This Is Not TV

It’s gotta be a euphemism – couldn’t be anything else. Kentucky dirt hounds under the auspices of Brad and Matt (really) Schultz play the sort of bluesy rock n roll that makes you want to take a shower afterwards. Sorta like Stone Gods (hi Sam) but for different reasons. So when they talk about caging the elephant, you know what they really mean. Eh? Eh?

Grubby from the off, CTE’s loose, distorted rhythm guitar courtesy of Brad (really!) Schultz alongside Lincoln Parish’s simple whining lead with a sacred/profane Hammond bringing up the rear comes from a parallel universe where the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin created a super group and invented hip hop. Odd that, but go with it. Though ‘In One Ear’ smacks heavily of Keef n Mick, that riff bears a closer resemblance to Rage Against The Machine than anything, and when you consider vocalist Matt’s recalcitrant belligerence (“we’re coming to your town/ and we’re gonna burn the mother fucker down” – crude as Texas Tea, and just as flammable) it all points to REVOLUTION!

This is a pre-punk revolution though – MC5 were still kicking out the jams and you can hear their ghosts booting away on ‘James Brown’ as clear as day – cheerful but pissed off. None more so than in ‘Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked,’ a deep South ‘LDN’ without the sanctimonious detachment, or 10CC’s ‘I Don’t Like Cricket’ without the snivelling punchbag. The slide guitar just keeps sliding deeper into the mire – it’s not pretty but it sounds catchy… and familiar. Yes, but it’s more than just ripping off riffs; this goes deeper.

It becomes more apparent at the end of ‘Tiny Little Robots;’ the lyrics and vocals hover at the boundaries of the new Brit-pop scene, but after a dub drop in, it spirals into Pink Floyd territory. It’s ‘Welcome To The Machine,’ only it’s not. Then it goes into ‘Diamond Dogs’ monologue mode before segueing into ‘Lotus’ – which is ‘Keep It On The Other Side…’ only not. And as for ‘Free Love’… Jimi Hendrix is spinning in his grave, almost listening to ‘Fire.’ It’s all about the structure, not the tune. That’s what’s so gosh-darned familiar.

There are subtle and sporadic flashes of genius though. ‘Back Against The Wall’ is one, with it’s curious raised eyebrow riff and Matt’s smoke-wasted deep southern fried voice drawling one hell of a line: “my tongue has become a platform for your lies.” Poetry. ‘Back Stabbin’ Betty’, heavy on the cowbell, is like a lost Stones ne-er do well classic, and ‘Soul To The Sun’ manages to get in a sliver of what sounds like ‘Purple Hills,’ just when you’re least expecting it. It doesn’t sound much, but it’s enough to make you think maybe… just maybe.

Unsexy as it is, the best way to think of Cage The Elephant is like a Kia car: they buy the franchise for an old yet reliable car and then produce cheap, familiar and adequate vehicles for the general public. Now that’s not all that CTE are about, but they got hold of some good structures and are putting them to good use. They got a bit of fire, a bit of danger, but in the end they are signed to a subsidiary of EMI. Essentially, harking back musically to a more naïve time, but, like the hippies made good, they know exactly what they’re doing.

Popularity: 7% [?]

The Outline. Makes me think of a murder scene, one where the body has gone but white chalk tracing remains. Or, if you’re in a less morbid mood, the framework of something undecided. In this instance, I feel the second definition is more appropriate to LA based Outline and their debut album, ‘You Smash It Up.’

Nevertheless, it begins well. ‘Aesthetics’ evolves from reverberating indie rock guitar fodder to drum and bass fuelled electronic rock with a twist of Hibernian drawl from Graham Fink– a cross between Hot Chip, 65daysofstatic and The National. Personally, a highly droolworthy combination. When they proceed to weave and unravel a tapestry of sound that allows every instrument to explore and explode without a rigid framework in sight, I am well and truly reeled in, and its closing hints at all things psychedelic segue neatly into second track ‘Life or Life Like’, a track that blends The Beta Band with My Chemical Romance without batting an eyelid. “This place is haunted,’ insists Graham as the ghosts of a thousand riffs rattle through the speakers. It’s all good.

‘Death To Our Enemies’ takes a whole new turn though. Austin Lee’s squelchy synths are sinister and ridiculous in equal measures, but Max St John’s guttural bass and Graham’s now-morphed-to-Hetfield vocals lift it from the realms of parody, before being carried aloft on the shoulders of Snow Patrol-esque post-pop epic ‘Why We’re Better.’ Heady, but sailing close to the generic. From here on in, it gets a bit odd.

For some reason, the band decide to go Sheffield. ‘Shotgun,’ ‘My Masked Lust’ and ‘Sloppy Drunk’ could have all been knocked together by the Arctic Monkeys – the hard rock guitar, the nasal whine, the suburban lasciviousness – it all has the whiff of the Steel City’s contribution to rock. Only ‘In Light Of Recent News’ breaks up the ladsiness, with it’s Editor-ial bluster and emotionally sodden guitars. ‘Perfect For The Plain’ attempts to save itself with a touch of Ben Folds-esque piano and ‘Tragic Times’… well, you can’t go wrong with the beats from ‘Kashmir’, can you? I don’t want to say that these songs are bad, per se – I’ll be first to admit that a bit of good time rock and roll is no bad thing. It’s just such a change in tack, making the album almost jack-knife.

