ISSUE 17 28 AUG - 3 SEPT 2018
ALBUM REVIEWS
GIG LISTINGS
MUSIC NEWS
LIVE REVIEWS
From BC Camplight, The Lemon Twigs, Mitski and Death Cab For Cutie
From Lost Horizons, Primal Scream, Disclosure and more
Our recommended listings of gigs in Brighton
From Jake Shears, African Night Fever and At The Edge Of The Sea
ISSUE 17
NEWS
CONTENTS 6
THE KOOKS With a new album out this week and an upcoming show in Sussex, Jeff Hemmings speaks to Hugh Harris about their new album, those questionable middle albums and their early days in Brighton
BRINGING THE ARTISTS CLOSER TO YOU... CEO: Frank Sansom EDITOR: Daniel White PRODUCTION: Adam Kidd, Jonski Mason
NEWS
Local releases and more news from the city’s music scene
LISTINGS Our recommended listings and previews of this week’s gigs
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ALBUMS Check out the latest album releases this week
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Jake Shears, African Night Fever and At The Edge Of The Sea festival all feature in this week’s reviews
CONTRIBUTORS: Jeff Hemmings Iain Lauder Jamie MacMillan Liam McMillen Ben Walker Christian Middleton Kelly Westlake Paul Hill Chloe Hashemi Dan Whitehouse Annie Roberts Rhys Baker press@brightonsfinest.com advertising@brightonsfinest.com
Disclosure have been very quiet since they released their Moog For Love EP halfway through 2016. However, following the news that they are working on the follow-up to 2015’s Caracal, they’ve released teaser track ‘Where Angels Fear To Tread’.
Lost Horizons release new short film
Lost Horizons have shared a stunning new short film, Triptych, directed by BAFTA winner Kieran Evans. Triptych features three songs from the band’s debut album, Ojala, and band member Simon Raymonde says, “Kieran came up with the idea of doing something long-form to tell a story which is linked or inspired by the songs, with the music used within the storytelling to support the narrative”. Lost Horizons will also be performing in Brighton on 17th September, at Komedia.
On 12th October Primal Scream will release Give Out But Don’t Give In: The Original Memphis Recordings following the discovery of tapes in Andrew Innes’ basement. The recordings eventually became the 1994 album Give Out But Don’t Give Up.
American singer/songwriter Kurt Vile has released ‘Loading Zones’, his first new solo single since 2015. The humorous Drew Saracco-directed ‘Loading Zones’ video pays tribute to Vile’s native Philadelphia and features actor Kevin Corrigan.
SUPERORGANISM
Copyright © 2018. All rights reserved. At Brightonsfinest we strive to meet all of the best musicians who travel to, or live in our vibrant city. On our YouTube channel you can listen to our archive of radio interviews from both emerging and established artists, highlighting the best in new music from Brighton and beyond. This week we look back at our interview with Orono Noguchi from Superorganism about their debut album and the unusual history of the band.
OUT OF TOWN
SUPERORGANISM
Our favourite upcoming gigs outside of Brighton
Listen to our interview with Superorganism’s Orono Noguchi on our YouTube channel
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COVER SHOT: The Kooks
British Sea Power have announced a special show in aid of Brighton-based young homeless charity The Clock Tower Sanctuary and MIND, on 12th October, at Patterns. Support comes from Yumi and The Weather, The Underwater Boys and Heirloom.
Superorganism play Concorde 2, Sunday 28th October 2018
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PREVIEWS
Sticky Mike's Frog Bar
Yo La Tengo – Komedia – Wednesday 29th August 2018 Ahead of their Thursday night headline slot at End of the Road Festival and fresh from their brilliant new record There’s a Riot Going On, Yo La Tengo are bringing a very special show to Brighton’s Komedia. Certainly not one to be missed for hardcore fans of the band, it’s a chance to hear some of your favourite songs in a different light, hear exclusive one-off stories and converse with the band in an intimate setting.
Hidden Herd Festival – Green Door Store – Saturday 1st September 2018 Throughout the last year those good folk at Hidden Herd have been promoting excellent gigs with even better line-ups. Now, they’ve gone all out on their own festival and the line-up is a beautiful fusion of exciting local acts as well as some of the UK’s finest up and coming acts, including Safe To Swim and Drip Gloss as well as the jewel in the crown, headliners The Ninth Wave. There’ll also be vegan hot-dogs available from Dirty Vegan.
