Homesick, full of self-doubt and just a general vibe of malaise. Just as lush sounding, hipster indie via 60's girl group pop but opposite in mood to the debut. Doesn't do the band any harm, played one after the other they sound like bookends, soundtracking a teenage summer romance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA3KhE0Tde8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia6mk3luuzU

9. No Doubt- Push And Shove

A welcome return for No Doubt. I had slight concerns for this album following Gwen Stefani's solo efforts between this and the last ND release, but thankfully there's not much evidence of any influence from them on the 11 tracks. It would surprise most people to know they've been around for 26 years now. Gwen Stefani's voice is as strong as ever, a distinctive and familiar instrument. A couple of almost dancehall/ska-hinting 'nightclub' style songs aside (Settle Down/Push And Shove) the rest is lush New-Wave pop. Maybe slightly too much production for me across the whole album, with a few too many whooshes and bleeps used, but it's far from the first time the likes of it has appeared on their stuff so it's not much of an issue. A decent amount of trombone and trumpet features too, which is always welcome. My highlight of the album is 'Sparkle', probably the song that would fit most comfortably alongside their older material. Dub-by, echo-y bass, ephemeral guitar, and a nice bit of old-fashioned ska trumpet. A simply written song, sung with feeling as ever by Stefani;

'Feelings change and people can get lost
But I still care about you so muchDo you remember how it was?'

10. Bat For Lashes- The Haunted Man

Natasha Khan's third album and probably her strongest, overall. A perfect set of songs to listen to as Autumn draws in. Kate Bush (Hounds Of Love/The Red Shoes) style dark, dramatic pop. Horns, strings, pianos, and strong, clear vocals that seem more to the fore than in her earlier work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhNHKg2WcMc


11. Japandroids- Celebration Rock

Initially only gave this a go for the band name / album title and I'm really glad I did.  Really strong drumming throughout, which I always appreciate. Sounds a bit like 'We Are Scientists' or the livlier bits of Jimmy Eat World's 'Bleed American'. Not so much noise-pop as noise-rock, haze and distortion is present but not overwhelming. It tears along at a decent pace, only really slowing down at all on the closing song where the more shoe-gazey elements come to the fore. Any one of the tracks on it could be found on the soundtrack of an American teen college movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m6Ptx4CV6k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzQs550NLcc


12. Crocodiles- Endless Flowers

Like crossing The Strokes with 80's shoe-gaze MBV / JAMC etc. Julian Casablancas-like vocals over a fuzzy, hazy noise. Occasionally Shangri-La's handbells chime in, or big thumping drums adding to the cacophony of distortion. The more introverted 'little brother' to the Japandroids album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGT5FuM8A1c

And 'cos this has been a fruitful year for quality music, here's a list of individual tracks mostly from albums not in my best of the year but should still be heard (some are EP tracks / standalone releases);

Bloc Party- Kettling / Jack White- Love Interruption / Arctic Monkeys- R U Mine? / Kate Nash- Fri-end / Tennis- Robin / Summercamp- Outside / Santogold- Disparate Youth / The Maccabees- Pelican / FOE- The Black Lodge / The XX- Angels / Guards- Crystal Truth / Grimes- Oblivion / Miles Kane- First Of My Kind / Charlotte Gainsbourg- Got To Let Go / Richard Hawley- She Brings the Sunlight

Jonny Pierce- I Didn't Realise

 

The Drums have been good to me. I fell hard for them with the release of the 'Summertime' EP which I had in my basket from US Amazon before my first play of 'Let's Go Surfing' had even finished, in October 2009. In 2010, the debut full-length self-titled album followed. And beyond my wildest dreams, the second album 'Portamento' followed in September 2011. In the gap between playing 'The Drums' to death and 'Portamento's release, I sought out anything I could that Jonny Pierce had had a hand in. 

Founding members of The Drums, Jonny Pierce and Jacob Graham, started out as 'Goat Explosion' (with a name like that, how could success not have followed...[!]). Thankfully preserved on Youtube, their electro-pop bears Pierce's unmistakeable vocal and familiar Morrissey-esque, angular, stylings (Goat Explosion- I'm Always Alone). With the likes of 'Why Don't You Say' further compounding the Morrissey links with lyrics worthy of Moz himself-

'Why don't you say to me
that you love me?
Why don't you say to me
that you care?
Why don't you say to me
that you need me more than anything ?
Do you believe me, oh, can you see me?

