The Edge (September/October 2011) by The Edge

Editorial

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We Need You! Are you interested in in becoming a Journalist? Want to see your work published In the university entertainment magazine and on The Edge website, for the whole world to see? Do you want to get involved? Then we need you!

We can get interviews with big names, like The Vaccines

Tune in to The Edge show on Surge Radio - Saturdays 12-2. Here’s what we’ll be playing:

We are always on the lookout for writers to go to the gigs, interveiw the bands, write prerelease album reveiws, critique the latest films, comedians and TV. You can even take part in our radio show! What are the perks you ask? There are plenty we would respond. To name a few free press pass tickets, having chats with your favorate bands and free copies of albums months before they are released. But who are we kidding? That’s not why we all do it. The worm fuzzy feeling we get inside when we see our names in print is enough for us.

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September/October 2011

8P 10 D

Contents

ulp

- Live at Hyde Park

ownload

Festival

14 MR

review

12 Y 17

Prize; The

esults

#tags - Spotlight On Southampton ou

ercury

Me At Six

inteview

You Me At Six Sinners Never Sleep

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory

One Direction What Makes You Beautiful

26 28 29

Jane Eyre review

One Day review

September/October 2011

31 C 32

omic

The Skin I Live In review

Profile: Louis C.K.

Adjust Your Set October 2011

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Editorial

Welcome to Southampton! Or welcome back! Or just “hi”. We are The Edge, the finest university entertainment magazine in all the land, and over the next year we will be telling you what you need to know about films, music and culture. As we have grown a year older, we have decided to have a facelift. But while we are slimmer and more shiny than before, our intentions remain the same - to provide you with the stuff you care about. Check out our brand new ‘Listings’ (page 34) section, which will keep you up to date with everything exciting happening in the world of entertainment. That rather striking image on the front page is taken from the new film ‘The Skin I Live In’, which is reviewed in our film section (pages 26-27). Also inside is an interview with You Me At Six, along with a review of their new album. Want to have your work in this magazine? You’re only ever a few clicks away from joining our team of writers. Email theedge@soton. co.uk to become part of our team. Enjoy. The Edge Team

Editor - Joe Hawkes Deputy Editor - Meowea Hezwani Live Editor - Chris Brooks Features Editor - David Martin Records Editor - Melissa Clarke Film Editor - Barnaby Walter Culture Editor - Nick Mould Online Editor - André Pusey Head of Relations - Rob Leane Editor-in-Chief - Joseph McLoughlin

Featuring contributions from: Becci Ford, Joe Hawkes, Joanne Fisher, Chris Brooks, David Martin, André Pusey, Melissa Clarke, Hayley Taulbut, Nile Davies, Barnaby Walter, Adam Vaughan, Grant Cadger, Meowea Hezwani, Nick Mould and Pete Wood 4

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September/October 2011

Introducing... Live & Local

The Hit Ups

Bold, brash and totally electrifying, with a stage presence that rivals some of the top signed acts of today. The Hit Ups are a Southampton unsigned student band that are already dominating the local music scene and looking set to enjoy many future successes... They describe their genre as ‘SpookedOut-Electronic-Party-Core-Rock & Roll’ but even that can’t quite encapsulate the spirit of this synth hard rock band. Live performances are the lifeblood of the band, mainly due to frontman Josh Hughes-Games, who acts like a man possessed as soon as he crosses the threshold from floor to stage, transforming the atmosphere at any venue into one of chaos and exhilaration. His vocals punctuate the distortionfuelled melodies, whilst his ability to go from screaming rampant to soft and gentle singer, ensures that the audience never becomes bored. During one particularly memorable performance at Frequency, he climbed a stack of amps, before running into the crowd, rolling on the floor and jumping all over the stage, and that was only for the first song! This high impact stage persona was maintained throughout the show, with an energy that doesn’t fade or falter once. Although, with this band you could argue

that there are actually two frontmen, as lead guitarist Charlie Torrible (ex-Physoc president and recent graduate) thrashes out edgy riffs that fill any gaps left by Josh’s vocals, whilst occasionally taking centre stage to blast out yet another solid guitar solo. The Hit Ups met as friends both before and during university. They have already been able to finesse the ability of giving consistently dramatic live performances, rivaling the likes of Hadouken! and other top synth hard rock acts. They have even begun recording tracks - two of which are available to download for free online (see thehitups.bandcamp. com) and promise to soon release an album. It’s difficult to fully appreciate this band unless you see them live however, as it’s their uniquely charged atmosphere that will truly get you hooked on The Hit Ups. by Becci Ford

September/October 2011

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Live The Ordinary Boys @ Portsmouth Wedgewood

Preview: by Joe Hawkes

Rooms – 11/12/2011

The Ordinary Boys are back for one last tour – but what could have brought the band back together? Love? Money? Well, vocalist Samuel Preston admits that it’s a bit of both. The first time The Ordinary Boys split up they seemed to disappear slowly rather than go out with a bang. This time round, they are planning on relishing the fun of playing live again and ending with a run of enthusiastic performances, drawing mainly from the first album Over The Counter Culture and recreating the feeling of those early gigs. Now the glare of Celebrity Big Brother

Less is Always More: Athlete by Joanne Fisher

has worn off, hopefully this tour will mean The Ordinary Boys can once again be appreciated for the energy and songwriting that informed their early material. The band are hitting cities across the entire country over the first two weeks of December, and play Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms on 11th December. Those with fond memories of the group will not want to miss out.

