The Sea and Cake (Fact magazine online)

Piece 'o' cake.

After reading an article about the windy city outfit and one brief mention of Chris Ware; The Sea and Cake remind me of graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan ‘The Smartest Kid on Earth’. Both have this bright and clean aesthetic whilst subtly alluding to the dark underbelly of mundane suburban life.
‘Tight as a nun’ is one crude phrase one might use in order to emphasise the perfectly synchronized efforts of each member playing on the quartet’s brand, schpanking new release. Vocalist Sam Prekop claims ‘I don’t feel versatile within musical language’ which explains why and how The Sea and Cake have concocted their own specific musical vernacular with a hint of the accent adopted by Sonic Youth. Parallels can be lazily drawn between both artists as Prekop’s soft raspy vocals occasionally recall the drawl of Thurston Moore.
The record is full of angular riffs and intertwining guitar rhythms that melt into McEntire’s relaxed percussive input. Car Alarm’s crisp production compliments the simple and clean layers of each song, clean straights lines and pop in its purest sense.
Gems such as ‘Weekend’ integrates chic (not the group) disco pop elements and threaten to become ‘pseudo sophisticated music’ club favourites with art school grads. ‘Mirrors’ incorporates steel drums; in turn contributing to the dream like sheen the album possesses that completes the surreal urban ambience.
Just as the accompanying video clip to ‘Weekend’ is a lovely portrait of the free and whimsical nature of youth; Car Alarm is a breezy vacation from the depths of the subterranean concrete jungle into the purer arms of mother nature.

Los Campesinos (Fact magazine online)

Young beautiful and doomed.

Listening to ‘We Are Beautiful...’ is the audio equivalent of a hedonistic tea party, where the lime jelly has been spiked and the kids have too much fizzy pop.

Los Campesinos!, pioneers of welsh ‘Tweexcore’, blend fast paced melodic anthems with Biting vocal delivery. The seven piece can’t avoid comparison to the likes of Canadian behemoths Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire.
With sweet and sour juxtaposition of the male/ female lead vocals, delightful harmonies that drown in waves of soaring guitars and strings to reach their uplifting climax. However, the formula lacks versatility and I can’t explicitly pick out anything that marks this album out as a change of direction from their previous efforts.
The record is peppered with lyrical content exploring drunken phone calls to ex lovers, masturbation and insecurities, the average issues of attractive but tragic young adults.
No singles are to be released from the record, and its distribution is limited, perhaps an intentional obstacle in order to prevent the likes of Fearne Cotton getting their grubby little mitts on them.
Lack of promotion and obscure themes aside, the Lyrical ambiguity finds resonance with an audience’ in fact the line ‘Collected scabs in lockets/ Hung them round our necks like nooses’ literally reminded me of a girl at school who use to wear her boyfriend’s randomly discarded teeth as pieces of jewellery. Cute.

Concrete and Glass

Telepathe and tv on the radio- cargoLondon (as part of concrete and glass)

The Kings and Queens of the New york alternative pop scene graced shoreditch in October to headline the excellent Concrete and Glass 2 day festival, which was of course to exhibit some of the coolest and most innovative art and music in the worlds major cities atm. However I was unable to sample many of the delights that the festival had to offer due to the popularity of TVOTR, ridiculous competition to get into the venue in order to witness the spectacle.

Telepathe- wore glitter like war paint, clad in baggy t shirts and leggings they certainly exude quintessential new yoik cool. The heavy basslines, ritualistic drumming and the catchiness of tracks such as ‘chromes on it’ won me round, despite the terrible sound (listening to the myspace version of that track is a much more comfortable experience.)
lead singer Melissa Livaudais invited audience onto the tiny Cargo stage, only managing to get 4 up there before security were sweating over the drunken hyponotised girl carelessly swinging her beer over the expensive synthesizers on stage. They are visually compelling, you can tell they really want the audience to be involved, however the cargo crowd weren’t in the most involving mood. Muffled claps met the end of each song, but perhaps the bands behaviour was too avant garde for the audience that night, or most of the cargo crowd aren't used to being beckoned on stage by three lesbians who look like they've run riot in Claire's accessories.
It might be interesting to see the band headline their own tour in a similar sized venue with perhaps a bigger stage so they can create the mass riot they always threatened to that evening. The excitement was infectious you could literally feel the buzz radiating off of each gig goer. It was of course a very special occasion due to the ridiculously long wait the band have forced on their British audience. It was TVOTR'sfirst show in 2 years so it was eagerly anticipated, so much so that cargo was packed from 7:00, tv on the radio wernt due on until 1:00am.
The setlist was laden with older back catalogue rather than the Dear Science shizz, mainly stuff from cookie mountain and desperate youths blood thirsty babes. Highlights: obviously wolf like me, dreams and the encore finale starring staring at the sun (unfortunately I had to abandon my position at the front and missed most of the last song due to a minor need for oxygen) it was an amazing concoction of heavy hi hat disco beats pounding bassline and distortion/ drone that flooded the whole venue with the sweet soulful sounds of adebimpe’s velvety vocals.
My T- shirt was utterly soaked by the end of the night. there was a Crush towards the front, i was expecting some stage diving and more physical interraction, even though it was hot hot hooot i still love the intimacy of cargo. this month the group are going on to play the not so cosy shepards bush empire, it would appear already not even a month after the new album was released seeing the band play tiny venues is a novelty. i look forward to hearing them debut more from Dear Science at ABC in Glasgow next week, i shall most definately fight my way to the front and swing my wild locks to 'Staring At The Sun'.

