Latest CD Reviews!

The Maybes: Trick of the light

English indie rock five piece The Maybes really impressed me with this single. The vocal styling’s remind me of those that you would hear when listening to band such as the verve. I think that it is definitely worth a listen and know for sure that you will want to listen over again! The song itself offers something different. It’s lyrical, vocal and instrumental quality are of a high standard. Trick of the light demonstrates British song writing at its very best. The song was taken from the bands current album titled ‘promise’. Hundred ReasonsQuick the word, Sharp the action. Surrey based band Hundred Reasons re-released this album recently. From what I have heard of them they have never written a bad song, and this album is no exception! The band successfully mix traditional rock with often softer and more calming undertones to make their songs totally unique to anything mainstream. All of the songs on the album are catchy and I would have to say that my favourite songs were ‘Slipping Away’ and their single ‘No Way Back’. The album also features four bonus tracks which I was highly impressed with!

Bat For Lashes: Two Suns

My first impressions of this album weren’t brilliant. I wasn’t too sure of the eighties revival styling they were going for and I really couldn’t see myself wanting to listen again in all honesty. I thought that the vocals provided by Natasha Kahn were odd and really not to my liking. On the band MySpace page they describe their music as “UFO's, children's choirs, broken heart, harpsichords, big marching band drum, electric guitars, strings, autoharp” and I really would not disagree!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It’s Blitz

I would definitely say that this album was full of energising power pop. This album demonstrates a bit of a revolution in the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s style. Previous albums have been known to be far more post punk than this one. I think that this shows that the band have “grown up” a bit more and are taking their music far more seriously. Behind the change in music the structure of the thoughtful lyrics is still there which is good because it means that some of their previous originality still shines through. I don’t think that comparing them to another band would be much of a compliment to this three piece. They seem to thrive on their individuality and differentiate from many of the bands around at the minute! This album is not to be missed! It’s a breath of fresh air for sure!

Words By Carleanne Gwen O'Donoghue

Karima Francis @ Cambridge Junction 2 Jan 09

Karima Francis @ Cambridge Junction 2 Jan 09
Originally uploaded by size_uk

See the KARIMA FRANCIS REVIEW below! :)

Karima Francis @ CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION 18th JAN 09.

Sunday 18th January 2009
KARIMA FRANCIS @ CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION
w/ Gema Hadridge

I was really impressed with the stuff that I had heard from Karima before the gig and the day before she had been named as The Guardians hot pick for 2009 as a part of the observer music monthly which was pretty cool. I was convinced that the gig was going to be a monumental one, and that it was!
This was the first time in a long time that I was expecting a large crowd to be queued outside the junction but I was shocked to find out that there had been poor ticket sales so the gig was going to be very intimate. I think there was only about 30 of us there. Not many but still an audience nonetheless. The people that were there varied in age. People there ranged from OAP to middle aged to teens!

The support act was impressive. Gema Hadridge wowed the crowd with a few enchanting melodies. I thought it was really touching to see her father join her onstage for a few songs too, it was clear that they had a strong bond! She also took some time to explain the meanings of the songs she sang instead of leaving them to be subjective as most musicians would. Her songs had a strong sense of realism to them that I’m sure will take her far in the industry. I found that I could relate to most of the things she sang out easily being of a similar age to her. Her dynamic is one that is simple but beautiful. There was a relaxed mood to her whole set and was also joined by her sister onstage for a final song! She deserves to have an EP out soon because she has an amazing vocal talent and is just brilliant!

Karima Francis soon followed and stunned the crowd further! She straight away reminded me of an Adele/ Tracey Chapman crossover. Her uplifting melodies and charming lyrics addressed some of the more serious issues that she faced while she was growing up. Her songs are from the heart and it was something that I admire greatly about her. The type of music she produces is the kind that you would welcome after a long day at work, or even after a brilliant night out. I can guarantee that you’ll want to listen to her all over “again” (no pun intended).
Her single “again” is released on the 6th of March so I URGE you to go and buy or download it because she’s an inspiration to anybody! I was completely blown away by her vocal ability and her range. I’d never experienced anything like it live so the hair on my arms stood on end for most of the evening! One other thing that was brilliant about her was the fact that she was not at all bothered by the amount of people in the audience. She seemed genuinely happy to be playing. A true musician!
She also did a cover of Kings Of Leon’s “Use Somebody” that was pure magic. It captivated the heart and soul of everybody in the room. Her powerful and moving voice had completely taken me in that I was unconscious of everybody else in the room.
Overall I would say that her performance was amazing. I would definitely recommend you go and see her because she is sure to make it big in the industry very soon! She has the right attitude and an amazing appeal that is bound to take her far!

