Round Ron Virgin - Cowabungler

Records Records Records

Released: Tuesday 27 July 2010

The nature of the release of this record was very special in that it was released on the 25^th of May to download for free online. You might say that we can download music for free online anyway but Round Ron Virgin's record company, Records Records Records decided to release it as a 'soft' copy for free to bypass the need to download it illegally and, presumably, for some positive publicity. Something similar was done when Radiohead released their album, 'In Rainbows', in October 2007. They told their fans that they could pay as much or as little as they wished for the record.

Cowabungler was the brainchild of Oli Chance, previously of Oli 'n' Clive. Chance broke up the band to go to work for Nintendo in Germany and while he was there he found new inspiration and wrote some songs. Round Ron Virgin includes artists such as, Tom, Henry and Matty from The Rumble Strips, previous members of Oli 'n' Clive, Clare Evans, Katie Potts and Sanjay Mitra (now of The Coastguards), Babak Ganjei and Melinda Bronstein of 'Wet Paint' and 'Absentee' and Jonnie Fielding who sings by the name of, 'Not To Self'. Sounds pretty crazy as a combined group, does it not? The favourable aspect of this situation though, is that not all of these acts work together on every piece, which means that they can concentrate on separate songs, adding their own unique style to the songs which they perform on. Oli Chance is the voice you will hear, however.

Certain tracks, such as, 'Strong Stuff' and 'I Love You, But You are Nuts', have a somewhat unoriginal acoustic, 'make-shift' sound, created by what sounds like a ukulele. However, their charm prevents this from being a damning characteristic. Any song that says, 'I love you', and makes you believe it, will be a song that anyone with a heart will warm to. The general atmosphere of the album is either romantic or downbeat. This isn't unwelcome though in a modern music world often saturated with fake emotion. This believable emotion is one of the things that make this album worth listening to.

Now, Round Ron Virgin has to receive some praise simply for releasing Cowabungler as a free download but it is worth more than that. It isn't a free goody bag of uninspiring things and it isn't just a promotional tool to popularize the band. Despite this, even if one of the main agendas of this album was to get Round Ron Virgin's name out, that isn't something to be frowned upon; it's an ingenious idea. There are many new bands who pass us by unheard because we do not want to risk a tenner on finding out whether they are worth that tenner or not, especially with numerous uninspiring wannabes coming on to the scene every week.

From the cover of the album, showing a young boy and girl with their faces painted and a balloon each, you get the impression that one of the main ideas of the album was to go back to something very simple and honest and 'Been Waiting' has the essence of a lullaby.

Cowabungler might be more extraordinary than most of what is in the charts today but I cannot help thinking that if more time and money had been spent on it, it might have been of benefit. Maybe then, Round Ron Virgin would have dared to charge us for it.


(15/8/2010) Would just like to mention that I might have been slightly harsh with parts of this review as it is an album which is 'all smiles' so to speak and somewhat romantic and at the time of writing it, I wasn't feeling romantic at all...

Richard Youngs

Beyond the Valley of Ultrahits (original source)

Jagjaguwar

Released: Monday 19 July 2010

Beyond the Valley of Ultrahits is the new album from the Glasgow-based songster, Richard Youngs, of the Jagjaguwar record label who also release the records of Ladyhawk and Black Mountain.

According to Richard Youngs, Beyond the Valley of Ultrahits is a response to a dare from his colleague, Andrew Paz, to 'Make a proper pop album'. From listening to the album, I can see this intention singing through. Whether I would ever describe or simplify this album as pop, I doubt it. Furthermore, the title of the album seems to suggest that this is a record 'beyond' the sometimes low-lying valley of pop music. Maybe Youngs has refused to turn his back on what he believes in.

As soon as the premiere track of the album, 'The Valley in Flight', begins and you hear Youngs' voice, chanting like an Indian shaman, you think, 'what the hell is this?' However, a bit like when you first try snails, it is actually quite nice after a small earful.

Some of you will have been equally unaware of Richard Youngs until now, but he actually has been quite prolific in the music industry during the last twenty years. His music is out there as well. If you type 'Richard Y' in to Youtube, he is the first name in the list.

Youngs' music has always been atmospheric and based on his angelic voice and it is his voice which he builds the foundations of this new album upon. If I was to compare Youngs to anyone, I would probably say that he is a more chilled out Tom Vek and sans the hypnotic beats.

'Summer Void' is a track that lifts the mood of the album for a while. The warm beat and Youngs' summery harmonies make your heart beat slow and strong. The title of the song suggests a summer of emotional emptiness but 'emotionally empty' is not something that could be used to describe this track.

