set music free free / issue 50 / April 2016 diymag.com
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K S AC CIN ATT DE S VE ME ERE SSI ING NTI M A O RT F R O PP S S U SA N
FRIDAY 1 JULY 2016
SATURDAY 2 JULY 2016
VERY SPECIAL GUESTS
PATTI SMITH AND HER BAND
JAMIE XX
TV ON THE RADIO
CAT POWER
WARPAINT
TODD TERJE AND THE OLSENS BLOOD ORANGE KAMASI WASHINGTON
GHOSTPOET PLUS MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
PLUS MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
BST-HYDEPARK.COM HYDE PARK LONDON
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Gengahr are keen for the celebratory prosecco.
GOOD VS EVIL
WHAT’S ON THE DIY TEAM’S R ADAR?
Emma Swann Founding Editor GOOD Reaching 50 issues has felt an impossible task more often than not, but (somehow) we made it. EVIL Turns out it’s Quite Hard to get silly string off a camera lens. Who’d have thought? .............................. tom connick Online Editor GOOD Breaking the internet with a Radiohead scoop. “Ha ha”. EVIL RIP East India Youth. Music is the real loser. .............................. El hunt Associate Editor GOOD Stanley Donwood telling me he was “a bit busy at the moment.” You don’t say, mate! EVIL Digging out all my old Cajun Dance Party clobber for Hall of Fame made me really miss singing ‘Amylase’ during GCSE Biology class.
Sarah Jamieson Deputy Editor GOOD Parahoy! looked like it was bloody amazing (obv). Only, you know, slightly jealous I wasn’t actually there... EVIL Who knew that prosecco and silly string wasn’t the best of combinations for our cover shoot? .............................. Louise Mason Art Director GOOD Grimes’ fax machine mimicking song introductions at Brixton Academy. EVIL Prosecco bought vs prosecco drunk by me in the making of this issue.
E D I TO R ’ S L E T T E R DIY has reached 50 issues. That’s massive. It’s best to save energy for barmy celebrations, but without getting sentimental: Thanks to every single person who put everything into getting this magazine started in the first place; to all the bands who ever agreed to speak to us and put up with our bad jokes; and to the brilliant readers (that’s you!) who’ve picked up a copy. As usual, the new issue is packed with all our favourite bands, only this time there’s more prosecco. Here’s to another fifty! Jamie Milton, Editor GOOD A wave of noisy, amazing albums that are about to come out. Yak, White Lung and Twin Peaks - I’m looking at you. EVIL Rat Boy falling off his skateboard between answering interview questions is a bit distracting, if I’m honest.
LISTENING POST
What’s on the DIY stereo this month?
The Kills - Ash & Ice
Nothing comes close to The Kills when they’re at their best - we head in the studio on page 6.
Ladyhawke - Wild Things
Back with a bang, Ladyhawke’s synthtastic pop has been given a much-needed dose of adrenaline.
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NEWS
6 THE KILLS 10 CHARLI XCX 1 2 C U R TAI N CAL L 1 6 PA R A H OY ! 2 1 D I Y H A L L O F FA M E 2 2 P O P S TAR P O S T BAG 2 4 F E S T I VA L S
Founding Editors Stephen Ackroyd, Emma Swann Editor Jamie Milton Deputy Editor Sarah Jamieson Contributing Editor Victoria Sinden Associate Editor El Hunt Online Editor Tom Connick Art Direction & Design Louise Mason Marketing & Events Jack Clothier, Rhi Lee Contributors Ali Shutler, Amelia Maher, Anastasia Connor, Charlie Mock, Dan Owens, Danny Wright, Henry Boon, Jessica Goodman, Josh Williams, Liam McNeilly, Matthew Davies, Martyn Young, Maya Rose Radcliffe, Mollie Mansfield, Tom Hancock, Tom Walters, Will Richards.
C O N T E N T S 4 diymag.com
NEU
28 PUMAROSA 31 WHITNEY 32 SHOW ME THE BODY
NOW WE ARE 50
34 WOLF ALICE 37 MARK RONSON 41 PEACE 42 METRONOMY
FEATURES 46 EAGULLS 5 0 K AT Y B 5 4 Y E A S AY E R 58 DEFTONES
REVIEWS 62 ALBUMS 76 LIVE
Photographers Bethan Miller, Carolina Faruolo, Caroline Quinn, Fiona Sneddon, Jenna Foxton, Jonathan Dadds, Mark Squires, Mike Massaro, Nick Sayers, Sarah Louise Bennett, Veronique et Charlotte. For DIY editorial info@diymag.com For DIY sales rupert@sonicdigital.co.uk lawrence@sonicdigital.co.uk tel: +44 (0)20 3632 3456 For DIY stockist enquiries stockists@diymag.com DIY is published by Sonic Media Group. All material copyright (c). All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of DIY. 25p where sold. Disclaimer: While every effort is made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy of copy, for which Sonic Media Group holds no responsibility. The opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a relation to those of DIY or its staff and we disclaim liability for those impressions. Distributed nationally.
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NEWS
In The Studio
the kills
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diymag.com
Between tendon transplants, riding the Trans-Siberian Express and inviting chaos into the studio, it’s safe to say that The Kills took one hell of a journey to make their fifth album. Words: Sarah Jamieson. Photos: Mark Squires.
“I
mean, there were times when I thought we might not finish it at all!” laughs The Kills’ guitarist Jamie Hince, days after the announcement of their new album ‘Ash & Ice’. His reservations don’t stem from frustrations in the studio, or something more simple like writer’s block. In the lead up to their fifth album, Hince had to deal with a major hand injury, which would end up shaping their latest offering more than anyone might’ve first expected. “I had surgery six times and had a tendon transplant, so it was really just about grabbing the moments here and there,” he says. “I think there was a sense afterwards - having finished the record and looking back on it – that there’s a thread of triumph, as a theme of this record.
“We couldn’t avoid the fear that time was running out.” Jamie Hince
“It was really difficult,” Hince says quite plainly. “It was difficult because all of this surgery kept putting us back and we couldn’t avoid the fear that time was running out. Not only was Hince’s productivity hampered by his injury, but the duo – completed by Alison Mosshart – also decided to relocate to somewhere completely new. While the majority of their previous records saw them head to Michigan’s Key Club studios, in Benton Harbor, this time they wanted to place themselves right in the thick of it, in the heart of L.A. “We always record in Benton Harbor, which is a secluded place where you lock the doors, and it’s all very secretive. It’s like you’re building a machine or something, which I’ve always loved, but this time, it felt like it was time to invite some chaotic opportunity and be somewhere that things will happen. We decided to do it in a house in Los Angeles I shipped over my mixing desk and my gear, and we just set up this crazy studio in a house.” Unsurprisingly, the chaos found them. The idea of recording in a house seemed appealing at first, but the pair soon came to realise there were a few pitfalls to their
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t’s no secret that musicians are always on the hunt for new sources of inspiration, but Jamie Hince decided to try something entirely different. “I felt like we had been touring for such a long time that I wanted to go somewhere where it was just me, a notebook and a guitar - no outside influences. I just wanted to be on my own for a while and see what came out. My friend had an exhibition over in St. Petersburg so I took the Trans-Siberian Express after that and it was just 6,000 miles of me on my own. No one spoke English and I was just in a little railway cabin with my guitar, some cameras and a notebook. It was really something else. “You know, if your body is starved of food, it just starts eating itself? So if there’s nothing going on where you are, your brain almost starts eating itself in a way. Some of the things I started thinking about… It was all a bit of madness but I felt like that was what I wanted to do; to really try and find some inspiration from [being alone], rather than what other people are doing.”
Along with a never-ending stream of noise, Hince soon realised that ‘Ash & Ice’ wasn’t quite living up to his own – admittedly lofty – expectations. “I find writing a record…” he starts. “I never take it lightly. Some would say I take it too seriously! It is a kind of majorly serious thing for me. Not that there’s not humour in it, but it is a panic, life-or-death situation for me. There are things I can’t let go if they’re not good enough - there’s almost an emotional trauma to it! “I think to be honest, when we got to LA, I realised we had more writing to do,” he continues, “I felt like we weren’t ready to bash out the songs. I really wanted to look at them, and I was being a bit of a dictator, getting us to rewrite lyrics and stuff. The lyrics were really important to me this time; I didn’t want to write any vague rock and roll cliches. I wanted to write a record where we meant what we were saying. There was a lot of me saying to Alison, ‘we need to rewrite this’ and there were a lot of tears. I think she just thought I was doing it to wind her up!” Eventually, though, everything fell into place, and the urgency they felt has become a part of the fabric of the album. “There is a sense of that chaos which you can hear.” The Kills’ new album ‘Ash & Ice’ is out 3rd June via Domino. DIY
Ph oto: A b i Da i nto n
NEWS
All aboard the Trans-Siberian Express!
plan. “There are things you don’t think about,” he laughs. “When someone’s trying to work something out, you’re not in soundproofed rooms and you can constantly hear them playing a part over and over again. It drives you crazy! You can see it on the engineer’s face! So, morning ‘til night there’s this chaos of noise and panic.”
“Morning. ‘til night. there’s this. chaos of. noise and. panic.”. Jamie Hince 8 diymag.com
– DEBUT ALBUM OUT NOW– “LIGHT BUBBLY ELECTRO INFUSED AFROBEAT RHYTHMS” The Sunday Times
“PLAYFUL POIGNANT TECHNOPOP” The Guardian
DEBUT ALBUM OUT NOW “A N I M P R E S S I V E D E B U T ” NME “A B E A U T I F I C A L B U M ” THE OBSERVER
CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS CHALEUR HUMAINE / THE ALBUM OUT NOW
“BEAUTIFULLY WROUGHT POP MUSIC” ALBUM OF THE WEEK - THE GUARDIAN
“JOYOUSLY IMMEDIATE POP MUSIC” DIY
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NEWS
Get excited about...
Charli XCX
’s
new album is set to change the face of pop
It looks like (by our maths, anyway) Charli XCX has finished the follow-up to ‘Sucker’; here’s why it’s going to break all of the rules.
O
ur Chazza has always been ludicrously good fun: just listen to ‘Sucker’. Most importantly it was at complete odds with the album that came before it. Typically, she’s showing clear signs of shaking things right up again. Mixed, and done (!!!), it’s thought to feature SOPHIE, Noonie Bao, and Stargate, along with Grimes’ pal Blood Diamonds under his new chart-ready BloodPop moniker. Now, here’s a whistle-stop tour through every sneaky peek of her album that she says “could change the sound of pop music”. I just wanna Break the Rules Following the high-sheen soundscape of ‘True Romance’, very few people expected Charli XCX to turn to punk. But she did: our Chaz ran off to Sweden, donned safety pins and lay on the floor screaming about being allergic to love instead. The bratty, rowdy-on-the-school-bus record ‘Sucker’ soon followed. Rev the Lamborghini, roll up with a brand new EP Taking its name from her SOPHIE collab, label Vroom Vroom launched alongside an out-ofthe-blue new EP. Totally nuts, it samples Pulp Fiction’s Mia Wallace,
features pastel pink puffa jacket queen Hannah Diamond and tries its hand at wonky Euro-trance all in the same breath. Hand in the ‘Ed Banger’ fire Charli has long been a fan of Parisian label Ed Banger; the home of bizarre, shimmering electro. She’s previously told us debut ‘True Romance’ was “very inspired” by them, and they’ve continued to influence her ever since. Pairing up with someone from that stable was an inevitably brilliant move. From Paris with love The moment she cited Paris Hilton as an influence on the new album, it was clear that her new direction would be nothing short of fabulous. “I’m such a fan and one of my favourite songs ever is ‘Stars Are Blind’ – it’s pop genius.” It’s an omen On Valentines Day, she performed at a Valium Valentine gig at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, ‘curated’ by Miike Snow’s Andrew Wyatt. Donning a luxurious towelling robe, she performed a new collab called ‘Too Many Omens’ and, though it’s more of a feature spot than a taster, it’s yet another indication that her pop lens is becoming more kaleidoscopic by the second. DIY
50 shades
of bay: Sorry (not sorry). 10 diymag.com
THE ORIGINAL ICON ENGINEERED FROM INDUSTRY CHAMPIONED THROUGH MUSIC WORN BY INDIVIDUALS
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NEWS
The Nottingham and Brighton bands join forces for the second round of DIY & Jägermeister’s Curtain Call.
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e’ve already seen one band take over Shoreditch’s Curtain Road via Curtain Call, our ‘collab’ with the fine folks at Jägermeister, and now it’s time for a second dose. Having previously played host to Birdskulls, who recorded and performed on the iconic East London stretch last month, it’s now up to Nottingham trio Kagoule to continue the madness, as they take on the (in)famous Old Blue Last. First up, London duo JOHN - who, as their name astutely suggests, are both named John - prove themselves to be quite the ferocious pair. While they may be taking to the stage first this evening, they waste no time in thrashing into life; sounding brash and huge despite their tiny confines. A grungy mass of wild hair and sludgy riffs, Demob Happy soon kick their set off to a roar from the crowd. With debut album ‘Dream Soda’ out in the open, their audience know all the right moves. That is, however, until something rather out-of-the-blue occurs. Whether a dodgy connection or just through their sheer power, the stage’s electrics cut out in a moment of mystery. That’s not enough to stop Demob though; it doesn’t take long for them to growl back into life, continuing exactly where they left off. The rest of their
set - with cuts like ‘Wash It Down’ And ‘Young & Numb’ all getting a look in – is predictably and gloriously chaotic. Following up such an adrenaline-filled introduction, the room’s packed by the time tonight’s main event unfolds. This evening may be one of Kagoule’s first live shows of 2016 but you’d never be able to tell; they’re slick from the off, with the gritty yet mesmerising ‘Glue’ marking an early highlight. It’s with their newest number, though, that the band really turn a corner. A discordant moment in their set, with its doomy bass and foreboding vocals, ‘Pharmacy’ – the track they recorded just a few metres down Curtain Road - is brilliant. Tiptoeing into the throes of explosive catharsis, it stands as a real high point during their time on stage.
Demob Happy
Managing to balance the dreaminess of tracks like ‘Made of Concrete’ with their scuzzed up guitars, the trio are fascinating to watch, with vocalist/bassist Lucy Hatter throwing herself around the stage and drummer Lawrence English pounding his drums. The three-piece may still be at an early juncture in their career but after tonight, and the crowd’s reaction, it’s clear they’re set to go on to much bigger things. DIY
Kagoule & Demob Happy
incite chaos for Curtain Call 2016 Kagoule
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ANNA MEREDITH
MEILYR JONES
VA R M I N T S
2013
OUT NOW
OUT NOW
KIRAN LEONARD
TELEMAN
GRAPEFRUIT
BRILLIANT SANITY
OUT NOW
8th April 2016 @moshimoshimusic www.moshimoshimusic.com 13
Jigsaw Falling
INTO PLACE Give it up, Radiohead. We know what you’re up to.
R
adiohead’s new album is imminent, surely. You wouldn’t just announce a load of festivals and then a massive world tour without having an LP in the pipeline, right? The fans are getting caught up in ‘Radiohead Season’: three London Roundhouse dates take place between 26th and 28th May, where Thom Yorke and co. are expected to debut new material. Tickets sold out in 0.5 seconds, obviously. It’s safe to say there’s decent demand for a ‘The King of Limbs’ follow-up. DIY has the scoop on LP9 progress, thanks to Stanley Donwood. The artistic collaborator tells us he’s heard the record, that it’s a “work of art” but that it’s not finished yet. You win some, you lose some. Head to diymag.com for the full interview.
What’s going on with...
BLOOD RED SHOES? It Still
Danny Dyer at his best.
FREAKS MY NUT OUT To This Day
Danny Dyer and Lucy Rose - the collaboration you never knew you wanted.
L
ucy Rose has shared her video for ‘Nebraska,’ and it’s very overwhelming. Not only does it feature guest cameos from ace musicians Ghostpoet, Rae Morris and Josef Salvat, it also features an icon of our times among its star-studded cast. Yes, that’s right. Zeitgeist-shaper, cultural flagbearer, and all-round top slag Danny Dyer is in the video. Try not to freak your nut out. In the video, Danny Dyer heads to a multi-hued basement bar, donning drag, before absolutely slaying it on stage. It picks up on distinct lyrical themes from the song, which sets out “to find who I really am”. Honestly, videos in 2016 have already peaked. Head to diymag.com for our exclusive chat with Lucy Rose about how it all came together.
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To the outside world, it may seem like the Brighton duo have been ‘rather quiet’ lately; obviously, that’s not the case at all. Drummer Steven Ansell fills us in on what’s been happening for the band. Hello! How are you? What’s been going on? We’re doing good! Despite being out of the public eye for ages we’ve been very busy, working on new Blood Red Shoes material but also working on outside projects and running our label Jazz Life. We’ve put out some great bands like Tigercub and Raketkanon plus we have more lined up for this year, including some fun collaboration stuff we’ve been working on with various musical friends. We’ve probably made more new music in the last 12 months than any time in the history of our band! So, we spotted that late last year you were in Los Angeles writing new material. How did all of that go? What sort of direction do you guys think you’re leaning towards? That’s right. We had a lot of false starts trying to write the next album, a story way too long to go into here and which involves a motorbike accident. Anyway, in the end we got the fuck out of the UK and went to Los Angeles which is by far the most productive time we’ve had. It’s a great environment to be making music in, there are lots of people with lots of ideas everywhere all working hard towards something. In some cities a lot of people like the idea that they’re working hard at their art, but actually all they’re doing is chatting about it. LA for us has been really working out and is full of very helpful people.
Luck OU R s ma cot y Everybody needs a little company on the road. This month, Black Honey tell us the life story of their faithful stage-side companion Jerry the Flamingo; and it’s really quite something. Born Jeremiah Quentino Delores Honey IV. The apple of our eyes. The Bonnie to our Clyde. A mysterious creature said to descend from a long line of party animals, Jerry was fortunate to avoid encountering such fates as his ancestors Kyle “The Caner” Caterpillar and the Coca-Cola Cobra; whose sugar addictions saw them to an early grave. So, is there an album shaping up, or are you just aiming to write as many songs as possible? We’re working on a LOT of new stuff, and there is most definitely an album in the pipeline but we’re taking our time on this one and exploring a lot of new things. We felt like the last album was a kind of full stop, so the next release has to open a lot of new doors. You also re-released a compilation of your old material with ‘Tied At The Wrist’ - what was it like to put that together and revisit some of those songs? That was pretty hilarious. It’s like looking at old photos of yourself and thinking WTF was I doing with my hair? Why was I wearing those ridiculous jeans?!’ A lot of it is so scrappy and sloppy but you gotta be proud haven’t you, because it’s part of your history. We only released it because we found all the old analogue tapes and realised most people couldn’t hear those early songs even if they wanted to. By releasing them at least people can find them if they choose to. We purposefully didn’t make a big deal of it because we live in a time of constant retrospection in music which we really hate - bands revisiting or touring old albums, new bands sounding basically like bands from the 70s or 90s… It’s very bland and backwards to me, so we wanted to make this available but not emphasise it - we want to emphasise the new music we’ll be releasing and the band’s future, not the past. You’re also gonna be playing at Live at Leeds this month you looking forward to that? Of course! This has been our longest break from playing live since 2006. In terms of our songwriting and having space to find new music to explore that’s been invaluable, but it’s also driving us quite literally insane. I feel like an animal that hasn’t eaten for a year. Live At Leeds is gonna be fully carnal. Blood Red Shoes will play Live At Leeds. Head to diymag.com/festivals for details.
