So you probably don’t need to hear me wittering on about Latitude any more, but this is the last word, I promise. I recently did an interview for Milo McLaughlin’s I Hear a New World Podcast about my experiences there.
You can listen to it here:
http://gaseousbrain.com/ihanw-podcast-evil-stu-talks-about-latitude-2010/
Enjoy- and check out Milo’s previous shows while you’re there. That boy knows his music.
Album of the Week: Serena-Maneesh – S-M 2: Abyss in B Minor
I’ve always considered Serena-Maneesh to be one of ‘my’ bands. Known to very few people in my wider circle of friends and liked by even less.
It’s listening to bands like this that have cemented my reputation as a pretentious music obscurist. It’s a reputation that’s probably well-founded and that I’m happy enough to carry, but that doesn’t mean I want bands like Serena-Maneesh to stay within my orbit only.
However, I’m not daft either. For example, album opener Ayisha Abyss – with its mumbled vocals, driving percussion and growly bass - is unlikely to be troubling JLS or Tinny Temper in the charts any time soon.
But just because you’ve recorded your second album in a Norwegian cave, never get played on the radio (not even 6 Music!) and that hardly anyone ever writes about you, doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve a bit of exposure.
2006′s eponymous debut was a fearsome proposition, with the bass-y rumble of Don’t Come Down Here and Your Blood In Mine in particular, reaching eardrum-worrying levels of volume.
There were quieter moment on there too and this belated follow-up is cut from the same cloth.
Hilma and Emil Nikolaisen’s tender vocals lend the record a little more subtlety, lending creedence to the My Bloody Valentine comparisons that the band have been repeatedly (but fairly) hit with.
Sufjan Stevens is apparently on here too, but I’ll be damned if I can hear him over the white noise.
Serena-Maneesh - my Norwegian valentine
Musically, like MBV, the album veers from the crushing squall of Reprobate! to the dreamier sounds of Melody for Jaana; Blow Yr Brains In the Mourning Rain (nice!) sounds like it could be the Stooges.
Honeyjinx is probably the best thing here, blending sweet melodies with howling feedback – but you can even hear guitar strings being plucked in the effects-heavy mix.
If there’s a complain to be made, it’s that it feels a little slight. It clocks in at around 37 minutes, not actually all that short, but features only eight tracks… I just felt that an extra track might have made it more of an event, particularly when the band have been away for almost four years.
No matter… it’s a great listen, and hopefully it’s not just me that’ll buy it. They’re on 4AD, a stronghold for unique indie bands, and that ought to give their profile a bit of a boost.
Their performance at Reading in ’06 was captivating and shamanic – would it be too much to ask for an appearance at Latitude this summer?
Firstly, apologies for the cheesy title but this post really is stuffed with free music.
It’s meant as a wee thank you to everyone who’s been reading the blog over the last month – I had pretty low expectations over who would actually take the time to do so, but I’ve been genuinely stunned by the amount of hits and positive feedback I’ve had.
The Tidal Wave of Indifference was meant to be a wee interest on the side, and I doubt it’ll ever be much more than that, but now I’m definitely going to keep it going.
So here’s some quality tunes that I’ve been listening to of late that might interest you. Most of what’s here is freely available elsewhere as I’m not daft enough to start pissing about with copyright infringement (yet) but free music is always a treat. Of course, if you like any of what’s on offer then I would strongly encourage you to invest some of your own cash in the artists in question.
First up is a track from last week’s magnificent Album of the Week by the Besnard Lakes:
Caribou are a superb Candian electronic outfit who have a new album out soon. Here’s a taster for it:
Caribou grazing in Kansas City
Staying in Canada, Wintersleep won their equivalent of the Mercury a few years ago and from what I’ve heard it was well deserved. Here’s a track from their upcoming fourth (I think) album:
From one of my favourite under the radar albums of last year, here’s the bruising Malko by Russian Circles:
Teenage Fanclub are back? It feels like summer already…
Conquering Animal Sound seem to the latest name on everyone’s lips as the Scottish band with breakthrough potential. Peenko’s blog unearthed this live track, and being no stranger to bandwagon jumping, I’d say this lot are well worth a look.
I’m celebrating the sheer quality of the Latitude line-up compared to (meh) T this week. Here’s a track by the Archie Bronson Outfit, one of the latest additions:
Someone from the Archie Bronson Outfit who isn't actually called Archie Bronson. In fact, none of them are! Wow!
Another track spotted via Peenko, Aqualung pretty much soundtracked my wedding so they’ll always make me feel a bit sentimental. Thankfully they continue to be pretty good too!
