Cougar Microbes

We caught up with Alcopop! Records all conquering Jumping Ships to discuss cakes, Bar wiring, late night jams on mobile phones and questionable music purchases. Here is what they had to say:

CM: What time did you wake up today? Was it out of choice or necessity?

JS: 10 o’clock Glasgow time! Necessity – Had a 6 hour drive to the Northern coast of Scotland ahead of us playing in Thurso (look it up on the map.. its 10miles south of John O’Groats)

CM: Describe Jumping Ships to the uninitiated?

JS: Alt-Pop-Rock! Loud and in your face – Get your chops round this!

CM: How have you been killing time on the road, hobbies?

JS: Eating cakes, singing sing songs, watching films, lots of twitter banter and some sight seeing when we get chance – visiting local castles/folies/forts!

CM: What have been your favourite venues to play? Any Venues you hated?

JS: Borderline in London is great, nice high stage, but still pretty intimate. Coalition in Brighton is great. The Milo in Leeds wasn’t really built for the Alcopop! breed of bands – too small, hot and loud. I think they need to rewire the electrics – sort your plugs out!

CM: Is there a song you are simply sick of playing? Do you think that will ever happen?

JS: We’ve toured the first EP around quite a lot, so there are some tunes that start to drag a bit. We’ve played “The Whole Truth” a lot, so it’s nice to give them a rest every now and again, that way you can kind of rekindle your passion for them. Fingers crossed we won’t hate all of our current set at the end of this tour!!! ha

CM: What is the songwriting process like for you guys?  Are you able to write on the road or do you do this in your off time?

JS: Mike generally takes the lead in the songwriting process, he brings initial ideas to the table and then him and Kai start working structures and parts together to get the bare bones of a track. Then it’s on to acoustic recordings, they’ll knock a rough recording up and send it to Rich and Al, who will give their input and write parts etc before we get into the rehearsal room.

Then it’s jam time and most of the rest of the work is done in a rehearsal room full band. Lyrics are mostly done over the course of the songs writing process. We try and record things at as many stages as possible, to see how it would translate live and on record. Lots of levels of quality control.

CM: Favourite Jumping Ships track and why?

JS: I’m going to go with ‘Talisman‘ on this one. It’s the one track on the EP that I can’t really put my finger on in terms of how we wrote it/structured it/where the parts actually came from. All of the other tunes I can remember having heard quite solid bases for the tracks before we got it in the rehearsal room, whereas with ‘Talisman‘ I think it was a bit more of an organic writing process – lots of jamming sections out and working with a bit more freedom structurally. Plus it’s lots of fun to play live! We have a winner!

CM: If you could record any cover what would it be?

JS: I think if we were going to record a cover it would have to be completely different to the original. Do our own spin on it and kind of pretty much rewrite the tune. So this might be interesting!

CM: Do your songs go through many revisions via demo recordings?

JS: As we mentioned before, we try and record songs at as many stages as possible. Initial ideas are usually late night jams on mobile phones – then on to more structured acoustic records – recordings from rehearsal rooms – then it’s always nice to hear the track back from a live show before you do a pre production demo recording, prior to the real deal. So yeah lotsss of recording!

CM: What came first, the lyrics or the melody?

JS: As a rule of thumb it’s melody, but sometimes there are lines or little lyrical excerpts that will be noted down as a basis for a song. But it’s all about the melody!

CM: What are your views on auto tune?

JS: Auto tune can be cool if it’s used right. There are loads of artists who use it to good effect and when you know what you’re doing it can sound great. What we don’t like though is when people try to use it to mask a shoddy voice, both live and in the studio. Cher’s been repping the auto tune far too hard haha

 CM: Any other band/bands from your local scene we really should know about?

JS: There are some great bands that we’ve gigged around with recently – Spring Offensive from Oxford and Hold Your Horse Is from Camberly are both wicked bands and great lads. Also bands from our label – Lightguides and Delta Alaska are both going on to big things. You probably know about these guys already, but if you don’t – Shame on you!