Our story begins in the late 60s, where under the sparkle of the giant ‘H’ of the Hollywood sign, our darling Jerry hatched. As a young lost scally he was allured by the bright lights of the city and in a search to find himself, he ended up partaking in the psychoactive substance trials of the 70s, resulting in a loss of memory, of most (if not all) of that decade. Where his memory does serve, we learned that by the early 80s he had moved to San Francisco where his party animal instincts flowered like the Spring. He was a regular at the pool parties of the Playboy Mansion and was known to have pioneered the Harvey Wall Banger as well as other grandiose mixology inventions. Overwhelmed by his pursuit of fun, the good times eventually led him astray. One day years later we discovered him washed up in the girl’s toilets of Revenge, a mere shadow of his former self. Since his discovery we are pleased to inform that he is making good strides towards his future, and is now a poster boy for recovering party animals touring the country with us. He is a private character but loves the spotlight of the stage. Historically people only come to Black Honey shows to surrender themselves to the Jerry experience. His infamy will forever precede us, and boy is it an honour to have him on board. Black Honey will play The Great Escape. Head to diymag.com/festivals for details.
Jerry, a true millennial hero. 15
NEWS NEWS Paramore, more, more! How do you like it, how do you like it?
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Photos: Fiona Sneddon Lauren’s Win Butler impression was going down a storm.
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d ship o o g e h t d r a o All ab
le bit special, ts were that litt risingly, their se the next rp o su int t Un igh en ins d wh of an gigs on dr y lan o offered a bit d Taylor to als an go d ms to an s llia ed ve Wi ho ne a massi Hayley to come from Florida, board to um ad alb he n m ca you ur faves fro d watch all yo York. cruise ship an ll, that’s exac tly We ? r than I ck de ol po a nth mo t nest, a lot slowe las did s the comfor t of been, to be ho ore fan e d on stage ram e’v tte Pa mi “W of ad y st ho Hayle what a whole we would be,” t going on to gh re . ou fo th oy be , rah ce Pa al performan for the second I took a s... en during their fin pp ha s life it some fans. “Sometime ise feature re try cru ld ssu ay ou rea r-d sh u fou e Glor y great, yo Not only did th d for break - it was s, New Found or er he rec itt a vrc Tw ke Ch m ma fro nna go on and performances e events across time. We’re go tYou – alongsid sted.” DIY and mewithou tish trio bingo ’ll keep you po ot We Sc . e u.. th yo ed lud inc e’s or at th ram ip Pa sh e as th ubled the voyage do year. calling(!) - but eduled for this appearances sch e liv of t se ly on
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Promotional
STAND UP AND CELEBRATE T hroughout this issue of DIY, we’re all about celebrating. Crack out the candles, stick on the party hats and get ready to have a good time, because – as you might have guessed - we’re 50 issues old. We’re not ones to hog the limelight though (promise) and as it turns out, we’re not the only ones set to have a birthday – Dr. Martens celebrate their 56th anniversary. Over the past three years, DIY have been working with the boot and shoe makers to take some of your favourite bands and stick them in some of the country’s tiniest venues: all in the name of supporting music. So, what better way to help celebrate our respective milestones than by taking a look back at the past few years of the Stand For Something Tour?
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From those dapper gents in Spector (above) to the chaos-causing Palma Violets, from scuzzy post-punk agents Eagulls, to the arena-bothering Twin Atlantic, here are just a few highlights from our journey along the way.
WIN
That’s not all: in the name of celebrating our birthdays, Dr. Martens are offering up a very special prize. Not only will one special winner be offered a copy of their book Dr. Martens: A History Of Rebellious Self-Expression, but they’ll be invited to make their own pair of shoes in their UK factory. For a chance to win, simply head to diymag.com/ drmartensbirthdaycomp.
WEDDING BELLS Bat For Lashes is getting married loads of times (sort of).
B
at For Lashes aka Natasha Khan has marriage on her mind. New album ‘The Bride’ comes out 1st July, which is obviously very exciting. Before that, she’s playing lots of shows in English and U.S. churches, where fans are being asked to turn up in wedding attire. It’s a bit like those Arcade Fire ‘Reflektor’ shows, but with more cufflinks and family bust-ups. Alongside the new album, Khan is releasing a book, which documents the story of a bride who flees honeymoon trips before experiencing an epiphany of “love, loss, grief and celebration”. Shows take place from 20th April in Los Angeles’ First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, before she visits Manchester, Brighton, London and Brooklyn.
Service Station of the Month
The Magic Gang: Pease Pottage, M23, England Bands love service stations more than music itself. Snacks, bogs, time to think - it’s all there. These are miraculous places where festival headliners mingle with lorry drivers. It’s due time we paid respect to the very best. “The collective ‘go to’ would have to be Pease Pottage. Gus [Taylor, bass] was making noises about Cobham being really good because it has a ‘Fone Bitz’ and loads of Dyson Airblades, but where’s the charm in ‘Fone Bitz’ and efficient hand dryers? As one of the UK’s emerging unsigned talents we look forward to and fondly remember each and every visit to Pease Pottage, M23, particularly those early hour visits where the whole complex seems to take on a certain tranquility that can’t be rivalled by other services. At this time you’ll arrive finding everything closed but for a dimly lit Costa captained by one nonplussed individual and watch the people you hold closest to you pay the best part of a fiver for a sandwich.”
news in Brief
’MON THE BIFF
Biffy Clyro have unveiled their brand new track ‘Wolves of Winter’ – listen to it over at diymag.com now. The trio will also play a massive show in Scotland this August, when they play at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow on 27th August.
NOT 2SHY NOW
Shura has confirmed plans to release her debut album ‘Nothing’s Real’, out 8th July. The record, which includes her previous cuts ‘Touch’, ‘Indecision’ and ‘2Shy’, also boasts a new version of ‘White Light’.
MORE AND MORE
Unknown Mortal Orchestra has added a handful of European dates to his ever-expanding summer run. They’ll be returning to our shores to play in Cambridge and Liverpool this June, in the middle of shows in Paris and Zurich.
GOOD KID, M.A.A.D BUSY
Less than a month on from releasing his surprise album ‘untitled unmastered.’ it looks like Kendrick Lamar is back in the studio again working on new music. Lamar’s producer Dave Free has been posting video snippets on Instagram, with helpfully descriptive captions like “Kendrick recording new shit.”
Favourite Snack: Sausage, bean and cheese melt.
THAT’S THE SPIRIT
Bring Me The Horizon have announced plans to release an “audiovisual live album” of their upcoming Royal Albert Hall Date. As with the gig itself on 22nd April, all proceeds will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust. The LP will be released on Lots Of Formats on 16th September. 19
HAVE HEARD? you
Foals - Rain
Foals’ evolution in recent years has been nothing short of explosive. Beefing up their spindly math-rock was one thing, but to set it all ablaze and fire it from the confetti cannons of arenas across the globe is quite another. With ‘Rain’, though, they’re taking a breather. It showcases a side of the Oxford group that rarely gets an outing anymore, and further proof that they’re one of the most open-to-evolution bands to ever grace Wembley Arena’s hallowed platform. (Tom Connick)
Ladyhawke - Sweet Fascination Ladyhawke has always had massive pop bangers coursing through her blood. None come bigger nor bolder than ‘Sweet Fascination,’ however. The synths are mighty and turned up to Technicolor ten, hitting on a joyful abandon somewhere between Yazoo at their
most garish, and Chvrches in stadiumbothering mode. Taking apart the poisonous side of limitless infatuation, Ladyhawke is bang back on form with the flick of a single switch. (El Hunt)
Bat For Lashes - In God’s House Wedding bells might ring for Bat For Lashes on her new album ‘The Bride’. But don’t think for one second Natasha Khan’s taking a traditional route down the aisle. In contrast to the pure ‘I Do’, which announced her fourth album, ‘In God’s House’ turns tradition into something more ominous. “My baby died on a beach” isn’t exactly the simple, loved-up vow a weddingthemed album might promise. Like the best of Bat For Lashes’ work, she flips convention on its head. (Jamie Milton)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Gamma Knife King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are
a permanent caffeine kick, an electroshock that persists until everything turns to dust. As evidenced by ‘Gamma Knife’, the Aussies have retuned their circuits with turbo-charged additions. They’re every Vin Diesel scene from The Fast and the Furious switched to triple speed. Shameless, showy solos are dragged into the sky by a cult spirit - it’s one stab of ridiculousness after the next. (Jamie Milton)
INHEAVEN - Baby’s Alright Some bands are born in the skies. From the off, INHEAVEN have carried the energy of a group intent on lifting straight off from Planet Earth without a second’s notice. Yes, the Londoners are clearly penning festival anthems in spades and if there was a factory for such a thing, they’d get the best seat in the house, but there’s also a higher calling defining their first steps. This is the monster hit we’ve been waiting for. (Jamie Milton)
Biffy Clyro - Wolves of Winter Don’t blame Biffy Clyro for trying something radically different. For months they’ve been warming the world up to “the best thing we’ve ever done”, a record that sounds like Death Grips and Tears For Fears - at the same bloody time. They claim BOOTS was a big influence on new LP ‘Ellipsis’. What’s going on? Have Biffy evolved into a new beast? Yes, they’re trying out new tools and seeing what sticks, but they don’t let their original mantra slip for one second. In fact, the giant choruses are even bigger, the sky-reaching ambition even more front and centre. If anything this is a new, more assured Biffy Clyro, embracing their festival headliner status and spitting venom in every direction. (Jamie Milton)
Someone’s jealous of Simon Biffy’s tats. 20
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the Facts
Released: April 28th, 2008 Standout tracks: ‘The Next Untouchable’ ‘Amylase,’ ‘The Race’ Something to tell your mates: The band once bumped into Thom Yorke in a record shop (as you do) and he told them “don’t sign to a major”. They heeded his advice, inking a deal with XL instead.
DIY HALL FAME of
CAJUN DANCE PARTY - THE COLOURFUL LIFE A monthly place to celebrate the very best albums released during DIY’s lifetime; the next inductee into our Hall of Fame is Cajun Dance Party’s ‘The Colourful Life’. Words: El Hunt.
“I
think I saw recording the album as a fun afterschool club, essentially,” laughs Max Bloom, speaking to DIY eight years after the release of Cajun Dance Party’s debut, ‘The Colourful Life’. These days, of course, he’s best known for fronting Yuck. “I was not aware of the fact this was actually a big deal,” Max admits. “We were getting to record an album! It took me two days to record my bass parts, but I would just hang out [at West Heath Yard studios, where they worked with producer Bernard Butler] anyway, and smoke weed on the roof. I’d always been in school bands, but then suddenly this school band started getting taken seriously.”
melodrama of ‘Buttercups,’ to keyboardist Vicky Freund’s beautifully restrained and wide-eyed lulls, as “romance fills my eyes” on closer ‘The Hill, the View and the Lights’, ‘The Colourful Life’ is always peppy, often earnest to the point of overdoing it, and funny in the most unexpected moments. It’s hugely inaccurate to say that ‘The Colourful Life’ is mature beyond Cajun Dance Party’s years. Really, it’s an album for every teenager with questionably crimped hair, or ill-fitting, starched new jackets that never quite sit right. It’s for every person who wrote a charming, but ultimately fumbling, love letter to a maths lesson crush with no reply. A teeny bit precocious, but bursting with optimism, boundlessness, and spring-powered excitement, ‘The Colourful Life’ is a youthful attitude harnessed in nine joyful songs.
Though Cajun Dance Party were young, flippant, and - in Max’s own words - a “little bit silly”, the exciting, unbounded, and sometimes all-over-the-shop energy of five musicians’ “The band wasn’t given much time to develop in any way, but first steps power ‘The Colourful Life’. The band’s Robbie I don’t regret it,” concludes Max Bloom now. Post-Cajun Dance Stern, an accomplished classical violinist (and “easily the Party, the majority of the band have gone on to other musical most talented person in that band,” ventures. Daniel Blumberg now fronts according to Bloom) weaves theatrical Hebronix, Vicky Freund leads cosmicBe honest, Max Bloom. Did you write string-hums through the awkward, disco bunch Too Much Love, and Robbie foot-scuffing ‘No Joanna’. “Look down ‘Amylase’ as a Biology revision aid? Stern has a new project, Post Louis. It’s certainly one of the digestive at my shoes to see how I move / And enzymes! Ridiculous. I can’t believe we it’s always wrong, it’s always wrong,” “After [‘The Colourful Life’] was released called a song that, but we were 16, doing despairs frontman Daniel Blumberg, and before we broke up, there was some our GCSEs! clumsily overthinking a crush, and really interesting music being made,” spilling out lyrics straight from an angsty, scrawled-on diary.
says Max. “I would love for people to hear it. It was very different, and actually really good, I really liked it.” DIY
From the waltzing, over-the-top 21
NEWS
Popstar Postbag
Felix Bushe, Gengahr
We know what you’re like, dear readers. We know you’re just as nosey as we are when it comes to our favourite popstars: that’s why we’re putting the power back into your hands. Every month, we’re going to ask you to pull out your best questions and aim them at those unsuspecting artists. You don’t even need to pay for postage! This month, Gengahr’s Felix Bushe is poised with the Qs. • What was the first album that you ever bought, and why’d you choose that one? Adrian, via email The first time I went to HMV on my own to buy music I came back with two absolute classics. ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ by Eminem and ‘Born To Do It’ by Craig David. These were pretty much the two big albums everyone was talking about at school and both very much lived up to the hype. If you listen carefully you can hear a lot of these early influences in Gengahr. (Ed: Whatever you say, lads) • What do you reckon is the longest time that you’ve slept at once? Jo, Nottingham I think it might well have been last year at SXSW in Austin, Texas. A combination of jet lag and many fun days/nights out resulted in me sleeping for around 24 hours the day before we left to go home. • Describe your ideal pizza please. Max, Colchester All of us here at Gengahr are BIG pizza fans so I am very pleased you asked. I think it’s important to add context around the appropriation of the pizza. There are times when a thick greasy Domino’s perfectly suffices my hunger needs but mostly I’m in to my thin crust, stone oven, fancy shit. Slap some asparagus, rocket and parma ham on there and I’m pretty much in heaven. • If you could collaborate with any musician, who would it be and why? Alison, Edinburgh Kendrick Lamar. Straight to Number One, it’s a no-brainer. • Which do you prefer: cats or dogs? Jimmy, via email I’d say I’m probably more of a dog person.
Shirt game on point, Felix. 22
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Most cats seem far too obnoxious. I don’t really have room for a dog though so maybe I think a cat-sized dog would be the best compromise. A Pomeranian or something. • What’s been the worst thing that’s happened to you while you’ve been on stage? Kat, York When we played in Singapore a few months back it was so insanely hot on stage that my whole pedal board and guitar just stopped working after about ten minutes on account of me sweating so much onto them. They felt like the longest ten minutes of my life. • Which 3 things do you absolutely need to take on tour with you? Oli, via email Toothbrush, iPhone, iPhone charger. • If you were to rename your band after a different kind of Pokémon, what would you choose? Miles, via email If we could rename our band again we almost definitely wouldn’t pick another Pokémon but for the sake of the question I’m gonna say Ditto. Purely on the basis that Hugh says it’s his favourite. • What’s happening with album number two then?! Jodie, Derby That’s currently where all of our energy is being focused. We are very excited about the new stuff we are working on and it’s really refreshing to get back to writing again after so many months of touring. We’ve only really been at it since Christmas so it’s hard to say when it will be finished but it’s been a very inspiring few months and I think there is a lot to be excited about.
NEXT MONTH: Savages Want to send a question to DIY’s Popstar Postbag? Tweet us at @diymagazine with the hashtag #postbag, or drop us an email at popstarpostbag@diymag.com. Easy!
Goldenvoice Presents
ALLIE X
5.04.16 LONDON BIRTHDAYS
EKKAH
7.04.16 LONDON OSLO HACKNEY
MATT & KIM
08.04.16 LONDON SCALA
YEARS & YEARS + MØ
01.04.16 UT BIRMINGHAM SOLD O BARCLAYCARD ARENA 04.04.16 BOURNEMOUTH BIC 05.04.16 UT SOLD O PLYMOUTH PAVILLIONS 08.04.16 LONDON UT THE SSE ARENA SOLD O WEMBLEY
VAULTS
+ STEALTH
13.04.16 LONDON HEAVEN
LAURA DOGGETT
18.04.16 LONDON SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
ISLAND
+ ISAAC GRACIE
20.04.16 UT SOLD O OSLO HACKNEY LONDON
GABRIEL BRUCE
SHURA
BROKEN HANDS
26.05.16 LONDON O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
21.04.16 LONDON BRIXTON WINDMILL 28.04.16 LONDON DINGWALLS
VANESSA CARLTON 03.05.16 UT LONDON SOLD O THE LEXINGTON 18.05.16 LONDON SCALA
+ PUMAROSA
JAGWAR MA 28.05.16 BRIGHTON PATTERNS
ALGIERS
30.05.16 LONDON 100 CLUB
TOURIST
THE SPECIALS
EAGULLS
PARQUET COURTS
FATHER JOHN MISTY
SLEAFORD MODS
11.05.16 LONDON XOYO 12.05.16 BRIGHTON HAUNT
19.05.16 LONDON ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
18.05.16 UT LONDON SOLD O THE ROUNDHOUSE 19.05.16 LONDON OUT SOLD THE ROUNDHOUSE 20.05.16 LONDON OUT SOLD THE ROUNDHOUSE
YAK
+ INHEAVEN
24.05.16 LONDON DINGWALLS
15.11.16 LONDON THE TROXY 16.11.16 LONDON THE TROXY
14.06.16 BRISTOL TRINITY CENTRE
03.11.16 NOTTINGHAM ROCK CITY
goldenvoice.co.uk
4.04.16 LONDON THE SCOTCH
APR – NOV
BILL BAIRD
23
NEWS
yet more bands are play
ing yet more festivals
in this year’s slightly-les
s-cold months.
S L A IV T S FE O SS as It’s summertime RAD -NE
LIVE AT LEEDS
nce more planting its musical seeds across Leeds city centre, the oh-so-descriptively-named Live at Leeds this year hosts sets from such faves as Mystery Jets, INHEAVEN, Blood Red Shoes, Los Campesinos!, Ghostpoet, Spring King, Slutface, Milk Teeth, Kagoule and Shura. Oh, and there’s chartbothering disco warbler Jess Glynne in town, too. We’re teaming up to host both stages at the ‘well famous’ Brudenell Social Club, where Rat Boy, Demob Happy, Kagoule, Loyle Carner and Declan McKenna are among those playing.
A Few Seconds With… RAT BOY You’re playing Live at Leeds for us. How was playing it last year? Jordan: It was sick. Some kid did poetry up on the stage. He jumped through the crowd, walked on the stage and did his thing. We’d only played Leeds previously with Circa Waves.
