Faux.
Fr ee
Vol 1.3
LAURA MARLING // CHASE & STATUS // 59 PRODUCTIONS // MFLOW FENECH SOLER // JERVOISE JACKETS // JOANNA NEWSOM EDITORS // FESTIVALS // MGMT April 2010
Copyright Faux Media 2010
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FEATURES
Cross Your Fingers // 12
Ryan Butcher talks to British nu-folk songstress Laura Marling.
War Horse To Jonsi // 16
Adam Hockley discusses Jonsi’s stage show with Mark Grimmer of 59 Productions.
Hot Tent Blues // 18
Daniel Willis looks at some of more out of the ordinary festivals taking place this summer.
Somebody Told Me // 22
Photo: Robert Swain
INFO
This issue was made by: Martyn Cooling, Liam Haynes, Mike Coleman, Adam Hockley, Annabelle Moore, Ryan Butcher, Daniel Willis, Jennifer Anne Simpson, Michael Higham, Carly Clark, Emily Solan, Max Knight, Chris Wheatley, Hannah West, Tom Revell, Dan Smyth, Katie Wilkinson, Robert Swain, Fred Thomas, Katherine Holt, Jehan Harding, Jennifer Garrick, Scott Kershaw, Tom Brodrick, Steph Wilson, Andy Von Pip, James Arnold, Eleanor Doughty. For business enquiries: Martyn.Cooling@ireadfaux.com For editorial enquiries: Liam.Haynes@ireadfaux.com
Martyn Cooling introduces us to Mflow, the latest innovative way of sharing music online.
For marketing enquiries: Advertising@ireadfaux.com
Against All Odds // 30
Any further questions should be directed to: Info@ireadfaux.com
Jervoise Jackets // 36
Faux Magazine is published monthly by Faux Media. All content (unless otherwise stated) is copyright of Faux Media. Any opinions expressed within do not neccessarily represent the opinions of Faux Media.
Mike Coleman chats to Will of Chase & Status about their forthcoming LP and “selling out”. Annabelle Moore showcases the work of innovative London designer Zoe Jervoise.
MAGAZINE PRINTED AT JOURNAL PRINT MEDIA. DEVELOPED AND CREATED BY FAUX MEDIA.
COLUMNS
MARTYN COOLING
LIAM HAYNES
Every year on April 1st everyone from 8 year-old boys to large corporate PR teams try and devise pranks to play on someone they know. Google likes to tease a new product that to anyone with sense is useless but amusing; this year launching an ‘animal translator’ for their Android phones. An altogether amusing prank, simple in execution, much like the classics (cling film on toilet seat, bucket of water over the door etc). Some media outlets however, just dont get it. Last year The Sun’s “hilarious” joke was that they had an interview with the Deal or No Deal Banker, sadly not realising that everyone wholly expected them to run that interview without a hint of irony anyway.
Antiques aren’t particularly rad. Plus there’s only so many programmes on the damn things I can stand trawling through on daytime TV before I’m ready to smash the Freeview box right through the screen. Having said that, occasionally the odd thing regarded as an antique catches my eye; from a rather snappy little bottle-opener to a lovely old Soviet camera. Most recently, my attention was piqued by possibly the most incredible piece of furniture ever invented. There, tucked away in the corner of a musty old shop in a musty old market town it laid, unloved and unused, a radiogramme.
Director of Faux Magazine
This year however, with the tiresome rise of Facebook fan pages there was an altogether more alarming trend appearing for April Fools jokes, “RIP - ‘NAME OF SCHOOL FRIEND’ ”. Yep, on April 1st my feed was flooded with people becoming fans of one of many tribute pages for people that had apparently died. Now I’m not one to judge acceptabilty in humour (I subscribe to the South Park theory, it’s either all acceptable, or nothing is) but some pages went so far as to advertise funeral dates, supply parents’ phone numbers and create video montages... Bit much. On a side note, I still laughed; maybe I’m just a bad person. Follow Martyn on Twitter: @martyncooling
Editor of Faux Magazine
For the unknowledgeable, a radiogramme is basically a sideboard with a built in record player, built in speakers, and built in storage space for 7” and 12”’s. Nice little bit of kit. The one I’d managed to find was an old HMV one from ’62, all sharp styling and smooth lines, incredible stuff. As I put the first record on it (Belle & Sebastian – Step Into My Office Baby, if you must know) I noticed how incredibly warm the sound was. Seriously, for the first time in ages I was appreciating these old singles from 6 or so years ago. Not with new surround sound speakers or digitally remastered editions, but with an old piece of furniture from the 60’s. Incredible. Follow Liam on Twitter: @liamhaynes
JEHAN HARDING
HANNAH WEST
Music blogs weird me out sometimes. They come from all over the globe in many shapes and sizes. 95% of them provide free music for download. You’ll also find sparkling prose, enthusiastic gushing, beautiful photography, great design, and advertising. Some talk about their lives, some talk about pop / alt culture, some cover books and films, whilst some copy others quite blatantly. Eight years after Fluxblog, the first MP3 blog, the music blogosphere can be split into two camps; genuine music fans and pirates. The boundaries are blurred to say the least. Derek Davies, the guy behind Neon Gold (the label that launched the careers of Marina & the Diamonds and Ellie Goulding) hosted the whole of Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm on his old blog back in 2005.
‘Rummage Sale’ and ‘ten police officers injured’ aren’t two phrases you’d normally expect to see in the same column, but judging by recent events in London’s Brick Lane, shopping is now as dangerous as using Google in China. For anyone who’s not following what I’m talking about, clothing shop American Apparel - specifically the one in the heart of London’s hipster district - put on a four day rummage sale that ended in some hilariously inappropriate chaos over this Bank Holiday weekend.
Record Makers A&R // Shattered Satellite
There is a sense of anarchy in music blogs that I find very inspiring (not to be confused with illegality). Writing one is definitely a way into the industry if that’s what you’re after. However, as more and more bloggers expand their ‘brands’ and set up record labels and club nights whilst posting the same ‘exclusives’ as the next guy, I worry that the lawlessness I love is getting lost in waves of homogeneity. You can read Jehan’s blog at shatteredsatellite. blogspot.com or check out Record Makers at www.recordmakers.com
Faux // Our Iron Lung
Sales, generally, are a nightmare, but having 2,000 bargain hunters swarming into one shop to pick through baskets of leggings sounds suspiciously like hell on earth. The video footage seems to confirm this, violence erupting throughout the crowds for absolutely no reason. It’s literally the least worthy cause to riot for ever - does anyone need an American Apparel leotard that much? Oscar Wilde is famously quoted as having said “fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months”. In this particular case it looks like fashion got a particularly well deserved baton to the face. All I know is next time Primark have a sale, I’m going in body armour - It’ll be a riot. To view footage of the riot just search “rummage riot” on Youtube. www.ireadfaux.com || 05
LOST & FOUND VON TRASH JEWELLERY Von Trash produce trashy, loud, simple jewellery. With influence seemingly drawn from anywhere and everywhere, they create a huge range of pieces that are sure to pierce the hearts of even the most anti-bling warrior. Von Trash jewelery is available from their Big Cartel site. www.vontrash.bigcartel.com
i-CADE If you’re still unsold on the iPad and its worth, but enjoy kitch things that remind you of that coked up, suit wearing, high flying mess of an era called the 80’s, then you’re in luck. The i-Cade is a mini aracade cabinet that acts as a mount for your iPad, letting you enjoy the fruit eating, point collecting, high score achieving glory that is retro gaming. The i-Cade is available now from: www.thinkgeek.com
WIKKERINK DESIGNS Fed up of having the same retro stripes across your wallet that every child of Topman does? Tired of the sleek black leather look? Wikkerink Designs take old inner tubes and recycled vinyl and lovingly fashions them into trendy wallets - perfect for an eco-friendly/bicycle enthusiast. They’re not only practical and thin (no thicker than 1/4”) but very durable and tough. The rubber is cleaned so that it has a velvety feel and the interior is a durable black mesh. Ingenious. The wallets are available direct from his site: www.wikkerinkdesigns.com Words: Martyn Cooling
SCROOBIUS PIP - COMPETITION One of the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming hip-hop artists, Scroobius Pip, is a master of the spoken word lyric. From his childhood musings in the school playground to his feelings on the rat race, Pip has selected from his online fan collective artistic collaborations that bring the power of his lyrics to the printed page, creating an innovative multimedia collection of modern poetry. For your chance to win 1 of 5 copies we have to give away just email your name and address to: comps@ireadfaux. com and label your email SCROOBIUS! All entries must be in by 05/05/2010, the winner will be notified by email within 2 weeks of the competition closing. The winner will be chosen at random, employees of Faux Media, Titan Books and their close friends and family are sadly forbidden from entering. Subject to terms and conditions on ireadfaux.com. For more info visit: www.titanbooks.com
MODA - COMPETITION With the Summer almost here, Moda is once again preparing to set sail to Ibiza, before commencing an entire season of weekly parties in-conjunction with Pete Tong’s Wonderland. So to celebrate they’ve asked three of Moda’s best friends to join us for one last epic rave-up at their base in Lincoln before the Summer officially kicks off. The massive line up includes Radio 1 favourite and Moda’s best friend KISSY SELL OUT. One of the most popular DJs in Moda history! Having been inundated with requests for his return, we couldn’t resist any longer, FAKE BLOOD and whether he’s collaborating with Steve Angello, remixing Gorillaz, or smashing-up gigs with his live band, the mighty ALEX METRIC will join us for a huge live set. For your chance to win 1 of 2 pairs of tickets , all you have to do is email your name and mobile number to: comps@ ireadfaux.com, label your email KISSYMODA! All entries must be in by 03/05/2010, the winner will be notified by phone within 2 days of the competition closing. The winner will be chosen at random, employees of Faux Media, Moda and their close friends and family are sadly forbidden from entering. Subject to terms and conditions on ireadfaux.com. For more info visit: www.thisismoda.com
NEW BLOOD
FENECH SOLER Fenech-Soler, who consist of brothers Ross and Ben Duffy alongside Dan Soler and Andy Lindsay, have emerged from the sleepy town of Kings Cliffe near Peterborough with a distinct blend of dance, pop and electro which has seen them snapped up by upstart electro label Moda Music. From a young age Ross and Ben had a wide range of musical instruments at their fingertips, “our dad was a country musician and toured with people like Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash”. Luckily the country music influences didn’t stick and the brothers were soon dabbling with loops, beats and synths on their laptop. In their words, “we got bored one day, bought a laptop and started making music with long standing, local friends, Dan and Andy”.
