MMP May 213 by The MMP

themmp.tv

The MMP March 2013

Join us on Twitter for up to date gig annoucements @orchardent

presents/yn cyflwyno

LOTTE

MULLAN FRIDAY 3RD MAY 2013

THE MOON CLUB CARDIFF

SUNDAY 5TH MAY 2013

THE MOON CLUB C A R D I F F

WED/MER 8 MAY/MAI 2013

CLWB IFOR BACH CARDIFF

thy r a C a Eliz RAY O M M I J

RD TO WAYWO

AY 20 Y 14TH M TUESDA THE

B LEE CLU

F B AY THECG ARDIF

WEDNESDAY 15TH MAY 2013

THE MOON CLUB CARDIFF

DICK VALENTINE (ELECTRIC SIX) SUNDAY 19TH MAY 2013

THE GLEE CLUB C A R D I F F B AY FRI/GWEN 17 MAY/MAI 2013

TUES 21 MAY | MAWRTH 21 MAI 2013

CLWB IFOR BACH CARDIFFCAERDYDD + SP

THE SKINTS IAL GU

CLWB IFOR BACH

S EST

WED/M ER 22

M AY /M AI 2013

bach clwb ifor

WEDNESDAY 29TH MAY 2013

CF10 CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

Box Office: 02920 230 130 | For our full gig listings and tickets please visit:

www.orchardentertainment.co.uk

themmp.tv

May 2013

...Ah May. So nice of you to join us!..

Editors Jonathan Day, Aimee-Jade Hayes Advertising & Accounts Kate James

2013 seems to have been pretty drunk at the wheel so far, but we can rely on you to reign in the schizophrenic climate bamboozlement and actually get things back on track right? Right!? I mean, you’re the month that brings us such important calendar events as Towel Day, The Eurovision Song Contest and the birthing day of Bono, most derided man in popular music… Don’t let us down, we’re all counting on you…So what have we got lined up for you handsome folks out there to skim through with you’re seeing eye circles in this month’s natty little edition of the MMP? Well….in all honesty….absolutely nothing. Not a thing, nadda, zilch, zip….no sausages are to be seen. Every page is blank and at the end you’ll be greeted with the scowling testicle shaped head of Michael Chiklis… Only kidding! We’ve got all the stuff! (Except an image of Michael Chiklis). This month we spoke to former Supergrass frontman and Brit Pop legend Gaz Coombes about his recent solo outing and generally going it alone in the music world. Harp strumming up and comer Georgia Ruth swung by the offices for a chat about what she’s been getting up too (this is a lie, we kidnapped her). We plant the spotlight on the genre dodging sonic bizarreness that Threatmantics conjure up. Our man on the inside, “Mr Spun Tongue” unfolds a harrowing story involving a music festival in Belgium and as always we’ll have all the regular news, reviews and nonsense that you’ve come to expect from us. Not to mention our ever extensive live gig and club listings and a batch of free MP3’s from some of this month’s artists. So relax folks, you can trust us….we’re a doctor*

*No we’re not

MUSIC NEWS News and round up of all the musical happenings in and around Cardiff

EXLUSIVE INTERVIEW Meet this month’s featured artist!

Listings Samantha Bull, Jonathan Day Photographer Kait Mordey Writers Mark Stephenson, Nick Merriman, Hash Piperdy, Gareth Kitchen, Josh Z Duncan, Samuel Legge, Jo Southerd, Joel Dear, Jonathan Day, Ben Baker, Jim Swidenbank. CONTACT Demos / Releases to be sent to info@ themmp.tv* Cover Artist Fran Hooper society6.com/ francescaHooper

The MMP x

In-House Designer Hayley Price

08 - 12

ARTIST EXPOSURE Let us introduce you to our new favourites!

22 - 23

RECORD STORE CHARTS Guest charts including picks from all the staff at MMP Towers.

* Please note we no longer accept physical demos or CDs, only links to stream or download.

14 - 16, 24 -28

LIVE REVIEWS + MUSIC REVIEWS The month’s new albums, singles , demos and gigs.

MMP EXTRA + DOWNLOADS Get yourselves to themmp.tv for even more reviews, competitions and news!

The MMP March 2013

Music News Musicfest Junior Fellowships From the 27th July until 3rd August, Aberystwyth hosts “Music fest” an international music festival and summer school; and they’re currently looking for applicants to take part in a newly launched “Junior Fellowship” programme.

Meic Stevens In Ill Health Affectionately dubbed “The Welsh Bob Dylan” – folk legend Meic Stevens has recently been diagnosed with throat cancer and is undergoing treatment to have the “golf ball sized tumour” removed. Opting for a serious of radiotherapy sessions to avoid an invasive surgical procedure that would see the much loved singer loose most of his tongue, Meic is currently waiting to hear if the treatments results were successful or not sometime this month (May). As it stands there is a great degree of uncertainty about this legendary Welsh performer’s capacity to continue playing his music in the future.

image: facebook/musicfest

If you’re a music students or recent graduate from a leading conservatoire or university, then listen up buddy. The selected fellows will be expected to play in and possibly coach chamber ensembles, an accompaniment pianist and a jazz rhythm section (piano, bass and drums) and will work with the jazz/big band course as directed by Sam Walker. The required instrumentalists are a bassoonist, a clarinettist and a horn player. Vital experience and life affirming good times will abound no doubt If that sounds interesting to you folks then head over to… www.abermusicfest.org/programme/ musicfest_junior_fellowship …for more information. The deadline for applicants is 30th May.

Swansea’s City Of Culture Bid Underway Swansea has stepped up to the plate, putting itself forward for UK City of Culture 2017 - chest puffed out and arms open wide in a gesture that screams “Come at me bro!” The city, in conjunction with Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire has put forward their initial proposal for the prestigious title as of the end of April. Swansea is among eleven other cities that have put themselves forward for the title in 2017, competing against Aberdeen, Chester, Dundee, East Kent, Hastings and Bexhill on Sea, Hull, Leicester, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Southampton and Southend on Sea. And Dylan Thomas’ home town will DESTROY THEM ALL Initially Swansea put itself forward in 2009, losing out on the initial shortlist.

themmp.tv

What we’ve been listening to Aimee

Jacco Gardner - Clear The Air

Huge Increase In Vinyl Sales Is it too quick to jump to the conclusion that the music lovers of this nation are entering back into a golden age of vinyl? Nope, we love leaping to conclusions! Over the first quarter of 2013 record stores have seen a whopping 78 percent increase in vinyl sales according to official record store chart data (which counts purely physical album sales). Last year vinyl sales saw a surge of around 15 percent across all music genres, a trend that has continued into 2013 with the aforementioned further increase of 78 percent, with independent record stores contributing to a massive 38 percent of all vinyl sales. It’s an interesting statistic that seems to suggest people are actively seeking out an alternative to the disposable culture that digital downloads has fostered, reverting back to that most hallowed of formats. Impossible to say where it’s going to head, but it’s certainly a positive note for those that really value music dearly.

DYLAN THOMAS FESTIVAL BILL CONFIRMED 2014 will mark the centenary of Wales most famous wordy – Mr Dylan Thomas. To celebrate this momentous occasion a yearlong (yes, a yearlong) festival will be taking comprised from a vast amount of varying performances. An initial funding bid of £750,000 was made available for prospective artists to stage acts under the festivals banner – the successful applicants from the 70 pitched ideas have now been presented via the DT100’s (Dylan Thomas 100) festival program. The yearlong event will include a combination of music, performance, art, photography, workshops…well…just about any and all formats possible to celebrate the life and creative output of arguably Wales’s greatest writer. There’s a strong stock of music running through the festivals patrons as well, which includes the likes of opera singer Bryn Terfel, composer Karl Jenkins, Harpist Catrin Finch and singersongwriter/6 music presenter Cerys Matthews. For more information of the festival please head to dylanthomas100.org

Sounding like a more beefed up version of Syd Barrett before the drugs totally melted his brain. Clear The Air is an oversaturated psychedelic treat full of unexpected chord changes and delightful rhythmic oddities. Perfect music to wear a really weird suit and run around Portmeirion on a particularly sunny summer’s day to.

Hayley

The Monophonics - They Don’t Understand Sounding like the opening credit sequence to a 70s detective serial starring a streetwise P.I smoother than a glacier mint. The Monophonics lay down sounds that are all Steve McQueen strutting around San Fran - that is until about two thirds of the way in, where Steve realizes someones dosed him and everything gets swirly and the colours start melting into one another ...but in an extremely pleasant way..man.

