Music Reviews: August-September 2011

Alana
Doom Wop
EP (Self-released)

Formed as a studio-based project by members of local favourites Amusement Parks on Fire, Swimming and We Show up on Radar, Alana have presented us with a dark and poignant EP as their debut offering. The 4-track collection opens with a gentle, strummed cover of A Taste of Honey’s 1981 classic Sukiyaki - itself an adaptation of Kyu Sakamoto’s original Ue o Muite Arukō, which literally translates as ‘I Shall Walk Looking Up’ - a positive message juxtaposed by the achingly haunting manner in which it is delivered here by vocalist Mami Kim. The song is accompanied by a touching animated video, in which an edamame bean sings along as it makes its way through empty streets. The band are donating all proceeds from sales of Sukiyaki and Doom Wop EP to the Japanese Red Cross Tsunami Appeal, a still very much  worthy and relevant cause. Doom Wop is an almost perfect onomatopoeic description of the band’s style of harmony-filled, majestic dirge. Slow - and slower still - are the drifting arrangements, with tracks such as Another Birthday and Dusk from the Island layering distant piano phrases and reverb-laden harmonies into gentle-yet-unnerving ambient arrangements. The doom really hits home with closing track Skulls on the Market Square, a threatening plod of almost dissonant, Link Wray-esque guitar chords and bleak imagery. Fascinating stuff. Tom Quickfall

Alana website

Jody Betts
Circles
EP (Self Release)

A veteran of many local bands including Royal Gala, Jimmy the Squirrel and Hey Zeus, local lad Jody Betts has certainly served his apprenticeship on the local music scene. Somewhat remarkably, this EP marks the first time that Betts has recorded and released any of his own material. There may only be three songs on this EP, but such is the quality that it is surely only a matter of time until we will be hearing more. Betts is a singer-songwriter in the classic style, and the songs here are very simple: the voice accompanied by nothing much more than a simple acoustic guitar, together with the odd backing vocal and occasional keyboard flourish; it is sparse, but it works. The track Circles in particular is beautiful meditation on the existence of God and of love. It is a naggingly addictive song too, with an effective melody that seems to have taken up residence inside my head as my earworm of choice. As a singer, Betts is no Jeff Buckley, but his voice is warm and encouraging and his lyrics are thoughtful. The other songs here, Let Me In and Scissors, aren’t quite in the same class as Circles, but they are still more than good enough to show that this is one local artist worth keeping an ear out for. Tim Sorrell

Jody Betts website

Fixit Kid
Three
Album (Fight Me)

Fixit Kid first got together in 2000, but after two albums, a few sessions and numerous line-up changes, it seemed as though things were never quite going to happen for them. They’re back though and Fixit Kid today are probably as noisy and in-your-face as they ever were, but there is a real sense of purpose and intent about these songs. When opening track Release the Dogs really kicks in after a deceptively gentle intro, it is clear that this band mean business. The band cites influences from a cross-section of classic rock bands like Sabbath and Maiden as well as noiseniks like the Jesus & Mary Chain and Sonic Youth. Both sets of influences are apparent with the end result being hardcore punk with a distinctly metallic edge. Too many bands in this genre sound as though they’re fronted by an angry town crier, but here the screaming has both fury and a purpose, as singer Mat spits out his black tales of horror, murder, perversion and violence. It’s hard to pick out a standout track, as the album works well as an intense 35-minute hit. Special mention should however be given to Dredge the Lake. Perhaps that (brilliant) title is a deliberate Elvis Costello reference, but the song’s ominous bass line, screaming guitar and anguished vocals soon leave the ghost of Watching the Detectives far behind. Tim Sorrell

Fixit Kid Myspace

 

Gallery 47
Fate Is The Law
Album (Farmyard Records)

Gallery 47 is the alter ego of Jack Peachey, who wrote these songs while studying English at Nottingham University. Newly graduated, Jack is already gaining some distance on his compositions, recognising them as the work of a young man in varying stages of emotional turmoil. They are “a lot more about feeling a particular way at a certain time”, he explains, rather than being “about finding or explaining something which is 'right' or 'true' about life or society”. Instead, the material has been ordered “precisely to show how wrong I've been at certain moments; call it delusion or naivety, or just being young.” A case in point is House At The End Of The Road, written whilst wrapped up in the aftermath of “a particularly horrible break-up”, he failed to spot a nearby short-stay home for child cancer patients. The guilt rears up again in Critic, which traces the singer’s confused reactions to a city centre beggar. Wary of being pinned to specific interpretations, Peachey keeps some of his lyrical meanings private and hidden. Coupled with the austerity of his production – for this is essentially a solo acoustic album, lightly augmented with occasional overdubs – this can present certain challenges for the listener. On the other hand, there is nothing but pleasure to be mined from Jack’s sweetly piercing vocals, and the dextrous fluidity of his playing. Mike Atkinson

Gallery 47 website
 

Lois
Velvet Mornings
EP (Self Release

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a band hit the rich vein that lies between vintage and contemporary as deftly as Lois do in their first EP. Opening track Monkey Girl could have been Supergrass’ debut single had they worshipped at the altar of vintage tone. Selby’s Lennonesque voice and the rolling drums are spot on, with perfectly satisfying production from Grammy-winner Guy Massey of Beatles/Manics fame. Massey was clearly the perfect choice to bring out the punchy sixties time-capsule groove of singer Johnny Selby’s lead song, and the partnership has produced a great sound - you could get lost in this vintage crunch for days. Pay attention - this is how you make a single. Another highlight is title track Velvet Mornings. Full of suitably esoteric imagery, it’s a mature piece of song writing. Tremolo guitar and subtle organs mix dreamily with soft bossa nova drums and groovy bass lines, then fall into another beautifully delivered chorus that you’ll be singing without realising for weeks; it’s pure ambrosia and another potential hit. Walking the line between sounds old and new is very difficult to get right, but here Lois nail it with a swagger and a raft of great tunes. It works because Lois really mean it: it’s not retrospective, it’s vintage, and very tasty vintage it is too. Darren Howard

