Kruger Issue 19 by Kruger Laboratories

F RE 1

Contents Page “Fredrick Stanley Star” 6 CHAPTER 1. CHAPTER 2. “Playdoe” 10 CHAPTER 3. “Sky Larkin” 12 CHAPTER 4. “Tubelord” 16 CHAPTER 5. “Your Twenties” 18 CHAPTER 6. “Animal Collective” 22 CHAPTER 7. “Things that go Womp Womp Womp in the night” 26 CHAPTER 8. “Micachu” 30 CHAPTER 9. “Casiokids” 32 CHAPTER 10. “Deer tick” 40 CHAPTER 11. “Mumford & Sons” 42 CHAPTER 12. “Dananananaykroyd” 46 CHAPTER 13. “Rise & Shine 2009” 51 CHAPTER 14. “Live & Album Reviews” 57 CHAPTER 15. “Competition” 66

Kruger Magazine Issue 19

Contact, Comment, Contribute mail@krugermagazine.com

Editors: Mike Williams, Joe Howden, Data Reviews Editor: Helia Phoenix Research: Helen Weatherhead & Rhian Daly

www.krugermagazine.com

Thanks to: Mark Edward Thomas, Rebecca Lewis, Laura, Dan & Aoife @ Scruffy Bird, Beth @ Toast, Food City Essex Road, Prithi Restaurant Brick Lane, Jodie @ Domino, Glasgow Peeps, Chris Waring, Mikal Telle, Dan Tyson, Leon West, Jon @ Wasted Youth, Matt @ Hungry, Offshore Studios, all our advertisers and contributors. Special thanks to Helen, Rhian, Ioan, Susie, Tim, Ed and Helia. Produced by Kruger at Studio 2A, London & Goldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gym, Cardiff. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the kind permission of Kruger. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the opinions of Kruger. All work by Data, Mike Williams & Joe Howden unless otherwise credited. All words, photography and illustrations are original and specific to Kruger except Ones To Watch section. Pulled Apart By Horses photo by Mei Lewis. Kruger is an independent publication, distributed throughout the UK.

Advertising enquiries: mike@krugermagazine.com

Contributors Words Si Truss, Danna Hawley, Huw Stephens, Jen Long, Alex Bean, Simon Roberts, Adam Corner, Dan Tyte, Steph Price, James Skinner, Neil Condron, Matt Bowring, Rhian Daly, Jon Davies, Sophie Goodrich, Betti Hunter, Rich Kemp, David Levin, Sophie Lawrence, Adrian May, Sophie Morgan, Ioan Morris, Janne Oinonen, Kate Parkin, Helia Phoenix, David Sutheran, Helen Weatherhead, Matt Whittle, Susie Wild, Jesse Sposato Images Maria Farelly, Tim Cochrane, James Perou, Jack Hudson, Christina Kernohan, Lucy Johnston, Mei Lewis, Christopher McLallen, Terri Loewenthal

t was night time in Krugerville, and all of the children were in bed, except for little Jack who just couldn’t get to sleep. He crept downstairs to the living room where his granddad was dozing in his favourite chair in front of the last embers of the evening’s fire, an empty whiskey tumbler in one hand, his penis in the other. Just as Jack was about to poke his granddad’s arm to wake him from his sleep, a knock on the door startled him into life, followed by the dulcet tones of carol singers that seemed to fill the room with warmth and light. “Can’t sleep?” said granddad drowsily. “I was thinking about what happens outside when I’m in bed” replied Jack “What do all the other people do?” “Put your coat on. I’ll show you,” said granddad. Jack put his coat on as quick as he could, making sure all the buttons were fastened tight. “What will we see, granddad?” asked Jack, excited. “Some people working the night shift, others looking at the stars, and all of them bound together by the darkness of night,” said granddad. “Sounds shit” said Jack, joking of course. And as quickly as that they were out into the night, sparing a coin for the carol singers as they passed them…

CHAPTER 1.

Fredrick Stanley Star And if I’m right, and bands are like carol singers, then Fredrick Stanley Star are the archetypal, Christmas card image of perfection. They sound great, they’re in it for all the right reasons and if they knock on your door you’ll be inviting them in for a cuppa before you know it.

arol singers come in all shapes and sizes, each doing it for their own reasons. There’s the young kids going around with their mums and dads; totally tuneless but cute as a button. There’s the veterans from the Salvation Army, sounding as immaculate as they’re dressed, raising money for charity along the way. And let’s not forget the teenagers; in it for the money and they don’t even know the words to the songs.

essentially poetry. I’m not sure exactly what he meant by that - and I wrote a dissertation on him - but I would like to propose a parallel of my own: all music is essentially carol singing.

What am I getting at with all this talk of carolling? Let me explain Heidegger once wrote that all art is

And just like carol singers there’s a multitude of reasons behind bands doing what they do, and some are more admirable than others.

So what sets them apart? For starters they have something more to them than most other alt-folk acts you’ll come across. Each member contributes vocals, adding an eerie gospel element to the music. Instruments get swapped around until it becomes difficult to keep track of what each member actually does, and all the time they manage to balance melody and accessibility with an experimental edge.

Think about it. Bands and musicians are constantly doing the same thing as carol singers; knocking on doors and singing for approval. Just not the literal door of the sweet old lady down the road, but rather the metaphorical doors of records companies, radio stations and the gig going public.

The first door Fredrick Stanley Star visited was that of Cardiff’s Shape Records and the man behind it, Attack + Defend main man Mark Thomas, was more than happy to pay up. But, as the band explains, the love between Shape and Fredrick Stanley Star, known individually as Dan, Jo, Stephen, William and Alex, is a completely mutual thing. “Mark and Dan used to kiss and fight 6

at work a lot,” explains Jo on how the two met. “Dan hung around Café Europa and asked for work there every day until they finally gave him a job,” Alex adds. “Then eventually we all got jobs there and that’s where we met Mark. He was working there at the time and we got to know him and got to see his band and it was like ‘wow!’ Then he came to our first proper show and came to all the other shows after that and it’s just been a mutual friendship since then.” Shape have just released Fredrick Stanley Star’s debut album, Heaviside Layer, and it’s clear from the beginning that the union between band and label has been a success. It’s testament to the DIY ethic of Shape that the album sounds so good; it’s proof that a big budget and a big label aren’t necessary to produce great music. “Major labels are unnecessary,” notes Alex, “they’ve just an evil thing and are utterly, utterly needless in today’s world. You can tour the world and put music out all the time without being on a major label.”

Photographed by Maria Farrelly at the bands home in Cardiff - mariafarrelly.com 7

Dan continues, “The thing about working with Mark was that initially we never thought ‘Oh, cool, this is DIY’ or anything, it was just natural. It just works because we’re working with someone we like and get on with and because they like us too.” Doing what comes naturally seems to be a recurring theme with Fredrick Stanley Star. Anyone who’s seen the band live will probably this. It’s difficult to define what each member of the band actually does in simplistic terms. Tags such as ‘guitarist’ or ‘lead singer’ seem redundant when discussing a band who appear to function less like a group of separate musicians and more like one collective song-writing consciousness. The same kind of approach seems to have been applied to the creation of Heaviside Layer. Take the way the band created the artwork as an example. “Steve came up with the original design,” Dan explains, “then we all got involved in different things. Jo did a lot of work with tea bags.” “At one point we were all rummaging around the garden looking for the right shade of green,” Jo adds. Yet this hands-on approach isn’t just something that’s developed out of being on a DIY label like Shape, it’s something fundamental to who Fredrick Stanley Star are.

to look through the yellow pages and find someone to design our album,” says Dan.

“We never thought ‘Oh, cool, this is DIY’ or anything, it was just natural. It just works...” Dan

“It’s very important for us to create the images to go with the music,” agrees Will. “It keeps it more individual; it’s what we are.” But a great voice isn’t the only tool a good caroller needs; subtlety is important too. Fredrick Stanley Star know that there are certain benefits to letting the music do the talking. Alex explains, “People have different messages and they want to get them out in different ways. You need to open the right doorways that are going to give your message the best light and it’s got to be done through your own endeavour. Self-promotion is cool, but that’s just not where we’ve ever found ourselves.” Stephen continues, “If there’s an interesting way of doing it and if we had the time and presence of mind to do it then that could be really nice. I think self-promotion’s great in the way people like Devendra Banhart do it through artwork and through a collective of people playing gigs together and helping each other.” “The music is always the most important thing,” Dan concludes. “Everything else is just compromises so you can play music. So it’s just trying to find the right compromises so we can all play music happily.”

“I don’t think it would ever occur to us 8

Who knows what the future holds for Fredrick Stanley Star. What is for sure is that they’ve got an impressive debut album under their belt, a great relationship with a unique record label and that their efforts aren’t going unnoticed. It seems from their point of view the most important thing is to keep playing their music to people. “We love the idea of playing live and promoting ourselves in that way,” says Alex. “The only real way to show people what you really want and the magic you can muster out of your songs is to give it your all through live performances. Hopefully in our live shows we’ve got enough communal energy to win people over.” Winning people over shouldn’t be a problem, there’s something hugely impressive about Fredrick Stanley Star, both in their music and their attitude. And, whether we’re talking about carol singers or indie bands, Fredrick Stanley star should have no problem standing out from the crowd. Words by Si Truss Heaviside Layer is out now on Shape Records myspace.com/fredrickstanleystar

Online ivyleaguesessions.co.uk

CHAPTER 2.

Playdoe

Photographed at the Ivy League, Cardiff 10

hen I was younger, I’d lay my head at night and look up at the bright stars, feeling as though the sky’s the limit. Who am I kidding – I did that last night. Speaking to South African duo Playdoe, it’s transparent that they too still dream as big as their heads will allow…even as huge as having “a million people at your funeral,” like one of Spoek’s biggest inspirations, Fela Kuti.

Spoek, the quick-witted vocal half of Playdoe, explains, “I admire his ability to do whatever he pleased but still have the masses with him. Right now, I think I’m having pretty much zero impact! Well, it’s very tiny, very niche - as opposed to a million people at a funeral! That’s my dream, that’s where I want to go. I’m young and so far I’ve only been doing music because it’s really fun and interesting - but I’m realising that that gets tiring. I’d rather do something important, something that other people can be proud of.” That’s not to say the 23 year old’s work now – either his gutter-mouthed, club-geared project Sweat X (with Markus Wormstorm) or his colourful creations as Playdoe - is anything unworthy of pride. But it’s certainly refreshing to hear someone likely to be categorised as ‘the sound of now’ being so wrapped up in genuine forethought. Playdoe’s beat-making half Sibot (a.k.a. DJ Fuck) keeps his feet slightly more grounded goal-wise, yet still maintains

the same level of optimism with music. “I think we’re moving in different directions all the time. At first I was going for a really old sonic b-boy sound with an African edge. Now, I’m really pushing weird South African rhythms; I hope to keep exploring and finding new territories.” He continues, reflecting on his most prominent aspiration. “We’re trying to explore a lot more of what’s going on in this side of the world, what’s right at our doorstep.” Africa Arcade is the name of his big project for 2009 - driving a tour bus around Africa with other African music enthusiasts (including Buraka Som Sistema), holding workshops and club gigs on the search for new talent within.

“I think we’re moving in different directions all the time. I hope to keep exploring and finding new territories.” Sibot

As for their personal star-gazing, Spoek cites the aforementioned Fela Kuti, Prince (“for me, it’s just his unabashedness, his outrageousness.”) and Sun Ra (“He’s the king of weird when it comes to jazz.”) as his “holy trinity.” Sibot, meanwhile, slated Kid Koala for his sense of humour, Beck (“He’s stuck through all these genre changes and managed to remain popular.”), and DJ Krush for “making music with no lyrics, and for being a DJ that was playing only his own music. I aspired to be like that.” It seems the common thread between their collective influences is future-thinking cult figures that aren’t afraid to be bold and unusual – not unlike the pair themselves. Playdoe’s big dreams may be reigned in by circumstance and timing; the duo seems to particularly fall victim to journalistic folly. Since their stupidly 11

fresh banger It’s That Beat first landed on blog-frenzied ears, music critic hopefuls went to town with needless genre creations (old-school-electrohipster-rap, anyone?). Unless “hipster” eventually becomes a veritable genre itself, the all-embracing style of Playdoe is proof that the traditional concept of genres has been made redundant. And while lazy comparisons like “a South African Spank Rock” may be an easy fall-back, Playdoe’s complex, highly diversified sound sets them leagues apart. “For me, I resent it and I feel a bit bitter. Because we’re from South Africa, we’re seen as these little step-brothers: the redheaded step-brothers!” Spoek laughs. “I think if we weren’t here in South Africa, we’d get seen in our own right.” Hopefully one day they’ll hold their own with no limitations, redefining the perception of African music as a whole. Until then, at night when I look at the stars above, I’d like to imagine that on the other side of the world Sibot and Spoek are doing the same; thinking that the sky gets closer by the day.

Words by Danna Hawley myspace.com/fuckplaydoe

Online ivyleaguesessions.co.uk

CHAPTER 3.

Sky Larkin L

ate night radio blew my tiny little mind. After being hoodwinked into thinking that Crowded House and Alanis Morrissette (you can stop shuddering now) was the most exciting new music out there, finding the Evening Session and John Peel were the most exciting things that had ever happened. Getting on to hospital radio and playing music to whoever was listening seemed like the most sensible thing I could ever do. The number of tunes I’d hear when the lights were switched off would now make up a library of some of the most stunning - mostly forgotten about essential still-listened-to music that I could ever hope to have. Of course, most I’ll never hear again. The tracks, whether soppy, stimulating, stunning or strange, were a thrill to behold at the time, and maybe destined to fill my ears for just that moment. Aware of this, with my own late night radio shows, while sometimes it’s to do with playing and showing patronage to bands that you hope and know will be around and be important for the foreseeable future, it’s often to do with the moment the record is actually being

played on air. That it makes its home as part of someone’s life, finds them doing whatever it is they’re doing, forgetting about the essay, work, stress that tomorrow might bring, or making the night in or driving about even better.

they’re back home, bassist Doug and lead singer and guitarist Katie seem happier than ever, recounting tales of their travels across the countries, taking in the sights and playing venues more used to welcoming metal bands through their doors.

