Monthly Archives: May 2015

A song for today #12

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bryanferry_ps

Bryan Ferry celebrates his seventieth birthday this year, but the man the NME once dubbed Byron Ferrari shows no sign of slowing down. Last year saw his latest solo album Avonmore and he’s still responsible for some of the coolest music of the last forty years, both solo and as frontman of Roxy Music.

A few years ago, I argued that it might well be time for a Bryan Ferry resurgence, and I’ve rediscovered later Roxy and solo work.

While he’s done numerous cover versions throughout his career, the aforementioned Avonmore closed with his cover of Robert Palmer’s ‘Johnny and Mary.’ This also appeared on Todd Terje’s It’s Album Time. And now a stunning video has been revealed for the song. If you think that in the post-MTV era of YouTube etc.. that proper music videos don’t matter any more, feast your eyes on a beautiful video for a fantastic interpretation of a classic song. It stars Ferry and model Eliza Cummings.

A song for today #11

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Vienna Ditto

Vienna Ditto are the London-based duo of Hatty Taylor and Nigel Firth. Reportedly (well, the press release says so, and it’s not always possible to prove to the contrary) the pair who first met when Nigel taught Hetty the guitar when she was 11 years old. On their website they describe themselves as being ‘Voodoo Sci-fi Blues’ which sounds pretty accurate. However Radio 1’s Huw Stephens’s description of them being like ‘Portishead doing a Tarantino Soundtrack’ (particularly if the film in question was Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill) is also pretty spot on. For me Chvrches collaborating with The Cramps would also hit the mark on the head.

Their debut album Circle is out on June 12. In the meantime, their next single, to be released on June 5, is entitled ‘Long Way Down.’ And it’s brilliant.

More of their music can be heard over at their website

The Cure vs. Twilight Sad

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Robert Smith - the cure

Given that this blog takes its’ name from The Cure’s second album, it should come as no surprise that the opportunity to post Cure-related news is something I seize with delight. And when it involves another act that I have long championed on here, so much the better!

Last year, the Twilight Sad released their fourth album Nobody Wants To Be Here, And Nobody Wants To Leave. Now, for their next single from the album, ‘It Never Was The Same’ The Cure’s Robert Smith has recorded his version of the album’s ‘There’s A Girl In The Corner’ track to be the b-side. It’s utterly fabulous. and it’s out on June 15.

…and just in case you haven’t heard the original version, here it is:

You can pre-order the 7″ single here

Album Review – Cinerama

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Cinerama

Cinerama -‘Valentina.’ (Scopitones)

‘David Gedge’s other band!’ trumpets the sticker on this album. That’s ‘other’ in the sense that since 1985, David Gedge has been the frontman of The Wedding Present. The Wedding Present are the band who, amongst other things made history by scoring 12 Top 30 hits (one a month) with a single back in 1992. David Gedge is the man of whom the late, lamented John Peel once said ‘he’s written some of the best love songs of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Era. You may dispute this, but I’m right and you’re wrong!”

Cinerama came into being in 1997 when the Weddoes went on hiatus, and Gedge collaborated with his then girlfriend Sally Murrell on a different sort of sound. Whilst the heartfelt love-songs continued, they owed far more to 1960s orchestral pop with flavours of soundtracks. By 2004, while Gedge was working on what became Take Fountain, he decided that the album sounded more like a Wedding Present album, the album was issued under that name. It has long been a stated ambition of Gedge’s to record and release a Wedding Present album in the style of Cinerama. So the album he has done it with is the 2012 album Valentina.

Still with me? Good. Because while this project has obviously taken a while to come to fruition, it demonstrates that David Gedge doesn’t always need a wall of raging guitars to show off his songwriting skills. Whilst the Cinerama version follows the same tracklisting and order of the original Wedding Present one, we now have a vastly different take on the songs, demonstrating sympathetic arrangements and an intelligence necessary to carry the project through (which is lesser hands than David Gedge might well have fallen flat on its face).

It might be questioned whether it’s necessary to be familiar with the original version of the album in order to enjoy it. On it’s own, it stands up fairly well, but it gives more sense to the concept behind the project if you’re aware of both albums. Valentina had never been one of my favourite Weddoes albums but I found that going back and listening to both versions side by side gave more of an insight into what had been done.

Some tracks, such as ‘You Jane’, definitely are as good as the Wedding Present version, and I think ‘Mystery Date’ in this version is even more heartfelt and moving. What does perhaps hold the album back a bit is that it can be a bit much to take in one listening; having listened to the entire album several times finding that I needed to break it up a bit.

On balance, though, it’s good to see that David Gedge has revisited his back catalogue in a different way, rather than simply recording an acoustic version or commissioning dance remixes, as might have been done by other (lesser!) acts in times gone by. It’s perhaps not the most obvious place to start for a newcomer to the work of David Gedge, but for those who are fans or want to investigate further, it’s an worthwhile addition to the catalogue.

***1/2

Valentinais out now on Scopitones.

20 questions with Kobi Onyame

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Kobi Onyame

The Glasgow-based rapper takes the test…

Where are you and what’s the weather like?

