What's On The Gramophone

The latest and possibly greatest in indie collectives to grace our ears, supergroup The Bottletop Band have arrived with their brand new single “The Fall of Rome”. And who will bequeath such glory I hear you ask? Well, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals fame, indie rent-boy Drew McConnell, Arctic Monkey’s sticksman Matt Helders and ex-Monkey boy Andy Nicholson, VV Brown, The Reverend Jon McClure, Eliza Doolittle, The Charlatans’ frontman Tim Burgess, Carl Barat and prestigious Brazlian producer Mario C Jnr running the show. Sounding good? They have failed to disappoint, and in turn have released a surprisingly good single. As ever with these “magnificent” supergroups who turn every couple of months or so, it sounds good on the surface, all these separate artistic values collectively coming together, then you listen and it’s almost guaranteed dog shite. The modus operandi fails miserably in “The Fall of Rome” however, with its pseudo-Mariachi chord progression which carries the soothing and compelling melody line through a driving and emotive chorus. All in aid of grass roots education project, the band are raising money, support and awareness for the charities helping to develop employment, education and sexual health awareness in Brazil, Malawi, Rwanda and Mozambique. The Bottletop Band have been collaborating with local musicians in Brazil to help compose the album. If “The Fall of Rome” is anything to go by, this could one of the most interesting and innovative releases of 2011. 

Listen to: The Bottletop Band 

The Courteeners - Kentish Town forum December 7th 2010

It’s a cold and crisp winter evening and it’s The Courteeners, final London gig of the year. And what do Liam Fray and co have in store for us this evening? An opening support from Miles Kane to start, and yes that’s the other one from Last Shadow Puppets. And bless him, he wants to go solo, the little rascal…. (sorry I just couldn’t resist) Anyway, he’s got a new single out with a slight 60’s garage vibe, but to be honest the bar’s looking far more interesting at the moment and The Courteeners will be on shortly.

         So with the “difficult” second album firmly under their belt, the Manchester favourites are rounding off the year with a handful of gigs before a huge climax at Manchester’s MEN arena on Friday 9^th December. But tonight it’s Kentish Town Forum, a tad more…comfortable…you might agree. Fray swarms on suited and booted, clean shaven adorning a smart blazer and mod scarf combination and is visibly pumped for tonight’s gig. This evening’s apt opener “The Opener” gets things off to a slightly slow start as the band sound weak and slightly lifeless as they go straight into “Will It Be This Way Forever?” An unpromising start is immediately recovered as Fray blasts out the intro chords to first single and fan favourite “Acrylic”. Now they’ve started, the crowd is in uproar as the band launch into “Cavorting”, Liam sounds forthright and confident in what he sings.

But some moments from second album “Falcon” feel lazy and tiresome, such as “Lullaby” and “Good Times Are Calling” which slowly drifts along but fails to retain any interest and finds Liam Fray unable to decide where to sing it, in the soothing low register to give the lyrics the context they desire, or in the upper one with a bit more snarl to vibe the gig more, either way it’s the inconsistency that frustrates you. Nevertheless tracks like “Bide Your Time”, “Sycophant” and “Fallowfield Hillbilly” are full of nervous energy and the scrappy-go-lucky nature appears flawless. It’s an interesting point to note that it could be argued that technically this performance is diabolical - the guitars sound harsh and unbalanced, the drum sound is flat to the point of where it is indistinguishable from a fart, and Fray is just about able to carry the bucket holding the tune. But you can’t fault it, and the people speak once again. “Take Over The World” is as anthemic as it was designed to be, the sweaty punters bellowing the words as well as the guitar riff. The band leave the stage for Fray to have his personal moment in the spotlight (he “missed us immensely” apparently) and he offers us a charismatic solo rendition of “How Come?” and “No You Didn’t, No You Don’t” all seems a bit contrived but hey, can’t a man have an ego massage now and again? 

Whatever one wishes to think of The Courteeners, it’s often hard to deny the kind of captivating spirit and energy of their live shows. This is not a band who are striving for musical vanguard and perfection when they play a gig, they just want fans to enjoy themselves and come together as a collective at their shows, and it would be hard to deny them that achievement. Fray wants to see “every fookin’ one of you” before they brandish “Not Nineteen Forever” and 2,000 people politely oblige. Uniform finale “What Took You So Long?” fittingly closes the evening and the year for The Courteeners as they gear up for one of their biggest ever. A glass is raised to the New Year for these boys. Is it Christmas yet?