Johnny

Thomas Truax - Wicked Game Once upon a time Chris Isaak rolled around on the beach with a supermodel and hit that chorus high note, now, some years later Wicked Game has officially become a stone cold classic covered by just about anyone and everyone in all possible genres. Steampunk anti-folk weirdo Truax’s cover is decidedly true to the original, however the melancholic romanticism is swept aside in favour of a creeping sense of impending fuzzy lo-fi doom.

Sam

City and Colour - Thirst By channeling the spirit of the Black Keys and lathering up their already well established sound in it’s foaming blues rock strut, City and Colour have spat out an absolute belter of a track. Its got swagger to spare and a real thudding garage blues heart to it.

Joe O’C

Totem Terrors - I Am Hilary Page As Cardiff’s first successful Kickstarter project, Totem Terrors’ debut LP is a historic disc of white vinyl packed with gem after gem of toe-tapping post-punk. Sounding like Pavement in full on Fall mode, ‘I Am Hilary Page’ is a sombre little jam with spidery guitar lines, bass chords and feedback accompanying Max and Rosie’s perfectly matched vocals: an audio equivalent of peanut butter and jam. Or something. +

The MMP March 2013

Gaz Coombes Gaz Coombes politely informs me that he’s stood in the kitchen of his

Oxfordshire home, playing with his dog and feeling all kinds of sunny having just done a spot of song writing. In fact, he’s just finished a 12 inch double A side vinyl release ready for some time in the next month or so….”I really

shouldn’t have mentioned that” He chuckles; accidental scoop is accidental. “I want to just be as creative as possible, it’s important for me to keep things going” It’s a fact that he’s eager to push throughout the course of our conversation. Indeed, the last year has marked a particularly fruitful period in the creative life of one of Britpop’s greatest melodic forces. Following the split of Supergrass back in 2010 it would have been easy to understand if Gaz slipped out of the spotlight, he did after all have extensive laurels to rest on. Instead though, he released “…Here Comes The Bombs”, his first solo outing and something of a creative re-awakening for the man. GC: “It sort of started with the split, but really it was a continuation of my day to day life in terms of creating and writing music. Experimenting with sounds was something that’s always excited me, I just went into my studio and tried to be as spontaneous with ideas as possible…. not over think it or have something in mind to begin with, just see what stream of thought came out. And before I knew it, three or four very defined songs started

to come together…I was really becoming aware of my voice and my sound. ” MMP: Despite having been writing and recording music for the better part of two decades, he still feels that there’s a great deal of space left for him to explore in terms of what he’s musically capable of, what he’s able to try and fully realise now that he’s free to do exactly what he wants. GC: “I’ve got a constant belief that I can write better and better music. It was different writing in a band, we were a collective voice, but perhaps at times I put my voice and approach to one side….because I love that guys and, being in a band is a democracy. Sometimes though, you need to push yourself into different situations, not get too comfortable or complacent. I didn’t want to find that I was playing “Alright” and “Moving” when I was in my 50s, as much as I love those songs, I wanted a new beginning” MMP: With “Here Comes The Bombs” Gaz explores sides to his song writing that did indeed fall by

the wayside in Supergrass, he’s fully aware that his strengths lay in writing enormous chorus hooks; he could bang out a hit pop single in his sleep. But by tackling the record as that rarest of things in modern music; an actual cohesive album that’s not just a set of singles, he’s taken his craft into places that are experimentally surprising while still retaining his knack for melody. GC: “It’s not necessarily about what people want or expect, I want to show different sides. I was inspired by soundtracks, artists that aren’t as simple as a middle eight and a chorus. That really interested and inspired me through the writing. Be it Vangelis or Kraftwerk or Neu! There’s such a wealth of emotive music out there that doesn’t simply sit restricted by a traditional pop structure.” There’s an element of music today that feels extremely disposable, it’s the one track that people play again and again before the act is entirely forgotten. I wanted to create an album that was a complete album, something to be taken as a whole. A complete piece of work” You can’t pin an artist down on one song alone, when I’m writing they come

themmp.tv

Words and Interview: Jonathan Day Photograph: rnbfilms.com

“ ...All I want to be is creative, get stuff out there. Let people hear what I’m doing. It’s still exciting; it’s almost a necessity for the soul...” from so many different emotions and experiences and I try to make them all so different. You can’t sum up an artist in one song. “ MMP: From a fans perspective, it’s refreshing to see a known artist taking a chance stepping out in a slightly more unexpected direction rather than just crumpling back into old ways. The recent splurge of Britpop acts coming back together is a trend that causes a great deal of confusion… GC: “There’s a big fascination with nostalgia, which really baffles me. From the Stone Roses to Blur….it’s strange. Of course I love those guys, but I feel that fans have a responsibility as well to push themselves along with the artists, something that’s new and challenging to them….”

MMP: There’s a sense that he can’t wrap his head around the idea of moving backwards creatively... GC: “I mean, don’t get me wrong. If I went to see Bowie or The Beach Boys, I’d want to hear the hits, it’s important to be respectful of what’s gotten you where you are, I play “Moving” a great deal during my solo sets, because it’s a song I love and am grateful for the fans that believed in it. But at the same time….” MMP: This also marked the first time he’d stepped out alone to tour without the guys in Supergrass, an experience that was initially a little jarring GC: “I kept turning around expecting to see Danny behind me. We were together for so long, 18 years….but I have to say, it’s just really exciting to be trying a new sound with such a different approach. There weren’t enough similarities to

make it emotionally confusing. It felt like such a fresh start” MMP: The overriding factor that comes across is just how eager he is to continue exploring his musical voice. To try and get his personality across through his songs, to explore ideas and themes that excite him without needing to fall back on past glories. GC: “All I want to be is creative, get stuff out there. Let people hear what I’m doing. It’s still exciting; it’s almost a necessity for the soul. I want to keep playing live for the fans and keep providing new stuff. I just don’t want to ever get too comfortable” Based on the strength of his current output, we hope that you remain creatively fidgety for as long as possible Gaz www.gazcoombes.com

Read more here at www.themmp.tv/features

The MMP March 2013

ww.themmp.tv

Georgia Ruth Hailing from the historic market town of Aberystwyth, it’s fair to say that Georgia Ruth has seen her stock experience something of a meteoric rise over the past twelve months. 2012 saw the release of her debut EP In Luna to much critical acclaim with Welsh music authority Huw Stephens describing it as simply “exquisite” whilst Radio Wales’ own guru Adam Walton described her as “one of the most prodigious talents ever to grace my airwaves”. With festival

appearances at Glastonbury, Green Man and Swn already under her belt and a much anticipated debut album due for imminent release it seems the future is certainly bright for the bi-lingual multi-instrumentalist of Ceridigion… MMP: There’s a great deal of anticipation building around the release of your debut album “Week of Pines” – what exactly can we look forward to hearing on it? GR: Medieval plainsong backed by

intense guitar shredding, mostly. No, I joke. Hard to imagine how the album will sound to fresh ears. But a bit of folk, a bit of kraut, lots of reed organs and harps! MMP: Your music tends to blend a plethora of different sounds and genres into a cohesive and very individual sounding whole, what inspirations sit behind your music? And where did the decision to funnel this music through the harp come from? GR: I think I probably sound nothing

themmp.tv

“...It’s such a tragedy that the people whose music you love the most, you never actually manage to emulate them: at least not in the way you think. But I think they still manage to seep into places you don’t expect.”

like my influences! It’s such a tragedy that the people whose music you love the most, you never actually manage to emulate them: at least not in the way you think. But I think they still manage to seep into places you don’t expect. So I count Bill Callahan, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Melanie Safka as inspirations but I’m not sure whether or not they’ve seeped in! I hope so. Folk music is probably a more general and obvious inspiration. MMP: You’ve self-professed that your harp playing style draws more influence from classic 60’s folk than traditional classical music - what is it that draws you more towards that genre? The harp is an extremely classical instrument after all, what decision led you to approach it in this manner? GR: It’s only that I was listening to a lot of guitar players, the good ol’ 60s folk revivalists (Bert Jansch, Martin Carthy, Meic Stevens) and I wanted to sound like that. And so I tried my best to get that sound on the harp. But I still love a good glissando and Dorothy Ashby is still my hero. MMP: How did you come to present

a weekly music show on BBC Radio Cymru and is having access to a larger variety of music than you might without the show inspiring any new musical ideas and creative tangents in your writing? Or is it just cathartic to have an opportunity to share what you’re into with the masses? GR: It’s just the loveliest job that anyone could ever have given me. I feel so lucky. I don’t necessarily put the show together with a view to inspiring my own writing, but it always happens anyway - I’ll always hear something new and exciting. We’ve got so much great music in Wales (Cowbois, Trwbador, The Gentle Good, Siddi, Sen Segur, Lleuwen, Cate - list is too endless) and such a massive archive of wonderfulness (Recordiadau’r Dryw alone released some amazing records). It’s just so much fun putting a show together based on some of those old recordings, then finding what was happening in the rest of the world at the same time, finding unexpected links and similarities, and then finding modern counterparts. MMP: What are you listening to at the moment? Are there any lesser-known contemporary artist