I was unable to join in the chorus of dismay over the death of Alex Chilton as I just wasn’t familiar with much of his material. I did stumble upon a few of his tunes in my iTunes though, and this, one of his better known songs is rather lovely…
Finally, the National are back in May. I, for one, am really rather excited. This new song has been doing the rounds for a few days now and it’s a corker:
Matt Berninger of the National - incoming
Thanks! Not likely to do too many music giveaways in the future as they’re a faff to put together and I can’t guarantee there’ll always be so many usable tracks kicking about.
Enjoy!
Stu xox
PS ‘Right click and save as’ should work when downloading the songs.
An open letter to Geoff Ellis, boss-man of DF Concerts, promoters of T in the Park.
Dear Geoff,
Thanks for the terribly predictable T in the Park line-up announced last month with only the merest smattering of quality and originality among the commercial dross you’ve picked out.
It’s never bothered me before, as you’ve always managed to book plenty of bands that I, one of your more discerning regulars, appreciate.
Putting Broken Social Scene, Dirty Projectors and Four Tet in there left me optimistic that there would be more where that came from and I would have enough ‘fringe’ music to amuse me, along some of the better populist choices like Muse and Biffy.
So I was tingling with a little excitement when I heard there would be more bands announced last week.
And what do we get? Madness. Jamie T. Paloma Faith.
Oh dear.
Also in there were Delphic (a decent album, but hardly compulsive viewing) and Frank Turner (don’t mind him, but a few friends appreciate his music a lot more than I do). But overall it was still a massive let down.
So that’s 55 acts announced and I’ve counted 14 that I give a toss about with a meagre seven in the ‘must see’ category.
So what does Moany Music Snob of Musselburgh do now?
Simple. I’m voting with my feet.
Or more to the point, my wheels. It’s a nine or ten hour drive to Sussex, but after I finish this post I’ll be booking tickets to Latitude.
Latitude already has a great looking line-up. Aside from the homely, relaxed atmosphere that the festival is said to have, having the National, the xx and Grizzly Bear headline its second stage is an instant stamp of quality.
The Horrors are in there too and Charlotte Gainsbourg will lend the occasion a bit of Gallic class.
It’s the weekend after T so going to both is clearly not an option, both financially and for childcare – so our T tickets are now up for grabs.
This post was meant to be a general moan about the quality of the Balado line-up, under the premise that I would still be going. I’d scribbled down a few thoughts on who I’d like to see you book. The xx and Grizzly Bear were both on that list.
So were LCD Soundsystem and the Hold Steady, but I can’t see that they’ll be added now. With so many big acts now on the bill, it’ll be up and coming acts that’ll pad it out.
Not necessarily a bad thing, but a hell of a chance to take. A lot of folk go to festivals for the craic and the booze, and that’s undoubtedly a massive part of it, but for me it’s mostly about the music.
In the same way that I can barely tolerate being in a pub or club (Clubs! Ha! I remember them…) that’s playing terrible music, I don’t wish to find myself watching Kasabian in a field, hands stuffed in pockets sulking, because there’s nothing better on. And paying £180 for the ‘pleasure’.
James Murphy, Craig Finn and their respective bands almost certainly won’t be playing Latitude either, but the five acts named above give me the sense that it’ll be well worth the cash. There’ll be lots else happening too.
Latitude takes comedy seriously – Marcus Brigstocke and Kevin Bridges have already been announced. There’ll be talks on films and books, a bit of poetry and some theatre.
Now I’m not going to badge myself as a middle class twat at this point and say “I’m going to a festival for the poetry” as that would be a total lie and not what I’m about.
But, as an alternative to watching the latest sadsack Oasis wannabes playing to a bunch of pissed up neds spoiling for a fight, then Bret Easton Ellis doing a reading from one of his books will do nicely thanks.
And even if I did stick to the music, of only 10 bands announced, four fall into the aforementioned ‘must see’ category with Florence the only one that I’d go out of my way to avoid.
Of course, I’m taking a massive risk. It would just be typical that the second I get my confirmation email from Latitude, you’ll send out another press release announcing that Frightened Rabbit (who are surely a no-brainer), Fever Ray and Sigur Rós are to play T.
But fuck it. As much as I’ve enjoyed T since 1999, having been to Connect in ’08, I’ve found the idea of a smaller, more focused festival hugely appealing.
Am I getting old? Probably? Is T’s loss of appeal coinciding with my own music taste spiralling up my backside? Almost certainly. Am I categorically finished with T? Well, Geoff, I’ll never say never on that front. Who knows?
But at least Latitude will have more beards than Buckie and I’ll be more likely to trip over a buggy than a bam.
And as this is effectively ‘our holiday’ for the year, the road trip and scenic setting will make it more fun than tailgating a coach crawling up the M90 with some wee bellend in a football top baring his arse shouting “T in the fuckin’ Park big man!!!!” at us for the whole journey.
Yours sincerely,
“Evil” Stu
Musselburgh
Now…. does anyone want to buy a T in the Park ticket?
This…
…or this?
