Miss Halliwell – Abscess Granted EP

Hot on the heels of their hits album and a triumphant Valentine’s Day gig Miss Halliwell is back with a brand new EP, Abscess Granted. It’s a suitable title for a band that could be seen as existing to infect and eat away at much of the lamentable auto tuned overproduced dirge that passes for music these days and the EP opens with the kind of tribal drumming that normally, equally appropriately, signifies some kind of human sacrifice or declaration of war. In fact Dimwit’s a glorious post punk rollercoaster of a track, trundling along a fair old speed before slowing suddenly to an almost funereal pace and then...whoosh...we’re off again...hold on to your lunch suckers. Musos may spot a pleasing hint of The Blockhead’s Blackmail Man in there, good to see at least one band doing their ‘Dury’ service... 

Dimwit segues rather nicely into Solid Wench. I do love a good Solid Wench. “Half past hate” rasps Miles before unleashing a stream of lyrics that mean absolutely nothing and yet everything all at the same time. What would Ken Dodd make of it all? Answers on the decapitated torso of a Diddy Man please. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, comes a cover of The Four Tops classic, Reach Out. Miles plays it pretty straight (although I’m pretty sure Holland Dozier Holland didn’t write the line “Because the human race is rife with corruption and it’s scarred with organised religion”...more’s the pity), with just the merest hint of his familiar sneer in there. Sure it’s Karaoke meets Klassic but there’s something about the mix of old skool synths coupled with Miles’ Midlands’ accent that makes the whole thing strangely moving. Next up B-Raters Girlfriend drips with bile (for Miles himself seemingly - “I’m not as fun as the pictures in my brain would have me believe” - almost as much as for the song’s target?) and its classic Halliwell. Offbeat but catchy it’s possibly the ‘rockiest’ they’ve ever sounded with some particularly meaty beaty drumming from the lovely Rose of Bearwood. You never know where Halliwell will head next so frankly you shouldn’t be surprised that Shall We takes a psudden pysch tinged pswerve. Imagine PiL era Lydon fronting Syd era Floyd and you’ll have some vague idea of the vibe. Ambition and eclecticism? Thy name is Miss Halliwell.  

It ends all too soon with the mini 'masterpiss' of Capitulate, one man’s personal plea bargain with himself and his fellow Halliwellians to keep going no matter what, all set against a surprisingly bouncy synth line and old skool handclaps. “Whatever happens we won’t capitulate” (that’s the Miss Halliwell manifesto right there) spits Miles with the kind of defiance that usually ends in a six hour siege and police shootout before spinning off on a gloriously wild simian freakout. It...and this whole ruddy brilliant EP for that matter...is Abscess-ential listening for anyone who likes their music with the guts still in. 

You can snap up the EP right here via iTunes. Miss Halliwell also play The Sunflower Lounge this Saturday March 7^th !

Run of the Jill - limited edition prints from iconic artist!

It's an old complaint these days but back when vinyl was the dominant format there were some truly stunning album and single covers. One of my personal favourites was this little beauty above. Neat eh? On a whim I did a bit of digging around online a year or two ago to see who'd drawn it and discovered it was someone called Jill Mumford. It turns out that Jill was also responsible for sleeves for The Jam. Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Who, Rip Rig and Panic and XTC along with spreads for NME, Melody Maker and Straight No Chaser. Now you can grab signed and numbered limited edition prints of some of these designs (including stuff for Siouxsie and the Banshees, PiL, Beastie Boys and a great one called The Last Supper of Funk) for just £60-£70 + P&P. They should sell out faster than hot cakes and will no doubt end up changing hands for hundreds on eBay so consider this a bit of a heads up! 

  

Hallelujah, see the (BC Camp)Light!

Yes Brothers and Sisters, let me hear you say “Hare and Hounds on Monday March 9^th!” Let me hear you say “Tickets available from our good friends at Birmingham Promoters!” And let me hear you say “Would you like a double G&T?!” Hell, it’s worth a try. Anyway, if you’ve not heard BC Camplight before you’re in for a treat. Take a dash of Brian Wilson, add a pinch of John Grant and whip in just a hint of Smokey Robinson et voila. 

It’s no secret that ol' BC (aka Brian Christinzio) has seen his fair share of troubled times over the past few years with addictions to drugs and booze culminating in his retirement from the music biz and, I’m guessing, very nearly planet earth itself. Invited over by a fan from his ‘home’, an abandoned church in Philadelphia to Manchester in 2011 he slowly got back into writing and playing again with the first fruits of this creative rebirth being the heart shattering new album How To Die In The North. Highly recommended. 

Indietracks 2015!

Not just a festival more (apologies to the Manics here) a ‘design for life’ Indietracks is possibly the friendliest, loveliest, cutest (insert your favourite superlative here) event around. Focussing on...go on...guess...yep, ‘Indie’ music there’s always an impressively wide range of styles on offer, from fragile folk to thrashy punk and all stations along the way (2013 review here and 2014 review over here).