At home in Glasgow. It was summer earlier on, then winter & now it looks like it’s just meh. Oh wait! The sun just came out. I’ll be back…

What’s your favourite record in the charts?

I couldn’t tell you. I haven’t heard the charts in a very long time but my favourite record right now is “These Walls” by Kendrick Lamar.

What are your favourite films?

Coming to America is probably my favourite film… EVER!

What are your favourite books?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelo changed my life. My mum gave me a Bible when I was 14. I still have it & refer to it for my truth.

What are your favourite TV programmes?

Game of Thrones, The Wire, Entourage, Suits, Friends, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, My Wife & Kids are a few favourites.

What was the first record you bought and where did you buy it from?

First album I ever bought was on cassette. It was Naughty By Nature’s 19 Naughty 3 album. I bought it in a market in Accra, Ghana.

What is your least favourite record that you have made, and why?

I like all my records! I wouldn’t listen to some of my older records now but I liked it at the time I put it out.

Do you believe in God?

Wholeheartedly

What is the strangest story you have read about yourself?

Everything has been pretty on point so far.

Tell us a joke.

Katie Hopkins. The joke is in there somewhere.

Which football team do you support?

Black Stars of Ghana

Do you have any pets?

Nope.

What’s the worst song lyric of all time?

Ha! Too many!

Who do you consider to be the most overrated musical act of all time?

Probably Vanilla Ice. Never forget Vanilla Ice.

What car do you drive?

I don’t have a car. I do drive though.

Who would you want to play you in the film of your life?

You remember the cartoon Captain Planet? Well, I’d get Kwame from Captain Planet to play me. My film will be animated.

Vinyl, CD, Download or stream?

Stream. I’m an avid Spotify user.

How will you vote in the next election?

Labour or the SNP.

When was the last time you cried?

My brother got married earlier this year. I shed a tear of joy and of sadness as my mother wasn’t alive to see. She would’ve been so happy to see him get married.

What’s the best cover version you have ever heard?

Maxwell’s “This Woman’s Work” is probably just as good or better than Kate Bush. She did the original right? [She did indeed – Ed].

What’s the strangest thing that has ever happened at one of your own gigs?

It was at a festival. A girl tried to reach over the barrier at the front and fell over the barrier flat on her arse. I stopped the show, laughed a bit & asked her if she was ok. She was, so we carried on.

Have you ever been starstruck?

When I met Kanye West.

What is your culinary speciality?

I make a mean Spag Bol!

The Royal Family: should they stay or should they go?

I really don’t pay much attention to the royals.

If you weren’t doing this, what would you like to be?

I’d probably be an Economist at the World Bank.

What were you like at school?

Stood out like a sore thumb! A bit geeky, a bit shy but one hell of a cool guy, ha.

What’s your poison?

I actually have no idea ha

If you could change one law, what would it be?

I’d sum everything into the one – love each other.

Which decade would you have most liked to have lived in?

The 90’s was the best for hip hop. I’m happy I was a teen in the 90’s.

Have you ever seen a ghost?

Nope.

Kobi Onyame plays BBC Introducing at The Quay in Glasgow on Sunday June 7, alongside Honeyblood, JOnnie Common and United Fruit, amongst others. He Also plays the Solus Tent at Wickerman on July 25.

His new single ‘Imminence (Only Matter Of Time O)’ is released on July 5.

Album Review – Winter Villains

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Winter Villains

Winter Villains -‘Once There Were Sparks, Now There Are Ashes.’ (Owlet Music)

Winter Villains are the Cardiff-based act Josef Prygodzicz and Faye Gibson. Descrined as being an experimental chamber pop-band, they could also be said to inhabit that relatively uncharted space where indie-pop meets post-rock.

‘Empire,’ the first single from this, their sophomore album is a perfect introduction: boy/girl vocals, deceptively simple and utterly heartbreaking. This track alone I could listen to for hours at a time (or my heart broke, which I think it could). Then there’s the beautiful ‘Hunters’ which is in waltz-time, and the experiments with a an ambient-meets pastoral sound on ‘We Lost Our Children To The Depths Of The Forest’ and the title track…I could go on.

As with labelmates Trwbador, there’s a sense of wonder at the sheer beauty, creativity and, Goddammit, originality that’s going on here. Are you ready to be heartbroken? Go on, you know you want to…

****1/2

Once There Were Sparks, Now There Are Ashes is out now on Owlet Music

Album Review – Rozi Plain

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Rozi Plain -‘Friend.’ (Lost Map)

The third album from Rozi Plain is an undeniably gorgeous affair, with an amazing range of styles on display. Somehow, it all flows together to make a very impressive album that feels very much a whole rather than scattered ideas.

It opens with the singalong folk-pop of ‘Actually’ which then goes into the the summery jazz of ‘Best Team.’ Yet later on we have the krautrcoky ‘Jogalong’ followed by the pastoral ‘Quarry.’ How does she do it?