given us the time to develop the record in the right way”. Previous singles ‘The Cult of the Romance’ and ‘Lies’ flaunt a number of different styles and cross genre barriers with ease. Somewhat surprisingly in this era however, Fenech-Soler want to stay true to their sound and know the direction they’re heading in. “We definitely feel more comfortable in a club environment and it was always our intention from the start to write dance music. We try to write romantic, epic pop music based on imagery and colour, escapism I suppose”.
Fenech-Soler’s upcoming single ‘Stop and Stare’ is scheduled for release April 19th and will include a selection of remixes coming from the likes of Jaymo & Andy George, Tony Senghore, Mighty Mouse and Reset!. The single will also be featured Although the secluded village of Kings Cliffe on the 9th instalment of tastemaker label Kitsuné may seem a million miles away from the sound Maison’s compilation series, creatively titled Kitthey make, which could easily be mistaken for suné Maison Compilation 9. something produced in Brooklyn or Paris, the lads like their space and do not feel pressured ‘Stop & Stare’ is out April 19th on Moda Music into rush releasing their debut album. “We’re www.myspace.com/fenechsoler currently working on the album at our studio in Kings Cliffe and it’s nearly finished. I think Words: Chris Wheatley coming from an area with no music scene has
VERONICA FALLS Touted as one of the forerunners in the C86 revival, Scottish four-piece Veronica Falls make some of the most beautiful noise you will ever hear; from the ethereal exuberance of current single ‘Found Love in a Graveyard’ to the doo-wop sing-along of double A-side track ‘Starry Eyes’. ‘Beachy Head’ is a fast-paced, dramatic little number, reeking of 1980s post-punk and heavy-lidded energy. Thundering and monstrous, the band use their boy/girl vocal set-up to create an eerie vocal call and response. ‘Stephen’ is another vigorous aural workout; this time a joyous creation, a musical celebration of times had and lost. Coupled with tambourines and jangly guitars it makes for a wonderful 80’s-style retrofit love song. Delving into obscure topics for lyrical inspiration, Veronica Falls exude an air of mystery, originality and melancholy that much of today’s music lacks. ‘Stephen’ is out now on limited edition 7” through Trouble Records www.myspace.com/veronicafallshard Words: Emily Solan
FACTORY KIDS Factory Kids are a pair of Glaswegians who formed in 2008. After a couple of low-key releases on small indie labels, they’re about to release their new EP on Edinburgh-based 17 Seconds Seconds Records. Through its entirety, the One EP seamlessly blends The Vaselines guitar fuzz with Jesus & Mary Chain style drone to create a kind of depressive surf-pop. Glorious stuff that shows its softer side on tracks such as ‘Valentine’, an echo-ridden joy infused with deliciously airy vocals. There’s something charmingly naive about Factory Kids particular take on lo-fi pop. Unlike their London brethren, they seem completely detached from their place of origin; perhaps indicative of the fact they’re actually one half American, one half from Warwickshire. Explains a lot, right? One EP is a softer step forward from Christiana and Tim’s previous releases, but in taking that slightly gentler approach it begins to be able to more accurately and poignantly portray and convey the nuances and emotions present in these glorious gems of songs. An absolute treat for the ears, Factory Kids are gloriously melancholic; a brittle, bitter pill of lo-fi genius. ‘One EP’ is out now on download through 17 Seconds Seconds Records. www.myspace.com/factorykids Words: Liam Haynes www.ireadfaux.com || 09
FOREST FAMILY RECORDS As one of the foremost music blogs on the web, Gorilla Vs Bear paved the way for music blogging as we know it, continually breaking fantastic new acts, running incredible parties at events like SXSW, and generally being pretty rad dudes. Along with brothers in blogging Weekly Tape Deck, they’ve recently announced the launch of Forest Family Records, a small boutique label initially putting out limited 7” releases by bands they’ve previously imbued with some blog love. But to the guys behind it, it’s not that simple. “We don’t look at it as a ‘blog-turned-label’ at all, the label and blogs are going to be two very separate things”. Not that there aren’t blog-labels that they respect though, “our friends at True Panther and Transparent are doing some amazing things and we admire that”.
“We still intend to maintain our respective blogs separately from the label. While we blog about the music we like and plan on releasing music we like, there will be some similarities but at the end of the day we still intend for the blogs and the label to be dichotomous”. Obviously the most successful blog-turned-label so far is the unstoppable Neon Gold. Spawning pop behemoths in the form of Ellie Goulding and Marina & The Diamonds, they’re completely unavoidable to compare Forest Family to. But it’s different aims that led to the creation of Forest Family, “we view it as an opportunity to help some of the artists we love to be heard on a larger scale. You can expect for us to produce the music we love in a very high quality format. Quality is our goal for all of these releases and we want that to remain synonymous with the work that we do. As far as who? We’re in talks with several artists now that we should be ready to announce very soon”. So there you have it, with a pedigree of incredible blogging on Weekly Tape Deck and Gorilla Vs Bear, Forest Family Records look set to release some simply stunning releases in the coming months.
The first release on Forest Family will be the debut from mysterious duo of Cults; a bright yellow 7” limited to 400 copies. Leading with the dreamy summer jam of ‘Go Outside’ and backed with ‘Most Wanted’, it’s a smartly chosen debut for the label. “The song just seemed to really grab all of us and the band were very willing for us to put this out as their first release. Things just seemed to fall into place for ‘Go Outside’ by Cults is out April 20th. us”. Cults are a band that both blogs have sup- www.forestfamilyrecs.com ported strongly from their emergence, but is Words: Liam Haynes that a synergy that they aim to continue?