While a late night listen might be background company for some, others thrive on it. The introducing of a new record, a band or a mix can stay with you forever. I’d heard of Sky Larkin a few times. Seen their name a few times online. Heard a Steve Lamacq session. These moments turned into a proper introduction, one that needed a follow up.

So while drummer Nestor parks up the van, I sit down with Doug and Katie in central London and ask them about their night times on tour. “In Germany, clubs would open at 2am, in Rome people would drink in the street, and in Switzerland the tops of the mountains would literally sparkle at night”, remembers Katie.

Those of us who have followed Sky Larkin’s history so far know that this band are more than a little bit special; a three piece who are friends, top notch musicians and a lyricist that will leave an impression for years to come. You get the feeling this is only the beginning...

“Night time is less structured elsewhere, it seems more relaxed than home”, says Doug. He was a working chef before heading off on tour with the band, and still ventures into kitchens during time off. “I’m used to not sleeping at night; you get into a routine. I won’t be in bed before 4am most nights. Back home I can sleep in the day quite easily, but in Europe you feel like you’re missing out. I used to live with two of Dinosaur Pile-Up, and they’d practise all night. I was essentially living with amps.”

Right now though, Sky Larkin have just emerged from the back of a van and a tour of Europe. They were sharing the bus with Lovvers, the noisiest band from Nottingham ever, and on tour with Los Campesinos!, another band who’ve become friends. Even though

Katie did an art degree, and so all this 12

travelling about is an ideal time to check out the art in various cities. “Seeing Florence and the architecture there was amazing – I got up at 7am to have a walk about, just to make the most of it”. It’s not a surprise to find that Katie writes most of her lyrics when it gets dark. She tells me that Lemsip and Nightnurse sometimes help her when she’s tired or can’t sleep, and the subconscious can assist with writing tunes. And oh! what tunes! Her songs are wondrous things; she creates stunning imagery and a kind of other worldliness that implies at times that while it might not be her against the world, the world is hers to discover. All this mixed up with the spikiest guitars and Nestor’s drums. Seriously, Nestor’s drums are something else. Their debut album, The Golden Spike, is a belter. Some songs you might know, others were written just before going in to the studio to lay down the 12 tracks. The title, says Katie, bring together a number of different things. Named after 70s American landscape designer Robert Smithson’s spiral jetty that sits in a Utah desert, a piece of art that’s representative of two coasts coming together. The album brings these older and more recent songs together, as it does the three members of the band.

Photographed by Tim Cochrane in Soho, London - timothycochrane.com 13

Recorded in Seattle by John Goodmanson in Death Cab for Cutie’s studio (“modest and nice” according to Katie, not a money-thrown-at-it to seem plush kind of place), the enthusiasm with which they talk about The Golden Spike makes it obvious it was a labour of love. “I got a bit obsessed with coffee while we were recording, I used it as fuel, and I hadn’t really drunk it before” admits Katie. “Our apartment had a fridge and a shower and that was it, so most of our spare time was spent in this coffee shop round the corner. Doug would drink beer in the shower though.” “Cos there was nothing else to do in there!” protests Doug. “We’d listen to some late night right wing radio and get worked up, but mostly we’d be in the studio working on the album”. The whole reason they were in the Seattle, drinking in showers, getting acquainted with the coffee bean, was because of their signing to Wichita Recordings. “We were offered other deals, but it was a bit like waiting for a prom date to ask you out. We always wanted Wichita to ask us, so we held out until they did” explains Katie. “They let us do things the way we want to do them. Mark from the label came up after a gig we played in April, and offered us the chance to make an album.” “That’s what sets them apart from the other labels. They care. They’re a smaller label doing what the bigger labels are trying to do, they’re into direct contact. They ask us what we can do as far as

touring and gigging is concerned, and we’re just pushing each others’ limits really. Ryan Jarman (from The Cribs) summed it up when he told us once; ‘Welcome to the best record label in the world’.” While driving about in Horse (that’s the name of their van), back and forth to Leeds and occasionally stopping over wherever they’d played that night, Sky Larkin favour listening to podcasts to keep their minds focused on the road. They namecheck Adam and Joe, Robin Ince and Josie Long. “Either spoken word or crap metal is the best, it keeps the mind going. Anything mellow makes it hard to keep alert on the roads” says Katie. “Night time is a precious time I think. I loved a title that Electrelane used for one of their songs, Between the Wolf and the Dog. That imagery of twilight is very powerful. I use my time to write and occasionally do my laundry when it’s dark. Nestor adores packing the van and getting it ready for the following day. He revels in it. Our heart is in the night”. With the twilight hours used to their advantage, I’m happy as long as they keep writing. Words by Huw Stephens myspace.com/skylarkinskylarkin Catch Huw from midnight till 2am every Wednesday night on Radio 1.

CHAPTER 4.

Tubelord Y

ou can’t post that parcel, or buy milk. You can’t speak to a sales advisor, the office closed hours ago. You shouldn’t walk alone, but the taxis are scarce. Don’t watch TV, it’s just static and quiz shows. Your number isn’t recognised, your service provider is asleep. There’s no-one to call, you’re out of range. It’s the dead of night and everything has stopped. Everything but the thieves.

hurl themselves around, and then softly wish thanks. I never know what their songs are about, but they don’t want me to pay for them. Be the problem, not the solution.

“Who the fuck wants to buy a CD that’s just in a plastic case? I don’t blame anyone for not buying it. If it’s available to download, download it. I think it’s our responsibility as a band nowadays to make something that’s worth buying. Why the fuck would you pay £10 for 10 mp3s? I don’t see the point in it anymore. We’ve moved on.”

“The day is spent eating, and just thinking about food and then just eating the food, and then regretting that I’d eaten anything and then kind of just monging out for a bit” begins lead singer and guitarist Joe, who’s sat beside me. He’s just been talking about the theory of post-subcultures, our 24 access to music from across the globe destroying the notion of living a single genre. Much like Tubelord, his subject matter seems to jump from one extreme to the next. “It’s always around midnight that I’ll find a new artist or band and excitedly message them because I know they can’t reply because they’re asleep. And then you’re waiting for them to reply to you

I’m sat in a McDonalds with Tubelord, the Kingston-based three-piece who make the kind of angst ridden power pop that jumps from structure to static to something completely different in under three minutes thirty. They shout, and then fall into a soft falsetto. They

and you think, ‘did that even happen?’” Joe proceeds to open his Mac book and try to show me the bands he’s ripped in the early hours. Last time I met him we bought Nestle products and ate them in Starbucks. It’s a refreshing to meet a band who not only accept, but inexcusably relish in the joy of major corporations. “I am a hanger for a corporation” states Dave with a straight face. “Fucking live with it.”

“You get better download speeds at night, so I can download loads and loads of albums,” says Dave, the drummer and powerhouse of the band, as bassist Sean sits next to him, head on the table, eyes closed. I’m told Sean likes to sleep.

As it happens, Tubelord are about to become a company themselves, business cards and all. So who would they screw over? “The poor people” Dave snaps in a second. “Save the whales.” Joe answers slowly, without looking up. “Fed up of that shit, man.” A little confused, I look to Dave who’s nodding in agreement. “To be honest; have you ever met a whale? No. Have you ever seen a whale? No. So in Joe’s logic, they don’t even exist.” In Joe’s logic, Oxfam is also a source of capitalist money-wasting evil. Joe explains; “I’m thinking, well, any charity that is trying to save Africa that can afford a good four 16

and a half minute advert on National television and have headquarters in London and have to pay rent for that. Where’s that money going to? It’s not going to Africa is it? It’s going to the next advert.” It’s hard to see where the line between humour and belief is, and what’s even harder to comprehend is that Tubelord are speaking sense. “In Leeds there’s just an old like a warehouse with Poverty Aid written on the side of it” Dave enthuses, and even Sean looks up from his slumber to nod in agreement. “It’s literally the cheapest place they could find to put crap in and sell it back to you,” continues Joe. “You can buy a pair of trousers and the dude died in them last week and they don’t tell you that. There’s scabs inside of the knees.” They’re dirty and funny, captivating and passionate, but watch out. In all the laughter and smiles, at some point in the pitch black night, Tubelord might just steal your heart. Words by Jen Long myspace.com/tubelord

Photographed by James Perou outside Food City, Essex Road, London - photosimian.co.uk 17

The day shiftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over...

Photographed by James Perou at Printhi Restaurant, Brick Lane, London - photosimian.co.uk 18

CHAPTER 5.

Your Twenties I

t’s pretty late as I stroll down Brick Lane past the usual mêlée of pushy traders insisting they serve the best curries in London, and as I avoid the rotting debris in the street, I’m pleasantly aware of a hum in the air signalling the area coming to life. It’s a patch of the city which only starts to stretch its legs as dusk kicks, and as I continue on to my engagement with Your Twenties, I pass bar workers heading off to serve drinks to recently edgy city traders, swaggering drug dealers and relatives of restaurant owners who’ve been roped into the night slot. And of course I pass by boys with guitars slung over skinny backs heading towards the hundreds of venues that litter East London as they prepare to begin their shifts as Rock N Roll Superstars. It strikes me that pretty much anyone trying to carve their way in the changeable world of music making will know a thing or two about working the night shift. Slogging tirelessly in a job that doesn’t catch your interest but

allows you to pay the rent, all the while dreaming of the evenings, the smell of stale beer sodden into carpets, lugging your amp up 10 flights of stairs but most of all – MOST OF ALL - playing those songs you’ve written yourself to an audience of wide-eyed admirers. For that pleasure, they’d pretty much do anything, right?

“With Metronomy I’m part of the band, but it’s important that I get my own stuff down now...”

I head into a boozer which could literally be the Nags’ Head from the first series of Only Fools and Horses, complete with pot-bellied market traders and wide boys of every variety, and join Gabriel and James from my new favourite band, who rattle off a bizarre list of jobs undertaken in the quest for cash to fund their nocturnal band personas. “Between us we’ve worked in a ceramics factory, manufacturing swords for battle re-enactments and disposing of off milk at a dairy, which whilst wearing chainmail. Then there’s been some mildly pornographic male modelling, sandwich delivery and a summer spent positioned in ditches below targets on a military shooting range with the job being to change the paper on 19

the boards in between rounds. It just rained torrentially and as there was no shelter eventually the trenches began to resemble the Somme. Great times.” Gabriel also solemnly admits that he worked as one of those charity collectors who jump on you in the street, quite believably describing it as “my very most depressing low”. James interjects to this news with: “You scumbag. I bet you were well wacky, chasing people down the road and waving your arms at them. Disgraceful.” “No I got sacked, I just wasn’t zany enough to cut it.” Here’s a little bit of background on Your Twenties, a band who describe their influences as long lunches, Elastica, pastel colours and Brian Wilson’s mental illness. The band consists of five very interlinked members. The lead singer and songwriter is Gabriel Stebbing, better known - for now - as the bassist who stands on the

left in Metronomy and is best at their dance-routines. There’s James on guitar, who has known Gabriel since they were 14, “playing in bands, making music and chatting-up girls”. On keyboards resides one-man-prodigy Charlie Alex March (who you may recognise from his ethereal solo work, currently the soundtrack to a Special K TV advert). Robin is on drums, another childhood friend of Gabriel and James and they’re completed by Michael, Gabriel’s brother who they say was pressured into quitting university to join the band: “We said move to London and in return he’d have a life of women, drugs, yachts and rock n roll. Alas, he’s just delivering sandwiches so far.” These long term friendships extend right out to their producer, only the most sought after man in bleepy-bleepy-pop production, Joe Mount: Mr Metronomy himself. As well as sharing all the drunkin-parks joys of their teens together, Gabriel and Joe and the other members of Your Twenties have been making music collectively for an age, taking it in turns to front various bands and share song writing, Gabriel says: “Obviously, for the past few years Metronomy has taken dominance but Joe’s always been really supportive of the music I’ve written, and now working on Your Twenties I think he’s excited about getting to produce a ‘live band’. The sound is very different, it’s not like I’m invading his territory.”

“We said move to London and in return he’d have a life of women, drugs, yachts and rock n roll. Alas, he’s just delivering sandwiches so far.”

