Live Review: NME Tour 2009 Feat. Glasvegas, Friendly Fires, White Lies and Florence & The Machine, 02 Academy Leeds. 8/2/2009

The annual NME Awards Tour aims to bring together the best in the previous years music, combined with acts the NME thinks will be big this year, and they (generally) get it right. The tour consists of 4 acts, headlined by a band with recent mainstream success (Glasvegas), followed by a band with "scene" success/critical acclaim (Friendly Fires), a band who is destined for mainstream success (White Lies) and a band who is currently being hyped by journalists (Florence & The Machine).

Florence & The Machine open the night with a highly impressive half an hour set. Brilliantly soul infused indie is produced as singer Florence Welch jumps around the stage as the band rattle through a collection of tracks including single Dog Days Are Over, and highlight Girl With 1 Eye.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Friendly Fires, who are far less interesting despite their setlist and recent debut album being crammed with excellently upbeat electro indie tunes. Much of the sound appears to be coming from the synth machine that singer Ed Macfarlane touches occasionally, when he isn't dancing around like a pretentious little twat. Harsh? Maybe. Still, I'd recommend Late Of The Pier to anyone considering seeing Friendly Fires.

I have recently come to the conclusion that I am on of the few in the minority of people who think Glasvegas are seriously good live. The passion singer James Allen conveys throughout their set makes you scream your heart out along with him and, on singles It's My Own Cheating Heart... and Daddy's Gone, the rest of the (diminished) audience. Still, tonight is the worst I've seen them, and I finally understand the main criticism leveled at their live shows of "they are just too loud".

However, tonights heroes are the country's new favourite band, White Lies. Who produce a blistering half an hour set leaving the audience speechless. From new single Fairwell To The Fairground to closer Death, the band rock through a perfect taster of their recent No.1 debut album, including highlights The Price Of Love and debut single Unfinished Business, where they are joined by Florence (the one with the machine) for an excellent duet. Any criticism that White Lies sound robotic and un-emotive on record are irrelevant live, as singer Harry McVeigh pours his heart into every word. The fear that they will soon be playing massive venues has certainly got a hold on me.


White Lies played:

Fairwell To The Fairground
To Lose My Life
A Place To Hide
Unfinished Business (Feat. Florence Welch)
Fifty On Our Foreheads
The Price Of Love
Death


Glasvegas played:

Geraldine
Lonesome Swan
It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry
Polmont On My Mind
Flowers & Football Tops
Ice Cream Van
Go Square Go

S.A.D. Light
Daddy's Gone

Album Review: Grammatics - Grammatics

With the likes of Glasvegas and now White Lies gaining high critical acclaim, it would appear that epic sounding bands have replaced indie 4-pieces in our charts. Grammatics seem to follow more along the lines of the grand Arcade Fire rather than the likes of the gloomy laded Glasvegas or Editors.

From opener Shadow Committee, Grammatics set the album up. Grand guitar fueled music with just the perfect mix of heavy crashing chorus and subtle verse, quickly followed by the gloriously poppy D.I.L.E.M.M.A and the beautiful Murderer.

However, The Vague Archieve is where this album begins to show it's true magnificence. The perfect upbeat indie verse, with it's sharp guitars and bouncy keyboards, contrasts brilliantly with the thundering chorus. Relentless Fours is sounds very Arcade Fire, with it's organ sounds and slow building to an epic ending, and the fantastic jazzy feeling Polar Swelling building to the violin-led chorus and ending creates

The contrast within this album is staggering, as the rolling Polar Swelling is quickly followed by the frantic guitar of Rosa Flooding, and the gorgeous acoustic Cruel Tricks Of The Light. Closer Swan Song returns to the layout of slow verses building to an epic imposing ending' as the an early contender for album of the year comes to a close.

Grammatics have created an album that would appear to have one up on the likes of the other new bands, in that their epic, emotion fueled ballads are far more musical than the likes of Glasvegas, and while this album may not be as gloomy as the current financial climate calls for it is both a refreshing and sympathetic sound.

Best tracks:
Relentless Fours
Polar Swelling
Rosa Flooding

8/10

Album Review: Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

Before the release of her latest single, The Fear, it would have been easy to forget Lily's debut album due to massive media attention focusing on her apparently attitude towards drugs and sex. We forget how 2006's Alright, Still, led by debut single Smile, was the soundtrack to that summer. Her delightful reggae infused pop, combined with clever and witty lyrics, not to mention fantastic production from Mr Ronson, was refreshing amid the choas of teenaged indie bands.

It's Not Me, It's You shows a clear change of sound for Lily, evidence for her choice not to use Ronson as main producer. Musically, it's far more electro than her debut, more keyboards and synths than guitar and drums, though still bass heavy.

Lyrically, it's a definite improvement as well. Despite Alright, Still not being without it's lyrical highlights, INMIY shows Lily having grown up, and while the lyrics follow the same lyrical pattern of witty gibes at society they are far more focused and educated.