Lois website
 

Medium Death Kick
100 Hand Slap
Album (Self Release)

A collaboration between Andy Gibson and Siobhan Lynch along with drummer Lee Woodyer, this album bleeps, beeps and spews its dirge all over you. The result is incredibly dynamic, organic laptop driven music mixed with idiosyncratic, haunting peculiarity and supernatural tension. Lynch’s vocals/story tellings are a splicing of the indelible flat-lining of Karin Dreijer Andersson (The Knife’s vocalist) and the distinct charisma of Stevie Nicks. Detach is a highlight; dynamic, fast paced and throwing everything at the wall in the name of gothic beauty, murmuring “unless you’re blind, and you don’t see.” A note to its audience perhaps? Biabbi bleeps and rolls better than Crystal Castles, Do the Right Thing is Trent Reznor on the piano (not literally) with swirling synths that make you feel like you’ve landed in a 16-bit digital utopia, and Say It’s Your Money is Fever Ray but even spookier with those vocals making you want to melt into your own nightmare. Listening to the album chronologically, the tracks seem to affect each other and get more and more moodier. Let’s be clear, this album’s a huge piece of work; melody where there shouldn’t be melody and rhythm where you can’t but help but nod your head in accordance. The prospect of seeing this band live is pant-wettingly exciting as dynamically they’re virtuosic, and musically they’re just downright freaky. Ashley Clivery

Mediaum Death Kick website
 

Navajo Youth
The Realist’s Enchantment with the Affectations of Affection
EP (Self Release)

Whilst the charts might have been filled with talented female electro-pop singer songwriters in recent times – Ellie Goulding, La Roux, Little Boots et al – the fellas haven’t had much of a look in. Well, based on the debut EP from local singer songwriter Navajo Youth, that could be about to change. Combining great vocals, lyrical storytelling and some superb arrangements, this is an extremely promising debut. Sounding somewhere between Frankmusik, Scissor Sisters and Erasure, it’s clear that there is more to Navajo Youth than strange North American Indian imagery and an over-pretentious EP title. Breeze is a great pop single whilst closing song Mixtape tells a tale familiar to every gauche teenager (“I’m not that good with words/so I made you a mixtape”). There’s plenty of high energy pop here – opener Mystery is a fast paced disco stomper – Navajo Youth is at his best when he relies more on his melodies and stories. Stars and Little Heart are superb mid-paced chillout songs. With a maturity belying his tender years, these two songs alone are proof that there is a real talent at work here. The title may sound like it should be a seventies prog-rock epic, but don’t let it put you off. If you like high quality, well-crafted pop music, Navajo Youth is certainly one to watch. Nick Parkhouse

Navajo Youth website

Red Shoe Diaries
When I Find My Heart
EP (Fika Recordings)

Red Shoe Diaries latest EP confirms their ranking as one of the best local indie bands and it’s one they should be proud of. When I Find My Heart is a concept EP about heartache; with lyrics full of haunting memories and uplifting melodies that will charm any Belle and Sebastian fan. This is not a one dimensional listen, though. The fifties style guitar grabs the listener instantly on the opening track with angular solos that dissolve much of the saccharine. Frontman Thomas William pours his heart out in a soft, fragile voice with harmonising vocals from Leanne Narewski - her sweet vocals are best demonstrated on Ice and Snow and certainly add depth to the songs. Bursts of various and unexpected sounds add texture, such as the wooing and clapping in Snow Bird, the brass instruments in The Love That You Read About, and the piano outro in Ice and Snow . Essentially, the EP is about love not being what you thought it was and it's almost like the female-male duo are telling both sides of the story. With lyrics such as, “We had too much fear and loathing for just the two of us”, we are given a peek into the heartbreak of two people without knowing what happens next. The music will make you feel good and the lyrics will open your heart. Kristi Genovese

Red Shoe Diaries Myspace
 

Kirk Spencer
Enter the Void
EP (Quantum Physics)

Searching the web for “Enter the Void” will either bring up Gaspar Noe’s hallucinogenic 2009 movie or Kirk Spencer’s new EP. Definitely choose the latter. While the film leaves a slightly nauseating feeling, the young Nottingham producer’s Indian-inspired, instrumental EP has a pleasing aftertaste of modern dubstep mixed with that classic sound of the subcontinent. Influenced by acts like Chase and Status, Kirk references similar bass-y Indian territory, but leaves the Nero-style vocal tracks by the wayside. Flying Through India, Hota Hai and Phantom - the standout tunes - smack of journeying through exotic spice markets, with their hot blend of tabla, Bollywood-like samples and an ounce of added bassline. So authentic is that feeling that the BBC Asian Network, as well as Radio 1 and 1Xtra, have been peppering their playlists with a bit of Kirk. The EP takes a different turn with It Don’t Mean a Thing, an Irving Mills-sampling, out and out guitar and breaks party banger, but this is just testament to Kirk’s wide range of abilities as a live and session guitarist. Raah’s sweet little blips, excellent as they are, are at odds with the more affronting bass and guitars that precede it. This EP works best as an electronic and energetic taste of the Orient, best enjoyed with a hot cup of chai and a manic head nod. Shariff Ibrahim

Kirk Spencer website

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