The result of this latest collaboration is the single, Caught Wheel. How do I begin to describe this song? I can tell you for sure that it stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it, and that I subsequently listened to it eight times in a row trying to figure out which bit I found so appealing (true fact). It could have been the ‘bloop-bloopboop-boop’ 70s schools’ program sound effects behind the chorus, the Beach Boys-esque harmonies or the lyrics which conjure a summer spent exploring the West coast of America that you’ve never had. But of course it’s the way those bits all come together and make you want to shake the nearest person and say “LISTEN TO THIS!”. Not wanting to over excite you, but I can quite confidently predict that you’ll love it, but it’s probably already in your top 10 of 2008. The track is the debut release from Your Twenties and was released on James’ very own label, Germs Of Youth. As he explains: “We had such a great response to the song and as it was the second release on my label we all got really stuck in with the design. It’s very beautiful packaged but it almost bankrupted the label, there was talk that we d have to sell the record at £9 per 7”– oops.” Of course it’s captured the ears of many a fan, and although it’s early doors for Your Twenties, with their bounteous combined band history, I wonder if the heat is on for Gabriel. Does he feel it’s his time to shine? 20

“Yes, I do feel pressure within myself to make this work because with Metronomy I’m part of the band but I’m not part of the production or song writing. It’s so exciting to be part of that but now it’s important that I get my own stuff down now... We’re working towards Your Twenties releasing a full length LP of really great melodic pop music.” Gabriel is cautiously humble in discussing his own ambitions for Your Twenties, while James looks on feeling slightly less modest about how he sees the long term prospects for the band: “I want that same full length LP to be outrageously huge so we can all move to the West coast of America, marry librarians and Gabriel can take up yachting”. Whilst James is reigned back in with an aside to not “get too Kula Shaker too early”, another pale band amble past our window with full kit in tow and remind us of the busy industry of groups busting their guts on the nightshift. Do they band feel any affinity with the ‘early doors’ scene? “Really, I don’t think our music references any contemporary bands so I don’t think you could pigeonhole us. It seems that a lot of current groups are writing 3 chord songs about going down the kebab shop which is fine, but that’s not us as the line we’re travelling down isn’t very fashionable at the moment. Obviously, we’ve been members of other bands that could be viewed as

part of a ‘scene’ but we really don’t fit in. Where lots of other bands are out there, networking, really pushing hard, we’re at home being antisocial and making wonky pop music.”

.The night shift begins...

We leave the warmth of the Nags Head and into the parky night, and as the chaps head off towards one of those numerous gigs I check what outrageous, depraved antics would create Your Twenties Ultimate Night Out: “I can’t stress enough that our band is built on fine dining. Our music is created over a sea of very elaborate homemade dinners and picnics, almost like a young Gentlemen’s dining society. So our ideal evening would be very long, involve a great meal, a few bottles of great red wine and then end up with us listening to some 45s from at least three decades ago until the sun comes up.” Words by Alex Bean myspace.com/yourtwenties

CHAPTER 6.

animal collective I used to think everyone was scared of the dark but now, night and day are exactly the same for me. My superego left and joined the Post Office and now my id controls my ego and it’s a mind full of horror and grief on repeat without a watershed. You probably only get this at night in dreams. Freud says dreams are just our subconscious unearthing unresolved emotion. Nietzsche thinks dreams are a portal to our less civilised, animalistic selves. And this is why our conscious minds are so scared of the dark. We, the Animal Collective, hunted at night, but since the introduction of 24hr Tescos, we’ve hidden behind pitta bread, goat’s milk and fettucini, when we should be cannibalising carcasses. These dreams, which line our plastic sheeted beds, are just a subconscious kick back to our savage ancestry and we end up sitting with our heads under the covers, hoping to avoid a psychotic regression that climaxes with lung dauphinoise and a nice Cianti. The Animal Collective are now all but extinct, a Panda Bear in the Portuguese wilderness of Lisbon, is my only real window into the human subconscious

and its categorical fear of darkness. He was never really scared of the dark and neither was his bear cub. “She’d always tell me to get a book and read it to her in the dark, she really didn’t care… she used to be this fearless creature but now she’s developing these fears, like something is telling her to be scared.” I suggested she was becoming human, we concluded this as a strong possibility.

is made of clams. Under the Animal Collective, a sound has continued to be constructed from the outset, twisting from the freaked out wailing and harmonic chaos of Sung Tongs to the electronic influences and late 50’s pop tinges in Strawberry Jam, which continues to evolve through the new album Merriweather Post Pavilion. “It’s definitely the most full on electronic thing we’ve done, it’s got a huge focus on bass frequencies. We wanted deep, visceral bass and we didn’t want to concentrate so much on vocal harmonies. We kinda went for vocal counter point, interplay stuff.”

Panda Bear has been the homo-sapien Noah Lennox since birth and has recently suffered a reoccurring dream. “I’m always gonna perform in a play and I’m about to go on stage but I haven’t rehearsed and I don’t remember any of my lines. There’s always ten minutes of not knowing what I’m gonna do but I always wake up before I go on.” I can pinpoint this dream directly to a conflict during the shooting of a film called Faecal Matters where Noah played a Shit Eater. Psychoanalysis will inevitably link this back to the anal stage.

Dance music has been a huge influence on the new record and certainly on Panda Bear. Person Pitch layers electronica into a hybrid of surf music and ethereal chamber choirs and the track Carrots has a tabla which could have come straight from a Skull Disco 12”. Weirdly, the Bristol Bass Science of Appleblim and Pinch have touched the AC and somehow tainted their sound. “I like those guys man, they rip. Dubstep had a lot to do with us wanting to focus on bass frequencies, you hear that kinda music in a club and it’s so special.”

But he shouldn’t worry too much about it. Every album the Animal Collective have made has been critically acclaimed and as a black and white bamboo sucker, he’s considered the Brian Wilson of the modern era and not because his head 22

Luckily, Appleblim is in my Rolladeck and judging by the unfathomable amount of psychedelia scattered around his flat I think a remix could certainly be arranged. “Man, I’d be psyched if any one of those guys would do a remix.” This obviously doesn’t mean the Merriweather Post Pavilion is a dubstep album. These creatures are genre defying carnivores. They can sound like lions or tigers or bears in the space of 4 bars and if they feel like licking the trippy toad, they’ll chew up the vitamins they need and regurgitate a handsome meal for their young like any caring parent and this is what the new album will be. Unfortunately, we won’t get to eat until January. Domino have a tight hold over the release, especially when their pic-a-nic baskets have been pilfered before, so until then, we’ll sit under the covers hiding from our psychosomatic melodrama’s, wishing we’d carried on eating bamboo and refusing to mate in captivity, just like this Panda Bear. Words by Simon Roberts Illustration by Jach Hudson flickr.com/jackhudsonillustration

WORTH STARING AT HL-JEANS.COM

CHAPTER 7.

Things Things That That Go Go Womp Womp Womp Womp Womp Womp in in the the Night Night

It is the wrong side of dusk in the Laboratory of Musical Terminology, where statistical trends in music are tracked and dead genres carefully disposed of in beakers of lexicographic by-product.

And, as the night draws in, like a big dark thing, something is afoot. Lopsided Glaswegian bass-bin belches are causing the walls to shake. Buttons are pinging off lab-coats in response to the systematic squelching of melodies from Berlin. Junior staff are being hypnotized by a fuzzy warmth that seems to be emanating from Los Angeles. The spectre of electronic hip-hop looms large, wrong-footing lab administrators who had begun erasing the sullied memory of trip-hop from all official documents. A number of persistent fans have had to be admitted into the treatment ward, pending a diagnosis.

kingdom of hip-hop, an electronic army has been slowly building. Where once hip-hop innovation meant plundering crates of dusty records to resurrect ghosts of the past, today’s most inventive and subversive hip-hop is built on clicks, bleeps, crunches and whirs. On the West Coast of America, Flying Lotus has rapidly etched out a blueprint for hiphop that feeds the stuttering rhythms of J Dilla through the blunted euphoria of a Los Angeles hangover. The soundtrack to a melancholic summer of bleary days and wide-eyed nights, it has been gobble d up by hip-hop heads desperate for something credible and substantial to nod to. Simultaneously psychedelic and bumping, Fly Lo’s hypnotic music reaches into the laptop experimentalism of Daedelus, and liberates the ghost from the machine. East Coast artist Tobacco pulls a similar trick but wraps his glitch-hop in a shroud of Boards of Canada-esq warmth.

28 days later, and the source of the outbreak lurches into view. It’s a shapeshifter, and details are hazy, with an industry-backed embargo on specifics. Critical sources of epidemiological information have dried up, refusing to be drawn on causal links. Fearful of being embroiled in a musical witch hunt, the bastions of electronic invention have opted to batten down the hatches. Hanging underneath the official story, though, is a blanket of fog that contains trace elements of some of the most powerful musical beasts of recent dance music evolution. It doesn’t have a physical home, or slot snugly into the Lab’s 2008 taxonomy. But just because you can’t touch it, doesn’t mean it ain’t there…

For observant night owls, the evidence of a brewing epidemic has been available for some time, converging from America, the UK and Berlin. In the dilapidated 26

Hip-hop’s embrace of the electronic has been felt nowhere more keenly than the UK, however. As British hip-hop started to grind to a halt about four years ago, with labels and artists disappearing into the cracks opened up by grime and dubstep, the UK scene was purged of all but its most essential ingredients. When it dared to rear its head again, it was the leftfield leaning dubstep imprints and the electronica establishment that answered the call. More ballsy and distinctly less sun-soaked than its US counterpart, it is not surprising to find that Glasgow is the home of lopsided hip-hop in Britain. Revolving around the sprawling styles of the LuckyMe crew, founded in 2002, the most notable names to emerge so far from this stable are Rustie and Hudson Mohawk. Tellingly, both have quickly been snapped up by Warp (who also put out Fly Lo’s latest album, Los Angeles). The LuckyMe family, and its most

Photographed by Christina Kernohan at Baller$ 5ocial Club hosted by LuckyMe in Glasgow, Scotland - christinakernohan.com 27

famous sons, are notable for the diversity of influences that they shoe-horn into the hip-hop cannon. In Rustie, the visceral energy of crunk is parlayed into the wobble n strife of dubstep, managing to avoid either the former’s chauvinistic excesses or the latter’s tendency for descending into the drum and bass comedy zone. He’s remixed Modeselektor (more on whom below), and Jamie Lidell, as well as putting out scene-defining plates of his own. Café De Phresh, Jagz The Smack, and Zig Zag, are his already-collectable hits. He’s being touted as the pioneer of the yet-tobe christened genre of Wonky – a blend of crunk and dubstep. Ask the guy to define his own music, and he calls it Aquacrunk. Ask Warp records to define their signing and they squirm in their seats. The shapeshifter has this effect on people. The Musical Terminology Laboratory has got its work cut out. Where Rustie blows the speakers with bass that’s ballistic, Hudson Mohawk goes for the production jugular. Together with production partner Mike Slott, he also records under the moniker Heralds of Change. Hud Mo and Heralds of Change make hazy music, hip hop opuses that progress in harmonic leaps and bounds. Its beguiling and beautiful stuff, that shares few of the aesthetic features of Rustie’s sonic attack, but many of the underlying values. Its hiphop, its genuinely innovative, and its deliberately horizontal. Like Dabyre, at his polyphonic best, Hud Mo makes music that positively drips out of the speakers.

If this outbreak of musical innovation was emanating solely from the bowls of the hip-hop beast, though, the Lab might have a better chance of pinning its origin down. Unfortunately, preliminary analysis reveals a rogue European influence. Modeselektor (who recently exchanged remixes with Rustie), have been chipping away at the hip-hop mould with a chisel sharpened in the techno clubs of Berlin. The result is predictably mind blowing. Having regularly featured hip-hop MCs like TTC on albums filled with weighty electro dance floor buzzsaws, Modeselektor are a two-man melting pot where hip-hop rhythms are spliced and diced until they become something new and alien. Sitting pretty on super-trendy techno label B-Pitch Control, they have eaten hiphop for breakfast and then come back for more. Collaborators of Thom Yorke, remixers of Bjork, and reservers of the right to laugh endlessly at themselves, they are a force to be reckoned with. So much so, that despite being spatially and spiritually independent of the Glaswegian scene, Modeselektor are at the centre of epidemic; the shapeshifter’s snarling, growling, smirking heart.

airwaves, leaving Soulful House purists shuddering at an unfamiliar concoction that sounds just a little too wonky. The disparaging reception that this brand of UK house music has received from the wraparound sunglasses brigade is indicative of the power of the epidemic: when even funky house starts sounding lopsided, something’s about to blow. The symptoms of the fans in the treatment room at the Lab get worse at night. With the eerie echo of an imagined club night ringing in their ears, no official diagnosis and just the hint of a genre to piece together their scattered impulses, they hover listlessly. In Glasgow the rain drums out a syncopated rhythm on the roofs of the terraces. In Los Angeles, another sundrenched day becomes a shapeless night. In Berlin, the techno clowns paint on their unsettling smiles. It is the wrong side of dusk in the Laboratory of Musical Terminology. And, as the night draws in, like a big dark thing, something is afoot. Words by Adam Corner myspace.com/flyinglotus myspace.com/tobacco myspace.com/thisisluckyme myspace.com/rustiebeetz myspace.com/hudsonmo myspace.com/mdslktr myspace.com/heraldsofchange

Improbably, even funky house, the saccharine soundtrack of after hours London wine bars that the Lab had marked ‘unworthy of further analysis’, is showing encouraging early symptoms of the unexplained disease. Warped by grime’s stark aesthetics and injected with an afro-centric broken beat, a syrupy new concoction is bubbling and spluttering across London’s pirate radio 28

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Sixty Million Postcards Exeter Rd

Barker St Mary’s Street Spillers The Hayes Buffalo Windsor Place Clwb Ifor Bach Womanby Street D Vinyl Mackintosh Place Barfly Kingsway

Brighton

Edinburgh

Size? Lower Temple Street Swordfish Records Temple Street

Bournemouth

Rounder Records The Lanes Resident Records Kensington Gardens Size? North Street

Bristol

Start The Bus Baldwin Street Primecuts / Repsycho Gloucester Road Rooted Records Gloucester Road Boston Tea Party Park Street Cooshti Park Street Superdry Park Street Khoi Park Street BS8 Park Street Westworld Park Street Thekla Mud Dock

Cardiff

City Surf Castle Arcade Dirty Sue’s Castle Street Shot In The Dark City Road Ajs City Road Milgi City Road Calcio Crwys Road Catapult High Street Arcade M Shop High Street Arcade Buzz & Co. High Street Arcade The Point Mount Stuart Square Schuh Queen Street Size? Queen Street Koko Gorillaz Salisbury Road Gassy Jacks Salisbury Road The End Salisbury Road Buzz & Co. St Mary’s Street Westworld St Mary’s Street