get 'Stripped Back'

Athlete are one of those bands which, though not always in the forefront of the musical industry, consistently produce brilliant and moving music. Instead of the countless songs about break ups and sex, their inspiration often comes from less talked-about subjects such as miscarriages, a concept that brought us the beautifully haunting Wires back in 2005. A ‘Stripped Back’ tour suggests a sense of intimacy and the Thekla in Bristol presented us with a small room and a tiny stage, perfect for acoustic music. Playing songs such as ‘Rubik’s Cube’, ‘Black Swan Song’, ‘El Salvador’ and ‘Twenty-Four Hours’, the band allowed us all to enjoy their vast repertoire of music, spanning each of their albums, playing both favourites and the rarely heard. ‘Beautiful’ from the album Vehicles and Animals lived up to its name, and ‘Chances’ was all the better for being performed in a smaller venue. It was clear that ‘Wires’ would be left until last and we were not disappointed. As was the case for the entire evening, the audience joined in and we realised how fantastic it was to go back to basics; just instruments and voices. We left the event wanting more- the sign of an excellent night.

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September/October 2011

Live

Wireless Festival 03/07/11

Pulp opened their headline set on the closing night of the Wireless Festival with a series of questions lasered onto a black curtain shielding the band from the fans; “Are you ready?... I said “Are you ready?!””. This process seems to last about four hours, with perfect comic timing (very good stage presence for a laser projection). Then, from behind the curtain, we see “P” come up in lights to inevitable cheers, following it are “U”, “L” and then, after some spoof technical difficulties, “P”, and the band play ‘Do You Remember The First Time?”. This balance of anticipation and absurdity sets

the tone for the rest of the night. Pulp play mostly from their two most successful albums, His ‘n’ Hers and Different Class, and it is pleasing to see that their back catalogue has aged well. Singer Jarvis Cocker is as funny and limber as ever, albeit a bit beardy and Russell Senior looks almost exactly as he did when he left the band in 1997 – sneering detachment in a suit. Jarvis dedicates ‘Pink Glove’ to Jim Morrison (on the anniversary of his death), and announces the birthday of Tom Cruise. In order to reinstate the artful indie vibe, the crowd is treated to some Shelley before ‘This Is Hardcore’. ‘This Is Hardcore’ is an epic moment. The stage is awash with red light, as Jarvis dances in a

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September/October 2011

Live way that would get you arrested in most clubs, mounting speakers and clearly loving every moment. All the hits are played tonight, alongside some lesser-known tracks such as ‘Mile End’. ‘I Spy’ also impresses, with Jarvis’ spoken word section becoming a sermon, and the “la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-lala” refrain sounding as unexpected as the first time one hears it. It’s not much of a surprise that Pulp choose to end their set with ‘Common People’, the song which made them famous and without which

their reunion probably wouldn’t have commanded headline sets. Pulp’s performance reminds us that they are an inventive, original band, yet they somehow slipped through the net and became famous. During the final chorus of ‘Common People’ the crowd drowns out the band and confetti fills the air, another night’s work well done. They don’t make them like Pulp anymore. by Joe Hawkes

September/October 2011

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Live Kicked off by CKY, this year’s Download was immediately off to a good start as rumours of an appearance by Bam Margera (whose brother drums for the band) drew in a huge crowd for the opening set. Alas no Bam, but CKY were able to rile up the moshhappy Downloaders with ease. Puddle of Mud followed with a less inspiring set but all was forgiven thanks to the sing along nostalgia value of ‘She Hates Me’, despite Wes Scantlin messing up the intro in his attempt to play guitar, smoke, sing and chat up some groupies on the front row. Over on the second stage, Anti-Flag gave a typically fantastic performance, stirring up the crowd to no end with ‘Die for the Government’, though something tells me this had more to do with its catchy tune than the anti-war message they were trying to sell the mob of guitar-happy drunks running around trying to hurt each other. Back on the main stage, Black Stone Cherry gave an unexpectedly outstanding performance that was easily one of the best of the weekend. While frontman Chris Robertson may look like your average podgy bloke and hold the physical stage presence of a garden chair, if angels were from Kentucky he’s exactly how they’d sound. Thin Lizzy proved to be much less inspiring, only really pleasing the solitary wizened old festival fanatics, wrapped from the elbow down in a timeline of wristbands harking back to Reading 74’. Bring me the Horizon proved to be another disappointment,

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September/October 2011

Live with Oliver Sykes’ voice failing to hit the right notes live, though given their success at the K! awards the night before (best album) he was likely suffering from an astonishing hang over. Alter Bridge more than made up for it all anyway. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen them now but Miles Kennedy’s voice never ceases to astound. What’s more, using the tricks he’s picked up from touring with Slash over the last few years, Kennedy took on lead guitarist Mark Tremonti with an epic guitar battle that made more than a few fans have to go and sit down. The Darkness performed well but Justin Hawkins’ moustache was just too off-putting so I tepidly approached the Korn set to find them enthralling a horde of dreaded head-bangers, by which I mean dreadlocks – seriously, I’ve never seen so much mated hair in one place. Whilst I haven’t ever really been able to get into Korn, it was obvious that they are tremendously technically skilled musicians. Of particular note was ‘Get Up’, a hybrid of metal and

dubstep released in conjunction with Skrillex, which aside from coming across brilliantly, was worth playing if only for the rare sight of the usually dub-averted Downloaders screaming “wobWOBwobwobwob.” Pendulum brought the night to a close with enough bass to simulate an earthquake in a mind-boggling visual array of lasers, projections and strobes that left me feeling mildly concussed (but in a good way). The exhausting, exciting and somewhat terrifying rave atmosphere of songs like ‘Blood Sugar’ summing up the non-stop exhilaration and madness of the day. Head over to theedgesusu. co.uk to find out what the rest of the weekend held in store. by Chris Brooks

September/October 2011

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Features #Tags: Spotlight on Southampton C

heck out the website for an in-depth interview with Patrick McManus.