They used to tell me, if I just wait and see
Something good will come back to me
Oh, there's no more waiting, so they just might be wrong'

Already in thrall to Jonny Pierce through 'The Drums', every 'Goat Explosion' song only served to convince me that he was the real, genuine article- a bona fide pop genius. 'Elkland' followed, and released the album 'Golden'. While it didn't work out for the band, apparently a case of 'too much, too soon' with a contract signed and the involvement of a label-

"Well, Elkland was kind of a big disaster from the very beginning. I'd written a bunch of songs that I really loved and had these demos. I was pretty young when we got signed and that whole thing came out of nowhere. One minute I was living in upstate New York recording songs and six months later I had a major record deal, and it kind of forced me to move to New York City. And I said yes to a bunch of things that I didn't really understand. I let a lot of things fall out of my hands and into the hands of people I didn't really know or trust. When you don't really have a foundation it's very easy for things to fall apart, and it did just that". (Jonny Pierce, Death and Taxes)

As before it's a very synth-y affair, but inevitably with more of a commercially viable pop-sensibility. Elkland- I Need You Tonight ('D.I.S.C.O, that's where I want to go'!). Very 80's, British pop/new-wave sounding, traditionally structured- verse/chorus/verse. As mentioned before, I loved The Drums for what they were but to discover this cache of equally outstanding songs was a revelation, especially given the surprising and unexpected difference in style. There's still an element of it in The Drums, but to so overtly be channelling the likes of The Smiths, Joy Division, Orange Juice, etc, I couldn't have invented a band better suited to me.

By the time The Drums materialised, the synths had been muted for a more 'indie band' sound, other influences had emerged- '50s and '60s American girlgroup pop, namely The Shangri-La's. The lyrical template was the same. Honest, heartfelt, yearning songs ranging from sweetly love-lorn to downright mopey, but set to bouncy, upbeat melodies. The perfect vehicle for Jonny Pierce to display his best indie-disco, Ian Curtis dancing and take centre stage- 'Forever And Ever Amen', 'Me and The Moon'.

Just when 2012 was looking to remain distinctly Pierce-less, a Tweet on November 28th drew attention-


@JonnyPierce: a new chapter begins tomorrow...

Lo and behold, the next day he announces a solo album for 2013 and debuts the track 'I Didn't Realise'.

"Some might say it’s strange for a man to bare his soul the way I do on this album, but I wanted to do something that exposed me for who I am even more so than anything I have done with The Drums… I wanted to be as self-indulgent as possible with this album. This is pop done the way I think it should be done".

A return to the sparse, twitchy, bleeping electronica of Goat Explosion, reverb, and a typical lyrical theme of rejection, regret, lamentation... The black and white video adding to the washed-out vibe of the music, elements dreamily floating in and out.

'Just when I thought I knew what was going on... you cut my heart out'
'What do you do, when everything is not enough?'
'Forgive me... for the faith I had in us'.

Probably in its short existence still manages to be my most played track of 2012. 

The Willowz / Guards

 

I was intending this entry to be a straightforward 'looking forward to in 2013' piece, starting with 'Guards'- whose 'In Guards We Trust' album is due on February 5th. But Richie Follin's old band 'The Willowz' are deserving of more attention than a throwaway line in the introduction. I only heard of The Willowz through Follin's sister Madeline, of Cults- whose self-titled debut was one of my favourite albums of LAST year. Having 'follin' head-over-heels with Madeline thanks to performances like this; Cults- Oh My God (live), the discovery of a second Follin-led band was welcome for two reasons. First, their music was described as 'garage rock', incorporating influences from punk, soul and blues from the '60's, '70's, and '80's. Second, should I ever meet Ms Follin, my knowledge of her brother's band would surely be the perfect cover with which to infiltrate her confidence and gain her trust before taking her away to start our new life together on the Isle Of Wight. 

So, The Willowz. Not world-beaters, by any stretch of the imagination but making a decent enough racket for me and each album improves on the last. There's a pretty prolific back-catalogue to negotiate, and while all songs are up to a decent standard there are several stand-outs, and enough variety to display their talents. Reading around, the vocals come in for criticism in some quarters and while some songs, like 'All I Need' could perhaps be even better with a stronger voice behind them, it's perfect for the nasal, punky sneer of 'Get Down'. For the most part, Richie Follin comes across like a sort of Jack White Junior ('Unveil'), and the blues-rock-country sound is not a million miles away from The Raconteurs. Whereas Kings Of Leon for example have ended up playing arenas and stadiums, Willowz are the type of band much more suited to (and I'd expect more comfortable) playing to crowds counted by the dozen, thrashing out their bluesy-rock fare in dingy, sweaty 'dive bar' venues. Their five albums are; 

The Willowz (2004), Something

The Willowz Are Coming (2005), Meet Your Demise, I Wonder

Talk In Circles (2005), Toy

Chautauqua (2007), Take A Look Around

Everyone (2009) Everyone

and worth checking out for an unpretentious mix of thrashy guitars, howling vocals, riffs and a garage-rock sound.