This album contains everything. From epic social commentaries about drugs (Everyone's At It), celebrity culture (The Fear) and racists (Fuck You) among other topics, to beautiful tracks about love (Chinese), family (Back To The Start) and the advantages of being single (I Could Say), all topped off with the likes of the fantastically witty and genuinley funny Not Fair.

Pop perfection in just over 40 minutes.

Best tracks:
I Could Say
Who'd Have Known
Him

9/10

Live Review: Bloc Party, Manchester Apollo. 29/1/09

From the minute I heard Bloc Party's latest album Intimacy, second to falling for the London 4-piece all over again, I was curious, if a little worried, about how the heavy use of effects and keyboards would work out live. From the minute the band kick into opener, and new single, One Month Off my fears are eased, especially when this is followed by an epic rendition of Halo.

Bloc Party get straight down to business rattling through single Hunting For Witches, a rendition of Positive Tension that's up there with some of the best live tracks I've seen and Intimacy track Signs, which is as beautiful live as it is on record. Even Talons, one of the weakest tracks on the new album, is brilliantly frantic. The choice to play Waiting For The 7.18 is clearly one that not only pleases me, as the crowd sing and jump along to the chaotic ending.

Opener to 2007's A Weekend In The City, Song For Clay (Disappear Here) merges perfectly into indie classic Banquet as the immense first two thirds of the show crash to an ending. Unfortunately, the next few tracks do not follow suit. Ion Square is frankly boring, the only real highlight in single Mercury is singer Kele loosing his microphone while in the crowd and even airing of So Here We Are fails to recapture the atmosphere lost during the previous two tracks. Luckily final song of the main set Like Eating Glass saves the day.

The encore pretty much erased memories of the evenings down points, a brilliant cover of Girls Aloud's Call The Shots followed by singles The Prayer, Flux (unfortunately, the heavy synth fails to convey live) and the timeless Helicopter. The band return on last time for the insane Ares and a magic rendition of This Modern Love.

Bloc Party live is very much a game of chance. When you win, they are up there with the the best live acts on the planet, but when you loose, they are dull, boring and rather than conjuring up no atmosphere manage to remove any that had lingered from earlier in the night. Fortunately for tonight's attendees, they manage to win on pretty much every throw of the dice.


Bloc Party played:

One Month Off
Halo
Hunting For Witches
Positive Tension
Signs
Talons
Waiting For The 7.18
Song For Clay
Banquet
Ion Square
Mercury
So Here We Are
Like Eating Glass

Call The Shots (Girls Aloud Cover)
The Prayer
Flux
Helicopter

Ares
This Modern Love

Album Review: White Lies - To Lose My Life...

I remember the summer of 2006; the likes of Lily Allen and The Kooks were making happy music about good times. Upbeat indie-pop was rife as a horde of teenage bands assaulted the charts. These days, it's a bit of a different story. Recession calls for bands to create doom laden albums, full of emotion, audiences need to feel like people care.

From the opening to Death, White Lies prove all their critics right. The dark opening to the debut album To Lose My Life... reveals the huge debt this London 4-piece's sound owes to the likes of Joy Division and Editors. However, the album is a hugely impressive record, full of murky, gloomy, bass driven verses and epic choruses. Not only do White Lies have a fantastic sound musically, singer Harry McVeigh showcases an aptitude for writing excellently depressing lyrics, supported by his superb voice.

However, here in lies the issue. Despite the band presenting an album with 10 highly polished, musically excellent tracks, it's hard to gain a sense of real emotion, they aren't as moving as they wish they were. The same could be said about McVeigh's delivery of the lyrics; despite the lyrics being excellent in places, and his impressive vocal abilities, it doesn't feel like he is really pouring his heart into them. The whole album conveys the feeling that the band are just creating a gloomy, death obsessed indie record because they can, and because it will fit the times, not because it's how they actually feel.

As I said, it is a musically excellent album, containing many highlights that really can grab you (the end of The Price Of Love, or chorus to Fifty On Our Foreheads), despite this the album doesn't grab your heart, in the way other recent examples have. Listening to Glasvegas' debut, James Allen pours his soul into many of the tracks, whereas on To Lose My Life... McVeigh sounds like he is describing rather than feeling. It just doesn't make me want to sing my heart out in the way I wish it would.

6/10

Best tracks:
Fifty On Our Foreheads
Unfinished Business
The Price Of Love

Albums Of The Year

I've been writing reviews for my mate Francis' blog, so I thought I'd stick them up here along with the rest of my Top 10 Of The Year.

1. Frank Turner - Love, Ire & Song
These days, it's not often that an album grabs you from the first chord and you just and listen through every track, without doing anything else. Frank's perfect blend of folk/rock with his punk heart from his Million Dead days, combined with perfect tales of loneliness and epic social commentaries makes for something a bit special. Add some of the greatest lyrics ever and the most passionate delivery I've heard on record and the result is one of the greatest, heartfelt albums of all time.
This album is heartwrenching, shivers down your spine, makes you want to jump around and sing then fall over and cry.
"Life is about love, last minutes and lost evening. About fire in our bellies and about furtive little feelings." All hail Frank Turner.

