SCATTER MAGAZINE

Music features.

[scattermagazine]

Father John Misty. Live at The Wiltern, L.A.

I’ve been into FJM for maybe a few months now but, until recently, in a fairly half hearted way. I’d have to put that down to the fact that I didn’t really get his whole deal. I’d kind of pawned his music off as drug based, psychedelic country uncomfortably sandwiched between heartfelt love songs. I knew there was something more in there but I couldn’t really see what. This is the reason I will never say a bad word about my night with Josh Tillman at The Wiltern, I finally got to see what his alter ego was really about.

For one, his image translates into one of the most breathtaking on stage personas we as a generation have claim to. The six piece live act is separated between Tillman, who operates as a solo entity and the rest of the band who act purely as his crutch-the coolest and most effective crutch I know. They had the same aura surrounding them that Tarantino’s ‘Reservoir Dogs’ ooze as they took to the stage (preceding the arrival of Tilman) to Édith Piaf’s classic ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’. Whilst under no illusion that when Tillman is on stage they are at work, they enhanced the performance. The professionalism of their performance mirrors the suits they are wearing and I can not accurately portray the force that this exudes, you simply have to experience it yourself.

While the band finds power in minimalist performance Tillman leads spectacularly at the complete other end of the spectrum commanding the stage like a modern Elvis. Balancing a guitar through the frail, yet erotic hip sways found in his country numbers and falling to his knees in passionate, depreciative verse he moves in a way that causes the kind of swoon I’ve only ever seen in old Beatles performances. He’s an odd amalgamation of a rail thin frame and dorky dance moves neatly portrayed in a sparkling blazer and well groomed beard. A hipster Sinatra but a refined Jim Morrison in a new era of cool that mainlines romanticism and talent. Truly, Father John Misty is on the brink of something and I do believe after watching him his ballad-folk could change the way the alternative music is viewed for years to come.

Support came from Mikal Cronin, a five piece whose members oddly looked like doppelgängers of University friends. They were pretty cool, I’d not heard them before but I’ll check them out. Somewhere between the Killers and the Front Bottoms, kind of fluttering between the two. They were kind of a weird support choice for FJM to be honest but I enjoyed them none the less.

FJM holds a unique ability to sound identical on stage as he does on record yet so, so much better. Not many bands can truly say they do that (or at least I wouldn’t agree with them if they did). The performances enriched tracks I hadn’t previously been set on, such as ‘the Ideal Husband’ and ‘True Affection’, to the point I had continuous shivers running down my spine from start to finish.

I want to end this review on the subject of shivers because they should never be under appreciated. Shivers are one of the greatest things that a music lover can experience. That moment when what you’re listening to has affected you in such an intimate and expressive way you can feel it on a primitive level. I’ve experienced far, far to many gigs when the only shivers I’ve had have been from back pain brought on by boredom and standing in one place for an extended period of time. Don’t bother putting yourself through that anymore it’s not worth it. Please, just go and watch Father John Misty.

[scattermagazine]

Tigercub, Omen. (Alcopop!)

Grunge pioneers? Nirvana Re-incarnate? Not really. This is something different, this is evil captured on tape. 

Brighton 3-piece Tigercub have ever so slowly shifted into having an audience. Moving toward it in one long, continuous shift. 

I first saw them supporting Dinosaur Pile Up in 2013. They had a relatively small audience, like any support act. They blew me away, more so than other acts on the bill. 

‘Omen’ is Tigercub hitting their stride. It’s a vulgar display of tone that shows how serious they are about making their brand work. Lead singer Jamie describes the band concisely, stating “We are all Schrodinger’s Cat, trapped between life and death”. An introduction that sets the listener up neatly for the chaos that ensues when hitting that play button. 

Tigercub are increasingly becoming the only act in heavy music we should be paying attention. If we don’t, I’m not sure what will happen but it’s not going to be pretty. 

‘Omen’ is the first single from the upcoming debut album - ‘Abstract Figures in The Dark’. See the full track listing below. 

‘Abstract Figures In The Dark’ tracklisting: 1. Burning Effigies 2. Memory Boy 3. Omen 4. Migraine 5. Can You Hear Me (Interlude) 6. Up In Smoke 7. The Golden Ratio 8. Control 9. Serial Killer 10. By Design 11. Abstract Figures In The Dark 12. Black Tide

[scattermagazine]