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CROSS YOUR FINGERS
Words: Ryan Butcher
In a recent interview with a red-top music tabloid, Laura Marling was put across as being brash, abrasive, and secluded in character, unwilling to talk about anything personal, giving short answers, with a history of keeping everyone from friends to journalists to band members at arm’s length. So you can appreciate why I might be somewhat nervous whilst preparing for this interviewing. Laura and I are introduced, and with an almost sultry and seductive whisper, she asks, “well, what do you wanna know?” Forget everything you’ve ever read about Laura Marling. If you’re unfamiliar, perhaps I should give you some perspective. At the age of 17, Marling was plucked from her second-ever solo show by Jamie T, and taken out on the road. At the age of 18, her debut album Alas I Cannot Swim received a nomination for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize, placing her on the cusp of the mainstream. Now, at the grand age of 20, Marling is ready to release her highly anticipated sophomore album, I Speak Because I Can, with a third album pencilled in for later in the year. Throughout the last three or four years, she’s also been known for a number of acclaimed collaborations with Mystery Jets and The Rakes, as well as her work with Noah and the Whale. Bringing us nicely to the white elephant in the room… It’s common knowledge amongst the indie-folk gossip circles that Marling was in a long term relationship with Noah and the Whale’s songwriter, singer and guitarist Charlie Fink. It’s also common knowledge that Marling is now romantically linked with Marcus Mumford, of Mumford and Sons. The disintegration of her re
“...I WANTED NO ONE ELSE TO BLAME. ALL THE DECISIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE MADE – I WANTED TO MAKE THEM.” relationship with Fink inspired Noah and the Whale’s latest album, and arguably their best work to date, The First Days of Spring – a complicated record, to say the least, laden with orchestral arrangements and very personal, if not very honest, lyrical references. In that recent interview with that certain red-top music tabloid, Marling refused outright to speak about anything related to her past with Fink, Noah and the Whale, or even the reports of her latest relationship with Mumford. That certain red-top tabloid would have you believe Marling is still sore and sensitive about this subject, unwilling to open up to anyone. Yet, when Marling talks about Fink with me, however briefly, she seems to do so fondly, admirably, and without regret or contempt. “Compared to three years ago, I feel a lot more confident in my decisions”, she says. “It’s a nice thing to feel. With the first record, I had no confidence, so Charlie produced it all. He very kindly took the reins, produced the album, and did it differently to how I could have imagined. This time, I wanted no one else to blame. All the decisions that needed to be made – I wanted to make them. Not that Charlie ever did anything to blame, of course…” www.ireadfaux.com || 13
It’s with this fleeting mention that Marling pauses for a moment, as if remembering fondly of her times with Charlie, and as a member of Noah and the Whale. It’s amazing, really, how placing the prefix of “nu” in front of a genre can garner such a critical reception. London’s nu-folk scene seemingly sprouted out of nowhere, centred on Marling and Noah and the Whale, and featuring a further cast of characters such as Johnny Flynn, Emmy the Great, and the now-mainstream monster known as Mumford and Sons. “When I was younger, with the Noah and the Whale situation, it seemed like something that would make me, I don’t know, cooler to be a part of. It was something I wanted to do. I think there is a scene surrounding folk at the moment, and I’ve never had a problem with it. Some people do find it annoying, but they’re people I’ve known for a very long time. I just think it’s nice to be a part of something, and it’s good to see your friends struggling, or succeeding for that matter, in the same way that you are.”
“...I THINK THERE IS A SCENE SURROUNDING FOLK AT THE MOMENT, AND I’VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT.” Anyone expecting I Speak Because I Can to offer a warts-and-all insight into Marling’s personal life, much like The First Days of Spring did for Fink, is going to be disappointed – the bulk of it has been written for a while now, which is why Marling has a third effort due out by the end of the year. “I’m not keen on that whole heart-on-your sleeve thing,” Marling explains. “For some songs, it’s necessary, but I couldn’t write a whole album like that. Could you imagine playing it every night? People forget that songwriters and musicians have to go through those feelings that inspired them every time they play their songs. I finished writing I Speak Because I Can over a year ago, and since then, I’ve had an awful lot of time doing not very much. So I wrote another one. The free time has been a good fortune really, but I’m going to be doing a lot of touring for the rest of the year - Australia, America, England, and then some festivals this summer, including Glastonbury.” For want of a better word, I Speak Because I Can is a much more mature effort compared to her previous releases. Unsurprising really – Marling was thrown into the thick of it in her teenage years, and the journey since then has been essentially formative. Marling has grown as a musician, a songwriter, and more importantly,
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a woman. The twee popular culture references from her earlier work, like listening to Ryan Adams in the early hours of the morning, are long gone, replaced by an outward confidence and new-found sense of sexuality. Take new single ‘Devil’s Spoke’, for example. With an almost primal aggression, she sings “eye to eye, nose to nose, ripping off each other’s clothes in the most peculiar way”. Marling is as much assured in her music as she is her femininity “I think now, I know a bit better where songs actually come from,” she says. “I feel like a woman for the first time in my life, which is something I find very interesting. Quite simply, it’s just like everything else – you take in your surroundings, and obviously everything you see, hear or read has a bit of an influence. I certainly see things in a different way now. It’s that feeling of adult responsibility, and there’s no turning back. I’m also much more focused on my skill as a guitar player, which is something I’ve worked on a lot between the two albums, which I think makes the writing seem a bit more backed up”.
“...I JUST THINK IT’S NICE TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING, AND IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOUR FRIENDS STRUGGLING OR SUCCEEDING.”
“The style in which I play guitar is the style in which my dad plays. It’s traditional Gaelic folk music passed down from my father, which I like, but it’s not what I listen to, so I’m not all that sure how that happened.” Laura and I chatted for longer, and it was soon clear to me that the reserved image of her painted by the press was, well, a lie. She jokes about the time she met Neil Young whilst supporting him last year, and is humbled that she’d gotten to that point in her career. “If someone told me that I would be supporting Neil Young three or four years ago, well, you know. I wouldn’t have believed them. It was just amazing, for obvious reasons. It seemed like such an unbelievable thing to happen to anyone. I’d never seen my band so excited, and I really felt that, you know, ‘oh my God’ moment. It was the first time I’d ever met that. He always takes his wife and kids on tour with him. We met him backstage, and I just kind of stood behind my band whilst they introduced themselves. I was so nervous. But he was a nice guy, thankfully. I wouldn’t want to believe in a world where Neil Young isn’t a nice guy”. She talks about how much she loves touring, discusses the music she’s been listening to lately (Middle East and Boy & Bear, if you’re interested) and explains how she misses England whenever she’s away from home. But this is all beside the point really. What’s clear from her demeanour, her politeness, her attitude, and more importantly, her new record, is that Laura Marling has left the twee teenage girl behind, and grown into a woman. And surely that’s worth talking about more than who she’s sleeping with. Laura Marling’s latest album I Speak Because I Can is out now on EMI. You can find more information about her work at: www.lauramarling.com www.myspace.com/lauramarling www.ireadfaux.com || 15
WAR HORSE TO JONSI
Words: Adam Hockley Photo: 59 Productions
Fifty Nine Productions are hailed as ‘the most exciting purveyors of video for theatre in the world’. As a theatre technician and musician, their current project - a collaboration with one of my all time favourite artists Jónsi (front man of post-rock heroes Sigur Rós) naturally caught my eye, so last week I caught up with Mark Grimmer; video co-designer and company director. Designed and created around the album rather than from a script, it’s been a totally new experience from the visual elements 59’ created for the West End record breaker ‘War Horse’ and the touring production of ‘Les Mis’. “You couldn’t ask for a more inspiring record than Jónsi’s. It’s been a bit like the reverse of creating a film soundtrack – making a visual soundtrack for his music ... it’s been more about picking out moods and tones and working out how to augment those on stage”. The introductory videos alonecreate a sense of excitement and awe which I haven’t experienced in either the theatre or at a live music event for a very long while; in fact, I think the last time my breath was physically taken from me was when water started cascading from the ceiling of Alexandra Palace forming a waterfall in front of the stage silhouetting the band members behind, whilst dreamy swirling images were projected onto the gushing water... Funnily enough, that band were Sigur Rós. For the Go tour Jónsi and Fifty Nine Productions have created a hybrid which takes aspects of theatre production, film, art installation and live music performance and fused them in a way which is dark, industrial and curious, the physical set being based on Deyrolle; the most ancient and atmospheric taxidermy shop in Paris which was ravaged by fire in February 2008.
