Kate Jackson Group

The return of Kate Jackson to the indie rock world has been highly anticipated for a number of years now. Teases like untraceable demos appearing under the name “Madame Ray” on last.fm, appearing with the wolfmen and the odd tweet under the same name did give cause for hope.

However there has been much activity lately under the title “Kate Jackson Group” with her return to live music, the release of demos on her soundcloud and myspace and ultimately- her first single. Date with Dawn which was available for free back in August, but only for the first 1000 visitors so you’ll have to find other means.

I wouldn’t post about this again if it wasn’t for the fact that these new tracks are so reminiscent of the marvelous and hugely missed Long Blondes, these are where Kate seemed to feel more at home back in the mid zeroes, the full figured and 50′s homaging of “Couples” is nearer to this than the cream of “Someone to drive you home”. Enjoy.

The Wonder Feeling

The Atlantic

City Streets

Someone found this site searching for this band so thought I’d check them out because I have nothing better to do today, it’s a wonderful rarity.

I listened to their latest EP, Peacemaker, which had a guy and a girl singing so I thought oh well that’s nice but then listened to the rest of their stuff and it’s two guys so I don’t know what to say really…

They’re from Edmonton in Alberta which is where some of my friends are from, true story. Their guitar playing sounds like Pete Doherty’s on the quieter tracks of Babyshambles’ first album, the vocals are borne out of a love for old rock and country music. Have a listen, see if you like, if you do get their music if not just get on with your day (:

Over and Outroversion.

Carney

Blown Away. I went into checking out this band not wanting to like them at all. I don’t like when singer’s are described as having a “unique voice” as that usually means an “annoying voice” and I think Erland & the Carnival have given me a phobia of anyone even thinking of making music that could be played at fairgrounds.

Anyway, it seems Carney is the surname of brothers Reeve and Zane- the lead singer and guitarist of the band respectively. Reeve, even at 28 is a bit of a stalwart in musical circles, playing guitar professionally at BB King’s night club in California at the age of 15 before  turning his attention to movies and musical theatre where he’s recently been cast in the daunting role of Jeff Buckley. In addition he also recorded a song whilst starring in the Spiderman Musical on a track billed as Reeve Carney Ft. Bono & The Edge. Big potatoes.

Carney are a band that run on pure talent and creativity, none of it for its own sake but out of the mere nessicity for an outlet to turn impossible thoughts and abilities into something tangeable. The brothers’ boundless understanding and competence with their instruments shows them bounce and wire around each others’ melodies .

Their sound is accomplished, impossibly so. In relation to bands on a similar par, their theatrics bring to mind that of Mariana’s Trench and their masterpiece theatre but the whisky and smoke edged jazz undertones make it something different, something with limitless possibilities. Their debut album from 2011 Mr Green Vol 1, which the below track is taken from, was magnificent though it didn’t dent the billboard. None the less- guaranteed big things.

The Smokin’ Barrels

Tipped by Noel Gallagher, rendering anything anyone else has to say a little overshadowed, The Smokin’ Barrels are a Geordie band encompassing all of Brit Pop’s debut albums before they all got too wordy, or shit as the band describe Arctic Monkey’s later offerings.

The Smokin’ Barrels don’t sound like a band from Newcastle, as hilarious as that would sound (have there been any bands from Newcastle… apart from Jimmy Naill?) but you can tell they’re from the upper half of England and where there influences were bred. Guitars (and more than a few other elements) straight out of Oasis, lyrics from any of the reputable outspoken northern lads and general British Rock as it would prefer to sound like.

While “Blinds my Eyes” falls short in suggesting serious potential for the band “I’m Coming Down” is resplendant in its maturity and seeming experienced musicianship and you can only assume the accolades being thrown at these boys are with that in mind.

To be honest no matter which new bands I write about over the next couple of months I think these are the ones that will still be playing on my ipod when winter next comes around.