Avalanche Records Cockburn Street

Exeter

Solo Market Arcade

Glasgow

Avalanche Records Dundas Street Size? Union Street

Ipswich

The Swan King Street

Leeds

Jumbo St John Centre Crash The Headrow Size? Vicar Lane

Liverpool

Size? Bold Street Probe Records Slater Street

London

The Lexington Pentonville Road Art Vinyl Broadway Market Puregroove Smithfields Candid Cafe Torrens Street Buffalo Highbury Corner Hope & Anchor Upper Street The New Rose Essex Road Flashback Records Essex Road Shock & Soul Camden Passage The Premises Hackney Road Bardens Boudoir Stoke Newington St Music & Video Exchange Chalk Farm Road

Bar Vinyl Cafe Inverness St Market Rokit True Vintage Chalk Farm Road The Good Mixer, Inverness St Market The Lock Tavern Chalk Farm Road All Ages Records Pratt Street Rough Trade East Brick Lane Vibe Bar Brick Lane Coffee @ Brick Lane Beats Working Records Brick Lane Hoxton Bar & Kitchen Hoxton Sq Old Blue Last Gt Eastern St The Bean Curtain Road The Strongrooms Curtain Road The Macbeth Hoxton St Rough Trade Talbot Road Size? Portobello Road Westbourne Studios Acklam Road Honest John’s Portobello Road Intoxica Portobello Road Sister Ray Berwick Street Revival Records Berwick Street Sounds Of The Universe Broadwick Street Size? Carnaby Street BM Music D’Arblay Street Uptown Records D’Arblay Street 12 Bar Denmark Street Fopp Earlham Street Magma Earlham Street The Social Little Portland Street Size? Neal Street Fly New Oxford Street 55DSL Newburgh Street Metro Oxford Street Phonica Poland Street

Kro Bar Oxford Road Odder Oxford Road Retro Bar Sackville Street Fuel Wilmslow Road Dulcimer Folk Bar Wilbraham Road The Kings Arms Bloom Street Common Edge Street The Deaf Institute Grosvenor Street

Manchester

Wrexham

Size? Market Street The Font New Wakefield Street Picadilly Records Oldham Street Night & Day Oldham Street Size? The Dome Trof Landcross Road 29

Newcastle Upon Tyne RPM Highbridge

Nottingham

Size? Middle Pavement

Reading

Oakford Social Club Blagrave St

Sheffield

Size? Eldon Court Jack’s Records Division Street Bungalows and Bears Division Street Moco West Street

Swansea

Monkey Cafe Castle Street Hobo’s / Exist Oxford Street Mambo Kingsway

Totnes

Drift Records High Street

Worcester

The Firefly Lowesmoor Central Station Hill Street The Old Swan Abbot Street Moonlight Records Bridge Street

York

City Screen Basement Bar Coney Street

CHAPTER 8.

i M cachu “I was scared of mental people who could come in through your window and kill you”

Photographed by Lucy Johnston at the 100 Club, Oxford Street, London - lucyjohnston.co.uk 30

or a child growing up in the 80s, there was a lot to be scared of. From Margaret Thatcher to Findus Crispy pancakes, the Spitting Image puppets to your mum’s perm, life was filled with fears.

But the biggest monster under my bed came in the form of a seemingly innocent hardback edition of Little Red Riding Hood. To the untrained eye the front cover looked like a pleasant enough scene of a pretty young maiden out walking in the woods. But upon closer inspection, the pearly white gnashers of a hungry wolf shone from behind the foliage and while the girl in the red cape was blissfully unawares I couldn’t take my eyes off the horrible fucker and was scared witless. So much so that I couldn’t sleep at night unless my mum had locked the book in the downstairs airing cupboard. And even then I had to look under the bed twice before I could even contemplate getting my head down to dream about playing up front for Wales with Ian Rush. Now sure, fast forward twenty years and it seems irrational to think a wolf would be hiding under my bed. And if I thought he was, surely all I’d have to do was turn the lights on, check and double check. No wolves. No snakes. No ghouls. No ghosts. Time to sleep. It’s only when you get older that fears become more rational and harder to shake off with 60 watts and a rummage around.

Although it seems that the fears of 21year old classically trained, bedroom developed, street tested protégé Micachu were always grounded in a gritty realism:

“Half of the album is my bedroom production stuff and the other half of the record is live with ‘The Shapes’ (Mark and Raisa - the band Mica is playing live shows involving such interesting instruments as Hoovers with). Matthew had an early demo of mine and said he’d be interested in working with me. I took some tapes in and he really beefed everything out. At the beginning I had no idea what I was doing. To be honest with you, I’m only starting to work out what’s going on now. In the field of music I was working in you don’t really think about your career or playing live, you’re just working on things in your bedroom and then throwing it away so it was a real learning experience to work with him.”

“I used to get scared when the cupboards were open and there were unusual black shadows, but it wasn’t monsters I was scared of. I don’t think I was gullible, just more scared of mental human people who could come in through your window and kill you. I still have some fears of the dark. At home, when I sleep where my parents are, I have to have the light on and have to make sure I run upstairs when the lights are still on.” Despite the fears of the things that go bump in the night, Micachu has spent the past few years in her bedroom working on a collage of sounds that form a good slice of her soon to be released debut album, Jewellery. Having started playing music at the tender age of four, Mica’s musical education has taken in study at Guildhall, London, collaborations with rappers (who kept getting arrested), grunge loving boyfriends, home-made grime and garage production, composing for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and ‘well done you’ phonecalls from Bjork.

Turns out some of the things Mica was throwing under her bed, might just form the basis of one of the best (wrong)pop albums you’ll hear all year. “We’ve said it’s a pop album because it’s a big mix of things, not just one idea. Which isn’t a bad thing. Don’t get me wrong, the reason I like hip hop so much is because it is what it is, just one distinctive style. But this record is a mix of watered down bits and bobs, bits of hip hop, bits of garage, bits of guitary songs, bits of grunge and it’s just all mixed together. And that’s why it’s pop. Britney Spears has albums which has all different kinds of styles on it. One country song here, one R n B song there, and that’s what makes it pop. I think this record is just like that.”

Producer Matthew Herbert, who’s twiddled for everyone from R.E.M. to Mr. Oizo, summoned Mica to his London studio for the recording:

As a young gun about to throw herself into the murky waters of the music industry, Mica could be excused of turning on her light to check there’s no monsters under her bed: “I suppose everyone’s scared of death right? That’s why you’re scared of monsters, because you think they’re going to eat you up?” As long as they don’t eat up this precocious East Londoner like they did Britney, she can sleep safe and sound for now.

Words By Dan Tyte myspace.com/ micayomusic

CHAPTER 9.

Casiokids

y friend Hastie once told me that when he couldn’t sleep at night he’d masturbate, happy that the physical exertion coupled with the climatic harmony would see him nip over to dozy land in no time. For me though, getting to sleep at night is never the problem. Ten minutes on my side with the lights out and I’m gone. Give me reading material, and you can halve that time. Where my problems start is the morning, when without fail I spring up at about six o’ clock feeling anxious, then lie in bed worrying about money, work and whether my girlfriend will notice if I employ Hastie’s wonder method of dropping back off. If only I was springing up with excitement at the thought of what the day could bring, like I did when I was young and it was Christmas, or my birthday, or we were going on holiday to Skegness, but alas, for me those days are long gone.

Not so for electronic pop act Casiokids, a band so full of youthful vigour it’s easy to forget that they’re about the same age as I am, as they wax about writing songs together, recording songs together, inventing imaginary worlds together and connecting on a mental and musical level with children aged zero to six, which we’ll get to later.

“When we started to go more towards song structures and pop music is when we realised that this project has something going”

But first, to get the back story of the band, let’s go to the Carpenter’s Arms in East London, where the band have congregated having just arrived into the UK from their home town of Bergen in Norway. The next day they’ll head to Cardiff to play what will be an unforgettable set at Swn Festival. I ask guitarist Fredrik Øgreid Vogsborg about the origins of the band: “In the beginning it was a silly project. It was never a live project until 2004. Me and Ketil [Kinden Endresen – lead singer] started making some songs on the computer in 1998, and we had about 20 songs. It was a lot of rubbish, but some of the songs were quite good, so in 2004 we got Omar [N’Dur - synths] with us and we started work on putting it out live.

Fredrik 32

“It was a side project, because me and Ketil had another band, Syme, and that was our main project and this was just something we fooled around with. When we started to go more towards song structures and pop music is when we realised that this project has something going.” That was the point when bass player Kjetil Bjøreid Aabø joined the band. He met Ketil and Fredrik while producing tracks for Syme, and as they began to jam together, found himself along with Omar, Matias Monsen [keyboards / cello] and Einar Olsson [drums] in the completed line up of the newly serious and hugely improved Casiokids. Kjetil (yes, I know it looks like Ketil. You even pronounce them the same – Shettil) quickly became integral to the Casiokids sound, manning the computer during rehearsals at the recording studio they own in Bergen and acting as on-thejob producer. They insist, however, that there’s no leader [“We work on things together” – Fredrick], all contributing to create the Casiokids sound, which combines afrobeat and techno elements with melodic pop and electro.

Photographed by Mei Lewis in Cardiff - missionphotographic.com 33

“To start with it wasn’t as poppy as it is now” says Fredrik. “It was more electronics. More lo-fi, just jamming and playing around with computers.” During this transitional phase they recorded the songs which make up their debut album, Fuck Midi, which came out on Bergen label Karisma/TUBA! in 2006. The album had critics foaming, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2008 that the band really arrived as a force on the Norwegian scene beyond Bergen, following up a successful show at Roskilde in Denmark with a memorable set at Oslo’s Oya Festival. “The gig at Oya was the answer to a lot of questions” says Mattias, “because we’d played this great show in Roskilde, and now we were in Oslo, the capital of Norway, and the whole place was packed and everyone was going crazy.” “The feedback from the audience made us euphoric,” adds Ketil. I was there, and can confirm that they’re not exaggerating. For me and for a lot of foreign media it was the first chance to see Casiokids. Not so for the wily old dogs at Moshi Moshi, who had already signed the band on a deal to release the first Norwegian language single in the UK, the double A side Grønt Lys i Alle Led / Togens Hule. “Moshi Moshi is a great label” says Ketil. “They had Block Party, Hot Chip, Lykke Li; we’re liking a lot of the artists

that they had, so it’s really flattering to have them contact us and want to release something. And they’re nice guys. We’ve got this idea where we only want to work with people that we like as friends as well, and Moshi Moshi definitely fall into that category. It’s really important that we connect on many levels. And that’s everything, our publishing, booking, everything.”

Fredrik continues: “He made a shadow puppets story to one of our songs from our first album, so he came to us to see if we wanted to play live as he performed his puppets, and that worked out really well, so we just continued.” So how does Aslak come up with ideas for the puppet shows? And do Casiokids ever write songs specifically to be played with the puppets? Kjetil’s lets me know, with classic Casiokids vigour:

Back to the Carpenter’s Arms, and the conversation turns to the visual side of the Casiokids performance, because if you’ve only heard them on record, or only seen them in a small venue in the UK, then you might not know that there’s a whole extra dimension attached to Casiokids live. Check it out on YouTube, it’ll blow your mind.

“We have a common pool of inspiration. We had this drunken idea where we came up with this fantasy rain forest that we created internally. We made characters that lived in the forest based on ourselves really. It’s this imaginary place where basically you can do anything, and we made this story about a hero and all these characters, and drew pictures of them, and made a storyline and everything, and this whole story and this forest is basically the inspiration for the songs we make, so the shadow puppets, they can take one of the characters or part of the story, and they can take it out and do something with it, or we can write a song about it and say to them what we’ve done. It’s nice to have a place to go to look around for ideas.”

Basically, when the stage is right and the occasion demands it, Casiokids join forces with the Digitalteateret, led by their friend Aslak Helgesen, who join them onstage to perform along to the Casiokids beats and melodies with shadow puppets. It sounds bizarre, but it looks amazing. Kjetil fills me in on how it all came about:

Fredrik continues. “About a year ago we were seriously thinking of doing a children’s book based on the characters. We’re thinking of releasing the next album as a children’s book, where the music accompanies the pictures.”

“It’s always been the philosophy of the band to make a proper show. Earlier on when all we had was two laptops and mixers on stage, it’s pretty boring to watch, but then Aslak, who is in charge of the shadow puppets, we linked up with him.” 34

Here’s a good point to explain what I meant when I said that Casiokids connected on a mental and musical level with children aged zero to six, because to them, making their music accessible to kids is as natural as Hastie’s sleeping pills, and it’s something they’ve been doing for the past couple of years, playing gigs at kindergartens and running workshops for kids in Bergen. Kjetil: “It started with the release of the last album, and we did the release party in a kindergarten, basically to get some publicity, but it was really, really fun. The reactions were amazing, and it was amazing playing for these small people.” Fredrik: “There was someone from the city there who saw it, and he was like ‘I want to book you for some shows’, so we did like a week of kindergarten shows.” Mattias: “Every kindergarten was different, but it was really ecstatic.” Kjetil: “The kids are really comfortable in the kindergarten. They have all their friends there, no parents going ‘stay here!’ or anything.” Mattias: “It’s a magical atmosphere.” Fredrik: “In every kindergarten there’s at least two or three that are really into it, that interact with us and ask questions, and then there’s always one or two who are crying and not enjoying it.”