Looking at the album cover and the titles of the songs on the album, it seems that, in making the record, Youngs has gone out looking for ideas and answers in nature and the big wide world, e.g. 'Like a Sailor', 'Love in the Great Outdoors' and 'Collapsing Stars'. Love in the Great Outdoors has the same ancient and spiritual feel of 'The Valley in Flight' and the love he finds there seems to be with the wilderness itself, not another person. It is a song about Youngs' relationship with nature, the same sort of experience felt by Wordsworth and Coleridge two hundred years ago. Youngs voice is like the wind howling over hillsides and whistling through the grass.

'Oh Reality' is maybe the only conventionally 'catchy' song on the album. It is also the most pop-like in the way that Youngs repeats the words 'Reality, oh reality'. It is not my favourite on the album but it is one that will keep you singing to and from the bathroom. If the previous nine tracks on the album were full of questions and learning then the tenth track, 'Sun Points at the World', might be the point where Youngs finds some answers and his eyes are opened, maybe by the light of the sun which is pointing at the world. See what I did there? It is in-keeping with the style and mood of the rest of the album but the drum beats are more determined and steady. He sings, 'I know 'cause I've felt it, I know that I want it'.

Youngs has done well with Beyond the valley of Ultrahits to stay true to his style and his ideas, whilst also finding new ideas 'beyond the valley'. It is not a record which panders to the conventional tastes of the masses but it is a record that will be loved by those lucky enough to discover it.

Dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan

I have just watched the hugely compelling American documentary, The Cove, about the slaughtering of mainly bottle-nosed dolphins, in a secluded cove, Taiji, Japan. There, a small group of local fishermen use their motor boats and metal poles to herd dolphins and make noise to scare them in to the cove where they then trap them in between two nets which stretch across the breadth of the inlet. Once they are trapped, the fisherman harpoon the dolphins and/ or slash their throats, killing them and leaving the water a dark red. Hundreds upon thousands of dolphins are slaughtered each year.

However, not all of the dolphins were killed. Some, usually the more friendly-looking  female dolphins were sold in to captivity to other places in Japan and, also, aquariums all over the world.

The documentary was directed by Louie Psihoyos and championed by Richard O'Barry. O'Barry was the man who captured suitable dolphins for the role of 'Flipper' and he worked to develop the practice of putting dolphins in to captivity for ten years of his life. However, when, as he described, one dolphin who played Flipper, 'committed suicide' in his arms, he was distraught and guilty and realised that these dolphins were not supposed to be stuck in these man-made aquariums, that they were not happy there. Thus, for the last 38 years, O'Barry has campaigned and acted against it, which was brought to light most luminously in this amazing documentary.

I watched a copy of the film on www.stagevu.com but it will be shown tonight (20/7/2010) on british television, on More 4, at 22:00, if you can catch it. 

Appeal Video with Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Anniston, etc
http://www.thecovemovie.com/
Facebook petition

It is such a sad but important piece of film. It also documents the dangers of eating dolphin due to its high mercury content, which can cause blindness, deafness and brain damage. The mercury content in dolphin meat is recorded at twenty times the recommended maximum amount.

Since the film was released, publicly pressure caused the Taiji authorities to ban this culling temporarily but fishermen are now killing these dolphins again. Richard O'Barry is running a campaign against what goes on in Taiji and you can donate to the cause or simply 'sign' a petition on Facebook to say that you are against the killing and capturing of these wonderful, intelligent creatures. Please sign the petition, which I have left a link to, if you agree with this campaign. I am sorry if my standard of writing has not been to the usual quality but I am very tired, it's 02:30 now. I will be putting up three music reviews this week, including a review of 'Round Ron Virgin's' debut album, 'Cowabungler'.

Au Revoir Simone - Night Light

(original source on Soundblab.com)
Moshi Moshi

Released: Monday 5 July 2010

Night Light, by Au Revoir Simone, is an album of remixes of songs from their original album, Still Night, Still Light. Au Revoir Simone is an all-girl threesome from New York. They are one of a group of girl bands who were seemingly inspired by Sofia Coppola's, 'The Virgin Suicides'. Their look is also reminiscent of the girls from the intriguing 1975 movie, 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'.

Now, the original album did what it said it would; it was graceful and reassuring but 'Night Light' does seem to bring an extra spring to the step of those 2009 editions. Jensen Sportag's remix of, 'All or Nothing' is pepped-up with some nice trumpets and drum beats, which certainly bring a more Mediterranean feeling to the song as opposed to the Church-organ-accompanied narcoleptic track from the first outing.

Still Night, Still Light contained keyboards and melodies which were synonymous with the 2009 summer in trendy, American Apparel-wearing New York but the remixes truly offer a good reason to re-visit theses tracks at a new time for music.

