Lamont James

Heading back to the late ’60s and British rock, I find myself scurrying around the roots of Punk Rock, simple clean guitar and a driving uncomplicated bass-line, here the success or failure lies absolutely on strength and energy. As a retro-’60s perspective this doesn’t have the screaming anger of Punk, but does contain that essential ingredient of a simple drive.

Lamont learnt well from his training as although the lines are as clear as a Flawless – D – Diamond, there is a subtle under-current of texture which raises this to a new plateau. The pin-point sharpness of the material is a pleasure to the ears and that added depth of composition adds the real value to the music.

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Delica-m

Perhaps it is because I was just reading a press release about a Metal Festival, but the vocal is a touch of magic with Delica-m, taking the band away from an arty electro-band to something far darker as the transfixing vocal fills the room.

Interestingly the tracks are fairly lengthy, normally running at well over 4 minutes and regularly stretching to a full 5, but my sparrow mind remains completely locked in to the sound floating around the room. For sure the band can and do wander in to the spaces of Human League, but their real strength lies in the juxtaposition of directed vocal and wandering synths, more akin to Tubeway Army, if for some reason I need to narrow this down further and yes, I feel that need.

The keyboards are set free to explore a myriad of spaces, whilst a deep burgundy velvet gloved tempo massages the music forwards and a guitar frames the output. You can’t help but get the feeling you have stumbled in to an invitation only goth party as Delica-m stand nearby proffering  VIP tickets. Do you take the invitation, or run a mile, I suggest far better to accept and wallow in the resonating sounds that will bounce inside your head.

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Pennan Brae

Pennan Brea and I have been in contact for quite some while and although I have managed to post some of his videos on Indie Music Videos, I never seem to have managed to scribble down my thoughts. On a bright Sunday  afternoon in mid-January, for some reason, the time seemed right.

I am reminded of a book my Sister thought I would like to read, which reminded her of me, in turn I can find a connection with Pennan Following Atticus: How a little dog led one man on a journey of rediscovery to the top of the world, available on Amazon*. Which reminds me my sister is a jewellery designer, so if you fancy wandering over to Creative Hands, that would be as cool as mustard.

That’s a lot of links and we haven’t got to the juice yet – Pennan Brae – While not pushing the edges of experimentalism, Pennan has a plethora of directions, each with a new twist. The music follows a recognizable construct, but the composition is highly creative. A warm vocal is the signature sound and never mind which path is followed, there is always a sense of space and freshness.

For a reason I am unable to fathom, Pennan always flies just under the radar, well – I even managed to miss getting a review written, despite my respect for the talent. Perhaps it is simply because the music fits like a favourite beaten-up jumper, I just feel comfortable and settled when listening to the music and can’t believe I haven’t written a review. I had to check three times just to make sure I hadn’t made a mistake that I had written nothing on the website thus far.

Time for Pennan to fly higher and get recognition for the undoubted abilities he possesses. Thank you Sir for doing what you do and please keep doing more of it.

The video is a mere sample of the time, effort and consideration Pennan Brae puts in to the finished product.

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Plants and Animals

This is an example of frustration and I know so may bands go through this. There is something really engaging about this band, BUT…… It was the massive but that made me hesitate for 18 months before actually getting to write about Plants and Animals, the hesitation in the mind of bands is Perfection. The music is somehow too stylised for it to be worthy of consideration on the indie bands blog, yet… there is real heart and soul in the material.

This dichotomy of ad hoc and anal retention is a sublime issue for musicians around the world. Music fans and I include myself in this list, would prefer more output, but as creators it needs to sit with the bands ears first off. Plants and Animals have just scraped over the wall on this one to my ears, but I wish these guys would just relax the sphincter a tad.

There are some superb compositions to be heard and it is probably due to the vocal that this one wins through, as it retains an emotional grip on the track. The three play well together, but the instrumentation lacks spontaneity, which is a great shame.

But, as regular readers of the site know, I am not here to decry musicians, rather to give them a space to be found and Plants and Animals deserve finding, they just need to come out of the bushes more often to give the hunters a chance, we can deal with warts, live that whole introspection episode disappears.

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Slow Down Molasses

Ouch – my head is hurt from being punched – Seb from Pin Drop Publicity has been highlighting these guys for nearly a year now,  you know what, I even managed to miss the UK tour – they have now left the shores to spread their wings elsewhere. (Don’t shoot Seb – Slow Down, Molasses, shoot me), but no matter, the music lingers.

I am not sure where I connect with the band, but somewhere in my cortex, it works for me. 60′s pop meets ’70s festival and Slow Down, Molasses take their space. Viola rasps against electronics, yet it blends as sweetly as a Kir Royale, as the band ably mix contemporary and classics to envelop a new space.

As adeptly they are able to explore up-tempo, which is subjugated by trumpets.  A joy to listen to the nonet as they balance one against the other, never overclouding-  which is a credit. Slow Down Molasses, are deftly able to reconfigure the musical constructs they pursue with a sharp blow to the expectation.

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Elephant Stone

I seem to have gone all 360 Degree Music introductions this afternoon, as yesterdays entry was also originally introduced by the London label, both written on Sunday.