Kjetil: “It’s like that in the adult shows too..” Mattias: “What was really interesting was I think we found we cracked the code about how to interact with all humans. The difference between playing a kindergarten gig and a club gig isn’t that big.” Omar: “The only difference is the volume. Oh, and we have to watch our language.” Kjetil: “It’s a reality check in a way. You don’t have fancy monitors; you don’t have a sound guy. For many of the kids, they’ve never seen a concert before, so for them it’s still loud. It’s an extreme experience, and it’s wonderful to see their reaction.” Omar: “At one gig we had this child, a girl, I think she was about 9 months old, and she was climbing up my foot. I was standing there playing synthesisers, and she was going through and through my legs!” Kjetil: “I had this magical moment when we did this workshop at this classical music festival in Bergen, where we made up a playground and mounted the microphones on all the different gadgets, and we were just jamming with all the kids and they were just playing and running around and stuff, and then suddenly, it was really, really good, and I thought to myself ‘oh shit this is groovy’, and I looked up, and the same time I

looked up , there was this tiny little girl playing in the sandbox, she looked up, and she looked at me and our eyes just met, and it was this wonderful moment when we both realised ‘this sounds really, really good!’”

“In every kindergarten there’s at least two or three that are really into it, that interact with us and ask questions” Fredrik

Mattias: “That was my niece.” The exchanges carry on like this for the rest of the time we spend in the Carpenters, the band full of stories that always seem to start with “It was amazing when...” and end with “it was so much fun.” That’s the thing about Casiokids, the thing that makes them special, is that on one hand they’re dedicated and talented musicians who take their music very seriously, and on the other they’re six friends making sure they get as much enjoyment out of playing together as possible. As Omar puts it: “Music is about playing. It doesn’t have to be 2 different things, so when we’re playing, we’re playing.” “I speak for myself ” adds Mattias, “but for me the quality of the show is to see the response of the other guys on stage. The audience is important, of course, but when you hear something that sounds good, and you look up and the other guys are focusing on the same thing, that’s the best.” “And that’s what we talk about after the concert” agrees Omar. “It’s those moments when that happened.” We wrap up by talking about the future, 36

and next few months’ worth of reasons to spring up out of bed early. Ketil tells me that they’ve just been confirmed to support Of Montreal in Europe in January and February [“1000 people every night. Amazing.”], and that they’re looking forward to releasing their next single in February. I ask the rest what they’re most excited about and a general consensus of travel and meeting new people to make friends with fills the room. “We’re going to be really busy, but we’re looking forward to getting to know lots of new countries,” says Fredrik. Being so busy though, will they find time to sleep, and to dream? “Of course”, says Ketil. So what does he dream about? “To build our own concert ship, and just travel around in it. We could travel around the world, and play on the boat. We’d only have to do one sound check, and then we’d be able to play whenever we wanted all around the world!” So whether asleep or awake, all seems magical in Casiokids’ world, where playtime never ends and... “I had a dream about a blue fender Stratocaster the other day.” Interrupts Kjetil. “Then when I woke up I went and threw up.”

myspace.com/casiokids

CHAPTER 10.

Deer tick J

“It’s something I always wanted to do. When I was a little kid I always wanted to put on a show for people. I remember playing songs on my little record player and singing for everybody.”

ohn McCauley doesn’t have an older sister. But he used to in his dreams. His disturbing, cannibalistic childhood dreams.

“It was always the same. It would be her birthday and we’d go to this restaurant where she would get tied up and dragged to the kitchen by the chef. They’d cut off her hands and feet, cook them, and then bring them out to the table where my family was sitting. Strange.” Indeed. So does he still have dreams about cooked sibling extremities? “No, the dreams I have now are pretty pleasant and sunny.” And it’s no wonder. Things seem to be going well for the 22-year-old founder of the once solo act, now full-fledged band Deer Tick. A successful debut album in War Elephant and finally a band to call his own, John McCauley, the raspy voiced, alt-country/folk/rocker is sleeping sweetly. And getting to this point has always been well, his dream.

And even then he knew what sounded good.

“Every now and

“One time someone started clapping along but not in the right tempo and I started crying.”

then I’ll have a dream where

Over the years John kept performing and after a string of odd jobs (movie theater projectionist, waiter, high school office worker), Deer Tick was born.

I’ll lose all my teeth. Where they

“I guess the dream became a reality about two years ago when I quit working and pursued this full time.”

instantly all fall

It turned out to be a good decision. These days McCauley’s childhood knack for putting on shows is still going strong.

out.”

“I’m actually kind of a jokester on stage. I think some people when they hear the record may expect to see a show that’s kind of serious or think we’re boring live 40

but what I really want to do is entertain an audience. We’re actually fun people, we have fun when we play.” Did you catch the “we” just then? Again, Deer Tick is not just John anymore. Over the last year, the band has become a four-person act with drummer Dennis Ryan, bassist Chris Ryan and most recently, guitar player Andy Tobiassen joining McCauley full time. “I didn’t want to have to play by myself anymore.” In fact, playing with a band was always the plan. That’s part of why he named himself Deer Tick. “I figured if I had a name that people thought was a silly moniker or something then maybe it would drive me to find some other musicians.” That, and a head injury may have had something to do with the name. “When I was in Indiana I got a tick on my scalp. I’d been scratching at it for awhile and thought it was my dandruff. I eventually ripped it open and there was blood all over my fingers and I had

a tick up in there. I was 18 and I just thought Deer Tick would be a good band name.”

So with a full band, a new album in the works and a tour in progress, what else is John McCauley dreaming about?

Well regardless of whether you think Deer Tick is a silly moniker or not, there’s no denying the sound. And now that he’s the leader of a full band, how have things changed for McCauley?

“Right now I’m happy. I’d like to eventually end up where I’m established and we can all buy houses and have families. But for now this is great, just running around playing shows making some cash and making some people happy.”

“I write the songs but I don’t really give the guys much instruction as to what to play. They come up with their own parts. Andy is a songwriter and so is Dennis so I hope to maybe work some of their songs into our repertoire and get a couple of them recorded.” Speaking of recordings, the band have just finished a new full-length that, quote, “blows War Elephant out of the water.” John hopes it will come out by spring but in the meantime, they continue to spend their nights touring and turning more and more people on to the sweetness that is Deer Tick. “I’m starting to feel it, it’s crazy. Like last night’s show (at South Paw in Brooklyn) was just amazing. We’ve never sold out a room like that before and all those people were there- for us. It was bizarre.”

Photographed by Christopher McLallen in Brooklyn, New York 41

No, but seriously. What else is he dreaming about? “Every now and then I’ll have a dream where I’ll lose all my teeth. Where they instantly all fall out.” Let’s hope that one doesn’t become a reality. A lot more people have yet to hear this voice.

Words by Steph Price myspace.com/deertick christophermclallen.com

CHAPTER 10.

Mumford & Sons

pirits are high in the Mumford & Sons camp. Fresh from a storming in-store performance at London’s Rough Trade East, they seem keen to wander off and embrace the night – which is fair enough really, given the fact they’ve just finished up a UK tour, which was preceded by a US tour, which was preceded by a summer of festivals, which was preceded by a – well, you get the idea. Part of the burgeoning West London scene that has seen the likes of US touring companions Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn gain plaudits aplenty, their confidence and prowess is made all the more astonishing by the fact that at this point, they’ve only existed as a collective for around ten months. Before they can scurry off, however, we pull up a pew where I quiz them about their year, their friends and influences; whether night’s better than day – you

know, the usual stuff. Throughout our conversation friends amble over to congratulate the group. Ben Lovett and Ted Dwayne are enthusiastic and talkative, initially reticent frontman Marcus Johnstone is shepherded towards us by the band’s manager, and ‘Country’ Winston Marshall ponders the merits of writing a sitcom in his imminent down-time, also threatening to disclose the details of a dream that it now seems we’ll never be privy to. As a band they’re are inviting, candid and refreshingly sincere – aptly reflecting the contents of the two EPs they’ve released thus far, the gorgeous latter of which, Love Your Ground, refuses to leave this writer’s stereo at the moment.

“I know that when I go to a gig I just want to see people baring their souls – really expressing themselves, which is what a lot of our

Said EP was recorded in Devon at Ben’s parents’ place, where as well as indulging their exploratory leanings (more on which later), the band set up in the lounge and “basically recorded the room,” taking solace in their isolation and focusing exclusively on their music – which, incidentally, Ben himself recorded. It’s not too far a push to suggest that the organic, unfussy nature of it all directly benefited from this choice, which, although perhaps necessitated by financial reasons, bleeds over into the spacious, assured songs.

friends and peers are doing, and hopefully us too.” Ted 42

It’s these songs – both of theirs and their contemporaries – that the band see as decisive when considering how so many of them have emerged to such acclaim of late, more-so than any particular Americana influence, for example. Explains Ted: “I think it’s more to do with the kind of vibe people are aiming for; it’s less about the genre-y kind of influences, it’s more about the kind of music people want to make – organic, hopefully not too pretentious, and just…soulful, I suppose. I know that when I go to a gig I just want to see people baring their souls – really expressing themselves, which is what a lot of our friends and peers are doing, and hopefully us too. I guess there is a bit of an American influence – a lot of the older American music, blues, and the stuff that came out of blues…” Rolling deeper in this vein of questioning, Marcus’s thoughts on the band’s musical heritage is also interesting, as he notes that the band – musically at least, have an eclectic background that also helps shape their sound (indeed, he and Ben played in a jazz band in their formative years). Lyrically, he cuts an uncompromising figure, delving straight in on subjects the likes of unrequited love, deep regret and (contradictorily, perhaps) fervent optimism. It’s the

Photgraphed by Tim Cochrane at Arnold Circus, London - timothycochrane.com 43

sincerity, however, with which he does so that sets Mumford & Sons apart – elevating them into something truly special and demanding repeated listens of their work. That honesty, then, is so important to him is fine indeed to hear, as he intones his lyrics “definitely have to be about real situations, real things I’ve encountered.” Stripping away ambiguities, then, it’s fair to say his work is very personal? “Yeah, definitely. I really love people that can sing from their heart, honestly, about their life. But also if they use the medium of story, which is what folk music does – which is what I love about folk music. That there’s a story there you can relate to, and I think in order to tell that story honestly and accurately, you have to have experienced some part of it. So, yeah…I don’t like fabricating an emotion. I have to feel it first, and then write about it.” As the chilly night wraps itself around us, talk turns to the subject of their life on the road, where the band have spent much of 2008. Much of that road was in America, where a capacity for adventure – quite different to walks in the resplendent Devon countryside – saw nocturnal exploits aplenty, furthering their conquering of numerous British cities. Winston fills me in: “We took this policy whereby if we were in a new place we had to explore it. And obviously in America, everywhere was new – every night we were exploring.”

The band found themselves leaning towards a night-time heavy existence, then: “I think I’m definitely slowly becoming nocturnal…that’s when the fun starts,” asserts Ted, Ben furthering his point: “You’ve got the fun – but then, you’ve also got the peace. Daytime is reality, whereas night-time’s a bit otherworldly.” At this point Winston takes it upon himself to instigate an inter-band rivalry, where he and Marcus duke it out on behalf of the daylight hours, Ted and Ben taking up darkness’s corner. It doesn’t quite work however, amid claims his early rising being nothing but spurious attempts at rabblerousing. It’s also ‘round about here other band members promptly quash a tentative explanation of a dream he has evidently regaled many with – slightly disappointingly I might add; given his propensity towards mischief and odd tangents, you could put money on it not being a dull one.

“I think I’m definitely slowly becoming nocturnal… that’s when the fun starts” Ted

We eventually return to the subject of the band – or more specifically, where Marcus draws influence from outside of music. As well as professing a deep love for American author Cormac McCarthy – in particular his heart-wrenching, brutally poetic odyssey, The Road – and esteemed playwright Arthur Miller, it seems that his time spent studying the classics was time well-spent. “While I don’t necessarily take influence lyrically from people like Steinbeck, I think it’s definitely true that the more you read, the better you write.” A misguided attempt at approaching his songs in the style of T.S. Eliot aside (“I was reading him a lot when I started writing, which meant that 44

the first songs I wrote were completely pretentious”), old Shakey himself even gets a mention (“Shakespeare’s free”). Certainly, these are heady influences, but the themes that permeate all these greats’ work are well and present in Marcus’s lyrics, relayed and bolstered by the sincere – and crucially never overtly earnest – harmonies and adept playing of his comrades. An unabashed romanticism reigns, whether in terms of self-doubt and longing (“Tell me now, where was my fault / In loving you with my whole heart?”) or warmth and reassurance (as on the irrepressible jaunt of Feel The Tide) – and it’s honestly difficult not to find yourself swayed, or at least moved to some degree by it. At this point the conversation shifts into discussion of, bizarrely, King Lear. The night has well and truly drawn in and I leave the Sons to warm handshakes and thanks, vaguely wondering what Winston dreams of and what the album – when it eventually arrives, for it will (“it’s the kind of thing we don’t want to rush – it’ll take a lot of restraint and patience to get right,” Ben posits) – will sound like. That it’ll be informed by a yearning melodic sensibility, it’s safe to say I already know. Until then, then… Words by James Skinner

Online ivyleaguesessions.co.uk

CHAPTER 10.