Friday 5th and Saturday 6th November 2010

On one of the most miserable bonfire nights in recent years, we find ourselves turning up to the glorious family holiday resort that is Pontins, Camber Sands for the first ever NME Weekender. The festival somewhat ironically sees people in wellies checking into their accommodation. But with much of the décor seeming to have been left here from the 70’s - why Pontins, I hear you ask? Well, let me point you in the direction of a certain Velvet Underground song, which earned itself the title of a popular indoor festival in a similarly antiquated holiday resort 80 miles in the opposite direction. Now, one would hate to accuse our favourite music magazine of creating a rival festival to the “All Tomorrow’s Parties” bash, but come on, speculation is inevitable.

One on the first bands we come across is synth-pop-rockers Citadel. After a tiring 5-hour journey from London Citadel are thrown straight onstage looking frustrated and exhausted. But in the face of adversity, they storm through their set on the NME Radar Stage, leaving the audience both surprised and impressed with these London upstarts and their early evening set.

Immediately after, a half-filled Main Stage is host to our favourite psychotic-gothabilly-psychedlic-garage-punkers The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster. Drug-free and Buddhist since 2003, adrenaline-fuelled frontman Guy McKnight creates an aura about himself similar to that of Jim Morrison, whilst visually representing a lovechild of The Doors’ man and Russell Brand. Jokes aside, Eighties Matchbox are on top form. Amongst his infamous leaps into and through the audience we are informed, “This is going to be our last show ever”. There has been no official confirmation of this but they have no future dates planned as of this moment. Delivering their cult classics such as “Psychosis Safari” the furious “Celebrate Your Mother” and the more recent “Love Turns To Hate” they are both mesmerising and fascinating. If this really is their “last show ever”, then they’ve gone with a bang, and will be sadly missed. The world needs idiosyncratic mayhem like this.

Next on the Radar Stage is Brighton-based Sweet Sweet Lies, with their unique twist on 50’s and 60’s rock n roll. Immaculately dressed in three-piece suits they take to the stage with their equally immaculate vocal harmonies as opener “Overrated Girlfriend” echoes through the arena. Turning heads with their impressive musicianship, suave-image and tunes like “Winter of Discontent” Sweet Sweet Lies manage to win over these beer-swigging punters. Many of whom, it might be worth noting, appear to be competition winners, only a small handful seem to have paid their admission.

Heading back towards the Main Stage and the audience are gearing up for tonight’s headliners Babyshambles. Arriving onstage 15 minutes later than scheduled (and in case you’re unaware of their track record, this basically counts as arriving early) Excluding the warm up show in Lewisham the previous night, this is their first proper headline gig in quite a long time, as media-darling Doherty has been busy doing solo records, drawing pictures with his blood and bogies, doing gigs with some band who he used to be in waving union jacks, leather jackets, blobs of heroin… and their name slips my mind. And of course his more recent jewellery line. So amongst his busy scheduled he’s managed to find time to squeeze in a headline slot for his pals at the NME. They swarm onstage with ex-Supergrass sticksman Danny Goffey in place of former drummer Adam Ficek, and launch into odd opening choice, the ska-inspired “I Wish”, straight into fan favourite “Pipedown”. Doherty is energetic and enthusiastic as he climbs on the monitors swinging the microphone around his head. Doherty sings of broken friendships in one of the greater Babyshambles moments that is “Unbilotitled”. The Kinks-esque “Delivery” has the crowd in uproar, but lacks any soul due to poor…well, delivery, excuse the pun. An impromptu rendition of Happy Birthday for an audience member leads into mega sing-a-long “Kilimangiro”. The set dulls in the middle for the tenderer, but frankly mediocre moments such as “There She Goes (A Little Heartache)”. Swigging champagne and red wine concoctions straight out the bottle, bass player Drew McConnell unfairly teases us with 4 bars of Joy Division’s “She’s Lost Control”, but no such luck, as we are offered a mundane “Sedative”, which is then followed by a surprisingly well-received “Up The Morning”. The indie-glamour of “Albion” is 100% electrified and goes down a storm. The naughty Doherty then lights up a cheeky fag before the utterly shambolic – yet nonetheless charming – rendition of “What Katie Did”, the only Libs song included in this evening’s setlist. After some technical issues with the microphones and a small self-absorbed moment Babyshambles deliver one final number “Fuck Forever” receiving many a handclap. Always an unpredictable evening with these chaps, but you often leave feeling that they lack truly great material.