Is the album done and dusted? Will you be playing new songs? J: It’s in progress. My style has changed since the first mixtape. Not loads, but it’s cool to have the songs I had two years ago and the ones I have now. Hearing the old vocal takes, I sound so much younger. It’s cool to keep all of that together. I’m excited to make the second album though. I’m excited to finish this one, so I can get that sorted and do the whole process again, bringing in stuff that I’ve learnt.
What’s your favourite festival and why? J: Whichever one turned us off midway through playing. Freedom Festival! It didn’t even get out of hand. Noah (drums): It kind of did, because they dragged you off stage. J: They pulled us off stage, and I went to go back up but the security guard pulled me down the staircase by my neck. The security shut off the power without permission from anyone. It makes people worse, because everyone was shouting and shit. Not sure why it’s called Freedom Festival. It doesn’t seem like you specifically go on stage and tell people to lose their minds. J: It’s probably the opposite, the other way ‘round. It just happens. We do it on Twitter sometimes, tell fans to “get mental”. It’s not like people go too far, but you do start worrying about them. You don’t want anyone to actually damage themselves.
DIY at live at leeds DIY STAGE RAT BOY LOYLE CARNER VITAMIN BEACH BABY ISLAND DECLAN MCKENNA ESTRONS ALIBIS DEMOB HAPPY KAGOULE NARCS SYMPATHISER NEU STAGE MIAMIGO ANTEROS SWEAT AVANTE BLACK WESLEY GONZALEZ STEVIE PARKER DAHLIA SLEEPS TEMPESST THE VELVETEENS TUSK PARTY HARDLY
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THE GREAT ESCAPE
19th - 21st May Black Honey, The Joy Formidable, SWMRS, Cullen Omori and Formation are among another 100-odd names added to the bill, which already boasts Mystery Jets, The Big Moon, INHEAVEN, Songhoy Blues, Diet Cig and lots (and lots) more.
BESTIVAL TORONTO
11th - 12th June
Tame Impala, Jamie xx, The Cure, Grimes, Swim Deep, Daughter and Madeon are among the first acts announced for the second year of the Bestival ‘proper’ sister event.
FIELD DAY
11th - 12th June
Mystery Jets are added to a bill that’s already featuring headliners James Blake and PJ Harvey, plus Parquet Courts, Skepta, Four Tet, Novelist, SOAK, Yeasayer and others.
BEST KEPT SECRET
17th - 20th June
Air, Mystery Jets, Band of Horses, Empress Of and Editors/Slowdive/Mogwai ‘supergroup’ Minor Victories join Beck, Jamie xx, Caribou, Two Door Cinema Club, VANT, Ho99o9 and The Japanese House in the Netherlands this June.
GLASTONBURY
22nd - 26th June
Muse have self-confirmed as headliners, via a not-so cryptic video ending “Friday Night 2016”. Adele’s joining them at the top, too - they join Coldplay, PJ Harvey, and a Bowie tribute.
ROSKILDE
25th June - 2nd July
At The Drive-In and The Last Shadow Puppets join the previously-confirmed LCD Soundsystem, PJ Harvey, Chvrches, Savages, MØ and Tame Impala just outside Copenhagen.
BST HYDE PARK
2nd - 10th July
Massive Attack, Stevie Wonder and Carole King have been added as headliners (1st,
10th, 3rd July respectively), with Ghostpoet, Warpaint, TV on the Radio, and Patti Smith also appearing.
2000 TREES
7th - 9th July Black Honey, The Bronx, Basement and We Were Promised Jetpacks are among the acts added to a bill that already features headliners Refused and Twin Atlantic, Muncie Girls, Kagoule and Moose Blood.
BILBAO BBK LIVE
7th - 9th July
Underworld, Editors and Junior Boys will climb the Basque mountains to join Arcade Fire, Foals, Tame Impala, Wolf Alice, Grimes, Pixies, Chvrches, Years & Years and New Order up high in July.
NOS ALIVE
7th - 9th July
Grimes, Biffy Clyro, Two Door Cinema Club and Jagwar Ma are among the acts joining the already-confirmed Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Foals, Wolf Alice, Years & Years, Pixies, Tame Impala and Courtney Barnett. Ber-limey.
WIRELESS
8th - 10th July
Confirming their return to Finsbury Park, this year has Calvin Harris, Chase and Status, and Boy Better Know headlining, with Miguel, Anderson .Paak, J. Cole, Future, Petite Meller, Yelawolf, Action Bronson and The 1975 also performing.
POSITIVUS
15th - 17th July
Wolf Alice, Grimes, Years & Years, The Japanese House and Hot Chip join in the Latvian fun with Ellie Goulding, Ho99o9 and Arthur Beatrice. Not all at once, though. That would be weird.
WIN
DANCIN’ IN THE PARK
LCD Soundsystem, Jamie xx and Disclosure among latest additions.
LCD Soundsystem, Jamie xx and Disclosure head up the new additions to T in the Park, returning to Strathallan Castle between 8th and 10th July. Along with headliner Calvin Harris, Bastille, FIDLAR, Kaiser Chiefs, The 1975, Major Lazer and Frightened Rabbit are among those joining previously-announced headliners The Stone Roses. We’ve got a pair of weekend camping tickets to give away. Head to diymag.com/wintitp to enter.
IT TAKES T WO
Biffy Clyro and Fall Out Boy to co-headline Reading & Leeds. Not content with Foals and Disclosure sharing top spot on Friday and Saturday respectively, Reading & Leeds will split the duties on a second night, with returning heroes Biffy Clyro (headliners in 2013) and Fall Out Boy (two places down that same night) headlining on Sunday (Reading) and Friday (Leeds). Chvrches, Haim, Savages, The Vaccines, Creeper, and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes have also joined the bill, which was revealed a little ahead of time via Frank Carter’s Twitter. Whoops.
MELT!
15th - 17th July
Ho99o9, Gold Panda and Zomby are among those joining Chvrches, Disclosure, Jamie xx, Skepta, Tame Impala and Sleaford Mods in Germany.
Simon Neil rocking the man-bun on par with Harry Styles. 25
NEWS
FESTIVALS CITADEL
17th July
SUG AR, WE’RE GOIN MELTDOWN
Guy Garvey’s South Bank extravaganza features Laura Marling, Connan Mockasin and The Staves. This year’s Meltdown - once again hosted at the Southbank Centre in central London - is curated by Elbow main man Guy Garvey and is now confirmed to host Laura Marling (18th June), Connan Mockasin (15th) and The Staves (14th) among others. Taking place between 10th and 19th June, there’ll also be appearances from This Is The Kit (11th), Femi Kuti (11th) and Guy’s Mancunian pals, I Am Kloot (13th). Plus there’s a Meltdown Party Boat and special one-off concert, ‘The Boat We’re In’ by Guy alongside Robert Plant, Nadine Shah and Nick Mulvey. “I’ve put together a bill I’d love to see and I’ve made sure there’s something for everyone,” Guy says. There’s plenty more still to announce but currently, alongside the music, we’ve got poetry and a ton of interactive events, and there is an overarching theme - boats.”
Caribou joins Sigur Rós in the headline slot, with Lianne La Havas, Cat’s Eyes, Gillbanks, Tinariwen, Maribou State and Matthew & The Atlas also appearing.
PANORAMA
22nd - 24th July
Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem and Kendrick Lamar headline the first edition of this NYC festival from the people behind Coachella, with Foals, FKA twigs, Run The Jewels, Alabama Shakes, Sia, White Lung, and Blood Orange also on the (mighty fine) bill.
TRAMLINES
22nd - 24th July
Mystery Jets, Kelis, Sundara Karma, Gaz Coombes, Skream, Novelist and Jurassic 5 have been added to the Sheffield city centre shindig, joining Dizzee Rascal, Young Fathers, Hinds, Ekkah and All We Are.
LEEFEST
28th - 31st July
Lianne La Havas headlines the Kent event, subtitled ‘The Neverland’, with Spring King, Formation, The Big Moon, Shura, Big Deal, GIRLI, Oscar and Skinny Girl Diet also making appearances.
STANDON CALLING
29th - 31st July
Everything Everything, Swim Deep and The Hives are among the first wave of artists confirmed for the Hertfordshire event, with headliners Suede, Kelis and Jess Glynne. Elsewhere Declan McKenna, Loyle Carner and Honne appear.
VISIONS
6th August
Young Fathers, Gengahr, The Japanese House, Pumarosa, Anna Calvi, Lightning Bolt and Ulrika Spacek are among the first acts for the East London all-dayer.
ØYA
9th - 13th August
The Kills, Savages and Rat Boy join the previously-confirmed Chvrches, Jamie xx, Massive Attack and Young Fathers, Foals, PJ Harvey, The Last Shadow Puppets and Stormzy in Norway.
SZIGET
10th - 17th August
Sia, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Rihanna, Crystal Castles and Aurora join the Budapest party, with Bastille, Bring Me The Horizon, Chvrches, Years & Years and The Last Shadow Puppets already confirmed.
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FLOW
12th - 14th August The Kills, Daughter, Arca and Anderson .Paak join Chvrches, Jamie xx, Iggy Pop, Massive Attack and Young Fathers, New Order, M83 and Thundercat in Helsinki.
GREEN MAN
18th - 21st August
Warpaint, Gengahr, Whitney, Amber Arcades, Grandaddy and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard join headliners Belle & Sebastian, James Blake and Wild Beasts in the Welsh mountains.
LOWLANDS
19th - 21st August
Muse have been added as headliners, with James Blake and Biffy Clyro joining the Dutch event alongside Jack Garratt, Dua Lipa and Whitney. Lowlands already boasts LCD Soundsystem, Chvrches, Foals, Sum 41, M83 and Oh Wonder.
FESTIVAL NO. 6
1st - 4th September
Super Furry Animals, Formation, Temples, Eagulls, M. Ward and Gold Panda join the Portmeirion weekend that’s already temporary home to Bastille, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Hot Chip and Lucy Rose.
ELECTRIC PICNIC
2nd - 4th September
Lana Del Rey, LCD Soundsystem and Wolf Alice are among the first acts confirmed for the Irish event, with Haim, Years & Years, Wild Beasts, Animal Collective, Jack Garratt, Super Furry Animals, Savages and New Order also appearing.
END OF THE ROAD
2nd - 4th September
Savages, Oscar and The Big Moon are among the latest additions to the Dorset event, with Local Natives, Thurston Moore, Teenage Fanclub and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard also joining the alreadyannounced Joanna Newsom, Animal Collective, Bat For Lashes and Cat Power.
LIVERPOOL PSYCH FEST
23rd - 24th September
The Horrors headline alongside Super Furry Animals, with the first acts also including Ultimate Painting, Flamingods, Dungen, Silver Apples, Spectres, and Cavern of Anti-Matter, a new project from Stereolab’s Tim Gane.
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27
From eccentric soap-inventors to Italian hermits; everyone is getting caught up in the magnetic cult of Pumarosa. Words: El Hunt. Photo: Emma Swann.
“I
just remembered, Ringo Starr was in my dream last night!” exclaims Pumarosa bassist Henry Brown suddenly, almost upturning one of the medieval-style goblets his bandmates are currently sipping from. “He was orchestrating this supergroup, and wearing a suit,” he explains excitedly, “he was really in control, and he had some really good ideas!”
NEU
By Pumarosa’s standards, anyway, Henry’s latest creative inspiration is fairly run-of-the-mill.
The band have bumped into some totally bizarre characters as they’ve been gathering together material for their debut album on the sly, and it’s almost as if the surreal, ritualistic magnetism of their music physically reels in these outlandish individuals. There’s that day the band casually got chatting to the inventor of the singing soap bar on Hampstead Heath, as you do. Then there’s the eccentric Italian recluse who rocked up when frontwoman Isabel Munoz-Newsome was playing a one-off solo set. Naturally, he invited the entire band to record at his dilapidated seaside retreat in Italy on a sudden whim, immediately afterwards. And obviously, Pumarosa said yes. “I think I came round to the idea quickly,” remembers Isabel, laughing, “in a matter of days I was on the plane. He lives
P U M A “We try and work everyone up into a euphoric state.” 28 diymag.com
VS Right, let’s get to the crunch, Pumarosa. Pumas or roses?
in this 800-seater abandoned cinema on the coast, on his own!” Their new friend left them alone much of the time - to focus on hand-chipping precarious walls of concrete, according to drummer Nicholas Owen but occasionally dropped by with some unexpected early reviews. “He said, ‘it’s wonderful! If you carry on in this vein you’ll be bigger than Madonna!’” laughs Isabel.
Isabel: 100% pumas. They’re godly creatures. Neville: Graceful sexy beasts. Isabel: I reckon roses probably smell nicer than pumas, too. I bet pumas have a musky, pleasant smell. It might be a bit rough.
After working with “dreamy” producer Dan Carey on ‘Priestess’, Pumarosa are sticking with the partnership for at least a fair chunk of their debut album. Though they’re yet to record everything, “we’ve got all the material,” she nods. “With an album,” she says, before making an apprehensive noise akin to a cat’s tail being trodden on, “you kind of want to be thinking about the journey of it,” she says. “The cohesiveness.”
Fresh off the road from supporting Gengahr, Pumarosa have been intently honing their live craft as of late, and from witnessing the show they put on at DIY’s Hello 2016 gig at The Old Blue Last back in January, this mission is clearly working out. “We try and work everyone up into a euphoric state,” grins guitarist Neville James. “We try and get some energy going.” It’s near-impossible to separate the theatrical spectacle of a Pumarosa show from the ritualistic cycles of ‘Priestess’; tricky to divorce Isabel’s trance-like onstage presence from her intent, incantation-like delivery. Pumarosa may have just two singles and a sprinkling of demos to their name so far, but they already feel like a fully-fledged band. DIY Pumarosa will play Live At Leeds and The Great Escape. Head to diymag.com/ festivals for details.
R O S A Pumarosa nail their FIFA player poses. 29
Recommended neu EAT
Appetite-whetting giants in waiting. Either they’re massive fans of popular 90s kids TV drama Byker Grove, or there’s an aesthetic emerging in EAT’s first steps. Debut track ‘Byker Drone’ delivered the gut-punch to grunge that revival cynics have been clamouring for, and on second strike ‘Byker Lime Slicer’ they up the ante. Aping Britpop anthemia with its call-and-response ‘oohs’ and twisting, shredded tone, EAT have established themselves as the bonafide real deal in the time it takes most groups to tie their shoelaces. Listen: ‘Byker Drone’ is INHEAVEN-nodding brilliance. Similar to: A three-course meal of guitars, guitars and guitars.
dron es club
Dance revolutionaries or nutters with balaclavas? Everyone’s talking about Drones Club (we say everyone - your nan’s probably not interested yet). Whether it’s passers-by confused by their senseenhancing, Ghostbusteroutfit live shows, or whether it’s a groundswell of fans engrossed by their KLF-nodding electronica, something’s stirring from the London force. This is eye-gouging, bonkers dance determined to inspire a generation. Listen: ‘Python’ shows its fangs. Similar to: Sped up 90s rave videos on YouTube.
Neu’s round-up of the best and buzziest new music happenings.
Hud s on S cot t The year’s alt-pop inventor of choice.
After years tooting horns in the live arena for the likes of Foals, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and Petite Noir, Hudson Scott is finally ready to take centre-stage. Bringing that trumpet to the fore, this Oxford newcomer deals in a parping, alternative slant on pop, dealing a side-eyed glance at the charts in the process. It’s Hudson’s day job as a carpenter that proves debut single ‘Clay’’s winning hand, a method of construction lending this debut a rigid backbone amongst all its freeform impulsiveness. Listen: ‘Clay’ sets the foundations for a bright career. Similar to: Yannis from Foals making introspective electronic pop.
J or ja S m i t h
A Dizzee Rascal-nodding phenomenon. Based in Walsall and just 18-years-old, Jorja Smith’s debut single ‘Blue Lights’ is a dynamic patchwork of the influences every music-obsessed kid hears growing up in the UK. Reinterpreting Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Sirens’, there’s quick-thinking lyricism, heartstopping R&B nods and playful pop staples by way of Lily Allen. Everything’s in place for a takeover. Listen: ‘Blue Lights’ hears the sirens coming. Similar to: This country’s answer to Frank Ocean.
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Baby Steps Fresh from joining The Kills on tour, Copenhagen’s Baby in Vain have inked a deal with Partisan (Eagulls, Dilly Dally). In response, they’ve also stepped things up a notch. New EP ‘For The Kids’ is Drenge-nodding brilliance, out 29th April. Aussies Rule Perth group Methyl Ethel are newly signed to 4AD, presumably on the back of their ace 2015 debut album ‘Oh Inhuman Spectacle’. It’s getting a new, more snazzy release this May. That same month, they’ve UK shows scheduled for London’s Shacklewell Arms (17th May), The Old Blue Last (23rd May) and Brighton’s The Great Escape. Only Yung Once Danish punks Yung are planning ahead. They’ve announced their debut album ‘A Youthful Dream’, due 10th June via Fat Possum. Leading the way is ‘Pills’, an arms-aloft ode to growing up that brings escapism to another level - the group’s calling card, in effect. Ho99o9show Those Ho99o9 thrillseekers still aren’t giving final word on a debut album, but they’ve decided to celebrate Halloween early with a terrifying interactive video for ‘Blood Waves’. We say interactive - chances are you’ll be running away in panic the moment you hit play.
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WHITNEY
A sweet-hearted, post-Smith Westerns project ready to take over the world? Not quite. They just wanna dance with somebody. Words: Tom Walters. Photo: Emma Swann.
“W
hich celebrity do you wanna play darts with?” asks Julien Ehrlich, who previously drummed in Smith Westerns and now fronts and drums in Whitney, a band who’ve proven one of 2016’s buzziest to date. Having played a low-key acoustic show the previous night, the band are above Moth Club where they’re due to play later. The beers are flowing, and here’s Ehrlich, asking which celebrity we’d all like to play darts with. His answer? Adele.
it’s already become a weirdly huge fan favourite. The weight of overnight popularity obviously shows, particularly with Ehrlich. Whitney feel like they’ve been together for ages, but have only in practice been around a year and only have a handful of shows under their belt (“we were all so nervous,” admits Ehrlich of the previous night). As we discuss everything from celebrity darts games to The 1975 to bumping into James Blake at Coachella, it’s clear the guys are in it for a bit of a giggle - they’re insistent on playing “bullshit” country festival Stagecoach, for example. Their debut album was recorded in L.A. with Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado, whereas a few early recordings like the almost year-old track ‘No Matter Where We Go’ - were home recorded. So how’d it go with Rado? “We just kind of had him looking over and not really having much input to be honest,” chuckles Ehrlich. He’s joking, of course - but there is an incredibly lackadaisical, slacker approach to what Whitney do that makes so much sense when paired up with their sprightly spring jams. “Like, we party a little bit…” He continues with a cheeky grin. “When I party I’ll go and lay down in my bed and all I ever want to do is listen to the record in a new state of mind. I hope other people do and feel the same way. We’re really happy about it. It’s like our lives revolve around it.”