I’m Coming Down

We’re just never gonna fall

Howler

For the enigmatic American Jordan Gatesmith, England’s Rough Trade holds the key to his musical odyssey. A huge fan of early 21st century indie guitar bands such as The Libertines and Strokes whose home is the uber-cool independant label, the decision to put pen to paper on the contract offered to him was a simple one. Particularly as it is reported the label’s representatives flew over to the states after one listen of the band’s demos to get the required signatures. An apocryphal tale? Call me pessimistic but I think the label’s U.S Offices probably took care of this one…

They’re probably going to be billed as “this year’s Vaccines“, who they toured with last year, but the Vaccines were a souless (and tuneless) marketing experiment, Howler, as far as I can tell, are a real band. With the raw guitar playing of the Strokes and Surf inspiration of the Drums with lyricism typical of a 90s indie child trying to mix it with the big boys. It’s not all thrashed out heart on sleeve, there’s piano and “feelings” in there neither of which are particularly welcome but it does open up other doors.

Fronting all this as I mentioned is Jordan Gatesmith, a gawky but supremely confident Minnesotan; his Facebook url giving a good idea of the esteem he holds himself in (theillustriousteensensationjordanjmoneygatesmith). He’s said a lot but no one’s really listening yet, whether he’ll approach his band’s soon to come fame with the understated nature of a musically minded Julian Casablancas or just be another Johnny Borrell (he fronted a band called Razorlight back in the zero’s, wore white trousers, said he was going to be the biggest rock star in the world.. no?). Anyway all this remains to be seen, listen to the music and ignore the bravado, there’s good times to be had.

Free Download of Back Of Your Neck

Frank Turner & Jon Snodgrass- New Year

This is a song that Frank Turner recorded with Jon Snodgrass the other day. It was available earlier for a short while but you can get it here while it’s not (:

Happy New Year.

Over and Outro.

Mates of State- Mountaintops

The catchy male and female dualling melodies of past Mates of State offerings are what has kept them in my regular rotation over the past decade, nothing more. When I got the chance to check out the Kansas natives’ latest album I was hoping for a couple of bop-a-long tracks like “Goods (all in your head)” or “Get Better“. In reality I received an album that is likely to be my album of the year.

That Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel are Husband and Wife might put people off, worried that it might be a little sugary twee. In reality the fact that they are married is an afterthought to the music and lyricism, which go beyond the boundaries of mere relationships.

Mountaintops opens with typical “no way is that just two people” casual fan settler Palimino which embodies everything that makes their music great; upbeat music, luxurious melodies and, hidden behind those are some poignant and affirming lyrics.

After that it is as pop as it gets. At first upon hearing “Maracas” I thought ok this is a bit too sweet, but it is undeniably groovy and for better or worse it stays with you for days. This is the only real track like that on the album and I think its inclusion does make this an archetypal album of theirs covering all edges of the spectrum. The darker moments are of course there too, though perhaps not as dark as they may have been known to be in the past, not quite Blonde Redhead but moments like “unless I’m led” do make sure the atmosphere doesn’t get too heady.

Desire is beautiful to the point that over the dozens of listens this album has received on my ipod, it has become indescribable.

After 14 years and 6 albums, their time must have arrived. Surely now American indie royalty, they deserve to be up there with the New Pornographers and Stars. Truth is there’s at least 4 brilliant tracks on what is only a 10 song album. Total Serendipity is simply a M.O.S masterpiece and with “At least I have you” they’re really going to make their live setlists the blockbusters they’ve always threatened to be.

As usual drums and keys take turns to carry the rhythm and vocal duties aren’t at all dependent on Kori. Each half of the partnership taking their own load until it winds down with the brass licked “Mistakes“, the closest thing to a duet on the album and it really brings it home. This album is just beautiful.

~ “I need you”. ~

Maracas

At least I have you (live)

Colour Change For Camouflage

A modest turnout early on for the energetic showcasing of youthful Colour Change for Camouflage. Word on the street spoke of the exuberance and care free tenacity they’ve been bringing to Oxford stages over the past year so they were eagerly awaited here.

Emily, Will, Brodie, Craig and Easy make up the Witney based five piece, displaying varying hairstyles from dreadlocks to afro with  frontwoman Emily, perhaps the most sensibly presented. A vocal style accustomed to comparatively dynamic Oxfordian female fronted Baby Gravy but with unexpected elements thrown into the mix…

The most dreaded of the 3 guitarists on display Easy Chalmers brought some great Libertinesesque tone with his playing adding to what could easily have descended into chaotic yet cacaphonic noise. On the occasions that he was called on for vocal duties, like on the brilliant Fibonacci and Fractal Patterns in Nature, he brought some legitimate fire to accompany Emily Wharton’s ashen vocals.