“...IT’S BEEN MORE ABOUT PICKING OUT MOODS AND TONES AND WORKING OUT HOW TO AUGMENT THOSE ON STAGE” It’s almost as if the spirits of the animals which were lost in the flames have been woven into the fabric of the show in a way which is organic and almost magical; “It’s been very challenging, very challenging indeed. The scale of the show is pretty large, and there’s a huge amount of animated and filmed content in it which has obviously taken a long time to develop and refine. Technically this show develops a number of techniques we’ve used on stage in theatres around the world. There’s some intelligent glass involved which is a switchable LCD projection film which you can turn transparent or opaque depending on the current running through it. We’re [also] using projectors onstage projecting into old glass cabinets. It’s technology we use a lot, but we’ve created a really immersive environment to use it in, as we often try to do. The idea being that it doesn’t ‘feel’ like there’s any technology involved”. To view the ‘Making of the Live Show’ videos and witness floods, fires and unpredictable butterflies: www.jonsi.com www.fiftynineproductions.co.uk www.ireadfaux.com || 17
HOT TENT BLUES
Words: Daniel Willis Photo: Exit Festival
One could be forgiven for being disheartened at the perennially disappointing direction in which mainstream British festivals are going; Reading and Leeds sharing a lineup between the index page of NME and a Tony Hawk’s Playstation game soundtrack, Glastonbury providing too much of a distraction for bankers to do their job properly, and the Isle of Wight booking Paul McCartney after having appeared on the X Factor Final earlier this year. John. Spinning. Grave. Thankfully, about a million other events have sprung up to distract us from this glaring failure. Some smaller, some greener, some urban and some abroad. These are the festivals every self-respecting music fan should be getting themselves to this year. You can try staying tradtional because bear in mind, you don’t have to end up in a basement in Shoreditch or lake in Sarajevo for a unique experience. Latitude, only in its fifth year, has been flying the flag for the perfect English festival having attracted Interpol, Death Cab For Cutie, Thom Yorke and Arcade Fire for classic performances over the past years. Headlined this year by Belle & Sebastian, Florence + The Machine and Vampire Weekend; there will also be appearances from The Temper Trap, The xx, The Horrors, Laura Marling and Rodrigo y Gabriela. The experience is topped off by an idyllic forest setting, painted sheep, river holograms and a fantastic array of peculiarities to keep you attentive rather than monged out with a case of Carling. Similarly but on a smaller scale, Green Man looks set to liven up the countryside with another eclectic mix including Fuck Buttons, Billy Bragg, These New Puritans, Beirut, Wild Beasts, -
“... EVEN IF IT WAS CO-CURATED BY YOUR GRAN... AND GOD.” Doves and Flaming Lips. As well as the added joy of this being an actually independent event (stay back Festival Republic!) Green Man provides a friendlier and more ethical atmosphere than you are ever likely to find at Leeds even if it was co-curated by your Gran... and God. For the sunnier side of life you may want to follow the hordes of Rob Da Bank worshippers off the mainland to Bestival on the Isle of Wight. Appearing simultaneously as life-sized recreations of Lost in Space, Carroll’s Wonderland and Skins, Bestival fuses the best new music with an underworld of late night parties and mania. As scary as that might appear, try complaining at a line-up boasting Roxy Music, The Flaming Lips, The xx, Gil Scott-Heron, Four Tet and Rolf Harris whilst Zane Lowe, Erol Alkan, Chase & Status and Annie Mac all return to carry the party through to 3am each night so that you actually get your moneys worth. Plus, it’s only £150 (£140 for students!) and if that doesn’t persuade you then there’s even an inflatable chapel you can get married in. Just don’t tell Peaches Geldof. Honorable mentions also have to go to new festival Hop Farm for boasting Bob Dylan, Ray Davies, Pete Doherty and Laura Marling in their first line-up and Summer Sundae returning for its 10th year with Los Campesinos!, Laura Veirs, Sunshine Underground and The Go! Team. www.ireadfaux.com || 19
over 2 days appear on 6 stages organised by Manchester’s best clubnights with arenas for Now Wave (Kele, Errors, Four Tet) and Ape & Metropolis (Zinc, Buraka Som Sistema, Magnetic Man) plus Fake Blood, Friendly Fires, Boy 8-Bit, Kissy Sell Out and Calvin Harris appearing on the main two stages.
Don’t fancy that? You can always go urban; city wristband festivals are in full fashion this year but The Great Escape (held in Brighton in May) has been going for years. 350 bands over 30 venues in 3 days also make this the largest; with performances from Delphic, Marina & The Diamonds, Broken Social Scene and Wild Beasts (who I’ll stop mentioning now because they appear literally everywhere this summer). Dot to Dot is now in its fifth year and expanding further, this year with legs in Bristol (29th May), Nottingham (30th May) and Manchester (31st May) which will inevitably see the ubiquitous Ellie Goulding, Egyptian Hip-Hop and Jakwob alongside rare treats as Beach House, Chapel Club and the return of Mystery Jets. Those of you further north have no need to find new Bank Holiday Plans however as Evolution (Newcastle 30-31 May) is still here and getting more impressive each year. Set against the back drop of the Tyne and its many bridges, those willing to brave the chill winds will be provided with three stages with sets from Fake Blood, Benga, Rusko, Calvin Harris and Delphic. For those fans of metal, ska and pop-punk, Slam Dunk tours the country occurring in Bournemouth, the University of Hertfordshire, Leeds and Glasgow with Rolo Tomassi, Alkaline Trio and New Found Glory as well as many others in tow. Finally Parklife (rebranded from Mad Ferret) makes its first appearance at PlattFieldsPark in Manchester. A vast array of artists 20 || www.ireadfaux.com
Of course, this being England, anywhere from two to five days traipsing from tent to bar to open space can be a major chore should the summer weather be at its usual you may want to venture abroad. Exit Festival has been the typical escape of the past few years, hidden away in Serbia with the twin delights of cheap beer and devotion of attendees to travel from across Europe to be there. A line-up heavy on electrogiants (David Guetta, Erol Alkan, Brodinski, Boys Noize, Crookers, Laidback Luke) is oddly interspersed with The Exploited, Mika, Placebo and Missy Elliot and, as well as citing over 20 stages for performers, Exit has the supreme advantage of being held in a place called Petrovaradin Fortress. One of those rare experiences which almost certainly justifies the 4 hours of hell which a Jet2 flight will surely provide. If Serbia is too far, or Britain too warm, then Norway may be the trip for you as Hove Festival in Arendal offers one of the most fantastically assembled line-ups and potentially most spectacular locations mentioned so far. Camped out on a south coast beach, attendees will witness Julian Casablancas, Alexisonfire, Beach House, -
“... ONE OF THOSE
RARE EXPERIENCES WHICH ALMOST CERTAINLY JUSTIFIES THE 4 HOURS OF HELL...”
“...OF COURSE, THIS BEING ENGLAND, ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO FIVE DAYS TRAIPSING FROM TENT TO BAR TO OPEN SPACE CAN BE A MAJOR CHORE SHOULD THE SUMMER WEATHER BE AT ITS USUAL ”
popularity ever since. Providing the unfortunate combination of being at Butlin’s in December isn’t too distracting, Bowlie will also see performances from The Vaselines and Field Music with many more to be announced. Well, that’s it. Time to get out the diaries and hit the overdraft hard. Countryside or city, sun or rain, home or away, it’s looking like the most anticipated festival season yet with a vast array of opportunity. And for the eagle-eyed among you, don’t worry. Big screens have been promised across the length of the country for those World Cup matches. For more information on all these festivals and more, head to: www.efestivals.co.uk
Vampire Weekend, Muse, Arcade Fire, Two Door Cinema Club, Them Crooked Vultures and, phenomenally, Nas & Damian Marley. Another quick grower, Hove is in its fourth year and quickly finding fans in Britain to the extent that Festival Republic has weighed in with sponsorship. Melt is a more long standing event, this year being the 13th. Surrounded by five huge coal diggers, this German festival in July will have Foals, Friendly Fires, Massive Attack, Modeselektor, Miike Snow and The xx as visitors, another huge steal at only 94 Euros for a three day ticket. Ticket revenues from the Melt pre-party and festival are being donated to social projects and an anti-fascist concert being organised later in the year. Finally, but deserving a huge amount of excitement, Belle & Sebastian mark their return to live action by curating and appearing at the 10th edition of All Tomorrow’s Parties, this year named Bowlie 2 in honour of the festival they started 10 years ago and which has been growing in www.ireadfaux.com || 21
SOMEBODY TOLD ME
Words: Martyn Cooling
Do you need another way to listen to music? Do you need yet another outlet to purchase music from? After all, we have the MP3 behemoth iTunes, we have high street survivor HMV, web legends Play.com and Amazon, DJ’s heaven Beatport, guilt free streaming site Spotify, blog directory Hype Machine; and if all that fails we just slap the band name in Youtube and 9 times out of 10 you can listen to whatever you were seeking. Arguably each of the aforementioned has a twist on the traditional supply and demand and each of them do what they do very well. But just in case that wasn’t enough here comes another one, it’s time to introduce Mflow. The minute after you download the free Mflow software you’re presented with a desktop app/media player not massively different to iTunes. Users can then search a large (although not exhaustive) catalogue of music, sample 30 second clips and snag high quality MP3s for roughly 79p each. The big surprise is Mflow has a little bit of Twitter injected into it; you can follow other Mflow users and they can follow you. Each user has the option to ‘flow’ each track they find and tag on a 140 character Twitter-style comment, the tracks flowed then appear in your followers’ inbox for their listening pleasure. Ready for the 3rd kicker? If any of your followers decide to purchase your ‘flow’ you get 20% of the sale. Mflow is the cooler hybrid baby of Mother iTunes and Father Twitter, it incorporates a functional and fully-realised music store and adds in elements of social networking that’re actually useful. The Twitter style functions aren’t tagged on as a last minute decision, they integrate fluidly into the music buying experience. This could be the evolution we’ve been waiting for.