The first acts for this year’s festival (24th – 26th July at The Midland Railway, Ripley, Derbyshire) have just been announced and I’m chuff chuffed to see that The Go! Team are on the bill along with, amongst many others, Cinerama (David Gedge of The Wedding Present’s side project) and Euros Childs. Keep your eyes glued (not literally, it stings terribly) on the festival’s website over here and while you’re at it snap up an early bird ticket right now for just £68 (available until 5pm on Sunday May 3rd)!

Xpress yourself...

This Sunday sees another instalment of legendary cult spoken word / music 'happening' Sunday Xpress held at Digbeth's finest The Adam and Eve. Presided over by the larger than life Big Bren there's an open mic slot from 4pm with sets from Giant-Elf Fist and Betty and the Id after 7pm...and the whole ruddy thing's as free as a bird!

Ace City Racers - Different Angle / Wilko

Glaswegian three piece Ace City Racers have just released a rather fine double A side single (vinyl...it’s the future I tells ya). Different Angle has a neat Smiths-ish swagger with a little punk and glam tossed in for good measure whilst Wilko is a bullshit free 60 seconds or so sliver of indiepunk perfection paying homage in both name and feel to the legendary cancer kicking Feelgood bassist Mr W. Johnson Esq. I have a feeling the man himself would heartily approve.

Different Angle / Wilko is out now on DIY Records right here! (you can download it too but where’s the fun in that eh?)

Miss Halliwell / The Crooked Hooks / The Nature Centre @ Sandwell Snooker Centre, Bearwood, Saturday February 14th

All across the world couples are sitting opposite each other in some posh restaurant somewhere, paying £40 for a bowl of pasta and the price of a small family car for a bottle of ‘Sham’-pagne. Meanwhile we’re at...er...Sandwell Snooker Centre, downing pints of M&B Mild. Who says romance is dead eh? To be fair there’s a good reason, another ‘local’ Miss Halliwell show, a band I’ve been in love with almost as long as I’ve been married, give or take a decade or so.

First up though The Nature Centre, kicking off with a little Syd era Floyd meets quality indie pop, all wrapped up in lovely Brummieness. Bonus points for calling one song BRMB and including the lyric “You’re not from Venus...you’re from Solihull” in another track and a special gold star for the lady Nature Centre-ist (I was going to say naturist but that’s something altogether different...) who seemed to be able to play pretty much every instrument under the sun. A worthy addition to fellow Brummie indie poppers Misty’s Big Adventure, The Dollcanoes and Kate Goes (we have a sneaky feeling the lady Nature Centre-ist was/is in Kate Goes too).

Next The Crooked Hooks dished up everything from a little alt-boogie through to prog punk courtesy of newbie Cokehead. Gloriously raucous and ramshackle in places any band that has a song called Walt Disney’s Cryogenically Frozen Head has to be worth a listen, right? Highlights included the string bending genius of Factory Filth, the lyrics ‘punched out’ like some huge great metal pressing machine in a suitably staccato style.  

“With power comes responsibility” intones Miles Perhower, Miss Halliwell’s lead vocalist and visionary, as he appears as if from nowhere sporting what looks like a Mexican wrestling mask and wearing a heavy overcoat. At this point I’d normally witter on (blah, blah, blah) and write a standard review but reading back through my notes, written with the benefit of a drink or three, somehow makes a lot more sense this time...

“Miles – leaping savant, soothsayer, sage, demon and goblin. Band gelling brilliantly. It’s the future. It’s subtle, it’s complex, it’s simple, it’s fucking HEARTFELT. In a world of imposters Miss Halliwell shines the light. EVERY SET SEEMS FRESH. Miss Halliwell wanders the dangerous line between disaster and perfection better than anyone. Christ...an old woman invades the gig from the bar outside and starts heckling the band...”who invited their nan?” asks Miles. Miss Halliwell...like meeting a proper character in a bar. The ranters and ravers that somehow make sense. It’s psych, it’s indie, it’s prog, it’s x and y and everything in between. “Don’t give into the world, Everyone will die someday. Don’t capitulate”. Reach Out (I’ll Be There)...the heart attack cover version...a barfly serenading his world at 3.28 am. “Your life is an illusion. DIMWIT!” Hmmmm...shit...so true. Miles, the only frontman to put on his jacket and coat onstage before exiting the building as swiftly as he arrived. No encore, none of the ‘hits’, leave us wanting more...and more”.