Dananananaykroyd A

Glasgow’s working population sits on its collective settee, waiting for the death throes of the weekend to shake its bones one final time, the city’s sons and daughters (no pun intended) head defiantly out into the winter night to congregate around the last flames of the weekend. Tonight, as is the case every Sunday, that fire burns brightest at Optimo, the Monday-denying ritual held at the Sub Club. It’s here where Laura Hyde, bassist in Glasgow’s - and arguably the UK’s most exciting live band, Dananananaykroyd, is heading to new noise-punks Divorce. She ain’t heard them yet, but that’s no reason to stay away. “They’re playing at Optimo, which is probably the best club in the world anyway.” Of course, if she had any sense, she’d be staying in tonight. Dananananaykroyd have just finished a gruelling tour which, readers of their blog will know, has pushed the band to the very limits of their physical and mental wellbeing. Shouldn’t you be having a night off, Laura? “I think David (Ray, guitar and tour

chronicler extraordinaire) plays it up slightly on the blog,” she laughs. “He was trying to give the impression of us going slowly insane. We had friends asking us, after reading that, ‘are you alright?’ We do go slowly insane on tour, but it wasn’t that bad.”

“I know we coined Fight Pop, but we don’t want people to think we’re into violence - that’s kinda the opposite of what we’re about”

Still though, the six-piece could be forgiven for feeling the pace a bit, given that there are few more committed at present to the eternal ideal of playing every gig like it’s the last, tracks such as Pink Sabbath and Totally Bone a physical as much as an aural assault. Crowds at their gigs are not allowed to let the Glaswegians do all the work though - at Dananananaykroyd shows, the audience has to feel the burn too. According to Laura, this is definitely part of the band’s mission - hence the introduction of moshpit bonding sessions such as the Wall of Cuddles (© Dananananaykroyd). The wilder excesses of The Boredoms and hometown metallers Desalvo are influences, though Laura concedes “we could never hope to emulate the sort of things they do live”. Instead, the band have chosen to do their own thing, even - like their Boss Pop counterparts in Liverpool - stealing a march on the media, placing themselves 46

in their own self-created pigeonhole. ‘Fight Pop’ is an ace way to describe their abrasive punk sound and also their barely controlled live performances - but don’t take it too literally. “I know we coined it, but we don’t want people to think we’re into violence - that’s kinda the opposite of what we’re about,” Laura explains. “We always try and quell any fights. There have been a few times on tour when things have got a bit hairy - like when we played in Sheffield. When the venues are too packed, it can get a bit nasty.” With drummer/vocalist John Baillie Junior insistent on climbing up speaker stacks at every gig, a hospital visit for band members or fans may not be far away. The more clobber-conscious indie fan might therefore like to close their ears to any hype that could surround Dananananaykroyd - these are not white pump friendly times. Not that the band themselves are overly concerned about any notions of indie cool. “I don’t even know what cool is! You can’t define it, therefore anyone who tries to be cool just ends up looking like a fanny,” Laura puts it, poetically. “We probably get posers at our gigs,

but we also get people who are just there for the music. People who would be described as the opposite of posers - or are too old to be posers!” Whether posing or ageing, it is certain that many musical lovers are likely to be hearing more from the difficultly named rockers next year, with European and US dates set to be tagged onto the UK itinerary. What’s more, we can also expect an album in April, for which Machine (Lamb of God, Johnny Foreigner) has been twiddling the dials. The American producer bullied the band in the studio, but Laura believes fans of the live show will be more than happy. “He didn’t change our sound in any way,” she enthuses. “He’s hopefully made us sound as good on record as we do live. I don’t think any of our old recordings have captured that feel.” With the promise of early morning revelry awaiting her, I leave Laura to let her heart rule her liver and join Glasgow’s war on Monday morning terror. That fight, one feels, might just be the beginning. Photgraphed by James Perou live at The Lexington, London - photosimian.co.uk

Words by Neil Condron myspace.com/dananananaykroyd

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Ivy League Sessions Live and exclusive since 2008

Stream exclusive live sessions from Eugene McGuinness, Peggy Sue, Fredrick Stanley Star, Playdoe, Casiokids, Jeremy Warmsley, Threatmantics, Josh Weller, Scott H. Biram, Das Wanderlust, Mumford & Sons, Cheeky Cheeky & The Nosebleeds and more

www.ivyleaguesessions.co.uk www.v2music.com www.cooperativemusic.com

CHAPTER 11.

Rise & Shine 2009 A Kruger Ones to Watch Special Over the next five pages we’ll tell you about the bands that we’re most excited about hearing more from in 2009. From folk to math and indie to electro, they’re all bound together by 2 things. 1 they’re all amazing, and 2 - they’re all in Kruger’s Ones to Watch Special. And here, dear friends, are the daddies of them all...

Pulled Apart By Horses

Pulled Apart by Horses are the kind of band who could give a boy an erection by punching him in the face. Wailing and yelping over a blitz of skuzzy guitars, wacked out bass and thudding drums, they sound like a breakneck Death From Above 1979, transforming heavy rock into dancefloor arse-shakers in a way only a band like Future of the Left or DFA can. Last year’s Meat Balloon on BSM got the name out, and January’s follow up on Too Pure, I Punched a Lion in the Throat, will take it further, and if there’s any brains that haven’t left the music industry for dead, then they’ll make and album and be massive by the summer myspace.com/pulledapartbyhorses 51

e Th

... y Say

low-fat yoghurt based rock ay.. eS W

Our new favourite band

Silver Gospel Runners

Little Comets

Passion Pit

They’ve only playedone gig, and only demoed four songs, but oh what songs they are!

Taking a finely sharpened pencil of pop sensibility, Little Comets prick the bloated balloon of laddish indie.

If someone calls you “best thing to happen to pop music in a long-ass time”, you best bloody had be.

Pitched between Belle & Sebastien, Jens Lekman and The Cure, SGR weave a lofi spell of heart on the sleeve romanticism that whiffs of Sarah’s Records and reeks of future indie heroes.

They’ve also found time to write loads of ace three-minute pop songs that fuse afrobeat and indie that we’ll all be singing in 2009.

myspace.com/silvergospelrunners

myspace.com/littlecometsmusic

Five strapping young men from Cambridge, MA who are producing synth pop so gosh darned optimistic that any one of their songs could be the half-remembered theme tune to that kids TV programme you’ve forgotten the name of. You know, the one with all the happiness and laughter. Early tracks, such as the excellent Sleepyhead, recall the dreamy pick ‘n’ mix charm of The Avalanches and the keyboard hooks and strained falsetto vocals are gonna make you say ‘they’re a bit like MGMT’. Put it this way, in Passion Pit’s world a ‘credit crunch’ would be a delicious sugary treat – much like their music.

Say... ey h T Widescreen, lo fi indie pop with big arrangements

Say... We It’s early days, but there’s a little spot of wee on Kruger’s underpants

Say... ey Th A combination of pockets, testing, melody and treason ay... eS W Geordiebeat. Remember where you heard it first

myspace.com/passionpitjams

e Th

... y Say

Brief, sporadic, and explosive

ay.. eS W

Anyone for MGMT?

Ark People

Thee Vicars

Best of the Rest On another day, in another town, it could so easily have been these...

Rose Elinor Dougall Ex-Pipette gets extra pop myspace.com/roseelinordougallmusic

Sweet Baboo Suicide folk with a smile myspace.com/sweetbabootheband

When you turn up to see a band’s first ever show and you’re surrounded by industry types, you know you’ll be hearing about them again soon.

Tomb Crew Dubnostepwithmyheadman myspace.com/tombcrew

That Ark People can back it up with ace songs that evoke Beirut as much as Black Kids means we’re happy to pin our colours to them too. myspace.com/thearkpeople

Say... ey

The full band came together in August

ay... eS W By next Auguest expect people to be going frothy about them

Swanton Bombs Mini McGuinness’s time to shine myspace.com/swantonbombs

Four self-proclaimed bastards who like their punk how they like their women: dirty.

Thee Vicars play a brand of garage that has its roots in the tail end of rock and roll rather than the nose end of Thatcherism. Fuzzy like the most unkempt of beards and as uncompromising as the most invasive of medical procedures, they’re a band who take bad days out on their instruments.

y he

Say...

Playing is fun

The Soft Pack Scuzzy punk from San Diego myspace.com/themuslims

Dent May

. Say..

e W So garage you could park your car in them

Sunshine for all seasons myspace.com/dentmay

Super Tennis Serving match winning post pop

myspace.com/theevicarsuk

myspace.com/supertennislovesyou 53

Portasound

Peggy Sue

Frantic basslines and 8-bit disco wig outs mark Portasound out from the electro crowd.

Let’s get this out of the way now – neither of them is called Peggy or Sue.

Add to that infectious melodies and a very weird pikey shanty vibe, and you’ve got the most exciting UK synth act since Metronomy.

A pair of Brightonian girls playing sweet but spiky train-of-thought folk. The vocals are unusual – like two separate melodies tripping over each other, but somehow it really works.

myspace.com/portasoundband

Gallops!

Sounding something like Don Cab raping Foals in the dark, Gallops! are the newbies to the math rock platoon, and not to be ignored. Not that you would, what with their spacey Battles-style keyboards, heavy techy guitars and thudding drumbeats that sound like a donkey kicking you in the face. Repeatedly.

myspace.com/ peggysueandthepirates

Say... ey Th We Love AutoBassChord ay... eS W We love Portasound. So much so they’re December’s Singles Club release

They’ve already been bigged up by Radio One, recording an amazing session for Bethan Elfyn earlier in the year, and made a big impression on the crowd at Swn Festival, punching their way through a memorable set that generated the kind of buzz that has surrounded fellow Welsh math rockers Truckers of Husk throughout 2008. Listen, dance and let your mind be bent backwards.

Say... ey h T We’ve never broken a guitar onstage ay... eS W With those harmonies, they’ve broken plenty of hearts

myspace.com/thegallopsband

e Th

... y Say

Wall-shudder space rock

ay... eS W Dancefloor beats + chin-

scratch shake downs? You do the math.

Moriarty

Fireworks Night

Come join the globe-spanning troupe for whom the kitchen sink is, like, so last season.

After years of line-up changes and a near calling-off, Fireworks Night is definitely back on.

They’ve taken their tragi-folk into prisons and mental institutions, and recorded their debut on a farm in near Merlin’s tomb. Wizard!

Evoking Hunky Dory era Bowie via dusky, melancholic folk, Fireworks Night are dramatic and full of heart. Check it.

myspace.com/moriartylands

myspace.com/fireworksnight

Say... ey ThSinging a song for YOU to sing when we’re gone ay... eS W Non-repellent French folk. What?

The New Wine

Young protoge’s of Kings of Convenience and Whitest Boy Alive’s Erland Oye, The New Wine are the latest band to roll out of Bergen with a bag full of great songs and and unnerving ability on their instruments.

Say... I think we’re T “indiefolkadeltronica”

y he

Right now it’s all about the live show, where indie meets math guitars over spacey, dancey synth pop of the infectious kind, but look out for singles later on in the year.

ay... eS W in a better world, this is what daytime radio would sound like

Definitely ones to watch in 2009. myspace.com/newwinemusic 55

e Th

... y Say

Danceable music for kids and adults

ay... eS W

So fresh you could clean your teeth with them

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FABRIC RECORDS SINCE 2001

www.fabriclondon.com

ALL RELEASES IN STORES NOW

FABRIC42: ÂME

BURAKA SOM SISTEMA – BLACK DIAMOND

The name Âme is French for “soul,” and fabric 42 embodies that very notion throughout: embracing the deep house loops of Daniel Bell’s KB Project, pushing up a notch with Mixworks’ volatile techy fills, and all the while flirting with lively, playful basslines. The sounds of Innervisions sparkle alongside a diamond-studded cast, breeding a magical soundtrack to the last days of summer.

The debut long-player, ‘ Black Diamond ’ escalating infamy is set to erupt into worldwide domination. With powerful comrades in the likes of Diplo and Switch, and collaborators in Kano, M.I.A. and Hot Chip – to name but a few – they’ve become the driving heartbeat of the headline – grabbing global ghetto-funk revolution. Together they’ve destroyed dated preconceptions of world music, with cross-continental collisions responsible for many of the gnarliest club cuts in recent years.

FABRICLIVE42: FREQ NASTY

STANTON SESSIONS VOLUME III

Freq Nasty rumbles with underground thunder on FABRICLIVE 42, a speaker-shattering showcase of some of the rawest breaksled beats around. With the bass heavy stomp of L-Vis 1990’s UK take on Baltimore house, the blistering shatter of TRG and several of Freq’s own storming productions, including his Santogold hit “Creator”, the mix is a terror to bassbins worldwide.

It’s a hugantic 3rd release ! Love it….. The champions of bouncing beats and booty basslines delivery another benchmark album and as always lead the rest of the pack into a new phase for the scene … the wise should follow ! Watch my head nod, can you see the look on my face … big grin, eyes shit … I ’m right inside that monster bass groove – Tom Middleton Stanton Warriors absolutely smashed it at the Lovebox Weekender and this classic mix is a perfect snapshot of how – Tom (Groove Armada) Put simply one of the most exciting mixes I’ve heard for years – Tony Vegas (Scratch Perverts)

FABRIC43: METRO AREA

HOWIE B VS CASINO ROYALE – NOT IN THE FACE ( REALE DUB VERSION)

Fabric 43: Morgan Geist and Dashan Jesrani, the infectious New Jersey / N.Y duo who brought us the seminal club classic “ Miura ”, create on Fabric 43 the perfect party mix, blending seamlessly 80's Funk Disco gems such as Barbara Norris “ Its Heavy ”& Mascara's fantastically narrated bilingual hit “ Baja” through to early House classic with Plez “ Can’t Stop” and Chez & Ron Trent “ Morning Factory ” soulful techno epic.

‘Not In The Face’ is a stunning re-imagining of Casino Royale’s sound, bridging rock and ska with sweeping electronics and diving deep into the swallowing, enveloping bass of dub. Subtle and intriguing, Howie has created a broad, picturesque soundscape in which details become more evident and delightful with each listen. Steering wild lyrics and psychedelic guitars towards an electric spectrum, the album shines with quiet brilliance - truly a gift to headphones.

