Cougar Microbes

With the snow in Britain finally cleared off all roads and hopefully not making another appearance during a far to brief summertime, this can only mean one thing: the start of a beautiful British festival season. Whilst there may only be sunshine for a couple of these weekends the main focus is on the music not the lamentable elements. This is a key ethos of the wonderful Live at Leeds, who will not let cloud cover get in the way of some of the most vibrant British bands playing to awestruck audiences in this expansive metropolitan festival.

First band of the day came in the form of Pigeon Detectives who’s already energetic set has been revitalised by the release of their new album ’We Met At Sea’. Frontman Matt Bowman relished catching his breath between songs and sharing the company of his hometowns crowd, many of whom were on other peoples shoulders making them the tallest crowd of the day, before jumping up and down (and off) the stage whilst singing his way through the bands ever growing collection of gritty hits, with the audience suitably impressed by newer songs such as “I Won’t Come Back” and “Animal”.

Little Comets managed to tie the balance well between playing the livelier dancy songs off the first album and the more sombre, lyrically poignant songs of the second album to give the impression they are a band comfortable with their progression and understand they will be able to take new directions in the future whilst maintaining their song writing talents and crucially, the backing of fans.

Tribes had the whole crowd eagerly listening for the new tracks which would build anticipation for their album out later this month. Their sound maintains its roots of the first album, but there are now impressive overtones of American rock though the 60s to the 80s. Having an album materialise in just one year, like traditional rock bands in previous years, may be a gamble but from the hits played during the set there is still a highly optimistic mood that the rest of the album will not simply be full of filler.

Live at Leeds has prided itself on having a keen eye for spotting up and coming potential and in the evening the Cockpit venue’s dressing room was awash with talented musicians such as Swim Deep who managed to kick back with fellow Brummies Peace after having finished their shimmering, hype worthy set playing latest single “She Changes The Weather” amongst a raft of 90s inspired songs.

In Cockpit 3, Roo Panes, commanded the stage with innate gracefulness as the intimate crowd were all encapsulated by beautifully crafted harmonious songs containing delicate crystals of insight with their origins in poetry written by Roo.

Headlining the Cockpit were Peace who had just finished a 4 day residence in Dalston’s Birthdays were the final night was finished with a cover of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” with support from previous touring friends Mystery Jets. Carrying on the spirit of the previous night, Dom and Harrison of Peace treated us to a backstage rendition of the number 1 single allowing the joyous mood to be taken onto the stage were a rowdy crowd lapped up the grungy singles of “Wraith” and “Follow Baby” whilst the epic “1998” induced a state of frenzied dancing to finish off a day that marked the start of what promises to be a fantastic summer full of great music.

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Post by Sam
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Following the demise of London squat rockers The King Blues it was clear it wasn’t going to be the last time we’d hear from them. Jamie Jazz was first off the mark with his new band Bleach Blood.

The guitarist turned frontman joined forces with drummer Invisible Frank, bassist Charlie Elliot and guitarist Paul Mullen to produce a fine mix of pop, post punk and electro.

BB has already released ‘The Young Heartbreakers Club‘ EP at the end of last year and have embarked on a couple of UK mini tours.

With no plan to rest on their laurels the band has followed this up with new single “Anything Anything“, featuring guest vocals from Linda Harrison.

I can’t wait for my next Bleach Blood transfusion.

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It is incredible to see how far the steam train that is Alt-J has travelled since we interviewed them almost a year ago. When they find time between picking up awards and performing gigs across the world, they can reflect back at some fantastic remixes taking advantage of the beautiful subtleties that may not have got their deserved attention underneath all the albums layers, but are accentuated into the principle scaffolding of the remix and hold strong throughout.

They are composing music for films, fulfilling a previous ambition of the band and drummer Thom has also produced an elevating remix of Sivu’s “Better Man Than He” complete with graceful nods towards Alt-J-esque piano flurries and characteristic shuffly electronic beats.

Not wanting to miss out on the next step of the journey, Cougar Microbes will be seeing Alt-J soon on their tour for what promises to be an encapsulating set.

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Post by Sam

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For a band based in Birmingham, an hour and a half away from the nearest beach, there is an uncanny undercurrent of connotations relating Swim Deep to water, as their recently released video shows.

The flickering of the bands logo ‘≈’ (yet another mathematical symbol embraced by a band for its aesthetic appeal) appears before establishing shots of the two characters, in a restful, safe state on a tube home where the boy seems to be reflecting on the mesmerizing contortions in the allure of the water, where anything was possible, yet also there seems to be an trace of melancholia as if what has happened, won’t happen again due to a breakup. For a few brief moments, the band appear as delicate forms in the pool, neither sinking nor floating, simply existing in the empyrean water, before the ‘≈’ once again appears to signify yet another switch into the unknown.