Best track: I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous

2. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Brooklyn based band The Hold Steady release their 4th album in 4 years, and the progression from 2006's Boys & Girls In America is huge.
Lyrically it's front man Craig Finn's strongest work, taking the tales of girls, booze and drugs ever present in their first 3 albums and contorting them into dark tales of murder and sleeping around. These clash perfectly with the (few) upbeat tracks, the likes of Yeah Sapphire and Sequestered In Memphis.
The Hold Steady have produced the most epically grim and also brilliantly upbeat album in years. It's hard to grasp Finn's real attitude towards life, there's moments of despair followed quickly by moments of immense positivity. His attacks on "the scene' in Slapped Actress are canceled out by the genius Stay Positive, where Finn essentially lists all the issues and then says "it'll be alright though".
This band deserves so much more press than they get, and this album proves that. With Kings Of Leon going stadium rock and The Killers going...well...jazz and disco, The Hold Steady are the band to save American rock music in the UK, "we gotta Stay Positive".

Best track: Constructive Summer

3. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Musically, the bands best work. Recording as one in a open studio creates a brilliant raw sound, completely contrasting with 2005's Plans. Lyrically, it's also a massive change. Ben Gibbard's lyrics are far more literal than previous albums, but are not without their highlights.

Best track: Pity & Fear/I Will Possess Your Heart

4. Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
The Reading born indie-folk songstress finally gets an album out, and it's superb. 12 perfect tales of teenage romance. From the perfectly poppy Cross Your Fingers to the epically dark Night Terror. The potential this 18 year old shows is frightening.

Best track: Old Stone

5. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Got the publicity it did due Justin Vernon recording it in a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin, but it deserves every bit. It's perfect soulful folk for the broken hearted.

Best track: re:stacks

6. Glasvegas - Glasvegas
Epic debut from the latest "big thing". There is so much emotion poured into it on the part of front man James Allen, especially on opener Flowers & Football Tops and the epic It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry. It has moments where it can genuinly "get you right there".

Best track: It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry

7. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
The mind behind Bright Eyes releases his first "solo" album since he was 16. It's a long departure from the moody teenaged angst of Bright Eyes, lyrically and musically. Conor's lyrics are more upbeat here, althought that's hardly an achievement, and his "Mystic Valley Band" create a sound that is far more stipped down than the numerous musicians that have featured on Bright Eyes albums.

Best track: Moab

8. Sigur Rós -Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
Beautifully epic 5th album from the Icelandic 4 piece, but far more upbeat than their previous efforts. Title means "With a buzz in our ears, we endlessly play". Not really that much else to say as I can't really comment on the lyrics. The music is amazing and perfectly produced. Needs to be heard to be appriciated, or seen live if possible.

Best track: All Alright

9. Coldplay - Viva La Vida/Death And All His Friends.
A huge improvement on 2005's X&Y. It's about as pretentious as it gets but that's not a bad thing. From the epic Viva La Vida to the lovely Strawberry Swing it proves that Coldplay still have the ability to write songs for huge gigs that their debut Parachutes promised

Best track: Lovers In Japan

10. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
Late entry to my Top 10. The Gaslight Anthem, like The Hold Steady, are proprioters of fast paced rock 'n' roll. The '59 Sound is hardly innovative, a great change in sound from the bands debut, Sink Or Swim, but more it's just pure and simple punk-rock for the masses. Heartfelt lyrics meets awesome indie rock.

Best track: The Backseat


Honourable mentions to (in no order):
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns
Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off The Lavender Bridge
The Courteeners - St. Jude
Everything Is Borrowed - The Streets
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip - Angles
Benga - Diary Off An Afro Warrior
Bloc Party - Intimacy
She & Him - Volume 1
Little Man Tate - Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy
The Subways - All Or Nothing
Late Of The Peir - Fantasy Black Channel
Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords
Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
Feeder - Silent Cry
Lykke Li - Youth Novels
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight


A seriously good year for recorded music.

Live Review: The Pogues, Carling Academy Sheffield. 12/12/2008.

Another Christmas is creeping up on us fast, meaning The Pogues are once again embarking upon their annual tour of the country to perform their greatest hits to the old fans and the new generation. Tonight's crowd is a great mix of youngsters (both those who really love the band, and those who have clearly been dragged along by their parents) and the old hardcore.

Opening their first gig in Sheffield for a good while with Streams Of Whiskey and then proceeding to rattle through their greatest hits, highlights include The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn, The Body Of An American and the mass sing-along to Dirty Old Town. However, the biggest highlight of the night was the state of singer Shane MacGowan, who did not miss a beat or word all night, interacted a lot with the crowd and was clearly having the time of his life.

Saving the best till last, The Pogues (second) encore comprises rare track Poor Paddy On The Railway followed by Fairytale Of New York, featuring Jeremy Finer's daughter on co-lead vocals with Shane in place of Kirsty MacColl, complete with a shower of fake snow. The band close with Fiesta, igniting a full scale jump around session, encompassing young and old alike. I'm not sure how Shane is still alive, but if he's lasted this long there's no reason he can't for at least one more tour, if not, might as well cancel Christmas for next year, The Pogue's reunion is easily the best bit.