Allow me to introduce to you #Tags (read: HashTags), an indie-folk-pop-rock band making waves on the local music scene. Despite hailing from Ruislip, London, the group have a significant following here in Southampton, owing to the attendance of two members, brothers Patrick and Ciarán McManus, at Southampton University. Pat and Ciarán, known affectionately by many of their South Coast fans as ‘The McManus Brothers’ (seen below), have performed many of the band’s songs as an acoustic duo, gracing the stages of some of the university’s biggest and most popular events including the Excellence in Volunteering Awards (EVAs) and SHADE at Glen Eyre. Formed in early 2011, #Tags in its fullest form comprises vocalist and guitarist Patrick McManus, guitarist Ciarán McManus, bassist Oli Stanton and drummer Mike Smith. The group’s first release came back in April in the form of a five-track EP entitled Summer, recorded entirely by Pat and Mike in a shed in London. Presented as “five distinct impressions of the summer season” and released in tandemn with a music video for the track ‘Some Place New’, Summer is an easily enjoyable listen and will have even the most hardened of music fans bopping along to every song, not least the final track ‘I Mean It When I Say I Love You’, a breezy composition driven by ukelele melodies and beautiful vocal harmonies. Another track from the EP, ‘Sunshine’, 12

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has also been doing the rounds on Surge Radio, and actually topped the Surge chart back in July. On their first batch of recordings, the duo had already proven an impressive batch of musical innovation and chemistry on which they would later build. The first EP by the full lineup of the band was recorded in June and released for free in August: No Ball Games features six brand new songs, including the crowd-pleasing mainstay hit-to-be ‘I Wanna See You’. There’s not much more to be said about #Tags’

Pictures courtesy of Rob Hayes

September/October 2011

Features second EP other than that it is a massively enjoyable, universally relatable and painfully catchy body of material; the album showcases an impressive low-budget production value and intricately layered instrumentation, vocals and -- a necessity of any indie album -- handclaps, serving as a high-end example of what amateur bands can achieve. No Ball Games opens well with the guitardriven indie track ‘Teardrop in a Petri Dish’, a happy-sounding pop gem featuring group vocals and interesting personal lyrics. ‘Kinda Inappropriate’ is the first highlight of the collection, and a perfect example of Pat’s impressive vocal style and range. For good measure, there is even a cat sound in the second line of the song. ‘I Wanna See You’ is next up, a tale of frustration from a male narrator’s point of view, detailing desires of a sexual nature towards an unidentified girl who apparently likes to tease her admirers. The beauty of this song is really found in the lyrics, which are both painful and sweet in equal measures, and the chorus is perfect for crowd sing-alongs. The fourth song, ‘Natasha’, is a really, really impressive piece of work. Ask 100 amateur ‘guitar bands’ how they’d feel about putting dubstep fills in their music, and I guarantee that you’ll not find more than one or two, if any, who are willing to even think about trying it. #Tags not only attempt this phenomenon, but pull it off with immense precision and care, providing the kind of selling point you can imagine catapulting them into the mainstream spotlight. Yep, I said it. September/October 2011

Two equally strong numbers finish off the EP. ‘Sick Of Heels’, the music video from this record, is driven effortlessly by funky guitar melodies, group handclaps and charmingly funny lyrics. With two flawless key changes and a big cheer at the end, ‘Sick of Heels’ is definitely a contender for one of the best tracks released by the band thus far. ‘Callina’ rounds out the album with plenty of confidence. The cheeky lyric ‘It starts with a C/And ends in an A’ sums up the album nicely: a happy, no-shame composition of melodious guitars, funky drums and layers of sweet vocals. Every song is notable, and the EP flows perfectly from hit to hit. No Ball Games feels like the beginning of something big, and

until that something comes along the EP is a mainstay on anyone’s iTunes favourites. In this writer’s opinion, #Tags are one of the best local acts around, so if you get a chance to check them out -- either as the acoustic McManus Brothers duo or as the full band -- make sure you don’t miss out! They are playing at SUSU for AIM’s Frequency night on October 10th, so be sure to check it out!