Lead singer of Au Revoir, Erika Foster, has also featured on a brilliant Aeroplane remix of Friendly Fires' record, 'Paris', a track with more kick than those of her own making. Not to say that Au Revoir's style is any less valuable. There is room for all good music around the dinner table.

If you already knew about Au Revoir Simone, I would definitely recommend picking up a few tracks off this album, if not all of them. If this is the first you have heard of them though, I would suggest experiencing the joys of the original, Still Night, Still Light, first.

If Still Night, Still Light was the perfect soundtrack to an afternoon dosing under the sun then Night Light is a warm and rousing way to wake up and chill with some friends and some drinks.

Tracks

1. Another Likely Story (Neon Indian Remix)
2. Shadows (Jens Lekman Remix)
3. All Or Nothing (Jensen Sportag Remix)
4. Knight Of Wands (Dam Mantle Remix)
5. The Last One (Mack Winston Dub Remix)
6. Trace A Line (Montag Remix)
7. Only You Can Make You Happy (Deradoorian remix)
8. Take Me As I Am (Max Cooper Remix)
9. Anywhere You Looked (Your Twenties Remix)
10. Organized Scenery (Bass Clef Remix)
11. We Are Here (Silver Columns Remix)
12. Tell Me (Clock Opera remix)
13. Another Likely Story (Aeroplane Remix)

Alan Pownall cover at Dot 2 Dot Festival -MCR, 31/5/10

Alan Pownall - The Strokes - Someday cover

Now, I was actually there at the Deaf Institute when Alan Pownall played this cover. There weren't a lot of people in the room but enough to create an atmosphere. Dot 2 Dot, before this, had been underwhelming, just something fun to do and maybe I would find out about some good bands who I hadn't heard of before. I saw the Mystery Jets after Alan Pownall, at the Academy but they seemed exhausted, their voices were weak and strained and they played a lot of songs from their new album, Serotonin, which I am not very familiar with yet (I will be though). Anyway, this acoustic performance was sublime, surprising and sad. The video is very enjoyable but you probably won't have the same experience as I did. It was a moment of musical euphoria for me.

A lot of new bands look the same and sound the same and when you see another band who looks the same as the last ten bands you have seen, you expect this band to sound the same as them as well. However, Alan Pownall, is not one of these bands. A lot of young men make bands out of a dream of stardom, of being mobbed by girls and living a rock 'n' roll lifestyle, but if you do not have one of or several of a certain group of ingredients, then you just are not going to be any good. The first thing you notice about Alan Pownall, after his good looks, is his rousing, tender voice. Almost any band can write a catchy pop song but Alan Pownall is a singer. Now, if you have a voice to sing with, then you really are one big step on the way to being good. 

'...the long-held vowel sounds which he draws out reach towards you like someone with a broken heart.'

Furthermore, I know that it was a cover he did that really impressed me but his own words are strong too. His song, Colourful Day, makes the most of his powerful voice and the long-held vowel sounds which he draws out reach towards you like someone with a broken heart. He sings, 'I'm telling you a story, so look at me when I'm talking to you'. I know this is a simple line but the emotion in the line really resonates with me. It is everyday stuff, yeah, and we experience these emotions. 

I think we might be seeing more of Alan Pownall and, with his lyrical ability and genuinely great voice, he deserves the success which is coming his way. 

Au Revoir Simone

Hey. A bit of an update for anyone reading. I will be posting a review of the American alternative girl-group, 'Au Revoir Simone', (which is quite appropriate for me) this week so look out for that :]

A Place To Bury Strangers (gig review)

The Deaf Institute, Manchester, Sunday 23 May 2010 (original source - 
APTBS Review - www.soundblab.com)
I posted some photos from this gig about a month ago and here's the review to go with them (can't think why I didn't upload this as well).

The Deaf Institute has three floors. The floor that you immediately face when you walk through the expansive Church-like doors is the groundfloor cafe bar - a relaxed and cosy but trendy place. Above this floor is the upstairs music hall. Walking up the two flights of wooden stairs in to this unusual venue is akin to climbing the stairs to Heaven. Gladly, the gods of music wrote my name unto the list and I was granted a place to see A Place To Bury Strangers, supported by Crocodiles and The Megaphonic Thrift. Was the music on offer heavenly, I hear you ask? Well, patience is a virtue and you will have to wait to find out.

If the venue was holy then the musical seismic waves which A Place To Bury Strangers produced had its focus at the devil's side. First up though, was The Megaphonic Thrift (TMT), presumably inspired by the use of the megaphone. TMT are a Norwegian indie band who are fairly unknown in Britain and this was shown by an almost empty standing area. The Deaf Institute has unusual cinema-like seating at the back of the room though and every seat was taken by those who are afraid of that which they call the Mosh. You know the ones. Probably friends of the band members who only come, because they are obliged to or would rather just sit down to watch, which is fair enough.