Photograph: georgiaruthmusic.co.uk

www.georgiaruthmusic.co.uk Words: Jim Swidenbank

currently plying their trade on the circuit that we should be looking out for? GR: Just listening to shedloads of Bill Callahan, mostly. Rhodri Davies is an amazing experimental harpist, his record has gradually been blowing bits of my brain out. MMP: What are you looking to do past the albums promotion? Another record? A longer tour? A series of miscellaneous “Georgia Ruth” branded products? GR: Another record. I’m already thinking about it! But also maybe some promotional Christmas trees. Or bunsen burners. I want my music to be associated more with Science. MMP: Finally, what are the objects immediately to your left and right? And when pushed for it, which one do you think would make a more successful protagonist in a HBO drama starring anthropomorphic objects? It’s important we know this…. GR: To my left, two decorative antique cats; to my right, a window. I think it’s fairly obvious that the window would make the best 1960s ad exec.

Read more here at www.themmp.tv/features

The MMP March 2013

Photograph: www.threatmantics.com

Threatmantics Threatmantics are currently a four-piece, releasing second album Kid

McCoy at the end of 2012, described by this magazine as an ‘intriguing,

enjoyable listen.’ After browsing some of their work, intriguing is the best word for them, bizarre, unconventional and surprising are a few other adjectives that could be thrown their way. Every band apparently needs a gimmick – whether it’s a drummer with narcolepsy or a singer with look! Boobs! Two of them! Ooooh! Under the WWE rules of marketing, you can’t just be your usual name, you have to be “the guys with...”; by this logic, the eccentric Threatmantics could be thought of as “the mad guys with the viola that aren’t John Cale” but, so wilfully exciting and wonky is the sound they construct, not only do they prove they’re more than merely an elevator pitch or nifty sound bite, but that yes, there is life after a major label.

After signing with Double Six in 2008, part of the worldconquering Domino Records, everything else should have looked after itself – Laurence Bell doesn’t pick many duffers, so it’s difficult to pinpoint what went wrong. No longer being affiliated with a major might be the death knell for lesser lights, but not for this robust outfit, with the ever-present Heddwyn Davies and his viola leading the charge and the changes in a lineup that has had several edits since their formation eight years ago. Each track has its own unique signature; you could be

themmp.tv

ww.themmp.tv

forgiven for thinking that you’re listening to a compilation album of several different outfits, which gives them a perhaps less than distinctive sound, but how many other bands can boast this versatility? In fact, their magic eye poster of an album uses this diaspora of sounds to its advantage. You’re never sure of what is going to assault your ears next, but you’ll want to find out. As a result, it’s impossible to genre them, which is horribly inconvenient. The best way to get acquainted with them is to see them live, but if forced to, try and imagine the good songs from the Mighty Boosh delivered in an even more urgent, quotable style, before lapsing into surf melodies via rolling hillbilly rock that drifts into the soundtrack to some 50’s themed diner location for your own personalised Happy Days reenactment. Simultaneous male/female vocals give some tracks added depth and there’s definitely a sense of fun pervading throughout... and then there’s the use of the Welsh language too. Honestly, you’ll never manage to accurately define them, which makes things more difficult for idiotic writers who spend hundreds of words frantically attempting to do so, and further highlights how diverse the musical canvas is here – these guys could headline any venue in Cardiff, or fit into the bill with any

number of touring national bands and steal the show, due to their versatility and their seemingly complete unwillingness to take themselves seriously at all. The question is, where do they fit in now? Formerly in the spotlight without too many people noticing and now back to a regional reputation, what is the aim for Kid McCoy? Just to say that there’s a body of work there? And a good body it is too, but perhaps it rankles when bands that have a similar modus operandi to them, the likes of Django Django for example, are lauded by national radio – perhaps Threatmantics were ahead of their time in being signed so early, and although they’ve landed with a smaller label, bouncing back is undoubtedly difficult to do. Though, if anyone could give it a good crack…. these folks certainly have the chops to do so. Well worth exposing your ears to, and a live experience you should be actively looking to add to your calendar, they’re one of the cities….na….the current music climates true eccentrics and originals; and if there’s one thing it’s we need more of in music, it’s such individuals. With the backing of a major label or not, Threatmantics are destined to confound any stereotype associated with them. Frankly, we’re more than happy for them to keep us guessing. Words: Hash Piperdy

The MMP March 2013

Praxis Makes Perfect Gruff, Boom, Tim and a legendary Italian Communist… If there’s one thing constantly unsurprising about the musical offers of Gruff Rhys and Boom Bip (Bryan Holland), it’s how surprising they consistently are, dodging expectations here and left footing conventions there. Independently of one

another the pair have carved extremely idiosyncratic pathways through the music world.

Words: Johnathan Day

...So much so, that when they joined forces in 2010 as “Neon Neon” to produce “Stainless Style”, an album of 80s inspired overblown synth pop charting the rise and fall of John DeLorean….nobody thought it out of character in the slightest. The duo have returned with a follow up to the critically acclaimed record, entitled “Praxis Makes Perfect” the focus of their attention this time round is Giangacomo Feltrinelli, multi-millionaire Italian publisher and radical communist; business as usual then for the loveable oddballs.

“

“They both underwent dramatic changes during their lives. Delorean is a sadly generic American dream turned nightmare story; rags to riches, glamour, plastic surgery, FBI entrapment, drug bust, Rags.” Says Gruff Rhys, speaking about what attracted him to these personalities.

“

“For Feltrinelli it was the opposite, being a European born into the great wealth of an industrialist family. Yet by joining the fight against fascism became a communist, he couldn’t help his flair for retail and propaganda so he started a radical publishing company, even managed the impossible task of turning Che Guevara from an obscure Argentinean rugby journalist revolutionary turned Cuban finance minister into a Pop Icon. Faced with entrapment in Italy for his revolutionary ideals he became a fugitive and died violently. It’s our loss that he lived through such a violent and turbulent time in Italian history.” Musically the album still peddles the overblown 80s synth pop initially constructed on Stainless Style. It’s a type of music that Gruff admits to being completely infatuated by

“

“We’ve stuck to a similar sound, which at its core is basically the obsession Boom Bip and I share with

the synthetic airbrushed 1980’s. This album is inspired by extreme MOR and overblown pop. We avoided rhetoric and tried to avoid any organic instrumentation at all costs. In that sense we’ve created a hallucinatory synthetic album of Melodramatic communist Euro Pop! At the moment we call it Poli-Pop.” What makes this record even more interesting however, is bringing The National Theatre of Wales into the fold to help with the live production. By teaming up with NTW, Neon Neon have expanded into something more than simply a live performance of the songs, it’s now an immersive organic piece of live theatre. It was an angle that they tried to explore on the previous record, but didn’t quite condense in time

“

“On the last tour we were kind of a studio project thrown on tour unexpectedly. It took us awhile to work the concept of the record into the show. After a while Har Mar Superstar became John Delorean on stage and a dance

themmp.tv

Photograph: Mark James

troupe wrote to us saying they had worked out moves for the songs and they ended up in the band and at last we had some kind of demented stage show, but by that point we had almost finished touring. We wanted to hit the ground running this time. “ Helping them get things going is renowned Welsh playwright Tim Price

“

“I’ve never worked like this before, and probably won’t get the opportunity to again; it’s such a unique project. It’s a way of working that theatres will only resource if the creators have a proven track record. It’s also the kind of show that can only really be ‘made’ once

everyone’s off skype and in the room. Normally in a theatre show, the music is there to serve the story, but this way round we’re creating story to serve the music. It’s an interesting challenge because Gruff and Bryan, I think are drawn to key moments, and make intuitive leaps that create arresting ideas, but their intention has not been to tell the story of Giangacomo Feltrinelli in a conventional sense. It’s very much Neon Neon responding to a fantastic story, just as they did with Stainless Style. So the live show will be responding to Neon Neon’s work, rather than trying to bend a production around it.” The trio met with Feltrinelli’s son in

Italy, Tim explains; “It was a very odd proposition. This electro-synth band from Wales and L.A. with a Welsh playwright tagging along turned up to his office and said ‘we want to make a record and a live show about your father’ and he said ‘great’ and took us out for lunch! Getting a sense of Giangacomo was crucial because he is such a divisive figure in Italy. I think his reputation is ripe for rehabilitation. It would be wonderful if we can take the show to Italy.”