That, pretty much, is what I scribbled down...or at least that’s what I could make out (I struggle to read my own handwriting at the best of times and there was a lot more swearing in the original version plus some words that look like Russian...hmmm) but perhaps it goes some way to capturing the essence of a Miss Halliwell gig...or then again maybe not. Either way you’ll have your chance to find out at their next gig at The Sunflower Lounge on Saturday March 7^th or, if you fancy a weekend away, they’ve been booked to play two nights at The Waterhole in Amsterdam on June 4th and 5th. Failing that the digital release of Miss Halliwell’s ‘Best of’ album, The Perhower and the Gory Years 2010-2014, is out now at all good record shops...er...no...laptops probably...or whatever you lovely people use these days.  

Steve Strange RIP

Sad news today about the passing of Steve Strange, one of the driving forces behind the entire New Romantic movement and, by all accounts, a real character in his heyday. He'd been through hell over the years with a drug addiction and clearly that must have been a factor behind his sudden death from a heart attack at 55 but still, gone too soon and all that, just when he seemed to be getting his life back together too. Who knows what Visage (the group he formed with Midge Ure, Rusty Egan and others back in 78) might have achieved if things had worked out but they did leave us with these little beauties (slightly spookily the last vid seems to have been filmed in Egypt where Strange died)...

JOHN – Homme D’affaires

Whilst Phil Spector famously had his ‘wall of sound’, JOHN have clearly plumped more for a ‘fist of noise’ on new single Hommes D’affaires, 2minutes and 44 seconds of blisteringly paced, throat shredding bombardment. Lo fi cymbals that sound like they’ve been recorded in a lock up garage somewhere give way to the bastard offspring of Motorhead’s Ace of Spades and Sabbath’s Paranoid. Recommended!

PS: No stuffed foxes were harmed in the filming of the video. 

Pedestrian At Best - Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett's back with yet another superbslackerstreamofconsciousness anthem, Pedestrian At Best, that sees her wrestling with the knotty problem of minor fame, fortune and adulation that's deservedly gushed her way over the past 12 months or so. Revealing a rare gift for seeing through the next big thing bullshit she's kind of writing herself off already...genius...er...which is why she should be the next big thing...and so we go round and round in circles until we all get dizzy and puke on a stranger's shoes. That's my afternoon sorted. Anyway just give it a listen, two listens if you're that way inclined, you won't be disappointed...

Get The Assist In Your Ear...

Walsall four piece The Assist have just released a brand new track, In Your Ear, as something of an amuse-bouche (yep, I’ve been reading food reviews again) for their biggest headline show to date at The Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton (hmmm...wonder if fellow Walsall lad Noddy Holder will be there?) on Saturday February 21^st. Bravely negotiating more changes of pace than Lewis Hamilton going through a triple chicane In Your Ear retains the band’s knack for an addictively hooky sing-a-long chorus that’s fast becoming a bit of trademark. For further evidence you can listen to their equally catchy debut single, The Assist...right ‘ear’...oh come on, it had to be done...  

Spamalot @ The New Alexandra Theatre, Monday February 2nd 2015

There aren’t many meat (or in this case meat ‘product’ related musicals) are there eh? Errr...Okla-ham-a? Seven Pies for Seven Brothers? The Rocky Horror Pork-ture Show? Nope, Spamalot’s the only genuine article and in the 10 years since it was first staged it’s gone on to become a firm favourite here and...perhaps somewhat bizarrely given how ‘British’ the humour is...abroad. Just in case you’ve been hiding under a pile of dead parrots for the last decade it's "lovingly ripped off from" the Monty Python and the Holy Grail movie as well as borrowing from other Python sketches and films too giving its writer, Mr Eric Idle, the chance to shoehorn in the comedy troupe’s biggest ‘hit’ Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life (complete with rousing end of show sing-a-long). There’s a plot of sorts but that’s never really been the point of Python has it? Suffice to say it provides plenty of opportunities for an awful lot of silliness, which is no bad thing on a freezing cold February night in Brum.

Over the years numerous celebrities have played King Arthur, this time the Kingly shoes are filled by the helium voiced ‘King of the Jungle’ Joe Pasquale, possibly one of the more Marmite performers (I’m guessing you either love him or...) to have played the role. He’s pretty much perfect for the part though and it has to be one of the few occasions where that distinctive voice of his enhances every word. Being a stand up he’s not afraid to go a little off piste now and again either, resulting in several of this evening’s best moments and reducing fellow cast members to trembling wrecks. 40somethings will love seeing Todd Carty, forever Tucker Jenkins from Grange Hill, again (okay so he was in EastEnders for a while but Mark Fowler wasn’t a patch on Tucker was he eh?) as the gloriously gormless Patsy and Sarah Earnshaw flipped brilliantly from seductress to OTT diva as The Lady Of The Lake.

There are a few local tweaks to appeal to the Brummie crowd and they’ve updated some of the references in one or two of the songs but other than that it’s silliness as usual with hilarious farting Frenchmen, Knights who say “Ni”!, killer rabbits and even a guest appearance from ‘God’ (Eric Idle on a giant screen...I guess he’s probably at home enjoying a Spam fritter or two whilst he counts the royalties). A ‘spam’ good night out all round.  

