February Singles

Following on from last month's post, I've picked another 5 singles released in February (+/- a week or so for some of them). Conspicuously absent are the new Vampire Weekend singles: Sunflower and Big Blue. I am not a fan.

Stray Cats - Cat Fight (Over A Dog Like Me)

Hearing Brian Setzer decided to get the band back together was very exciting news. I've always looked up to his guitar playing and not many musicians can claim to have saved a genre. If you are of the opinion that rockabilly wasn't worth saving in the first place, you will be disappointed, you can skip to the next song. Cat Fight is everything you expect (and want) from Brian Setzer. Frenetic guitar, a yelled chorus, and of course, far too much whammy bar use. These aren't his finest lyrics, but honestly, who cares?

J S Ondara - Torch Song

Hyped by both NPR and Rolling Stone, J S Ondara has some expectations to meet. Ondara was born and raised in Nairobi before moving to Minneapolis - home of Bob Dylan - and apparently unexpectedly cold. Though his singing in Torch Song reminds me more of Tallest Man on Earth, Ondara is clearly steeped in classic American songwriting. His lyrics are cryptic like Dylan's and the interplay between his voice and his guitar makes for a touching listen.

Phosphorescent - Wish I Had Not Said That

I first listened to Phosphorescent on the same Mojo album that inspired my first ever post. Since then, Matthew Houck kept a low profile until releasing C'est La Vie late last year, and then a Spotify Single a few days ago. Wish I Had Not Said That is a cover of a J.J. Cale track from 1981's album Shade. The song appears to be having something of a renaissance - Houck's cover is the third in three years I can count on Spotifiy, including one by released this month! The recording is faithful to the original, but Houck's distinctive voice deepens the sense of contrition making it well worth a listen.

Loyle Carner - Loose Ends

Loose Ends is beautifully, if subtly produced, Carner raps over himself but otherwise everything feels live. Jorja Smith's vocals capture your ears straight from the start, before Carner jumps in with his usual introspective imagery. While his lyrics touch on themes similar to his Yesterday's Gone (2017), there is an added sense of maturity and responsibility. Very different from his last two singles, Ottolenghi, and You Don't Know, I'm excited to hear what Carner releases next.

Catfish And The Bottlemen - Fluctuate  
 

Catfish and the Bottlemen have always been in the periphery of my listening habits. I think I listened to The Ride (2016) when it came out, but I can't say I remember much of it. Fluctuate reminds me that I really should listen to them more. 'Remind' is an important word. This is classic XFM stuff, but not a game changer - the backing vocals at the end sound like they were lifted straight from the Arctic Monkey's AM (2013). The lyrics are entertaining ('you've switched my faith and phone off') and all round Fluctuate is an enjoyable indie banger.

Bill Frisell at the Jazz Cafe - 23rd of February 2019

I was worried this gig was going to start like my last Jazz Cafe visit ended as after 45 minutes of standing around all we had seen was some strips of masking tape applied to a double bass...

At least the people watching at the Jazz Cafe gig is always of a high quality. The mix of cool cats, jazz heads, guitar nerds, and slightly bemused other halves provided some entertainment as we waited.

Eventually, opening act Stuart McCallum wandered on stage, full glass of red in hand. He received a slightly frosty reception from the crowd, but soon won everyone over with his enchanting acoustic instrumentals.

Technically proficient without ever being obvious about it, McCallum played a 30 minute set of refreshingly melodic songs. One was so new it didn't have a title and the guitarist confessed he had resorted to requesting suggestions at a recent show in Macclesfield. London couldn't product a winner either. 

Another pause, and you felt the crowd get frustrated after more tape shenanigans failed to produce Bill himself. When he did arrive, the crowd received a brief hand clasp greeting and the Trio launched into 30 minutes of uninterrupted music. Whether this was an act of atonement or a sign of how little Frisell notices the crowd, I'm still unsure.

I am sure that Bill Frisell is a musical genius capable. He constructs soundscapes that feel both familiar and avant garde at the same. That Tony Scherr (bass) and Kenny Wollensen (drums) are able to follow him on this journey, and actually interact with his playing is a testament to their respective abilities. The performance felt like Frisell took his mind off the hook and just let all his years of playing and listening flow out, demanding the rest of us try and keep up. 

Of course it was far more considered than that, Wollensen's accurate and intricate playing kept everyone on course as Frisell went from quiet chord melodies to noise reminiscent of Hendrix launching into the Star Spangled Banner. The drummer was superb throughout and was clearly playing freely enough that he never felt the need to take a bona fide solo.


