Moving!

So I'm going to start over with this blog. I haven't really given it any attention recently so I'm going to have a slight change in direction, and I'm also moving over to Wordpress because the design is cleaner and generally seems a lot better.

Please check out the new (and hopefully much more reguarly updated) blog at;

http://fingersbecomethumbs.wordpress.com/

Jay Reatard - Watch Me Fall

It is easy to criticise Jay Reatard’s progression from the fiercely independent garage label, In the Red, to the comparatively giant indie-rock label, Matador. On the surface Reatard’s music, once scuzzy and unrelenting, has become easier on the ear as the edges have been softened, the song lengths made more generic and there’s even the inclusion of songs that sound dangerously like traditional ballads. But signing to a larger label also comes with unquestionable benefits. For starters there’s improved distribution, which is especially useful in keeping up with an artist who has supposedly released over 30 records in the last 10 years. After a nicely cobbled together singles compilation last year, however, it seems as though Jay Reatard is ready to settle down and take some time giving new album Watch Me Fall the nurturing and promotion it deserves.

Because say what you want about Reatard’s ‘softer’ or more ‘accessible’ sound, this is a gem of pop record. The word ‘pop’ is banded around, and probably overused, every time a formerly noisy band lightens up a bit, but in this case it’s actually a useful description. Wounded, for example, opens with a chorus of ‘ba-ba-ba-ba’ backing vocals and acoustic guitars that seem a million miles away from the likes of Greed, Money, Useless Children. This isn’t just a one off pop smash to help sell a few records either, almost every song could quite easily be a single as the album is crammed with enough hooks to fill a cloakroom. While many of these stem from Jay’s guitar playing, the vocals too, are higher in the mix than they’ve ever been, making the album ripe for singing along.

Die hard fans might not have expected such a seismic shift in style, but would have to be extremely stubborn not to be seduced by Reatard’s new found sense of melody. Infectious first single, and album opener, It Ain’t Gonna Save Me is a great example of this, combining Jay’s familiar yelp with a perfectly picked guitar line that propels the song to its finish. The songs video sets the scene of a happy children’s party disrupted by Reatard with a horde of water balloons, which perhaps reflects the contrast within the album itself. While on the surface Watch Me Fall sounds fun and euphoric, this is frequently undercut by sour and often self-deprecating lyrics as well as Jay’s punk heritage which still lurks under the surface.



In regards to the aforementioned slower songs, there’s a reworking of I’m Watching You from the singles collection, and also the albums closer, cutely titled, There Is No Sun. The latter is perhaps Reatard’s most ‘grown up’ effort to date, yet as ever bears the stamp of Reatard’s unique brand of cynicism. This is crucial, as despite the mutterings about a change in direction, Watch Me Fall is all the better for it, yet still unmistakably Jay Reatard.

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Mercury Prize 2009

This year won't be the first time I've moaned about a Mercury Prize shortlist, and I'd be very surprised if it was the last. I'm not sure why the 'quality' of the list bothers me, the Mercury Prize has never been what I'd consider a broad selection of the UK's most exciting talent. However, because it masquerades itself as exactly that, and usually includes enough artists that I like to keep me interested, I find myself getting annoyed at the shortlist year after year.

Above all, I just don't understand what the award is supposed to honour. Although there are albums each year that I would single out as being genuinely interesting and progressive, I'm fully aware that it would be stupid to shortlist bands that don't represent the taste of the general public. Fuck Buttons' Street Horrrsing, for, example, was in my opinion the most accomplished debut of 2008, but it doesn't exactly fit in with the Mise-en-scène of the Jools Holland hosted awards ceremony. The Mercury shortlist seems to realise this, as highlighted by its inclusion of the likes of Glasvegas, La Roux and Friendly Fires who have all been massively popular this year. However, this principle is then completely ignored by the inclusion of a few randomly plucked unkowns and a token jazz artist or two. The Mercury Prizes' claim to diversity seems to me to be completely contrived. What it really is, is 6 or 7 of the most played new artists on Radio 1 that are likely to sell the most records off the back of being shortlisted, and a few singer songwriters plucked from nowhere as if their obscurity was a substitute for credibility.