There is a lot of support from key labels; Sony, Universal, Domino, XL and Matador are all on board. Heavy media support from the likes of NME, Clash, Popjustice and ThisisfakeDIY, as well as celebrity DJ support from the likes of Zane Lowe, Phil Jupitus, Greg James and Mistajam. Zane looks to be the first celeb to properly adopt the platform, putting out an average of 40 flows a day. He describes the site as “Its a brand new music site where you can buy and recommend music. They are calling it itunes meets Twitter...Pretty cool right?” It looks like Mflow just might make it; plans for expansion into the worldwide market and for a mobile app for both iPhone and Android platforms are rumored to be in the works. So you have the good, where is the bad? Well it’s fairly small but Mflow’s problem lies in a contradiction between its ethos and its user’s actions. Mflow’s tag line is “the best way to discover new music” and that may eventually be true, but from my experiences over the last few months on the service, most users serve to use it as a nostalgia trip. Instead of posting new bands, rare b-sides or unloved early 90’s grunge outfits that you may find interesting, my inbox became full of semi-ironic cheese tracks. Yes, I remember Five, Yes, that Kylie Minogue track has kitsch value when I’m pissed at 3am in a dingy meat market student pub, but do I really want to listen to it at home? Maybe I’m the odd one out; when the editor of Faux ‘flows’ me Dido songs all day I should chuckle and reminisce instead of throw things at him. Either way, Mflow is a new and very interesting take on the music software world and 100% worth signing up for. We’ve been given 300 special invites for our readers to enjoy, just head to the mflow site to get on board. To sign up for Mflow go to www.mflow. com and enter this code: 8CS5X1 www.ireadfaux.com || 23
SCENIC WORLD
Photographer: Michael Higham Female Model: Carly Clark
Dress: Zimmerman Shoes: Doc Martens
Jumper: Topman Shorts: FCUK Shoes: Vintage Bracelet: Marc Jacobs
Jacket: H&M Shorts: New Look T-shirt: Model’s Own Shoes: Vintage Watch: Jacob & Co
Jacket: New Look Top: Topshop Shorts: ASOS Shoes: Model’s Own Jewellery: Snooper’s Paradise
AGAINST ALL ODDS
Words: Mike Coleman
By the time 2008’s More Than Alot was released on RAM Records, Chase & Status were so much more than just an exciting new drum and bass act. With releases like the fiery ‘Duppy Man ‘and the devastating ‘Druids’ EP under their belt, as well as a fearsome reputation in the drum and bass scene established, expectations were high. Fusing elements of drum and bass, dubstep, grime and an array of other electronic music, the debut shot to number 2 in the UK dance charts and took London boys Will Kennard and Saul Milton from the underground to the limelight. Only two years on and still moving with incredible momentum, Chase & Status have not only earned palpable critical acclaim, but signing with Mercury Records has offered them the opportunity to expand their audience further still. Adopting a live band format, the pair recently brought tracks from More Than Alot on a tour complete with live instruments, drum kits and vocals. Interestingly, recent months have also seen the duo working with the glitterati of American rap and R’n’B; remixing hip-hop behemoth Jay-Z and providing backings for the likes of Snoop Dogg and Rihanna. For some however, these flirtations with the mainstream raise an inescapable issue; selling out. So, with a new album just round the corner, does Will Kennard agree that a combination of live gigging, A-list collaborations and major record companies runs the risk of diluting Chase & Status’s sound? “We’ve done work for popular artists, I don’t really think that’s selling out because, from our point of view, it’s a great opportunity to learn a whole new world of production skills and techniques. We had experiences working
“WHEN WE RELEASE MUSIC UNDER THE CHASE & STATUS NAME, THE MUSIC THAT’S OURS, IT’S BECAUSE WE LOVE IT.” with some of the biggest artists in the world so it’s impossible to turn that down. It can help develop your own skills as a producer and use that for your own work, I think as long as we know in our hearts that the music we’re writing is what we’re really into, I’m not really worried what other people think.” The teaming up of Chase & Status with Roc-A-Fella chief Jay-Z not only represents an entirely new era for the relatively untapped commercial potential of underground music, but equally offers up a whole new world of potential for production. “People like Jay-Z are incredibly talented people, and to work with them in that capacity and bring a bit of what we do and a bit of what he does is a sort of dream come true. It’s obviously a sign that the scene is doing it all right, getting enough exposure and getting noticed by the Americans - and that’s important.” Underground purists, elitists and critics are a staple in nearly every music scene, and Chase & Status have received not unsubstantial flak for what some view as an increasingly commercial sound.
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“...there’s kind of like veering towards doing it for the money rather than the love of music. When we release music under the Chase & Status name, the music that’s ours, it’s because we love it, so if someone says they think we’ve sold out, it doesn’t really bother us because we know we’ve kept our integrity and that’s all that’s important”. Clearly for Will and Saul, the public sphere is something they’ve learned not to let affect them too much – after all, changing their sound solely to silence the critics is probably far more detrimental than evolving their sound organically for their own benefit. It also seems that the many disparate scenes of underground dance are not a forgotten element as they continue their climb to super-stardom. “We don’t see ourselves above those scenes, we see ourselves as very much in them. Our peers from Sub Focus to Nero, to Skream and Benga, we just see them as equals to us; we’re all in these scenes and trying to produce interesting, cutting edge music. We’re very much involved, it’s really important for us not to lose touch with those scenes”. It seems as if Chase & Status - far from losing touch with these spheres of electronic music– have made an effort to remain a part of the underground, even attempting to assist its growth. “We set up our own record label (MTA Records) and signed Nero – who are dubstep and drum and bass producers and are doing great –
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““PEOPLE CAN VERY EASILY JUST STAY IN THE SAME SCENE BECAUSE IT’S THEIR BREAD AND BUTTER, EVEN WHEN THEY’VE LOST LOVE FOR IT, YOU GET DJ’S JUST TURNING UP AND NOT REALLY CARING”. and we also signed these young guys called 16bit who are like super-hardcore; a sort of mixture of Noisia, Aphex Twin and some dubstep, they’re absolutely amazing and really underground”. Their own sound however, has undeniably moved further from the raw tones of the underground. The gradual adoption of a Pendulumesque live set up has marked some much more commercial sounding releases, although the duo are keen to explain that “it was definitely a sort of natural progression to move from DJing to playing live... When Pendulum first came out as a band, we were DJing before them or after them at tour dates ...and saw that, you know, the difference that doing it live has on a crowd and the energy and the atmosphere and the buzz and the excitement that it creates is just really electrifying and really inspiring as well. So at that point we knew that if possible, and if we could do it right and pull it off without it looking like a gimmick we’d love to do that, and not stop the DJing”.