By Carleanne Gwen O’Donoghue
Photo By SiZe Photography

ALPHA ROAD/ ROSALITA Review- 19th Dec 08

Friday 19th December 2008
Cambridge Junction:
ALPHA ROAD/ ROSALITA
w/The Running Mayfairs, You Me and Them Club & The Jacqui McQueens

My first impression of The Jacqui McQueens wasn’t amazing. I thought that they looked like “another one of those rubbish garage bands with a teeny bopper look” . I’m sorry to be so blunt about it but it was clear that they were all very young and didn’t have the look going for them either. I was however, impressed with the first song.. The vocals were seemingly up to scratch and they appeared to know what they were doing despite looking about 10 and having a bassist that could have fitted well into the band “Hansen”. The second song was even more to my liking. The tempo and the volume got cranked up and it was proving to be obvious that the crowd were getting into them, judging by the masses of teens that were jumping about anyway!

One thing that seemed to jump out at me about them was their poor attempt at harmonising in certain places. From what I could hear the female vocalist was good but her voice just wasn’t loud enough to hear, even with a mic. This just made the harmonies pointless so they didn’t seem to make a difference to any of the songs at all. I think the band were trying to go for a White Stripes inspired sound, and good on them for trying, but it’s just not them!

On the contrary though, every band member showed sheer enthusiasm and confidence on the stage. They had a spark of professionalism about them that I just loved, I’m pretty sure that it will get them far in the future!
The band covered Bowling For Soups hit “girl all the bad guys want” and I thought it was very well done! But again, the female vocalist wasn’t loud enough! Though this was halfway through the song and it did seem to increase as the song went on so she was forgiven!
I don’t really want to criticise the female vocalist too much though because I think that it is pretty hard to get into the rock genre as a female and it is rare that you ever hear of a rock band with a female singer making it.

The band finished up with one of their own songs titled “Murder On The Dancefloor”. It proved to be a crowd favourite straight away and was AMAZINGLY up-tempo. What made the last song even more amazing was the fact that I could hear the female vocalist PERFECTLY and I was finding that I could compare her vocal talents to those of Kate Nash! The band even invited a few of their friends up onstage for a dance which was cool. By the end of their set though I was glad to see some of the older members of the audience moving further forward because I was so fed up of being surrounded by dancing 12 year olds!

Overall though I would say that the band were energetic, worth waiting for, pretty damn cool, not your average teeny bopper garage band and have a glint of professionalism that is sure to get them far in the next few years! (that’s if they keep at it of course!).

Next up were the band You Me and Them Club. The setup looked as if they were going to be something like Hadouken! or Does It Offend You, Yeah, and to some extent they did. They were quite heavy on the bass and the keys that I liked a lot. To be fair the vocals weren’t amazing but I think that was made up by the fact that the lead singers dancing was TOO funny. I really wanted to like this band because they seemed cool, I was hoping that my opinion on the would change as the set went on. The band in terms of genre were diverse and very hard to place. They seemed to include a bit of everything in their music that increased their appeal to me. Surely this was showing how they weren’t limited or stunted in any way. They had indie guitar, jazzy keys and a screamo styled vocalist. I think it was certain to say that this band were an odd ensemble, but they seemed to pull it off well.

The crowd livened up during the third song of their set, though I really couldn’t see why. The song just sounded the same as the first two they had played. Maybe there were a few chords and a couple more key changes, but that was about it in my point of view.
I think that I would compare the band to The Metros or the Underground Heroes… Just something of that sort of genre.

For the last song of their set The Jacqui McQueens joined them onstage to dance and livened the crowd up some more. The band got a little excited and nearly knocked out one of the photographers with a mic-stand but I won’t go into too much detail about that. The last song sounded so different to anything they had played previously in the set. Even I found myself dancing along with the people in the crowd. I loved it.

Next to take to the stage were Yellow Garage. The first song they played was titled “Hold On”. This had a typical indie sound to it but I noticed that the chorus changed in temp and had the whole audience jumping around. The band had definitely won the audience over. On top of all that, their image complimented their music perfectly. (the lead singers hair certainly has the wow factor girls!). Though I do believe that I was loving this band so much more because they had a good few years ahead of the previous two! They also seemed to have brought a majority of the audience with them.

I’d say that vocally, the band sound a BIT like Vampire Weekend but don’t hold me to that. They sound different in a lot of their songs. The band really have a lot going for them and are definitely worth checking out at a local venue! They have so many pull factors. They’re popular; they had a good strong following and the photographers were climbing over each other to get a good shot. They have a constant good sound; the vocals and harmonies were of good quality and were definitely the highlight act of the evening so far. Another strong point for them would be their lively middle eights. They seemed to get the crowd moving and jumping about a lot.