My pick from this year's list would have to be Bat For Lashes, who surprised me with an album that would certainly be in a shortlist of my own. She makes the official shortlist for the second time, but I think Two Suns is a much stronger album than her debut Fur and Gold. She's often, probably unfairly, been criticised for being a Bjork soundalike, but her new album has a distinct personality of its own. Not only this but she's also growing in confidence. After watching her on the main stage at Primavera this year she seemed a different performer to the timid Radiohead support set I had witnessed a few years earlier.



While Bat For Lashes might be among the favorites this year, unfortunately I'd be surprised if she wins. The smarter money is probably with electro fringe pop sensation La Roux, whose inclusion in this list is another example of why the selection process confuses me. I know her songs are catchy enough, but I don't see how whacking a sort of tolerable vocal over a bunch of rehashed sounds from the 80's makes you eligible for this kind of award. Elsewhere comeback kings The Horrors get a nod, whose second album Primary Colours is a welcome improvement on their scrappy debut. The almost inconceivably boring Friendly Fires tick the indie-electro box, and London based female MC Speech Debelle gets credited for her promising debut Speech Therapy.

Three Trapped Tigers - 7/1

Recently got the new Three Trapped Tigers single in the post to review, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on here. I read this after I'd finished writing it and thought maybe I've been a bit overly critical, I like the band and 7 isn't a bad track by any means. Anyway here is a review...

Three Trapped Tigers - 7/1 (Too Pure)

The latest British band to be dropped into the folder marked ‘Battles-esque’ is Three Trapped Tigers, whose new AA side single 7 and 1 is a raucous concoction of hard hitting electronics and traditional live instruments. It’s a promising follow up to the band’s 2008 EP, and despite being a little rough around the edges seems to push all the right buttons. Well, most of them anyway.

Opening track, 7, is the more unrelenting of the two, opening with distant guitar sounds before bursting into life with giant blasts of punchy synth. The band certainly wears their influences on their sleeve, as the likes of Errors, Pivot and the aforementioned Battles immediately spring to mind. This is no bad thing. However, while the bands mixture between electronics and conventional rock instruments is done well in places, the transitions between the two sounds can be harsh on the ear. Additionally, as the track hits its climax some rather cheap phaser sound effects stick out somewhat and almost undervalue the rest of the song. It’s a shame that the electronics could not have been used more tastefully on this occasion, as what had been a decent song ends up sounding faux-futuristic and tacky.

The second track, however, is a much more accomplished effort. Here the band shows off their taste for melody, and there are even significant hooks to be found amongst the surrounding chaos. While the transitions between phases could still be gentler, the track’s second half is a smooth and elegant build up towards a scintillating climax. Here the band display the kind of musical maturity that had been lacking in the previous track and it seems to make all the difference. The glorious synth hook which dominates the song is for the first time complimented perfectly by some frenetic yet inventive drumming. Indeed, as the human and robotic elements of Three Trapped Tigers become one, we hear the band at their exhilarating best.

I imagine the band are great live, look at this video

Music Videos I Like

I really need to start writing on this blog again. In the meantime here are some songs that I'm currently enjoying via the medium of music video.



Dinosaur Jr - Over It
I previously talked on this blog about the artwork to Farm and how much I was looking forward to the record, well now it's been released I can tell you it did not disappoint. The album continues in the mould of 2007's Beyond, sounding as fresh as they ever have with the reformed original line-up. Dinosaur Jr have some great videos and I like this one a lot; it's kind of funny watching J Mascis having fun on a skateboard because he always seems like such a miserable bastard.




Johnny Foreigner - Feels Like Summer
Johnny Foreigner are back with a new album this Autumn and the lead single is one that they've been playing live for a while. I wasn't sure about the song before when they've opened with it at gigs, but now it's completed it's a great summer anthem. Not sure how long the appeal of this one will last, but it's been so hot the last week and it felt right to be listening to this. Sign up to the bands mailing list for a free EP featuring 3 brand new tracks from the band. I love Waited Up Til' It Was Light, and I'm sure the new album will be great.




