Category: Interviews


Bandcrush: Letters

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May 19, 2012

It’s bizarre that Edinburgh five-piece Letters are only now getting round to their first ‘proper’ release.

Their first recordings appeared on the interwebs around 18 months ago, and there’s been a drip-drip effect of tunes being made available since.

Four track EP Older Motion Pictures is that ‘proper’ release and like their earlier tuneage, it’s tight-as-a-nut, thumping pop-rock, underpinned throughout by some dark cello sounds. We’re impressed.

We spoke to the band shortly after they emerged for Radar and were struck by both their ambition and enthusiasm. That’s been translated into an ever-expanding sound. The cello thing may have sounded like a gimmick at first, but it’s clearly woven into the fabric of the band and every song is clearly written with that sound in mind, rather than it being a wee add-on at the end.

This felt like a good time to catch up with singer/guitarist Mikey Ferguson…

So who the hell are you?

A family of tiny chicks, shivering in a hail storm in the doorway of mothercare. Or Letters.

Quite. Describe your sound in ten words or less!

Dark cello pop noiseniks

What’s inspired the new EP?

Just the usual miserable pathetic self deprecating stuff. I suffer massively from nostalgia to the point of hinderance. I believe everyone plays a film out in their head as to how they imagine their life should be and view the past through rose tinted glasses. I also think we all dream of being part of a ‘time’ we never really belonged to. That’s what inspired the title ‘Older Motion Pictures’.

Do you think you’ve changed as a band in the last year?

Not in the sense that we’re still as confident in the music we make as we were a year or so ago. I think our live show is the thing that’s progressed the most. Writing and recording is always very instinctive for us but playing to a crowd took a while longer to get good at. We were ok at the start but ok isn’t good enough. You have to be the best and give people a reason to part with their coinS to come and see you. We’re definitely worth that now. So in short yes we have changed. We are a lot tighter and look like a band now instead of a bunch of splashes fresh off of Leith Walk.

You’ve made most of your music available for free so far – any fears about asking people to pay for it?

We’ve tried to make the way our music is bought a little different. Although we’re doing the standard digital release thingymawotsit, we’re also selling merch with unique download codes on them, like T-shirts and badges. That worked really well for our last single so no nerves this time.

What have you got lined up for your launch shows?

Hopefully we’ll be bringing our visual and light show. If you’d like an idea of what that looks like… Letters – Edinburgh Film Festival 3.

Is a full length record being considered?

We’re locking ourselves away in TAPE HQ for the Autumn to record our debut album which we hope to release at the start of next year. It’s going to be a blinder!

Will we be seeing you at any festivals this summer?

You surely will. We’re playing GoNorth in Inverness on the 6th and 7th of June and off the back of that we may be at Wickerman and Belladrum…but we’ll wait and see!

Letters have the following lined up:

May 26 Edinburgh Wee Red Bar w/ Trapped Mice
May 31 Glasgow Bar Bloc w/ It Girl
June 6 Inverness GoNorth Festival
June 22 London Glasswerk (Club Surya)

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Leviathan

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May 17, 2012

Album of the Week: The Son(s) – Leviathan

After the success of their/his self-titled debut album, the mysterious beast known as ‘the Son(s)’ is back with a six track mini album.

Now we know what you’re thinking: ” HEY TIDAL WAVE OF INDIFFERENCE, YOU ONLY REVIEW ALBUMS!!!’ Well, it’s a fair cop. We made an exception with Homework’s six tracker last year because it was bloody good, and that’s why we’re also covering this. So there.

Anyway, we’re digressing a tad. Leviathan is by no means a progression from last year’s album, but given how close that came to achieving perfection you’ll find no complaints over at Tidal Wave Towers over this.

Half a dozen tracks of sleepy psychedelia, the Son(s) and their label (Olive Grove) have take the novel approach of putting it out on tape. Now, we’re not big fans of the unreliable, hassle-some format, but kudos is due for thinking outside the box.

Musically, Roaring Round the House is a beautifully arranged piece, capturing chief Son Karl’s fractured voice amongst delicate guitar and organ. If I Hear You Talk in Apostrophes Again comes across more like a Northern Soul stomper at first before bringing in multi-layered harmonies, a bloody great melody and even a rough guitar solo.