Yellow garage also performed a cover. They covered “Let’s Get It Started” by the Black Eyed Peas and it went down brilliantly with the crowd. I think that the beauty of it was that they made it their own rather than just making it sound the same as the original hit. The way they played it was far rockier!

By now I was getting slightly annoyed by the large numbers of teens that were being thrown my way but I wasn’t going to let it ruin this set. The band had a slight disagreement onstage about which song to play but when they eventually decided what to play they resorted back to their lively selves. Every band member looked like they were enjoying themselves, which was nice to see

With Yellow Garage‘s set over it was time for The Running Mayfairs to do their thing. Straight away I could see that they had a certain likeability about them. There was a lot of movement going on onstage and it was clear that they were just as excited as the audience was. Okay so they didn’t have much of an image going for them (they looked like they were wearing their dads clothes but maybe that was just their style!) but they were still cool.

I could hear a bit of the Underground Heroes in them and definitely had something that I know everybody could appreciate. There was no doubting that the rest of the set was going to be of a similar high standard. I could have done with them playing a few more foot-tapping tunes because they really did guarantee to get you dancing!

“Make It Happen” was one of my favourite songs of the night. It had rhythm and the vocal quality and high energy was there! I must say though that the crowd didn’t seem to be moving quite as much for them despite the fact they were playing stuff that was similar to the band before.
I really liked the last song, sadly I’m not too sure on the name of it was but it was a quality tune to end the set with. They messed it up first time round and had to restart but I loved it none the less. It was amazingly catchy!

The crowd went mental for Alpha Road as they started their set. What I heard in the first song was completely different sounding to what I had heard on their MySpace profile before hand. It was clear that the band had a number of fans from the amount of teens around me, (that were sneakily having a few beers) and how many were screaming and singing along to the lyrics. The lighting was set in time to the music and it could have easily given anybody an epileptic shock but it didn’t bother anybody at all. Everybody was really into the set!
For an unsigned band the roar of appreciation they received was huge. I had been anxious to see how many people an unsigned night at the junction would attract but I was shocked to see the venue packed to the brim. Amazing.

The band was energetic and seemed to show no weakness onstage. They were all constantly moving and showing off to the audience. They could certainly reassure anybody with a half hearted opinion of them that they really do mean business.

The song “Sophies Hair” really differentiated from the rest of their set, and the rest of the songs performed by the bands that had performed before them also. The band announced the song “Astronaught” and the crowd went crazy for it- it was a favourite. I could see why, it was fast and had some cool guitar and percussion going on. It was nice to see that the band were enjoying themselves. There were plenty of smiles being flashed to the audience and lots of showing off too. Each band member seemed genuine, they didn’t have anything to hide behind their cheeky grins!

Alpha Road also performed a cover. They announced it as “a song we would all recognise from our childhood”- and we all did. This was the definitive highlight of my night. A BACKSTREET BOYS COVER. My guilty love for them had come out them but I didn’t care. Out of the covers I’d heard so far, this was the best, nothing could top it.

Many members of the other bands appeared at the stage doors to have a dance along and to show a bit of appreciation. I think that all the bands previously had learnt how to win over an audience. Nineties revival. Simple.

The band burst into another rhythmic song and REALLY got the crowd shouting along as opposed to the guilty unconscious singing that everybody had been doing to the previous number. At this point in time the other bands were still “raving” at the stage doors.
The last song in the set was titled “Just Wave”. it was a great choice to draw a close to an amazing set. Serious credit to these guys though, they’re such an amazing quality band. Get to see them while they’re still unsigned because I don’t think that they will be for long. They have everything that talents scouts like to see in a band. Popularity, quality and promise. They have some brilliant tunes and their EP is available for about £3!

First impressions of the band were not brilliant. They struck me as being quite odd and very hard to figure out. They had some Does It Offend You Yeah style keyboarding with the image of the underground heroes, with the ham burglar (of McDonalds fame) for a lead vocalist. I liked them though. They seemed to get the audience going from the offset. They had volume, energy, charm and the lighting powerful enough to bring on a fit!

The lead singer jumped into the barriers quite a few times during the set which really excited the audience, maybe a little bit too much it seemed in some cases. He did manage to show a soft side when his hat went missing though. He told people the story behind it and it was soon returned to him. He then went back to going mad for the second song.

The band played a new song titled “Karaoke Machine” that people really enjoyed. This song was far more harmonic than anything they had been playing before hand. The energy didn’t fade either. They were half way through a high energy set and were not showing any signs of exhaustion. I think it was at this very moment I realised that the lead vocalist looked much like this band was that they were so natural, chatty and easy going.