Girls - Hellhole Ratrace
Think I've mentioned Girls on the blog before, but they've just released this new single which is getting me excited as we get a closer to a full length from the band. Here's another band which are great for listening to in the sun, and again, if you sign up to the mailing list over at Turnstile Records you can download the B-side as well as 5 other tracks from bands signed to Turnstile.

Sleepy Sun - Embrace

“Music doesn’t always have to be fashionable!” I argued, jumping to the defence of Sleepy Sun’s psychedelic debut Embrace.

It turns out my friend had been making an observational rather than a critical comment, yet my reaction is telling of the cultural position of the genre. Once a progressive movement concerned with forward thinking and reconstructing basic song structures, today’s psychedelic music is often criticised for its over indulgence and predictability. While the guitar freak out might have been inventive in Hendrix’s day, thousands of insipid reworkings later and it’s become a limiting rather than a freeing musical component. But this isn’t always the case. If properly phrased and controlled psychedelia can be as powerful as ever, as proved by modern counterparts such as Black Mountain and Pink Mountaintops. So how do ATP’s latest label darlings Sleepy Sun fare, with seven sprawling tracks that nestle nicely into the well trodden psychedelic mould?

Well, the band wastes no time in signalling their intent with opening track New Age, a hypnotic seven minutes of squealing guitars and drowsy vocals. What could easily have sounded like genre fodder, however, is heightened by an irresistible rhythm section that drives the song to its conclusion; each stabbing bass sound ringing like a confident stride towards its deafening climax. Importantly, the groove created by bass and drums keep Sleepy Sun focussed, refraining from lengthy jams and serving each songs individual purpose. Even the longest song on the record, White Dove, which comes close to being 10 minutes in length, is broken down into manageable chunks; evolving from heavy Kyuss inspired grooves to a much quieter folk finale.

Indeed, the band are equally engaging whether they’re bashing out ballsy blues rock, or picking out more delicate folk tinged melodies. Second track, Lord, for example, sees lead singer Bret Constantino at first singing over soothing piano before progressing into a haunting mixture of eerie guitars and distant vocal shrieks. Elsewhere the albums closer, Duet With The Northern Sky, is a simple stripped down ballad, featuring gorgeous dual vocals from Constantino and sometime singer Rachel Williams, which completes the bands range from the devastatingly loud to the tender and soft.

Although Embrace certainly exceeds expectations, a typical mid album lull prevents it from really making a mark. Golden Artefact, for example, patters along at casual pace and fizzles out before really offering anything, while similarly Sleepy Son builds beautifully but never reaches the climax it deserves. But for a record which draws positives from turning psychedelia into something concise and digestible, it’s perhaps unfair to criticise it for occasionally being too restrained. After all, it is precisely this which so many other bands fail to do, leaving their rough drafts of songs unedited and tiresome as a result. With Embrace, Sleepy Sun have produced an album that is unashamedly psychedelic, yet at the same time resists the usual pitfalls of the genre.

Also published over at God is in the TV

Dot to Dot Festival 2009

The last few weeks have been really busy for me, meaning I haven't had much time to update this blog. finishing my degree a few weeks a go was massively stressful, and while it's a weight off my mind getting it done, I'm now terrified about moving eyes shut into the real world. Anyway, now the dust has settled somewhat, I've got time to start making this blog good again. In my absence I've also got a shiny new camera, so I'm going to start using my own photos, which won't be as good as the others I was using, but I guess it's more authentic.

Anyway, the other week I went to Bristol's Dot to Dot festival for my third consecutive year. It's always had a great line-up and seems to be getting progressively better in terms of organisation. Dropping down from a 2 to a 1 day event this year the festival felt concise and the talent was spread throughout the city with minimum clashes...mostly because everything I wanted to see was in one venue, The Cooler.

















First up was San Franciso's Girls who play surfy pop music with a psychedelic edge. Was my first time seeing these guys who I'd only previously listened to on myspace, but I really enjoyed them. Great vocals and simple yet direct songwriting.

















Second (now third) time seeing Crystal Stilts who were great. Not really sure what I can say about them that I haven't already said, but they seemed a lot more cheerful and noisy this time around, perhaps thriving on the packed crowd.

