Back to 'Guards'. A free EP (available here) recorded in 2010 is like the bridge between Willowz and Cults. The highlight of which is 'Crystal Truth'. Replacing the riffs with a more 'indie' sound, the dreamy fuzz and echo of Cults underpinned by the alternative 60's influence of the organ. In the time since the EP's recording, Guards have emerged as a far more polished, finished article. Tracks like 'Coming True' will undoubtably lead to more attention. 'Silver Lining' is a breezy gem of a pop song- 'I want to live forever in a boat out on the sea'. Floating about on Youtube are some Guards tracks not on the tracklisting for the album, 'I See It Coming' almost Arcade Fire/Funeral-esque. Appetite well and truly whetted by the EP and the likes of 'Don't Wake The Dead', 'In Guards We Trust' is definitely one of my most anticipated debuts of 2013.

Mystery Jets- Royal Festival Hall 29/11/2012

 

Closing their extensive, globe-spanning tour of 'Radlands', Mystery Jets chose the prestigious but surprising venue of the Southbank's Royal Festival Hall for the grand finale- all seater, and not particularly known for hosting concerts of this type. As the show drew closer, the band were billing it as the 'chance to see a Jets show quite unlike anything before'. I was slightly concerned, as not having seen Mystery Jets before and being very keen to, I thought I'd be perfectly content to see the same show everybody else had got. My fear that we'd be getting pared down/alternative/acoustic versions of songs was thankfully wide of the mark as we were treated to a bumper 19 track set, and special guests on several of the songs. The band made reference to being nervous about the gig beforehand and initially the all-seated hall made for an odd atmosphere. Beckoned to stand by guitarist William during the second song, any doubts held by band or audience were quickly erased. I have never been at a gig and enjoyed being part of such a fervently adoring crowd. It made for a communal, celebratory atmosphere. Standing in row B to the right of stage it could be seen on the faces of William, and Blaine at the keyboard that they knew they had us at 'Hello London'.

Radland's first single 'Someone Purer' was a perfect opener. The Americana guitar-picked intro, accompanied only by Blaine Harrison's vocal, before the driving drum beat kicks in and propels the song to the first explosion of guitars and the statement-of-intent lyrics, commanding 'deliver me from sin, and give me rock and roll'. It's a rousing start and followed by a joyous 'Serotonin', during which the entire capacity is bought to their feet with an encouraging smile and gesture from William Rees. It's a nice moment as up to then there'd been a general air of 'not knowing how to behave' in the slightly formal surroundings. Permission given though, nobody sat down again for the rest of the night. 

Things were taken up a notch with 'Flash A Hungry Smile' the most singalong 'let's spend the night together' song this side of... 'Let's Spend The Night Together'. The drums seeming to me to have a bit of extra punch, and a little flourish in the guitars but the best was yet to come- seamlessly interrupting the end of the song by launching in to 'Jet' by Paul McCartney and Wings. Anyone who knows me will have some idea of the size of the grin this caused to be stuck on my face for the following three minutes. Really cannot emphasise enough how much I was enjoying being in that room at that point in time.

Flash A Hungry Smile / Jet;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eSqkfkBcow (Liverpool, 14/11/2012)

Next up was the Kink-y 'Greatest Hits', which I'm tempted to describe as a crowd-pleaser but with this band, and this crowd, weren't they all? The 'sha la la's' enthusiastically belted out and clapped along with. The first of the evening's special guests were introduced after that, the Marfa Lights Gospel Choir filing on to give backing to a run of four 'Radlands' songs. Can't say I really thought they were necessary (or noticeable) on 'You Had Me At Hello' or 'The Ballad Of Emmerson Lonestar' but were good on 'The Hale Bop' and 'Sister Everett'. I love 'Radlands' as an album, my favourite of the year quite comfortably and the way these songs were received it was clear I'm not alone. Maybe it was fitting to have a gospel choir as with this audience, they were preaching to the converted. The campfire-tale of 'You Had Me At Hello' was listened to with a hushed awe, the country-and-western disco of 'The Hale Bop' danced along to.  A second guest appeared for 'Sister Everett', Johnny Lloyd from Tribes. He stayed for 'Veiled In Grey', the first song of the night from 2008's 'Twenty One'. Mystery Jets are a static band on stage, they let the songs speak for themselves and this track shows their abilities perfectly. Gorgeous, warm guitars building to a big wall of sound finish. I've used the words 'joyous' and 'communal' already and I have to mention again just what a good crowd it was. Smiles all round on people's faces. It really did feel like a special occasion as opposed to just another night of the tour. Title track 'Radlands' and 'Take Me Where The Roses Grow' followed and were performed equally as perfect as all that had gone before.