Cocksure Boys has a calmer feel and Half Lived is a dreamlike affair with a steady, constant rhythm throughout. Shot Out A Cannon, may well be the pick of the bunch, evoking a Beach House/Grizzly Bear kind of vibe, and every bit the equal of both.

The Son(s), as with everything else they’ve produced, can be very proud of Leviathan. If we could only talk them into playing some shows (and trust us, we have BEGGED them), they could become one of Scotland’s finest musical assets.

We had another chat with “Karl” a few days ago.

Welcome back! What have you been up to since the first album?

Since the first album we have been growing, writing, recording, packing, drinking, sleeping, haversacking, moving back to Aberdeenshire from Edinburgh, then more packing and back to Edinburgh from Aberdeenshire. Experimenting with facial hair and quite obscure archtop guitars (separately and in combination), semi-stalking Withered Hand and briefly meeting RM Hubbert after some dodgy dim sum.

What’s inspired Leviathan?

What inspired the songs or the name? The songs all came, one after the other, in the order they are on the record. I was staying in Edinburgh through that winter working away from home down here. Course I missed family, home and friends back up north a lot. Not constantly moping mind, coping manfully. For a few months I stayed in one of those amazing georgian flats that Edinburgh has more than it’s fair share of. It was so empty and it sounded so good. Then the weather was unbelievable! It stopped the trains and closed the roads and trapped me away from home. So those sort of feelings came out in those 6 songs. Not that you’d sit down to write that sort of song deliberately, that would be miserable. As for the name, well it took ages to settle on a satisfactory name and a cover, but I’d read a little about the history of the SS Leviathan/SS Great Eastern and then happened upon the painting you see on the cover. I like the story of the ship – endeavour made redundant.

Is this a stop-gap release or were you just desperate to get the tunes out?

Well neither. There’s only so much appetite for new songs by any band isn’t there? Especially so for a wee band like us. Even if you had the money you’re a fool to pump out song after song, record after record. That’s simply irritating, at least I find that sort of thing massively irritating. But an EP or a mini LP seemed like an interesting thing to do, and it seemed like we’d left a decent period of quiet since the last time we were out mithering folk. I was also keen to use a format other than CD, and as we can’t really afford to do vinyl or 8 track cassettes we thought we’d do a tape. These songs having come pretty much together, together, reinforced the EP/mini LP idea. And anyway, personally I prefer shorter 6-9 song albums to longer, bloated ones.

Sooooooo……. World tour for this one?

World tour? No…. (Stu – can you drum?)

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Endless Knocking

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May 10, 2012

Album of the Week: Jesus H. Foxx – Endless Knocking

“This seems to be becoming the narrative of the album release” says Michael Hunter of Jesus H. Foxx when pressed about why it’s taken so long to get Endless Knocking out. It’s a fair question.

It really is years since “the Foxx” (not be confused with Jesus H. Christ or John Foxx) have put out any new music and gigs have been sporadic at best. We can only think of a Come on Gang! support slot and a Song, by Toad Christmas bash where we’ve seen their name on a poster.

As Hunter goes on to say, there are a myriad of reasons behind this but thankfully it’s largely worth the wait.

They’ve expanded their line-up since those early EPs and rather than the rawer sound of old, Endless Knocking is mostly intricate chamber pop with one eye on the US, with the smattering of folk fairy dust that you’d expect from a band making heavy use of violin and glockenspiel.

Hunter’s even baritone brings a sense of calm to the occasion, his voice eminating an air of both exasperation and a feeling he’s seen all this before.

Even when the music whips up a storm – like the climax to So the Wind Won’t Blow it All Away – his delivery suggests little more than a raised eyebrow and a knowing look. Permanent Defeat settles into a smart little groove and the similarly languid backing vocals of multi-instrumentalist Tallah Brash get a run-out on Elegy for the Good, as does her charming cornet.

That song in particularly exemplifies the album with it’s incredibly tight instrumentation and stylistic changes throughout its running time. You’ll get the feeling that the Foxx aren’t unfamiliar with the work of Grizzly Bear and there’s even a dose of Los Campesinos! and Slow Club in the mix. All good though, and certainly not derivative.

