Music for Meals gig at Old Queens Head, Islington

I haven't blogged for ages but today I have a very good reason to get back on it. I went to a bloody brilliant night at The Old Queens Head in Islington yesterday, organised in aid of Mary's Meals. The phenomenally talented Tinashe was on the bill so I knew it was going to be good but I was not prepared for the full force of talent that was unleashed on me in this intimate gig on the Essex Road.

First up was singer songwriter Frank Hamilton - a rather cute looking chap with a guitar and a harmonica who sang beautiful songs about lost loves, London and his home town of St Ives and a haunting cover of  Please please, please let me get what I want. Sweet, endearing and easy on the eye and ears!

Next up was the wonderful Tinashe who has been absent from the gig scene most of the year whilst he writes his follow up to debut album saved. I have been patiently waiting for something from him all year and was last night treated to a 5 song stripped back acoustic set. For those of you who have never heard of this man, you have missed out. His music is sweet and uplifting and he is so incredibly talented. His vocals dominated the room we were in, to the point where he probably didn't even need a microphone. My only criticism is that it wasn't long enough, I needed more!

When the organiser of the evening, Bobbie Gordon, took to the stage, I was simply blown away. A backing singer for an endless list of huge artists, Bobbie Gordon is a fresh, unique, soulful and beautiful singer who is definitely one to watch and is clearly wasted anywhere other than centre of the stage. Cheered on by family and friends, entertaining the audience between songs and sounding like the love child of Amy Winehouse, Etta James and Aretha Franklyn, this girl made my night.

The final act was Natty, mesmerising, awesome and a real privilege to listen to him in such an intimate setting. As his set progresed no one spoke and the entire room was hanging off every note and lyric that came out of his mouth, it was hauntingly beautiful in parts, uplifting in others and a brilliant conclusion to an epic line up.

The best £9.40 I ever spent and not only because it was for such a good cause. My final gig of 2011 was probably one of the best...

1.Frank Hamilton:


2. Tinashe


3. Bobbie Gordon:


4. Natty:

Uh Huh Her, Nocturnes - The Review

First impressions are that Uh Huh Her have stepped it up a gear - this is a polished and neatly produced album. Much rockier than the first album 'Common Reaction'. It features tight drumming, crashing guitars and Camilla Grey's sweet vocals. Opener Marstorm is a winner and simply has to be played loud, with it's epic drumming and guitar riffs. . It is an excellent lead in to the next 40 odd minutes of new material. First single Another Case gave a sneak preview of what to expect and my immediate observation is that Leisha and Cam have built upon the positives of their first offering and now have a solid band sound, less synthesized than first time round. I also can't get enough of the drumming on this album, a noticeable addition from last time round. My stand out tracks are 'Marstorm', 'Human Nature', the sweet and slow 'Time Stands Still' and the dreamy 'Wake to Sleep'. 'Debris', is the only track to be solely produced by Leisha and is certainly the darkest track on the album - with guitars in overdrive mode and angry, snarly lyrics.

Uh Huh Her are described as an electro-pop band and in many ways that description still certainly fits but as any good band should, they are trying new things and developing their sound and this second outing is a very good effort. Hardcore Uh Huh Her fans will not be disappointed and it has certainly been worth the wait. Most importantly, with songs like Human Nature, this could be the album that awards them acclaim further afield than the Uh Huh Her faithful. It certainly deserves to, anyway.

Uh Huh Her 'Another Case' video:

Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials album launch

How do you improve on perfection? Ask Florence Welch, who appears to have done just that on her new album Ceremonials which was unveiled to the world last night at the Hackney Empire. From first impressions it blows the magnificent debut Lungs, completely out of the water. Having tried and failed on countless occasions to get tickets to see her perform, luck was finally on my side and last minute I got my hand on a pair of coveted tickets for her final gig of 2011.

Opening with "Only if for a night", Florence arrived on stage with a soaring gem of a song and the crowd went wild. She flitted around the stage, effortlessly belting out her new repertoire with total ease. The best word to describe the hour long set is mesmerising. Particular highlights were "No Light, No Light", "Heartlines", already released "Shake it out" and "What the water gave me", and "Lover to Lover". Florence also rewarded her fans with an epic performance of "Rabbit Heart" and the ever popular "Dog Days".

The real test of last night's gig was that the majority of the material was brand new but this didn't matter as every single number was stirring, epic and instantly exhilarating. For me music is important because of the way it can make you feel and what I heard last night made me feel jubilant. I felt like I was part of something really special, and was honoured even, to see Florence and the Machine live, in this relatively intimate venue, showcasing new material - that from this very first listen is undoubtedly going to be all anyone is listening to next year. This is the album of 2012, in the way that Lungs was the album of 2010. Ceremonials - buy it.