CM: Most flattering thing you’ve read about yourselves?

JS: There was a note left on our mailing list after playing the main stage at Redfest. A girl had gone to put her email address down and had proceeded to write a full page love letter to the band, pleading for us to contact her. It’s nice when fans love what you’re doing.

CM: What was the first record/tape/cd you ever bought?

JS: Kai – Tape – Prince, CD – Michael Jackson

Mike – Boyz II Men (Outhere Brothers – Party Album on cassette – too cool for school)

Al – Limp Bizkit (Significant Other) + Rage Against The Machine

Rich – Smurfs Go Pop

 CM: What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

JS: Lightguides – the last song in their set – still don’t know it’s name, but it’s been rattling around my head every night of this tour. Cracking tune!

CM: What was the last show you paid and queued up for?

JS: Kai – Underoath @ Brixton Academy

Mike – Pulled apart by Horses @ Brighton Jam

Alex – Everything Everything @ Brighton Concorde 2

Rich – Jimmy Eat World @ HMV Forum

CM: If you had to bring on artist back from the dead in exchange for sending a living artist down ,which artists would it be and why?

JS: Amazing question!

Pete Doherty is going down, because he’s not going to be up for long anyway the way he’s going. Think Mick Hucknell can join him as well – We’d swap them for… Drum roll please… John Martyn and Steve Ray Vaughan.

Jumping Ships have just released the ‘Standard Bearer‘ EP on Alcopop! Reocrds

TRACKS:

Jumping Ships – Talisman

Jumping Ships – Heart and Hope

I’m one of those people who really appreciate the traditional idea of a pop album. The well thought structure of a record that flows well and can be seen as a complete body of work. Not with just a strong opener, a couple of singles and a strong ender, but with all the things in between. This may be an old fashioned idea nowadays but every now and again I come across a record that I can listen to in its entirety and not feel like I have been given a raw deal.

I sat at my desk with my big headphones and pack of cigarettes and was very quickly taken in by The Attika State’s ‘Measures‘; A well controlled, slick, and in places very beautiful rock album that I listened to in happily in one sitting.

My hopes of the great opener was met immediately by the stadium worthy ‘5 Strings, No Wins‘, nodding it’s head to ‘Born To Run‘-era Springsteen, before crashing into the irresistible chanting of ‘The Horton Shuffle‘.

Beautiful harmonies and calculated instrumentation are the veins of this body of work whilst the wall of guitars and busy drums are a thick skin encasing its complex interior. This is greatly abundant in ‘Sons Of Sons‘.

Yossi‘, with its multi-layered epic bringing to mind latter day Jimmy Eat World, sincere and thick with sounds. “Turn the switch on this new invention, it baffles the eyes and grabs your attention”, is the elegant line that begins both verses continuing the theme threaded through this album of struggle and of pride. ’Flesh (Interlude)‘ simply proves in under a minute, that this band are as much musicians as they are rockers.

‘Measures‘’ restores my faith in the idea of an album to be listened to as a single piece of work encompassing exciting ideas, diverse songwriting, and mature musicianship.  the fact that The Attika State recorded ‘Measures‘ live just makes me respect and enjoy it more.

‘Measures‘ is out now on Alcopop! Records

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Post written by the birthday celebrating Thom

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TRACKS:

God this is good! Trying to sum this record up is almost as challenging as to listen to it without having to stop what you are doing, stare gleefully at the speakers & uncontrollably bob your head to the groove.

‘Omni‘ the bands first full length since 2007′s “Planet of Ice“, finds Minus the Bear in what feels & sounds like effortless full flight. It is this effortlessness, to this humble reviewers ears, that makes this album a marvel onto itself.