“

Praxis Makes Perfect is out now and reviewed in this months issue. nationaltheatrewales.org

The MMP March 2013

Live Reviews 23rd April 2013 @ The Gate, Cardiff Tonight’s performance is packed to the rafters. The Staves have reached such a level of popularity that you would now have to venture to Sheffield to catch them and no one should have to go to Sheffield.... Sure, they sound beautiful on record but there is something very distinctly special about seeing this sort of folk live. For the uninitiated observer, it sometimes seems like such a sweet three part harmony could not be made by mere humans. Despite disbelief, the carefully constructed, layered harmonies build cautiously but steadily to powerful choral crescendos. Lead vocal duties are spread almost evenly between the consistent talents. At times, as in on ‘Pay Us No Mind’, they utilise their combined vocal might more so than in the recorded version, as an instrument. Everything is brighter and bolder. The drums on ‘Tongue Behind

The Staves

Image: The Staves.com Words: Gareth Kitchen

my Teeth’ are much more aggressive yet we know the Stavely-Taylor sisters will absorb this among their rich reverberating song. The soft folk is punctuated by a playful approach to song structure and timings. It is with confidence that the girls hang on a note and the carefully composed dynamics build with a military snare roll. Somehow the harmonies sound even smoother and tighter when they all choose to sing acapella through one mic on album lead track ‘Wisely and Slow’. You get the impression that The Staves could make plenty more of the same but genuine musicality is leading them towards ever more interesting, personal compositions. Cardiff makes them promise to come back and as they walk out, Emily StavelyTaylor is handed a bunch of flowers. It is an apt ending to genuinely lovely evening.

themmp.tv

with support from KEYS

Jacco Gardner

ˆ Wednesday GWdihW Cardiff 12th June 2013

7.30pm / 18+ show £6 adv from www.swnpresents.com

seetickets.com • wegottickets.com • ticketlineuk.com - (029)20 230 130 • spillers records

The MMP March 2013

More Reviews [themmp.tv]

Correspondents 25th April 2013 @ 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff

We were told to expect flamboyant costumes, highspeed scatting and incredulous dance moves; this show lives up to that promise, and then some. From the opening strains of current release, the anti-prohibition number “Well Measured Vice” the crowd go totally bonkers; for the uninitiated, the correspondents are comprised of London based singer/MC Mr Bruce and DJ/producer Chucks – and like all good duos, are more than the sum of their parts. However, it’s the impossibly dance-fit black and white super hero, Mr Bruce that focuses the eye. He is Harold Lloyd, Patrick Wolf, Thomas Dolby all bundled together; there’s even a touch of the Freddie Mercuries about him. A master of image; the music, dancing and lyrical themes come from much harder to trace sources, referencing numerous different genres while settling

on none. The Correspondents helped define ‘electroswing’ and are probably the first breakout act. They blend all kinds of dance music, veering from jazz to sixties beat, electro to dubstep to drum ‘n’ bass. When Mr Bruce tells us, ‘This is where things get really, really dirty’ he doesn’t mean he’s going to go all Benny Hill on us; he is of course referring to the beats and even more whacked out dancing. 10 Feet Tall may need to have their floor looked at after this. Later we’re told that we are going to enjoy ‘two minutes of hardcore f***ing jungle’, and so we do. And did I mention scatting? Well there’s scatting….lots of it. In short - high-octane, debauched turbo swing that rests firmly on the “amazing” end of the live music spectrum. Words: Mark Stephenson

themmp.tv

SMDM

The MMP March 2013

Gigs of the Month /////

LOTTE MULLAN @ THE MOON CLUB SUNDAY 5TH MAY

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE @ SOLUS MONDAY 6TH MAY

SWEET BABOO @ CLWB IFOR BACH SATURDAY 11TH MAY

Charming distinctly British folk tunes spun by a charming distinctly British folk singer, drawing inspiration from the greats of 60s and 70s female fronted folk music.

Arguably the only decent metalcore act to emerge from the short lived and often maligned genre, guaranteed to be several things....mainly “loud”, “epic” and “loud”.

The idiosyncratic cult Welsh folk artist launches his new album “Ships” (terrible pun only slightly intended) with support from the phenomenal R.Seiliog.

JAMES TAYLOR QUINTENT @ RWCMD

ROLO TOMASSI @ UNDERTONE

DICK VALENTINE (ELECTRIC 6) @ CLWB IFOR BACH

SATURDAY 11TH MAY

WEDNESDAY 15TH MAY

FRIDAY 17TH MAY

The renowned jazz funk four piece should provide just the trick, loosen your tie, pour a malty scotch and settle into some jaaaaazz

Souped up female fronted mathcore. The room is going to be a sweat box, you may feel a little sick, eardrums will explode. All trademarks of a good gig.

The totally ridiculous frontman from the worlds most ridiculous band returns to Cardiff for an intimate (and of course, ridiculous) solo show. Did we mention it’ll be ridiculous?

SPIERS & BODEN @ ST. DAVID’S HALL

SCOTT IAN (ANTHRAX) @ THE GATE

JEFFREY LEWIS & PETER STAMPFEL @ MOON CLUB

MONDAY 20TH MAY

Via a handful of acoustic instruments a mountain range of sonic textures will be constructed upon which traditional stories and dance music will be presented.

SATURDAY 25TH MAY

The thrash guitarist performers a storytelling evening of Henry Rollins style spoken word tales from his 30 + years as a musician. Should be utterly fascinating

MONDAY 27TH MAY

What do you get when you take one anti-folk hero and one 60s freak folk legend? One that’s not likely to come around ever again, you’d be a fool to miss it.

themmp.tv

Clubs of the Month ///// ON THE ROCKS @ 10 FEET TALL EVERY THURSDAY

DIRTY POP ETC. @ CLWB IFOR BACH

FIVE DOLLAR SHAKE @ THE FULL MOON EVERY SATURDAY

EVERY SATURDAY

The relaunch of the beloved alt and indie music night upstairs in 10 Feet Tall - now teamed up with Cardiff’s Jealous Lovers Club.

Weekly evening combining everything from Bebop, Funk and Soul to Hip Hop, Reggae, Ska and Electro Swing. The only constant being seriously good timeS.

Three DJ’s, three floors, three solid excuses for you to cast off the shackles of the working week and drink some sort of nuclear green alcoholic monstrosity.

AUDIO TRAFFIC PRESENTS RELEASE @ UNDERTONE

SIGNATURE BANK HOLIDAY @ BUFFALO

RENEGADE SOUNDS @ 10 FEET TALL

SUNDAY 12TH MAY

Showcase night for some of South Wale’s most talented up and coming DJs.

THURSDAY 23RD MAY

Celebrate the bank holiday by losing your mind in a room full of forward thinking techno, glitch, dubstep, house and electronica. What day’s off were built for.

SUNDAY 26TH MAY

Two floor all dayer with acoustic and unplugged acts in 10 Feet Tall, whilst Undertone reverberates with the bands.

Festivals coming Soon ///// GWYL PILI PALA @ VARIOUS LOCATIONS, SWANSEA 17TH - 18TH MAY What’s not to love about a two day music and literature festival taking place across a plethora of venues in Swansea? Nothing that’s what. Not when the roster includes the likes of Masters in France, Houdini Dax, The Keys, Threatmantics, Totem Terrors, Fjords and Cut Ribbons (to name but a handful). Not to mention songwriting workshops from renowned singer songwriter (and wonderfully named human being) Amy Wadge.

RWCMD JAZZ FESTIVAL @ CARDIFF 10TH - 12TH MAY The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama hosts a weekend stuffed to bursting point with some of the jazziest gosh darn jazz you swinging cats could ever hope to click your fingers and tap your toes to. With performances from Kit DOwnes Quintet, The James Taylor Quartet, The Neon Quartet & Five Countries Trio alongside the RWCMD Big Band Swing Orchestra to name but a few it’s a must attend event for those with even a cursory interest in J.A.Z.Z.