So I made a massive error in leaving the reliable comfort of The Cooler and Abe Vigoda to watch Patrick Wolf. I've been a fan of his for a while and having seen Abe Vigoda a few weeks before I thought I'd check out Patrick's new material. Unfortunately the set was bitterly disappointing. All of his older songs had been rocked up using an electric guitar and his whole approach just seemed wrong. Maybe it went down with the masses I don't know, I watched from the balcony, but it seems that the reworkings of older songs stripped them of all their former beauty.

















The big success of this years Dot to Dot Festival was undoubtedly The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. They're a pretty buzzy band right now so it makes me a little cautious about over praising them, but I really enjoy their album and this performance was electric. I'd always thought of them as a Shoegaze pastiche, but as my friend pointed out after the gig there is a definite pop-punk influence in there which is I guess why I like them so much. They rattle through all the highlights from their album and it goes down a storm.

















Last playing tonight were Vivian Girls, who I'd amazingly managed to miss when they came to Cardiff around Christmas time. One of my favorite records from the last couple of years and this performance is everything I want and expected from them.

ATP vs The Fans 2

A last minute decision I made means that this weekend I'll be sleeping on a chalet floor somewhere in Minehead, for ATP's first May weekend; The Fans Strike Back. Andrzej Lukowski at Drowned in Sound made this spotify playlist including a lot of the artists playing, so I'm listening to that right now and getting excited to party hard to some Andrew WK and Devo.

I'm going to try and work out how to set Twitter up on my phone so I can do live updates, but I've tried this before and failed miserably. Also my camera got stolen recently so I can't take any photos, but might try and steal some from my friend at the bric-a-brac who's also going to be there this weekend.

In other festival news the Primavera Schedule came out this weekend, and I'm going to be absolutely lost with the amount of clashes there are. Let's play a game where I list clashes and you tell me who I should see. In the words of Harry Hill...FIGHT!

- Aphex Twin vs Lightning Bolt vs Horrors
- Marnie Stern vs The Vaselines
- Andrew Bird vs Phoenix
- Liars vs Deerhunter
- Gang Gang Dance vs Sonic Youth vs Ghostface

New Dinosaur Jr Artwork + Song

Dinosaur Jr are back (again) this June with new album Farm, and you can hear the first sample of it here courtesy of Pitchfork. The song itself is pretty much what you would expect; loud guitars, lazy vocals, more loud guitars, big solo. end. But this is what the band do best, and if Farm is anywhere near as good as their 2007 effort Beyond then we're going to be in for a treat.

While the song is pretty good, what's really got me excited for the album is its artwork. Dinosaur Jr have always had great artwork, some of my other favorites of theirs being Where You Been?, You're Living All Over Me and Green Mind. But this new piece is probably their best yet, and as a lover of record sleeves I'm now going to have to buy the LP so I can see it in its full sized glory.

With regards to Dinosaur Jr's reunion more generally, I hope it lasts for as long as they're writing great music. It seems now they're writing the sort of stuff that they should have been making had Lou not left the band, and it's great to hear that raw sound of theirs with the beefed up production that's available to bands today. I'm pretty sure J Mascis and Lou still hate eachother and its a matter of time before they call it quits again, so enjoy it while it lasts and check them out live while you still have the chance.

Rolo Tomassi - 29/4/09

As my final year of university comes to its stressful climax, you might notice that this blog starts to become less regular than I'd like. Luckily I'm less than three weeks away from finishing, and there are so many amazing bands coming to Cardiff in that time for me to write about. I'll try and keep blogging as much as I can, but it'll be a few weeks before its back in full swing.

Anyway, last night I escaped the confines of my bedroom to check out Rolo Tomassi who are currently on a headline tour with Grammatics and Pulled Apart By Horses. Through a major cock up on my part, however, I missed most of PABH who were in full balls to the wall swing when I arrived. They seemed on typically good form, but I can't say much more than that unfortunately. Up next were Grammatics who I've never been able to get too excited about, but in their credit they weren't too bad tonight. It wasn't exactly mind blowing, and as my friend pointed out they closed their set as if they had just headlined Reading, but it was fairly listenable nonetheless.