By André Pusey www.theedgesusu.co.uk

Features

Mercury Prize; The Results The Edge reviews a memorable show full of sparkling performances. For those of you who were unaware, the Mercury Prize ceremony for 2011 was held on the 6th of September and was won by the female intrepid artist PJ Harvey which marked the second consecutive year that a favourite has claimed the award, but the first time the award has been picked up twice by the same artist. The Mercury Prize had in previous years often been noted for picking an underdog or an outsider, often propelling the winner to greater fame, as was the case in 2009 with Speech Debelle winning unexpectedly. As noted in the previous article about the nominees, there was an eclectic mix of artists, helping provide another well-refined show. PJ Harvey, who was the joint favourite along with Adele, claimed her victory for the Album Let England Shake which has been highly praised for the quality of the production, as well as the topical, relevant nature of the album to the British public. The victory was especially poignant as the award comes 10 years after her first victory, on the infamous date of September 11, 2001. The 2011 ceremony was a brilliant showcase for the quality of female British singers of current times with Anna Calvi, Adele, PJ Harvey and Katy B all showing their credentials with stunning albums

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throughout the year. Despite Adele, who was unfortunately suffering from a sore throat, all of these artists made spirited performances and Anna Calvi’s rendition of ‘Desire’ was particularly strong and composed, and hopefully she’ll be an even greater force in years to come. The experienced, veteran nominees were represented by Gwilym Simcock who’s performance was simply unique and again embraced the variety of the Mercury Prize and King Creosote, who was alongside Jon Hopkins in an odd collaboration that worked to deliver calm folk performing from their album Diamond Mine. Although their performance was not incredibly strong, it was a qualified success in achieving a coveted nomination that the artists themselves described as ‘unexpected’ and was a fitting celebration for King Creosote’s 40th studio album. Tinie Tempah rounded off his prominent rise to fame at this new level with the nomination for the album Disc-Overy with his captivating performance on the stage and the hip-hop star was able to excite the audience as well. As was mentioned by one BBC presenter, the album has now become the ‘sound of suburban Britain’ and gives him a platform for greater potential in the future. Metronomy and Everything Everything both made their debut appearances at the awards with their third and first albums respectively. Metronomy made a strong September/October 2011

Features impression, with a refined performance, with the band once again showing off their now trademark glowing baubles. Overall this was a statement which may finally help the band break into a mainstream presence in the future. Everything Everything who’s music has been quoted as being symbolic of ‘21st century sex music’ is a fresh and varied sound and was tipped by many as being the dark horse of the twelve nominations, and despite criticism of their overly experimental theme, they capped off a good year with the ghostly feel to the song ‘Tin (The Manhole)’ Elbow also made a dramatic spectacle, performing ‘Lippy Kids’ which captures the spirit perfectly of the full album Build a Rocket Boys! The 2008 winners were as deep as ever, and remained very strong contenders for the prize throughout. Also making an appearance was dubstep artist James Blake. His performance epitomised his cool persona and he helped to summarise the great variety of the Mercury Awards once more. The show itself stuck to the successful formula it had employed in previous years, keeping up a good standard, even if it was only allocated 30 minutes by the BBC. All the artists were well analysed, with comments always coming back to how well rounded the Mercury Prize was with the great mix of artists on display. The consistent desire of the presenters to attempt to make themselves sound more sophisticated at every passing moment and the incessant nature of lead presenter, Lauren Laverne was annoying and although there could have been perhaps

September/October 2011

some more critical and varied opinion for the nominees, the show ran smoothly. There is of course only one winner and a landmark in this case with PJ Harvey winning. Many critics have mentioned this has not rewarded the progress and ingenuity of fresh talent, and while that may indeed be true, the album and artist are very much of a particular moment. The 41 year old remained a calm presence throughout the album and when receiving the award, yet the album speaks of a deeply conflicted world, focusing on war and death and the challenges Britain faces in today’s world, as well as still having a strong musical impact. The relevance and topical nature of Let England Shake are something that was almost certainly taken into account when the decision was made by the judges. And although Adele did not win with 21, that is going to remain one of the defining albums of the year, due not only to it’s popularity but soul within the album. The Mercury Prize will always struggle with trying to balance popular music with a wide spectrum of influential artists, and we should not expect any prize to be the definition of the best album, rather a selective choice about the sound of a particular time.

By David Martin

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You Me At Six Features Interview Joe Hawkes speaks to drummer Dan Flint about his experiences and hopes for the future of the band.

Having won the Kerrang! Award for Best British Band and being about to embark on a big headline tour, are things pretty good in the YMAS camp? It was a shock. We didn’t think we were gonna win it, so when we did it was absolutely amazing for us. We’ve got the UK tour coming up and the album coming out, we might head back out to America. The key is – get the album out and start touring it.

You’re playing the Guildhall this October as part of a tour leading up to a show at the Brixton Academy. How does it feel to be headlining these bigger shows? It’s a great venue. We want to go out next year and play a massive tour, and reach every point of the country that we haven’t done yet. Just to get out there and play as many shows as possible.

Unfortunately, when Blink-182 rescheduled their tour, you were unable to support them. Are you gutted not to be hanging out with Travis Barker? Definitely. When I found out about that tour I was so excited. I grew up listening to them and I still love them. They asked us again, but when we looked into it, it didn’t make sense because it would make us hold back and put things out of cycle for us. It’s a real shame but it’s better to be in control of your own fate rather than relying on another band – what if they reschedule September/October 2011

again? I got to meet [Travis] at Reading and he invited me onstage and I sat next to him and watched him play. That was cool.

You played different kinds of festivals this summer – how do a Sonisphere crowd differ from a T In The Park crowd? Massively. You only have to look at the lineups. I was surprised at how good the reaction was. We could have gone down dreadfully. We played to a load of people and the response was wicked at Sonisphere. And the next day we play a festival with Bruno Mars, which was kind of strange… T In The Park was absolutely unbelievable though. I think Scotland, as a place to play shows, is always crazy. Jessie J was playing after us at V Festival. I think it’s cool that we’re the kind of band that can play on the same bill as Slipknot and Metallica and go down well, then go play with Bruno Mars and Jessie J and the reaction’s still great there. It’s a great feeling to have.