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The Hope & Ruin
Hate Wednesday 29th August Tickets: £7 Presented by Mammothfest
The Asteroid No. 4 Wednesday 29th August Tickets: £11 Presented by Love Thy Neighbour
Bad Girls Thursday 30th August Tickets: £5 Presented by Scruff of the Neck
The Bay Rays Thursday 30th August Tickets: £5 Presented by Green Door Store
Anna Burch Monday 3rd September Tickets: £9.20 Presented by One Inch Badge
Epic Beard Men Friday 31st August Tickets: £14 Presented by One Inch Badge
Tijuana Panthers + Talkboy Sunday 2nd September Tickets: £6.50 Presented by Green Door Store
Erin Rae Tuesday 4th September Tickets: £8.63 Presented by One Inch Badge
Men Of North Country Saturday 1st September Tickets: £11.50 Presented by The Big Blue Shed
Tigers and Flies Tuesday 4th September Tickets: £3
New Candys Thursday 6th September Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Acid Box
Igloo Monday 3rd September Tickets: £5 OTD
The Prince Albert
K PIC HE T OF EK WE
Green Door Store
Matt Hollywood & The Bad Feelings Tuesday 28th August Tickets: £12 Presented by SB Live
SpringHill Friday 7th September Tickets: £5 Presented by Scruff of the Neck
Shannon and The Clams – The Haunt – Friday 31st August 2018 Brighton favourites Shannon and The Clams return to the city to play their biggest ever gig so far. Fresh from their brand-new album, Onion, it’s their most sophisticated and mature release to-date, proving that they’re way more than a gimmick-led band. Mixing the likes of doowop, blues, and soul with garage rock, they’re a constantly exciting band with an even better live presence. Their Haunt show is sure to showcase all of this,
GIG LISTINGS
GIG LISTINGS
The Soap Girls Wednesday 29th August Tickets: £13.50 Presented by Rockin’ Dogs Joey Landreth Thursday 30th August Tickets: £11.50 Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires Monday 3rd September Tickets: £12.38
Komedia Robby Hecht + Caroline Spence Wednesday 29th August Tickets: £10 Presented by The MJR Group Pale Seas Thursday 6th September Tickets: £7 Presented by Friendly Dinner
THE ROSE HILL Marisa Anderson Wednesday 5th September Tickets: £8.80 Presented by Dictionary Pudding Abi Wade Thursday 6th September Tickets: £6.60 Presented by Love Thy Neighbour
Lithics Wednesday 5th September Tickets: £7.70 Presented by Cupboard Music Braindead Assemble Thursday 6th September Tickets: £5 OTD Presented by The Spirit of Gravity & Lost Property Bloom Friday 7th September Tickets: £5 OTD Presented by FemRock Doomsday Deathfest Saturday 8th September Tickets: £6.60 Presented by SCEM x Jackhammer x Infernum Records
Concorde 2
Acid Tongue Saturday 8th September Tickets: £6.60 Presented by Acid Box Prettiest Eyes Monday 10th September Tickets: £6.60 Presented by Acid Box
Imarhan Tuesday 28th August Tickets: £14 Presented by One Inch Badge Goat Girl Thursday 6th September Tickets: £11 Presented by Neat Neat Neat Youngblood Brass Band Friday 7th September Tickets: £17 Presented by One Inch Badge
GZA Wednesday 5th September Tickets: £16.50
Iceage Monday 10th September Tickets: £7.70 Presented by Acid Box
Incognito Saturday 8th September Tickets: £20 Brooke Candy Tuesday 11th September Tickets: £20 Presented by One Inch Badge
Brighton Dome Passenger Sunday 9th September Tickets: £26
Joey Negro Friday 31st August Patterns 11pm - 4am (Soulful, disco-tinged house)
Frankee / Unglued / Klinical Friday 31st August The Arch 11pm - 5am (D’n’b summer send off)
Berlin Friday 31st August Green Door Store 11pm - 4am (Kittball Records showcase)
Bitch Craft vs King Mob Magazine #28 Friday 31st August Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar 11pm - 3.30am (Equality to the front)
Tecnimatic Saturday 1st September Patterns 11pm - 4am (liquid d’n’b legends)
All Seasons Of DnB Saturday 1st September Hideout 11pm - 5 (rave night & day )am
Tall Paul / Paul Bleasedale Saturday 1st September The Arch 11pm - 5am (Cream classics)
The Bongolian (live) Saturday 1st September Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar 11pm - 3am (Latin-flavoured jazz-funk odyssey)
The Haunt
Reggae All-Dayer Sunday 2nd September Tickets: £25.31 Presented by Global Beats
Neville Staples / Dakka Skanks Friday 7th September Tickets: £22
NIGHTLIFE
Ocean Alley Tuesday 11th September Tickets: £11.25 Presented by One Inch Badge
PATTERNS Dylan LeBlanc Monday 10th September Tickets: £15 Presented by One Inch Badge The Dualers Saturday 15th September Tickets: £16.50 Presented by Love Thy Neighbour
OUT OF TOWN Modern English Thursday 30th August Lewes Con Club (Rock) - 7.30pm
The Correspondents Thursday 30th August The Old Queen’s Head, London (Electro swing) - 7pm
Jacquees Thursday 30th August Electric Ballroom (R&B) - 7pm
Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra Friday 31st August The Jazz Cafe, London (Afrobeat) - 10:30pm