Final band on the Radar Stage is Tall Ships with their Foals like math rock. Proving that intelligent rhythms and loops can’t mask shit songs. With NME DJ’s spinning tunes until 4.00 in the morning, we’re set for the night. And the vibe is fantastic, free from any pretentious happenings as the bands freely mingle amongst fans and other artists – drinking, drugging, partying, discussing French films, whatever you fancy. A good night indeed.  

Kicking off Saturday on the Radar Stage with quite an impressive turnout out for Bristol’s Wilder at 1.00. They have promised big things but the question still poses: Are they just…insignificant? Yes. Manchester MC Envy dons an “Originality Is Dead” t-shirt. Firstly, this t-shirt in itself is ironically unoriginal. Complaining about originality being difficult to achieve is outdated, people have been saying this for years. Secondly, she hasn’t made a bad acknowledgment really, as her mindless bullshit about puking Lambrini into a gutter and her spitting bars about an ex-boyfriend combo says nothing to me about my life, to quote one of her fellow Mancunians. This is reflected in the on-site pub, which at 3.15, during Envy’s set, is rammed to the rafters for the NME pub quiz, the winners receiving tickets to next years Weekender, no less.

And on the subject of Manchester, with pub quiz completed we head on to see one of the most-talked about bands this weekend, greasy-haired teens Egyptian Hip Hop. Opening with an atmospheric intro, slowly building layers and tension (and some odd aboriginal instrumentation) that then evolves into a Foals-style guitar riff meets ghostly falsetto vocals. Frontman Lou-Stevenson Miller’s monotonous, uninterested dialogue between songs and their ripped jeans and scruffy hair-dos could get them confused for a Mudhoney tribute band. But in sound they combine minimalist guitar riffs with eerie synthesizers and dance drums. Their songwriting craft appears to be in building interesting riffs and rhythmic ideas into big polyrhythmic soundscapes. Somehow though, it feels that their tunes do not justify the surrounding hype, which they undoubtedly believe in. There are some post-punk elements (just don’t mention their hometown!) mixed with that of 70’s avant-garde outfit Can or German Krautrockers NEU! Perhaps it is just an acquired taste, being pre-dominantly instrumentally led, with rare glimpses of vocals in between. So whether or not this band deserve the attention they are getting, they are clearly a focused band with key references to their sound, but still too rude to hold the door open for your correspondent?        

Into the early evening and the Main Stage is hosting new indie-romantics The Heartbreaks all the way from, you guessed it, Manchester! Armed with mega-choruses these fresh-faced Northerners are on a constant tour around the country brandishing their chiming guitar-carried melancholia. They prove that not only do they have great tunes but also they have the charisma to pull them off. They sing of lost-love and growing up in mundane northern towns, with honesty that frontman Matthew pulls off with an inspiring charm. And so what if they sound like that that Manchester band? These are glorious indie anthems that hopefully win them the attention that they are due.

Tonight’s headliners, unofficially the indie band it’s most cool to like, British Sea Power, take to the stage adorned with their trademark shrubbery set up. Frontman Yan rocks half a tree taped to his back with fluorescent tape, whilst brother Hamilton – an all-in-one flying suit complete with leather cap. “Apologies To Insect Life” feels raw as ever, as does third track, the phenomenal “Remember Me”. A set which consists of some of the best moments from each record, including some new material from the new Zeus E.P such as “KW-H” a song that whilst is entertaining at best seems more of a louche parody. But proves that vocoders were unacceptable when ELO did it, still are now. They offer the glorious “Waving Flags” before Hamilton takes vocal for a wondrous “Black Out” the epic “Trip Out” and one of his best moments “No Lucifer” to thundering chants of “Easy! Easy!” Following that, a magnanimous “Carrion” sees Yan pointing and swinging his jungle-attired microphone above his head as dancing foxes (yes dancing foxes!) join the stage. Guitarist Noble monkey bars the lighting rig before pounding on a desolate snare drum. And who thought BSP wouldn’t be up to their usual shenanigans? The problem is though, this isn’t their own gig. Sure, they have been selected to headline and close the indoor festival, but it isn’t their gig. A disappointing turn out, as the main stage is half empty, but British Sea Power’s incredible performance, wonderful songs and their crazy antics manage to fittingly sum up the whole weekend. I’m sure they will return to haunt us with peculiar piano riffs.