'Promise Everything' - Basement

Basement spearhead a terribly over-saturated genre. It's not particularly fun to define but if you have to it's sort of new-wave, pop-punk/hardcore. It can either be a wonderfully grungy answer to another stuffy music category; pop or it can be an utterly enraging joke of a scene. Rife with people who enjoy a good 'fuckboy' joke despite the fact they are the epitome of their own insult. Not dissimilar from most mainstream alternative entities of course. Basement are one of those bands that usually avoid discrimination within their genre being one of the first to ride its success. They are ultimately seen as the holy grail of the scene-your Nirvana's, Black Flag's and Led Zeppelin's. Like those bands they deserve a bit of praise but they are by no means some divine creation. They have mediocre songs and they have great ones. The first single 'promise everything' taken from a forthcoming album of the same name is one of those great ones. If you were hoping 'promise everything' would be an indicator for new album's direction unfortunately it doesn't speak volumes. It's different, but it's also pretty similar. It's still whiny emo but it has a less melodic feel. In comparison to older stuff it's a 'bad apple' rather than a 'fading'. It's catchy and everything but it doesn't have that big chorus. Musically it's as adventurous as early tracks like 'plan to be surprised'. The bass solo/breakdown seems more instrumentally mapped and executed compared to their more melody driven tracks. There's only so much you can say about one song really but it's an interesting first look at album three. All I will say for now is that It's no more mature than earlier work which, whilst not necessarily a bad thing, was a trait I thought may have resulted from their hiatus.

[scattermagazine]

Getting tired of town and Andy Oliveri's 'Pay Your Respect to the Rose'.

When I arrived at university Cheltenham was home to a thriving folk scene. It almost felt like it was on the brink of something special. It was host to a core of folk musicians who were in the same social circle. They collaborated with and supported each other and thrived in the towns venue - the Frog and Fiddle.

It was exciting for me to be there in the early days of being a freshman. I’d moved from a small village in rural Suffolk and the only place that had anything that resembled a music scene nearby was London (which was a two hour drive). But here there was a scene, there were gigs every night and people my age were attending them. It was an awesome vibe, meeting loads of people and watching new bands. I miss those days. With the naivety of living in a new town everything seems bigger and the people seem nicer. It’s funny looking back. Ordering a Butcombe for the first time and watching hosts of bands I’d never heard of assuming they were all a big deal. But after you spend some time there and get to know the people, the venues and the staff that innocence gets wiped away. You realise that things weren’t really what they seemed. The excitement and wonder just becomes normal and nothing seems as good.

Throughout the three years I spent there the folk scene largely weltered and faded. Bands like Jim Lockey and The Solemn Sun, Boat to Row, Welcome to Marathon and Jake Watson who had so much potential either moved away or disbanded entirely. The Frog grew boring and the bands didn’t seem so great. We still visited frequently but really we had moved on. It’s a shame that happens. At the time you don’t realise it but you inevitably miss it when it’s gone.

One of my early favourites of that scene was a humble, quiet chap called Andy Oliveri. I always considered him one of the integral parts of the scene but I liked that in a way he seemed somewhat separated from it-perhaps because of his unassuming and reserved character. You can see this in the way he’s quietly soldiered on whilst his contemporaries have largely died. When I first arrived in town it seemed that Andy was playing more or less every night but in my last months that wasn’t so much the case. I rarely noticed his presence save a few shows despite hearing about a new album from a friend who was helping to produce it. From what I could tell, Andy was staying quiet because he was making sure that he perfected it. I think he kept getting close but wasn’t entirely satisfied.

Looking at Andy’s progress since the release of ‘Pay Your Respect to the Rose’ he seems to have returned to a steady flow of gigging. Being overseas I struggle to keep such a close eye on him but I have a feeling it’s exactly where he wants it to be. In the position of playing what he wants to and when. Slowly releasing and playing music, taking time as he does so. You can hear that on the album.

It’s a breathtaking effort with 11 individually crafted tracks all beautifully written and produced. At face value it’s a superb collection of introspective acoustic tracks but as you pay close attention you can hear that the time’s been spent on perfecting the incredibly intricate moments. One of my favourite examples of this is the organ heard in the closing moments of ‘She Bets on Wild Horses’. It’s one of those rare moments in music where the most fragile performance becomes the most powerful.

I think that so many bands at this relatively small level of notoriety rush releases under the impression that the more content they have online the more likely they are to be noticed. It’s so inspiring to see an artist take more care in a debut that isn’t guaranteed wide exposure. You can really tell the Andy has taken as much time as he truly needed to create these perfect compositions.

[scattermagazine]

Elvis Depressedley, New Alhambra (Review).

I listened to New Alhambra for the first time today. Which is something I'm actually ashamed of saying say as it’s been out for a good few months now. I’m usually better than that. Thank god for the holy entity that is Spotify for politely notifying me that the album was available for my streaming pleasure.

Considering It’d been two years since ‘Holo Pleasures’, the bands preceding release, I had an overwhelming feeling of disappointment whilst playing this through for the first time. I actually turned it off before I even got to the half way mark (though that was more to do with the fact that it’s quiet melancholia was making me sleepy, which isn’t the most desirable effect when attempting not to get lost in the Arizona wilderness that separates the Grand Canyon and Phoenix). I was hoping for something completely different to previous efforts. I thought that since signing with Run For Cover they'd have gone into creative hiding to re-invent and perfect their sound. But really, apart from maybe being a little less moody, not a lot had changed.

I’ve read that the wait was a result of main songwriter Mat Cothran and his partner/bandmate Delaney Mills more or less being homeless for the interim. Also Cothran’s other band Coma Cinema have in fact also been recording. I guess they are pretty fair excuses. That being said I consider the initial dissapointment a serious bummer as I distinctly remember how exciting I found ED when I first heard them. I wanted that excitement again.