Fortunately, it pulls up for ‘Broadway and Hirst’, a Grand Guignol tale of urban revenge and retribution that finds its source and sound somewhere between Sweeney Todd and The Streets. In fact, it’s so good it manages to knock out the kinks. Pretty much. But then I always was a sucker for a tale of woe.

The problem remains though that The Outline are trying to be too much to too many people. Looking at it from a purely commercial point of view, it means that their audience is… well, it could be anywhere. They’re very good, and I have no doubt that when they decide what they’re going to do, they’ll be even better. In the meantime, this serves as an interesting blueprint. The finished product should be spectacular.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Even more of a cult figure than his one-time patron John Fahey, Baltimore-born guitarist Robbie Basho’s music is only starting to enjoy anything like the acclaim given to his Takoma label boss. Basho’s music does provide the odd flashback of Fahey’s style, but allowed a fair hearing, it is equally vivid and (often darkly) beautiful in it’s own right.

‘Bonn Ist Supreme’ is a live document of a gig in the German city in 1980, six years before Basho passed away and fifteen years on from his superb debut album, ‘Seal Of the Blue Lotus’. There are superior recorded works, granted, but this is a rare chance to hear Basho live and in reflective mood, looking back over his career to date.

Basho plays six and twelve-string guitar, entirely solo, and although he is broadly a folk musician, his music is broader than that. The biggest influence on Basho was Indian raga, sepecifically Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan, with whom Basho spent time studying under. Across this scuffed, scruffy-sounding live set, it is this passion that is most obvious – intricate drones, overtones, fingers chasing ecstasy through solo guitar on the likes of ‘The Grail And The Lotus’ and the closing ‘California Raga’. Several of the tracks here stretch out to the nine minute mark, discursive and involving but never dull. Occasionally, the spirit moves Basho to sing, an apparantly polarising choice, but there is something affecting about his vocals that add another soulful layer to the intricate, beautiful playing.

As mentioned earlier, there are better exhibitions of his craft on the early records for Takoma – and the quality of the sound recording is not top-drawer – but ‘Bonn Ist Supreme’ is an enjoyable listen and a welcome release. To bring up the Fahey comparison again, both guitarists did remarkably well to make ‘the same’ sound different every time, and carry you with them.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Sounding like The Beatles with an Ocean Colour Scene twist, ’Grow Fins’ is unbelievably catchy. It starts off as quite a relaxed, chilled out song but a burst of rhythm is released that turns it into a delightful tune for the ears. James Steel’s vocals are almost silky smooth and flow beautifully, creating a very powerful song.
The band have used quite an unconventional set of instruments in this particular song; but it works brilliantly: a wooden glockenspiel bought on eBay and drum cases instead of drums add to the music gold that delights one’s ears.

’Grow Fins’ is their second single and will be released on the 14th of July 2008. With such a classic sounding single, The Brute Chorus have a bright future ahead of them. They may even one day be as big as Ocean Colour Scene; it’s very likely if they continue at this standard.

Buy The Brute Chorus MP3′s

Popularity: 75% [?]

Features ex-Reef singer and bass player Gary Stringer and Jack Bessant, ex-Lady Sovereign guitarist Jonas Jalhay and ex-Bassment Jaxx drummer Nathan Curran, Them Is Me are a rather odd mix of musicians and a disaster waiting to happen, right? Wrong! This debut double-A single “Demon Rebel/ Let the Sun” is released on Monday 16th June and, though the contrast between the two songs is phenomenal, each one is far from disastrous. ‘Demon Rebel’ offers an ‘in your face’ classic rock sound, whereas ‘Let the Sun’ is much more relaxed and slower paced – a great combination because it shows off how versatile Them Is Me are, implying that this is a band who do not want to be pigeon-holed into one genre. Stringer, with his distinctive, powerful vocals, is a great asset for this band and the musicians fit together perfectly. A modern twist on a classic style.
Fans of Reef will not be displeased with Them Is Me and may even find that it is a big improvement.
Also, if you are a fan of Nirvana, then “Let The Sun” is a perfect song for you!
It is highly advised that you go out there and buy this double-A single the minute it is released – you’ll be missing out if you don’t!

Popularity: 3% [?]

Don’t worry, it’s not a Cyndi Lauper cover!
Elliot Minor (a small band from York, England – you may have heard of them?) have created yet another anthemic song that will possibly be as popular as their previous hits, ‘Jessica’ and ‘Parallel Worlds’. On their fan forum, ‘Time After Time’ is already proving to be a popular song but is this slightly biased? They seem to be staying within their comfort zone and mixing electro-pop with what they believe to be classical music. I find that the music drags on slightly and it all becomes a little repetitive. They say in this song “I just play to entertain,” but whether they have achieved that in this song is arguable.
To move away from the negative points, there are some good features. For example, a violin is always nice to hear as a lot of pop rock bands fear instruments that aren’t considered ‘cool’. Respect has to be given to them for playing this kind of music and actually getting it played on Kerrang! Radio and BBC Radio 1.
The future is bright for this band, but I feel they need to expand their style slightly. Experimentation with drum solos wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Not entirely recommended, but see it as a ‘Wild Card’; you’ll either love it or hate it. Their eponymous album is out now..