If Grammatics' set finale was dramatic, then Rolo Tomassi pick up right where they left off. Tweaking their stage entrance they now appear to a pre-recorded intro track, more reminiscent of Metallica's traditional appearance to Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy of Gold, than what I'm used to from the Sheffield based screamo outfit. I've not had a chance to catch the band since they released their debut Hysterics last year, but the difference in last night's audience is remarkable compared to the last time I caught them in Cardiff. Rolo Tomassi split audiences like almost no other band I've seen. There are cries from large sections of the crowd of "get on with it" during ambient sections, while the others have fingers placed firmly in ears during the heavier tracks.

More than ever before Rolo Tomassi seem to play in to the audiences hand, as the middle of their set is filled with song after song of unrelenting heavy tracks. In fact, their set is so powerful that one speaker abandons ship half way through, clearly not putting up with a battering and opting to blow itself up instead. While I've always been a fan of the balance the band create between loud and quiet, their heavier sound serves its purpose tonight as the Cardiff crowd goes suitably ape shit. I guess I'm always conflicted about bands I love getting this popular; I'm obviously chuffed they've done this well for themselves, but I like to be able to stand where I can see the band without bodies hurling towards me.

Still, the bands performance can't be faulted. I think, in some surreal parallel universe, Britain's Got Talent would be a competition held purely between the members of Rolo Tomassi. Maybe Susan Boyle could get involved, only for vocalist Eva Spence to terrify the living shit out of her. Guitarist Joe Nicholson is also amazing to watch, standing upright and practically motionless except for his fingers which are dominating the fretboard. It's as though all of his bodies energy has been re-routed to his fingers, and moving around the stage would only slow down his hands.

I could really go on for ages, but in short, Rolo Tomassi continue to amaze me even after seeing them at least 6 times. Even if this type of music isn't for you, I urge you to check them out at a venue near you in the coming months.

Super Furry Animals Film

As I think I mentioned in a post a while back I recently had the privilege of being a runner on a film made about the new Super Furry Animals album Dark Days / Light Years. I would stress that I was only running errands, fetching tea and carrying out other menial tasks, but it was great cool experience nonetheless. Well that film can finally be seen on Pitchfork TV as part of their One Week Only series, which you can view here (look out for my name in the credits!).

The film itself was made at Music Box studios in Cardiff over three days with just a three man crew. This wasn't much time to get the shots and the filming couldn't run over because Bullet For My Valentine had booked to use the studio the following week. Adding to the problems were that at the stage this film was made the band hadn't had a chance to practice playing the songs together as a band. This meant that as well as trying to film decent footage of the band playing through the new album, each song had to be rehearsed over and over to get it to a stage where it could be recorded. The plan for the film was initially quite ambitious, there was to be green screen covering all the amps and walls with the artwork being integrated into the footage. Given the quality of the artwork I think this would have turned out really nicely, but it simply wasn't possible given the size of the crew and the constraints on the filming process.

However, It was a great to have a tiny involvement in this film as Super Furry Animals are a band I have admired for a long time. While the film might not have matched up the filmmakers initial vision, I think it still looks great. The performances are excellent considering the band had such a short time to rehearse, and there are some amusing nterview snippets in between. In particular Gruff's diagrams and description of the bands Festival Wynd pedal which is currently in the development stages, "turning your crystal clear studio sound into a shit muddy festival experience".

I think this film is only going to be up for a week, so watch it now while you can!

Songs I'm currently obsessed with...

I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to get carried away. It doesn't take much, and often when a song clicks with me you'll hear me proclaim its status as the "best pop song of the last x amount of years". Some of these claims have been stronger than others, songs like Deerhunter's Nothing Ever Happened, Why?'s Crushed Bones and OutKast's Hey Ya still remain among my favorite songs, but on the flip side there are songs like Bandages by Hot Hot Heat which had a somewhat shorter lifespan. Anyway here are the songs which are currently on repeat in my house, accompanied by sexual video footage.