Even when slide guitar and Afrobeat rhythms are slipped into the same song it somehow works and again, Hunter doesn’t seem remotely bothered at the threats of being eaten alive in the lyrics, be they literal or metaphorical.

For all it’s genre mixing, this is a markedly less challenging listen that the other recent Song, by Toad release, An Eagle to Saturn by The Leg. Endless Knocking could be seen almost as a companion piece – the bands share a city, a record label, a work ethic (sorry, I’ll stop now…) and a playful feel to them.

This is certainly the calmer of the two albums and a pleasant reminder of what Jesus H. Foxx were all about all those years ago.

Sorry again, here’s that interview with Michael Hunter.

Dear god, you’ve been around for years. Why has it taken so long to get an album out?

This seems to be becoming the narrative of the album release. Basically, loads of reasons – Steve moving to Australia was a big one, day jobs, changes in sound and personnel… above all though, we just wanted to do it right, and perhaps got kind of weighed down by that. In retrospect, the Matter EP probably should’ve been the first album, rather than the first half of one.

What’s been the biggest influence on Endless Knocking?

I think the beauty of there being so many of us in the band is the ragbag of influences -  I think people can hear loads of different things in the band, and its pretty hard to dismiss this record as a straight up rip-off of someone else, which is great. I mean, we could go through the record bit by bit and point out all the stuff we’ve ripped off and mention Animal Collective, The Boredoms, Death From Above, Deerhoof, Paul Simon, Dirty Projectors, The Beach Boys and Zapp and Roger and  so on and  so on and so on but that’s probably a bit of a self-defeating exercise. In saying that, Talking Heads, R.E.M. (1981-86) and Jonathan Richman were and have always been enduring influences.

Jesus H. Foxx live in 2009 (!!) by Markus Thorsen

Do you think your sound has changed since your earlier recordings?

Yeah, I think that’s pretty evident! I guess you could say there’s a lot of reasons for this. Primarily, it has a lot to do, again, with the personnel. On the first single, we were a classic/basic four-piece – guitar/guitar/bass/drums, and we’ve got a lot more flexibility now. We agreed whilst continually adding members – we’re back up to seven, at last count – that it was extremely important that more instruments did not simply equal “louder”, but rather more dynamic. We didn’t want to fall into the trap of everyone playing all the time, so restraint is important, kind of more like a pop orchestra, where instruments drop in and out, and everyone has their parts and cues. I think, conversely, the more members we’ve added, the quieter it’s allowed us to become, simply because we have more options. Also, the longer we’ve been playing, the more confident we’ve become – in the early days, I think we were falling into that trap of trying to play so fast and loud that the audience couldn’t talk over us, I just kind of presumed that’s what you had to do. It was a show by Rob St. John, actually, that really changed my mind on this – watching him play Acid Test to a silent, rapt audience proved to me you could play quiet at a local show and people would listen.

Will you be marking the release with a run round the festival circuit and a world tour?

If Dunfermline, Coatbridge and Stirling constitute a world tour, then absolutely. I’d really love to tour the Highlands, its a pretty long-held ambition of mine. Though its purely selfish, I’m really hoping we can do that.

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Dream of the Inbetween

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May 2, 2012

Album of the Week: French Wives – Dream of the Inbetween

The Tidal Wave of Indifference and French Wives go back a fair bit, not least after the band’s rousing performance at the Tidal Wave of Indifference Presents last year.

We’re unashamed and confirmed fans, at least of their live performances, so a chance to get an advance listen to their long-awaited debut album was a no-brainer. It would have been a little awkward if it wasn’t any good, but thankfully the band haven’t put us in a difficult position.

Produced by Tony Doogan (Mogwai/Belle and Sebastian) over the last year or so, Dream of the Inbetween is an accomplished statement of intent. Doogan’s production has worked wonders for the band and the faintly tinny sounding early EPs are long forgotten, with a big, boisterous sound right from the start.

Stuart Dougan’s vocals are right at the top of the mix throughout and from opener Modern Columns onward, the value that Siobhan Anderson’s violin adds is finally clear – not something which has always been obvious live, or on previous recordings.

So yes, they have a violin, and also a nice line in sweaters, but this is a million miles away from the template of Scottish folk pop that’s becoming a little wearing. Album standout Numbers has some tasty guitar sounds that you certainly wouldn’t hear this side of an Aberfeldy album.