Spamalot is on at The New Alexandra Theatre until February 7^th when it heads off all over the place...seriously...everywhere...heck, there’s a chance it might end up in your front room. Tickets here!    

Rod McKuen RIP

My favourite songwriter? Quite possibly Jacques Brel, due in no small part to the rather wonderful English translations of his songs (which were generally originally written and sung in French) done by Rod McKuen who’s sadly ‘gone away’ forever at the age of 81. There’s a chance you may not be familiar with too many McKuen/Brel tracks as they’re all too rarely played these days but at their best they're heart breakingly beautiful (or in Almond's version of Jacky gloriously, fabulously OTT). Here’s just a handful. Enjoy...

I'm not sure if McKuen had anything to do with translating this one but, hell, it's too good to leave out. 

And finally here's a McKuen original covered by t'Arctic Monkeys no less.

Plus the original sung by Rod himself.

Thank Cue For The Music...Miss Halliwell announce Valentine's Day Break-up!

Looking for something different to do this Valentine’s Day that won’t cost you a month’s wages and/or involve an emergency dash to your local petrol station for some wilting flowers and a Ginsters Pasty? Relax...unless you only earn £3 a month that is...in which case you’re still a bit buggered...and head down to the Sandwell Snooker Centre (Bearwood High Street) for Miss Halliwell’s Maximum Break-up! See what they did there? The venue used to be a variety theatre back in the day so presumably there's a stage there, either that or the band's just planning on hopping up onto the tables.

The gig also sees the digital release of the Miss Halliwell best of collection, Perhower and the Gory Years (2010 - 2014), a frankly essential introduction to, in my humble opinion, an equally essential group. 

SLUG is all you need

Here’s a new name to me (okay, that’s not saying a lot these days...damn these bands springing up willy nilly all over the shop), ladies and gentleman I give you Sunderland’s rather wonderful SLUG who, as far as I can tell is just one dude (Ian Black). Musically Cockeyed Rabbit Wrapped In Plastic (see above) is kind of like a proggy Sparks, whilst Running To Get Past Your Heart (see below) fuses slacker rock with Killing Joke’s Love Like Blood. Neat. If nothing else Mr Black gets full marks for his titles. There’s an album out on April 13 on Memphis Industries with a mini tour (no Brum Dates yet sadly) around the same time. I’m tipping him for great things this year...which is probably the kiss of death for the poor bloke. Enjoy!

The demise of Demis...

Oh no! Demis Roussos has died. Where would Abigail's  Party have been without a little Demis Roussos eh? And lest we forget he was also in prog / psych rockers Aphrodite's Child in the late 60s and early 70s, purveyors of this particular classic.



RIP big guy.

You can't miss (Miss) Halliwell...

It's true, just a few weeks into the New Year and Miss Halliwell continue their seemingly relentless work rate with a...deep breath...new EP (Abscess Granted, out March 2^nd), Best of collection (Perhower and the Gory Years Best of 2010 – 2014, out February 2^nd) and Valentine’s Day gig (Saturday February 14^th at Bearwood’s historic Sandwell Snooker hall).

They’ve just uploaded a taster from the EP too, Capitulate (not the first word you’d associate with the band or their admirably single-minded frontdude Miles Perhower), and it’s yet another classic mash up of wondrous wordplay and musical mayhem that’s somehow...and here’s the killer blow people...still surprisingly catchy. Have a listen. Go on. I dare you. If it doesn’t make you pogo around in your undergarments then frankly there’s no hope.   

In a Mali-gue of their own

If you've still not popped your 2015 gig cherry yet wrap your ears around some fine Malian music courtesy of Songhoy Blues. If that doesn't warm the cockles nothing will. They're dropping by Brum on Tuesday February 3rd to play a gig at The Sunflower Lounge, tickets right here from the lovely folk at Birmingham Promoters!

East Is East @ The New Alexandra Theatre, Wednesday 14th January

Originally a play, then a film and a sequel (apparently a third instalment’s in development too) this new revival of East Is East dishes up the dream pairing of its writer, Ayub Khan-Din (who you may remember from appearances in My Beautiful Launderette and Sammy and Rosie Get Laid) with Jane Horrocks (who you’ll definitely remember as Bubble from Ab Fab and Little Voice from...er...Little Voice).  

If you’ve somehow missed seeing the original film over the years (frankly inexcusable) the action’s set in a mixed race household in Salford in the early 70s and revolves around the marriage of George Khan (a Pakistan born Muslim), his wife Ella (a British born Roman Catholic) and their 7 kids. 