MOLE ZINE

Finally after 3 years of threatening to, i am now in the process of creating my masterpiece MOLE! of course i expect it to fail quickly and turn into the biggest waste of time ever, however i hope to have fun making it! i need contributors and likeminded freespirited creative folk who don't mind prostituting their talents for the sake of a crazy idea...that is, lets face it, not particularly original but it could be oh so special...


anyone interested contact radical_imo@hotmail.com subject: Mole


dooo iiiit

CRY FOR HELP...

... to anyone attending these magnificent gigs!

Concrete and Glass- friday 3rd October
ATP Release The Bats- Thursday 30th October


company required :(


This was from Release The Bats '07- there i am...right there, in the green!

Southern Belle

Today I had an interview, well less an interview more an informal 15 minute chat, for an Internship at Southern Records. For those not aware of Southern it's home to some of the best alternative music labels in Europe and the US, from Ipecac, Southern Lord and Touch and Go; Southern distribute and help promote these labels and their own artists in Europe and America. i spent alot of yesterday preparing myself for this 'interview', researching the label and the studios and browsing blogs and flickr to get a feel for the work environment, I was still not prepared for what i was greeted with.
My dad drove me to 10 Myddleton Road, North London, we slowly surveyed the area looking for some sort of block of flats or office like place, when my dad pointed to a run down looking detached house and claimed that was our destination, I had to double check. the place was so subtle and discreet you would never think that that was where the (European leg of the company's) magic was made. after I had come to terms with the fact that the head quarters wasn't quite the happening middleclass Shoreditch penthouse you may imagine it to be, we spent the next half an hour walking down the 'high street', the whole wood green area felt like it was trapped in some sort of timewarp. apart from a few kebab shops and newsagents, every shop was closed down or clearly hibernating. my personal favourite was the mens wear store selling doris day albums and 70's style Y fronts, which on closer inspection were browning and crusted (is that even a word?) the owners had clearly shut up shop and hadn't bothered opening up again for at least 30 years. crazy shit!
After driving around the area and avoiding the north circular for fear of getting trapped and tortured for the next hour, i decided to brave it into the Southern house.
the place was pretty damn crazy, another time warp, reminded me of some punk squat from the mid 80's, I was lead out to the communal seating area/ back studio (which is exactly what it says on the can...a garage-the place had no airs or graces, it was modest, cheap and laid back) with mammoth vintage analogue equipment sitting there which served to complement the nostalgic atmosphere the place exudes.
however the place looks, there is no denying it has character. sitting waiting to be greeted, I couldn't help but think of some of the legendary artists and bands who have graced the studios and head quarters, it felt like a bit of an honour just to be sitting in the dingy seating area. apparently Lee Perry once left a poo present on the floor, i should have kissed the ground to see if genius is contagious.
the actual interview was probably the least intense and intimidating process ever, the girl that spoke to me, Claire, looked cool and laid back with her scuffed pink pumps and thick fringed hair, the people and the place felt completely welcoming and relaxed. we basically talked about music interests, my main band interests, gigs, how I first came to hear about these bands. it was the sort of conversation I rarely get to have with anyone in the flesh who has any idea what i'm actually talking about. I don't mean to say that in a patronising or arrogant way, but alot of people just are not on the same page as me musically or when it comes to creative projects.
hopefully I left a good impression, my Wire experience seemed to impress and go down well, I attempted to elaborate on that but to be honest I don't know if experience or office credentials are that important in a Southern environment, just a passion for music and an open mind, which I like to think I possess.
who knows what the outcome will be, I find out in a week or so, I just hope the other candidates are'nt too experienced or charming. This could be my chance to be a Southern Lord.

Post Scripture:
after visiting p.c world with my father today i have decided to embrace my inner computer nerd. I desperately want an Apple Mac notebook/ laptop of any sort- garage band!photoshop, the works, plus my Sennheiser headphones are worth 45 quid- jeesh! remind me to make more money, then teach me how to save it!