FABRICLIVE43: SWITCH & SINDEN PRESENT GET FAMILIAR MIXED BY SINDEN On December’s FABRICLIVE 43, the unstoppable genre-splicing DJ/producer Sinden has stepped up to represent Get Familiar, his bimonthly FABRICLIVE club residency with Dave ‘Switch’ Taylor. A thumping representation of the unconventional, noholds-barred programming that Switch & Sinden bring to each club night, with FABRICLIVE 43 Sinden merges the freshest sounds in bass-heavy clubland: dancehall riddims, grime, bassline, ghettotech, Baltimore club, dubstep, his signature skewed slant on house music, and everything in-between that bangs.

RADIOACTIVE MAN – GROWL

Radioactive Man is a dark talent and his new album ‘GROWL’ passionately scribes the next suitably dirty and thoughtful chapter of his comtplex and disturbing sonic dreamscape. From the sweet methodical low-end bounce, to breaks-ready loopy cool mixed with dulcet anthems, to take no prisoners tekhouse and dancefloor electro come dirty postpunkfunk, with vocal tracks from Andrew Weatherall and Dot Allison, ‘GROWL’ is a beautiful nod to all that is gentle in modern electronica. Nothing short of eleven superb tracks awaiting an audience of sensitive and reflective listeners, as much ready to dance as they are to just enjoy what a truly special artist he is.

Various locations, Cardiff 9th-11th November, 2008

Left Eye: Betti Hunter Right Eye: Simon Roberts For the second year running, Huw Stephens and his gang organised a city-wide celebration of fun, frolics and fucking good music, cramming well over 100 killer acts, seminars and exhibitions into three days and a multitude of venues; proving that quality doesn’t always have to suffer at the mercy of quantity. Determined to reap the full benefits of our wristbands, my Swn-buddy and I got our skates on (metaphorically, of course – although in hindsight rollerblades would have been a pretty good idea) and blitzed the majority of the city centres venues, in search of old favourites and new upstarts to pledge our allegiance to. And boy, we weren’t disappointed. Our first port of call was Blue Wall at Clwb Ifor Bach, a band currently enjoying their first taste of recognition and who deserve to be experiencing a whole lot more. There are no gimmicks or pretentions to Blue Wall, just talent by the wagonload. Reader, I implore you to check them out. Highlight number two was the beautiful Silence At Sea, a melodica-driven Cardiff-based five piece whose dainty harmonies and honest, grounded lyrics resonated long after they’d left the miniscule Dempsey’s stage. Plus their slightly bonkers guitarist was dressed as a cat, which automatically made them winners in my eyes. Fickle, moi? The consistently fabby Das Wanderlust blew a far-tootame crowd at the Museums Reardon Smith Theatre into yelp-pop oblivion, then back at Dempseys Thomas Truax - part-singer/songwriter, part-crackpot inventor – amused, bemused and generally showed his audience a cracking time. Sunday’s shenanigans included unforgettable sets from Leeds’ Pulled Apart By Horses, Agaskobo Teliverek and local heroes Future of the Left, but the performance of the night (in my humble opinion) was delivered by Glasgow’s Dananananaykroyd. The currently hotter-than-hell’s mouth sextet left jaws dropped, eardrums perforated and the large crowd at Barfly baying for more, proving that if there’s one thing Calum Gunn and his band of noiseniks/lunatics know, it’s how to put on a damn good show. Definitely the highlight of my Swn experience. As the weekend reluctantly drew to a close, my Swn-buddy and I sat drinking cheap lager in Buffalo, with dopey grins on our little faces and just one question on our lips; when can we get our hands on next year’s tickets?

‘You have to be drunk to listen to that,’ my mother would say as I was growing up. I’d never questioned it because I generally was. Bukowskism is essential. It doesn’t need explanation. Or does it? My mother hates gabba, so does my girlfriend. My mother hates Slayer, my Girlfriend doesn’t. My mother doesn’t drink. My girlfriend is Sue Ellen Ewing. You have to draw an X on your hand and seek out some noisecore when new evidence is submitted, and with Swn on my doorstep my black marker was out. It began with Rolo Tomassi, but I concluded they were an unfair test, assimilating chemical reactions in the brain perfectly, like crystal meth and wonky wonk and I wasn’t really expecting an 18 year old sexpot to communicate such gluttonous rage. She’s too pretty to have such injustice in her soul. She doesn’t deserve the torment. So I went to Clinic feeling a bit weird and thought I’d hit the techno the following day. I’d never been raving without the customary aides, and it was bit like cooking without utensils: very messy and you get burned a lot. But you get lost in it. Orcop’s basic channel kept me skankin’, Valley Lines made the trains worth waiting for, and any ketamine clown is equivalent to eight Artois, without the runs and the Warhol 15 on the Closed Circuit. Sunday changed. I caught Cyrion and then went to see Dananananaykroyd. They were running late and as I decided I couldn’t wait, I saw three empty cans of Red Stripe. By the time I saw Mike and Data at the Kruger Party, I had an artist pass and Tuborg held by every available limb. It’s a bit of a mystery from there; pregnant Japanese ladies with Fu Manchu eyelashes, special tobacco-less cigarettes with Jamie Noisette and an answerphone message from my solicitor telling me I can’t sue anyone for having sex in my bathroom whether they have a song on the Sopranos or not. Someone will know what that means, but I don’t want to. All I know is I came away from Swn without seeing a shit band, Agaskodo Televerik and Tomassi make Coltrane blow my horn, and we don’t need drugs to enjoy music. But we do really.

Kruger Reviews

SWN Festival

Live Reviews

Lovvers / Jay Reatard

Lonely Drifter Karen

TV On The Radio

Yo! Majesty

The Deaf Institute, Manchester

The Folk House, Bristol

Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Bar Rumba, London

19th November, 2008

14th November, 2008

19th November, 2008

18th November, 2008

Working at The Deaf Institute means I get to see loads of gigs for free. And although I’m not allowed to drink on the job,it’s still always fun. When Jay Reatard came into town, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I’d heard rumours that he kicked an audience member while touring the US, and as much as I didn’t want a fight to kick off in ‘my gaff,’ it would have been quite a show if it happened again. It didn’t, but the atmosphere was fantastic. From old punks to younger rock and roll tykes, everyone seemed to be having a great time together. Lovvers had some technical difficulties that left poor Shaun Hencher screaming out his lyrics but still being drowned out by their loud and aggressive would-bepunk tracks. They had amazing stage presence, but some of the audience were confused by the mix of poppiness vs punk attitude. A supercharged Jay Reatard totally kicked it. Big hair, big attitude, big sounds and big guitar riffs played on a beautiful Flying V (not enough people do rock properly these days). He filled the whole room and the crowd responded with just as much energy, moving in waves in time to the fast paced American punk rock. Everyone in the audience enjoyed every second of the show, and even though I was trapped behind the bar at least I got a good view. I was also sober enough to remember it all and write about it the next day – probably more than I can say for everyone else there that night. SG

Lonely Drifter Karen exemplify all things weird and wonderful with their endearing eccentricity and peculiar ways, generating a circus-like atmosphere with props and quirky instruments. The music pursued a similar line, with harpsichord and accordion sounds skilfully employed by the pantwettingly good pianist. A must see for fans of Joanna Newsom, Regina Spektor or the Amelie soundtrack! SL

The Big Pink shuffle on to the stage nervously, but there’s no need. While sharing a stage with TVOTR must be daunting for a band in their infancy, The Big Pink have the gusto and the balls to pull it off. Evoking Spacemen 3 and Animal Collective, they’re currently creating quite the buzz. Watch out for what could be a big album in 2009. TV On The Radio have the audience in the palm of their hands from the opening chords of Young Liars; Tunde Adebimpe’s impeccable delivery causing bouts of hypnotic rapture. Tonight we get a set comprising of the bulk of Dear Science. In a live environment, the songs take on a more visceral quality. The raw bassline in Dancing Choose particularly is extenuated and reverberates in the Empire’s aging walls. While he maybe one of the most in-demand producers on the planet at the moment, Dave Sitek seems quite content to take a back seat in TVOTR’s live show, manically shaking the wind chimes that sit on the neck of his Telecaster. Finishing the set with a sped-up Staring At The Sun, could TVOTR take on the unthinkable? A critic’s favourite who know exactly how to work a crowd?? As Dear Science creeps near the top of most people’s end of year lists and judging by the reaction they receive tonight, this seems a likely prospect. JD

After touring with Neon Neon and selling out several London shows, it’s time for Yo! Majesty to celebrate. Surrounded by well wishers, they held an after party to celebrate their sold out gig in Camden Barfly. To be honest I wasn’t that convinced by Yo! Majesty’s album. Sure, Club Action is a tune, but it owes its hook to Booka Shade. But seeing them live is a real opinion changer. Shunda K & Jwl B own any stage they’re on; it’s not a case of stand back and take it in, they’ll get any crowd moving and involved in 5 minutes. By taking hip-hop stereotypes and switching them on their head Yo! Majesty have become one of the most deservedly hyped acts of this year. JD

Wild Beasts The Roundhouse, London 13th August, 2008 The well rehearsed Wild Beasts troupe produced a tight, confident set drawn mostly from debut album Limbo Panto. The bouncing crowd were silently attentive during Please Sir, proving the Beasts can pull off singing “Take these chips with cheese as an offering of peace” in a falsetto while retaining artistic gravitas. AM

Sam Isaac The Croft, Bristol 25th November, 2008 It’s cold outside and the heating in my new flat is rubbish. I hopped down to The Croft to use the crowd as providers of warmth instead. Even better, the very special Sam Isaac was on the bill. Sam’s songwriting skills could warm you up whatever he was singing, but tracks like Fire Fire ensured I was a happy and toasty reviewer and the new, rehearsed line-up worked out well. Get the ace new 5-track Sticker, Star & Tape EP. SW 60

Mr Beasley Vibe Bar, London 14th November, 2008 Are you partial to any of the following: Boys with loud synthesisers; girls with sexy voices; beats of the fat variety? If yes, you’ll heart Mr Beasley. Celebrating the release of new single Right As Rain, boy-girl twosome Mr Beasley (aka Bobby and Sarah) offered all-comers the chance to dance the weekend in to electro-dream-hopspacey-bassey-synth-pop. Their performance was enormous; their energy infectious, particularly for Radio 1 favourite Neon and their aforementioned (and rightly-celebrated) new offering. Hull should be so proud. DL

Kong

Heaven, London 21st November, 2008 Ultra chic fashion label and pioneers in all things electronic, Kitsunè keep quality checks tight and maintain a solid sense of fun. From Magistrates crushing the misconception that ‘white men ain’t got no soul’ with a healthy dose of future funk, to brash electro-thrash duo Hearts Revolution’s brutal synthetic vibes, polished off by Autokratz’s pumping electronic take on Primal Scream’s Swastika Eyes, the live performances are enough to make even your most continent of friends strain not to wet themselves through sheer excitement. What’s more, original signings to Kitsunè, dance-punk pair Digitalism pull out all the stops and get a stunning audience reaction to their headline DJ set. Team this with Lightspeed Champion’s absurd playlists, forward thinking dance music from DJ Warboy and an incredible dose of classic pop songs thrown in by Ponystep and there is not one wall-flower in sight. SMo

George Pringle The Social, London 25th November, 2008

Yellow tulips carefully arranged on tables next to glasses of sweets straight outta childhood. Fibre optic lights flash like a multi-coloured illuminating heartbeat. George Pringle struts around the small stage in a black lace dress, looking every inch the glamorous pop star, playing a short but sweet set. It’s the excellent glitch-pop of We Could Have Been Heroes and latest single, LCD I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down, all set to 60s mystery film L’Avventura. Transfixing, twee and oh-so-terrific. RD

Heartbreak & Little Boots

Bronze Club

100 Club, London

ICA, London

The Macbeth, London

20th November, 2008

21st November, 2008

Uniformly dressed in red and donning translucent masks favoured by the sexually criminal, Kong dominate the hallowed stage of the 100 Club with hard as coffin nails drumming and urgent, panic stricken guitars. Leather Penny and Blood of a Dove dance on the brink of collapse, only to be snapped back like a pit bull on a choke chain to continue their biting assault. There’s a clinical drive here that cements order into a brutal nightmarish sound. DS

Argentinean/Anglo outfit Heartbreak’s music has been described as “Metalo” - possibly be the worst genre name since “shroomidelica”. Ignore the nametag. By taking the sheen of Italo disco and mixing it with darker elements, Heartbreak have created a sound that is getting the dance scene hot under the collar. Heartbreak’s intense music is complimented perfectly by frontman Sebastian Muravchik, whose dominating stage presence gives the band a hypnotic quality. Next up is Little Boots. Pop star du jour in several blogs, and working with Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, much expectation rides on this performance. Her set of irresistible electro pop gems doin’t fail to impress - recent single Stuck On Repeat is a definite highlight, the Moroder-esque melody sticks in my ears for days afterwards. Italo Disco sounds have sprung up in a number of clubs recently, and tonight’s artists hint that the sound may just be about to explode in a big way. If the music can be kept to this standard, that’ll be fine with me. JD

Bronze Club is Golden Silvers’ monthly shindig where new bands are showcased and many a tune is spun. It’s cosy, good-natured fun, with a hipster crowd that fill the venue up early, and stay until closing. Support act Anna Calvi sounds like a rockier Coco Rosie, and Golden Silvers put on a note-perfect performance, chiming their way through songs that are rapidly gaining attention. AC

PNAU The Scala, London 19th November, 2008 Australians aren’t renowned for their subtlety, PNAU don’t buck the trend. Armed live with a beat-crazed beast of a drummer and an intense barrage of forcefully catchy intense electronic hooks, PNAU’s short set is an audio battering from start to finish. The electro-peneurs open the set with the head mangling synth twang of Wild Strawberries that demonstrates the fine line between genius and insanity that surrounds this act. Slight distraction did ensue during a quieter new wave-esque track that followed soon after and didn’t translate as well live, but this was soon picked up by stand out track Baby, filled with absurd synth loops that sound like Justice on ketamine. Suitably finished off on instant audience hit No More Violence and a disorientating audio loop reminiscent of tinnitus that was enough to make everyone in the room a little dazed. Brilliant stuff. SMo

Picture Book Magnet, Liverpool 23rd November, 2008 Electric trio Picture Book are a great experience. Performing behind a neon screensaver left nothing for the eye save the outlines of two keyboardists who seem to be completely out of it, especially the singer. But she did have a very beautiful singing voice. Did I hear someone mention Sophie Ellis-Bextor? Nah. 61 HW

Frightened Rabbit Academy, Sheffield 17th November, 2008 Playing to a half-full Academy, Frightened Rabbit don’t seem at all fazed, attacking I Feel Better with gusto, they thrash along to the driving beat. Singer Scott bellows at the crowd “let’s get paralysed down both sides”. Drums ricochet off the vast ceiling, knocking the crowd back on their heels into a triumphant Fast Blood. Guitarists Andy and Billy spar off each other, fighting for air space as Scott screams at the top of his lungs. The Twist hints at a softer side as Futureheads style harmonies crouch beneath the tortured vocals and teeth rattlingly loud bass. The church organ keyboards of Keep Yourself Warm could signal a more subdued ending if it weren’t for Frightened Rabbit’s gut wrenching passion. Every time they play they seem to leave something of themselves behind, suspended between the past and the here and now. Those are the moments worth watching out for. KP

Live Reviews

Neon Noise Project presents...