“US AND ADELE WOULD CHILL AND HAVE A NICE TIME.”
“I’d fucking destroy her!” He exclaims, almost tumbling off the sofa with enthusiasm. “I’d choose Adele because I’d win and then we’d chill and have a nice time.” Really? Surely she’d give him a run for his money. “She’d get over it, and honestly if she kicked my ass I’d be fine with it too. I fuck with her as a human being. She’s sick. And such a great singer.”
It’s a peculiar and fascinating mind, Ehrlich’s, but let’s backtrack slightly. Whitney are (essentially) an ensemble band led by Ehrlich and fellow former Smith Westerns cohort Max Kakachek, who together make gorgeous, early-morning indie rock built on a low-key bedroom aesthetic, also drawing upon country, folk and pop. It’s a mix that produced the instant hit ‘No Woman’ - a track so deliciously simple and sublime that
Whitney’s debut album ‘Light Upon The Lake’ is released 3rd June via Secretly Canadian. DIY
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“If you think you’re getting this back, Marcus…”
Three terrifying nights witH Show Me The Body The indefinable New York troupe finally hit UK shores at the start of the year, taking in three furious London shows in three days. Neu was there to track the chaos. Words: Tom Connick. Photos: Veronique et Charlotte. Monday 8th February • Rye Wax Records Things hit a snag as the countdown to Show Me The Body’s overseas debut approaches zero. With just minutes to spare, the show’s knocked back by over an hour due to noise complaints from an upstairs performance of Macbeth. There’s already tension in the air by the time an overzealous pit-starter is dragged out by security during opener Youth Man’s set.
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“It was funny, the bouncer was eating some food while we were sound checking and he was like, ‘Yo, that shit is tight, I fuck with it!’ Then the first band starts playing and he put that kid in a headlock for moshing!,” laughs Show Me The Body frontman Julian Cashwan Pratt later on. “I was like, ‘Dude, when we play, that’s gonna happen… you can’t do that!’ He let the kid back in, it was cool.” Even with the warning, though, nothing could’ve prepared Rye Wax for Show Me The Body. Industrial noise clattering against swaggering hip-hop influence, it’s all tied tight with the strings of Julian’s banjo. A venue-wide pit is swiftly commandeered by none-other than King Krule man Archy Marshall. By the time Julian storms into the crowd during closer ‘Body War’, he sends a camera flying, leaving a Radio 1 producer’s eye black as coal. Tuesday 9th February • DIY Space For London With Archy Marshall once again present and correct, DIY Space For London is packed out for Show Me The Body’s second strike. “I’d heard about him from our friends, but it was really sweet of him to come through and show support,” says Julian
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of the King Krule connection. “We fuck with what he does, definitely.” Despite the trimmed-down, four track setlist, it’s another, er, fire starter. “The PA system last night was not up to what was… required,” explains bassist Harlan Steed the next day. “Oh yeah,” smiles Julian, “As we were sound-checking we asked the sound man if we could turn up the bass. We sort of wanted to control the sound – we wanted to blast it through the PA Within thirty seconds of this kid going in, he had this shit on fire.” Wednesday 10th February • The Lock Tavern “Oftentimes when we
put these kinds of shows together back in New York, it’s a really specific crowd that it brings out,” says Harlan. “So we don’t know how this will be, exposing people to this music.” A third packed-out, sweat-drenched venue in as many days answers his question. “There’s definitely a key vision that the three of us see,” Julian explains of their twisted noise. “I’ve always fucked with people who say heavy shit. People trying to convey a message,” he continues. It’s drummer Noah Cohen-Corbett who sums up Show Me The Body’s mind-bending sound and ethos best, though: “Mix it up, and mix it together.” DIY
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Now We Are
34 diymag.com
Wolf Alice
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? We’re 50. That’s FIFTY WHOLE ISSUES, (very ) precise calculation approximately 4200 pages, and the more words than edia entirety of Wikip und (probably). So so and the ‘old klaxon’ dles, blow out the can of as we grab some our faves to look back , for ward, up, down and - of s course - sideway at the past five years.
In 2011, they were: Ellie Rowsell and Joff Oddie had formed Wolf Alice as a two-piece the previous year, while Joel Amey and Theo Ellis were brief acquaintances. Bassist Theo sort of knew they’d eventually become an amazing band, but the others hadn’t cottoned on by this point. Right now, they’re: One year on from releasing ‘My Love Is Cool’, one of the best debuts in years. What’s the best thing about being in Wolf Alice? Theo: Every aspect of being in a band is great – playing gigs is great, being able to play with instruments and work with different engineers and producers and going to different studios – every aspect, for us, we enjoy. And just sitting in vans for prolonged periods of time is great as well! Ellie: And not feeling bad about it, ‘cause you have to! It’s justifying your laziness! You’re in a bus now though, isn’t that nicer? Theo: It is much nicer, yeah, but we’re still lazy.
Another classic expression from our Theo, there.
If you could relive any day from the past five years again, what would it be and why? Ellie: I’d go back to Glastonbury and do it properly. I don’t remember it, so… There’s lots of things. I’d like to go back to New Year’s Day in Australia, and know that I was about to have the best year ever.
Photo: Emma Swann
What’s the most surreal (or silly) moment of the past few years? Theo: The Grammys – that’s definitely the most surreal it’s been for us. You don’t really start a band and like, play the Old Blue Last for your DIY night, and end up at the GRAMMYs (*cough* thanks Theo - Ed).
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Vant In 2011, they were: A disillusioned Mattie Vant was making music that not even he enjoyed. This was before bar stints in London venue Birthdays reinstalled his obsession with fast, in-yourface rock music. Right now, they’re: Playing impromptu shows in strangers’ houses, rocking up on boats to play lastminute DIY gigs, putting the finishing touches to their essential debut album. What’s the best thing about being in VANT? Everything we stand for and the privilege to be able to do something that will hopefully make a positive impact on the world.
Oscar In 2011, he was: Finishing school and putting together the bedroombased studio he started out with. Right now, he’s: Writing for massive pop names like Lily Allen, with his own debut album ‘Cut and Paste’ fast approaching. What’s the best thing about being Oscar? I get to make my own decisions. I wear what I like, I don’t have to stick to any genre and most importantly I feel understood by the people around me. Plus I get to sing and dance for my supper. I’m a bit like Oliver Twist in that respect. 36
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Spring King In 2011, they were: Tarek Musa was patching together early Spring King demos after standing out as a production whizz-kid. He was still practicing his best Phil Collins impression, mind you. Right now, they’re: Signed to a major label, Zane Lowe’s favourite new band, the best singing drummer extravaganza since that gorilla in the chocolate advert. What more could you ask for? What’s been your favourite moment as a band so far? I think our first proper tour ever with Courtney Barnett was a huge learning experience and a favourite for all of us, something we’ll never forget. We were touring in my mum’s car and we could barely fit everything into it, not to mention the five of us - you could do nothing but laugh at the situation!
Tame Impala
they said what?
“When I first wrote ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ I thought it was a Backstreet Boys song.” (Kevin Parker, 2015)
In 2011, they were: Blowing minds with debut album ‘Innerspeaker’. Right now, they’re: Doing the same, only on a much bigger level. Rihanna’s more than a fan, giving their music the kind of approval that’ll send them into the stratosphere. Not that this wasn’t where they were headed in the first place. When talk turns to future festival headliners, Tame Impala are on the edge of everyone’s lips.
DIY’s party got a bit much for poor Kev.
They said what?
Warpaint In 2011, they were: Touring ‘The Fool’, the must-have debut album that went miles beyond the initial hype that was stirring. Right now, they’re: On lockdown mode, making LP3. Well, with the exception of Jenny Lee Lindberg, who kindly found time to talk to us about DIY turning 50 and all that.
Run the Jewels In 2011, they were: New mates. El-P and Killer Mike had just been introduced to each other by a Cartoon Network executive. They were obviously established rappers in their own right, but an insane chemical reaction was about to be set off. Right now, they’re: Pushing everything forward. Politics, technology, production - if there’s a conversation, Run the Jewels are right in the centre. In fairness, they didn’t strictly choose this role, but they capture the world’s fucked up contradictions, throwing in their fair share of cat noises, to help balance things out.
Mark Ronson
H
e’s been doing backflips for years, but the last half-decade has seen Mark Ronson take his firmest steps forward. As if any further proof was required of his credentials, he delivered an out-and-out pop classic, collaborated with the most unlikely of names (from Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and Q-Tip to ahem, The View’s Kyle Falconer), remaining so ahead of the game, someone had to call the police AND the fireman. He’s too hot (hot damn) and at the peak of his powers. So he was first on the list for DIY’s party, to be honest. Interview: El Hunt. You’ve been present at the turning points in many massive careers. When you meet these incredible musicians early on, before the mass acclaim, or huge success, can you see it in them? When I start working with someone, it’s not necessarily because I meet them and think, ‘Oh wow, this person will be a megastar’, but usually there’s just something really unique or special about... obviously
“I’m perpetually craving something” - Yannis Philippakis, Foals, 2014 (no, he wasn’t in a bakery at the time - Ed)
They said what?
“Cats are stupid. I don’t understand the ownership of a pet that doesn’t understand it’s your pet.” (Killer Mike, 2014)
What’s the best thing about being in Warpaint? Jenny Lee: Collaborating with magical, unique, extraordinary human beings, who also happen to be my best friends and some of the funniest people I know. Laughing the years away isn’t the worst way to spend my time! If you could relive any day from the past five years again, what would it be and why? I’m excited to dive into the now, like no other time before, especially knowing what I know now.
the talent comes first, and then there’s something in their character. All these things play into each other, and make them stand out. I guess eventually that is what all the really great artists, superstars, whatever you want to call them, have. It’s really the ones that sound like nothing else that came before them, that sound like nothing else anyone is doing at the time. You’ve worked with artists like Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lily Allen and Kevin Parker over the years - I’m guessing that’s very much the case with them? Everybody’s really different, and there’s no rule across these personalities, but I guess they’re just people that are incredibly talented, and you’re like, oh man, I wanna make something that turns this person on, you know what I mean? Something that instantly will impress this person. I want to be inspired and challenged.
Mark, if you fancy being Indie Dreamboat . of the Month, drop us a line, yeah?. 37
Gengahr In 2011, they were: Still collecting Pokémon cards - these four were a completely unknown entity. Right now, they’re: Hard at work on their second album, the follow-up to ‘A Dream Outside’, aka one of 2015’s best debuts. What’s the best thing about being in Gengahr? John Victor: Either travelling the world or just getting to play guitar all the time. In fact put those two together, playing guitar all over the world!
third date of the Wolf Alice tour and had to finish the next fifteen gigs playing with one arm. If you could give yourself one piece of advice when you started out, what would it be? John: Play with as many people as possible. The hardest part of starting a band is finding people you work well with. Plus you get to meet lots of weird and sometimes wonderful people. And often, not so wonderful people.
What’s been your standout moment as a band? John: There’s been a few, the most surreal and stupid being when Danny [Ward, drums] broke his shoulder on the
Drenge In 2011, they were: Saving up pennies for a bus to Sheffield from Castleton, most likely. In 2011, Drenge were just about beginning to play shows, as incendiary and wild as the ones they play now (albeit a bit more rough around the edges). Right now, they’re: Hidden away making a start to their third album. Last year’s five-star rated ‘Undertow’ was one of 2015’s finest. What’s the best thing about being in Drenge? Eoin Loveless: Being able to play our songs to a really great bunch of people night after night. What have been your favourite moments of the past five years? Eoin: Tours with TRAAMS, Peace and Wolf Alice. An amazing couple of shows in East Asia which peaked with [Ash’s] Tim Wheeler going on a recon mission to pick up Foo Fighters’ fancy French wine that they’d left in their dressing room.
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They said what?
“We’re learning all the time. We are such babies in music, so we learn every day” (Carlotta Cosials, 2015, pre‘Leave Me Alone’)
Hinds
In 2011, they were: Carlotta Cosials was starring in Spanish telly show Punta Escarlata. She and her bandmates were a couple of years away from plugging in and taking over the world. Right now, they’re: Impossible to keep track of. The rise of Hinds can’t be stopped - from beer-soaked house parties to crowds in their thousands, they’re comfortable playing anywhere.
The Maccabees In 2011, they were: In 2011, they were: On the cover of DIY, as it happens. Three albums to the good, they were beginning to look like a Very Special Band Indeed. Right now, they’re: Exactly that. One of the UK’s best bands and newly certified festival headliners, with a Latitude top-spot on the horizon. This is just the start for Orlando Weeks and co. What’s the best thing about being in The Maccabees? Felix White: Having made a path for ourselves that’s allowed us to keep changing musically. If you could give yourself one piece of advice when you started out, what would it be? Felix: Playing gigs with one shoe on and one shoe off is not a strong look.
Rat Boy In 2011, he was: Thinking about starting his GCSEs, the jammy sod. Jordan Cardy had only just saved up for his first computer by this point. When he bought it second hand, it didn’t work. Things didn’t get off to a good start for Rat Boy, being honest. Right now, he’s: DIY’s Class of 2016 cover star and the most talked-about new act in the country. Not to let it get to his head, or anything... It’s just like school photo day... but with more booze.
What’s the best thing about being Rat Boy? Jordan Cardy: You get to eat Burger King at 2am in service stations. 39
Swim Deep
Years & Years In 2011, they were: Professional chefs, actors on the telly and housebound producers. Right now, they’re: Using their initial chart-topping cred for good. A recent video for ‘Desire’ is a gigantic orgy, in effect, shifting perceptions of sex and self-acceptance. It’s a bold move for a trio who feel ready to go one step further. If you could relive any day from the past five years again, what would it be and why? Emre Turkmen: The day we filmed the ‘Real’ music video. It was the first time when everything seemed to come together and we felt confident and happy with what we were doing. What does a new band need in order to ‘make it’? Time and space? A stroke of luck? Olly Alexander: You need to consistently be in the right place at the right time making the right music to get noticed, and then after that, you need to be in the right place at the right time making the right music to get a break. And then you just need to make sure you are really nice and people want to work with you and support you and you are nice to your fans and you cross your fingers that nothing will go wrong - and maybe after all that, you have a chance of making it.
In 2011, they were: Birmingham stoners who’d only just fully formed. Cav McCarthy was a merch seller who couldn’t play bass. To say they were patched together would be an understatement, but they weren’t yet aware of their batshit-psych powers. Right now, they’re: Making the music they’ve always wanted to make. ‘Mothers’ is a bizarre space odyssey of a second album, and it’s opened them up to new possibilities (and coats, don’t forget the coats). What moments from the last five years stand out the most? Austin Williams: Doing pills on the Alps. Seeing places we would have never dreamed of being able to do before. Paying the bailiffs off for my mum when my first royalties cheque came through. Losing Cav under a pile of clothes before a gig. James [Balmont] getting chased by a pack of rabid dogs in Bangkok then drinking speed from a can. Playing Glastonbury. Playing in Thailand. Doing mushrooms in the most gorgeous morning in Hollywood then spending 3 hours in Amoeba Records then walking along Malibu beach. Making ‘Fueiho Boogie’. Blimey. Ok. What’s the best thing about being in Swim Deep? Austin: That we can do whatever we want. People know that our next album is gonna be a shocker whatever the case, and that we’re not boring - we’re demanding a reaction.
A big thank you to James for kindly. volunteering as the official DIY party jester. . 40 diymag.com
I
Peace
t’s late 2010, the very first issue of DIY is in the works, and a Birmingham band decided to change their name to Peace. It used to be November and the Criminal. Fair play, lads - you made a smart move there. So Peace have been around for as long as DIY has (fifty issues tops two albums, but it’s rude to compare). We caught up with Harry Koisser as they enter the next phase of their career (which they’re keeping extra schtum about). Interview: Jessica Goodman. What actually made you want to start this band? Harrison Koisser: When we started out I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be a techno DJ or not. I’m kind of glad that I didn’t do it. I do like techno, but not as much as I like all those other things that we’ve done. We’ve always wanted to be a really good band. The best band ever? I think that’s what we’ve always wanted to be. It’s good that we’ve taken the necessary steps to make that happen. We’ve been in bands together for a long time, since we were in college. We were always in bands that were trying to be like other bands. When we were 16 we wanted to be The Libertines, and then
when we were 17 we wanted to be like Explosions In The Sky or Mogwai or something. Then suddenly there was this gap. The band we wanted to be didn’t exist, so we thought ‘we’ll be it’. There were a lot of times when I was like ‘I can’t believe there’s not a band called Peace, it’s such a good band name.’ Then we realised that could be us. What was it like being at the centre of a musical movement, back in 2012? Harrison: It was kind of a shame for us. We were the first band to get signed [from their Birmingham ‘B-Town’ scene] or recognised, really. Let’s put it like that. By the time it was really kicking off, we were on tour for the whole thing. At the time people were asking us ‘what’s it like, this scene in Birmingham, where everyone’s always hanging out, and there are all these shows, and kids are always excited?’ And we were in, say, Singapore. It’s scary when I think back about how long it’s been going on. It feels very fast, especially when you go back and visit the places where it all happened. It seems like it was a couple of weeks ago. It’s weird how you look in the mirror and suddenly you’re five years older, and you’ve done a load of stuff. That gets me.
“I couldn’t. decide if I. wanted. .to be a. techno DJ. or not.”.
What’s next for Peace? They’ll chop off my hands if I say what we’re doing at the moment. Probably because we’re… No. I’ve been sworn to secrecy. But we’re busy. All of us really want to do album three, and make it The Album That Makes It All Make Sense. For once.
CHVRCHES In 2011, they were: Writing together for the first time and making that vital decision to put a “v” in their name for Google’s sake. Right now, they’re: Penning the best synth-pop songs in the world, and in spades. Second album ‘Every Open Eye’ upped the stakes tenfold, putting the Scottish trio on a trajectory few bands can touch. What’s the best thing about being in CHVRCHES? Lauren Mayberry: Making music that means something to us, and then getting to play that music for other people who have connected with it too. If you could give yourself one piece of advice when you started out, what would it be? Lauren: Do the vocal exercises. They sound crazy but they’ll save your life. 41
Metronomy W
e don’t need to ask what Metronomy were up to in 2011 - they featured in Issue One. Joe Mount and his merry gang were readying third album, ‘The English Riviera’, a breakthrough record that kickstarted a five-year period that’s seen the band grow with every step. At times, it’s proven intense. “It’s insane. How have I still got a girlfriend?” he jokes, speaking about the time spent on the road. Metronomy racked up around 150 shows in support of 2014’s ‘Love Letters’. Talk about putting in the legwork. In the time since, they’ve taken a step back to reflect and work out the next chapter. “With having a break, you can enjoy music in a much more simple way, whereas touring is such a physical thing,” Joe says. “I don’t ever want to take a break from doing music.” With such an outlook, the prospect of new music is as exciting as ever, but it’s the last five years that have laid the foundations. Intervi ew: Liam McNeilly.