Naturally, a lot of people are wondering whether this next album will be their In Silico, slipping into the territory of more brazen rock and abandoning the sort of uncompromising drum and bass roots on display in tracks like 2005’s ‘Menace’ or 2004’s ‘Stand Off ’. Kennard seems aware of the risk of adopting the rock format to excess, agreeing; “we don’t really want to lose what kind of got us there in the first place, we did combine electronic kind of synthesized music with a live element, and I don’t want to lose that dance production side, otherwise we just turn into a band that could be any old band and you just lose what people like about you, so it’s just about finding a balance”. He does however, concede that there is an undeniable factor of influence. “Before it was just ‘right, how is this going to sound DJing at Matter or Fabric or some other cool club in England or wherever, how are we going to mix it in, are DJ’s going to be able to play it...’ - that was very much the thought process. Now it’s a little bit more, ‘this is going to rock out a festival with a band’, or ‘how’s this going to translate live?’ ”. It’s a relief that these London boys don’t plan on stopping the DJing anytime soon, because they’re often a spectacle to behold. Skipping between all corners of London’s vast music scene, the sets often incorporate elements of electro, breakbeats and grime, built of course, on the foundations of dubstep and drum and bass. It seems that variety has always been the fuel that fires the Chase & Status juggernaught; whilst drum and bass purists may scoff at their current direction, it’s well worth remembering that their earliest Beatport release was actually the 2003 breakbeat track ‘Tricky’. Clearly not a fan of being pigeonholed, Will notes that “we’re always trying to carve out that niche where we can get away with doing whatever” and that an unwillingness to experiment can be a recipe for some seriously mediocre releases. “People can very easily just stay in the same scene because it’s their bread and butter, even when they’ve lost love for it, you get DJ’s just turning up and not really caring”.
So what can we expect from the next album? Even Will doesn’t seem sure. “What we’ve done now, we’ve always gone from mad different styles to different styles – like the Nneka remix of ‘Heartbeats’ was pretty much a rock-dubstep thing, compared to like maybe the White Lies remix we did which was super-electronic, synthetic sounding”. Clearly the influences are varied and the duo have better things to worry about than purists and critics. Following releases that dipped their fingers into facets of nearly every genre of music, it’s safe to expect a mixed bag for Chase & Status. It doesn’t look like we’re going to be short of things to talk about though. “If it’s good, people should like it, and crowds today, people today are a bit more open minded. Kids really are a bit into everything and the nights we play at now are so eclectic; you’ve got electro DJ’s mixed with dubstep DJ’s mixed with drum and bass and the kids just go nuts for it all. We’re not really saying there’s going to be one style on the album – just exciting music”. Chase & Status’ as yet untitled sophmore album is due to be released summer 2010. For a preview of album, catch them on their live tour this May.
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SMOKE & MIRRORS
Words: Liam Haynes Photo: James Arnold
Sure, 2009 might have been the year that the so-called curse of the sophomore album finally got destroyed, by blisteringly brilliant efforts from The Horrors, Jack Penate, The Maccabees, etc. But for Editors, their 3rd album turned out to be the one where all the changes happened, surprising fans with its heavier synth-led sound. I sat down with Ed from the band to talk about recording, touring, and the reaction to their new material. How did your most recent tour go? Good reception to the new material? It’s our second tour with the new record, but I think that’s made it better. People are so much more familiar with that record now and maybe brought their tickets in relation to that album and the material they have heard and liked from it, rather than our earlier stuff. On the last tour people didn’t really know what to expect from the new album, no one had heard any song other than ‘Papillion’. This time they’re coming with a more open mind to what we’re trying to do. How did the change in direction evident on In This Light & On This Evening come about? It certainly happened as a result of trying to write some songs while also feeling that we were repeating ourselves, so we decided that a change needed to happen. I mean that was really instigated by Chris, changing his writing style, maybe writing on the keys instead of the guitar. From there the changes happened incredibly quickly and incredibly naturally. We all felt we had to look at using different instruments and creating a bit more space in our songs.
“...WE FOUND THERE WAS A VERY URBAN STORY TO WHAT WE WERE WRITING, AND THE MORE WE REALISED IT THE MORE IT CAME TO THE SURFACE.” Did Mark Ellis, the producer, have much influence on the direction of the album then? We chose Mark Ellis after we’d decided what kind of theme we wanted to create with this record, and we knew that based on his previous records and the world he comes from, he’d help us achieve that. He didn’t implant his vision on our songs or anything, just helped us do what we wanted to do in a very constructive way. Letting us know where, maybe, we were going down a path that was wrong for a certain song or for the album. It’s been said in other interviews that the album is heavily influenced by the capital, nearly to the point of being a concept album. How did that come about? We all spoke about how much of a visual influence we wanted to have, not just with the artwork, but talking about how the songs would fit maybe in films or things like that. We found there was a very urban story to what we were writing, and the more we realised it the more it came to the surface. In This Light & On This Evening is out now on Kitchenware Records. www.ireadfaux.com || 35
BLOOD DRIPPING TAPESTRY
Words: Annabelle Moore Photos: Max Knight
If you’re bored of your beloved denim or leather jacket and have become wearisome of seeing every music loving mother fucker wearing one, then Zoe Jervoise might just be your saviour. Designing and creating her own unique and intricate tapestries which she stitches onto the back of jackets, Jervoise Jackets have been commissioned to create these original pieces for musicians as diverse as Marina and the Diamonds, Ellie Goulding and Golden Silvers. Currently living in Ealing, Jervoise cites her inspiration as coming from pretty much everywhere, “my mum travelled a lot with my grandfather who was a documentary film maker so we have many interesting finds all over our home. Right now my main inspiration is Aztec art”. Jervoise says that her pieces are based on the style of the sixties and seventies and psychedelic poster art and that most of her designs “feature mythical birds, so Indian, Aztec and Egyptian art have been an inspiration; the intricate designs and patterns inform my work”. The clientèle of Jervoise Jackets are continually increasing and becoming more famous by the month; even Twilight New Moon star Jamie Campbell Bower has his own piece. What’s more, Jervoise Jackets was lucky enough to kit out the artists on last year’s NME Radar tour. “I got the NME tour exposure as I was friendly with and knew all the bands before. My friend Elisa Aimi was fundamental in helping to organise everything. I wanted my jackets to be closely knitted with musicians and Elisa does Local Natives online PR.
“AS MARINA AND ELLIE ARE BOTH FRIENDS OF MINE, THEY’VE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ME WHICH IS GREAT...” All the bands were really excited about borrowing jackets for the tour. Lead singer of Golden Silvers, Gwilym [Gold] had a jacket that he wore on stage every night and has since commissioned one. My inspiration for this piece was their debut album’s artwork. Marina [Diamindis, frontwoman of Marina and the Diamonds] wore her jacket which had a geometric colourful diamond on the back, which she loves. The shoot we did with all the bands on the roof of the Oxford Academy wearing their Jervoise jackets was truly exciting”. Clearly being friends with famous musicians has had an impact on the Jervoise Jackets brand, but in what ways does Jervoise think Marina and the Diamonds and Ellie Goulding have helped her with her successful in becoming a designer? “As Marina and Ellie are both friends of mine, they’ve been very supportive of me which is great. They both have special commissions I made them. Marina has got me involved with her merchandise as well; I’m making 50 limited edition t-shirts
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for her. I have my own Jervoise Jackets diamond series which is inspired by her. Marina gave me a shout out when she was wearing her diamond jacket on stage at Latitude Festival so I got a few emails after that!”. It’s clear to see that Jervoise Jackets is set to cause a whirlwind storm of coloured threads amongst hipsters in the new decade that’s hit us, strong and sharp designs combining with seemingly traditional materials in a totally unique way. With Jervoise’s new found fame amongst established musicians, she’s clearly going to want to branch out, and create something more than just tapestries for jackets.“I’ve been focusing on denim shirts and t-shirts at the moment and painting. I’m also getting into jeans which bands like Mumford & Sons and Local Natives will be wearing; the colours will be more natural, following the bands innate styles”. In the future Zoe is interested in working within menswear and can see herself working towards having her own ready-to-wear label, “I’d like to work with a large company and
create some limited edition collections. I’ve been in talks with a major denim company, which will hopefully enable the expansion of the Jervoise brand”. So if you’re dying to update your denim and are interested in getting your hands on one of the alternative Jervoise Jackets designs, then there are plenty of pieces up for sale on Zoe’s site. She’s also starting to do monthly eBay auctions, selling lots of vintage pieces and possibly tapestry denim shirts if you’re lucky. Failing that, just kidnap Marina & The Diamonds, you know you wanted to anyway. For now though, make sure you keep your eyes open for more from Zoe Jervoise, tapestry-backed jackets are surely only the start For more info on Zoe’s designs check out: www.jervoisejackets.com or Search “Jervoise Jackets” on Facebook
STAGE URCHINS
Band: Editors Photographer: James Arnold
Band: Is Tropical Photographer: Dan Smyth
Band: Lily Allen Photographer: Jennifer Simpson
Band: Lies Band: White Swanton Bombs Photographer: Arnold Photographer: James Dan Smyth Band: Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip Photographer: Fred Thomas
Band: The Maccabees Photographer: Eleanor Doughty
ALBUMS
Darwin Deez Darwin Deez (2010)
8
Out now on Lucky Number Darwin Deez, aka Darwin Smith and his band, have already gathered something of a cult following before the release of their eponymous debut. First things first, comparisons with those New York behemoths The Strokes are inevitable, especially due to Darwin’s occasionally deadpan delivery, yet are also pretty lazy. While the origins of Julian Casablancas and co are clearly rooted in New York’s indie garage, Darwin Deez’s natural habitat would be a more conceptual dreamy New York, where everybody moved slower, except when dancing, and stood on the roofs of skyscrapers staring at the stars while discussing their favourite constellations. Indeed, considering this record’s more abstract edges it comes as little surprise that, if the internet is to be trusted, Smith is old friends with the MGMT boys. Do not draw conclusions from this however, as Deez’s sound is a far more restrained, synth-free form of abstract; created using just lo-fi minimalism, a custom tuned four-string guitar and eclectic lyrics. Opener ‘Constellations’ and single ‘Radar Detector’ will break you brilliantly into Deez’s universe, with endearing falsetto vocals and familiar tinges of indie America’s excitable feminine side.