If Mystery Jets had a signature tune it would be 'Young Love', which picked up a lot of radio play and featured Laura Marling who went on to Mercury Music Prize and Brit Award recognition. She's not introduced prior to the song, instead walking on and taking to the microphone just in time to do her bit. A knowing bit of stage-craft as people are kept guessing as to whether she'll be there or not. To be honest, she didn't seem too in to it, standing with a look of disinterest but maybe that's just her way... She stays for 'Flakes', a beautiful song and an amazing moment as we sing along, arms aloft, swaying in time. A highlight amongst highlights as Blaine sings it with such emotion.

Flakes (with lyrics) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcCkbIeXQho

We arrive at the close of the show with the last two tracks of Radlands. (The only one not to be played from the album, for no discernible reason to me is, 'The Nothing'). 'Lost In Austin' is 6 minutes of majesty. At the risk of overstating it slightly, hearing it live is absolutely transcendent. Utter perfection. Musically, lyrically, emotionally. Huge, huge song. When they finish, they inform us that the next song will be the last one. I can't help but shout out 'play that one again, then!'. They in fact end with Luminesence, bringing us down to Earth with the downbeat, yearning, lost-love lament. 

'You still swim around the canals in my head like cocaine
And yes it feels good, but not half as it would had you stayed
The older I get, a step closer to forgetting your name
But I won't,
No I won't'

Walking off to rapturous adulation, it's a couple of minutes before they return for the encore. Another two 'oldies' from 2008's incredible 'Twenty One', 'Half In Love With Elizabeth' and the eagerly awaited 'Two Doors Down'. The final, final song was a surprise choice but no less welcome for it. 'Alice Springs' from Serotonin. Thumping drums, yet another outstanding vocal and an extended guitar thrashing finish bring the night to an end.

'I'd stand in the line of fire for you, 

I'd bend over backwards for you
I'd do anything that you want me to do
'Cause i dont have nothing if i dont have you, my love'

Completely over-joyed, usually leave a gig saying 'I wish they'd played such-and-such' or 'could have done without hearing that one' but really could not have asked for more. 10/10.

Setlist (via Setlist FM- http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/mystery-jets/2012/royal-festival-hall-london-england-7bda3ed4.html);

1. Someone Purer
2. Serotonin
3. Flash a Hungry Smile
4. Jet (Paul McCartney & Wings cover)
5. Greatest Hits
6. The Hale Bop (With The Marfa Lights Gospel Choir)
7. You Had Me At Hello (With Choir)
8. The Ballad of Emmerson Lonestar (With Choir)
9. Sister Everett (With Choir and Johnny Lloyd of Tribes)
10. Veiled in Grey (With Johnny Lloyd of Tribes)
11. Radlands
12. Take Me Where The Roses Grow (With Sophie-Rose Harper of The Night)
13. Young Love (With Laura Marling)
14. Flakes (With Laura Marling)
15. Lost in Austin
16. Luminescence
     
17. Encore:
17. Half in Love with Elizabeth
18. Two Doors Down
19. Alice Springs

Santigold – Disparate Youth

Santigold – Disparate Youth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIMMZQJ1H6E)

Santigold returns with her one-woman mission to defy convention, expectation, categorization… Her debut was made with the self-expressed intention to "help break down boundaries and genre classifications" and show that she wasn't just "a black woman singing R&B’. The label I’ve most commonly seen applied is ‘Electonica’ but the most obvious sounds to me are the new-wave and punk-tinged rock elements which are as welcome as they are surprising. ‘You’ll Find A Way’ could almost be a Clash track, especially with the mini foray in to dub towards the end (indeed, she did go on to cover ‘Guns Of Brixton’). It was no surprise to discover she had recorded two albums of new-wave / punk with the band ‘Stiffed’ before going solo. ‘Santogold’ was one of my most enjoyed albums of 2008.

The follow-up ‘Master Of My Make-Believe’ is released next month and several tracks have been cropping up, possibly to remind those who have forgotten just who Santi White is. The first track, ‘Big Mouth’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxdQ_uD5IWk) is not something I think I’d ever have found myself listening to if it wasn’t a Santigold track but definitely grew on me with a couple of listens. Frantic Rio-carnival samaba drums showing yet another aspect of influence. But the next track ‘Disparate Youth’ is more of the Santigold I was hoping to hear. Like Klaxons crossed with The XX, with keyboards sounding like something by St Etienne. Easily fulfilling her brief to cross genres, masterfully creating an electro-indie-dance track equally likely to find its place on a dancefloor as a mainstream radio playlist. Different from anything on the first album but with the instantly recognisable vocal, it’s an exercise in expecting the unexpected but having it make perfect sense the moment you hear it.