My interpretation of Elvis Depressedly is this; foremost they’re not exclusively for miserable people but their music certainly fits that mould. As a project they remind me of someone like the Velvet Underground. A band whose goal isn’t to have the best produced album possible and doesn’t pour hours and hours over each individual intricacy. They’re the kind of act who finds and half broken keyboard and a guitar with 5 strings, writes, records and then releases.

From what I’ve heard the band I just described isn’t too far off the mark. In a stereogum interview Cothran reveals that New Alhambra was mainly recorded on one microphone. Which is funny, because one other thing I did notice is that NA is certainly a better produced album than 'Holo Pleasures'.

It’s nice to know that this is how they do operate because when I consider those facts It puts NA in a light that makes the shoddy, conservative effort rather inspiring. Music like this is a straight-up, no mess release. The songs are as natural as possible. Despite my distaste of the word ‘authenticity’ It’s a fairly accurate decription. It’s the feeling this kind of songwriting creates and production techniques embellish.

Sitting in bed and listening to NA after letting it digest for the day my opinion has completely changed. I acknowledge that this particular playback has the benefit of headphones but that aside I've come to terms with why NA sounds the way it does and why It's not as adventurous as I thought it could be. I'm ok with it because Elvis Depressedly aren't one of those bands that spends two years toiling over the same 10 tracks. Instead, they're the kind of band that waits a year and half before picking up the mic and seeing what happens. They aren't going to change the world but they simply don't care for that anyway. I think that there is beauty in that.

[scattermagazine]

La Dispute.

I’ve had a couple of promotional e-mails recently about La Dispute’s forthcoming documentary ‘Tiny Dots’ land in my inbox. It's got me thinking about the band and music in general (something I do quite a lot anyway) but in a slightly different way.

I have a tendency of viewing La Dispute as the band I originally got into back in 2012. They’d had sophomore album 'Wildlife' out for about 6 months and whilst I figured they probably had a fair amount of traction in the States they still seemed fairly underground in the UK. Though looking back I think that maybe I just want them to be that way. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.

Using words like 'underground' or even 'indpendent' when describing a band tends to pigeon hole them as a particular entity. An entity that you consider to have a small but incredibly loyal fanbase. It's a natural feeling with the kind of music where 'emotion' or 'authenticity' are staple requirements of the genre. This feeling combines with the fact that bands in this league are the kind that you can get in to before anyone else you know. They’re the bands that you recommend to your friends and get that immense amount of satisfaction in doing so.

The satisfaction comes because you are the one that found them. The problem I've found is that this in turn leads to that self-righteous feeling that, in a weird way, the band kind of owes you because they’d be down three fans if you hadn't helped them out. I won't lie that this has happened on more than one occasion to me, I really wouldn't be surprised if what I'm describing has happened to you.

I think this is why when the first singles for 'Rooms of the House’ started dropping I ignored them pretty quickly. Their new direction seemed to be that of a commercial one and I didn’t like the idea that what I had spent hours learning about, listening to and analysing was going to reach a new audience who didn’t understand or appreciate the band I loved.

When writing this and looking back at the words above It seems so obvious how childish that notion is. Not purely for the fact that Wildlife was clearly a more commercial effort than 'SATBOTRBVAA’ anyway but also that I’d clearly never bothered to research how big the band actually was.

Mostly though I’m also ashamed that I was like that at any point. Feeling annoyed and even betrayed that a band would try to expand the platform of which they could market their music. It’s so petty. So really, props to a friend for sitting me down and insisting 'For Mayor In Splitsville’ is a great track. Without that the album itself wouldn't have gone on to become of my most played efforts of last year.

As I've matured and been through a music degree my understanding of the business acumen a band must possess to truly display their talent has vastly improved. I've come to realise how unfair and really rather selfish the feeling outlined above is, despite how understanding I am of it. The more you hold on to that feeling the more that band seems sacred to you. I get that. But the only way the band can continue to do what makes them and do what they want to do, creatively and professionally, is to grow and develop even when that may seem a commercial movement.

What I'm ultimately getting at is that watching a band like La Dispute grow from the aggressive Jordan Dreyer I've seen in vidoes playing 'Future Wars' at 'dirt fest' to the band that is meticulously planning the release of a documentary is like watching a teenager grow up and mature (which I have done in that time). Growth like this, for me, drives home how important it is to share music and really take pride in helping bands grow. More than anything else, just so that you can share your enlightening musical experience with other people.

[scattermagazine]

Father John Misty. Live at The Wiltern, L.A.

I’ve been into FJM for maybe a few months now but, until recently, in a fairly half hearted way. I’d have to put that down to the fact that I didn’t really get his whole deal. I’d kind of pawned his music off as drug based, psychedelic country uncomfortably sandwiched between heartfelt love songs. I knew there was something more in there but I couldn’t really see what. This is the reason I will never say a bad word about my night with Josh Tillman at The Wiltern, I finally got to see what his alter ego was really about.