This album is detailed: Cascading soundscapes litter the “sometimes simple, sometimes progressive“ song structures. Every bleep, guitar chord or drum loop so carefully placed & with such precision you would think this was crafted by machine. Alas, it wasn’t, and thus like any art in the hands of master craftsmen is injected with as much soul as accuracy.

Trying to pin down the band’s sound as they march through the 10 cuts on offer here is a hard one. A vast array of influence come to mind when listening to the album in its entireity (as a side note, this album should be enjoyed as a total) but never do the band sound like they are struggling for a voice.

The locked but joyous chemistry between the drums and bass (Erin Tate & Cory Murchy respectively) provide such a solid platform that the rest of the band are allowed to inflect the Jimmy Eat World esque Indie rock with The Police inspired guitar lines & Daft Punk synth lines without tredding on the songs. There is even room for nods to early 70′s soul and aphex twin style broken beats creating something quite unique.

This is all stitched together magninificently by Joe Chiccarelli‘s (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket) big yet airy production and Jake Sniders
understated yet hook riddled vocals.

Minus The Bear have managed to create something quite special with this record. Go. Listen!

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Post by the Dusseldorf bound Warren

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TRACKS:

Minus The Bear – Summer Angel

Shepherd’s Bush Empire’s boiler seems to have packed in on this mid-December evening as support act Frightened Rabbit amble onto a cluttered stage, tasked with quite literally warming the crowd up for headliners Modest Mouse.

As punters trickle in the five-piece set about their assignment with an impressive degree of aplomb. Their melodic merging of pop sensibilities with rock attitude is reminiscent of a Scottish Jimmy Eat World in their underexposed Capitol Records days. The captivating dynamics of Scott Hutchinson’s vocals, showcased on the brilliant ‘Keep Yourself Warm’, and the inventive, understated rhythms of brother and drummer Grant are tied together by multi-instrumentalist shoe gazers Billy, Andy and Gordon. Closer ‘Square 9’ sees Grant finally off the leash as the rest of the band leave him on stage to end the set and throw his sticks in the air with a victorious roar. The near-full venue roars back with approval and the gauntlet lies at the feet of their more experienced peers from across the Atlantic.

Modest Mouse open with ‘King Rat‘, the B-side for 2007’s Dashboard recently reborn as a video directed by the late Heath Ledger. The upbeat banjo groove has the younger audience members bopping away beneath our comfy level-1 seats. Singer Isaac Brock apologises early on for throat troubles that sadly limit his vocal range tonight. Though this is an unfortunate feature of this evening’s Modest Mouse performance it undoubtedly improves the further they delve into an impressive back catalogue of material spanning 15 years.

More liable for an apology is the sound engineer for disappointing unbalanced sound throughout the majority of the Issaquah outfit’s set. It is habitual for headliners to be louder than supporting acts; however, certain frequencies approach deafening levels at times tonight. It is a real shame because Modest Mouse carry out their work admirably, projecting real enthusiasm for what they do. On the hyper-speedy ‘We’ve Got Everything’, the enthusiasm borders on over-exuberance, however, most other favourites from ‘Dashboard’ to ‘Bukowski’ are performed almost flawlessly. Dual drummers Plummer and Green locking in and bouncing off each other are a must see. Thankfully, by the time the boys return for their encore the sound has finally been balanced out allowing a smoother transfer of energy from the band to their audience leaving the fans thirsty for more including the surprisingly omitted ‘Float On’.

Ultimately Modest Mouse’s collective character shines through admirably on what evidently turns out to be a harder than desired evening of work. I look forward to seeing them the next time they are in town by which time hopefully Isaac will have had a few cups of lemon tea.

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Review by Kenny the Omnipotent

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TRACK:

Modest Mouse – The Good Times Are Killing Me

Emulating Jimmy Eat World, who self-funded their album ‘Bleed American’ in 2001 before licensing the release to DreamWorks records, Wolf Am I wrote and recorded debut LP ‘Lead The Way’ earlier this year then promptly set about finding a label to promote it. That label was Alcopop! Records, who boast an impressive back catalogue including a 2006 release by Cougar favourites Encyclopedia, waiting in the wings.