An even indier sound is found when Foals inspired and huge haired guitarist Will Healy shares vocals, softer and more accurate than the rest of the red bull soaked set and these possible variables leave a lot of scope for development. With set list on phone and playing to a handful of friends and the curiosity aroused this is still early days, but theyre tidier than could be expected and a great time.

Alphabet Backwards

A rare solo set from the incurably charming James Hitchman, frontman of Oxford scene heavyweights Alphabet Backwards. It should be remembered that AB did start off a solo project and so the ease with which the transformation is executed perhaps shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

Taller than you might remember, the usually seated guitarist comes across with the personae of a journeyed solo artist in the vein of the lesser travelled Jack Penate or as he references later in the set, Jamie T. A comprehensive understanding of the nuances of a full band set and the subtleties of an acoustic only show he reels off his well crafted 4 minute pop melodies only broken for brief insights into his day job with the band.

Featuring songs from the band’s latest offering, The British Explorer EP as well as favourites like Ladybird and In Love With the Weatherman it all flows nicely and it’s as homely as the usual full band shows, it felt an honour to witness.

Very Nice Harry

One of the most talked about up and comers in Oxford are the multi faceted Very Nice Harry. For the uninitiated this was a particularly unexpected change of pace going from acoustic only to this quartet’s math rock and electro infused material but hey, this is Oxford- the hometown of the genre.

The vocals bring a Maximo Park style masculinity to their midsong guitar interplay which, while mesmerizing and showing a complex mastering of their tools, does take up alot of the room in the song sandwich.

Hugely promising and highly active in the local scene, responsible along with acts such as Spring Offensive, Minor Coles, Gunning for Tamar and so many more for maintaining the resurgence that Oxford has seen in recent years.

Empty Vessels

While on record, part of Empty Vessels charm was their tendency for dirty guitar and bass lines, here, in the flesh they’re pretty much wallowing in them.

Two of the stand out tracks of their early catalogue, Blood on the Streets and Love is All We Need were the highlights of their stay even able to leave a couple of fan favourites out and still going down a storm.

Getting feet on the floor for the first time this afternoon this was a masterful performance from charismatic frontman Matt Greenham and his funkadelic crew.

Deer Chicago

When I was first introduced to Deer Chicago in the summer in the lead up to truck I assumed they were an already established act such was the fluidity of their performance as well as their mere presence on the mainstage.

In a smaller room (than a field) they come across as a professional, self aware outfit more focused on showcasing their creations than indulging an ever growing audience with tales of ennui.

Fat Lil regular and spearhead of DC, Jonny Payne‘s style offers comparisons to Jim Lockey & the Solemn Sun, storytelling in nature with angst ridden underscoring. For three guys they produce a lot of sound but it is definitely well rehearsed sound, there doesn’t seem to be any mid-song showboating to fill a couple of minutes- you feel they’ve got enough in their armoury to keep going and they probably will.

It’s all aiming high and hitting targets here, they are superb musically, lyrically and vocally I cannot criticise anything about them, they’re simply magnificent. Make sure you catch them in 2012.

Black Hats

The reason everyone is here today. A huge thanks for the forward thinking and initiative of this band for putting on a fantastic event and the venue for doing everything they could to make it a success. We can only hope will become an annual thing, or even a Winter & Summer event… Something to think about and something that would be hugely welcome.

So, not content with waiting for things to come to them as i’m sure they will, they’ve invented their own festival. Though they’re the Godfathers of the event they unassumingky play support to some of their favourite acts from Oxford- the ever reliable Phantom Theory and Secret Rivals who we couldn’t stay for due to work commitments (lame, I know). Without cloying too much, let’s just say- Black Hats are in the game for keeps.

Musically they’re easy to listen to, rhythmic bass and drums with just the one guitar but lyrically they’re challenging, in the best of ways.

Only a few levels of intensity away from being a hardcore outfit, their social commentary and focused delivery bring to mind bands like Anti-Flag and Sunny Day Real Estate but only in the very best of ways.  The most enjoyable ways.