There are quieter moments like Back Breaker and Younger is a delicate almost-ballad that hits a rousing chorus, before crashing out on huge-sounding coda.

The stop/start rhythms of a rearranged Me Vs. Me takes them into Franz Ferdinand territory and other motifs do subtly reference other notable Scottish bands – Admiral Fallow are a clear influence – but the songs on Dream of the Inbetween are good enough for this to be an instantly forgivable misdemeanour.

French Wives have taken their time over the album in an effort to get it absolutely right. And it’s paid off. With a trip to SXSW in March and being named in the Bloggers Alternative Sound of 2012 list (yes, we voted for them!), they have both ambition and good will to go with the songs. Don’t bet against them being this year’s breakout Scottish band.

We spoke to guitarist Scott Macpherson, meaning that French Wives join a dubious roll call of bands interviewed twice on the Tidal Wave of Indifference.

How was SXSW? Suitably knackered I hope?

South By was a great experience. We’re really privileged that we were able to go. Obviously we don’t know when or if we’ll ever be back so we really wanted to make the most of being out there. And I think it’s safe to say we definitely did! The famous Texan hospitality treated us rather well. In the weeks following it we definitely were knackered, but we’ve been back for like a month now, so it’s very much back to reality. For example, I’m currently writing this from the bar I work in. There are only two customers in, both of whom are eating scotch pies I substandardly heated for them. It kind of puts the cutting about like a rock star for a month into perspective!

The album’s out at last! A good feeling?

Yeah it’s a great feeling, but also a terrifying one. People often talk about how it’s like letting your children go to school or whatever and I’m beginning to understand that now. I just hope it’s good and people don’t bully it in the playground! But in all seriousness we’re really excited for people to hear it especially after we spent so long working so hard on it. We’re all really eager to hear people’s take on it, as it might be a bit different to what some people are expecting.

Will you be hawking your wares on the festival circuit this summer?

Hopefully, but we’ve nothing confirmed just yet. All the work for the US tour and the album launch tour have left us lagging behind a bit, but hopefully it’s not too late!

What’s next then?

I suppose we just have to see how this record goes. I mean, we’ve got ambitions for stuff we want to do and places we want to go, but it’s all a bit up in the air depending on the level to which the album is received. All going well, hopefully a LOT more gigs during the second half of the year.

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CYRK

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April 26, 2012

Album of the Week: Cate le Bon – CYRK

There’s something gleefully odd about Welsh songstress Cate Le Bon. We first heard her, of course, on Gruff Rhys’ faintly bonkers Neon Neon project, adding sweet vocals to a concept album about a car-making playboy-cum-crook.

But even when first solo album Me Oh My emerged in 2009, there was clearly something that set her aside from the slew of humdrum female singers that have been kicking about in the last few years, and CYRK (Polish for circus) is a further leap away from your Marlings and so on.

There’s something undeniably retro about opener Falcon Eyed. With its jangly guitars and, ahem, groovy rhythms it feels like it straddles the late sixties and early eighties and appropriately is an absolute peach.

Le Bon has already endeared herself to the Scottish indie cognoscenti with an appearance at last year’s Homegame festival in Anstruther, an inspiring visit to Eigg and Eyes So Bright being covered by Tidal Wave favourites FOUND. It’s hard to grasp instantly what the link is, but it’s heartening to hear her singing in her own accent throughout, a concept Scottish indie is more than familiar with.

Well, we think it’s her own accent. On the pleasingly psychedelic Julia, she sounds positively otherworldly; certainly a million miles away from her hometown of Penboyr.

And perhaps it is that otherworldliness that truly marks her out as a genuine talent. There’s nothing put on about this quirkiness and thankfully it’s endearing rather than tiring.

Musically, there’s a wide variation at play here. Not everything hits you with the same pace as Falcon Eyed. Greta is positively funereal and Fold the Cloth pitches more at a Kinksian vibe, build on some nice subtle organ playing.

All told, a bit of a throwback then. But CYRK will surely continue to build Le Bon’s budding fanbase and bring this fascinating talent to the ears of more people.

CRYK is out on April 30 through Turnstyle.