Devin – You’re Mine

Devin – You’re Mine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obSyjnkcti8)

This blog was started under encouragement from several friends, but I was never keen on the idea of reviews. I think you need a certain detachment for that and I just don’t have the objectivity or frankly, inclination for criticism. What I’d prefer to do instead is recommend- or in all liklihood just plain rave about whatever it is that has become my most favourite thing ever at that particular moment.

In my quest to attain as complete a musical knowledge as humanly possible, I’ve learned the richest and most trustworthy sources to consult- I’ve recently added Twitter to my arsenal and it’s paying dividends already. I came by ‘Devin’ thanks to @thebrassic, a great Mod-styled band (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y4RDZl7_M8). Appealing for new sounds to listen to, I offered the breezy rocksteady reggae of Hollie Cook and was rewarded with a recommendation of ‘Devin’, for my troubles. Despite what I would consider a fairly well-developed skill for scouring the internet for music, I can still find very little on Devin, this track aside. A paragraph apiece from Rolling Stone and the NME, an EP so far only available in the US, and the video for ‘You’re Mine’ which somehow has yet to hit 10,000 views. Despite that, this track alone has made his album amongst my most anticipated of the year.

Opening with a drum intro and a guitar that sounds like The Drums’ ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ slowed down, it’s the vocals that first mark ‘You’re Mine’ out as something worth taking notice of. Like The Hives covering The Strokes. On the beach. The vaguely Teddy-boy attired Devin howling in to his vintage microphone. With Willy Moon on the horizon, maybe pseudo-50’s is the next big thing…  With repeated listens the guitar is not too far removed from The Undertones’ Teenage Kicks. If I was a proper reviewer I might say it romps joyfully for the length of its 3 minute running time, never relenting as the Buzzcocks drums drive it on, but I’m not, so you’ll have to decide that for yourself. I CAN say that I played it 5 times over the first night and another 10 times in the following  two days and still can’t keep my feet still when I play it now. It’s also provoked its fair-share of air-drumming, which is always a good sign.

Eclectic Boogaloo

Right, I’ve slacked off pretty severely on my intentions for this blog. Was all for it at first but the reality never matches expectation. This comes as no surprise to me, it’s like that time I used to work as a postman for the Royal Mail. That was a funny day. What I intend this entry to address is a question I get asked a lot, and that is just how I like listening to so much different stuff, and where does it all come from? When talking to people about music it sometimes surprises them how wide my knowledge is and that comes from a desire basically, to ‘fill in the gaps’. For all I know the best song I never heard is out there somewhere.

A friend of mine said something that made me laugh once, regarding my love of music. On listing the various albums I was awaiting release of, he replied ‘oh. Haven’t you GOT all the music already’? That is actually not the worst description of my apparent aim in life, to own ALL the music. It’s fair to say I am ‘in to it’ in a big way. And I’ve become as tenacious as I am insatiable, there is always something new to hear and it’s never been easier to find. And I use the term ‘new’ as in new to me- it could just as easily be a track from the 50’s as the ‘next big thing’ picking up a buzz on the internet.

In this day and age, restrictions of genre needn’t mean very much at all. Sampling, collaborations, mash-ups etc have slowly corroded the rigid boundaries and the wide availability of every type of music have made an eclectic taste very easy to aquire. While there’s nothing wrong with sticking very closely to one scene or other, or having a preference for one type of music over another it just makes no sense at all to me to disregard anything outside a certain style or period. One of these days I would like to attempt my own version of the chart helpfully displayed below by Mr Jack Black. If you can visualise a version of that twice as tall and three times as wide, that is what I am ultimately hoping to achieve. 

 

 

Until it exists I have to imagine it, and at the moment there are gaps. There are links and threads I haven’t followed or discovered yet and that’s the best way to put what drives me to explore every aspect of a bands genetic make-up. I’m writing this to the sounds of the Diplo / Santigold mix-tape which is useful to make a point- Santigold has 603,000 listeners on Last.fm (http://www.last.fm/user/david1879). ‘Stiffed’, the new-wave/punk band she sang with before going solo have 15,000.  I love their two albums, discovered with a bit of digging while looking for more Santigold material in the wait for a new album. Likewise The Drums, 543,000 and Jonny Pierce’s previous ‘Elkland’, 11,000. The internet has made it possible to leave no stone unturned- no b-side or studio out-take unheard, no side-project or pre-fame band unfound, and to me, it’s as if i’d be failing in my duty if I didn’t do so. I reverse-engineer bands. Who do they sound like, who else have they recorded with, who sounds like them, it’s a stringent process that’s become second nature that most stuff I listen to has been or will be subjected to and nothing pleases me more than coming up with the goods.