The MMP March 2013

For Full Gig & Club Listings Click Here www.themmp.tv

themmp.tv

The MMP March 2013

Record Charts WELSH

Various Record Las

Various Record Goch

Trwbador Trwbador

Winter Villiains February

Threatmantics Kid McCoy

Sen Segur Sudd Sudd Sudd

Little Arrow Wild Wishes

Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog Draw Dros Y Mynydd

Bones Of Saint James Joy Of A Boy

Al Lewis Battles

GENERAL

SPILLERS

Bring Me The Horizon Sempiternal

David Bowie The Next Day

British Sea Power Machineries Of Joy

Kurt Vile Wakin On A Pretty Daze

Phosphorescent Muchacho

Flaming Lips The Terror

Strokes Comedown Machine

Alkaline Trio My Shame Is True

Edwyn Collins Understated

Jimi Hendrix People Hell & Angels

themmp.tv

DIVERSE

GENERAL

Roddy Woomble Listen To Keep

Kurt Vile Wakin On A Pretty Daze

Steve Earle The Low Highway

The Flaming Lips The Terror

The Besnard Lakes Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO

Eric Clapton Old Sock

Iron And Wine Ghost On Ghost

Low The Invisible Way

Hop Along Get Disowned

The Thermals Desperate Ground

STAFF PICKS

THE MMP RECOMMENDS

Firewheelbombfire Square Peg, Square Hole

Neon Neon Praxis Makes Perfect

Soft Hearted Scientists False Lights

Fist Of The First Man Self Titled

Al Lewis Battles

Winter Villains February

Little Arrow Wild Wishes

Henryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Funeral Shoe Donkey Jacket

Plyci Mwgwd EP

Nanook Of The North Self Titled * album order does not reflect sales or popularity.

The MMP March 2013

Reviews Albums Singles Demos

Trwbador

“Set in the year 2021 AD, the concept EP follows a young soldier sent to fight in the third World War.” And what with North Korea’s current aggressive rhetoric, it appears that the band members of Clear the Auditorium are a little bit precognitive with the title of their debut EP “2021”

The final track “Solitaire”, is a ballad of sorts. Much tamer than the rest of the EP it consist of pianos, melodic choruses, the “Shiny Toy Guns” trademark bass, all come together to finish the story which CTA feels inclined to tell. I can imagine Clear the Auditorium being a tour de force live, unfortunately on record they bring little to the whole “electronic post hardcore” thing, sounding a wee bit derivative of other similar such acts. But there’s great promise here all the same. JDn.

There’s a defined narrative thread that runs through most music releases associated with the Welsh language. Idiosyncratic tics and tricks that thematically bind acts together, even if they don’t necessarily sound all that similar…you can hear it in the Super Furries, Gorkys, Cate Le Bon, etc… Trwbador fit neatly into this conceptual Welsh language continuity. At a base level the duo produce ethereal, often pretty, sometimes creepy and perpetually strange folktronic music. But it’s the overriding sense of otherworldly weirdness that permeates every pore that makes for such an intriguing…if at times slightly cold…listen. Opener “Carpet Burns” lays out a solid example of the sonic template followed throughout, a delicate mixture of acoustic guitar and soft digitized beats mingle with Angharad’s controlled, glass shattering falsetto whilst the song ducks, dives and weaves through a slightly foggy landscape; you’re never really sure just what’s up ahead during the course of a track. “Safe” sounds like”Real Hero” if Drive had featured more druids, whilst “Rain” ends with a Welsh language rap courtesy of MC Odlgymix that comes completely out of nowhere, sideswiping you in the best possible way.JD.

Trwbador.co.uk

2021

The 5 track EP begins with an instrumental piece a little at odds with what follows. However when “Outbreak” bursts forward any doubts you had about CTA’s ability are brushed aside. With an electronic synthesized bass line even Jeff Wayne would be proud of, heavily distorted guitars and commanding military esque vocals. “Eye for an Eye” and “Not Coming Home” adopt a similar bass part reminiscent of some late nineties arcade game, yet ups the aggression in terms of lyrical volume and heavy, repetitive guitar hooks.

Our Pick of the Month Trwbador

Clear The Auditorium

facebook/ClearTheAuditorium

Rise In Our Time

Memories Never Fade

Rock music is a little confusing at times. As time has rolled on its evolved through strains of punk, thrash, nu-metal and hardcore - to name but a few - and, just when you think every avenue of the genre has been exhausted, some new mutation will emerge that renews your faith in the creativity of contemporary guitar-driven music. The other side of rock music, however, is that in spite of how much it develops and merges with other genres to shock and surprise new artists will always emerge offering unsubtle and monster nods to forms of the genre often considered defunct and mostly disposed of. Rise in Our Time unfortunately, fall quite uncomfortably into the latter. From a musical perspective there are few holes that can be picked into this debut release; it’s tight, well produced and some of the musicianship is exemplary; unfortunately it just feels like it’s seriously lacking in a little something. The songs certainly aren’t poorly written and at times are structurally ambitious; despite this they suffer from a lack of inspiration and often fall slightly flat. The attempts at anthemic choruses just aren’t as satisfying or addictive as they need to be to work and as a result there’s very little on offer here that truly thumps you in the gullet. That fact that it resonates so similarly to the likes of

Terrorvision and Papa Roach shows it’s more than a little dated, arriving some fifteen years too late to the party. Jim

soundcloud/rise-in-our-time

Georgia Ruth Week Of Pines

By funnelling a haunting vocal style reminiscent of a plethora of melancholic 60s folk sirens through a rather untraditional approach to playing that most traditional of instruments, the harp, Georgia Ruth’s debut sends a stark, confident and refreshingly fully formed message of intent out to the listener. Firmly set in wistful folk mode, her songs tend to branch out on vaguely experimental tributaries that wrap pleasantly around the central aforementioned folksiness, often managing to create a distinctive enough voice to stand out from the oversaturated indiefolk market without being overbearingly weird in the process. For example, on opener “Week Of Pines” there’s a sinister motoric undercurrent that pulses through the track at all times, juxtaposing delightfully with Georgia’s interesting approach to harp playing (inspired more by guitarists like Bert Jansch than trad styles) and soaring, impeccable vocals. Indeed, it’s her voice that comes across as the most striking element of the record, capable of great intricate twists and turns, powerful blasts of emotion and more introspective moments of contemplation. Minor criticisms stem from the album feeling overly long; a result perhaps of many songs slowly meandering up to the five minute mark along a path that feels much longer than that but regardless, what’s present is a sterling debut from an extremely talented artist performing honest folk music with enough of a personal twist to push her above the assembled hordes peddling this sort of thing. JD

soundcloud/georgiaruth

Casi Wyn 1

Another fine Welsh singer songwriter, Casi Wyn’s debut EP, simply and aptly titled ‘1’ gives us a taster of Bangor-born artist is all about. Opening track ‘Canfod’ serves a delightful chorus melody to a well-worked clap track, before ‘Tywyll Heno’ brings the mood down with a distinctly Spanish feel. The maturity and simplistic, direct manner with which Wyn’s songs are put together deserves approbation of the highest kind. Her raw talent belies her age, and with airplay on BBC Radio Cymru and a performance at Swn Festival under her belt, this young singer has a bright future indeed. ‘Gwithio’ could use a revamp to avoid a lull in proceedings, Wyn saves the best for last, as ‘Winter’ rounds off the five-track EP. Somewhat sinister – both lyrically and melodically – and topical, the dynamic crescendo encapsulates the harsh season perfectly. The strength of the track is

themmp.tv

astonishing, once more beggaring belief as to the heights the artist could reach.Casi Wyn, remember the name. BB

soundcloud/casiwyn

My Pet Monster Transoxiana Girls

mypetmonster.bandcamp.com Soap

facebook/Soap.band.UK

Neck Deep

There’s an awful lot to revere on this brief three-track EP from Cardiff four-piece My Pet Monster. It’s been twelve months since their last EP release and this current effort finds the self-professed purveyors of ‘noise pop’ in catchy mood with anthemic choruses and fuzzy but chirpy guitar licks sitting above infectiously upbeat percussion the order of the day throughout. Many favourable comparisons with other contemporary and classic artists certainly spring straight to mind even after a solitary listen, from the husky, low vocals akin to Savage Garden or Roxette through to the emphatic production levels of most modern punk artists and grungy Dinosaur Jr-esque lead guitar licks and, to their credit, they borrow just enough from each to enable the music to still sound fresh and unique enough to maintain interest. Inevitably with a relatively low-budget EP release there comes a few flaws; the production levels are a little interesting at times with regards to some of the dynamics or prominence of certain sections plus the lack of clear differentiation between tracks enforced by the confines of the genre does unfortunately increase the risk of everything seeming a little bit samey. In truth, however, this is nit-picking a little and on the whole this is an incredibly enjoyable little release which smacks of promise and is well worth a look. Jim.