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Bandcrush: Brazil Exists

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April 18, 2012

We’ve never felt the need to question the existence of the world’s fifth largest country (by both area and population), sixth largest economy, home to the majority of the world’s rainforest and best footballing nation EVER. But thank goodness for a Stirling-based five-piece, who have confirmed once and for all that Brazil does in fact Exist.

That, we have to say, is quite a relief. But why should we take this disgustingly young lot’s word for it? Well, if Frightened Rabbit trust them, then so should you.

That’s right, Brazil Exists have been hand-picked to support Selkirk’s finest on five dates of their Teuchtar tour and that band’s guitarist Andy Monaghan has produced their debut EP The Hermit, released last month.

They’re a decent fit for a Frabbit-y road trip too, with the songs on The Hermit sounding big and brassy, in a similar style to their touring partners, the big difference being that that word ‘brassy’ should be taken literally. Michael Reade’s trumpet echoes throughout their sound, giving them a certain je ne sais quoi.

We certainly like the sound of them and reckon they have bags of potential. We also spoke to singer/guitarist Andy McAllister last week.

So who the hell are you?

We’re Brazil Exists, a five piece alternative Pop outfit from Stirling, Scotland.  

Describe your sound in ten words or less!

Slightly bearded, Mexican food loving chaps who enjoy strange humour. 

How did you come together as a band?

I suppose it started in very late high school. We’d all been involved in other projects growing up and I guess we just found a combination that had a working dynamic. It originally was only me, Darren and James for a year or so, then Craig joined and then Michael in early 2011. We’re a geeky happy family now. 

 
What are your key influences?
 
This is a question that we struggle with quite a bit. Writing wise/lyrically I’d say there is a lot of singer songwriter influences in there like Elliott Smith and Tom Waits. As a band however we’ve been described as a mix between Teenage Fanclub and Idlewild. I can’t think of any major influences that we consider when writing, but we’re all really into bands like The National, Idlewild, etc. So it’s just a big combination of things I guess. 
 
Why the name ‘Brazil Exists’?
 
The name Brazil Exists which was formulated concluding a philosophical discussion regarding existentialism on a train to Kilmarnock! We just thought it sounded pretty cool, one of those names that people read into far too much!
 
How does it feel to be touring with Frabbits?
 
It feels amazing. They’re really nice guys and we can’t wait to get on the road with them. 
 
Have you been to many of these far-flung places before?
 
We’ve also always wanted to play up north in the remote parts of Scotland, just because it’s such a beautiful part of the country that often misses out on touring bands. But no, we’ve never been up before and we’re really looking forward to it.
 
Can we expect to see a full release soon?
 
We’re in the studio just now with Andy from Frabbits working on a bunch of new songs. There has been talk of a rock opera.
 
As mentioned above, the band are part of Frightened Rabbit’s World Tour of the Scottish Highlands and Islands – dates below!
 
Aviemore Old Bridge Inn, April18
Stornoway An Lanntair, April 19
Portree Community Centre, April 20
Strathpeffer Spa Pavillion, April 21
Dunoon Queens Hall, April 22
Falkirk 20 Rocks, May 3 (with Three Blind Wolves, not Frabbits!)
 
The Hermit is out now on major download services. We’ve plumped for a non-EP track for a cheeky listen below.
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An Eagle to Saturn

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April 17, 2012

Album of the Week: The Leg – An Eagle to Saturn

Continuing a long line of genuine Scottish eccentrics that stretches from the Sensational Alex Harvey Band through Billy MacKenzie, up to the Aliens, comes Edinburgh mob the Leg.

Formerly known, among other things, as Desc and counting former Dawn of the Replicant man – and fellow curio Paul Vickers – among their previous collaborators, An Eagle to Saturn is Daniel, Pete and Alun’s third album as the Leg, and as well as being utterly hatstand, it’s also a belter.

In truth, things start conventionally enough with the title track, but after two minutes of gentle strumming, singer is screeching “I don’t what a twitching stick is!!” on, yes, Twitching Stick. The resemblance this charming little ditty has to the theme from South Park is almost certainly a coincidence, but it echoes the cult animation’s establishment-baiting feel. Even the more adventurous 6 Music DJ will be hesitating over putting some of this stuff on air.

Bouncing from genre to genre often in the space of a single song (highlight Freda Bolt switching from Lightening Bolt-esque fury to fade out on mournful strings deserves a special mention here), the Leg are untroubled by such commercial concerns, having existed in one form or another for almost fifteen years.