The almost mournful ‘Bed Space’ is perhaps the most grounded song on offer here, yet best captures the feeling that Deez is trapped in an empty bedroom, able only to dream his ethereal dreams with his guitar and backing band, an essence prevalent throughout the album. Do not make an assumption that these tunes are nauseating though. There is far more talent present here and morbid subject matter, all covered in a comic manner, is at the centre of Deez’s befuddled heart. The deceptively breezy upbeat tracks ‘The Suicide Song’, ‘Bad Day’ and ‘The Bomb Song ’ respectively make jumping from buildings, being really hateful, and radiation poisoning sound far more fun than they should be. The final impression you are left with after the record draws to a close is that you have just woken up after a short, emotional yet ridiculously fun party, with a nagging feeling you may have just fallen in love. With this debut, Darwin has crafted an infectious record likable enough to overlook any repetition, crammed with compelling melodies and pop hooks andtunes more than worthy of winning you over. Words: Tom Revell
If you’re a sucker for scuzzy guitars, Spector-esque drum beats and the head down insouciance of the Ramones, then chances are you will adore Brooklyn’s latest buzz band, Dum Dum Girls.
Dum Dum Girls I Will Be (2010)
8
Out 08/3/10 on Sub Pop Records
Their debut album for the legendary Sub-Pop label, I Will Be, is a raw, adrenaline fuelled white knuckle ride through heartbreak and B-movie cool which employs Ronettes style vocal harmonies allied to discordant Mary Chain style guitars and old school garage punk. Clocking in at just under half an hour and containing only two songs that last longer than three minutes I Will Be could never be considered a concept album, in fact you get the feeling that Dum Dum Girls would consider any song that lingered over the four minute mark would be an exercise in pomposity and self indulgence. Prog rock they certainly aren’t! However the collection of tunes on offer here are short, sharp blasts of sheer melodic joy combining carefully constructed pop hooks with a definite D.I.Y. garage band vibe. It’s a testament to the quality of songs on I Will Be that literally every track could be a single and suggests that Dum Dum Girls head honcho Dee-Dee is a serious songwriting talent to be reckoned with. If you’re looking for self important, overproduced stadium rock then this may not be album for you; however if on the other hand you’re in the market for a fizzing slice of blissed out indie-pop punk perfection then you need look no further than Dum Dum Girls’ quite wonderful debut. Words: Andy Von Pip
The Futureheads The Chaos (2010) Out 26/4/10 on Nul Recordings
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Sunderland’s finest post punk band are back to cause chaos armed with crisp hooks and buzzing post punk mashes in their fourth album The Chaos, that is impossible to keep still to. Take a breath and make sure the volume is set high, then dive straight into the opening track ‘Chaos’, where the trio hit the ground with heavy exhilaration, leaving no time for long winded intros. Onto a more sing along jam ‘Heartbeat Song’ draws them back to a more pop confectionary sound with an infectious chorus that has all the ingredients for a hit single, which is their first release off the album. Then prepare for another pounding of drumbeats with ‘The Connector’ and ‘I Can Do That’, showcasing an array of frantic mashes of riffs and vocals that’ll leave you spiralling. They have certainly mastered the art of repetition and making the best uses of each others voices that make them so unique and catchy. They loosen up with ‘Jupiter Song’ and ‘Living On Light’ where the band go into a kind of bohemian rhapsody mood of screeching guitars and choiring vocals. Lyrically not the best, but The Futureheads make punk danceable again, and have the ability to pack so much energy in the space of four minutes that it feels like you’ve ran a marathon. An exhausting half hour record that’ll leave your ears ringing till next year, however it makes for a brilliant album that rivals the success of their debut in 2004, showing that they’re not ready to skip to the end just yet. Words: Steph Wilson
Released on Planet Mu, the second album from Philadelphiabased dubstep producer Starkey marks a particularly accessible release for a label that often revels in the abstract and the curious. This is no bad thing, as Starkey has fashioned a commercially accessible album without compromising his underground sound.
Starkey Ear Drums & Black Holes (2010)
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Out 19/4/10 on Planet Mu
As with his last Planet Mu release, 2008’s Ephemeral Exhibits, Starkey’s Ear Drums and Black Holes is practically alive with colour; layered with bright synthesizers and warm, thick bass. Whilst the flexing circuitry of ‘Multidial’ or the gritty ‘Capsule’ both contain more than enough heft to oscillate a club to pieces, the album offers more than a straight-forward testosterone-fuelled rumble. Cerebral Vortex’s appearance on Murderous Words, backed by trundling bass and climbing synth stabs, is as much swaggering East Coast rap as it is ballsy dubstep. Moving from the East coast to South-East London in the space of three tracks, Starkey seems to have a considerable aptitude for creating backings that excel themselves without eclipsing the guest vocalist. The shimmering grime of P-Money collaboration Numb, although rife with anxious lyricism, glows with a warm haze. In fact, the entire album exudes considerable warmth. With the potential to be one of the most commercially successful releases from the influential Planet Mu stable, Starkey’s album is a perfect blend of warmth, aggression and stammering glitch-hop; anchored by a joyous blend of airy synthesizers and analogue splendour. Words: Mike Coleman MGMT’s follow up to critically acclaimed debut Oracular Spectacular is an often confusing amalgamation of talent, direct homage, theft and noise. It falls short of the groovy, catchy beats of the preceding record that originally enthralled fans worldwide three years ago. As the album progresses it becomes clear that the band have never heard the saying ‘less is more’ and their attempts to be a little too complicated and experimental often prove self defeating. Over the course of the nine tracks there is a curious blend of ‘60s British pop, Barrett-era Pink Floyd and The Beach Boys; all forced through an electronic veil that makes the 1980’s pop scene look like Woodstock 1969. Some more direct references include a track titled Brian Eno, followed by Lady Dada’s Nightmare.
MGMT Congratulations (2010) Out now on Columbia
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On the first listen to Congratulations, the album sounds like a bizarre Nintendo-endorsed psychedelic broth, but on repeat listening the brain filters through the noise, and sparks of the lightning sorcery that crafted the debut album shine through and the new release flirts with being something more memorable. The record fits into what can only be described as ‘post psychedelic progressive electro pop’. Perhaps it isn’t a genre that you will be seeing itemised in HMV anytime soon, but it is the closest match to the sound that they have created with this record. Overall Congratulations is worth a listen, but the band has suffered from the weak follow up and the album falls short of the resounding magic of Oracular Spectacular. Words: Scott Kershaw
CoCoRosie Grey Oceans (2010) Out 3/5/10 on Sub Pop Records
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It seems that CocoRosie have been progressing gradually towards a record this ambitious since their first LP six years ago, and although this album – their fourth – is arguably the culmination of such a gradual, progressive musical development, it feels as if it’s almost completely disconnected from anything else in any artistic medium. I’ve always been a sucker for albums which feel like a coherent journey as a whole, but whose songs don’t tend to adhere to conventional structures. Albums which feel like they’re documenting the stage before jetlag, which convey a sense of delirium and beautiful surrealism, in which a lot of things are going on & most of them are unexplained. From what I’ve listened to, I’d say that My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless and Exile In Guyville by Liz Phair compete for the high-water mark in this particular respect, but Grey Oceans is very, very close, perhaps even the equal of these records (both were also ridiculed as much as they were praised when they first came out). Somehow Grey Oceans works on every conceivable level and very rarely hints at any self-indulgence or pretence. While the group’s biggest musical leap thus far was arguably made between their second and third albums, they’ve never sounded this varied, refined or enchanting before. It’s no mean feat, either, considering how dangerously close to total farce a work of this boldness could veer at any moment. Words: Tom Brodrick New York band The Golden Filter released their ubiquitous first single ‘Solid Gold’ well over a year ago, so their much-hyped debut has been a long time coming. Named after a Norse poem detailing the creation of the world, Voluspa is scattered with suitably epic electric violin riffs, celestial synth riffs and catchy dance beats. Armed with a whole host of infectious synthesizers and electronics, The Golden Filter have kept life in this mechanical set-up with singer Penelope Trappes’ breathy vocals. Voluspa is an immaculately crafted album; it’s dream-like ambience captures the imagination whilst it’s urgent disco beats are dance-worthy without ever interrupting the album’s doe-eyed electro pop.