Soap

possible to write a review of a modern blues band without mentioning The Black Keys. Oh fu-. HP

This debut EP from the Swansea based blues rock outfit is an extremely confident collection of tracks, starting with ‘You’ll do the Same’ which is all coin flips, fedoras and toothpicks on a dimly-lit street corner., there’s a laconic Libertine-esque cool attached to this, before descending into urgent but enjoyable guitars. ‘Down by the River’ has that vocal-riff-vocal thing going for it, which means it’s probably a real live favourite The band return to duelling vocals on ‘Mumma Don’t Let Me Go’ and while it works on the opener, here, it sounds somewhat confusing, sacrificing clarity for clever-sounding lyrics which paints the song into something of a corner. The lazy cool returns on closer ‘You Shoot First’ which evoked images of cider adverts telling me that summer’s here, but don’t look outside, instead, drink this brand of chemical-fruit-urine and everything will be better. Chanting and discordant guitars bring this first taste of Soap to an end, and it’s not bad at all. And would you look at that… It’s apparently

A History Of Bad Decisions

This EP is just over 9 minutes long, and Neck Deep vocalist Ben Barlow spends every second sounding like he’s on the verge of an aneurysm. This is a mixed blessing; putting a bit of passion into your delivery is no bad thing, and the big bits sound all the better for his sore-throat singing style. That said, it can get a little grating, and on closing track ‘Head to the Ground’ - a sensitive acoustic moment, at least to begin with - Barlow’s yelling sounds downright incongruous. If you don’t mind this slight lack of dynamic diversity, there’s plenty to get your teeth into here, particularly ‘Tables Turned’ which, bombastic though it is, boasts that same wistfulness that permeates all the best endof-relationship pop-punk songs. JDr.

facebook/NeckDeepUK

Neon Neon

Praxis Makes Perfect

So how do you go about musically translating the life and times of an Italian Millionaire publisher come communist revolutionary? If you’re Gruff Rhys and Boom Bip (Bryan Hollan), much the same way that you’d cover the life of a playboy car creating maverick; that is to say via the medium of glossy, melodious synth pop with tongue planted firmly in cheek. On their fantastic debut Stainless Style, the frankly brilliant pairing of Gruff Rhy’s ever wonderful vocals and fathomless knack for a killer melody blended seamlessly with Boom Bip’s total mastery of 80s style synth production tricks to tackle the life and times of a bizarre individual. It’s initially a little disappointing to hear that on Praxis Makes Perfect the pair, apparently so enthralled by the sounds of the last album, simply can’t let them go…sticking very closely to the same sonic template. In terms of concept, the glossy 80s pop did wonders for the story of John DeLorean, it however, jars slightly with the duos new fixation, Giangiacomo Feltrinelli and a new set of styles wouldn’t have gone amiss. However, excluding the concept, what we have here is another batch of wonderfully constructed and effortlessly fun songs. There are goliath power pop ballads of the high octane 80s variety in “The Jaguar” and “Dr Zhivago”, a delightful deconstruction of capitalism in “Shopping (I Like To)” and a chorus hook so dangerously catchy in “Mid-Century Modern Nightmare” you may go a little bonkers. It’s speedy, slick and above all, barrels of fun. The enjoyment the pair had making it clearly translates. Just a shame that they didn’t see fit to explore some slightly new musical directions from the debut..JD.

Facebook/neonneonband

Krystal Mills Rodeo Clown

Krystal Mills, former street busker, has released her debut record Rodeo Clown ahead of summer shows in the UK and an October tour to Eastern Canada. Comprised of five tracks, the Cardiff’s Got Talent 2012 finalist cites Rodeo Clown’s influences as the likes of Jessie J, Adele, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. Mills has a little way to go before reaching the heights of those, but there’s certainly promise here. ‘Please Remember Me’ has echoes of the constantly-heartbroken Adele, with unambiguous lyrics like: “We went our separate ways, but I will always love you, for always.” Rodeo Clown and Bang Bang showcase Mills’ deep lungs and ability to potentially coo her way into the hearts of country fans. The artist has to be wary of repetition however, and with the addition of a bit of percussion could have hit the mark with this release. In a time when there’s a big market for acoustic and country-style female singers, the listener can’t deny the power of her vocals, but perhaps a niche needs to be found to propel her that final step. Ultimately, the Rodeo Clown EP is a tidy little number which spells the beginning of the makings of a country singer Wales could be proud of. BB.

krystalmills.com

Aled Rheon Ser Yn Disgyn

I don’t speak Welsh and have very little inclination to learn, so apologies in advance if I don’t comment on lyrics here. Instead, I’ll use Aled Rheon’s rich voice as another instrument, and judge it as such. It was a genuine surprise to read that Cian Ciaran mixed this. The keyboard player from the Super Furries putting his name on something that is, for the first four tracks at least, variations on the same monochromatic theme – a bloke who I don’t understand, strumming away with minimal, but pretty interference from anything else. It’s pretty, but a bit bland. Using a shaker is not a changeup. ‘Poeni Dim’ is still a guy with guitar, but has a couple of nice swoops that holds your attention, but at this point, I was hoping for something different. It turned up on ‘Muriau’. A refreshing break from strummio (probably not Welsh) showcasing a different side of the singer. The vocals seem different too, on the earlier tracks, they’re pleading, while here there’s a definite demand. His words, changing from wanting to needing and that switch in assertiveness makes a massive difference – suddenly I felt like there was a reason for me to listen to this. A genuine highlight. Rheon finishes strongly too, with deep Celtic folk ‘Wy Ar Lwy’ leaving a lasting impression, helped by a subtle female vocal that doesn’t fight for

The MMP March 2013

power, instead complementing both vocals and music nicely. Tidal vocals and music dive in and out, creating a very peaceful effect which still has a hold long after the track and EP fades out...HP

aledrheon.bandcamp.com

Stephen Wheel

Out Of The City I Can’t Sink

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses – knowing, then playing to those strengths is key. It’s clear from this album that Wheel has a lot to say, but the message is mangled through clumsy lyrical devices and a somewhat generic delivery. It’s a shame, because he’s definitely closing his eyes when he’s singing – he means every word. It’s a wonder why he doesn’t fire off 40 minutes of quality instrumentals, because there are some great examples of musicianship on this. From the intro to opener ‘Celebrity Blues’, which sounds like Moby on (more) acid, to the hint of an 8-bit love song on ‘Linger’, there’s a really nice musical thread throughout the record. Wheel does a great line in long intros and codas, and I got the feeling he enjoys that more than belting out his feelings on a mic. Less is definitely more here. Take ‘Sonatine 1’, which has a Patrick Wolf style organ and violin intro, expectations rising along its 30+ seconds... short, sweet duelling vocals, and I’m thinking this might be a bit special...and BANG, blocked by a waltzing melody which made the song sound like a medieval jester sideshow rather than something that had the potential to make a real impact. It’s an album of good ideas that has been melded into something that feels rushed. There are some great moments here, but most feel either half or over-thought. With more refinement, Wheel could have something really special, but right now, he needs to find which of his apparent strengths he wants to focus on. Don’t give up. HP.