The Thermals - Now We Can See

The Thermals have been responsible for songs I've been obsessed with in the past. I think it's probably because they write really short power pop songs, but with enough angst for me to run around my bedroom pretending I'm in a punk band. So like Forward, No Culture Icons and Pillar of Salt before it, new single Now We Can See provides a simple chord progression and singalong chorus that sticks in your head for days. It's a bit longer than your average Thermals song and even has a cheesy guitar solo, which continues their move to a more traditional pop sound while still being undeniably Thermals. To be honest, I've probably overplayed this one already, but luckily there is a whole new album full of similar pop gems to keep me entertained.

Phoenix - Lisztomania

I have a feeling the new Phoenix album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is going to be my summer album. It's probably the album I've been listening to most in the last few weeks, not necessarily because its the best, but because I'm really enjoying indie-pop which is happy and easy to listen to at the moment. The real track I wanted to post here was 1901, but as Lisztomania has a video and its almost as good I thought I'd post it instead. Definately exicted to see these guys at Primavera.

Native - What Are You Dylan in My House

Released on Big Scary Monsters last year, Native's We Delete; Erase EP is pretty much perfect (notice my hyperbole kicking in yet?). It sounds like a cross between Faraquet and Maps and Atlases which are two of my favorite bands, and this song is my favorite from the record. Not sure what plans these guys have for future releases and UK tours, but I can't wait to hear what they do next.

Bat For Lashes - Daniel

Ahh the old Pitchfork Dilemma. Don't get me wrong, I liked Bat For Lashes first record Fur and Gold, but had her new album not picked up Best New Music would I have given it the attention I subsequently did? No. I might write an entire blog post on Pitchfork one day because it really interests me as a taste maker, but I tend to agree with a lot of their Best New Music choices and they've introduced me to a lot of new music. I guess I just have a problem with people blindly following albums highly rated on Pitchfork, and ignoring great albums because they are negatively reviewed on the website. Anyway, enough of that, Daniel is undoubtedly a great song and it has a shiny new video so enjoy.

Vessels - Oakford Social Club, Reading

For a place as large as it is Reading is an utterly dreadful place for live music. Ok it has a festival, but aside from that there are virtually no venues or clubs, and as a result gigs in Reading are few and far between. Admittedly it’s not a massive distance from London, but the commute is hardly convenient and trains in and out of the capital can be awkward as well as expensive. It came as surprise then when coming back to visit family to find that Vessels had been booked to play the Oakford Social Club. This was the first time I’d ever really been to the Oakford and what I saw was fairly pleasing. I suppose it could be considered an up market bar in the vein of Cardiff’s Buffalo Bar and 10 Feet Tall, but I was surprised to find affordable drinks, a decent live space, and a Nintendo 64 with Mario Kart all set up and ready to go. Needless to say, I was satisfied.

Adding to my good spirits was support band A Genuine Freakshow, who I had no prior knowledge of but blew me away on the night. They play a sort of indie / post-rock hybrid, which one might lazily compare with Youthmovies who also make prominent use of a trumpet and emo inspired vocals. Despite a few unfortunate technical hiccups their sound was enormous and obviously well rehearsed, making use of strings and the trumpet giving their songs a rich texture. I picked up a copy of their 3 track demo which they were giving out for free, so I figure it’s cool to offer here too.

Vessels play next offering up indestructible slabs of beautifully crafted post-rock. Although they appear old on-stage in comparison to the plucky support act, they are still in their infancy as a band. Seeing Vessels live, however, you would never have guessed. Their songs are powerful yet delicate and complex, and it could just as easily be a band as cultured as Mogwai up on stage. They play through the highlights of White Fields and Open Devices as well as a track from their recent remix record before closing with Altered Beast. Before the show I had heard somebody calling Vessels a typical dot to dot post-rock band, but I think that’s unfair. Post-rock is an extremely saturated genre where it can be incredibly difficult to differentiate yourself, but few bands sound as well rounded and succinct as Vessels. No climax is drawn out and no notes are wasted, this is progressive music without indulgence.

Kruger Presents...Good Wednesday

Kruger's Good Wednesday had arrived, but unfortunately without its headliner Micachu and the Shapes. Yes, the day before Kruger's Easter mini festival it was announced that Micachu AKA Mica Levi would not be performing due to press commitments and the shooting of a music video. This seemed like a pretty weak excuse so close to the gig itself, but the date has been rescheduled for next month and it seems like top-down industry pressure rather than any other reason.