The Golden Filter Voluspa (2010) Out 26/4/10 on Brille Records
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Penelope’s warm vocals melt the ear drums whilst Stephen’s disco handiwork layers them without encroaching; not only is this sort of smoothly enacted hybrid musical gold dust, but it’s a beautiful piece of art at the same time. The strange noises made by and array of Moog and Arp synthesizers add to the enchantment that the unique, overlapped vocal riffs provide; hazy pop at its best. Voluspa explores a whole host of elements; everything from the supernatural to the well-worn ground of relationships. Musically and lyrically stunning, the LP offers an insight into what the infamously mysterious Golden Filter are all about. Offering a glimpse into the minds of this enigmatic duo, Voluspa is an ethereal LP bursting with magic. Words: Katie Wilkinson
BOOKS
Brad Buchanan Visions Of Joanna Newsom (2010)
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Out now via Roan Press ISBN : 0981596843 Whether or not you are familiar with her haunting, captivating sound, Visions of Joanna Newsom is worthy of a read, if only as an exploration of the many ways music and musical artists can effect different people. With her harsh, almost childlike voice and insightful lyrics, Newsom has been compared to Bob Dylan in the way she can embody the feelings and emotion of her audience. This collection mainly focuses on The Milk-Eyed Mender, Newsom’s ground-breaking first release, and offers a varied perspective on both the music and the artist. From personal articles and poems by friends and fans, to in-depth essays exploring, among other things, her voice and the criticism she has received, interlaced with quirky illustrations. The most moving and intriguing of the articles are those by people whose lives have been touched by Newsom’s work, most noteworthy being those by Dave Eggers and Pricilla Ann Cox, for whom tragedy and depression were made bearable with The Milk-Eyed Mender as their soundtrack. I don’t think you would buy this book if you didn’t like Joanna Newsom, but while most articles offer an even, unbiased critique and analysis, there is one that may
make even the most diehard fans cringe, as a blatant love letter verging on the downright creepy. Your Feyness, written by Tim Kahl is self-satisfied, quasi-erotic and slightly disturbing piece, which jars with the intellectual tenor of the rest of the book. While the deconstructions and analysis of the essays are well thought out and clearly of academic worth, they provide a strange contrast with the brief flashes of poetry and short, personal reactions to the songs. In any other book these clashes would be off-putting, but there is a strange mirroring here of the contrasting qualities of Newsom’s music. It may seem a little unnecessary to explore in such depth a relatively new artist with so small a back catalogue, but the results show that it is an exercise worth doing. While the essays can be hard going, the stories of the way her words have touched lives and her voice has haunted and tainted memories underlines that Newsom is an artist is of greater import than many better known singers and songwriters. Words: Katherine Holt Visions Of Joanna Newsom is only available in the US or via Roan Press’s official site. www.roanpress.com or www.dragcity.com/artists/joanna-newsom
Joshua Ferris The Unamed (2010)
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Out now via Penguin ISBN : 0316034010 You would be forgiven for not knowing who Joshua Ferris is. His is not a literary name so synonymous with fiction that you cannot ignore it; you could quite easily ignore it but I would suggest that you don’t. The publication of his début novel Then We Came to the End in 2007 earned Ferris the kind of critical acclaim that most young writers only dream of. Now comes the tricky ‘second album’ syndrome; can The Unnamed live up to the unavoidable hype and comparison? The answer, in short, is yes it can. In the same way that no one does middle-aged smut quite like Joan Collins and J.K. Rowling has clearly made the world of teenage wizardry her bitch, Joshua Ferris has the post-modern angst market cornered. The Unnamed is the story of Tim Farnsworth, a man whose life is thrown into chaos when his body forces him to walk for miles against his will with seemingly no hope of a cure, not even a name with which he can identify his strange affliction. The story is a powerful one, pushing difficult realities at you constantly as Ferris pulls you along in the monotony of the walks his protagonist takes; what would you do if you could not see your wife and child, how do you recover from illness
knowing that it could reclaim you at any moment? And most importantly what if you could not work, in a time where so many people are defined by their careers? Ferris expertly taps into this modern phenomenon by setting his story primarily in New York, a beacon of global business. This is not to say that Ferris has created a wonder book, devoid of all error. At times the language is almost prosaic, too complicated and unnecessary to make this an easy read. Despite this it’s difficult to stop reading when you are so caught up in the strange mystery and dull ache which comes of having so many questions asked and no answers given. There is no cheat-sheet for this one, no skipping to the end and that can make it an exhausting task at times but I suspect that that is intentional. Lest we forget that nothing is ever easy as it might first appear. The Unnamed is a must-read for anyone who has ever found themselves thinking of work before life. It encapsulates a world where it’s possible to be surrounded by people and yet ultimately alone, living a unique and seemingly incomparable existence. Laugh-a-minute it is not, but if fluff (see. Mills and Boon, Twilight, etc) makes you want to dry heave then this is the book for you. Words: Jennifer Garrick
FILM
[REC]2 Jaume Balagueró [Rec]2 (2010)
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Out on DVD 08/03/2010 Taking the well-worn zombie genre to whole new territory, [Rec]2 offers up 85 minutes of blood-curdling hand-held terror. The sequel to 2007’s critically-acclaimed Spanish horror film, some people may be more familiar with it’s English equivalent Quarantine, essentially ripped scene-for-scene for the subtitle-inept from the Hispanic original. Directed once again by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, the film sees a SWAT team - and a shadowy official from the Ministry of Health enter the original apartment building in a plot set shortly after the claustrophobic nightmare of the original film. Viewed initially through the helmet cameras of the SWAT team as they storm the building in an attempt to contain a deadly infection, the interactivity of the camera, as with its predecessor, is one of [Rec]2’s most endearing features. A dropped camera can result in blind chaos for the audience - an out of focus view that causes tension to skyrocket, whilst the occasional camera-in-acamera SWAT team view allows for twice the amount of fear in one window. Avoiding the sort of nausea caused by the Blair Witch Project and handled with more creativity than Cloverfield, the camera in [Rec]2 is as much the star as any SWAT team member or bloodied walking corpse.
Plaza and Balagueró move their film on at a terrifying pace; offering little time to catch breath between moments of raging tension and tumultuous gore, flinging their cast up and down stairwells and behind makeshift barricades. When they do let up on the chaos, the story is meticulously pieced together and progresses with what admittedly seems like a slight touch of absurdity. Whilst traditionally, sequels have little to offer in comparison to the original offerings, these talented directors have pulled out all the stops in this effort. Moving the film smoothly into the territory of the supernatural, the directing duo have managed to sidestep the usual shuffling zombie clichés by creating a new kind of terror. Whilst George A. Romero may be content with letting zombies become the least terrifying thing possible (see his latest, abysmal straightto-DVD offering Survival of the Dead), Plaza and Balagueró use their new direction to inject the fear back into zombies. Occasionally it’s supernatural themes might take a couple of seconds to suspend your disbelief, but complaining a horror film lacks realism seems almost self defeating from the offset. Much more than a run-of-the-mill horror movie and certainly one of the better horror sequels committed to celluloid, with it’s a more deft hand than comparable English language efforts such as Cloverfield or Paranormal Activity, [Rec]2 proves itself the king of the camcorders right up to it’s devilish final twists. Words: Mike Coleman