The band will be playing their part in the Olympic games next year; can you tell us a little about your role as ‘Future Flames Ambassadors’? Usually when the Olympics come around, they get celebrities to carry the torch, and this year we get people who really deserve some kind of push in their life – they might be good at sport or it could be for something they do in their community. It’s a once in a lifetime to do something amazing, carrying the torch. It’s a once in a lifetime thing for us too!

You Me At Six play Southampton Guildhall on the 13th October and their new album Sinners Never Sleep is released 3rd October www.theedgesusu.co.uk

Features Songs Of Our Childhood Childhood defines our future lives in many ways; the friends we make, the things we like; the ideals we hold. However, one of the things I’m sure most of us would rather was quite different is the music we enjoy, or the interest we had. Many of our generation might have been exposed to poor 70’s or 80’s cassettes gracefully passed down from our parents, or might have more directly been influenced by the 90s pop of the day. We’ve asked writers for The Edge what tunes were filling their ears when they were younger, all to varying degrees of embarrassment. Personally, I remember listening to a lot of my parents music when I was younger, and didn’t really develop my own music tastes until I was about 14. I remember listening to a lot of U2, specifically their 2001 album All That You Can’t Leave Behind which still to this day reminds me of summer evenings where I’d play football with friends in my road. The CD player was also embraced regularly by bands such as Travis, Toploader and Coldplay, so I’m happy to say things weren’t too bad when I look back about ten years on. Also for long journeys in the car I remember listening to OMD, a personal favourite of my parents, (which became one of mine) which clearly evoked the 80s synthpop of their younger years. A lot of my time was also taken up by the 90s phenomenon that was Top Of The Pops, and all the ‘revolutionary’ pop of the time. I also remember songs by The Thrills, such as ‘Big Sur’ and other very catchy and rock orientated singles being

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the music I searched out for when I was younger. - David Martin, Features Editor. Much as I would like to pretend that I spent my early childhood listening to obscure German post-punk and hanging out with Alex James and Damien Hirst, the truth is unfortunately far more predictable. I was more than happy to allow the soulless boyband rubbish of the late nineties to permeate my brain, meaning that I now have S Club 7 lyrics stored in my head where I should have an intricate knowledge of Plato. Now that I’m older, I truly appreciate the long car journeys of my youth where my parents would play me what became two of my favourite records, Pulp’s Different Class and Blur’s Parklife. In spite of this musical education, I must admit that I owned albums by Britney Spears, Shania Twain and, oddly, So Solid Crew. What a diverse child I was. Everybody had an

September/October 2011

Features embarrassing taste in music as a child, and anyone who disagrees with me is a filthy, filthy liar. This generation’s “Beliebers” will deny ever having heard of the floppy-haired lass in ten years’ time. - Joe Hawkes, Editor. The first album I ever technically ‘owned’ (I borrowed cassettes and CDs from my mum sometimes) was the 1999 pop-rap album Invincible by boy band Five. My mum bought this album for me when I was 11 years old as a reward for getting good SATs results in year six, and I will never forget how excited and grateful I was. I had heard the hits like ‘Keep on Movin’’, Don’t Wanna Let You Go’ and ‘We Will Rock You’ on the radio, recorded them on tape and listened to them religiously, but it was the moment I finished listening to that album that I fell in love with pop music.

emember these?

I’m not afraid to admit it but back in the day I was a huge Spice Girls fan. I had the videos, the sticker books, the pencil cases and even the dolls. As an 8 year old, being in Spice Girls would have been the ultimate dream which is why most girls that age were in their very own Spice Girls tribute band, complete with full on dance routines in the playground and arguments about who got to be Baby Spice. Although looking back now, it’s pretty clear the band would put their name to anything and getting girls to identify with Ginger, Posh, Scary, Sporty or Baby Spice was part of a huge marketing ploy, you can’t forget some of the great pop songs they released. ‘Wannabe’, ‘Spice Up Your Life’ and ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ are now pop classics and for millions of girls The Spice Girls really were a huge part of their childhood. - Melissa Clarke, Records Editor.

As any 11-year-old child would, I played my new album in my mum’s CD player all day every day, learning all the lyrics and making up silly dance routines in the process. I was mesmerised by the funky beats, the infectious rhythms, the ‘bad boy’ rapping, and the flawless vocal harmonies. I also found it amazing that there was some comedy present in the form of ‘Mr. Z’ and ‘Inspector Gadget’. For me, in 2001, Five’s Invincible was the greatest album in the world; it will always have a place in my heart, and it defined a large chunk of my childhood. - André Pusey, Online Editor.