The resulting album is both confident and proficient and flows from groove heavy verses to anthemic choruses. First single ‘Glasgow 7‘ comes complete with big harmonies, chorus-heavy nicely toned guitar, dirty power chords and driving bass conjuring up similarities to big acts like Thursday and Taking Back Sunday. The Berkshire boys can hold their own in this company.

Unfortunately, resulting from the influx of Drive-thru Records bands in the early to mid noughtees, it remains to be seen whether there is still a UK market for uber-polished-American-infused-emo-college-rock. Only time will tell.

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Guest post by Kenny the aggravator

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TRACK:

Wolf Am I – Lex Talionis

Husband and wife duo Adam & Darcie‘s new album ‘California Trail‘ is a deceivingly uncomplex slice of sunshine pop.  Like Charlotte & Magon, who I featured on Cougar Microbes a few months ago, there is an unashamedly romanticism in this Utah duo’s music which is akin to eavesdropping on their relationship.

Scratch below the surface and you will find great songs that come close to some of Jimmy Eat World‘s more introspective moments from the ‘Clarity‘ album, particularly with the inclusion of xylophones at the right time. This great attention to detail means that gently strummed guitars, inventive instrumentations and sweet girl-boy melodies are cautiously sprinkled for maximum effect. However, in contrast with JEW‘s music ‘California Trail‘ remains gloriously lo-fi throughout.

Imagine a drive from Adam & Darcie‘s home state of Utah towards the Californian coast whilst a glorious Californian sun beckons. ‘California Trail‘ would be the prefect soundtrack.

TRACK:

Adam & Darcie – Hands/ Mind

I have a confession to make; for a while now I have been staying up late desperately trying to stream videos filmed live and broadcasted from someone’s dark Arizona basement. Before you start worrying I should clarify: the videos I have been watching don’t star a peroxide blonde girl doing her best pretzel impersonation but rather one of my favourite bands finding new and exciting ways to interact with their fans.

I first saw Jimmy Eat World supporting Weezer at the Shepherds Bush Empire in 2001 and they completely blew me away. I had heard bits of their repertoire before but didn’t expect to fall head over heals for them. Since then they have become the one band I have seen the most times live gradually observing their career go from an intimate gig at the smallish Scala, through performances at Reading Festival on to glorious shows at Brixton Academy which literally left me speechless.

This year JEW set out on a tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their seminal 1999 album ‘Clarity‘.  At first I was expecting to be in The States for the New York leg of the tour but sadly had to postpone my trip. My disappointment was slightly offset by the fact that the band had begun streaming highlights from their rehearsals for the tour on their ustream site. In addition, once the tour started the band posted photos from shows regularly allowing those of us who couldn’t make it on the night to take a little bit of the magic from these shows.

Just to prove I’m not a complete fanboy, I got home from a night out a couple of nights ago and stumbled across a live stream of the band playing their live Clarity set in its entirety. Though I was aware they were planning to release a live album following the tour I didn’t know when or in what format yet here I was in sat in the comfort of my living room watching the band tear through some of my favourite tracks. Needless to say I loved the experience and when the performance was over I got a copy of the ‘Clarity Live‘ album as my own personal memento.

Increasingly bands are embracing new technology to promote themselves and their music and yet I have seen few “established” artists interact quite so innovatively and enthusiastically. Despite being hugely successful Jimmy Eat World still look out for their fans, both new and old, and that is why they will always hold a special place in my heart.

Buy the new album ‘Clarity Live’ over at jimmyeatworld.com

Buy the classic ‘Clarity‘ on Amazon

I include one of my favourite tracks from ‘Clarity‘ as well as a live track recorded at the aforementioned London Scala show

MP3′s:

Jimmy Eat World – Blister

Jimmy Eat World – Praise Chorus (live)