stephenwheel.bandcamp.com

Colours Of One Dust & Chalk

‘Dust & Chalk’ epitomises everything about Colours of One that you need to know. The alt-rock five piece from Bridgend have produced a single which is unashamedly pure rock, with amped up guitars and a healthy dose of woah-oahs. Vocalist Michael Simmonds has a full dynamic range in his lungs and reminds of a young Chris Cornell. His vocals top an attitude-filled four minutes with barely a pause to catch your breath. The rousing chorus breakdown wouldn’t go amiss at one of this summer’s festivals, and Colours of One are clearly future flagbearers of new South Walian rock. A refreshing change to the screamo and dance remixes dominating the industry. BB

facebook/coloursofone

Ellie Makes Music Shaky Hands

An understated but bouncy acoustic intro gives way to softer playing and a clear confident vocal from. The track builds steadily with Ellie using the words ‘So I’ll paint the roads gold’ as the jumping off point for her chorus and a return to the opening riff. But unpredictably Ellie then takes it to another level with some mean fiddling cementing the Celtic flavouring of this never boring and sweetly flowing single. Ellie’s vocal is confident, undercut with a slight vulnerability, perhaps needing a little maturation in some areas but that will come with er, maturation (she’s only nineteen). Lyrically there is some message about darker times than the upbeat pace of the song might suggest but the words are vague enough to allow you your own interpretations.. It’s a spritely, engaging and continuously surprisingly little track that acts as a perfect introduction to the music Ellie is making. We look forward to hearing her development as an artist..MS

elliemakesmusic.com

Preacher

Four Minute Warning

* You must like sparkly reverbguitar noises * Be of a joyous disposition * Be sat in Cardiff’s relentless sun, sipping Piña colada from a pineapple husk Their new single “Alleyways”, painlessly welcomes in the recent Welsh heat wave with a cocktail of shiny happy guitar riffs, catchy drum beats / bassline and sickly sweet lyrical delivery. For me, the painful memory of having to brave driving winds, snow, and minus temperatures of the last fortnight just to buy a pint of milk from the shop 500 metres away, have left me somewhat dead inside. As such listening to the upbeat nature of The Adelines new song, after my Robert Scott-esque expedition leaves me with a slither of hope for the coming weather front. Being rather new on the music scene, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that The Adelines continue to produce their brand of “sunshine-drenched songs, which paint an intimate portrait of coming of age and late night dalliances” as they put it without getting washed away during Wales’s well known summer monsoon season! J Duncan

theadelines.com 3*

If there was ever a release to throw a sumo-sized amount of weight behind the old adage ‘no school like the old school’ then this - beyond a shadow of a doubt - is it. Preacher perpetrate a brand of metal dripping so heavily with nods to the classic styles of yesteryear you’d be forgiven for thinking that this release was bordering on three decades old and not the work of a Cardiff-based band who, at less than three years old, are still very much in their infancy. Four Minute Warning is thick with all the fundamental elements of a classic metal tune from the chugging bass-line and prominent rumbling double-kick drums through to the initial menacingly picked haunting guitar riff which takes little time in descending into a cacophony of distorted organised anarchy when the track properly kicks-in. These massive nods to artists of years passed are certainly unapologetic, however, and for what it’s worth there’s nothing to suggest that these guys see themselves as particularly genre defining or revolutionary. Sometimes it’s enough to merely gain notoriety and deserved plaudits from producing quality work whilst within the refrains of a certain genre and Preacher certainly do this. Essentially, this a release that metal fans are sure to enjoy and will surely whet the appetite in anticipation of a debut album slated for later this year. Jim

facebook/PreacherMetal

The Adelines

It appears the prerequisites of listening to The Adelines are as follows;

Alleyways 3*

These Brittle Bones

Flecks 4* One of the true signs of aging, that no magical cream made of discarded after birth and costs more per ounce than gold can ever hide is that younger people will do things you always wanted to, and every time they do, you’ll think “What have I done with my life?” with a cold sweat that gives way to worry lines and crows’ feet. 14-year-old Chris Jones is Swansea born, but is based in Singapore, where he also goes by the name of ‘These Brittle Bones’ and before you click away, thinking this is another teenage emo mewling about his fringe being out of place, you, and me, are both wrong. ‘Flecks’ is not something you expect a teenager to be casually throwing down as a single – a deep, fragile, china vase of a track with a piano loop throughout, underpinning and framing his occasionally chorused, unaccented vocals. Perhaps his age should be kept as a spoiler warning until after you’ve heard him. The teenage tropes of moodiness and reckless idealism are here, but presented in a different way, the mood is introspective, not boisterous while the optimism is tempered with a sense of pragmatism. It’s a refreshing, chilled listen which evoked Stateless at their fragile best. The depressing and uplifting thing about it is eventually the Apprentice becomes the Master and the next generation learns... and so the cycle continues. If this precocious teenager continues along the path he’s on, they’re going to have one hell of a teacher. HP

themmp.tv

The MMP March 2013

thesebrittlebones.com

Brothers

Tiger 3* Here, in 1 minute 47 seconds, Brothers achieve what some bands never manage - an uncompromising rock and roll assault that matches enthusiasm with finesse. This single succinctly demonstrates why the two sets of siblings from Cardiff have had much well-deserved applause of late. Tiger sports furiously paced crashing cymbals, punchy rhythm guitar and almost incomprehensible chirpy shouting from the fledglings that will not bend everyone’s ears the right way but proves marked potential. It is remarkably well performed and produced replete with 60s style slight fuzz on the vocals though, for once, it cannot be argued that the Beatles influence has taken charge. This lean offensive is more ferocious than some of their recent offering. It captures their youthful enthusiasm and charisma so evident on stage and displays an attitude very much unfettered by any sense of self- imposed restraint. Need I mention again that they’re mere teenagers. GK.

soundcloud/brothers-band-cardiff

Among Brothers

Jollica 5* A constantly shifting bonkers bit of chamber pop that deftly manages to wrong foot you at every turn. One second it’s a shuffling selection of chirpy brass lines the next it’s a creeping electronic blippy drawl that suddenly shifts gears up into an orchestral surge that’s all floaty and ethereal and makes you want to STARE INTO THE LIGHT AND GET EMOTIONAL. It’s a testament to their skills as a group that despite its fidgety nature, Jollica manages to retain a sense of continuity that allows you to lock in and waft through it’s landscape rather than bumble about all lost. Up until this point i’ve not been wholly convinced by Among Brothers, but on the strength of this track i’m willing to rethink my assumptions. Make no mistake, Jollica is an absolute ston. JD.

amongbrothers.bandcamp.com

The Blackout

Radio 3* With the third single from their aptly titled “Let’s Get The Party Started”, The Blackout continue their relentless attempt to get the country to forget about the impending socio-political collapse and just have a bit of a good time instead. “Radio” is full throttle party rock song that wouldn’t feel out of place being belted from Andrew W.K’s blood soaked face, it even comes complete with a little widdly wah-wah guitar solo and a chorus custom built

to be yelled out of drunk crowds. Sure, there are deeper puddles, but that’s not really the point- it does the job it sets out to do perfectly well. Just turn off the panic stricken bit of your brain, have a beer and headbutt a wall for it’s running time. JD.

theblackout.net

Mike Foster

Shame Be Damned An impassioned selection of decidedly lo-fi and roughly recorded acoustic demos, comprised of nothing but one (slightly out of tune) guitar and one voice. Mike plays the kind of music that Frank Turner might play if he wasn’t absolutely awful, each track is short sharp and melodically strong – never sticking around long enough for the wonky bits and lack of distinction between tracks to get annoying. There’s a wry sense of humour present as well on “Poetry of Dweebs” where in Mike laments the current state of a once musical hero of his whilst acknowledging criticism is rich coming from a man with such an out of tune guitar. There’s plenty of potential her

mikefoster.bandcamp.com

Ghost As Alibis

Get Mine Self described as “avant-garde, post-hardcore, death-pop”, this demo from ghost as alibis reveals two things. the first, they love hyphens . the second, that they’re potentially going to be amazing. over the course of three minutes this soaring track combines a gargantuan and cinematic soundscape that twitches and folds in itself with demented (but never cookie monster esque) vocals, twiddly little at the drive in style guitar lines and a weirdly groovy core. frankly, it’s great - more please. Johnny.

soundcloud/ghosts-as-alibis

Hamamama

So What Now? To hell with dynamics, sometimes you just want a song that hurtles straight out of the gate at 100MPH, everything all ready at critical mass and then continues to push itself further and further into the red over the course of it’s running time until physics dictates it can’t ratchet up any more... then continues to do so regardless. So What Now? is the sound of a high octane existential crisis, the sort of thing that would soundtrack a Nietzsche penned version of the movie Speed performed by a cast of Williamsburg hipster tramps all seconds away from going insane. Play it loud and have a meltdown already - feels really good. JMS.

soundcloud/hamama

All reviews have been edited down for full length reviews visit: themmp.tv

opinion splurge.

themmp.tv

The Download Generation My part-time job takes me to an odd mixture of events. There’s no standard day-in-the-office, and back in September I found myself at a record fair in Bristol’s Colston Hall. I could hardly believe my luck when I was told that, essentially, my job for the day was to circulate the fair and have a chat to some of the collectors. Browse through limited edition Beatles LPs and make small-talk with music-lovers? There are worse ways to spend a day. So I began to mingle amongst the buyers and sellers, and before long I was wishing that I could be part of their club, wondering, what with my birthday and Christmas coming up, whether it might not be out of the question to save up for a record player and start my own little vinyl collection. I even took the card of a guy who sold turntables! Fast-forward to Record Store Day 2013, and I still don’t have my turntable. Nor do I have a fond collection of rare Beatles pressings. Nor was I getting too excited about the exclusive RSD releases. I’m only slightly bitter. I know that vinyl is so much more beautiful than the compact disc in every way imaginable; but they’re also probably the most expensive form of music around, and on my current budget they are a luxury I simply can’t justify. For less money than I’d be spending on one record, I can subscribe to Spotify Premium and listen to thousands of bands for a whole month. Of course my laptop speakers pale miserably in comparison to vinyl, but put it this way: it would be like buying one delicious, organic meal from Waitrose… or doing my whole week’s worth of shopping from the Tesco Value range. When it comes to music I’ll admit I have a pretty big appetite, and in this situation it feels more out of necessity than out of choice that I sacrifice quality in favour of quantity. For merely ten pounds a month I have access to a huge online database of music, all at the touch of a button.