For one, his image translates into one of the most breathtaking on stage personas we as a generation have claim to. The six piece live act is separated between Tillman, who operates as a solo entity and the rest of the band who act purely as his crutch-the coolest and most effective crutch I know. They had the same aura surrounding them that Tarantino’s ‘Reservoir Dogs’ ooze as they took to the stage (preceding the arrival of Tilman) to Édith Piaf’s classic ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’. Whilst under no illusion that when Tillman is on stage they are at work, they enhanced the performance. The professionalism of their performance mirrors the suits they are wearing and I can not accurately portray the force that this exudes, you simply have to experience it yourself.

While the band finds power in minimalist performance Tillman leads spectacularly at the complete other end of the spectrum commanding the stage like a modern Elvis. Balancing a guitar through the frail, yet erotic hip sways found in his country numbers and falling to his knees in passionate, depreciative verse he moves in a way that causes the kind of swoon I’ve only ever seen in old Beatles performances. He’s an odd amalgamation of a rail thin frame and dorky dance moves neatly portrayed in a sparkling blazer and well groomed beard. A hipster Sinatra but a refined Jim Morrison in a new era of cool that mainlines romanticism and talent. Truly, Father John Misty is on the brink of something and I do believe after watching him his ballad-folk could change the way the alternative music is viewed for years to come.

Support came from Mikal Cronin, a five piece whose members oddly looked like doppelgängers of University friends. They were pretty cool, I’d not heard them before but I’ll check them out. Somewhere between the Killers and the Front Bottoms, kind of fluttering between the two. They were kind of a weird support choice for FJM to be honest but I enjoyed them none the less.

FJM holds a unique ability to sound identical on stage as he does on record yet so, so much better. Not many bands can truly say they do that (or at least I wouldn’t agree with them if they did). The performances enriched tracks I hadn’t previously been set on, such as ‘the Ideal Husband’ and 'True Affection’, to the point I had continuous shivers running down my spine from start to finish.

I want to end this review on the subject of shivers because they should never be under appreciated. Shivers are one of the greatest things that a music lover can experience. That moment when what you’re listening to has affected you in such an intimate and expressive way you can feel it on a primitive level. I’ve experienced far, far to many gigs when the only shivers I’ve had have been from back pain brought on by boredom and standing in one place for an extended period of time. Don’t bother putting yourself through that anymore it’s not worth it. Please, just go and watch Father John Misty.

[scattermagazine]

The mysterious DnB producer HOWZ has finally put out his first official release with newbie label Fearless Bandit Records. This marks a long awaited milestone for HOWZ who has been pushing his tracks since last year. He’s perfectly independent, being the only one who touches the tracks before unveiling them. HOWZ strikes me as the epitome of a musical recluse, dedicated to his tracks and loosing himself in their creativity.

Heavy, dark and eerie, Howz’s drum and bass could be the perfect soundtrack to a devilish hybrid of Sin City and American Psycho. Harsh but not abrasive his ambient inspired tracks rise and fall as an electronic interpretation of ‘God Speed You! Black Emperor’ would.

HOWZ who, as of yet, has not revealed his real identity releases his self-titled debut e.p 16/2/15 though you can hear an exclusive stream on Scatter above.

B.W.E

[scattermagazine]

Coldplay Don't Suck.

Today started just like any other day. I woke up, dropped my girlfriend of at uni, had a sandwich, looked at the pile of washing up, played GTA - as always a pointless and wasteful existence from the moment she leaves until the moment I get around to doing some work or start being sociable. One thing I did today which was slightly out of the ordinary was listen to Coldplay (You caught me, I’ve been doing it pretty regularly recently but it’s not like I'm addicted or anything). Specifically, I listened to Parachutes. If I’m honest, Parachutes is a great album. It annoys me that Parachutes is a great album because for some reason I find it embarrassing for me to declare even the slightest inclination to listen to Chris Martin’s whiney, soppy voice.

Don’t worry I’m not about to fanboy over the 4-piece or even really say that as a band they are that great. I honestly haven't listened to them since Viva la Vida because I don’t care much for them after that point, but then I haven’t listened to Morrissey since he left the Smiths and I still think he’s pretty good. So I guess at the end of the day I will confess (to more than those closest to me) that I do quite like Coldplay (despite how many ‘man points’ I may lose). The reason I was thinking about this today was because a friend made the valid statement of ‘I don’t understand the hate they get’ in a response to a joke I made about them. So I decided to write this post, though ‘this post’ was originally intended to be a questioning of what it is that makes everyone think that Coldplay suck. What I realised however was that there isn’t really anyone that actually hates Coldplay. Of course you could say this was obvious, they're one of the biggest bands in the world but then Nickelback are pretty big and it’s common consensus that they suck. Yet, I certainly felt a stigma surrounding the act but why?