They slowed things down a bit for all of ten seconds during the middle part of a song before blasting out the same cool, high energy riffs and unique vocal work just as before. The crowd were loving every second of the performance and there was no lack of shouting, singing, jumping or dancing going on. There was plenty of it to know that the band has made an impression on every person in the room. I think that by the time the last song came around, even those Rosalita sceptics had been turned. Everybody was still dancing away and had more adrenaline and energy then they had all night. The performance and the atmosphere in the venue were electric. ALL members from the previous bands joined Rosalita onstage to dance to the last song. What a way to end a gig, a mass stage invasion by the support acts. Brilliant.

Attack Attack + Support @ Hertford Marquee.

ATTACK ATTACK!
Tuesday 2nd December 2008
Hertford Marquee
W/ Scream!Shout!SayNothing!, They Sink Ships & Members of Me.

Scream!Shout!SayNothing! kicked off the evening in their normal loud and high energetic fashion. Fortunately SSSN are a band I had seen on previous occasions so I knew what to expect from them. I imagined though that a majority of the crowd were not as experienced with them as I would. Some danced, some sang along, some stood still.
I had last seen the band at Club 85 in Hitchin a few months back and really liked them. Tonight was no exception. The band were only one song into their set and I could already see some vast improvements in the lead singer, Ben Davis, not only on the movement side of things, but on the vocal side too. His screaming had come far since I last saw them.

The second song in their set was one I didn’t really like much for the simple (and kind of pathetic) reason that the intro dragged on for too long. I found myself just wishing they’d start singing! The song wasn’t bad- it’s just personal preference. Anyway, I had arrived at the venue while they were sound checking so I knew that there were far better songs to come!

I couldn’t help but notice about how full the venue was tonight. I hadn’t seen the marquee this full for a long time. I think it really said something about the quality of the bands that were to take to the stage tonight!
I was impressed by the fact that the band had successfully managed to start a decent sized mosh pit two songs into their set, well at the back where I was stood there were a few people running about, it all counts though! It was amazing. The crowd were certainly getting into them.

SSSN are one of those model bands that genuinely appreciate their fans, the audience are thanked for turning up at every gig, which I think is pretty sweet because it shows that their “rock n roll” kind of lifestyle (well I imagine they have one) hasn’t quite gotten to their heads yet!

The third song in the set was one that I knew well (“Gimmie Inner Peace Or I‘ll Mop The Floor With Ya“), my favourite infact, so I’m obviously going to say that it was performed brilliantly and as ever, fans were NOT disappointed!
They had movement, they had energy, there was volume. All the vitals for the making of an amazing performance were there, not forgetting the confidence and certainly not forgetting the fact that Ben was wearing THE SAME shirt he was wearing when I saw them at C85 back in October.- though I would imagine that it had been washed since then. Anyway, this is a review not a hygiene inspection!

You could tell that each band member was giving it their all and were definitely putting their hearts and souls into the performance. Eyes closed, focused, the usual give aways that tell you they were enjoying it at the same time.
The bands set finished up with an old favourite with a spectacularly loud middle eight! A great choice of song to end the set with (can’t remember what it’s called though- so don’t hold me to it!) in my opinion because it was one of those songs that hypes you up and brings you right back down to earth again.
So overall, SSSN- an AMAZING local band to say the least. The few latecomers that appeared at the end of the set really don’t know what they missed. The band certainly have much more to give and I believe that they will definitely go far, keep at it boys! The only one thing that I can say really is play a longer set next time! 5 songs just so wasn’t enough. I needed more!

Next was the turn of They Sink Ships, a group of lads from Welwyn Garden City that I coincidently knew quite well. So I apologise in advanced that I may have a slight bias toward them! I’m going to be honest though- so it’s all good. The band warmed themselves up with a short piece of music and jumped about a bit before they began. I could see improvements in their professionalism already! I had followed the band since they started out and had never seen anything but improvement, so it was really nice to see how they were still growing as a band.

The first song in their set blew all expectations I had of them. They sounded so much better, they looked so much better, they were so much better. Phenomenal. It had only been a few months but who would have thought that they could have come so far in such little time. I couldn’t help but have a bit of a sing and a dance in the bands honour!
One thing I will advise though, is that you just go and see them live. Forget all that listening to them before you go kind of thing, the stuff on their MySpace really doesn’t do them any justice. TSS are remarkable and a completely unparalleled new band whose members display some of the finest young talent that Welwyn Garden City has to offer.
All instruments sounded crisp, clear and in tune. The performance bolstered up and bettered with every song. Tom Dani, the lead singer even made an attempt to start a mosh pit of his own by jumping into the audience and running around a bit during the second song of their set. Bless. It was clear that they were only just getting into it!
The bands new song (again, not sure on the title, but it’ll be on their MySpace profile soon if it’s not available already) was especially striking. The melody was catchy and the chorus was clear cut. I loved it. I hadn’t heard this song before so it came as a bit of a surprise to me, but nonetheless, the crowd liked it.