What’s been your favourite Metronomy moment of the last five years? Five years ago, to be precise – I guess that’s when it really kicked off for us. There are the most things to pick from in the last few years as there would be in any period. The one that stands out from that time would be the Ally Pally show that we did last year, but then in that time we’ve done our first Brixton Academy and the Royal Albert Hall which were really wild. It’s difficult to pick one really, but I’d say Ally Pally. In our first issue you spoke about the touring and the need for a break. Are the pressures of touring becoming greater, and do you think that’s an issue? Touring and playing live should always be part of what bands do, but my point has always been, ‘Should it be the most important thing’? As someone that just loves recording and loves recorded music, I think it can be a shame to stunt people’s output. The one reliable way of making money now is touring and that’s part of the problem with people not buying music – it’s kind of forcing people into a life on the road and when you’re out on the road you can’t release records. I think we’ll release the next record and not tour it, because I feel like that’s what I want to do – instead of two or three years of solid touring, I’d rather have two or three years of releasing music. In that first issue you also said that it was difficult for you to write without having in mind how it would be received by the press. Do you still subscribe to that thinking? I might not have been the most articulate, not that I’m being the most articulate now. But yeah, I think it is impossible really. It’s impossible to record something and not at some point think, ‘Oooh, I wonder what The Guardian are going to think of this’, or anyone else for that matter (*ahem* - Ed). I’ve never let it change what I do, but I think it’s kinda healthy. If you know that part of the process is getting reviews and people comparing it to what came before and what they anticipated, you can use that to push yourself a bit more and to try and do things which are a little bit of a curveball. I mean, I guess the things that I find exciting in music are when people do stuff that’s slightly unexpected. In one sentence, tell us what we can we expect from a new Metronomy album? The best one yet.
Cheer up Joe, mate! 42 diymag.com
Royal Blood In 2011, they were: Mike Kerr was “finding himself” in Australia, while Ben Thatcher thought back to 2005, when both were together in a band called Flavour Country. Jesus christ, what a name. Right now, they’re: On the brink of being one of the biggest bands on the planet. Their chart-topping 2014 debut is thirsty for a follow-up. The ball’s in their court.
The Magic Gang In 2011, they were: Babies. The Magic Babies. Right now, they’re: Certified Best Unsigned Band In The UK™, as well as being part of DIY’s Class of 2016. They’re also at the centre of a Brighton scene that’s springing great new bands every single day, from the bolshy Abattoir Blues to the dreamy Sulky Boy. They said what?
“Felix White from The Maccabees talked about us on Radio 1. And Joe Lean! Joe Lean from the Jing Jang Jong - he tweets about us.” (The Magic Gang, 2015, listing their proudest achievement to date)
Put This in Yr
E
Collection
very party needs a soundtrack, so we asked so we asked for the one album that should be compulsory for future generations. Think of these like history textbooks, but way more fun, and turn them up loud. • Will Gould, Creeper • Emre Turkmen, Years & Years “‘Siamese Dream’ by Smashing Pumpkins because it’s great.”
• Jordan Cardy, Rat Boy “Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’. That’s sick, I’ve listened to it loads.”
“‘The Art Of Drowning’ by AFI, it is the perfect punk record.”
• Austin Williams, Swim Deep “Kano’s ‘Home Sweet Home’.”
• Tarek Musa, Spring King “At The Drive-In’s ‘Relationship of Command’. I love all their albums, but this one in particular has so much energy, I’d listen to it every day, to and from school. When I got home I’d just try and find as many videos as I could of them playing live.” • Theo Ellis, Wolf Alice “Kings of Leon’s ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ and ‘Because Of The Times’ are two of my favourite albums.”
• Eoin Loveless, Drenge “I used to do my paper round and listen to a French folk pop compilation called ‘Cuisine Non-stop’. It’s not compulsory listening, because most of it is really unusual, but it’s far more interesting than anything else I was listening to at that age.”
• Oscar “‘The Velvet Underground and Nico’ by The Velvet Underground. It has everything an album should have.” • Jenny Lee Lindberg, Warpaint “‘Disintegration’ by The Cure. It’s deep, sexy, amazing, real, sensual. Need I say more?”
• Felix White, The Maccabees “The Strokes’ ‘Is This It’ is still a stand out one. It just knows what it is, and that conviction in itself was very inspiring looking back on it.
• Dan Smith, Bastille: “I’d pick ‘The Score’ by The Fugees it’s interesting and important but fundamentally packed with great songs.”
Shamir
they said what?
“I’m really annoying in the mixing process. I’m like, nah! Make it shitter! I want it to be kind of shit!” (Courtney Barnett, 2015)
Courtney Barnett In 2011, she was: Playing in various Melbourne bands, like Rapid Transit and Immigrant Union. Soon after, she was setting up her own label, Milk! Records, which would become the platform for her first steps. Right now, she’s: Touring until the ground dries up. Sometimes she stands up and tours, sometimes she just tours. But Courtney Barnett is in demand - last year’s debut album deserves the praises, too.
In 2011, he was: A long way from the heady days of interning at XL’s office, before signing to the label for his debut album ‘Ratchet’. Right now, he’s: Balancing his futurepop antics with work behind the scenes. Shamir manages exciting new band Joy Again, and he possesses a sharp eye for new music. they said what?
“I never really listened to electronic music, or disco, or house music” (2015, preembracing everything on his debut)
We really care if you come to the party, C-Barnz! 43
• Ellie Rowsell and Theo Ellis, Wolf Alice Ellie: Grime music’s exciting at the moment. Theo: I think grime’s genuinely starting a revival, because it’s been around for so long and it’s genuinely the most British thing that we have. It says so much about our culture and it’s amazing. All of the shows – you see Drake going down to Village Underground and going on stage with Section Boyz, all of that’s like seminal moments.
culture and the internet has really
The excitement about grime and is really… jealousy-inducing!
people in a way that never existed before. The fact the money or label connections aren’t as necessary for putting out music that connects with people arguably makes the industry a lot more democratic.
like us who are in a completely different kind of band, can see it from the outside and think it looks amazing and it’s really cool. They’re putting out a lot of really good music at the moment.
Ellie:
• Lauren Mayberry, Chvrches
As much as there are obvious issues, streaming
grime music, at their shows, within their scene,
democratised music and given a platform to
Theo: Theo: There’s a palpable energy that everyone,
The Year
2021 Pop the balloons, clean up the cake plates - enough of the present day. It’s time to think about what’s next. Which bands are going to top festival bills in years to come? Which musical movements will be setting the agenda in 2021, not 2016? Have a think, guys.
Q:
OUTSIDE OF BANDS, WHAT’S THE MOST EXCITING THING HAPPENING IN MUSIC RIGHT NOW? • Eoin Loveless, Drenge
• Will Gould, Creeper I think it’s exciting to see the mainstream music industry beginning to embrace
the weirdo and the rock song again. Something that’s been lacking for a long while.
44 diymag.com
I’ve been using periscope a lot to dip into different music around the world. My favourite
place to check out is Turkey where there are plenty of people who stream themselves singing
and playing the baglama on a
Friday night.
• Mattie Vant, VANT I’ve either moved to a desert island, shot myself or
moved to a desert island and shot myself. • Gus Unger-Hamilton, Alt-J If that’s the case, I think I’d be
Secretary of State. We shall see. • Dan Smith, Bastille Still trying to get my ear chip to
sync up with the fucking iCloud.
• Iain Cook, CHVRCHES Hopefully still making music. Probably via a virtual reality recreation
• Izzy B Phillips, Black Honey
of
Probably listening to U2’s
Q:
IT’S THE YEAR 2021. KANYE WEST IS PRESIDENT. EVERYONE LISTENS TO MUSIC VIA CHIPS INSTALLED IN THEIR EARS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
latest album because it will inexplicably be the only thing on your chip.
Kling Klang studio circa 1976.
• Olly Alexander, Years & Years Working at a processing plant as part of
canned food drive for families migrating to the moon.
the mandatory government
• Harry Koisser, Peace
The 1975
I can definitely see doing it. I’m not sure what festival that would be, but I think the way that they’re growing and the quality of what they’re putting out definitely indicates that they’ll be doing some headline stuff in the next few years.
see that.
I can really
• John Victor, Gengahr
Wolf Alice
Slaves
and , assuming they both release great second albums. And Grimes!
Q:
WHICH ACTS WILL HEADLINE FESTIVALS IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME?
• Izzy B Phillips, Black Honey Hopefully acts like Tame Impala and Kendrick
Lamar.
• Will Gould, Creeper Hopefully a band comprised of
• Oscar
Who knows, probably Kanye West’s children the
rate he’s going.
robots singing about their wish to be human. But more likely someone singing songs about parties and sex.
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BLACK W i t h n ew a lb u m ‘U ll ag e s’, E ag u ll s a r e a d d i n g s e v e r a l m o r e s h a d e s t o t h e i r da r k a n d g lo o m y c o lo u r pa le t t e . Wo r d s : To m C o n n i c k . P h oto s : Em ma Swan n .
“I
’ve said it a million times – how ‘post-‘ can post-punk fuckin’ get?!”
It’s a typically rainy first day of British springtime, and Eagulls frontman George Mitchell is reflecting on the pigeonhole that’s been threatening to swallow up his band for years. “We didn’t start from scratch as that pummelling, fast, y’know – the first album sound. It was pop! Then it went into the aggressive, ‘post-punk’ sound,” he explains, forming sarcastic inverted commas either side of his face with his fingers around that dreaded genre tag. “Now it’s gone to another channel from that realm.” The Leeds five-piece’s new album ‘Ullages’ is the sound of a band entering a dimension all of their own. Taking
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that gloomy outlook and opening their minds to its wider potential, it’s a record that sees Eagulls fix their attentions on the horizon, rather than the gutter. “I feel like in a sense, it had to break free, away from that sort of thing,” George continues. “Otherwise you’re stepping on your own feet, doing the same things. We’ll always be labelled as post-punk, because any band that has any sort of punk influence in any sense is post-punk, aren’t they? We’ll never escape that fuckin’ one!” he reasons with a laugh. “It was 2D, it was just one way,” says George of that self-titled debut – a gut-punching, visceral first work that tore Eagulls away from their Northern scene, shoving them onto the global stage. “This album’s got a lot more 3D, there’s a lot more atmosphere to it. It’s got all different types of elements
Is The Warmest Colour in it. As well, all the songs on the first album they went on the same portrayal of… y’know, one direction… not that mint band.”
says George) it’s a record that’s as vivid as they come. Not that they’ve gone all sunshine and lollipops: chip away those watercolours and there’s still a black canvas beneath it all.
Unlikely fans of Harry Styles and The Lads they might be, but ‘Ullages’ finds Eagulls drawing influence from a much deeper well. George cites everyone from 60s pop icon turned avantgarde specialist Scott Walker to blues-rockers The Animals as holding sway over Eagulls’ new outlook. “There are a lot of influences on this record that people – because we don’t tell anyone about them – they’re still just like, ‘It’s post-punk, it’s The Cure!’” he says despairingly. “Every single one; it’s The Cure! Fucking hell – there’s more bands than The Cure! First album: Joy Division! This album: The Cure! Oh, whatever.”
“I think the lyrics are a lot to do with that a lot of the time,” reasons drummer Henry Ruddel. “When we first hash a song out, I’d say Mark’ll play a guitar part and it could be the most pop thing ever, and then we put it all together and put George’s lyrics on it and it almost becomes macabre – he just thinks in terms of that.”
Comparisons to one side, ‘Ullages’ is a record that’s resolutely Eagulls. The album title itself an anagram of the band’s moniker, the five of them are knitted throughout every note. A wholly collaborative writing process undoubtedly a defining factor (“It seems to only work when it’s all done together,”
“It is a bit of a cocktail situation, our band,” George admits. “At some points, I can be singing really poppy melodies and sound sweet, but it’s my ideas and whatever, so it does come out quite dark. I do think that way! That’s what comes out – I don’t know why. It just happens. But it’s a nice balance – we did say that we wanted this album to have more beauty in it, instead of just this ruckus or angst. I think we did get that across. There is more beauty in it.”
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“Every time I go and look at artwork, it’s always the dark, dismal looking stuff that I really enjoy. But you don’t look at that like, ‘Ooh, that’s so dark and dismal.’ You’re like, ‘That’s really nice, that’s beautiful’, because there is beauty in dark stuff. It doesn’t have to be gothic-style, fuckin’ New Rock boots, that sort of beauty. It’s just bleak, like the place that we live. There’s beauty in its bleakness.” Looking forward, there’s an energy to Eagulls’ new work that breaks through their outward facing austerity. They’re desperate to hit the road once more, but also gagging to step up their evolution. “With any sort of art, if you’re into creative work then you’re constantly thinking about it or it’s constantly evolving from what you’re taking from anywhere,” says George. “Tomorrow I might go to an art gallery, and look in there, and there might be something that’ll inspire me there that I didn’t have today. There’s always something. We’re human beings – we’re fuckin’ sponges aren’t we? We have to absorb everything.”
CHANGING ROOMS ‘Ullages’ hit a few snags along the way, not least the relentless upheaval Eagulls underwent from numerous practice spots. “There was a young businesswoman who was trying to make this weird… Crystal Maze business or something? God knows,” George explains. “She had noise complaints, so we got kicked out. They move in and then we move out, when it’s a music venue. It’s just stupid. They’re just gentrifying places just to fuckin’ ruin them, really, aren’t they? It doesn’t work that way.” “We’re just gonna keep getting passed from pillar to pillar, basically,” says Henry. “It’s all sorted now – the guy who’s with us, above us at the minute, is not fussed with us making any noise… as long as we shut the door.”
Henry agrees: “I really enjoyed the process last time – it definitely had its ups and downs, but anything worth doing does put you under stress, just because you care. I really enjoyed it and I’d rather do another one sooner rather than later.” As they gaze out at the open road ahead of them, though, they’re keeping their feet firmly grounded. After all, why dip into fantasy when there’s plenty of dirt to dig through at home? “Normality is pretty dark,” George shrugs. “We live a pretty fuckin’ dark life – everybody does. People just get on with life, don’t they, like ‘la di da’. But it isn’t really all la di da, is it? For me it’s not. I seem to look at everything a lot more than other people, I feel. Seek the shit out of the light.” Eagulls’ new album ‘Ullages’ is out 13th May via Partisan. DIY Eagulls will play The Great Escape. Head to diymag.com/festivals for details.
“We wanted this album to have more beauty in it, instead of just this ruckus or angst.” – George Mitchell 48 diymag.com
Guy Garvey © Thomas Butler
10 – 19 JUNE
G U Y G A R V E Y ’ S M E LT D O W N THE BOAT WE’RE IN
WITH ROBERT PLANT AND FRIENDS
LAURA MARLING | GUY GARVEY FEMI KUTI | I AM KLOOT
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THE HONEY BEE Pulling together producers from the UK underground and global chart-toppers alike for new album ‘Honey’, Katy B is giving back to the scene that gave her life. Words: Will Richards.
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K
aty B was singing in London clubs before she even met the age requirement to be inside them. In her teens, she’d head out to the FWD>> night at Shoreditch’s now-closed Plastic People before departing early to get the bus home to her Saturday job. It was an experience that left its mark. “Plastic People changed my life,” she remembers. “It was always an incredible experience. I loved the feeling of going somewhere just to listen to the music. Even though, for a lot of the other club nights I would go to, I’d love getting dressed up with my friends and everything, that was the first place that I felt I could go to and wear anything and do anything and be whoever I wanted.” After scoring five Top Ten singles across her first two albums - 2010 debut ‘On A Mission’ and 2014 follow-up ‘Little Red’ - the Peckham-born singer arrives at ‘Honey’, a third full-length with which she wants to give back to the scene that spawned her, and highlight some of its brightest stars. Not to mention giant name Major Lazer and a re-re-wind back in time with Craig David.
“I see the album as a multi-genre rave.”
Plans came together for ‘Honey’, a record which features no less than twenty-one artists and producers, after the creation of Katy’s heavily collaborative EP ‘Danger’ proved a revelatory experience. “I started making this EP and because I enjoyed it so much, I put the feelers out there to a lot of different producers, and after a couple of months I had over an album’s worth of new material. Because I was so proud of it, I realised that I didn’t just want it to be a mixtape, and wanted to be able to showcase all the artists and producers that I love on the biggest stage, and it became something very different.” When it comes to working with such a mix of producers, Katy approached them each in a rather specific manner: leave them alone. “I like to give producers their 100% freedom, and always want to let them have space to work without restrictions from me or anyone else.” In some instances, that freedom might’ve even meant not meeting the producer at all until the song was complete. “I don’t
51
think you have to meet the person. I feel quite awkward sometimes going into a studio with someone I’ve never met before. I’ve grown up writing music with people that I know quite well, and have strong relationships with. I’m quite shy as well, and I like the mystery of saying, ‘Send me whatever you like, and I’ll do my thing over it.’” Collaborating with Four Tet - a regular at Plastic People through a connection at Katy’s label and much-heralded London radio station Rinse, the two pieced together album stand-out ‘Calm Down’, with Floating Points adding strings later on. Yet, they all only met when Kieran insisted Katy came to his house for a cup of tea, breaking their chain of emails.
“Plastic People changed my life.”
LIGHTS ON:
Three clubs instrumental to Katy B’s upbringing
FWD>>, LONDON
Rinse FM’s legendary club night, originally run at Plastic People, but which has now relocated to the Dance Tunnel in Dalston. Spending many a Friday night there, Katy would “only have one beer” - partly due to financial restrictions - because “I actually wanted to listen to listen to the music, not just get pissed.”
FRIDGE, LONDON
“I was singing in clubs before I was even allowed to be in them,” remembers Katy, and cites the now-closed Fridge bar as one of her first haunts, along with Scala in Kings Cross. Fridge opened in the 1980s and was shut in 2010. The building became Electric Brixton in 2011.
WAREHOUSE PROJECT, MANCHESTER
WHP’s enormous nights attracted Katy through their mixing of multiple styles across a club, something she wanted to replicate the feeling of on ‘Honey’. She last played the club back in September 2015 with Sigma, Sub Focus and more.
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diymag.com
While ‘Honey’’s conception may seem like a fragmented process, Katy considers it a single, flowing album, and one which represents an ever-changing scene in the UK underground. “I see the album as a multi-genre rave. If you were going to go to Fabric, you might have grime in one room, drum and bass in another, some house somewhere, and I want people to feel like that - like they’re wandering around Warehouse Project and see whatever genre they stumble upon.” Katy has only praise for the current climate of British dance, and the various styles that sit on ‘Honey’ reflect the acceptance of a lack of genre boundaries, a continuing progression. “There’s so much mixing of styles now, whereas a couple of years ago everything was quite throwback, sticking to strict genre guidelines. At the moment there’s more of a melting pot feeling coming back.” While there’s been confusion as to what ‘Honey’ actually is, Katy puts it firmly in the category of a solo album, believing it’s the natural progression her career needed to take, and not a sideward step. “I think it confirms my style. It solidifies my place in where I see myself in the music industry. At the beginning of my career, I was so shocked to have my music embraced on a bigger platform. My second album continued that, and now I feel really comfortable and excited about all the ideas that I’m able to develop and be allowed to create, and being able to showcase so many of my favourite producers.” While ‘Honey’ has allowed Katy B to showcase a whole number of producers she loves, it’s also shown her as an artist with such an identity that she can make a mark by simply laying her voice over tracks. Having the clout to reel in Four Tet, Hannah Wants, Novelist, a newlyresurgent Craig David, Major Lazer and more, her new album shows Katy B as one of the UK dance scene’s most exciting, forward-thinking acts. “I’ve had instances of producers who would be writing a track for me and wanting to replicate something they’ve heard before - a dubstep track from 2011 or something,” she concludes. “No, I want you, I want your sound, what you’re playing in the clubs now. I don’t want you to try and make something of mine that you’ve heard already. I want to move forward.” Moving forward is exactly what she’s doing. Katy B’s new album ‘Honey’ is out 29th April via Rinse/Virgin EMI. DIY
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Amen, Brother! 54 diymag.com
Yeasayer aren’t trying to stay relevant anymore. Anything goes on ‘Amen & Goodbye’, which takes on religion and Donald Trump.