The juxtapositions are unyielding, from the dark lyrics of Bake Yourself Silly (“there are no stitches, cos there was no operation“) over some light-touch psychedelia to the beautiful strings of The Birds Are Falling, utterly spiked by some hissing, distorted vocals. Even when you’re tempted to dismiss a song as superfluous (Jingle Bells in the Summertime), up pop some superb chamber pop melodies.

Somehow, it all holds together. Just. When it’s all over you’ll find yourself on the floor, blinking, liked Spaced’s Brian Topp after an imaginary gun battle with friends, stuck with disbelief about what’s just happened.

Eccentric? Yes. Brilliant? That too. Like some of the acts we mentioned earlier, it seems that madmen continue to make cracking albums.

One of the aformentioned madmen, Daniel Mutch (guitar/banjo/vocals) was available to explain. In a surprise move, it turns out he and his bandmates are also pandas, at least according to the below pic… 

The Leg – in one form or another – have been around for a long time. How do you think your sound’s changed?

We have played together since 1998. There used to be lots of other musicians involved but, with one thing and another, we became a three piece. We never actually made a pact but it has come to feel like we did. This is most notable to us when playing older songs – they tend to become more to the point. 

An Eagle to Saturn sounds like the culmination of multiple influences and more than a smattering of your own lunatic ideas. Fair comment? Our influences are rather varied and it’s not easy to say we are influenced by this or that. The songs now tend to form over a long period of time, during which various obsessions come and go. Also we are each influenced by different things and it’s all used (sometimes it’s invisible) when it feels right. We started working on An Eagle to Saturn five years ago and finished it a few months ago. At the beginning of that time the Harry Smith anthology was the thing, by the end it was all Arabic music.
 
 
Tell us a little about what you’ve got lined up for the launch gig (details below)?
 
God willing, we will have a string section and the venue is a place of historical significance in the world of dancing.
 
Flying an eagle to Saturn is going to be rather impractical for multiple scientific reasons. However, our challenge to you is to think of a far flung destination and means of travel that’s even more ridiculous than your raptor/planet concoction – go!
 
If you threw a copy of our record at a falling monkey, the monkey would land on it and be transported into a parallel universe. It would be very dizzy but would eventually arrive in Edinbellow, the capitol of Skitland.
 
An Eagle to Saturn is out on April 30 via Song, By Toad with details of an intriguing launch night here. Their label has also made bake yourself silly available as a free download, which is awfully kind. Go get it over here.
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Bandcrush: The New Fabian Society

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April 12, 2012

So, with thanks to Wikipedia, we present the Fabian Society:

‘a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World War I. The society laid many of the foundations of the Labour Party and subsequently affected the policies of states emerging from the decolonisation of the British Empire, especially India‘.

Wow. Serious stuff and and otherwise-inoccuous email from a band has led us to this fascinating history lesson. The name of the ‘New’ Fabian Society instantly registered some recognition with us, but if it had come up in a pub quiz we’d have been struggling to define quite what it was.

So thanks then to this Glasgow two-piece for leading us to this info, but more importantly, thanks also for their awesome debut EP, Exhibition of Love.

We’ve streamed the whole thing below – it’s three tracks and just over seventeen minutes of predictably dark, gloomy and powerful guitars and drums, reminiscent of Bauhaus, Echo and the Bunnymen and their more modern acolytes Interpol (before they lost their way after two exciting albums, of course).

Lost in Berlin after four minutes of distorted effects slips into a thunderous rock song with singer Michael, aahhh, ‘Fabian’ doing his best Pete Murphy howl; Devious Minds is of a similar vein but goes for the jugular much quicker before fizzing out on the same whirring sounds that opened the EP in the first place.

There aren’t many bands in Scotland playing this kind of music to any kind of competency or quality so hearing this was a blast of fresh, yet polluted and post-industrial air. We absolutely love, and fully expect to be hearing much more from, these guys. We spoke to drummer Nick about the EP and what’s next.

So who the hell are you?

We are a two-piece band hailing from Glasgow who formed in late 2011.

Describe your sound in ten words or less!

Shadow ridden post-industrial punk with a psychedelic slant.