September/October 2011

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Albums

you me at six sinners never sleep OCTOBER 3

6/10

Known for their radio friendly brand of rock, You Me At Six have a history that revolves around crowds of screaming teeny-boppers and making the female race generally a bit hot around the collar. Yet with the release of their third studio album, Sinners Never Sleep, they seem adamant to shake this image, exhibiting a more mature and gritty sound than fans are used to, even featuring collaborations with Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes, and Parkway Drive vocalist Winston McCall. But don’t get too excited – this may be an album that will continue to cement YMAS in the rock scene, but this change of tone makes for a bit of a disappointing record. At points, the maturity they exhibit seems forced and false, ‘Bite My Tongue’ is an example of such a track. In isolation it is not a bad song – there’s some impressive instrumental build ups that lead to nothing, which is pretty innovative and makes the listener pay attention, whilst the middle section is dark and grimy with some gravely screamo added in for good measure. Yet, in the context of the album, and indeed the entire YMAS oeuvre, it just doesn’t sound right. 20

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At other points, though, YMAS are the same band we have come to know and love. ‘Reckless’ is a catchy number, with some more complicated guitar work than we are perhaps used to from the Surrey quartet, and ‘The Dilemma’ is a gem of a track. At first, it appears to be a run of the mill upbeat track from YMAS with some pretty standard melodies and orchestration. But the horn section that was added in towards the end was astounding and surprising, with a big band feel suddenly becoming dominant in the track that dragged this song from the realms of mediocrity by the scruff of its neck. But unfortunately you may never get this far in the record. Overall it’s a bit of a disappointing album. YMAS are simply trying too hard to be a grown-up act: some tracks are gritty and intense, which pegs them awkwardly to the heavy prog-rock genre, whilst at the same time, almost half of the songs are slow numbers, which both slows the pace of the overall album and makes it one that is uninteresting to listen to from one song to the next. However, it certainly won’t lose any fans – it’s, to an extent, what we are used to from YMAS but it won’t be an album that their largely female and teenage fan base will be screaming about.

Hayley Taulbut

September/October 2011

THE DRUMS

Albums

PORTAMENTO

SEPTEMBER 12

3/10 The Drums frontman Jonathan Pierce has a habit of being extremely candid in interviews, and does not hesitate to give his honest opinions on other bands and even his own bandmates. In the past year, he has shared his views on the band losing a member, adding two and having nearly broken up as Pierce fell out with Jacob Graham, the band’s other creative force. That they have managed to release Portamento so soon after the first is a miracle given their personal lives. “Portamento” is a musical term meaning a smooth transition from one tone to another. It is fairly obvious to see why the record has been given the name, as one could fairly easily shuffle the two Drums albums and not be able to tell which is which, or even tell songs apart at times. Portamento begins with the romantic and familiar-sounding ‘Book Of Revelations’, an atheistic ode capturing rather brilliantly the transition from severe religious upbringing to atheism: A feeling that one is free from this constraint upon reason and evidence coupled with a fear of the unknown and the fragility of life. Alienation from religion is one of the central themes of the record, as the album’s cover transparently suggests, with a tiny Pierce standing red-eyed underneath a crucifix.

checking one’s watch to see if it’s almost time to leave work yet. It’s not just the music that begins to merge into one amorphous, forgettable mulch, but the lyrical content too. There is nothing wrong with bearing your soul and your troubles through music, but Pierce’s laments are vague and quickly become tiresome. Listening to this pastiche really shows how Morrissey mastered the art. When ‘Searching For Heaven’ comes on, it feels like a huge relief. It’s a kind of arpeggiated electronic ballad, with Pierce echoing Thom Yorke. It really threatens to add another dimension to the record, but then ‘Please Don’t Leave’ begins and normal service is restored. As a listening experience, it proves rather frustrating. If you are already a huge fan of The Drums and hate the idea of change, this is the record for you. Portamento seems like a record stuck for ideas, rush-recorded and released while

people still remember who The Drums are.

Unfortunately, after the opening track come five nearly identical songs, and listening to the record becomes like September/October 2011

Joe Hawkes

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Albums BRETT ANDERSON

BLACK RAINBOWS SEPTEMBER 26

8/10

Brett Anderson’s solo career has shown occasional flashes of brilliance but generally he has remained on the fringes, lacking commercial success. This year, however, he has returned to performing to large crowds with his seminal 90s band Suede. When Suede first fluttered androgynously into the public eye, their style, confidence and sheer sexuality made them almost impossible to avoid, but since Anderson has become a solo artist, he has lacked that media interest. Some of his solo material has been criticised for being too cluttered and reliant on luxurious instrumentation instead of raw musical talent. With Black Rainbows, Anderson has sought to remedy this by giving us an album which is “restless, noisy and dynamicelectric guitars, bass, drums and vocals – no flute players, no strings, no gimmicks, just passion”, in his own words. I think it is fair to say that he has achieved this, and while much of the music is refined, there are moments which seem chaotic. While it is fairly obvious that this record would sound like Suede, Anderson’s other influences occasionally seem clear. ‘Crash About To Happen’ sounds like an homage to the jangly indie of The Smiths, and while Anderson is now famous for his individual voice, there are still moments when he 22

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sounds creepily similar to David Bowie. The single ‘Brittle Heart’ is one of the finest tracks on the album, seeing Anderson returning to one of the areas at which he excels more than any other (except maybe Jarvis Cocker) – the dirty love song. A heartfelt ode with an edge, encapsulated perfectly by the couplet “Give me your brittle heart and your ashtray eyes/I’ll give you carpet burns and a slanted life”. It’s this sort of attitude that won the public over to Brett Anderson in the early 1990s and it still works today. Another track tackling one of his pet subjects, the idea of the outsider, is ‘The Exiles’. It features an intense chorus, engulfed by quiet verses with an air of suspicion, like a trigger waiting to be pulled. The exquisite and innovative drumming of Seb Rochford (famous for jazz and afros) really takes this song to the next level. This record is rather reserved by the standards of Brett Anderson. It’s a collection of excellent pop songs dealing with the usual; love and death. Black Rainbows is a great pop album, best played loud.