As for where my enjoyment of music comes from in the first place, there’s no doubt I get it from my Dad. My earliest musical memory is hearing ‘Lola’ by The Kinks on Capital Gold, the station that I heard most mornings throughout the early years of my life (and have continued to listen to now), and I also remember the weekends he’d spread his record collection on the floor and just play 45’s for hours. Little did I know then that they’d stay with me, committed to memory, the earliest foundations upon which I’d build my own vast library. I couldn’t have had a much more solid start either, those boxes of vinyl containing plenty of punk, 2-tone, new-wave, the odd bit of reggae and ska, and more than a couple of 50’s artists ‘borrowed’ from the collections of HIS Dad. It’s a passion that’s never waned.

Make It Easy On Yourself – The Walker Brothers – Take It Easy With The Walker Brothers – 1965

Make It Easy On Yourself – The Walker Brothers – Take It Easy With The Walker Brothers – 1965

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZTS9H-l5qQ

The first of several Bacharach / David penned masterpieces that have a place in my top 14. An anomaly during the ‘British Invasion’, when the likes of the Beatles, Stones, Dusty Springfield, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Spencer Davis Group and more were taking residence in the US charts, the American Walker Brothers (not actually brothers) achieved success in the UK with the help of Scott Walker’s outstanding vocal talent.

Not the first to record it, but having the biggest hit with it, this is the archetypal Walker Brothers song- Scott Walker’s deep, stately voice adding the necessary gravitas to a typically lush Burt Bacharach arrangement. Taking its cue from the old adage of ‘if you love someone, let them go’, Walker takes the role of jilted lover- a martyr to his own heart. This song is tragically, heroically, romantic addressing a situation the word ‘heartache’ was invented for. Even as she’s leaving him for another man, and being the injured party, he can’t bring himself to abandon his protective instincts- absolving her of any guilt as he watches her walk away in to the arms of the man she’s chosen over him.

‘If you really love him,

And there’s nothing I can do…

Don’t try to spare my feelings,

Just tell me that we’re through’

‘And if the way I hold you

Can’t compare to his caress,

No words of consolation

Will make me miss you less’

And despite the noble, stiff upper-lip façade this betrayal has left him bereft- the vocals carrying an air of resignation. A trace of bitterness creeps in to the first lines of the second verse, but he remains a monument of devotion.

As with the last entry ‘Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)’ the song writing is so good that it puts you in the singers shoes so effectively that you’re not hearing the song, you’re living it. The backing track mixes iconic Bacharach horns and strings with the epic, echoey Phil Spector touch that creates a sweeping, brooding atmosphere perfectly capitalised on by Scott Walker- capturing the tone of the song impeccably. They repeated the trick later in the same year of ‘Make It Easy On Yourself’s release with ‘The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore’ an equally gloomy song lyrically with a slightly more upbeat delivery and a soaring chorus.

‘Make It Easy On Yourself’ brings to mind another well-worn phrase, ‘nice guys finish last’. This song could be partnered very well with The Rolling Stones recording of ‘You Better Move On’, written for a similar situation but taking a far more preferable stance, addressing the other man directly-

‘You ask me to give up the hand
Of the girl I love.?
You tell me I'm not the man
She's worthy of?
But who are you to tell her who to love?
That's up to her,
Yes, and the Lord, above…
You better move on’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0by4xX7xXN0

Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) – The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds 1966

Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) – The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds 1966http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcFDaDZbc3Y

An unintentionally convenient segue from the last write-up to this one- The Drums, known for ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ to The Beach Boys who had several ‘surf’ based songs. In 1966 with the release of Pet Sounds Brian Wilson shunned the ‘fast cars, cute girls, and sunny beaches’ formula of previous albums that had bought The Beach Boys such success and instead presented a collection of slower-paced, introspective and thoughtful tracks. The Pet Sounds album was written as a response to The Beatles ‘Rubber Soul’- to me, one of The Beatles lesser albums but to Brian Wilson it was an inspiration;

“I really wasn't quite ready for the unity. It felt like it all belonged together. Rubber Soul was a collection of songs... that somehow went together like no album ever made before, and I was very impressed. I said, "That's it. I really am challenged to do a great album”

I could devote a lot more time to the 13 tracks as a whole but for now at least I’m concerning myself with just one- track 4, ‘Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)’. As far removed from the ‘fun fun fun in the sun sun sun’ template as anyone could have thought possible, the lyrics paint a picture of utter contentment.

‘I can hear so much in your sighs,
And I can see so much in your eyes.
There are words we both could say,
But don't talk, put your head on my shoulder’.