Their movement and presence on stage was constant. I don’t think that there was one member of the band that stood still for more than a minute and a half (maybe they couldn’t physically do it because of how excited they were- I don’t know.).

They Sink Ships finished their set with the song “Kiss and Tell”. This was the first song I ever heard from the boys I think, and is still in the top twenty-five most played on my iTunes play list! The song really seemed to get the crowd (and the band) going. It was a lively addition to the set that just made the night ten times better than it was! Tom tried and failed to start his own mini-mosh pit AGAIN at the end of the set, it was quite funny really. Either way, They Sink Ships are sure to go far if they keep performing like they did tonight. I’d like to think that they have their own unique appeal that record labels would certainly snap up in a couple of years time. so who knows what the future holds for them. I wish them all the best and cannot wait for the next few recordings that they’re planning on doing in the new year. Keep up the good music!

I’d never seen Members of Me play before, but I had definitely heard of them and had faith that they would deliver. I had heard that the band had quite a following but it seemed that They Sink Ships had brought a majority (a good three quarters) of the audience with them. Nevertheless, the band sounded good. The vocals were slightly off in some songs but once they were a few songs into their set. The bands harmonies were good and they seemed to remind me of You Me At Six and Kids in Glass Houses.

It was announced that the set they were playing tonight was brand new, so I guess that any fans that they did bring along were appreciative of the change, not that I’m suggesting that they would be bored of them because I really liked them!

The band seemed to have far more energy than the audience did but the crowd took to them well and seemed to really enjoy the stuff they were playing. I saw people bouncing, jumping, swaying and heard plenty of appreciative applause! Even the Merchandise guys were having a good ole dance along!
I must say (hate me for it if you’re a fan) but I did find myself thinking that some of their songs sounded the same in certain parts. This shouldn’t change anybody’s opinion on them though because it doesn’t mean that they’re a bad band, infact they’re far from!

The lead singer encouraged the audience to sing along to a few of their songs. They were the first band of the night to encourage the audiences participation which made their set that bit more memorable! I suppose people might remember them as “that band that made all those people sing at the marquee”.
The band definitely had the right sound and image going on for them which was cool. I’d like to point out that this DOES NOT make them genre typical in the slightest because I really don’t like to stereotype. And Girlies, good news, the guitarist is HOT.

The one thing that I found myself complaining about was how short the sets were and how quickly they seemed to be over. Just as you got into one of the bands and had a bit of a dance to them and just as they got going, they would announce that they were about to play their last song, end the set and then get packed up ready for the next band. It really wasn’t fair on the audience! (well I didn’t think it was at least!)

Half way through the set things seemed to pick up. The sound improved and their song choice improved in turn. I found myself really, really liking them! Not having heard much from the band before the gig I cant really say that they sound better or worse on their MySpace or anything like that because I simply don’t know, though I would imagine that they do! I think that they have the right kind of attitude toward their music and have the right way of going about making it. They also have an amazing impact on the audience once they get into it! A band not to be missed!
The band finished with a cover of “Last Christmas”. I’m not really sure if I can say that as a good thing because it was only the second day of December- but they’re forgiven! It was interesting and undoubtedly entertaining! To be honest everybody should appreciate ANY Christmas song with some heavy guitar and screaming! (Woo!)

Attack Attack.. Hooray! Hooray! is all I had to say by the time they came out onstage! I felt like I had been waiting ages for them to arrive onstage. I hadn’t checked them out wither before I cam out, though I had heard a few of their songs before. I was excited to hear what they would sound like live. I really enjoyed their performance right from the beginning, everything about them was as it should be. The vocals were spot on, they moved, they enjoyed themselves and so did the audience.

The lead singer, Neil, really reminded me (appearance and movement-wise) of Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy, but Welsh, which I thought was pretty amusing. The photographer had pointed it out, but I didn’t really notice until he started to move about a bit more. The bassist seemed to be the band member that moved around the most though. And no, he didn’t look like Pete Wentz!