Joe Hawkes

September/October 2011

Rewind A TRIBE CALLED QUEST THE LOW END THEORY SEPTEMBER 1991

Released in 1991, The Low End Theory is a record that manages to debunk almost all of hip-hops negative stereotypes. Not only does it navigate with confidence past the ‘difficult second album syndrome’ that can squander the most promising rising stars in banality, but proves that it is entirely possible to produce a groundbreaking hip-hop record without falling back on the all too common crutches of drug-money, drive-bys and misogyny. As opening track, ‘Excursions’ crackles over the speaker, group leader, Q-Tip (AKA the Abstract Poet) muses on the shared origins of bebop and hip-hop, jazz’s spiritual grandchild. Veteran jazz

To celebrate Black History Month in October, The Edge take a look back at the sophomore release of New York trio, A Tribe Called Quest. double-bassist Ron Carter, credited with playing alongside everyone from Miles Davis to Paul Simon, agreed to play on the album on the condition that they refrained from drug talk and profanity on the album. Q-Tip reassured him they would be rapping about the issues that mattered. As he quips: ‘Get in the zone of positivity, not negativity, Cuz we gotta strive for longevity’, we are compelled to believe him. It’s an attitude uncommon in today’s hip-hop scene. With few exceptions, the genre has descended into a creative quagmire, no longer reliant on talent or innovation for success. A fate ushered in by the advent of Auto-Tuner and sealed by Justin Bieber, it’s distressing to watch the appropriation of an original and thrilling art form milked until it has all the excitement of washing-up water. Being offensive is one thing, but a true music fan should know that there’s nothing worse than being bland. At times serious, often funny, always cool, Tribe place good vibes as a priority on an album in which no gang signs are thrown up and everybody leaves the party happy. The Low End Theory is an endlessly energetic, pioneering, and intelligent release from a group who make the point that rap albums don’t necessarily arrive on the shelves with a parental advisory sticker as a standard. Write off hip-hop at your peril.

Nile Davies

September/October 2011

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SINGLES

One

direction

Sissy and The Blisters Let Her Go October 3

One Direction What Makes You Beautiul September 11

Bjork Moon September 11

Despite what you might assume from the name, this is not another Florence and the Machine or Marina and The Diamonds. In fact, there isn’t even a female member of the band. This is a 4 piece group from Guilford whose single ‘Let Her Go’ combines the lead singers deep, looming vocals with an upbeat, catchy melody to produce a great pop, song. With 50's inspired rock and roll drumbeats and even the use of an organ, ‘Let Her Go’ is a fun song and its anthemic chorus will leave the track in your head for hours.

The first time Simon Cowell laid his eyes upon One Direction, they surely must have become cartoonish dollar signs - catnip for tweenage girls. 'What Makes You Beautiful' is, of course, incredibly bland and produced to within an inch of its life. During the chorus it sounds as if two different versions of the song are being played simultaneously, the guitars and synthesisers not so much working together as sounding like a cat and a horse being forced to mate by a mad scientist. A song written by a businessman, not an artist. And they wear chinos on the beach in the video.

Björk has a reputation for being a bit weird for some reason. Anyway, this new single/iPad app is in 17/8 time signature and supposed to mimic the lunar phases of the moon. Oh, I get it now. All joking aside, 'Moon' is a beautiful pastoral piece which showcases the lighter side to Björk's voice brilliantly, and when her voice starts interacting with the choir it takes the song to another level. 'Moon' feels as if it only really makes sense as part of her entire Biophilia project. As a song on its own, it is beautiful, yet many will find it incomplete.

Melissa Clarke

Joe Hawkes

7/10

2/10

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Joe Hawkes

7/10

September/October 2011

Film

The Skin I Live In

Alomodóvar does torture-porn with a twist

There’s no denying that Pedro Alomodóvar is the darling of European cinema. Each new release comes with the expectation of greatness, but his latest, an arthouse update of Frankenstein with a touch of body horror a la Cronenberg, could prove to be his greatest crossover success. The Skin I Live In, which is based on the novel Tarantula by Thierry Jonquet, also marks the first time in 21 years that he has worked with Antonio Banderas, the last time being on the darkly comic Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! when he played Ricky, an escapee from a mental institution who tracks down a porn star he once slept with to convince her to marry him. When she refuses he takes her hostage. In many ways Banderas’ character in this could be seen as an older version of Ricky – if, in the two decades, he had learnt how to perform plastic surgery. Here Banderas plays Robert Ledgard, a brilliant doctor who has developed a synthetic form of skin in humans that is able to protect against all ailments. He carries out his experiments on Vera (Elena Anaya), the enigmatic human guinea pig he keeps locked away in his mansion, away from the disapproving gaze of the scientific community. She wears a full-body suit so as to protect her delicate skin and is looked after by Marilia, played by Alomodóvar favourite Marisa Parades. However, when Marilia’s brutish son, Zeca (Roberto Alamo), arrives unexpectedly one day, he threatens to expose the doctor’s entire operation. But that isn’t the whole story and I’m wary of revealing anymore of it for it is the complex web of lies and deception which the Spanish director weaves around his characters in the ensuing revenge story that is most enthralling.>> 26

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September/October 2011

Film

All the filmmaker’s traits are present and correct here: an emphasis on male, often sexual, obsession (Robert gazes at a large TV image of Vera’s naked sleeping body); farcical melodrama (the entire section where Zeca ties his mother up and pursues Vera in the mansion dressed as a tiger); a kitsch aesthetic (the gothic mansion’s decor); and the demonstration of an extensive knowledge of cinema. It’s this last characteristic of Alomodovar’s oeuvre that sets The Skin I Live In apart from the rest of his films and could see it perform well in English-language territories.

