Video: RYAT. HOWL


Posted by tim brown on 07 Jun 2012 / 0 Comment


In case you needed further proof that Brainfeeder is pretty much the greatest label in the world at finding the strange but brilliant, this is their latest signing RYAT. She joins such luminaries as The Gaslamp Killer, Thundercat and of course Flying Lotus with her hypnotic, and at times breaky, electronic sound. The album TOTEM is out nowish and you can hear a sampler of it below. It would appear that she stylises her name and all music in capital letters by the way, hence the use of them here. I haven’t just suddenly decided the change style once again.

Live Review. Savages. Shacklewell Arms, London


Posted by tim brown on 06 Jun 2012 / 0 Comment



live review: savages. shacklewell arms, london. 29 may 2012.

I’ve squeezed into the back of a hot, sweaty and packed Shacklewell Arms. There’s an NME journalist behind me, a Radio 1 DJ to the left of me and lots of record label people all around, you can just feel it. Yup, this gig’s got ‘buzz band’ written all over it.

But Savages, a new London-based all girl outfit have even managed to stop the industry types in the room bluefacing for a bit with their bass-heavy intensity. They’ve been around for barely a year and have only one single – ‘Flying Berlin’ with ‘Husbands’ as the b-side to their name, and yet their sound is remarkably assured.

Savages have been compared to Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees, I’d say more like a female Rakes. And I really like the Rakes I hasten to point out. Their lead singer Jehnny Beth (of John and Jehn fame) mixes a nervous inter-song banter with a Justine Frischmann-like insouciance while performing.

Their sound isn’t particularly original or particularly new: anyone who remembers New Wave of New Wave in the 90s (or even the original New Wave a decade before) will testify to that. But it is exactly the kind of stripped down post punk I absolutely adore. I only hope they are allowed to properly develop and go beyond the hype.

Words by Helen Parton

Video: The Black Keys. Gold On The Ceiling


Posted by tim brown on 05 Jun 2012 / 0 Comment


The Black Keys have recruited Trash Humpers director Harmony Korine for the video to ‘Gold on the Ceiling’, and the result is just as bizarre as you would expect. Fantastic.

Album Review. The Beach Boys. That’s Why God Made The Radio


Posted by tim brown on 05 Jun 2012 / 0 Comment



album review: the beach boys. that’s why god made the radio. 4 june 2012. capitol records
(buy here)

“Spreading the love and sunshine to a whole new generation” so The Beach Boys sing on their first album to feature new material since 1992, made to celebrate 50 years in the business. I don’t know if I’m meant to be the new generation or I’m too old, but they spread that to me years ago. I spent summer drives home from school listening to The Very Best of The Beach Boys (insert Alan Partridge “I think I would have to say ‘The Best of the Beatles’ reference here). Pet Sounds was my album of choice when preparing for a night out while at University. ‘God Only Knows’ was the song we played to Josh in the womb. The Beach Boys soundtracked my youth and maybe the release of this album will help them to soundtrack those driving their first car down the A12 now.

Nobody writes about summer, cars and music as well as Brian Wilson, and nobody puts those words into perfect harmonies as well as The Beach Boys. The evidence of them still possessing those skills are evident throughout That’s Why God Made The Radio. Also evident are references to their past. Not least on the excellent ‘Spring Vacation’, which features lyrics including “Good Vibration(s)” and “Get Around”. The album that this is closest in sound to though is Sunflower, perhaps lesser well known than some of their other output but certainly one of their best.

Whatever the expectations and fears about this album were, it can be counted as nothing short of a success.

7.5

Live Review: Field Day. Victoria Park, London


Posted by tim brown on 04 Jun 2012 / 0 Comment


photo by tim boddy, photo editor of the 405.

live review: field day. victoria park, london. 2 june 2012.

Oh yes. It is Field Day and that means I get to Live Tweet. It was two years ago (not to the day because they’ve brought Field Day forward this year because of people from all around the world throwing spears and running around in circles during August) that I first live tweeted a festival, and that festival was Field Day. What fun.

Anyway, the day didn’t start off brilliantly if I’m honest with you.

Just to be clear, that fucking idiot was me. You can find out if Blood Orange waited for me later.

Those three tweets were just some rubbish stuff about my trip back to get my ticket. Worth mentioning though because walking in and seeing my rocking chair like that WAS THE SCARIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. I’m pretty sure that it was moving slightly too. Also, a nice little plug for #coffeeonbusesplease.

That was me being hilarious because it was still a good few hours until Summer Camp were on. The queues outside were big though. I don’t really know what the organisers can do about it because they have to do the security checks of course, but where they have the entrance it is quite limited for width so they can’t just stick in a shit load more aisles. I do think that it is something that needs to be looked at though.

Blood Orange didn’t wait for me.

Let’s get on and talk about some actual music that I managed to see shall we. Starting with a band I had never heard before, but fell instantly in love with. Sunless 97.

Don’t listen to that kids. It isn’t big or clever.

It didn’t work, and Natalie & I are still yet to consummate out relationship.