I saw that some of the spectators were doing a rock and roll version of the Macarena during a few of the songs which, I think, scared a few people off because there was NOBODY else dancing around them at all, and also set me off wondering about, A- how drunk they were, and B- what kind of fans Attack! Attack! were seeming to attract! It was nice to see that a good few members of They Sink Ships were jumping about in the crowd too!
As the set developed the crowd around the stage grew and everybody seemed to welcome and warm to them that little bit more!

In every song the band seemed to call my attention to the fact that they sounded a bit like Fall Out Boy and Lostprophets- which is a good thing because they’re both great bands! Oh and I LOVED their accents! The band also encouraged the crowd to chant along to a few of their songs. Some of which sounded similar but not enough to say that they all sounded the same and were boring or unoriginal- it was clear that they certainly were not! Their whole performance oozed originality, thought and effort.

It came across that the band were very keen on making connections with the audience. They took plenty of time between songs to talk and tell stories about the songs and even mentioned a few things about what they thought of Hertford.

“Hertford is like somewhere my Nan would live!”
They even let the crowd take the Mickey out of their accents which I thought was a bit risky because they could have so easily have been ripped to pieces if somebody said the wrong thing!

Everything about Attack Attack! Just worked so well. Not only were they an amazing band, they actually had amazing personalities! Every instrument complimented they lyrics, style and tone of the songs. All their songs leaked technicality but by the end of the set I knew that I hadn’t heard the best of them.

The sheep shagging jokes kept coming (from the band as well as the audience) and they then announced that they were going to slow things down by playing “a right smooch motherfucker”. I was loving this band SO much, I knew I’d found this months obsession!

They dedicated a song to Tim Spatz of They Sink Ships too which was beyond doubt, my favourite song of the night, I think it was “Honesty” because it’s my favourite song off of their self titled album too! The guitars were there, the vocals were strong- I loved it.

Attack! Attack! certainly got a reaction from the audience, people were running, jumping, dancing, chanting, screaming and even leapfrogging each other (yes boys, I saw you!). It was pretty clear that everybody was having a good time! And I’m saying all this despite the fact that the dance floor wasn’t as full as it had been during the support acts! They Sink Ships had brought the biggest gathering by far and I’m quite pleased to be one of their oldest fans!
Attack! Attack’s closing song was the highlight of the night because the band put 110% of their energy into it! This was shown in the delivery of the chorus, the instrumental break in particular and not forgetting those pain-in-the-bum long notes too!

In conclusion I would say that Attack Attack! were a band that looked like they were all members of Funeral for a Friend but sounded like Lostprophets/Fall Out Boy.. With Patrick Stump as the lead singer. That’s one CRAZY mix, but that’s just what I think about them. A great bad, definitely worth having a listen to! Their album Attack Attack! is available to buy and are currently touring the UK. So go see them quick!


Words By Carleanne Gwen O'Donoghue
Photos By Emma Bowdidge

The Kills- Cambridge Junction 19/11/08

The Kills.

W/ The XX Teens.

Cambridge Junction.

WEDNESDAY 19TH NOVEMBER 2008.

When the XX Teens took to the stage I was a bit apprehensive as to what their performance was going to be like. They all just seemed to arrive onstage and just stand there. The guitarist/vocalist stared at me and looked me up and down for what seemed like an age. I think it was just because I was stood there pen and pad in hand that just made me stand out of the crowd, but it made me feel so nervous!

I personally didn’t think that I was going to like them that much because I had only heard of a few songs that they’d written before the gig, but it turned out that they weren’t actually that bad. Well they were a bit odd, but once you saw past that, and the fact that they were all dressed like blues brothers rejects, you could kind of get into it that bit better.

I liked how they sounded and they were definitely not what I had anticipated onstage from what I had heard from listening at home. You could tell from the offset that this band were not your normal average experimental rock band- it takes a seriously “special” group of people to be able to stand on stage for five minutes like statues then burst into a mental dance that made the lead guitarist look so much like an Egyptian/pigeon. (Seriously, I don’t make this stuff up.)

One thing that I noticed about the band was that they never really took the time out to introduce themselves properly. Maybe they had just expected people to know who they were and what they were about- I don’t know. The bands overall performance was a good one. The vocal and instrumental quality was top notch! I’d say that they had the same vocal styling as The Killers, (well I thought so, even if some people disagree) but taken out of their normal environment and dumped in a completely different genre. You could also hear the heavy influence from the velvet underground come through in a lot of their songs.

The crowd seemed to like The XX teens, but from what I could see, there wasn’t that much movement coming from my side of the barrier! I think I would say that the XX Teens were a great choice of support for The Kills, and are also just one of those bands that you either love, or hate. Except if you’re me of course because I was indifferent to both!