This may well have been what Ronan was aiming for when he wrote the line ‘you say it best when you say nothing at all’, but Brian Wilson nailed it. Whats more, you believe every word he sings. There’s no grand gestures or gushing praise or compliments, his words capture the feeling of two people being so comfortable in eachothers company they don’t need to utter a sound to make it known, it can be read all over their faces.

’Being here with you feels so right,
We could live forever tonight,
Lets not think about tomorrow’.

The ‘lets not think about tomorrow’ line in the second verse indicates an imminent seperation, hence the desire to spend their last night as close, emotionally and physically, to one another as possible. This aspect adds a melancholy dread and explains the downbeat tone of the song- the strings, organs and drums almost faintly funereal. It is, in musical form, the perfect embodiment of a feeling many normal humans would find impossible to put in to a thousand words but Brian Wilson earns his status as a songwriting genius. In its two minutes, fifty four seconds ‘Don’t Talk…’ recalls to those lucky enough to have experienced such emotions their own memories of perfect moments shared. And to everyone else, so evocative and heartfelt is its portrayal of domestic bliss, by the end you’ll believe its swooning romanticism could be your own first-hand account.

Down By The Water – The Drums – Summertime EP 2009

I’m going to start this entry with a confession- I think I have a readership of about four, so I feel I’m amongst friends… I’m a romantic. Of the hopeless variety, it has to be said, but a romantic none-the-less. Around this time of year you start to see the ’50 Greatest Love Song’ complilations and the like all over the place, and to borrow the words of Morrissey ‘they say nothing to me about my life’. So I got to thinking, in true ‘High Fidelity’ style, what I would consider my ‘all time top 14 favourite love songs’ to be. Not 14 to be awkward, but I had the best intentions of covering one a day until Feb. 14^th, stating the case for each. Missed that boat… Ah well- I’ve been left with a carefully considered list of what to me personally, are some of the best examples of putting in to words feelings that can be all too hard too adequately convey. Songs that treat love not as an emotion, but a force that is as real and futile to resist as gravity. Songs that understand that ‘The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return’. So in no particular order, here’s the first one;

Down By The Water – The Drums – Summertime EP 2009 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvW9E2606Oc

There are not many groups that have found a place in my heart as quickly and as immovably as The Drums. On my last.fm profile, they’re my second most listened to artist and just 75 plays behind The Beatles. Considering that’s from an entire back catalogue which, including b-sides and remixes, barely totals about 30 tracks, it’s safe to say I’ve had them on heavy rotation. The one that, if pushed, I would probably consider my favourite of theirs is Down By The Water. Absolutely wearing the girl-group influences on its sleeve (going so far as to steal wholesale the black-and-white podium based video of ‘Out In The Streets’ by The Shangri-Las), DBTW evokes a ‘morning after the night before’, 50’s high school romance sort of impression.

‘If you fall asleep down by the water,
Baby I’ll carry you, all the way home’

Bruno Mars would catch a grenade. Throw his hand in the blade(?!). Jump in front of a train for his girl. In reality, how useful is that ever likely to be? What Jonny Pierce is promising here shows a far more believable and genuine commitment. Although at no point in the song does it explicity state the ‘couple’ are in a relationship in the romantic sense (making it no less a ‘love’ song, by the way), it could just as easily be a strong platonic friendship albeit with unrequited feelings on one side. In fact I’d even consider that to be more likely considering the next lines;

’Everybody's gotta love some one,
But I just wanna love you, dear.
Everybody's gotta feel something,
But I just want to be with you, my dear’.

It’s less a declaration of love than a plea, the vocals really capturing the ‘teenage heartbreak’ essence as performed so well by the likes of The Shirelles and The Shangri-Las. Its an archetypal situation- all too relateable to many, I expect.

’If they stop loving you,
I won't stop loving you.
If they stop needing you,
I’ll still need you, my dear’.

Boy loves girl, girl loves boy but only ever as friends. Girl lives happy and fulfilling life, boy left heartbroken shell, no less dedicated to the happiness of the one he believes should be with him. It’s a teen-movie soundtrack compilers dream!

‘You've gotta believe me,
When I say…
When I say the word ‘forever’,
And whatever…
Comes your way,
Oh we'll still be here together’.

The innocent, naive(?) faith and fervent belief in his feelings for the girl as evident from the lyrics are only half the story, the yearning performance Jonny Pierce gives sells it. I can give it no higher praise than to say it could have easily come from the era it was clearly written in reverence of. The music itself is pretty minimal, simple accompaniment so as not to detract from the focus of the track, namely Pierce’s delivery. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore. Except… they just did.

Who The F**k Are Arctic Monkeys?

Who The F**k Are Arctic Monkeys?