Blood and Space is the focal point of the set as it is in their oeuvre. They’ve got a lot of people on the floor and a lot of people out their doors on what isn’t a particularly inviting time of the season and all credit and huge thanks to them for… Everything.

Bright Eyes- The People’s Key

Anticipation for albums in the 21^st century is a tough thing to buy into. Often too little of a pay off in the end due to leaks and a modern world desperate for a mass opinion. But Bright Eyes is kind of a big deal and Conor Oberst one of the few artists around where anything would be worth the wait.

In “The People’s Key” Conor Oberst has made what could have been a completely innaccessible album with references to reptilians, Rasta Farianculture and dialect, Tesla, spiritualism, time travel, The Sumerian Tablets and Ancient Greece but ends up making one that seems as perfect to the casual listener as it does to those who search through every phoneme squeezing out every drop of meaning from his lyrics. Here you’ve got a whole cellar full of meaning.

Feeling familiar yet impossibly fresh and perhaps more insistant there seems to be more symbolism, metaphor and meaning crammed into every phrase. Where Conor’s Bright Eyes albums feel like your favourite cocktail at the end of a long week, made by the one barman who knows exactly how you like it, you would notice if he made it a little stronger than usual but you wouldn’t complain, you’d just assume he thinks you need it rather than thinking it might be the last drink he’ll make there so he’s using up all he’s got.

“Love has always been the message”

Opening up and dotted around the album are musings from 60 year old biker, shaman, guitarist and singer of Refried IceCream, Denny Brewer. One of Conor’s “protegees” of Team Love whose opinions Conor became increasingly enrapped by the more time he spent around the studio with him and in terms of ways to “ward off casual listeners” as Oberst puts it, this is one of the easier listening.

He brings up charisma (although stumbling over the word) harking back to a Conor lyric from “To all the lights in the windows” “That’s the thing about charisma, it makes everyone believe” and it’s compelling stuff as Brewer’s argument about Hitler is the same argument people make about Jesus but when the subject of bloodlines comes up people tend to take a step back. Nowadays most people are wary of investing in the reptilian theory, as popularised by David Icke, as it does seem a little incomprehensible but it’s always interesting listening to other people’s ideas especially when they clearly believe in it.

Firewall in itself is gorgeous and perhaps the best opener to a Bright Eyes album to date. The guitar is languid and sparse acting as the beat, making Conor’s poignant lyricism and mood setting elocution stand out all the more. As the track goes on the drums are just incredible, at first underscoring some lines before battling for the limelight making for an epic climax.

Lyrically it’s flawless, expressing ideas brilliantly; here mainly about death and the afterlife with talk of burning sage to keep away the spirits yet saying if he was certain about where he would go after death he’d go in an instant.

The refrain at the end is the first reference (by Conor) to Rasta Fari, this being part of the dialect. He makes what are essentially english words sound like a mystical foreign language which in a sense they are but in the same way not at all. In the native tongue “me” is replaced by “i” with the phrase “seen by I and I” meaning seen by God and everyone.

“I’m still angry with no reason to be”

While we’re on the subject of meaning I’ll just get out of the way that a shell game is like the ball and cup game you see where there’s no chance of the person winning. The meaning here is that the rest of the common consensus of world opinion acts as the scam artist and his posse standing over you affecting your confidence and making you, the mark, go against what you believe to be right.

Shell games was one of the tracks released through the website early in the year, musically it sounds like it could be a British 80’s pop song and in terms of the vocal delivery is actually quite upbeat by  his standards, but that’s where the genius of his words comes into play to contradict everything that a casual listener might think about the song.

Strangely, for a Bright Eyes song, it pretty much has a chorus. I say pretty much as it’s just as close as you’re going to get. “Here it comes that heavy love…”

Like Jenny Lewis’ Rabbit Fur Coat this seems to touch upon Conor’s rise to prominence at such a fragile age before never dropping from the pedestal to deal with the usual stuff you do around that age and then finding that he was now able to live how he wanted to and no longer wanting for anything but still feeling like there had to be more.