If you can't wait until the 31st then you can stream the album here:
http://eurotrashmusic.co/2011/blog/international/florence-the-machine-ceremonials-full-album-stream/#.Tqe77D_68Ts.twitter

Listen to Shake it Out

New Uh Huh Her single

This week Uh Huh Her have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after Southwest Airlines discriminated against them for kissing on a plane. Two things to note here - rather sweetly Leisha and Cam are apparently now an item BUT more to the point it's astounding that in 2011 this sort of thing still goes on. I hope that in my lifetime I am able to live in a society where people are not judged on or defined by who they happen to love. Is this too much to ask for?

Anyway more importantly for all Uh Huh Her fans: this week the band have also released a new single from their hotly anticpated second album Nocturnes. Uh Huh Her have worked non stop all year. Not only have they produced this whole album themselves after splitting from their management, (they even sold stuff to fans to raise money to make the record), they have toured the US and Canada extensively and even put together an EP in a matter of weeks to tide fans over whilst they waited for the album to come out. The wait is nearly over for Uh Huh Her lovers as the album finally comes out on 11th October and yesterday's release of 'Another Case' offers a sneek preview of what to expect:

The dramatic drum intro, reminiscent of a marching band leads in to a rousing electro pop delight which sticks with their signature sound but indicates a more polished direction. Based on this song it seems that the band have built on their brilliant debut album 'Common Reaction' and taken their music to the next level. Cam and Leisha are both phenomenally talented musicians and hopefully this is the album that propels them to the level of notoriety they deserve based on their talents and songwriting alone.

Check out the new song below.

I heart Hootananny

Hootananny Brixton has stolen my heart. Saturday nights will never be the same again. I'm a convert.

This seriously trendy and much loved pub (oh and it's totally free on Saturday nights by the way) bills itself as the best live music venue in London. Time Out called it "The best night out South of the River", I call it the best night out I've ever had in London; three weekends in a row.I can't help but ask what it is about this place though. It's not particularly glamorous, it's sort of in the middle of nowhere, but everything about this wonderful place excites me: the free entry, the jerk chicken, the reasonably priced drinks, lighting and stage area. Everyone is there to have a good time, hear some great music and let their hair down. I have so far not been disappointed with any of the bands I have seen and they have all been incredibly different. From funk and soul to gypsy folk to acid jazz...

Last Saturday I was introduced to an incredible band called The Killer Meters, by far the best band I have seen live for a while. Despite the fact that their songs were largely unknown, the crowd lapped up every note, drum beat and soaring vocal. I couldn't draw my eyes away from their phenomenal lead singer, Emma Prior, who had the stage presence of Beth Ditto/Florence Welch and Karen O all rolled in to one. The rest of the band were equally as skilled, with the drummer, almost resembling Slash with his top hat and curly hair, driving through the rhythms, and I have never seen anyone enjoy playing a bass as much as their bassist. All I wanted to do was dance and I didn't care what anyone else thought.

This is what Hootananny is all about - top quality live bands, unpretentious clientele with a willingness to embrace whatever band arrives to entertain them and a relaxed, vibrant and entertaining atmosphere where you can really let your hair down. I should know, I'm a regular now.

Click here for more on Hootananny

Check out the Killer Meters below and here

New Florence + The Machine Track

After almost two years of patient waiting and listening to Lungs on repeat, yet strangely never getting bored of it, Florence is back with a brand new track from her upcoming second album - due to be released on November 7th and as yet untitled. Her newly released track is called "What The Water Gave Me" and the best thing of all is that IT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. I could not be more delighted. It's just as rousing, layered, rich and mystical as the majority of Lungs. When you write something as brilliant as the phenomenol Dog Days Are Over and so early on in your career there is always going to be a lot of expectation but judging by this first taster of things to come, we are in for a real treat.

'What The Water Gave Me' has the signature sound of harps and the crashing crescendos that underpin Florence Welch's breathtaking and unique vocals. This song needs to be played loud and often and will just have to keep me going until November...
See for yourself here:

Song of the week: Crystal Fighters "At Home"

Not to be confused with Crystal Castles, Crystal Fighters have been quietly beavering away over the last few years, gaining quite a following. I have been trying to come up with a way to describe this band and it's not easy so luckily I found this in the Guardian's review of a gig earlier this year:

"Crystal Fighters are a highly bizarre musical proposition: a band of arty east London hipsters who have created an uneven fusion of banging rave-era techno and quixotic folk music that makes use of the idiosyncratic wooden percussion, timpani and pipe whistles of the Basque country".