A
Words: Charlie Mock. Photos: Jenna Foxton.
s two thirds of the Brooklyn-born psychedelic pop outfit Yeasayer, Chris Keating and Ira Wolf Tuton - along with bandmate Anand Wilder – have now been in service for a little over 10 years. They’re veterans of the game, pros with nothing left to prove. But don’t think for one second that means they’re sitting still. Chris and Ira aren’t afraid to admit that it takes time to create something worthwhile, even if they were reluctant to slow down at first . “I remember when I was a teenager and bands would take a couple of years between albums,” Keating says. “I would be like, ‘Why can’t they just put one out immediately?’ Then I was like, ‘Oh, it takes a while to tour the whole world and then write a new album.’” Keating is talking from experience. It’s been over three-and-a-half-years since Yeasayer released their last record, ‘Fragrant World’. Before that, there was 2010’s ‘Odd Blood’ and 2007’s ‘All Hour Cymbals’, all of which were subjected to non-stop schedules that took the band far away from thinking about releasing new material within a tight, one-albumper-year schedule, in a bid to stay relevant. “When you’re touring so much and you’re constantly travelling and you’re away from the creative process for so much of the time,” Ira muses, “it takes time to reconnect with that.”
“I’m fascinated by death” Chris Keating
If you squint a bit, it looks like Yeasayer are all tucked up together in a giant silky bed! Aww.
The reconnection process starts with ‘Amen & Goodbye’, their new album. “[We said] let’s take a little space and think about what we did last time and what we want to do now,” Chris says, detailing the months spent working on their fourth record. “What are we listening to? What are we inspired by? Let’s make some lists of types of sounds and songs we’re into right now.” Their aim: “Be authentic to what we want to do.” “We were trying to go for this certain kind of collage of sound,” Chris says, “so there was a bunch of songs in the space of one track. And also, we’re always trying to push the envelope sonically and conceptually.” Conceptually, there isn’t much doubt surrounding the direction in which ‘Amen & Goodbye’ is pushing that envelope. Religion streams out the record like syrup, seeping through the lyrics and into its artwork. But, Yeasayer are adamant that ‘Amen & Goodbye’ isn’t a ‘Concept Album’.
55
“There’s not a singular story. But the inspiration for some of the songs... I’m fascinated by death,” Keating confesses. “I think a lot of people are; by religion, about other religions, about why people believe what they believe and what they believe if they don’t, and it becomes interesting to construct your own religious narrative.” It’s ‘Amen & Goodbye’’s strength of narrative that seems to make folk singer Suzzy Roche such a natural choice for collaboration on the record. She does, after all, have a history of telling a story through song. But, when asked whether this influenced their decision to bring Roche in to provide vocals for ‘Half Asleep’ and ‘Gerson’s Whistle’ - as well as lead single ‘I Am Chemistry’ - both Chris and Ira turn instead to their status as fans. “It wasn’t so much conceptually her work, as just like [I’m] a big fan” Chris assures. “And you know, wanting to have a female vocalist,” Ira adds. “The opportunity to be able to work with someone like that, being a band for ten years - yeah that’s going to be a refreshing appeal.”
“If you’re making an album that has religious subtext, and if there is a God, God is a woman.” Chris Keating
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On Roche’s contribution to the record, Chris has a succinct way of summarising: “If you’re making an album that has religious subtext, and if there is a God, God is a woman,” he says, deadpan. “That’s just a given for me.” From religious subtext to declarations of belief, Yeasayer seemed to have a pretty firm grasp on the record that they wanted to create. “I think also we’re engaged in making the album an art form,” Ira says on the topic, “whether it’s relevant to now or not.” It’s the second time that Chris and Ira have stumbled onto the topic of relevancy, denying its necessity in their musical pilgrimage. “We craft these things to take you on a bit of a journey,” Keating explains of Yeasayer’s musical ethos. “It’d be cool if [the songs] function individually too, because I know that’s how people access music and they’re going to make their own arrangements on Spotify or whatever. But yeah, if you’re going to put the needle on the record, it might as well have a flow.” Until recently, little had been known about Yeasayer’s imminent fourth album; the band drip-fed clips of the artwork around the Christmas period before releasing ‘I Am Chemistry’ in January. “We knew that ‘I
Arty Party
F
rom concept to creation, flow is something that ‘Amen & Goodbye’; certainly has; even the artwork, created by Canadian sculptor David Altmejd, has a thin line of recognition woven throughout. “I talked to David about an idea of featuring characters from past songs and references to things on the album,” Chris explains. Familiar faces from popular culture – Donald Trump and Caitlyn Jenner – join throwbacks to a different time in Yeasayer history, yet another extension of the theological pathway the band have chosen to embody on this record. As Keating previously told us, “all religion is taking a previous millennia’s ideas and building on top of [them].”
Am Chemistry’ could be a really dense song,” Chris explains. “I was surprised that people found it accessible at all... It’s cool that world still exists and those people are out there, [...] people on the radio that are interested in pushing something [different]” Ira agrees, “I had kind of lost faith in that.” Yeasayer’s new album ‘Amen & Goodbye’ is out now via Mute Records. DIY Yeasayer will play Best Kept Secret. Head to diymag.com/festivals for details.
57
Four years on since ‘Koi No Yokan’ and more than twenty years into their careers, Deftones are still venturing into unknown territory. Words: Sarah Jamieson.
The The
untrav path
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W
hen you’ve spent most of the past two decades in a band, it’s easy to fall into a rhythm. But for Deftones, evolution has always managed to stay top of their agenda. Despite having been together for the best part of the last twenty years, they’re a group who still love a challenge. Sometimes – as frontman Chino Moreno claims – you’ve just got to take the rockier road. “I think it’s important to keep interested,” he begins, sitting comfy in an armchair at the band’s London label offices, ahead of the release of latest record ‘Gore’. “It’s important to keep yourself stimulated in a way where you’re not just falling into a pattern and a formula that’s just familiar and easy. Sometimes the more untraveled path has more chance of having a
greater pay-off. It may be a little dangerous, but how are you gonna know if you don’t try it?” By now it’d be easy to assume Deftones have everything figured out, but sometimes, it’s more about the journey than the destination. So when they began sessions for ‘Gore’, they decided to change the process. When something began to feel familiar, they’d take a left turn. They’d try something new, and work to delve into a different side of their music. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. “I think that us taking that road and at least doing the diligence, means that at the end of the day you can then say ‘Oh, you know, we are trying things.’ “It’s not like we tried things so differently,” he assures, “we weren’t trying to reinvent ourselves in a way, but it was just
veled Not a single one of Deftones wearing chinos, here. A missed opportunity... 59
about little things. It’d be like, ‘OK, this is my instinct on a song which is great, but why not see what would happen if I approach this in a totally different way?’ I think it shouldn’t be any sweat off your back to actually experiment - and I think experimentation keeps up motivation and stimulation to expand on what it is that we’re trying to do.” Unsurprisingly, when work began, there were other hurdles to overcome. Despite deciding to record in Los Angeles, the majority of the band no longer live nearby. Their approach instead was to spend short bursts of time in LA before heading back home – whether that be New York, Sacramento or Oregon - to live their lives again. Breaking up the process wasn’t just about giving the band some extra perspective, but tackling the challenge of balancing their work and home lives and ultimately, keeping their minds in a creative space. “The reason we chose to do it that was simply for that balance, and not driving ourselves crazy by being away from home. The only person that lives [in LA] is Stephen [Carpenter], so the rest of us were all going there but living in hotel rooms. It was a lot of being away from home and now, we didn’t want to burn ourselves out by being in hotels and being miserable, you know? I love being home and I work hard so I can have the bed that I have and actually sleep in it,” he laughs. “I wanna enjoy it!” With the promise of home never too far away, it gave the band an opportunity to focus on driving themselves in new directions. The results are subtle, woven deep into ‘Gore’’s fabric. While
THEORY OF EVOLUTION
As Deftones continue to experiment with their records, Chino opens up about one of his favourite opinion-shifting bands. “Some of my favourite records are records that, when I listen to them the first time, I can’t quite ingest them because I might’ve expected something else. Say, Radiohead for example. They’re one of the best examples of a band challenging you with their records. I love ‘The Bends’ and it’s one of my favourite Radiohead records, but just because I love ‘The Bends’ doesn’t mean I don’t fucking love ‘Amnesiac’. They’re completely different records. They’re not trying to recreate somewhere they’ve already been; you can tell that they’re definitely going to do what they’re going to do. I like the fact they’re always expanding on where they’re at creatively. I think that’s a great thing. Not to compare ourselves in any way to Radiohead… I am not trying to compare us to them, as they’re far greater than us!”
“This record has lasting power.” Chino Moreno
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
“When I named the record ‘Gore’ it wasn’t because I felt that best represented this batch of songs. I felt that, more than anything, it confused. There’s the ambiguity of it all, juxtaposed with the cover image of birds is sort of elegant. That right away, when I put that word over that image - I created the artwork way before we had even finished with the record - and looked at it, the first thing I thought was ‘Wow, this is really beautiful and confusing in a lot of ways.’ I love confusing myself and other people. It makes you curious and wonder what’s inside this. When you write a book, you want the cover to make people wonder what’s inside of it. Those two things just happened to come together.”
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at times it feels like a darker effort, it’s also a more nuanced record. For every unorthodox turn the band decided to take during the writing process, there are moments of surprise tucked inside. “I think the more you hear it, the more it’s going to catch your attention,” he claims. While it’s true that the band have always been able to strike a fine balance between soaring melodics and roaring heaviness, ‘Gore’ somehow manages to meld the two together even more effortlessly. While this is undoubtedly a Deftones album, it’s also something braver. “I think we’re pretty well aware that this is, in no way, our heaviest record, but everyone’s definition of heavy is different,” he qualifies. “I think this record is one of our heavier records, but in a different way. The nuances are deeper and more prominent the more listens you have.” Regardless of experimentation, ‘Gore’ is an album that’s made to last. That’s something Moreno hopes listeners will take away; regardless of their own thoughts on the album, he hopes their fans will simply find something to connect with. “I really think that this record has lasting power. It’s one of those things where I think, if people can associate it with anything in their lives and then, years from now, they listen to it and it brings them back to that point, that’s what good music should do. Music should create a nostalgia for you in a way, and I think the record has the power to do that.” Deftones’ new album ‘Gore’ is out now via Warner Bros. Records. DIY
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THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS Everything You’ve Come to Expect (Domino)
Classical instrumentation isn’t the
T
errible twosomes don’t come as jack-thelad as Arctic Monkeys frontrunner Alex Turner and ‘I-used-to-be-in-a-bandtoo-guys’ champion of seediness Miles Kane. The archetypal ‘bromance’, while their CVs might be chalk and cheddar, get them together and they’re two blocks of stinky stilton cuddling up on a metaphorical cheeseboard of 60s nostalgia. The Last Shadow Puppets, the pair’s joint musical outlet, was previously resigned to the bargain bin of early 00s indie excess. Perhaps unfairly – dig beneath the big-money Bond excesses of debut album ‘The Age Of The Understatement’ and there was a
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beating heart of pop gold. One record to the good, though, it seemed like their lot was filled until ‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’ came a-knocking at the tail end of last year. Reunion barrel-scraping snottiness aside, who’s to deny these two scruffy-haired young tykes a second shot at becoming the Ant and Dec of Camden Lock? We’ll even forgive them the dodgy loafers in that press shot. It’s a shame then, given the razzle-dazzle of their matching polyester tracksuits and pricey orchestral arrangements, that ‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’ just feels so safe. Phonedin and simplistic, it’s hard to decipher when one track ends and another begins. The moments of massive pomp that made ‘The Age of The Understatement’ such a silly success have largely vanished, replaced instead by a series of mid-tempo attempts
IEWS only relic of the past clinging onto the band. at strip-club seduction. ‘Bad Habits’ - a daft cabaret of snotty, out-on-the-town sentiment and comedy ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ – is a highlight, if only for its pantomime call-and-response. Elsewhere, the title track offers a rare moment of tranquillity, and – whisper it – romance among all the rock ‘n’ roll randiness. “I just can’t get the thought of you and him out of my head,” the pair admit in harmony. Maybe they’re singing it at each other. In fact, the most notable moments of the whole affair are borne of the proudly sleazy lyricism the pair share. “I ain’t got anything to lick without you, baby,” croons Turner on ‘Sweet Dreams, TN’, with all the sexual subtlety of a panda on Viagra. It only gets worse too, ‘The Element Of Surprise’ finding them both jointly declaring the object of their affections should “Let me know when you want your socks knocking off.” Metaphors
are for poets though, and these are just two likely, cheekychappy, bottle-of-WKD-and-a-packet-of-Wotsits young lads, remember? “Baby, we ought to fuck,” Alex announces at one point, a mind-blowingly secondary school playground chat up line which makes The Game look like the extended works of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Beyond cringe-worthy, it’s like rifling through the 60s wardrobe wasn’t quite enough; for round two Kane and Turner had to dredge up the rampant sexism of the era too. The classical instrumentation isn’t the only relic of the past clinging onto The Last Shadow Puppets, and more often than not, that title is all too literal. (Tom Connick). LISTEN: ‘Bad Habits’, ‘Everything You’ve Come to Expect’
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WEEZER
weezer (Crush Music / Atlantic)
There’s something reassuringly bold about Weezer’s decision to call this – or not call this, to be exact – the ‘White’ album. Clever, too, as combining the chosen colours of their three previous self-titled records - 1994’s ‘Blue’, 2001’s ‘Green’ and 2008’s ‘Red’ – creates... you guessed it. Mixing up the sounds of the songs contained within those bright sleeves would have a similar effect: opening track ‘California Kids’ begins, along with the sounds of crashing waves, near-identically to ‘Pinkerton’’s ‘Pink Triangle’, the middle-eights of both ‘(Girl We Got A) Good Thing’ and ‘Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori’ are familiarly majestic, and closer ‘Endless Bummer’ reaches its climax in a not-entirely-different way to ‘Blue’’s ‘Only In Dreams’, albeit much more quickly. But this is no pastiche of so-called ‘classic’ Weezer. Nostalgic, yes – ‘Wind In Our Sail’ and ‘Jacked Up’ both edge towards the theatrical, while ‘(Girl We Got A) Good Thing’ is brazenly Beach Boys-esque in its melodies – but this isn’t a band replicating past glories to sate grumps’ receptions. Even if ‘Do You Wanna Get High?’ does sound just like the turn-of-the-century its lyrics hark back to. It’s also – gasp! - happy. ‘Wind In Our Sail’ is hopelessly optimistic (“slicing waves at 40 knots / cumulonimbus in the sky”), ‘Jacked Up’ is more lovedup, and ‘King of the World’ disguises its darker lyrics well. Life-changing, perhaps not. Life-affirming? You betcha. (Emma Swann) LISTEN: ‘Do You Wanna Get High?’, ‘LA Girlz’, ‘California Kids’
Life-changing, perhaps not. Life-affirming? You betcha.
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Mental images of smashed pastries thanks to that California Actual bloody video (sea, sun, happiness (!) sand, the rest of it)
Bits that sound like other bits in Weezer songs
Literal sea noises Fitting fancy long words into pop songs
There’s a much bigger picture to see.