The video has been released at an important time in Swim Deep’s career, just weeks after good friends Peace released “In Love” to massive critical success, showing what is possible for the new age of bands from Birmingham, or B-town as they call it. The video also comes just weeks before Swim Deep set sail on their trans-European headline tour which will quickly be followed by a flotilla of festival appearances during which their debut album ”Where The Heaven Are We” will be released in late July.

As the sign gradually fades, an epic instrumental intro builds anticipation whilst cinematic shots depict a life of discontent and restlessness in a world full of industrial estates and grey and brown bleak backdrops. A deep longing for the soothing blue water is characterised by savouring the times spent making ripples in puddles and long wistful stares out to the river. When the boy makes his way to the pool the girl is already in it, and when the boy jumps in there is a brief sense of serene happiness, yet the girl then looks away simultaneously crushing the boy’s spirit and suggesting that maybe the water is not the idyllic heaven the boy had been expecting. Such subtle moments with big implications reflect the nature of teenage relationships and the angst of categorising life into boxes, a sentiment that has been portrayed well by Georgia Hudson, the video’s director.

The ending shots comprise mainly of the girls figure being blurred by swells in the pool, drawing neat parallels with the idea that the boy was unable to clearly see what was going on in the relationship, the camera then cuts to a shot of the devastated boy lying down as an image of the blue pool fades over the top of him, representing how enticing the sea can be, even if one of the fish were not right for you.

The final image of the video is of the ‘≈’ symbol reaffirming the connection to the water and the waves but also ensuring the image has been burned to the back of your retina so many times that you won’t forget Swim Deep, as if that was at risk.

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Post by Sam

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Glass City Vice are a bunch of sharply-cut chaps from Britain‘s ever-trendy boho seaside town, Brighton. Their clean cut Alt-Rock sound will appeal to fans of The Xcerts , Canterbury, Twin Atlantic and the likes.

Make no mistake though, these handsome young gents have a certain ‘I dunno what’ which sets them apart from their genre contemporaries. Their sound’s not groundbreaking in itself, but there’s a real urgency and hunger coming through in the music and lyrics which urges you to get amongst it.

They’ve been approached by big name producers, and the video is top quality showcase of why the band are starting to turn heads.

Without further ado, merry Easter and get yer lookin’ gear round this exclusive first video play.

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Brixton Academy has always been my favourite London venue. It has held the biggest names in pop and rock since the 1960′s and a place that isnt corporately cloned by another venue for the satisfaction of it’s clientelle. It’s unique and is a place unchanged since it’s hayday; a place where new talents can leave their mark in history, a place where you can still crouch down amd light a joint and you can still get a pint of luke-warm piss lobbed at your back at any moment. You wouldn’t have it any other way I’m sure.

The xx haven’t stopped since their 2009 stunning debut with it’s minimalist and soulful pop songs. Their confidence has grown, as have the bands onstage chemistry. Romy Madley-Croft and Oliver Sim‘s vocal duelling is simply breathtaking and their voices have blossomed.

‘Coexist“, The xx‘s excellent follow up album has trimmed the fat and produced even more soulful numbers and morphed the indie pop songs into beautiful and unique dance numbers whilst transforming the debut albums tracks into this new aesthetic live. Songs such as “Crystalized” and “Shelter” are given new leaces of life by livening up with loud bits with Jamie XX‘s samples and extremely creative drum sounds, whilst the aforementioned Madley-Croft and Sim deliver more tender moments have been stripped down to just a joint vocal and a guitar.

The band’s opener for the night, “Angels” comes across euphorically poignant and sits as a nice platform for tracks like “Reunion“, “Missing” and “Swept Away” to become the thumping live anthems they were destined to be.

The two most special moments for myself were the awe inspiring transitions of “Fiction“, with it’s irresistable guitar line backed my Jamie XX‘s inspired pips and twinkles, along with the fantastic ‘Infinity’ which swells and boils into the biggest moment of the set with duelling  vocals howling over each other to a reverberated morse-code of emotion (along with that awesome snare sound that sounds like a shopping trolley crashing into another shopping trolley.

The diversity of the audience for the night shows how special The xx are and they deserve to go down in history as one of those terrific live acts and I hope this show was one of those events.