Those who did not choose to arrive early enough to see TMT, to my surprise, really missed out. Scandinavian bands have always produced interesting sounds and their use of guitars produces a cool, delicious atmosphere, much like the climate over there. TMT's sound is refreshing after years of the same college rock/ geek chic music. Pretty Linn Frokedal's harmonies make this band seem special and I, for one, will be following them for the foreseeable future.

As the lights were dimmed and the stage lights were creating reflections from the three-foot disco ball, Crocodiles entered the fray. I found Crocodiles somewhat annoying. Like the aforementioned college rock/ geek chic bands, this New York-production-line, Ray-ban-wearing bunch of wannabes made me cringe at their lack of originality and imagination. There are some brilliant bands from New York and Ray-bans can be pretty goddamn awesome but, despite looking a hundred times and looking back again, I could not see anything inspiring or enjoyable about their performance. I might have missed something though, because, lead singer, Charles Rowell's, attempt to dance like Mick Jagger ensured that I could not keep my eyes on centre stage for very long for fear of vomiting.

Asking Crocodiles to come on just before them could have been a huge stroke of genius from A Place To Bury Strangers (APTBS) as it would be difficult not to look at them positively after what the audience had just witnessed. Darkness came for APTBS' performance with only one bright spotlight lighting the face of the bassist, Dion Lunadon. By this point, the standing area was full and there were obviously a few real fans who eagerly anticipated each chorus and chord. APTBS have been labelled, 'the loudest band in New York', and we hear why as they turn their amps right up to the magic number 11, making it nearly impossible to hear the words Oliver Ackermann is singing. It is as if the wall from Pink Floyd's, 'Another Brick in the Wall', has been brought alive by musical notes and now it is hitting the audience in the face. Lucky then, that this wall is not made from brick.

APTBS' music is certainly interesting. The unusual sound that they create is a challenge for even the most well-listened fan to join in with. You can hardly sing along to the siren-like noises heard in the musical cry for help, 'Everything Always Goes Wrong', but that does not really make it any less entertaining. APTBS give a musical performance which can be enjoyed simply from standing and watching. You could question, then, if you could not be as equally entertained by just listening at home or on your mp3 player - my answer would be, "only if you have an orchestra of dock-off speakers", because they are very loud. In fact, my girlfriend complained of a headache little further than the second song. She is a bit of a hypochondriac though.

When you do hear Oliver Ackermann's singing voice, he is reminiscent of Kasabian's Tom Meighan, and in other parts, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain. 'Keep Slipping Away' is a track similar to the anthems which Kasabian are famous for but they also have that droning Cobain vocal. As they play, APTBS just stand and let their instruments create the performance for the audience. The do not gyrate their hips or hump their amps, like Charles Rowell, from Crocodiles, but they have plenty of charisma.

Whether APTBS' wall of noise had hypnotized their fans in to a trance I am not sure, but, there was practically no moshing to speak of. The audience just stood and watched, like when a fierce-looking man is beating someone up and you are afraid to act. It is nice to go to a gig and sing along to catchy songs, like you would to Snow Patrol or The Maccabees but A Place To Bury Strangers proved to me that there is a lot more to live music than that. Good music can succeed on its own without the fuel given by a participating audience. To answer if their music is heavenly, it is certainly out-of-this-world and extraordinary but any angels in Heaven daring to play and sing to this kind of music would surely be banished to Hell.

Twin Shadow - I Can't Wait

Original source - www.soundblab.com

Terrible Records

Released: Tuesday 28 September 2010

 link to song on youtube

Now, I'm starting to wonder where the fat cats at Soundblab are unearthing these unknown gems from. Twin Shadow is the solo project of George Lewis Jr., an artist from New York.

'Twin Shadow has recently signed to Terrible Records.'

Lewis is putting 'feelers' out which will belong to his soon to be released album, 'Forget'. This particular track is called, 'I Can't Wait'. The main charm of the song comes from George Lewis Jr.'s vocals and its clear sound. The lyrics are fairly simple, it is not a poetic masterpiece but that is not the point. It is a track to relax to while driving on a summer's day or making love. Lewis sings, 'I cannot wait for summer, I cannot wait for June'. His voice is reminiscent of Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran and their legendary song, 'Rio'. The holiday theme of the song is not just found in a few obvious lines though. Lewis sings in such a relaxed tone that you imagine he is lying, eyes-closed on a sun lounger (not taken by a German tourist) overlooking the breaking waves. Keep your eyes peeled for Twin Shadow.