Connie Lush Friday 31st August Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham (Blues) - 8pm
Peter & The Test Tube Babies Saturday 1st September The 100 Club (Punk) - 7pm
Phil Cook Saturday 1st September Omeara, London (Folk) - 7pm
Oh Sees Monday 3rd September 2018 O2 Forum Kentish Town, London (Rock) - 7pm
Cool Britannia Festival 31st Aug - 2nd Sept Knebworth Park Featuring: Happy Mondays, Ocean Colour Scene, Embrace, The Lightning Seeds
Ezra Furman Tuesday 4th September O2 Academy Brixton, London (Rock and roll) - 7pm
Full event listings at Brightonsfinest.com/listings
O
n 11th July, 2005, The Kooks released ‘Eddie’s Gun’. The first fruits from their deal with Virgin, who had signed the band barely four months after coming together, on the basis of a strong look (skinny jeans and hats) and a handful of catchy songs that harked back to the classic pop period of the 60s, topped with influences from British new wave, The Libertines and Britpop. 13 years later The Kooks are one of the great survivors of the mid-00s, when British guitar music was enjoying one of its periodic renaissance’s. The Kooks have survived some rough waters since those heady days, and will celebrate their endurance this week with the release of Let’s Go Sunshine, their fifth album and their first since Listen in 2014. It’s somewhat of a return to their musical roots, which pleases the Lewes-born and raised founder guitarist Hugh Harris. “There’s been more buzz,” he says. “More reason to celebrate. We’re still here! Thrilled it’s still happening for us.” Are you still excited pre-album release? “It’s totally different from what it was like when we started. It’s definitely more balanced, and less hectic. On the whole we are a little less fearful about judgements and criticisms and things like that. As you get older, as an artist or musician, you relinquish the shackling fear. So, this time around it’s never felt so good.”
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A lot of bands would be a lot bigger if they were able to stay together and remain functional as humans, and as friends. The lifestyle of a touring musician is so corrupt, it’s just ridiculous. Surviving that is a pretty major key to success.
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It has, however, been a struggle of late. While the band continue to operate as a going concern, in particular as a live act, their recordings haven’t always hit the mark, splitting fans. While Inside In/ Inside Out and chart-topping follow-up Konk were packed full of classic pop songs, subsequent albums, Junk of the Heart, and in particular Listen, saw the band branch out into more experimental waters. Unfortunately both failed to make much of an impact, either commercially
or artistically. However, following the popularity of their 2017 Best of album, they’re now set to release Let’s Go Sunshine, packed full of razor-sharp indie-pop songs, with tales of love and longing at its beating heart. It’s also a record that reflects the maturation of this quintessential indie-pop band, one that has lived the tumultuous life of rock’n’roll, now ready to reflect on that, whilst returning to their musical roots. “It’s not like a return to form, I wouldn’t say that,” says Hugh Harris. “It’s just a return to our format, and sticking to our strengths. The trouble with a lot of bands is that if you gain some kind of success if you’re lucky enough, and the timing is in your favour, they will often do everything in their power to differentiate themselves from the very thing people liked them for in the first place. We are very quick to jump at the opportunity to go off-piste. What took you there in the first place? It’s that interplay, and the genuine love of pop music, delivered through guitar, and the band medium. This record has been about trying to get back to what we know we are good at and what people like us for.”
Let’s Go Sunshine Out: 31st August Lonely Cat
How did this chemistry that exists between you and Luke form?! “We always wanted to be in a band, it was a case of finding the right line-up,” explains Hugh. “We went to The BRIT School. Not together at the same time, we didn’t really know each other. I remember he had the same leather jacket as me, and I was furious,” he laughs. “Oh, and he also played an Ibanez with a volume pedal, which made me furious as well. We discovered we were both going to BIMM in Brighton, and started to hang out there. I marched him into town, and made him change his Ibanez for a Telecaster. That was the beginnings of it. He was brave enough to want to sing in a band, and I was the guitar player, and that was the dynamic. We clicked immediately, we needed each other. It’s a jigsaw. Its been ups and downs ever since,” he laughs.