When I really looked into it, it seemed less and less obvious that there was even this stigma. They really didn’t seem hated in the slightest. Don’t believe me? Have a look at these examples:

Example 1:

Surely google would at least finish my sentence for me when I began to enter the search term “why does everyone hate Coldplay?” - I assumed I wouldn’t be the only one wondering. Instead you get this:

So, apparently people hate Jar Jar Binks, U2 and England more than they hate Coldplay. Fair enough Jar Jar was pretty annoying, his entirely pointless presence was incredibly unsatisfying and certainly didn't help the atrocity that was the Star Wars sequels... I digress, but this did still surprise me. I’ll move on.

Surely they must be one of the most hated of the C’s? Nope, comic sans, Creed and Chelsea are also more hated than Coldplay. (Note at this Chris Martin isn’t in that hotlist, I’ll also get to that).

Example 2:

When you actually google the term “why does everyone hate Coldplay?” the first result is the old trusty: ‘yahoo answers’. This was the top answer:

(Taken from https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090521190031AACBrlu, this is not the property of Scatter Magazine and does not reflect any of the views of Scatter Magazine or the author).

Yahoo’s top answer on “Why does everyone hate Coldplay?” was pretty interesting. I don’t necessarily agree that a (let’s be honest) pop band was ‘removing rock n’ rolls testicles’ but fair enough, say what you will. This is kind of beside the point though because ‘Supa is shredding massive metal’ then goes on to say he doesn't actually hate Coldplay rather that he just won't fund their tirade (which a lot of people won't even do for bands they like nowadays). Maybe I was wrong all along? Maybe it’s just a really vicious rumour. Maybe Coldplay are cool. I’ll just keep telling myself that.

3: My final suggestion is that maybe, like U2, people really just hate the lead singer. Chris Martin is kind of annoying I suppose. But then there are so many bands that are huge where the lead singer is kind of annoying, think Guns n’ Roses, Metallica, Green Day, The Beatles, The Arctic Monkeys (to be honest pretty much every band to gain mainstream success is kind of annoying). It can't be down to that and here’s some proof:

(Taken from http://chrismartinsucks.tumblr.com/, this is not the property of Scatter Magazine and does not reflect any of the views of Scatter Magazine or the author).

So maybe someone does hate Chris Martin. So much so that they made a blog about it called chrismartinsucks.tumblr.com. But there are two things that lead me to believe his opinion isn’t all that valid, or all that truthful. The first of which is that (as you can see pictured) a lot of the comments on the blog are damning him. People are really genuinely hurt and angry that someone would have a bad word to say about Chris Martin, so much so that they get Belieber level with their messages. So, the opinions are not a good reflection of the general Coldplay consensus but why isn’t it truthful? Well, the sites creator replies to most of the comments (like the one above) stating that the page was simply for a university project (which interestingly he got an A in). Of course this raises questions like ‘what on earth was he studying?’ but also as to whether he is realistically anti-Martin or not.

I guess then that it’s okay to like Coldplay because you won't be alone in liking them. But you will, if you’re like me still get embarrassed if they came on in a shuffle playlist at a party (unless of course, you’re in the deep end of a bottle). This won’t change, because Coldplay are one of those bands people like but won’t talk about, I really don’t know why. It’s not all bad though you might get lucky and have a friend like me who at the right time of day, loves nothing more than to harmonise a falsetto Fix You, drunk or sober.

[scattermagazine]

Review: Courtney Barnett - The Double EP: A See of Split Peas

Honestly, I’ve never liked the ‘genius’ playlists that started (and then died) with iTunes and Last F.M. Despite analytics and statistics at their disposal I always thought computers really sucked at making mixtapes. After a while though their presence disappeared out of my consciousness. This was true until I started using Spotify (Shoot me, it’s easily the best way to listen to music). With Spotify I found Spotify Radio.

Spotify Radio is surprisingly good at doing what it was designed to do. Alongside introducing me to a few tracks I didn't know from bands I did i.e ‘Lullaby’ - The Cure (forgive me) Spotify Radio also introduced me to a few artists, two of my favourites being The Knife and King Krule. Though of all of these, an artist that stood out was Courtney Barnett.

Barnett is cool but not in the classic sense of the term. Barnett isn’t cool like Alison Mosshart or Kim Gordan are cool, she’s cool in that goofy 70’s way. You won't really know what I’m talking about but listen to the album, you’ll soon see what I mean.

Barnett’s music, for me is the perfect music to soundtrack a drugged up Jim Morrison looking deeply into himself in the mirror. It’s also the perfect soundtrack to a sad teenager wishing he was a drugged up Jim Morrison looking deeply into himself in the mirror.

In a sense it’s kind of druggy music for nerds. It’s strangely too witty and too deadpan to be ‘cool’ but because it’s deadpan and witty it is cool. Barnett’s narrative lyrics are genius. Quirky but sincere she tells overtly in depth stories of her most obscure days - ‘Avant Gardener’ sees her making attempts to clear her garden but suffers a panic attack along the way. Musically it’s blues indie. A little bit jangly but classically simple. Her projects encompasses the jarring guitar tones, off the wall lyrics and simplicity that we’ve been missing for a while. Live she's a bit more grungy, have a look at the KEXP performance below. 