It was then the turn of The Kills to grace us with their presence. The set started off just as I would have expected, nothing out of the ordinary but brilliant nonetheless! Things only really got going when they played the song “Sour Cherry”.

The biggest pull factor about The Kills is that they don’t try to be anything that they know they aren’t or try to reach out to everybody. I think they’re one of those bands that just make music because they like it- rather than doing it because people like it, for them it’s just an added bonus. The Kills are TOTALLY original and I’ve heard nobody like them before. While I was there I couldn’t help but like them so much more, the whole performance just added to their appeal. I know I seem to say this about every band I see lately but, their sound is so much more crisp when they play live!

The band had an amazing stage presence too! I was gob smacked. I was confused at first as to why the whole stage got cleared, because there were only two of them- but I found after the third song in the set there was far more energy and movement in the audience. People were only just starting to get into it! Especially one man that resembled Rolf Harris, he was busting some serious moves!

The Kills had such an amazing stage presence too! I couldn’t help but think that I was being drawn in and completely hypnotized by what they were doing. At the start of their set I didn’t really understand why the whole stage had been cleared for TWO people- but after a few songs I could really see why. Jamie Hince, or “Hotel”, as he is sometimes known as, remained relatively stationary throughout a majority of the set. This was completely contradicted in the performance from Alison Mosshart, or “VV”. she was happily moving, dancing and throwing herself about the stage, whilst occasionally stopping to hold a pose for the six photographers that found themselves constantly battling each other for a good shot. I must say though, one particular guy had a height advantage over all of them! There was a definite hint of sexuality about Mosshart. The way she dressed, the way she dance and the way she sang.

I do think though that sexuality is something that The Kills incorporate so well into both their sound and their performance. They sounded raw, rocky, dirty and dare I say it… sexy. I loved it. I think they’re everything you expect a signed band not to be, which in turn makes them BRILLIANT. They’re not prim and proper, they’re edgy, sharp and different, and RETRO. (only they could manage to record a whole album using a Moog Synthesiser! They‘re also pretty different to many of the indie bands signed to their label Domino Records, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand Eugene McGuinness and Lightspeed Champion.)

The Kills managed to pull off a great performance overall and I’d say that everything was of top quality as I had previously anticipated. It’s good worth going to see them live because you WILL NOT, ever, experience anything like it! I promise!

Words By Carleanne Gwen O'Donoghue

Photographs By SiZe Photography

www.myspace.com/thekills

www.myspace.com/xxteens

www.myspace.com/sizephotography

http://www.thekills.tv/

The Wombats Review November 2008. LONDON.

The Wombats 

MONDAY 17TH NOVEMBER 2008

SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE- LONDON

W/ TEAM WATER POLO & THE GOLDEN SILVERS.

I had originally thought that The Wombats were only being supported by Team Waterpolo- so I was pretty confused when I saw the schedule up on the wall. But nevertheless I decided to include them in my review of the night. Just bare in mind that I know NOTHING about this band.

When the band appeared on stage they wasted no time and got straight into the first song. Pretty much straight away I could hear and see a bit of  “Vampire Weekend” in them. Their sound was pretty old school but I think music with a bit of a vintage sound is “in” at the minute. You only have to look at bands such as Vampire Weekend and Mystery Jets and their successes to see it! The crowd seemed to take really well to the band- at first there was a bit of uncertainty about them but I think that just seemed to disappear after a few songs. I think it was only after the third song into their set I could truly say that they impressed me. The lyrics to their songs (and the titles of the songs coincidently) struck me as being quite odd but I really do think that it just added to their appeal. The only bad thing that I picked up on was the fact that some of the songs in the first half did sound the same but when the band played their new song to the crowd their sound changed. the mood then seemed to change as well, I could see so many more people jumping about.

All the way through their set the band displayed a wide range of ability. They played songs that made me believe that they had a lot of talent and lots to offer, but then they would kind of contradict that and play something that reminded me of their slight lack of talent (this was rare but a couple of the songs just didn’t do it for me I’m afraid).

Another thing that I noticed was that the bands image was INCREDIBLY unique. I don’t think that any one of them had a, what would be regarded a, a “normal” haircut!. The bassist reminded me of a 118 man! The band didn’t really move much on stage either, which wasn’t too much of a problem because at the end of the day the music was good! What else matters? Oh and also, THE DRUMMER! Such talent he has! His drumming was spot on and he is such a credit to the band.

The second half of the band set was a vast improvement from the first. I think that once people had made a proper judgement of the band all was well. You could definitely tell the band take their music seriously. The band remained focused pretty much all the way through the gig. They looked a bit robotic at times but I think that can be counted as a characteristic that differentiates them from other artists.