A minimalist EP cover - there are no 'press' shots of the band ready yet!

The band name seems very carefully chosen; care to tell us about what’s behind it?

Yes, it was carefully chosen and one which we almost never went ahead with. We’re not attempting to be political troubadours or anything like that. It was more an attempt to capture or emulate the spirit of what was once a powerful and romantic sentiment that slowly became corrupted, distorted, anarchic and tainted. I think that we wanted to convey that sense of fallibility, aggression, failure and industrialism to the current musical landscape.

How did you guys get together to make music?

We have known each other the best part of fifteen years and both grew up together but we only really joined musical forces when we ran into each other at a Horrors gig. We formed through an appreciation of the same music, excess, self loathing, misery, marginalism and disorientation with the current social environment. We wanted to make a lot of noise to the point where live it was almost unpalatable to those witnessing it.

What’s influenced the EP?

The EP was influenced by early Brian Jonestown Massacre, No Age, Mogwai, The Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster, My Bloody Valentine, early Joy Division and The Idiot by Iggy Pop.

How did you come by such a huge sound with just two of you?

We use a lot of reverb through the mics on the drum kit and a classic fender reverb amp for the guitar. We also love our effects which is generated through trusty dream machine and boss DD-7 – we have also recently became infatuated with the limitless capabilities of the e-bow. All of this helps to create a pretty loud violent industrial sound.

Is there a full length release in the pipeline?

We’ve literally just started showcasing our debut EP and we’ve been quite fortunate to have been offered some good gigs already. At this point we’re just looking to develop and expand our sound further and a generate as much noise as we can. Yeah, we would love to put an album out sometime in the near future but we have a bit to go before we’re ready.

Any live shows on the horizon? Quite a few at the moment, looking forward to supporting London band Foreign Office at King Tuts Fri 18th May. There’s a full listing of shows on our Bandcamp page, or follow us on Twitter.

Excluding yours, what’s your favourite society?

There are far too many to mention but I guess for us it would be the Oliver Reed Appreciation Society. He was a fine actor and would have been good company in Rab Ha’s* with a beer!!

*We’re assuming this is some kind of west coast wine bar.

We hope to bring you some exciting news about this band shortly – stay tuned!

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Beware and Be Grateful

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April 10, 2012

Album of the Week: Maps and Atlases – Beware and Be Grateful

Chicago’s Maps and Atlases, band of choice for “those who know” are back with their second album proper, with a few things burdening the four-piece.

Firstly, there’s the weight of expectation. The expectation that Beware and Be Grateful will be even better than 2010’s Perch Patchwork and propel the band towards bigger venues and the same rung of the ladder that’s occupied by Yeasayer and Beach House.

And vaguely linked to that, there’s also the band’s direction. Early recordings were squarely math-rock influenced, while Perch Patchwork was considerably more accessible. The assumption was that Maps and Atlases were going to get even poppier.

So what does Beware and Be Grateful actually give us? Simple – a pop record that’s certainly better than Perch Patchwork. And that’s something worth celebrating.

Sure, those tightly wound arrangements and time changes are still present and correct (the band haven’t been labelled ‘math pop’ for nothing), but in the likes of Fever and Winter, there are energy-filled pop songs bursting through.

Dave Davison’s distinctive voice is at the top of the production throughout, with a mixture of backing harmonies and vocal loops just as prominent, complimenting the juddering drums and angular guitar just nicely. 

We mentioned Yeasayer before, and that band’s blend of Afrobeat-informed odd-pop with soaring vocals isn’t a bad place to start a game of ‘Sounds like…’, especially on Silver Self. Such a comparison is fairly cosmetic, however, and we can’t think of anyone else you could truthfully say sounds like Maps and Atlases.

Oh, and if you’re worried by the phrase ‘Afrobeat-informed odd-pop’ and are thinking ‘Vampire Weekend’ as you slowly back away, fear not. A breezy tune like – oh yes – Vampires has more ideas and charm in its 2’33 run time than the Columbia Uni boys managed over their entire second album.

So make sure you find your way to Maps and Atlases, this could yet turn out to be one of the year’s best albums.

We spoke to guitarist Erin Elders over the weekend.

How do you think your sound has changed since Perch Patchwork?