I have lost count of the number of times I’ve seen Summer Camp now, but they never disappoint. I think I’m a groupie. On this occasion it was later revealed that Elizabeth was ill and had a sore throat (I think they’ve had to cancel a couple of shows on the back of it), but none of us had any ideas. Flawless once again. They revisited tracks from their very early days and threw in some from the forthcoming EP. They also replied to this tweets telling me that they are very much in love with me too. I’ve printed it out, framed it and it’s now on my kitchen wall.

The stain was obviously God punishing me for missing Zulu Winter, but the ostrich burger was fucking good.

It occurred to me later that perhaps this was to make up for the fact that Imbruglia couldn’t be delivered. Life then punched me squarely in the face though when her boyfriend turned up and they started kissing very publicly. I’m pretty certain that if he hadn’t been there we would have gone home together.

I’m a bloody idiot. I meant ‘A Thing For Me’. I think people knew this though. It is a great remix and Elizabeth Sankey agrees because she retweeted me. Take a quick break and go and listen to it here. Wow. Enjoy that? Good. More people should put donks on things.

And then my battery died. I can tell you that Franz Ferdinand in the rain was pretty special though. I wish I’d taken a jacket though.

This was a good Field Day. A very good Field Day. The queues outside were still huge, but once within the walls everything was much better than last year. More room in the tents, better bar processes and the toilets… well, nobody will ever solve the problem of queues at festival toilets. Ultimately though it is the quality of the artists that makes a festival and Field Day had them in bucket loads. There were plenty more I could have seen, and the depth of the bill was superb. I’ll be back next year.

Album Review: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Here


Posted by tim brown on 26 May 2012 / 0 Comment



album review: edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros. here. 28 may 2012. rough trade records
(buy here)

I loved Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros‘ debut album Up From Below. Ask me to name, or even hum, two songs from it though. I don’t think I can. Why? ‘Home‘, that’s why. One of my favourite tracks of all time and whenever I stick on that album I can’t help but skip to track six and stick it on repeat. The rest of the album doesn’t get a look in.

Here doesn’t have a stand out track like that and it is a better and more complete album for it. The opening four tracks all offer something different and this makes you want to listen to them all. ‘Man On Fire’ gently pulls you through the track with its ensemble backing vocals. ‘That’s What’s Up’ is more fun and, dare I say, could even be a follow up to ‘Home’. ‘I Don’t Wanna’ couldn’t be more old time South if it came with a free jar of moonshine. ‘Mayla’ then slows things up and is quite simply beautiful. It doesn’t stop there either, as the album continues with variations on the album’s theme throughout. Then come close ‘All Wash Out’. Fuck me, it’s brilliant.

9

Video: Emmy The Great. God of Loneliness


Posted by tim brown on 23 May 2012 / 0 Comment


It’s got Dobby from Peep Show in it! Emmy and Dobby. Together at last. Amazing.

Album Review: Niki & The Dove. Instinct


Posted by tim brown on 23 May 2012 / 0 Comment



album review: niki & the dove. instinct. 14 may 2012. mercury records
(buy here)

It would be easy to throw comparisons at Niki & The Dove to help describe this album. There’s some Lykke Li in there, a bit of Soko and a lot of Tegan & Sara. Instinct is more than that though. It is a metaphor-tastic furious pure pop album. We know all about some of the tracks already and ‘DJ, Ease My Mind’, ‘The Drummer’ et al certainly find happy bed fellows here. ‘Somebody’ is the perfect pop song and ‘Last Night’ is still nothing short of bloody brilliant. Elsewhere, ‘The Gentle Roar”s heavy drums pulsate through a hypnotic 3:44 and include a fantastic whispered chorus that just hangs about in your head for an hour after you’ve put the record down. Anybody worried whether the album would live up to the hype can sleep easy.

8

Download. California Wives. Marianne


Posted by tim brown on 22 May 2012 / 0 Comment


Last week Chicago four-piece California Wives signed with Vagrant Records, the home to Active Child, Band of Skulls and the brilliant Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (stay tuned for more on their new album very soon by the way). To celebrate they are giving away the single ‘Marianne’, which pulls on a number eighties influences from John Hughes to Joy Division. Download it below to help them celebrate.

Album Review: Best Coast. The Only Place


Posted by tim brown on 21 May 2012 / 0 Comment



album review: best coast. the only place. 14 may 2012. wichita recordings
(buy here)

You can tell we have summer approaching can’t you? Every record I listen to at the moment has that feeling it needs to be played while you’re eating a bbq and trying to remember the rules to quick cricket on the beach. Nobody is better at bringing those feelings to the fore than Best Coast. Whether singing about how California is ‘The Only Place’ because it’s “got the ocean, got the babes, got the sun, got the waves” or how summer nights keep you awake and make your mind wander as on ‘Do You Still Love Me Like You Used To’, Bethany’s voice glides along like, well, a summer’s day. This may not have quite the impact as debut Crazy For You or their buddy Wavves’ King of the Beach did two years ago, but don’t be surprised if this is the first album you grab this summer when everybody decides they didn’t want to play quick cricket in the first place anyway.

Oh and by the way, ‘Up All Night’ is a fucking hell of a closer.

7.5

As a special treat, here is the band performing ‘The Only Place’ on Letterman last week.