Basically, what Barnett has done is what Lou Reed did with the Velvets in 1967. Perfectly encapsulate a lacklustre youth. She’s even rude and has drug references sporadically across the album - she’s ticking all the boxes. Granted, she's not as groundbreaking as Reed and his merry men but my god is she good.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtEJuhHWRwc   

FFO: Mac DeMarco, Alvvays, The Velvet Underground.

4/5.

B.W.E

N.B. Photo above is artwork from Sea of Split Peas. No imagery or music linked in this post is property of Scatter Magazine. 

[scattermagazine]

Hello to my old friends.

Due to my absence from Tumblr since March I thought I'd do a slightly different post to what I was previously writing. Here's a rundown of my musical experiences in the interim.

Releases from Bands I’ve reviewed before: 

Crying: Get Olde/Second Wind. 

Get Olde was a weird one for me, not really being a fan of 8-bit in music. But there was something in Crying’s presentation that managed to sway me. The nintend-emo mix has as strong a relationship in the actual music as well as with it’s fans.  It’s an effortlessly cool nerd rock mix and second wind simply built on that. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nraqBXgKKXA

When I’m gone - Eyedress

I often cite hearing Nature Trips by Eyedress as the moment I got into electronic music. It’s chromatics esque sound really brought me into the programmed side of music. His latest release ‘When I’m Gone’ sounds less like it should appear on the drive soundtrack with more of a standard electronic feel but it still contains that druggy, female melody orientated sound. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giBiMtvBsps

Milk Teeth - Linda 

Last time I reviewed Milk Teeth was after the release of Smiling Politely and since, the band have become pretty much the fastest growing act I’ve kept tabs on. They’ve signed to Venn records, booked shows with Balance and Composure, Frank Iero as well as Moose Blood, and their latest single Linda was premiered on Noisey. Vitamins is the track to listen to, pure grunge fun. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toTiX9vsbHU

I got into hip-hop:

Action Bronson:

Bronson is my latest favourite Hip-hop find. After watching a rap battle between Action and Killer mIke (where they were on treadmills) I went through Bronson’s collection. I was instantly gripped by his obesely unique talent. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58RSC7HO9aU

Tyler, The Creator;

Whilst I remember my introduction to hip hop was Macklemore’s ‘Otherside’ remix featuring fences what really converted me from a narrow minded grunge kid into a more varied music lover was Tyler’s Answer. The laid-back feel influenced my own work with Petravita (https://soundcloud.com/petravitaarchived/blade-runner) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwkCXoboqGc

Easy-E:

I was always aware of Easy-E as the guy who rapped ‘I’m the kind of N***A that’s built to last’ on N.W.A’s track ‘Gangsta Gangsta’ and shortly after died of HIV, tragic but ironic. After getting into modern day hip-hop I went back to the older acts. Starting with N.W.A I went through their individual projects and found Easy-E’s solo work, my favourite track being ‘Just Tah Let You Know’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpQffFHcvbQ

Re-discovered The Presidents of the United States of America : 

I remember listening to The Presidents with my Father on long car journeys. ‘Peaches’ appeared on a Kerrang mixtape that we overplayed regularly. Recently it got played at a house party and my (at least) 4 year drought of the 3-piece came to an extremely satisfying end. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvAnQqVJ3XQ

I fell in love with an album I thought I hated: 

I’m the first to admit that I have an unnecessarily strong hate of the Beatles and my distaste for them had really robbed me of any of their associated side projects. But thankfully a friend introduced me to John Lennon’s Plastic Ono band, an album that changed my perception of the artist overnight. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jknynk5vny8

Favourite release since the last time i posted - 

Anyone who knows me knows I’m the epitome of a fanboy when it comes to the Atlanta act Manchester Orchestra. Honestly, my top 5 albums would consist solely of their work and so I avoid reviewing anything they put out. There's a certainty it would be a biased article. Regardless, Cope has been my favourite release of the year and I can’t get over it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IWuPFXuzLU

And finally, I got obsessed with the Shins:

Yes, I did watch Garden State. Yes, I thought it was awesome and yes, I now love the Shins. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hWR425A7JM

B.W.E.

[scattermagazine]

FEATURE: Beat Harlows (Sylar Records)

The drunken swagger that the Libertines bled into their work became a testament to British rock music in the early 2000’s. It created a scene in London that had only previously existed stateside, pioneered by bands like The Strokes. That Lo-Fi garage sound they rested upon has lingered in alternative music ever since.

Lingered seems an entirely suitable term as that scene birthed a generation of replicators who desperately wanted what Doherty and Barat without ever quite mastering it.

It’s clearly then a pleasure then to uncover an act that echoes the traits of those influences without tainting their legacy.

Beat Harlows take those Garage-Rock styling’s and that definitively English charm back to its glory days by encompassing that distinctive sound into their driving brit-rock anthems.