Next on the bill were the band Team Waterpolo. I had a bit of an advantage with them because I had heard them before. The rest of the crowd seemed to know who they were too because they were welcomed on stage with a mass of applause. The first song was upbeat and energetic and got the crowd jumping almost immediately. It took me by surprise really, I hadn’t heard this particular song by the band and it sounded different to the stuff I was familiar with. I think the only way I can describe it is by telling you my exact thought when the lead singer started singing the lyrics: “Whoa, is this Team Waterpolo or The Darkness?!”.

The bands energy took me by surprise- they were just so energetic! Not as energetic as band such as Cage The Elephant who I had seen weeks before, but still so lively! I had been impressed further. Their sound onstage was different and far better than anything I had heard before I came to the gig. I think I can now safely say that its getting “trendy” to sound better live than what people hear on Singles/Records/Albums/EP’s. There’s no much else I can really say about the rest of their set but it was certain to say that the standard had been set for The Wombats! The most impressive factor about the band was the fact that they seemed to have a song to reflect all moods. This clearly displays their ability to cater for a wide range of fans. (but you’d expect them to know what they were doing having supported bands like Joe Lean and The Jing Jang Jong, Black Kids and Supergrass!)

Some of their songs reminded me of those by does it offend you, yeah?, which I thought was pretty cool seems as I’ve been a big fan of them since I saw them play as part of the iTunes festival back in July. Throughout Team Waterpolo’s set I found myself wishing that I was right down the front. It was too bad that I was stuck at the back with my notebook because it looked like so much fun! (I wouldn’t have expected far more crowd surfing though).

Then FINALLY, it was the turn of The Wombats to take to the stage. The boys opened their set with the usual “Tales of Girls, Boys and Marsupials”. It was clear now that my Liverpudlian lads were back! Well it was for me anyway seems as I hadn’t seen them live since August 2007 when they played my hometown. The crowd had been properly warmed up so when they came onstage there was an ENOURMOUS roar of appreciation. The band then played the song “Kill The Director” which was quite obviously a popular song choice. I don’t think there was one person in the room that wasn’t singing or dancing along! The atmosphere was extraordinary. To be quite honest I could have done with my usual photographer (I say that like I own him) there to really show you what it was like because I’m finding it hard to even begin describing it!

Audiences were then graced with the sound of a brand new song, I think it is to be their next single, but I’m not too sure. Either way the crowd seemed to really enjoy it and everybody soon found themselves clapping along when the tempo sped up.

Vocally and instrumentally the performance was top quality. Nothing struck me as being “wrong” or anything like that. But either way audiences wouldn’t have minded if there were some minor hiccups. 

The band played every song off of the album “A Guide To Love, Loss and Desperation” and every one of them proved to be just as popular as the last. I don’t think I (or the rest of the crowd) stopped chanting once throughout the entirety of the set. I’d also like to mention that I met a couple of men in the crowd who’s combined age was 110! I think that really does say something about The Wombats appeal, they have something for everybody. (they too sang and danced their way through the set, they were still chanting and jumping when I disappeared off to the bar for a quick drink!)

My favourite song of the night had to be “Here Comes The Anxiety”, purely because it had always been a favourite and I just love it.

The second half of the set started off moderately relaxed but I think the toned down approach was just to give the guys a bit of a break because they’d been going mental for five songs straight! They deserved it. From then on the rest of the set seemed to pass really quickly, the songs were raised back up to being lively, energetic, rhythmic and pretty high octane! The band finished off their spectacular set with the song “Backfire At The Disco” which I thought was a brilliant choice of song to finish up with, and the audience seemed to agree!

By the end of the gig I was a bit gutted that this amazing night had come to an end so quickly but nevertheless, I was SO glad to be out in the fresh air. Both me and my notebook (I talk about it like its my psychic or something. Funny stuff) had taken a bit of a battering throughout the gig, and got soaked in more beer than an alcoholic could possibly ever need! Not to mention the minor brain damage from the continuous pelting of various coloured and sized glowsticks at the back of my head. It was still a good gig either way. I would definitely advise that you put “Seeing The Wombats live” on your list of things to do before you die because they’re just… awesome. They do not disappoint. The Wombats also differentiate a lot from other bands that are signed to their label (14th floor records- Biffy Clyro, Damien Rice, Ray Lamontagne) which shows just how special the industry must think they are!

Overall I’d say that the gig was enjoyable, the support was well chosen and The Wombats were AMAZING. I think all of the bands managed to attract a variety of different aged people, there were people there aged from 12 to 60! All enjoying themselves! Good times!

Words by Carleanne O’Donoghue