Matador Records 

So what do you do when you’ve released three critically acclaimed studio albums with a career that’s spanned the best past of the last decade when your Nazi Cowboy bass player leaves? Hire the keys player from the Secret Machines and release your eponymous record, it seems. Well, free from bolo ties and upper-lip facial hair, Interpol have returned sans-Carlos D, with “Success” their fourth album, a record which will test audiences and bands alike. Can we accept a revamped and refashioned Interpol? Will the band be able to achieve the levels of excellence that were acclaimed off the back of 2002’s “Turn On The Bright Lights” and 2004’s “Antics”? A record seemingly about disappointment, anxiety, introspection and bewilderment “Interpol” opens and within seconds Paul Banks’ eerie vocals intercepts “Dreams of long life, what safety can you find?” He challenges and questions both himself and the listener and leans heavily on the idea of success as happiness or more pertinently, unhappiness. Driven by a chord sequence not discrepant of Interpol’s ‘sound’ treated with airy keys creating an ascending force which you anticipate will erupt into a cavernous coda. But such pleasure is forbidden, and the same theme crops up throughout the record. Paul Banks’ lyrics however, also seem to echo similar themes and concepts. As in the second track “Memory Serves” he professes, “I only memorize those things that I deny, and I forget why it’ll sing” or in “Lights” he pleads “Show me your ways, teach me to meet my desires, with some grace” . This kind of self-deprecation and longing gives the songs a greater context. It helps you believe in these songs and entices you to learn that these are not songs written by a man enjoying the hedonistic lifestyle of success, instead someone who is questioning the ideas of “success” and ruminating over the person that he has become. If you are after the nervous energy of “Turn Off The Bright Lights” and “Antics” then you have come to the wrong place, the closest you get may be lead single “Barricade” complete with staccato bass lines (reminiscent of the aforementioned bass player) and ghostly guitar riffs. “Always Malaise (The Man I Am)” revisits the previously discussed ideas of disillusionment and the harsh realities of your desires. Nevertheless, not all the songs on the album linger in an atmospheric limbo, such as “Try It On” blending elements of bleak electronica and a creepy piano riff set behind an almost hypnotic drum loop. “All Of The Ways” sees Banks singing behind a pseudo-medieval orchestral backdrop, which is boring at best, but the instrumental layers do create some interesting textures. Album closer, the climatic “The Undoing” has Banks “chasing my damage” from a drifting guitar intro the song grows incrementally towards a final climax of haunting brass, oceanic keys, perpetual guitar lines, a sinister string section and a distant, lonely vocal. Many have, and will, dismiss the record as “despressing” or “self-indulgent” or any other loose term void of any real observation. Interpol are a band who either intentionally or unintentionally, exceed the listeners expectation, and this new record is no exception. At a first glance it might feel slow or uninspiring, but given time, the bigger picture of the album becomes more apparent. This feels very much a personal record, whether that be them as a band or specifically Paul Banks, and whilst it doesn’t sing the same tune as previous efforts, it offers you a reasonable exchange for that same tune played on a different instrument. Interpol have proved they need no Nazi Cowboy to release good records.

A song coerced by a melody that briefly threatens to escape into an indie rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” but luckily refrains, “Show Me The Light” is the second single from the Mystery Jets third studio album “Serotonin”. An assembly of harmonised vocals, quirky guitar licks and ambient synth layers make “Show Me The Light” what could essentially be an 80’s Powerpop tune. This is a song that covers no new ground, does not break down any barriers, and addresses pop protocol with all the correct etiquette. However, it feels a touch out of line to deem this a “bad” song. Compared to “Dreaming of Another World” (first single from the Jets’ “Serotonin”) this song lacks sing-a-long-ability and struggles to hold the listeners interest throughout.

“Show Me The Light” is released today (3rd November 2010) via Rough Trade Records.