I think Beware and Be Grateful sort of continues what we were doing with Perch Patchwork. But textually we experimented with a lot more effects this time around. We’ve never really been an effect-heavy band so I think dabbling in that world definitely led to some crazy ideas. I also think this album has more of a looseness to it. The songs on our previous recordings tended to tie themselves up nicely, whereas these songs kind of run wild.

Vocals seem as crucial an ‘instrument’ on the album as anything else – was that a deliberate move?

The songs on this record are the most focused we’ve written thus far and the vocals and lyrics are a crucial part of that. We wanted them to stick out a little more in the mix. Also, a lot of the weird sounds on this record are actually vocal loops.

What are the key influences you’ve brought to Beware and Be Grateful?

We’ve always been pretty influenced by artists like David Bowie and The Talking Heads and I think this album leans toward the Brian Eno-era Bowie records. Some of the songs started off very keyboard heavy and had sort of a “Low” vibe.

 Do you expect to be back in the UK after your April shows – a festival or two perhaps?

We have no definite plans yet but I’m sure we will be back to the UK in the relatively near future.

Maps and Atlases are in the UK next week. Catch them at the following dates:

Bristol Cooler, April 16

London Garage, April 17

Manchester Night and Day, April 18

Glasgow Nice ‘N Sleazy April 19

Leeds Brudenell, April 20

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Bandcrush: Town Hall

Filed under: Interviews — Leave a comment
April 8, 2012

Covering New York’s Town Hall was an easy decision to make. Not only did they ensure their constant presence on our radar through a series of persistently cheery emails, the music lived up to their promise of greatness.

From the least promising of band names has emerged one of this year’s best EPs in Sticky Notes and Paper Scraps. Far from the messy collection of offcuts, its name suggests, it’s focused, well-produced and one of the best things we’ve heard this year.

Build around core members – and music students – Stefan, Phoebe and Jesse, there’s a maturity present that other folk-influenced bands struggle to pick up in their formative years. They remind us a lot of an American Last Battle and we think the two bands are kindred spirits, even if, until reading this piece, they’re probably never heard of each other.

There’s already an album on the way, and the band’s first video embedded below. We’re impressed both by their talent and their ambition, and on current form, maybe that first Scottish show isn’t far away. Here’s a bit more from the band’s Jesse Kranzler.

So who the hell are you?

We’re Town Hall; we’re a folk band from NYC. We’re all music students and good friends.

Describe your sound in ten words or less!

Folk. Pop. Rock. Adventure. Experimental. Roots. Fun. Electric. Calm. Quirky.

Both New York and Scotland are coming down with folk pop bands at the minute. Why should we listen to you guys?

Because we need friends. You want to be our friend, don’t you? Our music reflects a lot of varied influence – from the avant-garde to top 40 pop – so we try to put a spin on traditional folk and indie music to make the tunes both easily accessible and give a music nerd something to stay entertained with too.

How did you come together as a band?

We met at school freshman year and started writing music together the following summer.

What inspired that lovely EP then?

Sticky Notes and Paper Scraps is a collection of songs that we initially had released on an acoustic EP right after the band formed. They all changed through our transition from an acoustic trio to a full band, so we wanted to show people how our sound has progressed & give a hint as to what the full-length will be like.

And can we expect that full length record soon?

April 15th, baby. The album is called Roots and Bells and picks up right where the EP left off. It puts together all of our new material as well as a few songs from the EP to create a full narrative. We consider this album to be our first big statement as a band and we’re excited for everyone to hear it! In the meantime, we’ve been releases acoustic re-interpretations of some of old favorites on our YouTube, since I know you’re probably just itchin’ to hear us play some more tunes. An EP of all of our cover songs will come out shortly after the full-length is released. Oh, and if anyone who reads this is in the New York area, we’ll be celebrating our album release with a show at The Studio at Webster Hall on Sunday, April 15th!

Any plans to hit Europe?

DEFINITELY. Do you want to fly us out?

Ummmmm. What’s your favourite town hall then?

Ours I think?

Bzzzzt. Wrong! The correct answer was in fact Hollywood Town Hall by the Jayhawks. We’ve streamed some choice cuts from Sticky Notes and Paper Scrap above and here’s the video for Good Boy, a taster for that incoming album. Enjoy!

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