eee
FRIGHTENED RABBIT
Painting of a Panic Attack (Atlantic)
It’d be easy to scan the tracklisting of Frightened Rabbit’s latest record and assume things are about to become all doom and gloom. For the most part, that’s not too far from the mark. After all, with an opening number as dark as ‘Death Dream’, it’d be all too simple to see ‘Painting of a Panic Attack’ as a morose fifth chapter in the band’s career. This is, however, a much more multi-faceted record. ‘I Wish I Was Sober’ is more warm confessional than a defeatist statement. ‘Woke Up Hurting’, with its church-rooted choruses, bears an uplifting heart. Across the record, the presence of The National’s Aaron Dessner - who produces the album - can be felt through its bold instrumentation, while frontman Scott Hutchison once again steers in the sombre yet reflective direction they’ve managed to navigate so well before. This album may declare itself a painting, but there’s a much bigger picture to see. (Sarah Jamieson) LISTEN: ‘Get Out’
eeee FRANKIE COSMOS
Next Thing (Bayonet Records)
Greta Kline is a musical tour de force. Under different names, she’s amassed over forty albums and EPs. Taking all she’s learned through years of bedroom recording, ‘Next Thing’ is the sound of an artist flourishing in her element. It exemplifies the DIY origins that brought Frankie Cosmos into being – with fifteen clear-cut tracks clocking in at a mere twenty-nine minutes – while demonstrating the musician at her most endearingly candid. Greta’s vocals soar with a profound imagery, painting pictures of people, settings, and sensations so real it’s like they’ve been drawn from the listeners’ own lives. (Jessica Goodman) LISTEN: ‘Tour Good’
eeee WOODS
City Sun Eater in the River of Light (Woodsist)
Self-starting New Yorkers Woods don’t possess an off switch. Nine albums in ten years isn’t a shabby way to start a musical resumé, but even if their previous efforts tragically disappeared in an attack on memory, be grateful we’d still have ‘City Sun Eater in the River of Light’. Bending style and a cinematic swagger, they’ve struck gold, a decade into their career. If it’s a skewed tribute to New York, Woods’ latest doesn’t just document the yellow cabs and reflective skyscraper giants. It captures the stories and the characters, the highs and lows of living somewhere so terrifyingly huge. As for Woods themselves, they’re more intent than ever on taking a next step, escaping the city and seeing the world. ‘City Sun Eater…’ has more than enough to take them to another level. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Sun City Creeps’
eeee PET SHOP BOYS super (x2 Recordings)
Following on from 2013’s ‘Electric’, ‘Super’ again sees Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe teaming up with producer Stuart Price. As with their previous album, their sound - while completely electronic - comes ramped up to another level. Frequent, frantic builds and drops, whooshes and exultant crescendos abound throughout, while opener ‘Happiness’ sets the highenergy tone. It’d be easy to label each new album by a classic act as a return to form but that’s not a phrase that applies here. Instead, ‘Super’ is confirmation of their position as pop pros, an album brimming with excitement and fizzing with energy. (Martyn Young) LISTEN: ‘Happiness’ 65
“
Gathering information from secondary sources felt too far removed for what I was trying to write about. I wanted to smell the air, feel the soil and meet the people of the countries I was fascinated with.” PJ Harvey, the musician with the most stamps in her passport
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PJ HARVEY
The Hope Six Demolition Project (Island)
PJ Harvey’s last album, the Mercury Prize-winning ‘Let England Shake’, was rooted in one country. Wartime atrocities shared the spotlight with Dover’s white cliffs, in a vulnerable portrait of a confused kingdom. With ‘The Hope Six Demolition Project’, Harvey’s leaving ol’ Blighty for pastures new, but that hasn’t stopped her music from being rooted in location. Every song on this world-spanning journey carries a new sense of self, linked to the smells and sights of different cities: ‘The Ministry of Defence’ marches on with imperialistic might like a paranoid superpower; ‘The Orange Monkey’ climbs mountains and “jagged shells”; closer ‘Dollar, Dollar’ is the sound of street markets and traffic-filled streets. By capturing separate corners of the world, Harvey manages to point out striking contrasts. She might not have set out to make a political record, but ‘The Hope Six Demolition Project’ is definitely one of those. This can come across as a serious record, an extension of ‘Let England Shake’’s dramatic commentary. She sings about “land undisturbed by human hands,” and several tracks can be perceived as cutting criticism of the world’s greedy streak. It isn’t the best or the bravest music of her career, but Harvey continues to pave new ground. This time, she takes that responsibility very literally, exploring new places and inviting listeners into her strange universe. (Jamie Milton) LISTEN: ‘Dollar, Dollar’, ‘The Ministry of Defence’
eee TEEN SUICIDE
It’s the Big Joyous Celebration, Let’s Stir the Honeypot
eee TIM HECKER
Love Streams (4AD)
The recording of Tim Hecker’s ‘Love (Run For Cover Records) Streams’ took place throughout 2014 This is, according to Teen Suicide, their and 2015 at Greenhouse Studios in last album. Their Bandcamp page carries the message: “Signed Reykjavik. And naturally, its ebb and flow mimics the starkly to RFC. Changing our band name when our contract is up.” If beautiful wilderness of the Icelandic landscape. There’s the this proves to be true, the bonkers number of styles, influences feeling that, like the overwhelming nature of Iceland, you and handbrake turns crushed into these twenty-six songs make can suddenly see a rainbow emerging through the great certain the Maryland clan haven’t left any path untrodden in their mist produced by the crashing waterfalls around it. tenure as Teen Suicide. It’s a final act that’s nigh-on impossible Inspired by 15th Century choral scores brought into the to categorise or fully digest, and its nature and length makes it at digital age, Hecker’s touchpoints are hardly voguish. Talking the same time a difficult listen, but one that brings rewards of all about the record, Hecker has used phrases like “liturgical different kinds. ‘...Let’s Stir The Honeypot’ is sure to be far from the aesthetics after ‘Yeezus’” and the “transcendental voice in last album the members produce, if only under different names, the age of auto-tune”. Certainly phrases to conjure with. and the amount of wonder and promise contained in its seventy And it feels ecclesiastical, like hymns for the digital age. minutes presents an infinite number of paths for them to head (Danny Wright) LISTEN: ‘Castrati Stack’ down next. (Will Richards) LISTEN: ‘Alex’ 66 diymag.com
eeee
DEFTONES
e
Wanna try your hand at making your very own Deftones record? Here’s a few of the bare essentials.
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Ar
Gore (Reprise Records)
Over the past two decades, Deftones have been set on continuously evolving. While some groups struggle to stay ahead of the curve without alienating their audience, it’s something the Californians have mastered. With their eighth album ‘Gore’, things are no different. Balancing their sound on a knife edge, this is a record that sees their own heaviness redefined. The pummelling ‘Geometric Headdress’ veers from Chino Moreno’s urgent screams into warm guitars and soaring moments. For every grand statement made, the results still manage to feel nuanced and subtle. ‘Hearts and Wires’ is cavernous, ominous in its intensity before ‘Xenon’ weaves jarring electronic sounds together to create a powerful sonic web. Yet again, Deftones have created a beast of a record, while still showing glimpses of its heart. (Sarah Jamieson) LISTEN: ‘Gore’
e for… ‘Go p i c r
• 3 litres of powerful riffs • 4 tablespoons of experimentation • A handful of delicate guitar work • A pinch of dark electronics • 2 drops of screamed vocals
eee EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS PersonA (Community Music)
Intentional or not, all bands have a motif. Things get tricky when the image begins to overshadow the main event. A couple of years back, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros were on the verge of something similar. Made up of ten musicians with Alexander Ebert at the forefront, the band have forever been known for their ramshackle style, spiritual musings, folky psychedelia and hippie revivalist vibes. While Sharpe is a fictional character, the idea that he was the The Messiah - and the band his devoted disciples - began not only stealing the limelight, but making the whole thing seem a bit hollow. With that in mind, it would seem only natural for the band to put out a record that can be set apart from their others. ‘PersonA’ succeeds in that regard: continuously shifting, it’s unbridled, unregulated and feels more like a demonstration of collaborative talent than a collection of hardy pop songs. While they’re clearly aware of their vulnerabilities, they’ve started to embark on a different, more perilous journey and they’re doing so in spite of their history. There are moments that long for something that once was, but those moments are fleeting. In its own terms, ‘PersonA’ is a largely impressive album but there’s still some way to go. (Maya Rose Radcliffe) LISTEN: ‘Free Stuff’
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eee BLEACHED
Welcome the Worms (Dead Oceans)
Like a cross between 80s US TV imports and Douglas Coupland’s ‘Generation X’ (or just SS16 at Forever 21 just with a ton more hairspray, for younger readers), Bleached are pretty damn good at evoking a specific image of California. At once brassy, bold, introspective and angsty, it’s a sun-washed take on ‘77 punk that could only have been recorded post-90s pop-punk. So there’s opener ‘Keep On Keeping On’ that’s the Ramones filtered through Debbie Harry’s 80s solo records and standout ‘Sour Candy’ owing much to ‘Teenage Kicks’, alongside the Weezer-esque ‘Wednesday Night Melody’ and Best Coast-a-like ‘Wasted On You’. It’s a shame, then, that it often fades into one, hazy, vaguely rock mass. ‘Desolate Town’ might be a little heavier than the rest, but all too often ‘Welcome The Worms’ lacks the bite that’d make it Very Good Indeed. (Emma Swann) LISTEN: ‘Sour Candy’, ‘Wednesday Night Melody’
eeee
KENDRICK LAMAR
untitled unmastered (Top Dawg Entertainment)
‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ pushed Kendrick Lamar to the top of the pile. It was a sprawling future masterpiece that saw its creator storm his way up the rap food chain, blowing away the competition and leaving very few to dispute his crown. Thankfully, this newfound place at the top hasn’t dimmed King Kendrick’s fire one bit, and ‘untitled unmastered.’- an album of abandoned ideas and assorted oddities taken from various points between 2013 and 2016 - provides a fascinating glance at the whirlwind creative process of an artist currently bending the world to his every whim. For an album of offcuts, it certainly packs the punches. With some tracks perhaps omitted from his opus, and some finding life as newly-revised jams, ‘untitled unmastered.’ suggests there’s much treasure to be found in Lamar’s trash. ‘untitled 02’ burns with the toxic jazz flavourings of ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’s most mind-blowing tracks, while ‘untitled 05’, replete with paranoid proclamations of anxiety, raids freely his nation’s hallowed lineage of soul and funk. Perhaps most engaging, though, is ‘untitled 07’, a crazed stitch-together of three semi-realised tracks where he both brags about how his sales have affected the size of his appendage and clowns around with his cohort in the studio. Even the top dog needs some down time. Just a decade into his career, there’s no telling just how much further he can go. (Dan Owens) LISTEN: ‘untitled 07’
The Origins Of
KENDRICK’S OFF-CUTS
Every ‘untitled unmastered.’ song has a timestamp. Here’s how some of the tracks came together.
0 ‘untitled 03 05.28.2013’
- This was first performed on a send-off for The Colbert Report, turning the excitement levels for Kendrick’s next album up to a new extreme. Despite not making the cut for ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, it’s this release’s sharpest and most complete work, a gut-clenching glimpse into being a musician at the top.
0‘untitled 07 2014 - 2016’ -
There’s much treasure to to be found in Lamar’s trash. 68 diymag.com
Lifting lines from ‘untitled 04’, this is the closest we get to hearing Kendrick head-first in the studio. He jokingly sings the line “head is the answer / head is the future,” which winds up becoming an actual song by the time 2014 rolls round.
0‘untitled 06 06.30.2014’ - An unlikely collaboration put to one side two years back, this track sees Kendrick collaborating with definite prick Cee-Lo Green, who tweeted that he “forgot” the former had this song in his arsenal.
“
What’s the secret to your success, Yeasayer?
We have Fettuccini Alfredo everyday. Just [with] a little less salt these days… that’s the secret to our success.” Ira Wolf eeee
YEASAYER Amen & Goodbye (Mute)
Glammy, overwrought hints of Electric Light Orchestra at their most melodramatic, fuzzed-out recorder solos piped through a triple encoder, and the influence of the terrifying Hieronymous Bosch and his debauched paintings of hell; ‘Amen & Goodbye’ is an album that refuses to sit still. Worming and writhing its way through mildly sinister ditties about highly poisonous shrubs, barely-composed plunks that fall away into spiky-edged chaos, and twisted medieval pop songs nodding to RuneScape of all things, Yeasayer’s boldness and daring is on par with the wildest moments of 2009‘s ‘Odd Blood’ here. Remarkably, in the middle of all this bubbling, squelching, splat-painted mayhem, they also manage to make their web of chaos sound, not just inviting, but irresistible. Crafting pop music that sounds like Zelda’s Ocarina of Time crammed into a cobwebdusted garage; like Simon and Garfunkel playing ‘Scarborough Fair’ from a far-away galaxy filled with prism-warping air, Yeasayer’s album is a brilliant, breathless, great big bundle of weird. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Silly Me’, ‘Gerson’s Whistle’
eeee THREE TRAPPED TIGERS Silent Earthling
(Superball Music)
With debut album ‘Route One Or Die’, Three Trapped Tigers ascended to the top in their scene of leftfield, noodling math-rock. A sea of spiky, restless synth work and drums to thrash around to, the album teamed intricacy and brute force perfectly. Five years of touring their debut and working with Brian Eno and members of Underworld has taken its follow-up to the extremes of their capabilities, with no room for restriction or restraint. ‘Silent Earthling’ is far from a reinvention, simply Three Trapped Tigers adapting and tinkering with everything that made ‘Route One Or Die’ such an exciting debut to end up here with a leaner, more focused, brilliant second album. (Will Richards) LISTEN: ‘Rainbow Road’
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CATE LE BON Crab Day
(Turnstile)
A curious muddle of smashed lifefragments, Cate Le Bon invented a new language on her last album ‘Mug Museum’. She took all the things we touch every day - loss, coffee cups, cigarettes, beaten egg yolks - turned them in her lyrical hands, and gave them a tangible weight, with that yawning, unobtrusive delivery of hers. She made them mean something more. In ‘Crab Day,’ this tilted ear for expression continues to rule the roost, with her compositions only growing more dissonant. As surreal and barmy as ‘Crab Day’ is, letting rip euphoric screams of “wonderful, wonderful, wonderful,” and racing barefoot through erratic honky-tonks and brassy squalls, there’s poetry to be found in every pocket. “Love is not love when it’s a coat hanger,” sings Cate Le Bon on ‘Love Is Not Love’; refusing to settle for hanging up her heart’s anorak on a convenient, but ultimately unsuitable peg. “I’m a body of dreams for you, I’m a dirty attic,” she sings elsewhere with a distinct whiff of Nico; hanging onto clutter and suffocating memories because letting go isn’t an option. Asking familiar questions in downright bizarre ways, with a musical palette that continues to revel in awkwardness, slipperiness, and experimentation, Cate Le Bon is a dab hand at holding a warped mirror up to life, and reflecting things in unexpected ways. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Love is Not Love’, ‘Wonderful’
eee BRIAN ENO The Ship (warp)
Anyone familiar with all-round sonic mad scientist Brian Eno will know he’s not a man for a throwaway three-minute pop song. He’s someone that revels in creating something unique, and the fantastic voyage of ‘The Ship’ is another musical adventure that fascinates, disconcerts and illuminates in equal measure. Throughout the album, dark fear recedes into beatific, blissful splendor. ‘Fickle Sun (iii) I’m Set Free’ is a standout, a mind-bogglingly beautiful section of music. The gospel-like joy of this Velvet Underground cover tops yet another compelling work from this musical master. (Martyn Young) LISTEN: ‘Fickle Sun (iii) I’m Set Free’
eeee TACOCAT
Lost Time (Hardly Art)
It takes a while to actually press play on ‘Lost Time’. At first, it’s a struggle to get over the mindblowing realisation that Tacocat is, in fact, Tacocat spelled backwards, or snap out of the joyous trance induced by the multicoloured-cat-clock adorned sleeve. Musically, album three from the vibrant Seattle pop-punks is teeming with the same kind of instant satisfaction. ‘Lost Time’ rarely concerns life’s positives, but these four IRL best friends sure as hell won’t let themselves be brought down by the negatives. They’re best on the smartly constructed social commentaries of the troll-denouncing ‘The Internet’ and decidedly darker cut ‘Talk’. “Come and sit next to me, faces lit by a screen,” drawls Emily Nokes on the latter, a number on which the digital age’s destruction of human interaction is subjected to scrutiny. The modern world’s not a pretty place, but Tacocat are here to address the ugliness in their own most delightful way. (Tom Hancock) LISTEN: ‘Talk’
There’s poetry to be found in every pocket.
Cate Le Bon Bon. 70 diymag.com
A tightrope walk between impulse and laser-point precision.
eeee PARQUET COURTS Human Performance
(Rough Trade)
Parquet Courts’ reputation for nonchalance sometimes threatens to overshadow everything else. Camera shy and dishing out barbed-wiretongued statements like there’s no tomorrow, they’ve built their modest empire on stern faces and steely resolve. The jagged noise they perfected on ‘Sunbathing Animal’ still runs the show, but ‘Human Performance’ finds them pulling back the pace too. Every time things threaten to veer into lethargy, though - ‘Steady On My Mind’ the prime suspect - the rubber band snaps back into place, Parquet retaining their trademark taughtness. Even when they slow things down, ‘slacker’ this is not. A tightrope walk between impulse and laser-point precision, ‘Human Performance’ is Parquet Courts at their most knotted. Considering how relaxed they are about the whole thing, it’s a miracle they manage to tie themselves up so tight. (Tom Connick) LISTEN: ‘Berlin Got Blurry’, ‘No Man, No City’
Parquet Courts are angrier than ever on their new record, delivering truths on a grim city sprawl and what our place in the world truly is. Every time you hear the band get frustrated about the following, cross it off until you’ve got a full house (And don’t forget to shout “PARQUET COURTS BINGO!” when you hit the jackpot - doesn’t matter if you’re in a library.)
• A SINK FU LL OF DISH ES • IMPOSTERS YOUR TEETH • BRUSHING • HAVIN G NO F AITH D • BEING TIRE • HOW NOTHING LASTS AND EVERYTHING LINGERS IN LIFE
eeee FUTURE OF THE LEFT
The Peace & Truce of Future of the Left (Prescriptions Music)
‘The Peace & Truce of Future of the Left’ is a rawer, leaner and filthier sound. A gut-trembling rumble echoes throughout; the group have never sounded tighter, or more like a band for that matter. Jack Egglestone’s inventive, bludgeoning drumming dominates while Julia Ruzicka’s bass brings that robotic, dark, dingy funk. They work in tandem with tempos shifting as buzzsaw guitars slice through, with Falco’s scabrous vocals swinging from spoken word to unearthly snarling growl. All the way through it feels exhilarating. From the combustible march of ‘Back When I Was Brilliant’ through to the crackling ramshackle funk of ’50 Days Before the Hun’ (which surprisingly brings to mind ‘Odelay’-era Beck) this is a band tight enough and confident enough to know they can take anything, and anybody, on. (Danny Wright) LISTEN: ‘The Limit of Battleships’
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eee ANDREW BIRD
Are You Serious (Loma Vista
Recordings / Decca)
Are you serious? That’s the question Andrew Bird is asking with his thirteenth album. With lead single ‘Capsized’, it’s easy to see Bird’s slight reinvention - this is the most playful and relaxed Bird has sounded in years, and ‘Are You Serious’ is all the better for it. After an intense few years, Andrew’s produced a record hitting on themes that intensity with respectful humour and jest, tackling themes such as his wife’s illness on ‘Puma’. Although he might be lyrically more direct, elsewhere there’s little new to discover. It might be the strongest he’s sounded in a while, but it’s not quite the monumental breakthrough he needs. (Tom Walters) LISTEN: ‘Capsized’
eee BLACK PEAKS
Statues (Easy
Life / Sony RED)
With the crunching power of opening track ‘Glass Built Castles’, Black Peaks set the bar high for their debut album. Drawing attention from all corners of the music industry over the past two years, eyes are on the Brighton quartet but luckily, the pressure doesn’t seem to concern them. The guttural roars of ‘Hang Em High’, the intricate guitars of ‘Set In Stone’, the soaring chorus of ‘Statues of Shame’; they all point to a band unafraid of trying different things. Run-of-the-mill rock this is not, with its math-rock noodling and doomy moments. Granted, they may not be rewriting the rulebook, but they’ve certainly managed to create an intriguing and at times empowering debut. (Sarah Jamieson) LISTEN: ‘Say You Will’
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ee
M83
Junk (Mute)
Anthony Gonzalez became a reluctant hero when his ‘Midnight City’ banger began soundtracking every upper-class break-up this side of 2012. M83’s breakthrough single was a mainstay on Made in Chelsea, but it expanded from West London bistros into the club. Every club, to be precise. Gonzalez created a monster hit, like music’s very own Frankenstein, depending on who you ask. The follow-up to ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’ pits him as a reluctant hero. With festival headline slots arriving in numbers, he’s been given an open goal of becoming dance’s biggest name. ‘Junk’ shuns that role, but it does so in spectacularly bizarre fashion. What it lacks alongside a brave, anything-goes mentality is an actual hit. ‘Do It, Try It’ comes closest, but a dense mid-section of expansive instructions (‘Moon Crystal’, ‘For The Kids’, ‘Solitude’) does nothing to discover new territory or deliver straight-up giants. That’s not to dismiss the highs: ’Go!’’s funk-fledged dream, Beck’s timely appearance for the tail end’s ‘Time Wind’ and ‘Road Blaster’’s space-age rollercoaster ride. If ‘Junk’ is an outright rebellion to becoming a massive star, it’s less a formal declaration of war and more like smashing a piñata open on someone else’s birthday. Messy, complicated, capable of star turns, it’s clearly a record Gonzalez needed to get out of his system. (Jamie Milton). LISTEN: ‘Do It, Try It’
Clearly a record Gonzalez needed to get out of his system.
ee EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY The Wilderness (Bella Union)
Long the preserve of BBC nature documentaries and inspiring American TV montages, Explosions In The Sky settled into comfy cotton slippersocks in recent years. A series of soundtrack releases their sole output for years, ‘The Wilderness’ marks their first wholly original material in half a decade – a chance to refresh the palette, iron out the kinks and hit the ground running on another potential two decades of genre supremacy. Lead single ‘Disintegration Anxiety’ paints a fitting first impression. Stuttering into life with industrial electronics, it looks like a new horizon for the group so often pinned by their critics as little more than a whitewashed backdrop. Hit the halfway point though, and Explosions quickly snap out of it. Settling into those worn-out shoes, they pocket the new ideas, instead opting for that over-familiar post-rock wash of crescendo after crescendo. Fade out, rinse, and repeat. For the figureheads of a genre so reliant on emotional resonance, there seems to be a lack of understanding of that age-old adage – familiarity only breeds contempt. (Tom Connick) LISTEN: ‘Wilderness’
Q&A
eeee
M83 (not pronounced matey-three, sadly) talks through Beck collabs and the DNA of ‘Junk’. Starting the album, what did you want from it? I wanted a collection of songs that are not supposed to live together. A kind of broken radio, lost in space, with the idea and the challenge of finding some kind of unity for all of them. Also I wanted the album to be less ‘big’, and more romantic, more human. Less bombastic. How is it to have Beck on the album? Beck has been an icon to me since I was a teenager, and I take a lot of inspiration from him in my ambition to take the listener on a different path with every next album I write. I think he brings a vibe that only he could do. He doesn’t try to be someone else.