• Question: Do you like Rock Music? - Anonymous
• Answer:

  I most certainly do.

Rough Trade Records

Indie favourites British Sea Power return with a brand-new new E.P ”Zeus” a pre-cursor to the fourth studio album from the Brighton band, due out early 2011. Title track “Zeus” opens the E.P. A driving, fast-paced number with a classic breathy vocal from frontman Yan. A surprsie garage-rock stomp for the chorus giving way to an atmospheric bridge, in-vein of their 2004 effort “Do You Like Rock Music?”. A racing track which serves well as the E.P’s opener. Whilst British Sea Power’s commercial success has been near enough null and void since their debut “The Decline of British Sea Power” back in 2003, their cult status and dedicated fanbase appears to have expanded and tightened year-by-year. And when you sit down to listen to BSP, it’s clear why. They are a band that always manage to exceed expectation, through well-crafted songwriting, lyrical contexts and ideas that other bands don’t seem to explore, the element of surprise and the downright “weird”. “Cleaning Out The Rooms” a mellow and brooding piece, written and sung by bassist Hamilton, is one of the only songs from the E.P. due to be part of next years album. The mood and the atmosphere seems right but at over 7 minutes it takes frustratingly long for the song to break free into the epic heights it deserves. The Zeus E.P has its lighter moments, take for example “Bear” a glorious ballad treated with rich orchestral textures, which evolves into a sonic supernova of apreggiated bass, strings and synths, almost reminiscent of OK Computer era Radiohead. Yan is at his most honest as he sings of a former love “I’m sorry angel, I’m so sorry about it all” His questions feel like a pleads as he asks “Did you like it when you heart moved faster? Did you like it when a week felt like a full year?” Some of the songs feel out of place and irrelevant - “Can We Do It?” others like the vocoder-drenched ”KW-H” the scariest moment on the E.P by far, prove that BSP will always be capable of living up to the peculiar and idiosyncratic nature which they have become notorious for. Zeus is a generous seven-track E.P which is well worth a listen. If this is the scrap book for the next record, then we can expect some truly wonderful things.

Set to be at the forefront of a 90’s Britpop revival, Slough-based Brother have all the angst, the swagger and the clobber that all our favourite 90’s bands affiliated themselves with. Claiming to be “the future of music”, they best have the tunes to back it up. “New Years Day” starts promising after a slightly cringeworthy television broadcoast introduction. A heavy, mid-tempo guitar riff coupled with a falsetto hook has you singing along in seconds. But you quickly become aware that you have been lured into a false sense of security. It’s like crap chewing gum, you get a little bit of flavour, which is then followed by a bucket of dissappointment. If I want to listen to 90’s Britpop then I’ll crack out my Longpigs record. No one can deny that this is a catchy indie tune (or Gritrock or whatever genre they profess to be) but seriously, are these guys for real? They’ve weighed up all the elements of 90’s Britpop and missed out the fundamental underlying point: fucking great tunes.

Listen at: Brother

Local Brighton favourites (recently relocated to the Big Smoke) are on their misision to make a mark in the music scene. Little Did He Know commands the listener, through epic guitar riffs and a vocal delivery somewhere between Jamie T and Luke Pritchard minus the pretentiousness, if you can picture it. Driven by the almost dance drum beat, this captivating melody takes you on a small journey and allows you to believe in the possibilities that New York New York are striving to achieve. Heading in to the studio in December, the odds are likely that these boys will deliver. You can catch them on Brighton’s Coastway Radio on November 7 and Brighton’s Hydrant on November 18.

Listen at: Myspace.com/IheartNyNy

The hottest, most talked about proto-surf-punks The Vaccines have been causing involuntary erections in A&R boys’ trousers following the debut London gig last week. Are they backlashing at the glossy 80’s façade most bands are opting for? Who knows. You may think it’s elementary, but these guys are facile. This echo-saturated 1 minute and 25 second corker hits you straight in the face. They grab you, puncture your mind and leave gasping for breath and then it’s all over before you even realise it began. They are The Ramones having a beach-holiday. The inclination of punk attacked with the demeanour of 50’s cool. I think I can handle that.

Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra) is released via Marshall Teller Records on November 22^nd

Listen at:www.thevaccines.co.uk