Watching Scherr dance around his bass while looking Frisell square in the eyes was almost as entertaining as the music itself; but in a one and half hour set with just 3 moments of silence the music is has to be the best part. A late cover of In My Life received the biggest reaction from the crowd, in part because it was the most recognisable tune.

Frisell finally spoke to thank us for listening right at the end, and clearly does love the Jazz Cafe as John Fordham noted two years ago. The crowd was treated to a blistering set that was well worth the wait.

January Singles Round Up

January is a wonderful time of year for music as every starts dropping singles to a support a new year of albums and touring, I thought I'd highlight five that caught my ear, for good or bad.

Vampire Weekend - Harmony Hall

I got off the Vampire Weekend train straight after the first album. I thought Contra was incredibly boring. However, a friend has tried relentlessly to get me back on the wagon and I finally gave in when I saw they had a new single.

My first reaction of 'harmless,' slowly changed to 'mostly harmless,' but I'm listening to Harmony Hall again as I type this review, and I think it's fully infectious. The lyrics are, thankfully, not just about being rich on the east coast, and the guitar riff is brilliant. This opinion is clearly shared by the band as they released a 2 hour loop of the guitar part on YouTube.

It's all still a bit Paul Simon, but it's got me excited for the next album.

The Killers - Land Of The Free

I'm not quite sure what's going on here. For all Brandon Flowers theatrics, I wasn't expecting a protest song. 

It's got a nice melody, but it feels like The Killers took Springsteen's Wrecking Ball album and tried to mash it all into a single song. Land of the Free opens with a quick homage to hard working immigrants before a whistle stop tour of hot topics: mass incarceration, gun control, and of course, the wall.

If The Killers are going for social consciousness, I think they have a way to go. 

Ian Brown - Ripples

Hayes Carll offers a brilliant mix of country songwriting and indie wit. Be There walks that line with honesty and intimacy. 

There is a something hynotic about the melody for the chorus aided by the slide guitar. The verses are filled with the kind of observation you expect in a country song: 'you look like a tragedy waiting to happen'. It's got less teeth than some of his other songs, but speaking to Rolling Stone, Hayes makes it clear that is very much the point.

What It Is came out this morning, so go listen!

Interpol - Fine Mess

An absolute monster as soon as you hit play, Fine Mess is Interpol at their best. It's got a driving rhythm, the lyrics are as enigmatic as ever, and there's a great guitar riff.

The Strokes style vocal production, gives the verses real rawness. The comparatively clean choruses provides a nice contrast, and change in style helps the simple lyrics (conveniently included in the cover art) stick in your head.

If the album is 8 tracks like this, it's going to be fantastic.

Album Review: White Lies 'Five'

I thought I first White Lies on a FIFA soundtrack, but apparently 11 / 12, I couldn't remember which so I had a look online and it turns out I'm going mad. It's the Sinbad movie all over again... 

More importantly, White Lies dropped a new album in January and I listened through it this week. I should mention now that this was the first album I've listened to since their debut (Farewell to the Fairground, 2009) so my initial reaction of 'this is less depressing' might be a bit out of date. Still, it's nice not to hear about kidnappings and urban decay.

Despite more upbeat lyrics, I was impressed to see they've held onto the theatrical sound 10 years later. However, if you weren't a fan of the first album I'm not sure you'll be a fan of this. It is also quite telling that three songs from the album were released as singles last year and the only one I recognised was Believe It. To be honest, I'd completely forgotten about it until it came on right at the end of the album.

Tokyo - the latest single - feels like it got a lot of attention from producer Ed Buller (Buller produced two of White Lies' previous albums as well as albums by Suede and The Courteeners). With a massive synthy chorus, Tokyo is by far the most radio (and late night pub) friendly song on the album.

That said, it is also lyrically weak 'Cos you know / Every city has a Chinatown' and 'Call Tokyo / Call New York / It's the same but different' are not what I'd called inspired. But it's catchy and everyone in the bar can sing along to the chorus so who cares... Right...?

After Tokyo, the band pivots back to more familiar territory with Jo?, the song that reminded me the most of their original sound - it even has lyrics about being lonely!

Overall, I think it's a solid album, there aren't many stand out songs, but I think they will grow on you if you listen to it a few times.