The most prominent example of this is their jarring single ‘The Boy Downstairs’. A balancing act of raucous guitars and sensitive melody, catchy yet unrefined it’s a lo-fi masterpiece. There’s that sought after Docherty lacklustre in the performance intertwined with suitably simplistic rhythms that drive a raw tone.

The versatility of the act’s song writing is shown throughout their catalogue. Demonstrating a penchant for mellower practices on ‘You Taste Like Autumn’ Beat Harlows display an ear for charming melodies, tactful lyrics and apt instrumental soul.

Beat Harlows’ typically indie production style fits to the band like a glove, enhancing their aesthetics. The traditional sounds of this 5-piece would see them fit to take the throne alongside the greats that have come before them.  

For Fans Of: The Libertines, The Strokes.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeatHarlows?fref=ts

B.W. Easey.

[scattermagazine]

No Atlas - Reply & Reply (El Foreigners)

It would appear that a name change was not the only transformation for the act formally known as Metropolis.

This latest release broadcasts the Cheltenham based 4-piece's re-birth. Shaking off the implications of immaturity that unfortunately cling on to the indie-pop genre that Metropolis fitted so snugly in-to, 'Reply & Reply' shows a dramatic growth in the acts sound as well as their capabilities.

'Reply & Reply' opens with the eerie echoes of Burnt Oak. A delay strewn soundscape introduction instantly hints at a movement in the bands direction. The trails of progressive sounding guitar wash over a brilliantly brooding bass-line touching on the somewhat darker sound that the band develops across the rest of the E.P.  

The recurrent themes that are explored across Burnt Oak is proof of the bands forward movement. There is new depth in the vocals that hasn't been heard on past releases; both in melody and lyrics it's clear that vocalist Wiekert is bringing something out of the woodwork that, until now, he's kept safe from sight.

It seems that No Atlas couldn't resist one last dance with their former sound. Embedded in track number two, Preston Blank is that signature Metropolis tone; jovial bounce and strong rhythmic sensibilities. It's a brief and friendly wave to their life and a fitting single release to mark a milestone and a metamorphosis.

Technical Debate encapsulates that idea of growth. Finding a relaxed feel throughout is mellower beginnings and ending that sandwiches a short moment of intensity and the E.P's highlight.

The power in the songs middle section reigns as the strongest work I've heard from the band, they finally show a glimpse of the heavier tendencies the members have that they usually hide an exciting burst of energy in a calm and introspective song.

Another curveball, another change; Metropolis, the closing track is an offering of pure keys and vocals.

Metropolis deserves the splendour of morning suits and smokey ballrooms that would compliment the grandeur and style of the talent that Weikert displays in the 4 minute ballad. Commanding yet fragile it's a haunting end to an astonishing release.

It would be a crime not to take your hat off to No Atlas for this one. They've outdone themselves yet again.

4.5/5.  

B.W.E

[scattermagazine]

Atrevido, 'Death Is A Navigator' Launch Show 12/02/14. The Frog and Fiddle, Cheltenham.

There is this gaping hole that no-one can seem to fill in the Grunge genre that became apparent shortly after its decline from the mainstream. It’s a crevice that every post-grunge knock off and Nirvana replica inevitably fall into. It’s why so many bands seem reluctant to relate themselves to it.

It so happens that we occasionally find acts who can don the Grunge title and flaunt it proudly. The latest addition to these select few is Atrevido.

Braving the storm to see the acts E.P launch show was a wise move. Regretfully an unfortunate affair involving a moustache a hairdryer and a pair of skinny jeans meant I missed Medik, a real shame because I’ve heard a lot of good things about them. Though, I managed to catch the main support, an act I’ve been looking forward to seeing for a while; I, The Lion.

I, The Lion are an incredibly hard working act appearing at so many local shows it’s a wonder how they’ve managed to evade me until now.  

The post-punk 3-piece hammered into their opener with the same kind of confidence and enthusiasm you’d expect to see at a much higher level, instantly demonstrating their potential.

The act is incredibly tight and well-rehearsed, intricate guitar parts were pulled off flawlessly and the complex drumming groves were made to look effortless.  Aptly showing their ability to create heavy anthems the bands only let down was the percussionists reluctance to ease his heavy handed beating to suit the more mellow sections.

Closing the set with an impressive minimalistic adaptation of the outro to ‘We Built the Ocean’ I, The Lion left the night to the headliner.

Atrevido’s set marked the release of their first E.P with Etcetera Records ‘Death Is A Navigator’.  The group of musicians are at the top of their game revitalising the ‘otherside’ of grunge that was home to acts such as Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains.

The band clearly has eclectic influences that seep into the veins of their sound but it’s the combination of commanding vocals and gloomy riffs that would see them fit right into the Seattle scene.

Truly irresistible to head bang to the brooding nature of the band is mesmerising. Confident in performance and sure of themselves the only flaw was a technical one. 

Live Jake Chown’s vocals are as mighty as they are on record, fronting the band with a dominant aurora.

Musically the band works together to create the meaty, droning accompaniment. Every member knows their place in the band, which they use to their advantage allowing Chown to take the reins.  