The question asked in the title of the Arctic Monkey’s second EP was a typically bold move from the confident quartet… Alex Turner treating their lightspeed rise to biggest band in the country with cynicism. Just three months prior to its release, ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ had become the UK’s fastest selling debut album- the 360,000 first week sales were enough to top the rest of the top 20 put together. In 2005/06 EVERYBODY knew who Arctic Monkeys were. It’s a story that’s been well-documented but its one that, for me, will always bear repeating.

As a keen music fan I’m used to discovering new bands and music through any means possible, a task that is infinitely easier now than it was even 5, 6, 7 years ago. Only last week Jack Penate released a new song to his fans via Twitter. Recorded in his front room, with just a video camera and a guitar, it was being heard on Radio One that same evening. And it was no gimmick, no-one batted an eye. But in 2004 Arctic Monkeys became the first to truly reap the rewards of the accessability and the means to distribute their material afforded to them by the internet. Believe it or not, I remember clearly hearing their music for the first time. The tribal drums of ‘A Certain Romance’, joined by the urgency of the guitar, made for a 30 second assault of an intro that gave way to a calmer melody that literally made me sit up and listen. The narrative ‘grim up north’ tale sung with affection held me rapt and I’m sure a grin found its way to my face. Having approached the tracks which make up what has come to be known as the ‘Beneath The Boardwalk EP’ (a collection of demos) with indifference, I was an instant convert to a band that had already created for itself a certain mythology. Listening to ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ I could scarcely believe that what I was hearing had been recorded by a bunch of 17 and 18 year olds who had only picked up instruments 2 years earlier. The way these songs were being spread and the interest generated is testament to the quality of the tracks- the band themselves have since admitted they were unaware the demos had even made it on to the internet, having been given away on cd at early gigs.

It’s difficult to adequately convey just what it meant to me as music lover to see the Arctic Monkeys breakthrough as they did. It was truly exciting. Before the release of their first single they sold out the London Astoria, a venue much more established bands had had to work up to. Tickets were bought for several times face value outside.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOJ2DJgLflQ

Listen to the cheer that greets the opening notes of ‘Mardy Bum’ and the crowd that sings along to every word…

 The musical landscape in the early 2000’s can fairly be described as ‘bland’. Of course there’s always quality if you look for it but at least in terms of mainstream successes, a list of the best selling artists of the early part of the decade tells its own story; James Blunt, Dido, Keane, Coldplay, Norah Jones, Snow Patrol, Katie Melua, Westlife, Will Young. As far as guitar-based music, indie, rock bands were concerned the charts had long been an irrelevence. But to send ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ to Number One in October 2005 felt like a victory. Oasis didn’t get in to the top ten until their third single. The Libertines, their fifth. Picking the case up from the rapidly depleting display I shared a knowing look with a guy who’d just done the same, and we turned to go to the checkout- the sole purpose of our visit to HMV Richmond being to buy the single. The release of the album was bought forward a week to January 23^rd 2006 officially due to ‘high demand’ but likely to try and avoid the wide-spread sharing of the mastered album tracks for free (a move that failed, as I recall the entire finished album was doing the rounds, as the demos had before). Not that it appeared to matter in the slightest- to me, nor everybody else. There was never any question that we’d be buying the physical release. As mentioned above, the 360,000 first week sales (118,000 on the first day of release) sent Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not to Number One- it stayed there for a further three weeks. Just unheard of. This was a real band that to all appearances  had crashed the mainstream out of nowhere but to those ‘in the know’ it was the culmination of months and months of building antcipation and excitement.

Having waited what felt a long time from the initial distribution of the ‘…Boardwalk’ demo MP3’s to the album release, the announcement of an EP of new material to come in April was a welcome surprise. The first track ‘The View from the Afternoon’ was intended to be the third single but was instead backed by 4 new songs. The chart-ineligible EP confirmed beyond all doubt to me that Alex Turner was the Real Deal. ‘Despair In The Departure Lounge’ and ‘Who The F**k Are Arctic Monkeys’ particularly displayed a song-writing maturity, complexity and musical proficiency that left the band head and shoulders above anything else around. A born frontman, rather than bask in the adulation he’s earned he uses the EP’s title track to mock the band-wagon jumpers,

‘And there's a couple of hundred
Think they're Christopher Columbus
But the settlers had already settled
Yeah, long before ya’

Anticpate his own downfall,

’Oh, in five years time, will it be
"Who the fuck's Arctic Monkeys?’

And go as far as to invite it

‘bring on the backlash!’

For every band I feel pleased to have discovered and raved about before they’ve made it big, none of them have done it on the scale seen by the Arctic Monkeys- a genuinely phenomenal sequence of events that will never be repeated. Seven years later the impact their debut made still resonates with me. Self-made superstars.