This Is Not TV

Though it has only been two short years since Glaswegian post-rock-electronicers Errors released their debut album ‘It’s Not Something But It Is Like Whatever’, Errors have not been idle, and the fruits of their two-year labour, ‘Come Down With Me’, is ready to roll and, um, post-rock. Considering the glacial conditions in which it has allegedly been created, it’s possibly one of the warmest records you’ll hear this cold, cold March and one of the danciest supposedly post-rock albums ever. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 23% [?]

Not a cover of the famous Beatles ballad (though they have done a cover of Everything But The Girl’s ‘Missing’) but a new song in its own right from Sydney’s Expatriate and a vanguard for their forthcoming album, no doubt. The riff is a nice mix of hard rock and nihilist eighties indie, Ben King has a nice line in mildly affected vocals (semi-fop as opposed to full fop) and the lyrics lie on an isthmus between the populist torch songs of Snow Patrol and the blackened futurescapes of Sisters of Mercy. All well, good and interesting, but it severely lacks a tangible climax, especially when one is offered on a plate at the onset of the only chorus in the piece. Pleasing and anti bland but does not go all the way.

Popularity: 16% [?]

The Plight (DS) are old school metal complete with shorts and growls – this is hardcore, West Yorkshire style but Brazilian in ferocity. Make me proud, as do Middleman (FR), comeback kids in sportswear, still making songs to bounce to and smarter than they look.

Little Boots (NME); loath to say it, but she’s a lot more fun than I thought she’d be. More accessible than Goldfrapp, futuristic rather than retro and she gets her brother on stage for his Birthday. Bless. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 15% [?]

I hadn’t come across Master Shortie (DT) before, but felt reckless so off I went. Imagine a band with a dub bass and drums, a hardcore DJ on synths and samples, a Credit to the Nation frontman and your dad on guitar. But the open with a song sampling ‘Prince Charming’ and close with grime epic ‘Dance Like a White Boy’ and get the almost exclusively white male crowd to sing non-ironically to the eponymous title so for that I am well pleased. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 8% [?]

Opening the proceedings and keeping it local, Dinosaur Pile Up (NME) load up the riffs and let loose, nineties style. Matt is not holding back on the rock clichés and even though their peculiar brand of grunge rock is nothing new it makes for a lively start to the festival proper.

Lively, until you see Pulled Apart By Horses (FR). Wearing day-glo capes and crippled by appalling sound (nothing sounds miked up), they lumber belligerently into a set that is shout along fun and includes crowd surfing guitarists, semi-nudity and punches in the face. A typical satisfying PABH performance then. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 14% [?]

I manage to miss Holy State (sorry) but arrive in time to see youngsters Airship working the stage. It’s noisy and… stuff. They’ve got a lot of guitars going on but little else. I guess I should have got there earlier.

Bear Hands start contentiously with their greebo front man Dylan Rau advocating widespread use of ecstasy (naughty) and follow it up with some fairly crunchy opening stanzas in an At The Drive In style, mixed up with a hint of Seattle sludge. Unfortunately after these strong initial impressions, songs get locked into an unstimulating riff loop. True, the sound is not great which doesn’t help, but they need a bit more trim and conviction to be convincing. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 15% [?]

With only three or so weeks to go to Leeds Festival, you must be getting pretty excited – I know I am, and I don’t even know if I’m going yet!

So, to educate, edify and pass the time betwixt now and then, here’s a couple of words about some of the bodies taking the air and even the stage during that crazy August bank holiday weekend. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 12% [?]

The final part of the puzzle that is Leeds Reading Festival 2009 has been slotted into place in the shape of BBC’s Introducing Stage line up.

Comprising of a mix of Futuresound finalists, choice cuts from Raw Talent and bands selected by BBC Radio 1, the roster promises to be as varied and surprising as ever. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 37% [?]

The concept album is a much derided medium and for good reason – bombastic epicry on a usually hideously self-indulgent subject; you know, my dad died in the war; my girlfriend left me and i’m skint; the martians are coming and i’ve got a deadline in two hours. Actually, scratch any kind of destructive criticism aimed at that last intimation; it rocks, and we all know it. But concepts of late, though still hideously self indulgent, have been getting a bit grimy, a bit urban. The Streets’ Mike Skinner reclaimed the concept of err, concept for a younger, hipper (etc) generation and opened the flood gates for hoodies in trackies to enjoy the finer points of Yes and Rush. Alright, maybe not. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 10% [?]

I love post-rock names – they sound like one half of a conversation. Some are enigmatic and portentous (Explosions In The Sky), some are kookily affectionate (iLiKETRAiNS), some are unexplainably sad (Her Name Is Calla) and some, well some are optimistically hopeful. Like these guys

A three-piece from Leicester, Maybeshewill have been going for about three years and have been fair busy – this is their second album – and are not purely post-rock. Not at all. No, these guys are blending some tasty PR with some kick-ass riffs and no-nonsense rhythms. I think I’m in love. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 5% [?]