Filling their set with existing tracks and material from ‘Death Is A Navigator’ the band brought their set to a close with ‘Terrasoliloquy’.

When Atrevido make a return I advise you to be there, if the band are as successful as their capabilities allow them to be an intimate show with the 5-piece wont be easy to find.

B.W.E

[scattermagazine]

The National - Trouble Will Find Me.

The National are a band I was aware of for some years but one I hadn’t paid close attention too until their latest release ‘Trouble Will Find Me’.

I began to follow the National over the summer of last year, a short exposure to their album ‘Alligator’ on a car journey with a friend inspired me to pursue their work.

My purchase sparked an obsession with their honest lyrical abilities and their unparalleled, unique and effortless cool.

There isn’t much to be said about the Cincinnati 4-piece that isn’t positive and Trouble Will Find me echoes that notion. Condensing heartfelt glum lyrics with elegant musical accompaniment creates the National sound. It’s a sound that is weirdly uplifting and melodic but obviously melancholic.

‘Trouble Will Find Me’ was a step towards a more commercial sound. I’m entirely unsure whether this was a set decision or rather a natural progression to accompany their growing audiences. The movement has not sacrificed the bands charm but instead seen their abilities grow. I find a contemplative mantra is embedded in the songs I have a bitterly nostalgic feel with each listen.

Trouble Will Find Me is the best example of Matt Berningers baritone drone that has developed it into its finest state over the years. The album accompanied me to work everyday and through hard working nights. It found its way into any playlist I created whether for a Celebration or for an introspective moment alone.

This album is also home to my favourite artwork. The Single 'Sea of Love' has one of the best music videos I've seen in a long time (see above).

B.W. Easey.

[scattermagazine]

Visit Original Link

The National - Trouble Will Find Me.

The National are a band I was aware of for some years but one I hadn’t paid close attention too until their latest release ‘Trouble Will Find Me’.

I began to follow the National over the summer of last year, a short exposure to their album ‘Alligator’ on a car journey with a friend inspired me to pursue their work.

My purchase sparked an obsession with their honest lyrical abilities and their unparalleled, unique and effortless cool.

There isn’t much to be said about the Cincinnati 4-piece that isn’t positive and Trouble Will Find me echoes that notion. Condensing heartfelt glum lyrics with elegant musical accompaniment creates the National sound. It’s a sound that is weirdly uplifting and melodic but obviously melancholic.

‘Trouble Will Find Me’ was a step towards a more commercial sound. I’m entirely unsure whether this was a set decision or rather a natural progression to accompany their growing audiences. The movement has not sacrificed the bands charm but instead seen their abilities grow. I find a contemplative mantra is embedded in the songs I have a bitterly nostalgic feel with each listen.

Trouble Will Find Me is the best example of Matt Berningers baritone drone that has developed it into its finest state over the years. The album accompanied me to work everyday and through hard working nights. It found its way into any playlist I created whether for a Celebration or for an introspective moment alone.

This album is also home to my favourite artwork. The Single 'Sea of Love' has one of the best music videos I've seen in a long time (see above).

B.W. Easey.

[scattermagazine]

Kevin Devine at The Louisiana, Bristol.

Photo credit: Ninelle Efremova

The Louisiana, Bristol is a quaint, authentic venue - 150 cap, intimate and sweaty. Hosting live music above the bar it’s been somewhat of a proving ground for act’s who would later go on to find mainstream acclaim (Kings of Leon- 2003, Muse – 1998).

I saw Kevin Devine play an acoustic set on the windy eve of the 5th at the Bristol venue with support from Tremolo Ghosts. I must confess there was a disappointing start to the gig. Doors were incorrectly advertised as 7.30pm when they were in-fact an hour after that.

Tremolo Ghosts is the moniker adopted by Owen Williams, a local singer-songwriter. Gracing the stage solo his set was an unfortunately uneasy affair; his traditionally influenced folk consistently battled with chatter in the audience and an inability of certain individuals to close a door without it slamming behind them.

However, the set was quite impressive Owen is a truly good singer with unique lyrical abilities and his performance did manage to offset the annoyance of those around me who didn’t seem to be paying attention.

At 9.30 Kevin shuffled through the audience towards the stage and opened his set. By the time he had finished his first song I realised that I had completely underestimated him as a musician. His voice is incredible. Raspy and fragile yet powerful it’s similarities to what is captured on record is uncanny. Kevin is a strong performer and it’s clear that he’s mastered his trade through years of touring. His stage presence was impeccable, demonstrating the passion embedded in his songs with a serious and sincere persona whilst playing that turned jovial and friendly to interact with the audience between songs.

Mixing acoustic interpretations of his work with some Bad Books tracks and a Leonard Cohen cover the set was energetic and intriguing. Despite solely occupying the stage for an hour and a half Kevin managed to fill the stage with an animated yet fitting performance. Kevin finished the evening with requests from the audience.

I’m proud to have witnessed such a captivating performance by an incredibly talented singer-songwriter and I look forward to his return (especially if it’s with Bad Books). 

B.W. Easey.