On the back of the release, and the working class commentary that has infused their videos for songs such as ‘All the Time’, and ‘No Pressure’, The Kooks have decided to do a short UK tour, that takes in places less visited, including the De La Warr Pavilion, in Bexhill-on-sea. “We’re not underestimating our popularity,” claims Hugh. “It’s fun to play different places. Venues in the UK are all kind of homogenised now. It’s hard to find character. These places are so down trodden. They just need some life and love, and it’s nice to be able to do little gigs like that for our fans.”
Their first ever gig was at the Freebutt in Brighton, with their current manager in tow, and a record deal soon beckoning. I’m guessing you weren’t dreaming of having number one albums? “Oh my god, that was about it, just wanting to play a few gigs, maybe release a record. A lot of bands would be a lot bigger if they were able to stay together and remain functional as humans, and as friends. That’s the hardest thing, overcoming dysfunction in a group of people, of being in a band. There’s so much corruption,” Hugh laughs, “the lifestyle of a touring musician is so corrupt, it’s just ridiculous. Surviving that is a pretty major key to success.”
After 13 years together, what is it about The Kooks that has kept them so strong?
To read the full interview visit Brightonsfinest.com/TheKooks
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LIVE REVIEWS
ALBUM REVIEWS BC Camplight – Deportation Blues Out: 24th August 2018
This month’s release of a self-titled solo album from Jake Shears has effortlessly updated the classic Scissor Sisters sound into something new but equally, and importantly, fun. Shears stuck largely to his solo material and, though they may be lacking (for now) the familiarity of his previous hits, they more than make up for it in catchiness and in a sheer, breezy fun factor. Ending the show in top hat and leotard, there is little doubt that this was ‘An Event’, a show that Concorde 2 could probably have sold out twice over, and definitely one to be discussed and smiled at the following day. Welcome back Jake.
African Night Fever started off promoting a night club that only played African music 15 years ago in deepest Hove. Having expanded to promoting live music, this night was a celebration of their first 15 years, incorporating all the things that have made them successful. This event featured performances from Cuban salsa group Sarabanda along with West African band Musa Mboob & XamXam Band. A fantastic night all round, it’s not hard to see how African Night Fever has built up into one of the top African promoters in the South East, always able to put together a fun night with great music.
Celebrating its tenth anniversary, At The Edge Of The Sea is put together by the one and only David Gedge and is held, accordingly, at Concorde 2. Now the bands on the bill can be anything. Pop, rock, comedy, dark, pure pop, folk, electro – you name it and it will have been covered in the last decade. This year’s line-up included Cinerama, Terry de Castro, All Flags Are Grey, Helen And The Horns, Salad, Jetstream Pony, Young Romance, The Catenary Wires and, of course, The Wedding Present. This is really the fans’ special treat show and let’s hope there’s another ten years of this festival to come.
Read the full reviews at Brightonsfinest.com/live
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Brian Christinzio, aka BC Camplight, is an American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has managed to create one of the better records of his career through a nightmarish period in his life. It’s hard to pin the LP to one genre, as each track emits something new. Whether it is synth-laden pop, afro-punk or garage rock, the record is a roller coaster of differing vibes that reflect the tumultuous mindset Christinzio was in.
You don’t get many bands like The Lemon Twigs – The Lemon Twigs in a lifetime. Go To School They’re genuinely eccentric, Out: 24th August 2018 seemingly wholesome and talented beyond belief. Go To School finds the band pushing the limits of their compositional muscles and the product is unbelievable. It sounds genuine and this is key to why it’s so brilliant. An album that goes beyond personal tastes, it is one I’d find it near-impossible to fault. I believe Go To School to be a genuine modern-day classic.
Mitski – Be the Cowboy Out: 17th August 2018
Exhaustion and loneliness take the shape of something bold and elegant on Be the Cowboy, the new album from Mitski. She has matured, a lot. In the process, she’s gone backwards to go forwards, reverting to keys, her original instrument, with the content more inward looking. Be the Cowboy is about her and her relationship with self within a framework of fame. This is all she ever wanted, or so she thought.
It may be their eighth studio Death Cab For Cutie – album release, but Thank You Thank You For Today For Today marks a new begin- Out: 17th August 2018 ning for American indie-rock titans Death Cab For Cutie. Regrouping after Chris Walla’s departure, it manages to be both familiar at the same time as offering tantalising glimpses of a new direction. The album understandably spends much of its time looking backwards with a fond nostalgia while still offering a glimpse of a promising future.
Read the full reviews at Brightonsfinest.com/albums