There’s debate over whether he references all his other Bright Eyes albums in this song and I’d like to think it’s true and in a way it’s almost too perfect not to be…

“The fireworks (Letting off the happiness), The vanity (Fevers and Mirrors), The circuit board (digital ash), The city Streets (I’m wide awake it’s morning), shooting star // swaying palm tree (Cassadega).”

“To the place that I think of so often

that I never mention,

The one that the voice in the back of my head tells me I don’t deserve”.

Starting off Jejune Stars are huge rhythmic, what sound like electronic drums but perhaps due to the underlying guitar, which then make way for a torrent of views, life experiences and statements that to anyone else would be a stream of consciousness impossible to put to music, this is another level.

Firstly the superficial, it’s a catchy song . O.k now that’s out of the way; the “umbrella…” parts suggest that if life is all about collecting as many experiences as possible then why do we shelter ourselves from them. He says that inside is full of the past and nostalgia but outside is full of life and new beginnings and the fondest memories aren’t of the pictures hung on the walls but moments that were only captured in your mind that fire, water or anything you’ve done since can’t take away from you.

You remember when Conor referenced Tim Kasher in “Nothing gets crossed out” I wonder whether this again is in reference to those that came up with him, saying that they never really completed their childhood and were reluctant to have it taken away.

The little snippet at the end is about vibrationism, it’s a powerful theory that takes away suggested meaning in your life and replaces it with understanding of physical potency. A friend of mine was taken by it, I don’t get it.

“Now you are how you were when you were real.”

Approximated Sunlight is about the effect that belief has on your mindstate, how you can overcome reality by following a particular belief but at the same time taking away from your life because it narrows your view, meaning you miss out on other positive influences. It’s a commentary on the majority of the western world, how are we supposed to form our own beliefs if we have no time to ourselves? That’s why you need the media, religious groups and those who do have the time to tell you what to think.

As seems to be a persistant feature on this album he references chldhood or innocent views of reality and how modern life can force you to go back to your first instinct no matter how childish it seems. Closing the cupboard door, hiding under the covers, believing the unbelievable simply because you do.

The track plays like a cassette player with low batteries, slowing down the tempo and stetching out the vocals into a uncharacteristic harsh delivery. That is to say it’s amazing.

“I’ve seen stranger things, man”

Haile Selassi was Ethopia’s last emperor and though you can probably read alot about his life and effect on modern culture particularly in Africa, I think the reason for the references to him is due to the belief within the Rasta Fari movement that he is the reincarnation of God.  This is due to a passage in the bible which proclaims “Ethiopia shall soon stretch her arms unto God”, though I’m sure there’s more reasoning behind it than just that…

Anyway the line “I’ve seen stranger things man” I think is the situation of someone telling you their deepest and most extreme beliefs and expecting you to be shocked by them but finding you open to the idea due to not having found ultimate meaning yourself.

Sure that sounds kind of high brow but it’s the same as the first time you meet the person you’re meant to be with and finding it strange how well you get on and seem to have shared experiences and rather than dismissing it as a perculiar coincidence think, true love? Why not.

“The people’s key ringing through arena seats”

The people’s key is G major, so called for a number of debateable reasons but the least poetic and most sensible is that it’s the most frequently used key across classical and popular music, mainly due to ease.

There are a few references to Hitler on the album, not as a person but as an idea. Here it’s saying that 1. Hitler (and every other person) used to be a child, not thinking of socialism, communism, racism, war, money, or anything that corrupts adult minds. It’s probably something people don’t think about that often but basically these people used to be kids, the world’s done something to them to make them think the way they do, it’s not something they’re born with. Unless he was a crack baby, yeah maybe Hitler was a crack baby…

Secondly, that no matter what your dreams are- they’re not all you dream about. The reference to Eva Braun’s hair is the obvious one that Hitler shall we say, had a “thing” for blondes and she just wanted to be appealing to her partner. Likewise Hitler, when he wasn’t thinking of the things that made him famous, his mind would be blank and able to think about anything. I think the commentary here is that sometimes when you take something so far, it’s hard to go back.

Strangely the musical references in this song are almost second to the more abstract themes here, it’s coupled with the dialogue at the end about orchestration backing up Conor’s comment about the cyclical model and how it’s not so much decided what you’re going to do but it’s near impossible to deviate from it to such an extent that it would have a bearing on the rest of life and time.