It’s a set up that’s ripe for sitcom-esque comedic moments, ranging from the imminent circumcision of Sajit (ouch) through to the proposed arranged marriages of two of George’s sons to some, ahem, less than lovely looking brides. Act I goes for the laughs with George ranting and raving at his family and the world he finds himself in like some kind of Pakistani version of Alf Garnett. Act II has some much darker moments though and the physical violence meted out by George on his wife and sons still packs a punch, literally, even if you’ve seen the film or play before.

As you’d expect Khan-Din inhabits George’s skin perfectly, eventually portraying an almost King Lear-like level of confusion, hurt and anger that spills over into violence as his family adopts more Western ways of dress and behaviour. Horrocks is a predictably safe pair of hands as his wife Ella, standing by her man despite the abuse but more than standing her own ground when it comes to defending her family and way of life. 

Kudos to Sally Bankes as Auntie Annie who nails the archetypal neighbourhood matriarch, coming across as a kind of 70s White Dee, whilst the rest of the cast do a fine job of winding George up in between portraying some of the inevitable conflict and confusion caused as two radically different worlds collide in the turbulent 70s. 

Music plays a significant role in the production too, with quick bursts of Northern Soul, pop and...er...the It’s a Knockout theme tune representing the West and more traditional Asian music keeping the East flame alive, even if George’s family take the piss out of it at times, most memorably in the amusing chip shop scene. And the set’s well worth a mention with Designer Tim Scutt perfectly capturing the cramped decaying Victorian squalor that many families still lived in during the 60s and 70s. Of course many ended up in decaying and cramped tower blocks whilst the middle classes moved in and renovated some of these Victorian hovels but we’ll gloss over that for now.

One thing you can’t gloss over perhaps is that just a week after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, for a thankfully small minority, the chasm between East and West seems to be stronger than ever. Other reviews of this current revival written by second or third generation British Asians have also pointed out that the arranged marriage scenes can cause some uncomfortable silences as audience members realise that this could still be their future. Then you’ve got the fear peddling nonsense spouted on Fox News as a so called ‘Terrorist Expert’ labelled Birmingham a no go area for non Muslims and you find yourself thinking that many of the themes explored in East Is East are sadly every bit as relevant as they were back in the 70s. On a brighter note looking round at tonight’s audience though – mixed enough to give an Equality and Diversity Officer a stiffie...albeit a non threatening mutually inclusive stiffie – it’s clear that as a society we’ve come a long way. And thank whichever God might happen to float your boat for that eh? Take that Fox ‘News’.

Having debuted at The REP way back in 1996 it’s great to see East Is East back in the City again and, if you ‘Khan’ grab a ticket, this production’s well worth catching. 

East Is East is on at The New Alexandra Theatre until Saturday 17^th January - tickets here – before moving on to Richmond and Manchester.

Kate expectations...

After a stunning sell out show at the Hare and Hounds last year Kate Tempest returns to Brum on Wednesday 11th February with a date at the Rainbow Warehouse. Having put in the miles for the years on the spoken word circuit she broke through big time in 2014 with the typically ambitious Mercury nominated album Everybody Down. In between all that she managed to pen the odd play and novel and, who knows, by the time you've read this she may well have knocked off a movie or two. Tickets right here from our good chums at Birmingham Promoters. Highly recommended.

Victories At Sea – UP

Ahoy there! Criminally underrated Brum band Victories At Sea have honed their signature brutalist synth pop (yes, I’m making up genres again) sound to perfection on new single UP, combining stabbing old skool synths with bursts of ear enveloping guitars that could give The Jesus, Joseph and Mary Chain a run for their money. It’s out today digitally (something to do with computers...I’m a wax cylinder man myself) via the ever reliable Static Caravan Recordings in anticipation of the band’s long awaited debut album due in the Spring. You can purchase it through itunes right here, right now. No live dates planned at the moment but you can keep UP, as it were, with them via their website. 

Let it Go, Let it Go, Let it Go! Team...

Okay, so it might be the bleakest week of the year right now when you're surrounded by nothing but turkey carcusses, torn wrapping paper, pine needles and bills...oh so many bills...but happily The Go! Team have chosen this very moment to sneak out brand new single The Scene Between, an instant blast of 70s tinged summer sun. Bless 'em. There had been some talk of The Go! Team packing it all in after their last album and...er...most of them have. In fact just Ian Parton remains, but as he started the whole thing off on his lonesome that's not a huge problem from a recording point of view. Who knows if he'll bother trying to do the live thang again (they were pretty joyous affairs so it would be a shame if he didn't) but for now just sit back, polish off that last six boxes of mince pies and enjoy.

Cum on Peel the noise!

Happy New Year and all that jazz.