Popularity: 2% [?]

This quintet of lads from Liverpool have once again created a successful, toe-tapping tune that will definitely get you dancing along!
A follow up to their last single ‘Think About You’, ‘Boys’ maintains that classic pop sound and is superbly aggressive yet beautifully melodic; you will be humming it all day long. The repetition of “Boys will be boys and we’re lost in the city tonight, alright” is very powerful as people can certainly relate to it. At times, the “Big City” can seem like quite a daunting place and you just have to get over that lost feeling. The Maybes? will of course inspire you to do so.
The lyrics aren’t entirely original but The Maybes? give a fresh feel to them, and this is what makes the song good. Bouncy, bubbly and very, very British – what more can you ask for?
Music from the 80′s is becoming increasingly popular with a younger generation and this band have tapped into that. Fans of The Jam or Oasis will love this song, and maybe even love this band.
Their first studio album ‘Promise’ will be released later this year so keep an eye out for it..

Popularity: 8% [?]

From the jangly guitar and tambourine intro, it is abundantly clear that The Raid are here for indie summer fun, pure and simple – a bit like a child’s paddling pool: shallow, noisy, joyful but not to everyone’s taste.

Not that it’s roots don’t lie in strange soil. The riff sounds like offcuts of Radiohead and the Zutons and the whole thing is made seamless by the constant stomp of the drums that exhibit no change in pace between verse and chorus. They do get to stretch their legs in the bridge though, so you can’t pity them too much.

Also adding to the continuity is Adam Robinson’s wail, a cross between Thom Yorke, Ian Brown and Kelly Jones, but stretched over the song like cat gut… still attached to the cat. Cue elongated and random vowel sounds (he makes the word ‘time’ extend over nearly three bars and ‘why’… well, some things just shouldn’t happen to an adverb). Vaguely annoying, but definitely rock and roll, and if you’re gonna attempt to get away with a line like “On a scale of one to ten, I’ll give you a four”, you’ve gotta be rock and roll.

Boozy, silly and old time big time, on a scale of one to ten… naw, I’m not going to fall into that trap. If you like the Zutons and Primal Stones… sorry, Scream, this ain’t a bad little summer companion.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Although improvisation has been the key for C. Spencer Yeh on his previous outings as Burning Star Core (and solo), here he has decided to plunge into the world of composition. Given the (artistic) success he has achieved with the free-form tendencies he has displayed on violin, electronics and some truly odd vocalising, shackling that freedom in exchange for fussy detaling could have left him on shaky ground.

But he has found his feet in this realm with ease. Perhaps this is because the improvisations on hs most recent full-lengths – ‘Blood Lightning’ and ‘Operator Dead…Post Abandoned’, both 2007 – were travelling in a specified direction, and that harmonic and melodic features were becoming increasingly prominent. The big difference with ‘Challenger’ is the length of the tracks, these are bite-sized chunks when recently the tendency has been for three-course meals.

It begins and ends particularly strongly, with both the opening title track and the closing ‘Un Coeur En Hiver’ recalling Eno’s ‘Apollo: Soundtracks And Atmospheres’ being haunted by poltergeists. Both tracks feature celestial synths, and what is striking about the album is the range of instruments and textures that coalesce across it: Yeh’s trademark violin, piano, Jew’s harp, electronics and found-sound recordings, often formed into loops and swirling motifs.. The boldest piece of experimental tinkering is ‘Mezzo Forte’, which sees a tiny vocal snippet aranged and layered into a drone, and is finally flanked by a simple piano melody and some guitar feedback.

There are several gorgeous melodies here, not something usually associated with the BXC’s brand of avant-drone; the soundtrack feel of ‘Mysteries Of The Organ’ is particularly memorable. The whole thing invokes the spirit of Satie and Eno more than once, as well as the likes of Faust and the French post-prog band ZNR. While it’s not all of the same high standard (neither ‘Through The Bars Of Rhyme’ and especially ‘No Memories, No Plans’ are that interesting) it is an exceptionally good listen.

Popularity: 40% [?]

As the weeks, days and hours count down to Latitude (and I still haven’t worked out how I’m going to put the tent up yet), bide a while and read this laconic interview with Fife’s extra special terrestrials, The Aliens:

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year’s Latitude festival across the Arenas (Obelisk, Uncut, Comedy, Theatre, Literary and Poetry, Film & Music) and why?
The aliens will probably hanging around the comedy tent, picking up tips for our new album. Seen Bill Bailey a few times over the years and always thought he was smashing.

What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?
The poetry/comedy/theatre stages.

What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?
We are bringing a tent full of psychedelia and a fridge full of funk.

If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing?
The dishes.

What is your favourite colour Sheep?
Wool coloured

Told you it was short. Kudos for using the word ‘smashing’ though.

Popularity: 3% [?]