Rating: 7 / 10

Ginger Baker at the Jazz Cafe - 3rd of April 2018

When a mate said he was going to Ginger Baker concert I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to see a legend before it was too late. The fact that Baker was playing the Jazz Café was an added bonus – it’s a setting that straddles the gap between pub and professional venue exceptionally well. I was less sure about what I was actually going to see and hear as the description online was quite cryptic: Ginger Baker with Pyjæn. There was no indication of the material or even genre that would be played. Given Ginger Baker’s last release was 2017’s Live at Drums ‘N’ Percussion Paderborn I was intrigued to say the least…

In addition to being clueless about Ginger’s set, I couldn’t find much about Pyjæn online. What I did find was encouraging – clips and a video featuring very talented, Snarky Puppy style music – but there wasn’t much. When they took the stage, I was very impressed. The band is as tight live as they are on their records. The music is heavily jazz influenced, but it is consistently melodic (they walk that particular line with skill). There is lots of tension in their compositions and the solos are as impressive as you would expect, featuring classic funk vocabulary that is always a joy to hear. They played for almost exactly 45 minutes, bar a slightly rambling origin story of the band’s name (see the video below), it was a strong, diverse, and most importantly, creative performance. Watching musicians who are enjoying playing with each other is always a pleasure, I highly recommend seeing them if you can.

While Pyjæn were a welcome revelation, I was there for one reason: Ginger Baker. I discovered quite a few people were similarly unsure what to expect. Though to my surprise, quite a few people seemed to be expecting some sort of Cream type performance – a noticeable number of audience members did not return after a short interval half way through the set!

Before I talk about the music, I should say that Ginger Baker’s personality alone is worth the price of admission. He’s always had a reputation as slightly mad, and you can see why, even now. He asked to be ‘recused’ in case of any mistakes, and when introducing Pee Wee Ellis – his sax player – and he simply said ‘I can’t remember what you play’ completely dead pan. Perhaps the most ‘Ginger’ moment was when he responded to a shout of ‘We love you Ging!’ with ‘Hecklers will be shot’, again, completely deadpan.

The compliment was well earned. ; Baker, alongside the members of his Jazz Confusion band put on a great show; after Pyjæn it was something of a relief to hear a hi-hat stick to 2 & 4. Beginning with a cover of Footprints (studio version below) it was straight jazz all performance. The fusion of Pyjæn it was not, but Ellis and bassist Alec Dankworth still pushed things musically. The heads and solos were experimental but firmly grounded in jazz tradition. One of my friends commented after the show that Baker uses the floor toms far more than your average jazz drummer and he was right. It was very cool hearing Baker’s tom rolls in a jazz context, and it worked exceptionally well. Paired with Abass Dodoo’s percussion the quartet filled the room.

The Footprints cover was the only song I recognised, but the other tracks they played were of a similar style, drawn entirely, I believe, from Baker’s 2014 album Why? The second song they played, just about qualified as a blues – although it was only a familiar progression in the turnaround and some of Ellis’ licks that made that connection. But it was a great performance, and despite Baker’s clear lack of stamina – he needed an interval and confessed that between the chronic arthritis, COPD, and brain damage endured a few years ago, playing was a struggle – he was on the beat until the end. Sadly, about 20 minutes before the performance was due to end he started to fall behind (although I thought that was just jazz) and eventually had to be helped off stage. The band kept vamping in case he reappeared but then left the stage. Eventually DoDoo came back out to tell us that Baker would not be returning and apologising: ‘We haven’t played together for a year’ ‘He [Ginger Baker] hasn’t practised in a year… He doesn’t practise’ nicely confirming what Baker has said many times in interviews. It says volumes about his talent that he nailed the performance up until then.

It was very sad to see the show end early, but it was an unforgettable experience, and hearing Ginger Baker tell a few stories in person – like introducing Charlie Watts to Mick Jagger because he couldn’t be bothered playing for Mick anymore and driving his Jensen off a mountain in Algeria (the inspiration for the song Ain Temouchant – was a priceless addition to his playing. Dodoo did say the band would make up for the early departure, hopefully there are more shows in the works because everyone should see this combination of talent and personality at least once in their lifetime.

William The Conqueror at The Half Moon - 2nd of February 2018

I finally got to my first gig of 2018! Just about 3 weeks after I featured them the band in my Americana post I saw William the Conqueror were playing at London's famous Half Moon. The Half Moon opened in 1963 and has seen acts including Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones, and The Who grace its stage.

I hadn't listened to William the Conqueror's latest album, Proud Disturber Of The Peace, before the gig so I was interested to see how much of the set I would recognize. As it turned out, only one song from their EP I bought a couple of years ago makes it onto the album. But that song, Tend To The Thorns, was the biggest crowd-pleaser of the night.