MOGWAI Atomic (Rock Action)
Over the course of their long career, Mogwai have perfected the art of moodshaping instrumentation. They understand its subtleties and the notion that music can wield a greater power than visual images. In the case of ‘Atomic’ the key thing is the film’s subject matter lends itself so well to these gnarly, post-rock sages. In the absence of a narrator, the film’s director Mark Cousin needed a powerful voice; he needed the music that would tell his story. The biggest achievement of ‘Atomic’, however, is that it stands on its own musical merit, packing a ferocious punch without compromising subtlety, operating with coiled concealed restraint. With this, Mogwai prove once more that, after more than twenty years, they’re a constantly-evolving beast of a band. (Anastasia Connor) LISTEN: ‘Tsar’
Write the Theme Tune, Sing the Theme Tune
Les Revenants Utterly terrifying French telly is nothing without Mogwai’s post-rock force.
Mogwai bloody love a soundtrack. Sit them down with Hans Zimmer and they’ll make friends for life. From the early days, they’ve been giving drama a suitably apocalyptic backdrop.
The Fountain A Hugh Jackmanstarring film about time-travelling, space and hallucinations. Very Mogwai.
Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait So good it’ll make you headbutt the person next to you (don’t do that).
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KATY B
Honey (Rinse / Virgin EMI)
Six years on from her debut, Katy B is on another of her infamous missions. From Four Tet and Floating Points to the sweet prince of UK garage himself, Craig David, the roll-call for ‘Honey’ is an overbrimming pot of big names; a collaborative hotch-potch of dance music’s talents. It’s an approach that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to consistency. In certain, special moments of ‘Honey,’ Katy B hits on sheer, glitterflinging dancefloor magic. The opening title track - which features Kaytranada - is one such moment, jolting under the dusky lights with a wide-eyed smirk and an inability to stop dancing. “What is on your mind, now you’ve got me here make your move,” slinks ‘Honey’ suggestively, amid sparse, spacey synth pulses. The jittery ‘Chase Me’ also stands out as a strange-leaning slow jam. It’s also difficult to draw links between monstrously brilliant writing like ‘Turn the Music Louder (Rumble)’ and the underwhelming squelch-fest ‘Lose Your Head,’ but even when her experiments fall a little short, Katy B consistently makes clear strides forward, exploring all sorts of new avenues along the way. This is not the most cohesive body of work, granted, but oh man does it have some total bangers. (El Hunt) LISTEN: ‘Honey’, ‘Turn the Music Louder (Rumble)’
THE HONEY TREE
A guide to the established names and fresh faces on Katy B’s new project. Craig David
Re-re-wind a few and you’ll recall a time when Craig David wasn’t the coolest cat, popping up on remixes and interesting projects such as these. But this is 2016, Craig’s a big dog, he’s still up for chilling on Sunday.
project Floating Pints as a reflection of lad culture, people are flocking towards Sam Shepherd. His quick contribution to ‘Calm Down’ is a highlight.
Floating Points Still reluctant to rename the
Major Lazer
Because no smash-hit is complete without Diplo.
ee NIGHT MOVES
Pennied Days (Domino)
‘Pennied Days’ serves as the second full-length from US quartet Night Moves. Combining acoustic instrumentals and a very-Harrison Koisser-esque vocal, it’s easy, inoffensive listening. However, if you’re a fan of the group’s MGMT-nodding debut ‘Colored Emotions’, this follow-up will leave you hungry. It seems as though they’re aimlessly wandering, trying to figure out their next move, when they’d already found it from the word go. (Mollie Mansfield) LISTEN: ‘Hiding in the Melody’ 74 diymag.com
Q&A
Loaded with than a sleigh Teleman’s Thomas Sanders talks DIY through the band’s ace second LP (and cocktails). Interview: Anastasia Connor. How are you planning to celebrate this release? I’m gonna invent a Teleman cocktail: tequila, prosecco and lime. There’s going to be another element there but I’m not sure what yet.
What’s the main difference between ‘Brilliant Sanity’ and your debut? The main difference is the process of recording. We recorded the first album in a very piecemeal way. We’d layer things up starting from the ground up and it took a very long time to record. We did little bits here and there: do an afternoon, then come back a few days later and do another a couple of hours. When the producer had spare time we would work with him. We were pretty busy because we were playing lots of gigs and recording at the same time. This time we just literally went into a studio, sat down for two weeks and recorded the album. It was a much more intense experience. We weren’t doing lots of overdubs and layering. The main body of each song was recorded live.
more jingles at Christmas.
eee SUUNS
Hold/Still
(Dead Oceans)
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TELEMAN
Brilliant Sanity (Moshi Moshi)
Listing “the dogged pursuit of the perfect hook” as a driving force behind their music, everything Teleman do is crafted to worm its way under your skin. The follow-up to 2014 debut ‘Breakfast’, ‘Brilliant Sanity’ is an embellished venture through the unmistakable sound the four-piece have forged for themselves. “Put on, put on, your favourite song,” the chorus echoes on opening track ‘Dusseldorf’, an outright cry to the earworms Teleman are so successful at creating. Loaded with more jingles than a sleigh at Christmas, ‘Brilliant Sanity’ is synth pop at its most intentionally infectious. (Jessica Goodman) LISTEN: ‘Dusseldorf’
Three albums in for Montreal’s Suuns and they’re still not making it any easier. Once again, on ‘Hold/Still’ they slink through their characteristic mix of bubbling synths and hypnotic guitars - that’s their trademark. Constantly challenging, vocalist Ben Shemie implores the listener to “Resist, resist, resist” before slipping into a psychedelic breakaway on ‘Resistance’. Suuns’ greatest trademark is also their greatest asset – a compulsion to push ideas to breaking points, to test the limits regularly and thoroughly. (Matthew Davies) LISTEN: ‘UN-NO’
eee KEVIN MORBY
Singing Saw (Domino)
Right from the opening, malaise-filled strums of ‘Cut Me Down’ to the hypnotic rhythms of the singing saw in the title track - which acts as the record’s stunning centrepiece - there’s a crispness to Kevin Morby’s third full-length. It is, however, definitely an album of two halves. By ‘Ferris Wheel’ and ‘Destroyer’, the record drifts off into Dylan-isms that, while nice enough, don’t carry the same idiosyncratic weight of ‘Singing Saw’ or ‘Drunk and On A Star’. (Tom Walters) LISTEN: ‘Cut Me Down’
••••••COMING UP••••• YAK
alas Salvation
OSCAR cut and Paste
BAT FOR LASHES the Bride
Oliver and pals’ mad, noisy odyssey hits a new high with this brilliant debut, out 13th May. Oscar’s debut full-length is a colourful, emotional rollercoaster - it’s out 13th May. A dark concept record about why weddings are outdated and a bit scary, you say? Sign up here. It’s a long way off, though - out 1st July.
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Yannis’ puppeteer - forever the silent star of the show.
foals Wembley Arena, London. Photos: Jonathan Dadds.
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Que sera, sera as Foals take on their biggest headline yet.
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o get an understanding of where Foals are at right now, it only takes their opener. ‘Prelude’’s slow, tickling build of tours gone by has been thrown by the wayside. Any build up is now restricted to the brief half a minute or so it takes the band to stroll nonchalantly onto one of the UK’s biggest stages before all hell is let loose. ‘Snake Oil’ now kicks things off, its unyielding energy setting the tone for Foals as they exist today. To step back even further, gone also are the days when frontman Yannis Philippakis would stand side-on, too timid for eye contact with his then tiny audience, the set broken up only by the occasional murmuring of a track name. Not now. Now it’s a scream of, “fuck yeah, we’re gonna have a good time” as he teeters right on the edge of Wembley’s massive stage, willing himself into the swirling mass before him (of course he does later become a part of that very mass, because it wouldn’t be a Foals show if Yannis didn’t go off on a few adventures). As tracks from fourth album ‘What Went Down’ lead the charge and prove time and time again that they’re made for these big stages, the classics aren’t forgotten. ‘Antidotes’, ‘Total Life Forever’ and ‘Holy Fire’ are dispersed equally, the story of Foals’ journey from angular indie to gargantuan stadium rock woven carefully throughout. ‘Spanish Sahara’ as always shows the boys’ tender side, though its euphoric crescendo still manages to incite some of the less raucous mosh pits of the evening. From there to a low-key yet still bouncy rendition of ‘Red Socks Pugie’ then back down into the strained emotion of ‘Late Night’ marks a perfect blend of Foals’ first three albums. The inevitable encore following ‘Inhaler’’s final riotous chorus is a show in and of itself. With ‘London Thunder’ all the more personal set within its namesake, the room is lulled into contemplative silence before being ripped limb from limb by ‘What Went Down’’s unadulterated aggression, within months already one of Foals’ biggest numbers. Finally ‘Two Steps Twice’’s agonisingly drawn-out close builds the room to a fever pitch before coming tumbling down in one final blast of energy before Foals are off. As swiftly as they arrived they’re gone, the echo of a band who have slowly evolved into one of the biggest in the country left ringing throughout Wembley’s suddenly empty walls. (Henry Boon)
the joy formidable Oslo, London. Photo: Caroline Quinn.
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ccording to frontwoman Ritzy Bryan, The Joy Formidable have spent the past 12 months back in North Wales going “a bit crazy”. The time away might have given us forthcoming album, ‘Hitch’ (we’re treated to two tracks from the record tonight, plus a third nonalbum number featuring support Laura J Martin on flute), but it hasn’t damaged their wit. “Fuck them!” Ritzy suddenly remembers, after defending Coldplay to one grumpy audience member. “Their guitarist is from Mold, totally eclipses us!” The remainder of the set draws from across the trio’s discography - letting rip with ‘The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade’ from debut ‘The Big Roar’, there’s also space for the air-punching shred of ‘Wolf’s Law’’s ‘Little Blimp’ and even ‘Y Garreg Ateb’ from last year’s Welsh language collection, ‘Aruthrol’. It may fall a little flat on this decidedly English audience, but it’s a nice moment nonetheless. ‘Wolf’s Law’ is a highlight too, with its piano, delicate vocals and slow build into a beautiful monster of a song, while ‘Silent Treatment’ sees bassist Rhydian Dafydd opt for an acoustic guitar, letting Ritzy’s vocals soar over the intimate setting. (Josh Williams) 77
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Whip it: Marina’s ‘Froot Sundae’ sweetens the Roundhouse.
Marina and the Diamonds Roundhouse, London . Photo: Caroline Quinn
It’s ‘Froot Sundae’ at The Roundhouse. Inflatable watermelon slices decorate the upper balcony as Marina and the Diamonds celebrates the end of her Neon Nature tour with the second of two shows in the capital. Splitting the evening into three acts to showcase the different chapters of her career, there’s a grand narrative at play here. From the dreamy beginning of ‘Mowgli’s Road’ through the pompom chorus of ‘Bubblegum Bitch’ until the insular reflection of ‘Immortal’, Marina visits every landmark of her seven-year journey. Material from ‘The Family Jewels’ is still larger than life and sees Marina channeling a cartoon excitement before the ‘Elektra Heart’ suite takes that vibrancy and runs with it. ‘Primadonna Girl’ sees her performing with a pink poodle toy called Madeline under one arm, while the likes of ‘Lies’ and ‘How To Be A Heartbreaker’ cut euphoria with club excess. ‘Froot’ is more complex. The title track is determined yet glitching, before giving in to the bleak majesty of ‘Savages’. ‘Solitaire’, ‘Ruin’ and ‘Forget’ are fraught with fear but even at her darkest, Marina glitters. Despite the three distinct flavours at play, tonight feels complete. It’s a heady cocktail that only the most assured of performers could pull off. Instrumental intermissions soundtrack the transition from album to album while Marina’s larger than life performance and belief in the roles give the 19-song set a steely focus. “It feels like a special moment for me,” she offers in the middle of the two-song encore. “It feels like we’re friends or family. We’ve grown up together over these seven years and I don’t know how to thank you for that,” she continues, trying to hold back tears. “I’m saying it’s the final show for a while but it’s not goodbye.” After an emotionally charged finale of ‘Blue’ the whole room waits as she introduces them to her band. It’s a final showing of respect that’s been present for the entire show. “Thank you for sharing this journey with me. I am Marina and you are The Diamonds.” Bound together, tonight everyone shines. (Ali Shutler) 78 diymag.com
Marina’s ABBA tribute act was going down a right treat.
The Japanese House Exchange, Bristol. Photos: Bethan Miller.
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he end of The Japanese House’s first UK headline tour comes just a week before Amber Bain heads out on a mammoth tour in support of The 1975. The confines of Bristol’s cosy Exchange don’t seem able to hold her tonight as a result, with one eye clearly already on five nights at Brixton and beyond. Bain comments that tonight’s show is quite a bit bigger than her first time in Bristol - indeed, almost all of this headline run has sold out - and from the confidence and sky-reaching ambition she shows here, there’s no upper limit for where she might appear the next time she comes around. She rolls through the highlights from her two EPs with consummate ease, almost on auto-pilot but never complacent or unappreciative. There’s only
one insight given into work on her debut album in the form of closer ‘Leon’, but this recently finished track on its own is enough to suggest an LP is only going to take her further. ‘Leon’ still employs the layered, warped vocals that appear on ‘Clean’ and ‘Pools To Bathe In’, but here, they’re delivered with greater conviction and confidence, and a feeling that more new material of this calibre isn’t far behind. The songs from Bain’s two EPs, of which all eight are aired, are bigger and slicker on stage, and fit in with ‘Leon’ in showing an artist crying out for bigger things. When she returns from her transatlantic trek, things might be very different, and tonight shows she’s more than ready. (Will Richards)
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Sunflower Bean
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Tufnell Park Dome, London. Photo: Nick Sayers.
unflower Bean are having fun on stage tonight. After a quick line check, the trio dive right in with album title track ‘Human Ceremony’ and its dreamy guitars, swiftly followed by the more-upbeat-than-onrecord ‘This Kind Of Feeling’, complete with frontwoman Julia Cumming dispensing the remainder of her can of Red Bull across the crowd, who she later joins on the floor, heading into the mosh pit created for ‘Somebody Call A Doctor’. Live, the New Yorkers are beefed-up from their studio counterparts; a fact that’s mostly satisfying. Nods to a less bat-unfriendly Black Sabbath peek through on occasion - though newer numbers sometimes fall flat on a restless room, unfortunately. (Josh Williams)
Jamie xx
Alexandra Palace, London. Photos: Carolina Faruolo
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ast year, Jamie xx’s ‘In Colour’ propelled itself up with impressive, fully-developed tunes that only reinforced Jamie Smith’s role as a pioneer, perfectly capable of standing alone. Tonight the producer has single-handedly attracted a sold-out crowd of over 7,000 – a true marker of his success. It’s a far cry from the underground scene he hails from. In many ways, this performance should be a celebration. As red lights flush over the crowd, it seems only appropriate that Jamie opens with the momentous tune that is David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’. With a staggering light show and two massive disco balls, it’s a perfect tribute to the late, great artist, as the bodies in the room move in waves and the atmosphere of the evening is set. His is a masterful DJ set, slipping in huge club classics such as Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ and Gil Scott Heron’s ‘New York Is Killing Me’ via jungle, dubstep and more. If tonight’s performance was at a small, intimate club, played by an unknown DJ, you’d be hard-pressed to question it. But Alexandra Palace is not a small club. It’s a huge expansive space that requires a bit more crowd-pleasing. To not even play ‘Good Times’ in its entirety is a sin in itself, and although ‘Loud Places’ and ‘Girl’ fill the void, the set feels fragmented. Sometimes you have to give the people what they want, and tonight Jamie xx only left us pining for more. But maybe that was his plan all along. (Amelia Maher)
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creeper The Underworld, London. Photos: Caroline Quinn
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he sense of ceremony that surrounds Creeper’s every move is more than justified. More than hype, far from hyperbole, there’s a genuine feeling that here’s a band - fully-formed and confident in their every move - who could take on arenas. As they squeeze themselves into the notably more intimate surroundings of Camden’s Underworld, they stake claim to that belief in all their showboating, extravagant glory. “London, tonight is the night,” announces frontman and certified Indie Dreamboat Will Gould as the Southampton punks take to the stage, launching straight into a ‘VCR’ that sets the manic tone for the rest of the evening. Every square-inch of floor is packed full of wide-eyed devotees bawling every word straight back at the stage, the crammed-in crowd only offering each other personal space as a means to honour Gould’s early calls for a circle-pit around one of The Underworld’s
many pillars. Where the Callous Heart logo back-patches and matching eyeliner begin to blur the lines between those on- and off-stage, it’s a deafening chant of “CREE-PER” that precedes ‘Astral Projection’ that solidifies that gang mentality. ‘Misery’ elicits perhaps the loudest singalong of the evening, offering brief respite from the constant tide of stage-divers before Gould eggs them on once more, calling for as many as possible during ‘Lie Awake’. “If you fall, you will be caught,” he assures, and not a single one of the hundreds who launch themselves from the stage crashes to the floor. A rare outing for ‘Novena’ closes the evening, Creeper’s most cinematic moment to date proving itself the perfect end credits. On the evidence of this evening, there’s a blockbuster future ahead of them. (Tom Connick)
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INDIE DREAMBOAT Of the Month
Jack Flanagan Mystery Jets Full name: Jack Desmond Flanagan Nickname: Jackie Star Sign: Gemini Pets? A cat named Bella (named after Twilight) Favourite Film? Twilight Favourite Food? Moules frites Drink of choice? Soya latte Signature scent? Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather Favourite hair product? Aveda Pomade What song would you play to woo someone? ‘Do You Realize??’ by The Flaming Lips If you weren’t in a band, what would you be doing? Yoga Chat up line of choice? “I want our love to be like Pi: irrational and never-ending.”
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