Who could resist? Over the last few years I feel as though music has become a predominantly online experience, out of convenience more than anything else. The turbulent troubles of HMV a few months back confirmed the sad but true fact that, as a consumer nation, we no longer value tangible music formats in the same way that we did five or six years ago. The internet has caused the music industry to evolve rapidly, and poor HMV seems to have been left behind. I love record shops and I’m proud to live in the same city as Spillers, but growing up in the sticks I depended on HMV. I have fond memories of being a teenager, making a thirty-minute bus trip to the next small town in order to flick through shelves and shelves of albums to find the one I wanted. Moreover, if HMV were to close down altogether, there would be a social void in shopping centres across the nation: where else could awkward teenagers kill time while their parents did the rounds at Marks and Spencer? But nowadays, I can enter the music marketplace as soon as I flip open my laptop: if a band catches my eye on

“Over the last few years I feel as though music has become a predominantly online experience...”

Twitter, I can instantly go and find their music video on YouTube; then if I like what I hear, I head straight to Bandcamp and download a virtual copy of their latest EP. I’ve purchased their music without even getting out of bed. Nowadays, I’ve fallen into the trap of listening to music in dribs and drabs online. On discovering a new band, you can bet your bottom dollar they’ve got singles scattered across Soundcloud and all the other music-sharing-socialnetwork-media-blog platforms (I was horrified recently when, asked where to find their music, a band referenced their Instagram account before their Bandcamp… are you kidding?). We must embrace the internet for everything it can offer us, be it an advanced album stream or an exclusive free download. Do I feel guilty because the majority of the music I listen to is streamed online, sometimes for free? Not really. Surely there are better ways to support the music industry than forking out on a bunch of CDs: how about taking a chance on an up-and-coming band and actually going to their gig? You might be pleasantly surprised. In the end, I decided against asking Father Christmas for a turntable and Rubber Soul on vinyl. Instead, I invested in a beautiful Roberts Revival Internet Radio. Magically, it can piggy-back my flat’s WiFi, picking up thousands and thousands of online radio stations from across the planet. Now if that’s not value for money, I don’t know what is. I have a lot of respect for bands who continue, relentlessly, to release their music on vinyl, and hopefully one day I’ll be able to afford to get myself a turntable and start building up a record collection of my own. Maybe, on a Record Store Day of the not-too-distant future, I’ll be there in the thick of it. But for now, I’ll stick with my downloads.. Words: Jo Southerd

The MMP March 2013

How Not To Make It In The Industry Belgium Broke Us... [ // Reports From Our Man On The Inside ]

The three of us stood there, mouth agape, eyes unblinking and our sleep

deprived, exhausted brains scrambling desperately to make sense of the sight before us; the horror of it not really sinking in. As the articulated lorry

that had just smashed into a tiny kitten, smearing its insides across two lanes sped off into the distance, a feeling of defeat and misery deeper than the Mariana trench enveloped us in the worst hug ever. Belgium had won; how could you compete against such a cruel foe? Wait….let’s back up a little here Some time ago I played in a band. We were signed to a wonderful little indie label, released a batch of singles and a well-received album, had gained a fairly formidable live reputation n and for all intents and purposes, weren’t doing all that badly. Sure, we weren’t going to be able to give up the day jobs just yet….but it was a hellova lot of fun. Then we went to Belgium and it killed us We were playing a festival in the northern town of Genk and, due to one parts (ultimately misguided) sense of adventure and every other parts financial restriction, we decided to drive there in our van; spoiler alert, this was a bad idea.

Slight tangent – our van was a blue ford people carrier so old that the components that made up its guts were no longer in production. We bought it from a boxing club in Norwich, and though over the year and a half that it had been our metallic stead it served us well, it was beginning to show some serious symptoms of ill health. Multiple breakdowns, steering issues and holes appearing in the chasis combined with a lack of any heating system and worse handling than a drunk, stubborn elephant all pointed towards its inevitable collapse. However, we thought of these “massive problems” as “quirks” and “personality traits”…. sort of like looking at a cancer riddled family member and telling them the weakness and lack of hair gave them “character”. The journey to Genk went swimmingly. We traversed Britain, France and got all

the way to Northern Belgium without breaking a sweat. Then the festival itself was a hoot, despite the fact that we didn’t have any draw at this event we were treated like rock stars. We had our own concierge who managed to put more sandwiches and beer into us than I ever thought possible. Their hospitality was incredible, the crowd were amazing and they put us up in a fantastic hotel to boot. Successful trip was a success. Then things turned very sour, very quickly. Riding high on the previous night’s victories, we set off the long trip home….disaster struck when a mere hour into the journey the van’s steering completely packed in as we hurtled at 70 mph down the motorway almost toppling the vehicle and making us all collectively fill our pants. Crawling into

themmp.tv

a seemingly deserted rural town – the next 40 hours or so comprised of the following montage. Que “ hilarious music. - Attempt to find a garage to resolve van problem. Sunday, all garages are closed - Interact with locals – learn most of the town is a front for a drug dealing empire - Attempt to hire tow truck to take us to nearby city where garages are open – tow truck is beyond our budget - Head out in a reconnaissance group with the vague attempt of finding someone to help us - Ferry to Britain will now be missed, we’re staying in Belgium - Reconnaissance team watch a kitten get hit by a lorry – this depresses them - Find a room in a hotel outside of our price range - Spend rest of money on food at hotel and invent the word “wowgasm” - momentarily forget that we are penniless and trapped in Belgium

- Monday – Garage is open but can’t help. Doesn’t deal with Fords - More reconnaissance reveals another garage not far away. - Crawl the van at 5 mph across a terrifyingly busy intersection - Garage can’t help - Speak to Ford – they can send out someone to help in a weeks’ time. - Up yours Ford – decide to risk death rather than stay in Belgium any longer - Crawl at glacial speeds through the rural back streets of Belgium heading towards Calais - Learn that Belgium has yet to finish most of its roads despite them being on maps - Witness a car crash. Stop to help as no one else does - Drive for what feels like an eternity in miserable silence until, under cover of darkness reaching Calais and just making the last ferry - Yell obscenities at our drummer due to a retarded question – tensions run high

- Sleep on floor of ferry - Arrive in Britain to find that London has exploded into riots – huzzah, the apocalypse is happening - Van breaks down at a service station – properly dead now - Wait for five hours until AA arrive. Wait another hour for taxis to arrive - Taxi’s (paid for by AA) drive us to Cardiff. There is no conversation - Arrive in Cardiff Wednesday morning – watch footage of the riots on TV, eat boiled eggs - Brain is officially broken; spirit is weak, sell van for scrap. A few months later band splits up - Read Henry Rollins “Get In The Van” – feel like an absolute shandy boy for complaining about this trip. Never go to Belgium folks Ever Words: Spun Tongue

The MMP March 2013

Cyrus Films

themmp.tv

.MPFREE!

WWW.THEMMP.TV

Bored of whatever audio nuggets are clogging up your hearing paths? Tired of listening to the same thing on repeat, forever, boring a hole into your brain and atrophying your cognitive abilities? Fear not! Help is at hand via this sexy selection of totally FREE downloadable MP3 chunks from some of this month’s featured artists. Revitalise your hypomusicalimus (the brains music centre). MMMMMM sounds gooood.

GEORGIA RUTH • THREATMANTICS • BRIDGES SCRIBER • GHOST CARRIAGE PHANTOMS • KEYS • SOFT HEARTED SCIENTISTS • FIREWHELLBOMBFIRE • PETE ROE • STEPHEN WHEEL

The MMP March 2013

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see your venue listed? Contact Us info@themmp.tv