Make no mistake, this is not just another singer-songrwiter record (Lord knows there have been way too many of those over the years!). What is so wonderful is the delivery and inventiveness of Rozi Plain and her collaborators (including members of Hot Chip and Francois and the Atlas Mountains, amongst others).

Reportedly it was her brother who got her interested in the guitar. We should all give thanks that he did.

****

Friend is out now on Lost Map.

A song for today #10

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Mirror Talk

Mirror Talk are a new name to me, but this LA band and their song ‘Some Boys’ was something that dropped into my inbox and is musically rather more-ish…like something from the first half of the eighties, and all the better for it. The band (according to their facebook page) are Court Alexander (Vocals), Steven Lopez (Synthesizers & Guitar), Sean Krell (Synthesizers & Bass) and Dave Lewis (Synthesizers & Percussion).

As with this track ‘1/M/T’ it’s taken from their forthcoming five track EP, 1997:

Presenting…Suede Arrow

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Suede Arrow

Every so often, something drops into my inbox that strikes me as a bit different and worthwhile featuring.

In this case it was an email from America, from a young man called Mat Sak who performs as Suede Arrow. This is wonderfully raw garage rock with a slight bounce to it. According to his email, back in 2012 he knew he needed to turn around his life when he found himself in George Bailey county jail as a teenager. So this year he hopped on a train to LA with nothing but his clothes and a guitar.

It’s a cool story and these are three tracks you ought to hear. Sorta in the vein of Beck, early White Stripes and pre-Ziggy Bowie.

20 odd questions with Hannah In The Wars

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HannahintheWars2

Songwriter Hannah Curwood comes from the Central Otago region in New Zealand. Hannah in the Wars is a new project, the result of working alongside Roger O’Donnell of The Cure and a handpicked group of musicians…

Where are you and what’s the weather like?

I am in Dalston. The weather is uncharacteristically spectacular, it’s all cerulean skies and pink blossom out there.

What’s your favourite record in the charts?

I have to say, I don’t really follow the charts but I am loving Laura Marling’s new track, ‘False Hope’ and am cataclysmic with joy that Courtney Barnett has another record out.

What are your favourite films?

Such a difficult question but I would have to say that Taxi Driver and Fargo are both magnificent.

What are your favourite books?

Another tough one. In recent days I have really been getting into Anais Nin, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Albertine Sarrazin. I love Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy, Salman Rushdi, Haruki Murakami, the list is endless. Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward is one of the most fiercely beautiful things I have ever read. Embarrassed to say I haven’t read Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries yet but that is next on the list.

What are your favourite TV programmes?

I don’t watch TV but you have to tip your hat to The Sopranos, don’t you? Also loved the latest season of The Fall with Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan(!).

What was the first record you bought and where did you buy it from?

Bic Runga’s ‘Drive’, from our local record store in Wanaka, New Zealand. I think my friend David McMartin gave me a home-taped cassette of it first but I wore that sucker out. Incidentally, Dave’s little sister, Fi McMartin is now in the band….

What is your least favourite record that you have made, and why?

They are all my children, I love them equally. Even the ugly ones.

Do you believe in God?

I’m not sure, does she believe in me?

What is the strangest story you have read about yourself?

I dare say it might be this one.

Tell us a joke.

I detest humour in all its forms.

Which football team do you support?

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Do you have any pets?

I have a most beautiful pointer/beagle mix called Hayes Dog, the apple of my eye.

What’s the worst song lyric of all time?

‘No,no,no,no,no,nooooooo YEAH’ (Anastasia)

Who do you consider to be the most overrated musical act of all time?

New Zealand’s current Prime Minister, John Key.

What car do you drive?

I don’t drive these days as having a car in London seems silly when you can get around so easily. I have a lovely bike, a BMC SR01, that I use to commute.

Who would you want to play you in the film of your life?

Edward Norton.

Vinyl, CD, Download or stream?

Horses for courses innit. Format is constantly evolving and I think it might be foolish to tie your flag to one mast.

How will you vote in the next election?

Hopefully.

When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday. I had one of the most enlightening conversations I’ve ever had and it made me happy. So I cried. Obviously.

What’s the best cover version you have ever heard?

Jeff Buckley singing ‘Hallelujah’

What’s the strangest thing that has ever happened at one of your own gigs?

A young man came and sat in the front row and knew every word to one of my songs. We’re friends now.

Have you ever been starstruck?

Definitely. I don’t usually find it hard to speak to people but when PJ Harvey was standing next to me at an event chatting to Nick Cave it was like my lips were glued together and my eyes were buttoned open. Wide open.

What is your culinary speciality?

Salsa!

The Royal Family: should they stay or should they go?

I feel like if they stay there will be trouble but, if they go, there may be double?

If you weren’t doing this, what would you like to be?

A vet.

What were you like at school?

A gregarious goodie-good.

What’s your poison?

Champagne.

If you could change one law, what would it be?

I would go crazy in Saudi Arabia.

Which decade would you have most liked to have lived in?

This one.

Have you ever seen a ghost?

Yes.

Hannah In the Wars is released by 99X/10 on May 25.