Just in case you’ve been living under a Mince Pie for the past few weeks one man maelstrom of mirth and music Tom (aka Top) Peel has just over a week to go fund a typically ambitious project called Tom Peel’s Greatest Hits, in which ten of Brum’s best bands cover ten of Tom’s best choons from the past ten years. Here’s a talking cat to tell you how you can help fund it:

Post by Tom Peel's Music.

There’s a special gig next Monday night (January 12th) at TheChurch Inn to boost the coffers (whatever they are) too. Admission is a mere two quid via Tom’s Pozible page. Huzzah! 

Merry Christ-mix!

Every year I trawl the intermess looking for a decent funk and soul Christmas mix and here's this year's for you courtesy of Cookin Soul. It's...er...holly good. Have yourself a Merry Christmas and we'll hook up again in 2015...unless I OD on gin and tonic, turkey and a belly busting variety of meats, cheeses and confectionery that is...

Some tracks of 2014...

Sticking two fingers up at all those boring Top 10s of the year here's my Top 11. Frankly I could probably have done a Top 100 but life's too short for that, right? Enjoy. 

Thee AHs – Spooky Love

Babe – Tilt

Temples – Mesmerise

Miss Halliwell – Allegedly Gory

Lack of Afro – Recipe for Love

Joanna Gruesome – Psychic Espionage

Joan As Policewoman – Holy City

Kate Tempest – Circles

July Talk – Summer Dress

Tune Yards - Water Fountain 

St. Vincent - Digital Witness

Free Monkey for all readers...

Heading up my "Good Grief Why Aren't This Band Famous?" list is The Miserable Rich (who may or may not still exist, I think the jury's out at the moment), a lush chamber pop collective from Brighton fronted by the angel voiced James de Malplaquet. Anyway, they've just released a live album and, in the spirit of Christmas, a free download of a rather nifty mix of an old track of theirs called Monkey. While I'm in a giving mood check out some of their other stuff. Seriously good. You're welcome...

Happy Shoe(gaze) Year!

Boy With Wings - Untitled (Live) from Boy With Wings on Vimeo.

New Year's Eve...oh lordy the pressure to have (cue overexcited voice) "the best night EVAH!" hangs palpably in the air along with the thick aroma of cheap fragrances, stale cigarette smoke and vomit (plus other bodily excretions too disgusting to mention at this time of day dear reader).

There never seems to be that much going on in Birmingham sadly, which is distinctly at odds with its newly unveiled status as one of the top 10 cities in the WORLD according to the good folk at Rough Guide (Ha! Take That Blandchester). This year the people behind the Fierce Festival are putting on a bit of a bash though featuring a live performance from Boy With Wings, a new name to me but one of those all too rare bands that instantly seem to have 'it', fusing as they do a little shoegaze, a little indiepop and a little electronica all of which wrap around the kind of  effortlessly cool lyrics (merde, they even have a song written in French) that so much of modern pop's lacking these days. You can check out and indeed checkout (by buying the ruddy thing) their album right here on a name your price basis and snaffle a ticket to the Fierce NYE 2015 Party over here.

Take My Hand (the theme from Toast Of London!) - Matt Berry

Musicians who do comedy or comedians who do music, they're not normally easy bedfellows are they eh? Somehow Matt Berry manages to straddle the two worlds rather well as demonstrated on the rather melancholic theme tune to the hilarious Toast Of London. If you've not seen it yet here's a few classic moments...

Happy Bloody Christmas!

If you're a little broke this December but still want to help your fellow man/woman in a spurt of festive goodwill then why not pop along to a local Blood Donor centre and give 'em a pint? It's pretty quick and painless and you never know when you or someone you give a toss about might need some. They're always a little low on donations around Christmas time as most of us are too busy drinking our own body weight in Egg Nog so if you've ever considered it now's probably as good a time as any. This afternoon I'm off to donate pint number 50 (blimey how did that happen?) which qualifies me for a gold badge and Knighthood...probably. If nothing else though this all gives me another excuse to pop up the rather fabulous Dance In My Blood by the much missed (by me at least) Men Women and Children. Bloody marvellous.

Saint Saviour / Bill Ryder-Jones @ The Hare and Hounds, Monday 8th December 2014

With some deservedly impressive reviews rolling in for her latest album, In The Seams, there’s a better turn out for tonight’s gig at the Hairy Hounds than there was back in 2012 when Saint Saviour last played here. At that time she was seriously considering packing touring in altogether as, in common with a sadly growing number of artists, she was pretty much doing everything herself which is undoubtedly (a) pretty ruddy time consuming and (b) soul destroying if the turnout’s a little, ahem, slim.

First up though someone else who seems to have been through the musical wringer a bit over the years, Bill Ryder-Jones, former guitarist of The Coral who stopped touring with them for a while citing a “stress related illness” (nasty) before quitting the band for good. I’ve always been stuffed full of admiration for anyone who can get up on stage and do their thing but getting back on the road after going through that must surely take balls the size of Saturn.