Album Reviews

Diplo

Asobi Seksu

Daniel Johnston

Decent Word For Decent Pay

Hush

Big Dada

One Little Indian

Coppertree Records

A compilation of Diplo’s best bits, so far? Oh my giddy gosh. If there’s one thing that gives a Diplo production away, it’s the drums: that mad, frenetic staccato that obeys its own rules of rhythm. Listen to too much, too loudly, and the jackhammering will give you a brain haemorrhage. But just enough is pure bmore ambrosia. With a collection this consistent, it’s hard to pick favourites, but obviously I have some. Diplo’s production of Kano’s awesome Reload It was one of the first electro-grime crossover tracks (and what a corker). Bonde De Role’s Diplo-produced Solta O Frango is up there too, as well as his remix of Bloc Party’s Where Is Home, which brings an evil rave bassline and drums from a Led Zep-style acidlaced drum solo to the fore, smashing the original. His take on Spank Rock’s Put That Pussy On Me reminds us, of course, of what Diplo does best – gets those booties and those titties shaking. HP

A melancholic mix of percussion, lead, singer Yuki Chikudate, chimes angelically, echoing away from the microphone and allowing James Hanna’s sensual beats to open up and swallow you. With such strangeness, they sometimes risk losing you, but entice you back with blurred vision and make you beg for more. RK

Three listens into Daniel Johnston’s new release, Lost and Found, and the best thing I can say about this record is it sounds like Daniel Johnston, just exactly like what he’s always sounded like before. So, if you’re already a fan, like me, you know just what you’re getting into; it’s like ordering your favorite meal at the diner, grilled cheese with fries and a pickle. You know what’s it’s gonna taste like, but you love it—that’s the whole point. If you aren’t too familiar with Johnston’s music, try out his world of pot-smoking love (“I love that marijuana. It makes me feel so high.” on “Rock This Town”), his self-deprecating humor (“When my ego was shattered, you said it didn’t really matter.” on “Squiggly Lines”), and his sugary sentimentality (“And I love you, you’re my wife. And I’ve loved you all my life.” on “Wishing You Well”) all tied together with his whiney-sweet vocals, and his mopey-sincere energy. JS

The Yellow Moon Band Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World Static Caravan Progressive rock. Layers and layers of psychedelically tinted guitar. You can’t argue that it’s not good. Well you can, but this is rich and full - Polaris in particular. Maybach, the February release has a wicked breakdown with the guitar and cymbals working together. I can well imagine people watching this in awe in a live setup. Very atmospheric. HW

Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavillion Domino Just to ram home the fact they’re unlike other bands, Animal Collective have chosen to wait until album number nine to deliver their defining statement, the masterpiece that encapsulates everything that’s grand about this muchrevered, tirelessly experimental US artrock ensemble. Combining a cuddlier take on the harsh electronics of last year’s Strawberry Jam with a more upbeat and outgoing version of the harmony-drenched splendour of percussionist Panda Bear’s peerless Person Pitch, Merriweather Post Pavilion completes the combo’s evolution into a fully-fledged electro-pop outfit, with a newfound focus and tighter tunecraft to rein in the odd spots of idle meandering that have disfigured past output. Whether floating in a caressing bubble of dreamy dub (the delicate, yearning Bluish) or marrying pounding beats to melodies Brian Wilson must have mislaid back in the day (the euphoric My Girls), Merriweather Post Pavilion boasts a plentiful bounty of 62 pure brilliance. JO

Lost & Found

Fennesz Black Sea Touch I’d hardly class Black Sea - a spacious, orchestral fabric which weaves organic sounds with tones of summer and the deep blue sea - as a guitar album. But that’s pretty much what it is. Christian Fennesz’s use and subtle warping of instruments creates subtle melody and distortion in the spaces around the sounds. Understated and beautiful, it’s like the murmer of a newborn’s heart. Divine. HP

Emmy The Great First Love Close Harbour There is something so utterly fragile about Emma Lee Moss, something that could break at any moment, something romantic yet deliberately brutal in the way she writes songs. Even my cat has a soft spot for her. First Love is Emmy’s first long player, and having already released a single on Moshi Moshi this is an album that promises many things. Her My Bad EP featured the songs MIA, City Song and Easter Parade, which all appear here too, but it’s hardly a hindrance. First Love is a beguiling and beautiful listen; each song gives a portion of Emmy that is yours to keep, like the heart of your first love. Exquisite compositions surround stories of lust and desire, as well as the 24 marathon in which Emmy fell asleep. The anti-folk movement is alive and well and freezing in a barn in Lancashire. MB

Three Trapped Tigers Three Trapped Tigers EP Blood & Biscuits New talent alert: on this tantalising debut EP, Three Trapped Tigers shift effortlessly through genres, covering Battles-esque poly rhythms, muted piano’n’bass epics that hold a distorted mirror up to jungle, and warm and fuzzy electronica workouts. Sounding something like Errors if they had been classically trained, the variation on display stems from the band’s electro-improv background. A powerful debut. AC

A Fool For Everyone Vice Mike Bones’ accomplished guitarmanship speaks for itself, but it’s the vocals that make him stand out; a voice that conjures up a catalogue of images and stories just through its delivery. His lazy, drug-fuelled New Jersey drawl is oddly disarming and holds a languid but captivating down-and-out elegance. The lyrics range from powerful to disappointingly clichéd and are, more often than not, him yearning after beautiful women or wallowing in existential despair – classic white-boy shit. He has his bad moments – like morbid track A Fool For Everyone, where it seems he’s indulged in way too much Jeff Buckley in his grim New York apartment. That aside, it’s all good. Bones is at his best on tracks like One Moment’s Peace and What I Have Left where the delicious, driving rhythms he crafts on guitar power through the track’s stripped down background as he passionately spits his wits over the top. MWh

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele

Secret Machines Secret Machines

Alpinisms

The Good Feeling Music Of...

World’s Fair / Cooperative

Ghostly International

Paw Tracks

Following the departure of guitarist Ben Curtis, Secret Machines third album opens with the emphatic single Atomic Heels, Brandon Curtis’s vocals esconced in the band’s trademark glistening, b-i-g psychguitar sound, informed by the same sense of melody that saw the finer moments of their debut Now Here Is Nowhere really captivate. Stand out tracks are the moody Have I Run Out and the pulsating, shimmering slowburn of Now You’re Gone. JS

School of Seven Bells is a joint project by Ben Curtis (ex-Secret Machines) and identical twin sisters, Claudia and Alejandra Deheza. Alpinisms was originally released in September but is being unleashed again in February. Drifting over, under and through the electronic rhythms, the twins weave a hypnotic spell. It’s beguiling stuff, and an air of tranquillity prevails, locating Seven Bells between the ambient drone of The Field, the steady wash of My Bloody Valentine, and laptop pop of Lali Puna. Alpinisms: music for climbing mountains to. AC

If you like retro but are fed up with its revival, listen up. Crooning like a 1950s barber shop boy, Dent May’s debut album is old school in the least commercial, most attractive sense. Recorded in Mississippi with Animal Collective producer Rusty Santos, The Good Feeling Music Of… is a collection of Magnetic Fields-esque aural Prozac (perfectly exhibitioned on Girls on the Square)that will break your heart and sew it back together for you in just one sitting. RD

Phosphorescent Watch The Ride

Beirut March of the Zapotec

Harmless Wisely dodging the most obvious choices, this loose, lowdown and lovely tribute to Texan legend Willie Nelson pumps fresh blood into the knackered covers album concept, continuing Phosphorescent’s mission to catapult careworn Americana to some fresh, exciting places.

Switch & Sinden

Sweet Baboo

Fabriclive. 43: Get Familiar

The Mighty Baboo

Fabric

Businessman Records

Some time ago, I was djing in a bar, which had a sign above the decks: “no hardcore, metal, fidgit...”. What the hell is fidgit, I wondered. Cue Graeme Sinden & Dave Switch Taylor bumping uglies at Fabric to start the bimonthly electrobooty-hoot Get Familiar, and this showing me the holy way of that bass heavy bassment music. Another cranking Fabric release. HP

Softly spewing suicidal and misanthropic confessions into a bag of intricate folk, sideshow country and sunday school gospel, Steve Black finds a crack between the stones of fragility, honesty and disquiet and crawls into it like a modern Grenouille The Great, using the sounds of Tom Waits and Daniel Johnston to reimagine the world. MK

Pompeii Records Zach Condon is fuckin talented. Following the release of 2007’s excellent The Flying Club Cup, comes his latest release and his third under the Beirut moniker. It’s comprised of two EPs. The first is namesake March of the Zapotec; a foray into Mexican folk music with the help of the Jimenez Band, and it’s standard Beirut fare. Standard being a walltzerama of epic proportions with tubas, horns, and big bass drums. Imagine the fall of a mariachi. This is the sound you would hear at his death procession. The second EP is under his RealPeople guise and is pure bedroom electro, Condon’s dulcet tones weaving in and out of 80s pop synth that sounds like the Battle of the Planets theme. Simply the best thing since Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Park… MB 63

School of Seven Bells

Good Old War Only Way To Be Alone Sargent House

Once upon a time, Good Old War became the simplicity of The Gentle Good, the smoothness of Simon and Garfunkel and the sound of three eras, complete with three-part harmonies. Only Way To Be Alone is perfect for those who love country-tinged folk as their bedtime stories. HW

This is Radio Freedom Strike Sparks Anywhere EP Sidewalk 7

This record sounds like waking up in an eighties movie, shades on, a disco ball spinning around you. With the intensity of the Church circa Under the Milky Way, This Is Radio Freedom has an umph you’ll want to get (and keep) in your head. JS

Album Reviews

Mike Bones

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Competition Win Win Win

So, for your chance to win the entire Kruger back catalogue from issue 1 to 19, all bagged up in protective plastic, plus a Kruger t-shirt and a bag full of records and cds, all you have to do is answer this simple question…

The entire Kruger back catalogue (and a t-shirt) (and some records) Usually when we give away Kruger merchandise on our competitions page it’s because we forgot to sort out a competition prize before our print deadline, but not this time, no siree!

The name Kruger begins with which letter of the alphabet?

See, this time there’s a reason, and this is what it is…

a) K

From March 2009 Kruger magazine will be changing. This is the last issue until then. We’re not going to tell you what the changes are, only that some things will stay the same, and others won’t. In the meantime you’ll have to keep up to date with what’s going on in the world of Kruger by checking out www.krugermagazine. com, where you’ll find The Kruger Singles Club, The Ivy League, details about our club nights in London and Cardiff as well as podcasts, blogs and other music bumf.

b) L c) P

See you on the other side, like.

Send your answer along with your name and contact details to theletterk@krugermagazine. com by noon on February 1st.

www.krugermagazine.com 66

LOS CAMPESINOS! HOLD ON NOW, YOUNGSTER… “One of the freshest, most invigorating releases of 2008” Best albums of 2008 THE FLY

★★★★ “An enthralling debut” OBSERVER MUSIC MONTHLY

★★★★

THE DODOS VISITER “The Dodos are essential listening” Best albums of 2008 THE FLY

★★★★ “Formidable... a sensation” THE GUARDIAN

★★★★

“Impressive” UNCUT ★★★★ “Entrancing” TIME OUT ★★★★

CONOR OBERST CONOR OBERST “The King of Indie USA” OBSERVER MUSIC MONTHLY

★★★★ ARENA ★★★★ TIME OUT ★★★★ EVENING STANDARD Q

THOSE DANCING DAYS IN OUR SPACE HERO SUITS “Irresistible” THE GUARDIAN “Infectiously gleeful” TIME OUT ARTROCKER ALBUM OF THE YEAR!

★★★★

NOW WITH 75 MINUTE LIVE DVD FILMED AT LONDON ULU

Includes the singles ‘Those Dancing Days’, ‘Run Run’, ‘Home Sweet Home’ and ‘Hitten’.

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