Yeah, so um, pretty straight forward! Anyway, I listened to them a bit a couple of summers ago but haven't really paid much attention since, until I had the pleasure of hearing a live version of this on BBC6 music this morning. "At Home" is a beautiful, catchy and melodic love song with some striking harmonies and touching lyrics. I haven't enjoyed a song as much as this in a while and compared to some of their other songs is almost verging on quite mainstream. Don't be fooled though. Crystal Fighters are no sell out band and if it's crazy punky folky Basque country music you are after then look no further - but for now just enjoy this and let it wash over you as you kick back and finally enjoy some summer weather:

New Warpaint Video

Last week Warpaint premiered their new video for their self titled single 'Warpaint'. It is directed by Ted Newsome and is set underwater. This is one of the strongest tracks from their album 'The Fool' and the video is a real work of art. See for yourself here:

Song of the week - Ed Sheeran "The A Team"

I am probably a bit late to this song but I only heard it on the radio the other day for the first time. This is a really sweet, summery, guitary-folky number which is a welcome addition to a top ten currently dominated by R 'n' B and rap songs.   It's inoffensive and beautiful and  it's the sort of song that people notice straight away.

I googled Ed Sheeran and discovered he is 20 years old and signed to Atlantic Records. He has also already appeared on Later with Jools Holland. 'nuff said.

See for yourself here:

The Harlots live at Monto Water Rats 13/6/11

Last night up and coming band The Harlots played their first full line up gig at the Monto Water Rats in Kings Cross. The Harlots are a four piece rock and roll band formed by Sherwin Claridge and Kike Moreno and based in London. With influences including Oasis, Stone Roses and The Strokes; their music is 90’s indie Britpop with a 21st century credibility. I feel this warrants them a place in a music industry experiencing a domination of young skinny jeaned indie kids who all look and sound a little bit too similar (think Everything Everything, Two Door Cinema Club and The Vaccines). There was definitely a place for them last night at a venue that in the last few years has played host to bands such as Ash, the Cribs and MGMT.

The Harlots already look, sound and feel like an established rock and roll band. The international line up (Italy, Spain, Philippines and Britain) only came together fully two weeks ago after Kike and Sherwin formed the band in late 2010. Hours of auditions later and the final band were officially unveiled on facebook in the last week. Despite this, the band is already a tight unit – jamming together like old friends. Sherwin’s vocals are strong and shine through in their set of original songs which include firm favourites like Red Dress, Dance the Night Away, We could be lovers and the anthemic Babel. The songs are catchy and solid and show great potential in both their song writing and playing. Kike is an accomplished guitarist who comes in to his own on guitar solos. New additions Francesco on drums and Jake on Bass complete the line up and Francesco’s energy really seems to drive the band. Despite a few fixable sound problems last night their debut gig was a winner and at the end of their brief 25 minute set the audience were warmed up and willing for more. They are performing in various venues over the next few weeks and surely can only get better and better. With gig dates rolling in and a fan base slowly starting to form, I really hope the Harlots can continue to build on their talent, drive and experience and get some material recorded soon – mainly so I can listen to Babel on repeat.

Upcoming gigs:

28th June at 9pm - The Dublin Castle, Camden
5th July at 8pm – The Monarch, Chalk Farm
7th July at 8.30pm - Proud Galleries, Camden
23rd July at 8.30pm - The Bowery, New Oxford Street

www.myspace.co.uk/harlotsuk
facebook

Watch Babel from their last gig in Tottenham Court Road

Warpaint live at HMV Forum, Kentish Town

Two things stand out from Warpaint’s gig in Kentish Town last night: they can play- they can really play and they are cool, achingly cool. This four girl group from LA have such a command over their instruments and vocals that they could play a rendition of a nursery rhyme in their own unique style and it would sound amazing. The ease and often nonchalant attitude with which they play have you hanging off their every chord and lyric.

Warpaint are not a new band, they have been around since 2004 but the fact they haven’t rushed through album after album in the last 6 years means that each and every track on their debut EP “Exquisite Corpse” and album “The Fool” is a superbly crafted gem with thought provoking lyrics and tight harmonies. They are finally breaking the music scene over here and for this I am extremely thankful – they are what has been missing from my music collection.

Last night they treated the audience to an hour and a half of tracks from the EP and album. I once heard their music described as experimental art house rock which doesn’t immediately conjure up images of an audience going wild but the way they control the stage and excite you as a listener meant that we weren’t standing still for long. When they played their track “Undertow” and the audience sang along – it cemented Warpaint as a band that wouldn’t be out of place filling bigger venues in the near future.

The set started with relatively unknown track Jubilee and moved on to the upbeat Bees, Undertow, Composure through to haunting tracks Majesty and Set Your Arms Down. The main set finished on Beetles which concluded with an epic outro that provided a platform for the band to show off their talents. As a group they just fit together so well and spur each other on, creating an energy that charges the whole room.