However, the show must go on and Kruger, ever the wonderful host, quickly found a replacement in Bristol's Kid Carpet, adding to a bill including Silver Gospel Runners, Super Tennis (pictured), Race Horses (formerly of Radio Luxembourg) and Laurel Collective. To those unfamiliar, Kruger is a now bi-monthly free music magazine made on wonderfully smelling paper. It also has some some top notch journalism. But as well as being a great magazine, it offers podcasts, a blog and the fantastic Ivy League Sessions which can be found at their shiny new website Kruger Labs.

Anyway back to Good Wednesday and kicking things off were Cardiff based Silver Gospel Runners, as I arrived just in time to catch their last few songs. The seven piece did enough in this short time to make me want to catch a full set, playing brightly coloured indie-pop with a whiff of Belle and Sebastien. While perhaps lacking that knockout punch, their richly textured songs were pleasant at the very least. Besides, I'm always a sucker for a trumpet which makes a welcome appearance on the bands penultimate track.

Super Tennis play next, stripped of the tennis costumes and tedious stage banter of their last Cardiff appearance, and with plenty of new songs as well. Tonight they sound much more like the band they're capable of being, mixing clean melodic guitar with off-key vocals in that Kinsella-esque style that never seems to disappoint. I'm glad they've dropped the gimmicky side to their performance, and they're probably the highlight of the night for me.

While I had always liked Radio Luxembourg, they're new arrangement Race Horces left me a bit cold. Its dificult to take offence to their music, but it just seemed to lack the spark of the previous times I had seen them. By contrast, the Laurel Collective are oozing with energy. Making use of two vocalists, they feed the soulful side of Hot Chip into more layered song structures creating a vibrant mix of guitar and electronic sounds. Their set seems to trail off towards the end, but they started brightly and certainly have some potential.

Finally Kid Carpet took the stage with the unenviable task of filling in for Micachu. It was always an uphill struggle, and to be honest aside from a few fans the venue slowly emptied during the duration of his set. In the crowds defence many of them had been standing around in the sauna like Buffalo live space for several hours, but Kid Carpet remained upbeat and did his very best under the circumstances. I think a few 'serious type' people missed the fun in his performance, but maybe it wasn't the time or place for a song about carrier bags? All in all another great night of music and fun sponsered by Kruger, in spite of a couple of hiccups.

Pulled Apart By Horses Interview

If you live anywhere in the UK, it's pretty likely Pulled Apart By Horses will be rolling through your town soon. They're touring with Rolo Tomassi through most of April and May, then after a weeks rest they're heading straight back out with Future of the Left. The band have made quite a name for themselves on the live circuit, with big support slots such as these giving them the chance to test their material in front of a room full of people. I recently caught up with James from the band who kindly took the time to answer a few questions.

Fingers Become Thumbs: At a time where indie bands seem to be getting more and more intricate and complex, it’s refreshing to hear a band making great balls out rock music again. Is this something you consciously set out to do?

Not really. We just wanted to bash out some stuff a bit different to what we’d done before. I guess PABH is four guys who get along and want to have fun with song writing and playing live. We didn’t intend for anything other than to be in a band.

FBT: The BSM website describes you as “more macho than He-Man skull-fucking Skeletor with a bottle of Stella”. That’s pretty macho. Is this description accurate?

Haha! I like that one a lot but I don’t think it’s totally accurate sadly. I would say we are more skinny comic book types who like to drink strong cheap cider. You know the types. The ones that sit at the back of the school bus trading Pokemon cards.

FBT: There’s a good sense of humour to your song titles and live performance, is this important to the band?

I would say so yes. I mean were just being ourselves really and I think that’s quite important. We’re very serious about the band, but I wouldn’t ever want to be fake with it. What you see and hear is how it is. We’re all dickheads basically.

FBT: What’s the music scene like in Leeds? How has it affected you and are there any bands from the area that you’d recommend checking out?