Musically both Bill and Becky (aka Saint Saviour) are coming from a similar place right now, intimate, low key and deeply personal. Ryder-Jones (who also produced Becky’s latest album), wrapped up in a hoody and scarf and audibly carrying the remains of a cold with him, this evening played a selection of self penned tracks ranging from Hanging Boy, which has just the merest echo of his twang-tastic days with The Coral through to the more Sweet Babboo-ish There’s a Wall Between Us and on to The Lemon Trees which, despite the cold, nudged him more towards crooner territory (it doesn’t take a huge leap of imagination to see him morphing into an edgier, more urban Richard Hawley). 

As he warms up, metaphorically and literally, the scarf and hoody come off and newer songs lift the pace with Catherine (Bill’s love letter to the streets of Liverpool) in particular showcasing his, up until that point, understated guitar skills a little more.

Time for Saint Saviour then. As already mentioned (hey, if a thing’s worth saying once it’s worth saying a dozen times) In The Seams is clearly a tremendously personal album, much of which seems to be looking back wistfully at her childhood/early adult years and whilst she’s perfectly capable of belting out a tune, as she’s more than proved in the past, much of tonight’s set is delivered in more of a whisper than a scream which, moth to a flame-like, irresistibly draws you in. Opening number this evening, I Remember, is a particularly fragile creature and quite frankly it couldn’t have been more intimate if she’d crept into bed with you and sang gently into your ear in the wee small hours. Pausing between tracks to paint a little picture about each one (not literally, although how cool would that be...we could get Rolf Harris in...what’s that? Oh...good point...) she waxes lyrical on the rugged beauty of Craster in her native Northumberland and reminisces about her schoolgirl crushes and desire to “rescue” the mournful looking indie boys that stared out at her every week from the pages of NME and Melody Maker. I was always more of a Marc Almond kind of boy. With a couple of female backing vocalists and some pre-recorded strings (I imagine that the budget doesn’t stretch to lugging an orchestra around with you sadly), along with Ryder-Jones on guitar (he also adds an almost skeletal vocal to some tracks) it’s an often haunting and mournful sound and you’re driven by an almost overwhelming desire to just climb up on stage and give her a big old hug, especially after Nobody Died (imagine Kate Bush meeting Karen Carpenter on a windswept Northumbrian beach in winter), Becky’s attempt at giving herself a “kick up the arse” when she’s feeling particularly low which, given the tone of many of these songs, is a hell of a lot of the time.

There’s optimism buried in there though, perhaps most notably on Let It Go, tonight’s soar away highlight (despite the best efforts of a trio of individuals at the front who chatted through it...either respect the artists performing or stay at home watching X Factor, okay?). 

With echoes of Anthony and the Johnsons’ majestic Hope There’s Someone and Shakespeare’s Sister’s Stay With Me it’s arguably one of the best things she’s ever done and, in a fairer world, she’d be singing it to thousands of gently swaying pilgrims in the Albert Hall. Ending with an old song, Reasons, she finally unleashes the full extraordinary power of that voice and then she’s gone, ghost-like into the night (oh, alright then...she came back and signed albums and chatted to fans and stuff but that doesn’t sound so dramatic does it eh?).

Saint Saviour, a truly special talent. Go see her. You’ll feel blessed.

PS: Driving home after the gig there was a Nick Drake CD playing in the car, another artist who sadly received far too little acclaim at the time but who has now almost been raised to the level of a saint. It may be a clumsy parallel to draw but it’s easy to see Saint Saviour being similarly revered in 40 years time too. Let’s hope it’s not that long eh? 

King and Queen of Sorry – King and Queen of Sorry

Formed in 2012 King and Queen of Sorry (they’re a five piece so maybe there’s a Duke, Duchess and Prince of Sorry in there somewhere too?) do a fine line in Folk and Americana tinged acoustic pop, the results of which you can hear on their debut album also handily titled King and Queen of Sorry. Pick of the tracks include the rather fabulous boogie bluesy Sure Know Something - shades of the mighty Fleetwood Mac in their 70s prime in there - and the timely (this being the anniversary of World War I and all that) tale of a soldier fighting overseas in Open Door. 

King and Queen of Sorry is out now! 

The Bourgeois Four..."bigger than Jesus"!

To celebrate the glorious return of The Bourgeois Four as announced exclusively (well sort of...) here on The Hearing Aid a couple of weeks ago two of the four, that's a whole 50% of the band...I always knew that Maths 'O' level would come in handy one day...took time out to answer some 'probing' questions. Who needs Paxman eh?  

First of all welcome back. You split a few years ago just when it seemed (to me at least) that you were getting somewhere. What happened?  

Tristan: Andy and I caught “Tom Cruise Syndrome”. We had a crisis of confidence and I, almost literally, pushed Andy over the edge…right off the stage, during our last gig. So we couldn’t make music anymore…for a while.