Sacrilegious as it all seems to many of those involved in music, I am not a fan of The Beatles and when I first took a listen to Elephant Stone my head went in to bleeding brain mode. However as Laurence, yes we have met him before, had sent me an email, I persevered and I am delighted I did. Superficially the sound of retrospectives of The Beatles  bounces in to the room like a puppy chasing Andrex rolls, however, there is far more depth and value. let’s move on to the good news…

Spaced guitar gives the vocal room to breathe as a smoking tandoori caught in the breeze, wafts intoxicating vapours from the speakers, ensconcing the listener in a reverie of comfort and calm. Elephant Stone play influences of the Sub-Continent of India gently weaved in to the fabric of shoegaze  and the over-all effect enthralls the ears.

The band capably wrap the audience in a gauze of psychedelia, well worth a few hours of a weekend.

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The Glass Box, available on is a good place to start whilst awaiting the release of The Soundtrack of Our Lives, due out in the Autumn to coincide with European tour running from October to mid-November.

If you are interested in writing reviews of live gigs, where-ever you live in the world, contact Tim.

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Enter The Haggis

Often bands don’t need comparisons, purely superlatives-  bagpipes – what more can I say. To bother with the bands they sound like is to do Enter The Haggis an injustice. Karen Blakeley from United For Opportunity contacted me just over a year ago, ouch the back-log and as soon as I heard their music the band immediately became an instant play-list addition.

The whole concept of wrapping up (erm, I feel comparatives coming on here), 21st Century CBGBs with ’80s Irish new wave while throwing in a bagpipe surely can’t work. but for sure it does. To my ears that high pitched vocal twang – despite having a choice of 4 vocalists is the weakest link to this superb out-fit.

A multi-instrumental band is far more than the sum of the vocal and their creative compositions and generous breadth can be forgiven a weakness, albeit I recognise that to an issue with my ears, which is perhaps why I never did get Heavy Rock with the tinny voices and why ’70s American Punk always sounded like a cat fight rather than anything relevant. Heading back on to the tracks, Enter The Haggis have garnered a strong following, extensive tour schedule and discography due to their undoubted capability.

I could recommend a listen to any of a multitude of tracks and each stands a a superb introduction to the band. So perhaps if you haven’t picked up on Enter The Haggis yet, try out the latest release – 7th June 2011 The Canadian Connection available on *

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The Rural Alberta Advantage | Vince Wong

Even the band name demands a second glance, but far more than this, their music is a refreshing and expressive outburst of having a good time. Far from plastic fantastic, The Rural Alberta Advantage combine lyric and composition to create a whole that is of value to the world of music.

So what marks this out-fit out? After a listen, my teeth feel fresher and for a 60 a day smoker, that is no mean feat. However I don’t feel as though I have been put through some plutocratic washing machine, this is genuine rock, undiluted by refrains to ‘this band’ that band’  Honest, open and bang on the emotional hook. Were they from a centre in the USA or the UK they would have had to fight for their integrity, sometimes being , sometimes being on the fringe is the best space in which to invigorate and slough off the old.

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One to watch out for, but far more importantly one to listen to now. Great energy and superb bounce, thanks guys.

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City of Glass

I wouldn’t try to guess the number of bands who send me material which sits within this genre, most of it is little more than rehashed pseudo pop. City Of Glass manage to step above the fray with clean sounding material, which has a plethora of levels.

Bouncing razor-blade clean production is melded with warm synth. There is a distinct retrospective to the New Romantic UK beats of the early ’80s. It has a freshness and zing which can’t help but cause a hip to twitch.

These are a duo of highly competent creators, who have chosen to follow their hearts in to the mush of synthetic pop and come up smelling of roses, to my jaded lug-holes that is no mean feat.

Emotional out-bursts meet with an up-tempo vibrancy, driving the music to the brain and it works superbly. I take my hat off to Michael and David, who have successfully transformed a sloughed email reader to an enthusiast simply with some first class composition.

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Clues

I hope to be able to bring you some photographs from the gig at the Lexington on 25th October, where the doors open at 19:30 (advanced ticket prices £8.00 from wegottickets and ticketweb – info ).

Full tour details:

17.10.2009 Brussels (BE), Café Maison Du Peuple
19.10.2009 Manchester (UK), Drowned In Sound @ In The City Festival
20.10.2009 Sheffield (UK), The Harley
21.10.2009 Edinburgh (UK), The Electric Circus
22.10.2009 Dublin (IE), Whelans
23.10.2009 Liverpool (UK), Korova
24.10.2009 Bristol (UK), Start The Bus
25.10.2009 London (UK), The Lexington
27.10.2009 Gent (BE), Vooruit
28.10.2009 Colmar (FR), Hiero
29.10.2009 Paris (FR), Glaz’Art
30.10.2009 Vendome (FR), Festival Rockomotives
31.10.2009 Nantes (FR), Le Lieu Unique
01.11.2009 Dijon (FR), Festival Novosonic
02.11.2009 Orleans (FR), L’Atelier
03.11.2009 Bordeaux (FR), St-Ex
04.11.2009 Montpellier (FR), Rockstore
05.11.2009 Macon (FR), Cave A Musique
06.11.2009 Bologna (IT), Covo
07.11.2009 Torino (IT), Spazio 211
09.11.2009 Prague (CZ), Klub 007 Strahov
11.11.2009 Nuernberg (DE), MUZ
12.11.2009 Leipzig (DE), UT Connewitz
13.11.2009 Berlin (DE), Bang Bang Club
14.11.2009 Utrecht (NL), dBs
15.11.2009 Groningen (NL), Vera

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