Leeds has been an integral part of all our musical careers. It’s an amazing place to start out with lots of support for live music in the community. I’d check out Grammatics, Wintermute, That Fucking Tank, Sketches, Fran Rodgers, Blue Roses and DPU. Its not just music we have in Leeds though, there are loads of film makers, art collectives, venues etc. Its a truly wonderful place for the arts.

FBT: Looking at your tour schedule it looks like you're going to be on the road pretty consistently for the next few months? What can people expect from the shows?

We’re on some serious intensive touring from now on. Two solid months with Future of the Left and Rolo Tomassi and now we’ve got the festival offers coming in which is ace. I think it’s going to be a pretty busy 2009 for us. We’ll be playing some brand new sets of songs over May and April hopefully - Road test them I guess.

FBT: When are we going to hear a full length album from Pulled Apart by Horses?

End of the year seems to be the case.

FBT: What’s been your highlight as a band so far?

Leeds/Reading festival was just mind blowing fun for all of us. Plus the tour we did with Blood Red Shoes, Steven and Laura are the nicest people I’ve ever met and they are one of my favourite bands!

Remixed: La Roux

I should probably make this clear; I don't really care either way about La Roux. I've listened through her EP and don't have an issue with it, it just doesn't stimulate or move me in any way. It's not completely dull, but it's a saturated genre and there are plenty, more enjoyable, electro-pop acts out there for me to listen to if I was that way inclined.

This remix by Dubstep artist Skream, on the other hand, has been on repeat in my house for the last couple of weeks. By isolating the vocal and putting a massive bassline under it he really turns the song into something entirely different. In the last 50 seconds or so the bass is joined by a classic drum & bass beat completing the transition from likeable if slightly bland pop song, to all out club anthem. Whatever your thoughts on La Roux are, if you've got some quality speakers to hand this is well worth a listen.

Dananananaykroyd - 29/03/09

With the release of their debut album, Hey Everyone, just days away, Dananananaykroyd rolled into Cardiff this weekend in support of the release. Regarded by many as one of the most exciting live bands in the UK right now, it's always a lot of fun watching them perform, but where is the line between great live performance, and a load of stage gimmicks accompanied by music?

This time around Dananananaykroyd are again on fantastic form. It's easy to forget the skill of the musicianship amongst all of the stage antics, the two drummers are especially impressive and the guitar melodies are like nothing I've ever heard. Probably aware that certain gimmicks will be getting old this time around, the band attempt to ease out the 'wall of cuddles', much to the disappointment of the crowd who funnily enough organise it themselves anyway. I suppose this is a telling point; people want to be entertained at gigs. For a long while it was the norm for indie gigs to be fairly motionless, even with the most energetic of bands. I can't remember being as happy as the first time I saw Dananananaykroyd, and looking at others experiencing that for the first time is a beautiful thing I suppose.

I had this discussion with some a friends a while a go, as we tried to think of the best gigs we've been to in recent years. Bands like Les Savy Fav, The Mae Shi and Dananananaykroyd are famed for being great performers, but what makes this the case? Watching Les Savy Fav is very much the Tim Harrington show, it's easy to forget about the music almost completely in-between Harrington's costume changes and scaling of the venue's various walls and surfaces. This is not a criticism, I've probably never had more fun than when attending these gigs, but does it constitute a good musical performance? Don't get me wrong, I don't think Dananananaykroyd are just a live act, their recent recorded output has really captured the excitement of their performance, I'm just interested in whether this kind of performance undermines their recordings at all. When people listen to Hey Everyone are they going to think of Dananananaykroyd as a great band, or a load of 'crazy guys' making some fun music.

I think the key here is separation; which is of course difficult until there is a full LP to separate from the live show. When I think Les Savy Fav I don't necessarily think of how 'crazy' Tim Harrington is, because their recorded output has been consistently brilliant. But when I think Dananananaykroyd whose first EP (by the bands own admission) was pretty poorly recorded, it's more difficult to make that separation. I guess the release of Hey Everyone on April 6th will answer some questions to those who doubt Dananananaykroyd's potential to be a great band, as well as a great night out. I, for one, am confident they can make the jump, and hope they continue as they are, despite the cynics.