Andy: For one reason or another the creative process stopped, songs were being written but not finished. Rather than communicate my frustrations to the band, I had a paddy and quit. It’s only now that I realise that 90% of mine and Tristan’s conversations just consist of Alan Partridge quotes.

So why the comeback and why now?

Tristan: It’s just the next chapter. We’ve written a stack of new tunes. We got together, it got our blood pumping again, so we HAD to do it. It’s our gift to the world. And why make the world wait?..it has to be now.

Andy: Don’t look a gifthorse in the mouth, World. We’re leading you to water. Drink.

Wise words, speaking of which please describe the band’s sound in 5 words...or less.

Tristan: B-Punk. That’s “Bourgeois-Punk”.

Which ‘local’ (Brum/Midlands) bands do you rate right now?  

Tristan: Greg Bird and Flamingo Flame.

Andy: Elephantine blew me away live, as did God Damn. I love Calories, Sunshine Frisbee Lazerbeam and Sunset Cinema Club gigs always make me totes emoshe. Miss Halliwell always stir something within my innards.

Ahhhh, yes, the mighty Miss Halliwell. Good choice. Any advice for any new bands out there just starting out?

Tristan: Have a good time, all the time.

Andy: I was hoping that they could give us some advice.

Favourite venue in Brum to play and to visit as a humble punter?

Tristan: The Ship Ashore, probably.

Andy: The Tipu Sultan Bullshit Balti House

If you could get away with it what would be on your dream rider?

Tristan: Babycham…and Frazzles.

Andy: Steve Rider. He’s reeeaaal dreamy.

Climb into the Tardis with that dodgy swearing Scottish bloke and fast forward 5 years...what do you hope the band’s achieved by then?

Tristan: We’ll be bigger than Maroon 5 by then. Or at least the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Andy: We’re already bigger than Jesus. There’s four of us, there was only one of him. Fact.

And I'm pretty sure he never played The Actress and Bishop neither. Pah! Next year it’s the election and it strikes me that you might just have a view on politics and politicians. Thoughts?

Andy: I don’t think we’ve ever intentionally set out to be political – Maybe the supposedly ironic name would make people think that we’re on some kind of class warpath, but we’re hardly Billy Bragg. We’re not even Melvyn Bragg…not sure what I’m trying to say there.

However, Celebrity Body Crisis (out now on Speech Fewapy) does touch upon the inane, sensationalist nature of a lot of mainstream news. Tris and I are stupidly obsessed with The Day Today, and looking at today’s front page headlines, it’s almost as if Chris Morris is writing them. I saw one recently that read: ‘I’ll let giant snake eat me live on telly’ which made me titter for hours. 

But, the things that are served up as “news” are quite worrying. How are you supposed to make informed decisions if all you are fed are photos of how shit David Milliband is at eating fucking sandwiches?

In this aspect, I’m pleased to see Russell Brand using his profile to stir up public debate on issues that are a little more important than what’s happening to Bobby fucking Davro in a jungle or whoever.

However, I vehemently disagree with his stance on not voting – I think that’s really dangerous and irresponsible of him. The people that benefit from voter apathy are the Nasty Nigels of this world and that’s a slippery slope to Nazi-geddon. Voting should be made compulsory and the media should be held more closely to account about the balance of air time it gives to parties. The Green Party have been done over on this and, to me at least, they seem like they have the most intellectually sound policies. Wouldn’t it be great though to see someone as good at generating headlines as NF, leading the Greens?

But no, we don’t have anything to say about politics.

Tristan: Vote NCDMV.

Is there a question you wished I’d asked? If so what is it and what’s the answer (yes...this is a complete cop out but at least I’m honest about it eh?)

Q: Which tunes shaped the band’s’ sound? A: These.

Thanks!

Saint Saviour...In The Seams out on tour

There are a few really special voices out there that float my boat and one of them, Saint Saviour, is out on tour right now promoting her truly beautiful brand new album In The Seams. Previously lead vocalist for Groove Armada she's now moved into more reflective territory, swapping the butt moving beats for soul stirring lyrics and delicate string arrangements.



Somewhat amazingly she's still playing pretty intimate venues, which certainly suits the music, but surely it's only a matter of time before the rest of the world wakes up to her...surely...

Support comes from the similarly under appreciated Bill Ryder Jones, former lead vocalist for Scally jangle poppers The Coral.



You can catch 'em both at The Hare and Hounds on Monday December 8th, tickets from our good chums Birmingham Promoters.

PS: Not sure if she's doing any stuff from her previous album Union (also highly recommended) or any of her back catalogue but here are another couple of Saint Saviour classics. Anyone tell me why Woman Scorned wasn't a number one? Answers on Simon Cowell's severed scrotum please.