One Day

The film owes a cinematic debt to the body horror of David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers, the gothic tone of Frankenstein and the set design and chills of Georges Franju’s Eyes Without a Face. But don’t expect a gore-fest; this is horror by suggestion. Alomodóvar has both broken new ground and stayed true to what has made him a leading auteur. This is tense, uncomfortably humorous, and sumptuously shot with stellar performances and a twist in the tale that will leave you reeling. Reviewed by Adam Vaughan. Dir. Pedro Alomodóvar. Fox. Certificate 15.

Loan Scherfig’s big-screen version of David Nicholl’s bestselling novel does have a degree of charming optimism about it, but it’s still far from the high standard reached with her previous film, An Education. Anne Hathaway plays an aspiring writer named Emma. Jim Sturges plays a posh, handsome young guy named Dexter. They are from different backgrounds, and have different ideas about life, but after they grad-

September/October 2011

uate they decide to meet up or get in touch on the same day each year. The film follows them through their lives on this day. It doesn’t all work, as the style doesn’t fit the structure of the story, making parts feel too automatic and false. Thankfully, the leads are very likable, even if the film overall is as flawed as it is inspired. Reviewed by Barnaby Walter. Dir. Loan Scherfig. Universal. 12A.

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Film

Jane Eyre

This plain Jane fails to impress There have now been around twenty-seven adaptations of Jane Eyre. Many writers and directors have tried to capture the furious passion and heartfelt emotion of Charlotte Brontë’s much-adored novel. Sin Nombre director Gary Fukunaga at first seemed like an inspired choice for this dark love story, but sadly the resulting picture lacks such radical inspiration. It’s not an all-round failure, but for the most part it is dull, dreary and dreadfully underwritten.

orphan sent to Thornfield Hall to work as a governess is one-dimensional and bland. With her woefully limited acting talent, she fails to capture any of the churning, fervent drive of Brontë’s dialogue. It sounds as if she’s auditioning for a school play.

Moira Buffini’s screenplay takes a hatchet to the structure of the novel (a highly important feature, if you ask me), opting to tell it in a series of flashbacks. The overall effect is more reminiscent of Damages rather than Brontë.

Michael Fassbender as Mr Rochester is fine, although the all-too-restrained script restricts the complexity of his performance. Judi Dench pops up a few times to remind us what it feels like to watch a great actress at work. She plays the housekeeper Mrs Fairfax, and adds more depth to her small supporting part than any of the other actors manage with the leading roles, and it is through her the few glimmers of humour in the screenplay are allowed to shine.

Mia Wasikowska was dire in Alice in Wonderland, and here she sets about murdering another heroine of British literature. Her performance as the innocent

It is a shame the central love story is so ineffectually reproduced, as in terms of photography and music, this adaptation is one of the best. >>

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September/October 2011

Film Also Showing The Inbetweeners Movie Dir. Ben Palmer. EFD. 15. Adriano Goldman’s cinematography is masterful. The English countryside hasn’t looked this foreboding since David Lean’s 1946 adaptation of Great Expectations. The sense of dark secrets and repressed desire is wonderfully tangible, or at least it is until the characters open their mouths. Dario Marianelli – a composer well experienced in literary adaptations – also offers a lush contribution. His music draws on the pain and heartache of the character of Jane; something Wasikowska fails to do in her simplistic performance. Of course, screen versions of famous books are allowed to be stories in their own right, but this film doesn’t even manage that. I suspect those who haven’t read the novel before seeing this adaptation will either be bored or confused. The non-linear structure gives the film a very patchy and uncertain feel. Fukunaga’s fractured and rather arty vision of this classic love story doesn’t work. I wish it did, as I like to see filmmakers trying their hands at new and varied material, but I was left unimpressed and disappointed. If you want a definitive screen version, I would recommend the 2006 TV series. Get the boxset and revel in the all-consuming, forceful passion of Ruth Wilson’s BAFTA nominated performance as Brontë’s heroine. Savour the beautiful screenplay by Sandy Welch. Then watch this film, and see how it compares. For me, it doesn’t even come close. Reviewed by Barnaby Walter. Dir. Cary Fukunaga. Universal Pictures UK. PG. September/October 2011

The humour in this very British student comedy is the kind you’d find in the original series, consisting of the embarrassing and cringe-worthy situations that the four lads are famous for. Occasionally, it goes a bit overboard with its tendency to exploit romantic moments for a mere shock laugh. However, this is still a funny and memorable closure to the series. Grant Cadger.

Friends With Benefits Dir. Will Gluck. Sony. 15.

Mila Kunis gets familiar with Justin Timberlake. It’s funnier than the similar No Strings Attached, and supporting players Patricia Clarkson and Woody Harrelson keep the laughs flowing with a script that is quick-witted but ultimately unoriginal. Adam Vaughan.

On Blu-ray & DVD:

Barnaby Walter takes a look at the new releases. Water for Elephants Patronising and dull. Fast Five Highly enjoyable nonsense. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Cynical trash for the gullible. Thor Very entertaining. Page Eight Superbly written spy thriller.

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