Each member of the band was able to showcase their talents at various points. Jenny Lee Lindberg’s bass playing shines through on every track as she drives each song with ease and experience. Emily Kokal’s pitch perfect vocals shone through particularly when she took to the stage on her own during the encore and sang the spine tingling “Baby”. A particular highlight for me was the extended version of “Elephants”, again during the encore, which showcased Theresa Wayman’s outstanding guitar prowess and proved what a force drummer Stella Mogwaza is – no one wanted the set to end.

My only disappointment was that they didn’t have time to play every single song but this is because I am a self confessed fanatic. However I can’t imagine that there were many dissatisfied audience members last night – not if the atmosphere, crowd appreciation and woman dancing next to me were anything to go by.

Warpaint are playing the festival circuit this summer and if you get a chance to see them play then do it. You won’t be disappointed.

Setlist:
Jubilee
Stars
Bees
Undertow
Composure
Majesty
Warpaint
Set Your Arms Down
Beetles

Encore:
Baby
Elephants

Warpaint Elephants Live on Jools Holland


Undertow video:

Single of the week: Toddla T - "Take It Back"

It's not often that I get excited about a dance record - I find a lot of this kind of music repetitive and uninspiring but when I do hear the occasional gem I get VERY excited and this track is just that. Take it Back is the latest offering from DJ and producer Toddla T who has teamed up with 90s popstar Shola Ama (remember her?!) to bring us a catchy summer dance treat.  I don't know if it's Ama's influence but this has a definite 90's dance music vibe to it - and it really works. Think Olive, Baby D, Robin S meets David Guetta but with Toddla T's own unique style.

The opening beats immediately inspire me to kick back and press repeat. The vocals are strong, the beats are catchy, the production tight and I will be surprised if this isn't part of the summer 2011 soundtrack - it really should be.

See for yourself here:

Fleet Foxes "Helplessness Blues"

Last week I bought the new Fleet Foxes Album - the eagerly anticipated follow up to their 2008 self titled debut. I absolutely LOVED their first album. I bought it on a whim after seeing an advert for it on TV and it became a firm favourite for tube and car journey's, dinner parties, background music, chilling out in my room music...

I was not disappointed when I popped their second album in to my cd player. As with the first one, it took a few listens but by the third play I was hooked. I was therefore astounded to read such varied reviews, many verging on the negative. So here is my take:

Helplessness Blues is a 12 track delight. The opening bars of track one 'Montezuma' set the tone for the rest of the album. This is a sweet and melodic tune and leads nicely in to a succession of harmonic, melodic beauty's with my highlights being Sim Sala Bim, The Cascades  and The Shrine/An Argument. The catchy Bedouin Dress in parts wouldn't be out of place on a Simon and Garfunkel album. Lorelai is a beautiful tune that really showcases their harmonic style. Towards the end of the album it mellows out even further, finishing on Grown Ocean which really makes you feel warm inside, as does most of this album to be honest.

This is perfect summers day music, in fact it's perfect in Autumn, Winter, Spring...well you get the idea, it's just, well, perfect.

Here is the audio for Helplessness Blues:



And just because I love it, White Winter Hymnal from their debut album:

Uh Her who?

A few months ago I was having dinner at a friends house and suddenly became aware of the background music. I asked who it was - "oh it's this band called Uh Huh Her - it's got that funny one off the L word in it". At this point I had not seen the programme (although I was swiftly lent the box sets) so I went home and googled the band and found a video to their song "Not a Love Song" - a beautifully crafted electro pop gem which was more than enough to reel me in to the charms of this US band. A bit more internet research led me to discover their 2007 album and their original ep and I have followed their career avidly ever since - a lucky move as I didn't have to wait long for them to come bouncing back on the scene this year with a new EP and promise of an LP in the summer. They are currently touring round America much to my impatience and I am eagerly awaiting some UK dates.

Their first album Common Reaction is a mix of addictive sing along tracks. Particular highlights for me are Explode - a moody guitar number, Dreamer - more of a ballad and Say So - an upbeat dancey number. Their new EP Black and Blue which is a taster for their long awaited second album is much darker but just as easy on the ear. The title track sounds good played really loud and the guitar riff on I've Had Enough is epic.

I imagine most of their UK following are L word fanatics who have followed the career of Leisha Hailey the bass and keyboard player very closely. Camilla Grey, vocals and keyboard/guitar is no stranger to the music scene, having been in another band and played keyboards for American Idol winner Adam Lambert on his recent tour. Together they create excellent electro pop records that wouldn't be out of place on a playlist for BBC 6 Music.  I would absolutely love to see them break the music scene over here.

Check them out below:

For newcomers to the charms of Uh Huh Her this is "Not a Love Song" from their first album Common Reaction: 




Their latest video "Black and Blue" from the current EP of the same name, highlights their shift to a heavier sound but still retaining that anthemic sound found on the first album.