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Post by TR Wicks

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Suffolk born songstress Hannah Scott kicked things off last week with her debut single ‘Still Static’. Soon to be followed by an EP of the same name, it is an acoustic pop number brimming with thoughtful reflections on a failed romance with another woman.

Quickly snapping up the attention of musical mainstays such as the Guardian, MOJO and 6Music, Scott lends the melodious undulations of her first release a soothing, clear voice – at times reminiscent of Dido before she crumbled from overexposure.

Whilst perhaps erring on the side of caution, ‘Still Static’ remains very easy on the ear – and reveals itself to be something of a grower, its beautiful simplicity cutting through a sense of familiarity.

Having recently supported Ed Sheeran and Seth Lakeman, Hannah Scott will be accompanying the single and EP release with a gig at London’s 12 bar on Feb 27 – until then you can watch her in action here:

‘Still Static’ single and EP released on Feb 18 and 25 respectively.

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For a band infamous for the unpredictability of the sound their constantly changing tastes will convene on, or even the songs that would be included in their album, it was with great certainty that, regardless of these vital details, the album would be of incredible quality and would yet again redefine the boundaries of their ever expanding collection.

Having already been introduced to “Inhaler”, with its powerful riffs, and raw voice-box-shredding vocals, many prepared for a heavier direction for Foals to take, yet everyone’s hypotheses were evaded when the unashamed pop of “My Number” became their next single. Its fluttering guitars and bongos proved infectiously catchy and it was one of the most welcomed songs in the set when they played in November, inducing a carnival atmosphere in a crowd.

Crucially these singles have managed to infiltrate the mainstream radio stations and allowed Foals to appeal to a broader audience. The singles have kindled and interest, but now ‘Holy Fire’ must ignite fans past, present and future with the burning spirit of the album.

“Prelude” acts as a whitewash, entertaining the possibilities of a repeat of ‘Antidotes’ yet ultimately moving beyond such safe ground onto grittier guitar work which severs the potential to compare the two, creating distance from preconceptions and leaving Foals with a blank canvas from which to embark on their own personal holy campaign. The two early singles follow in quick succession settling nerves whilst summoning a thirst for more new material.

“Bad Habit” begins with a dark Muse-y bass synth line then flourishes into an uplifting ballad full of heavy subject matter and emotional angst before a refreshing staccato solo rides in to elevate the song to a strong statement of Foals’s new direction.

For brief moments, ‘Holy Fire’ has the angular, immediacy of ‘Antidotes’ but they are rarely sustained, often passing as soon as you were getting up to dance, and in other moments there is as cinematic a feel to it as ‘Total Life Forever’, yet it is when the band embrace a brand new area such as in “Late Night” when they seem at their freshest and most exciting. It begins as a slow burner with a piano chord sequence just begging to be built upon and thanks in part to the guitar work giving more licks than an excited puppy dog, it does indeed tower into an excellent bluesy groove whilst the lyrics ‘Stay With Me’ heighten the anticipation for an epic Yannis solo to close the track.

As a whole the album has a very organic feel to it and this may be down to the fact that the band made a conscious decision to bring plants and shrubs into the recording studio so that they could grow and mature just as the album did.

“Providence” fades into your ears with the lyrics “I know I cannot be true, I’m an animal just like you Oh I bleed just a little bit too I bleed just like you”, what follows then forms into overwhelming wild animal of noise tangled in too many ideas causing it to appear to be bleeding to death. However four succinct beats from drummer Jack Bevan simultaneously resuscitates and tames the animal into a ferocious dancing coherence of all the ideas, creating carnage when they played this live late last year. Many of the lyrics in ‘Holy Fire’ have imagery of blood and whether consciously or subconsciously, this creates a strong message that this work has come straight from the beating hearts of Foals now and onto their metaphorical sleeves.

The primordial percussive backbone in “Stepson” nods towards the works of Alan Lomax, most notably his field recordings, whilst the aching voice of Yannis bemoans the fate of having to “Fall into the blue”. In the final track, lightly touched piano keys ripple through a pool of ambience reflecting the moon, bringing both a tranquillity and acceptance to the end but also an exquisite, delicate closure to an excellent third album.

In a strange way ‘Holy Fire’ was exactly what we all expected: to be left overwhelmed and confused, desperately trying to process what just happened. It is too early to rationalise, but just as ‘Total Life Forever’ took a while to adjust to, so ‘Holy Fire’ will require time to understand. But when it does click, the epiphany will make us all realise what a clever little band the continually morphing Foals are, and how engrossed we can be with their incredible feats of escapology from any box anyone tries to fit them into.

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Post by Sam

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