“That’s the problem, an empty sky.

I fill it up with everything that’s missing from my life”

The triple spiral is a celtic symbol and from its discovery its meaning has only been speculated on but of course this has led to people either believing one thing or another rather than being open to possibilities. In terms of a song title, it’s pretty poignant. The song seems to be indebted to the three realms of land, sea and sky, the line “three worlds at once that blend together” making this pretty obvious and nothing else seems to contradict it.

Once more it’s about wanting to believe but this time taking on the realisation that you can’t rely on higher powers to guide you, “How sad it is to know i’m in control” and though most people believe this, once you realise it things seem a little more futile.

Early on it’s very reminiscent of the kind of song that Conor was indulging in during his time with Monsters of Folk but it takes on a life of its own once the miniscule female vocals, reverb and experimentation that is imperceivable early on, fight to get in the spotlight.

“You know what made you  infamous to them, don’t you?

You keep starting over”

Beginner’s mind is about deciding your own path in life and how you shouldn’t be made to take a certain path but take your time and choose your own.  Time, experiences and other’s opinions take away from your own views and that goes back to earlier themes in the album but developed upon by suggesting that it’s all transient you might as well choose to go against everything everyone else says.

It would be an extreme view years ago, but nowadays we breed generations of cynics who will go against other people just because they have the power to. Through freedom of speech and expession. That world view can become so engrained on you that it shows in every aspect of you making you less appealing to the mass population, and while you’re fighting against the tide though you might find a few others to fight the battle with you it is, unfortunately, one that is impossible to win. Eventually the tide will wash over you and make you like everyone else, every now and then you’ll see someone who still has some fight but know that eventually they’ll be the same as you.

“You’re not alone in anything”

I think ladder song is about how it’s expected that, before there can be a universal consciousness everyone must experience the worst case scenario and fight for themselves, feeding off the land the way nature intended. Once all energies are focused on the same goal and have forgotten what it’s like to live for posession that’s when the new age will begin where beauty, such as the sun will be appreciated, profoundly, for what it is.

A lot of energy these days is put into trying to cut yourself off from everyone else and the tone here is in keeping with what Conor said his inspiration for this album was before hand (walk into a room and everyone is cut off, looking at computer screens, headphones in etc) and no one can say you’re wrong in living that way because so is everyone else. Yet it doesn’t seem to cross anyone’s mind that even 50 years ago this wasn’t the case, things have changed and in our ignorance we think it’s for the better but when you think about it- how can it be?

“That’s love, you know- compassion, or- what do you call it?”

“Mercy?”

“What’s that?”

“Mercy?”

“Mercy.”

Once we’ve been around as long as we’re meant to, in the end we are left with our experiences, some good, some bad. Here it’s both sides divvying up the good and the bad between each other, accepting that there’s nothing you can do about it there’s always going to be good and bad and no matter whether you have more good or more bad experiences by the end of it you’ll be unrecognisable from the person you started off as and you can’t say to anyone else, partners, friends or musicians that they’ve changed because hopefully, you have too.

The previous paragraph was about Bright Eyes. If this is the end, it’s the perfect finale.

                                                                                                                                                                                10/10

Girls - Father, Son & Holy Ghost

“I saw Girls in 2009, having been promised sun drenched surf rock from the 60s- this I did not get. They were more like a couple of stoned Californians who were thrown onto a stage with instruments they had no idea how to play.

Strange it is then that I heard this track from their “‘Father, Son, Holy Ghost” new album and that Surf Pop is indeed the only way to describe it. The rest of the album is better produced, better written and better…ly executed than I could ever have imagined coming from the band that was hyped back in 2009.

This is one of the albums of the year, I find it amazing that I believe that but the music here speaks for itself. Saying I love you is gorgeous, it could have been written by Elvis Costello man! Yeah there’s a bit of reverb and chillwave in “die” but I deleted that off my version so do the same and it’ll be the perfect record.

I really am in disbelief but this is brilliant, I have to go and listen to this again. Make your days about a 1000% more beachy-” ~ Outroversion September 2011

Honey Bunny

The album