Before getting to far into the gig, I should mention the opening act: Kate Ellis. Ellis sings and plays guitar and was performing with two other artists: Andy Hobsbawn on lead guitar and Joseph Paxton on fiddle and melodica duties. No drums or bass gave the set a stripped down feel that worked well as her songs were mostly country ballads. The talent of all three musicians was very much on show - every song they played was perfect and although I would be lying if I said I wasn't apprehensive when Ellis announced a Nine Inch Nails song made famous by Johnny Cash, their rendition of Hurt was extremely well done. At times they were swinging more like Cash's cover of Personal Jesus and along with Hobsbawn's slide playing it was an exceptional version - different enough to be their own without sacrificing the essence of the Man in Black's interpretation. With the exception of Hurt, all the songs played came from her June 2017 album Carve Me Out, and I highly recommend giving Don't Lie To Me and I Believe a Listen.

After Kate Ellis, William The Conqueror - Ruarri Joseph on vocals and guitar, Harry Hardy on backing vocals and drums, and finally Naomi Holmes on backing vocals and bass - came roaring on stage. It was a great contrast to Kate Ellis' style and they kept up the energy for their whole set. Especially impressive was Harry Hardy's drumming. It was frantic but right on the beat, after a couple of the songs finished I was a bit worried he was about to collapse on his kit.

The band shortly after coming on stage

I've already discussed why I like the band's recordings so much, and I was pleased to see their stage show was just as impressive. Most of what they played was faster and grittier than the studio versions, lacking contribution of the various session musicians on their records. Live, their songs sounded more like Kings of Leon on their first records, and that is a high compliment from me. As I mentioned at the start of this review, Tend To The Thorns was the biggest crowd-pleaser, but each and every song was well received. I was especially impressed by Cold Ontario, from the new album, it was gritty and catchy with a tinge of melancholy that separated it from the rest of the set.


Both Kate Ellis, and William the Conqueror had been at the UK Americana Awards the night before and, I think, were feeling a little worse for wear. Ruarri told the audience that passing through the Travelodge lobby that evening they ran into an impromptu Robert Plant jam session. I guess the nice hotels are still off limits after Plant’s Led Zeppelin escapades... Although the band did an amazing job making it through their set without the night before showing, I have to admit I’ve never seen such a vigorous encore request met with such ambivalence. Not to say that William the Conqueror shirked their duty - they played two more songs just as well as they had the rest of the set - but the audience wanted another 10!


To say performers left it all on stage is a bit of a cliche, but by the time Ruarri and company left the stage, I’m genuinely not sure they had another song in them. And from a small band just making waves in the scene that’s probably what you want to see. William the Conqueror’s upcoming dates can be found here, go buy a ticket, you won’t be disappointed!

Americana

Americana is a tough genre to pin down; for me, Americana is often a nostalgic thing, music that invokes, either lyrically or musically a past America. It can come from blues riffs, lyrics, or even just a swaggering beat. Americana isn’t necessarily about sheer patriotism but about paying homage to what makes America America, even if you don’t believe America is great. I’m not entirely convinced on the clarity of the last two sentences so I’ve made a quick list of five of my favourite Americana songs spanning country to Jazz. Hopefully this makes it clearer!

Chicken Fried – Zac Brown Band – The Foundation (2008)

For me, the imagery of Zac Brown’s lyrics move this song crosses from plain country into Americana. Although musically it is straight country, the chorus lyrics ‘a pair of jeans that fit just right’ and ‘cold beer on a Friday night’ give the song a more wide ranging appeal than being ‘raised underneath the shade of a Georgia Pine’ and this is why the song becomes true Americana for me. Although much of the imagery evokes small town Georgia, the chorus suggests experiences that unify all Americans. Plus it’s catchy as hell – I’ve sung this song with friends all over the world often to the displeasure, and occasionally the great amusement of taxi drivers.

Egg Radio – Bill Frissell – Gone, Just Like a Train (1998)

A less obvious choice, and the first instrumental piece I’ve posted on this blog. To be honest I’m not sure entirely how it fits, but it does. Maybe it’s just the rolling beat and the drawn chords evoke the American plains. Or they just make me think of Pat Metheny’s song Midwestern Nights Dream… Either way, those chords combined with Frissell’s incredible ability to take his playing from languid and jazzy to raw and bluesy in minutes (2:05 – 3:30) make this jazz instrumental feel distinctly American to me. Arguably, there are plenty of other tracks on Gone, Just Like a Train that are more Americana, but this is the one that really does it for me!

KMAG YOYO – Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories) (2011)

This is what I mean by swagger:  a dirty guitar riff and a drum beat that sounds like Levon Helm after one too many coffees. The satirical lyrics are an added bonus with references to Reagan’s Star Wars, the invasion of Afghanistan, and general CIA shenanigans. The lyrics tell the story of a soldier who starts dealing heroin while on tour only to find himself working for the Pentagon in space before crashing back to Earth. In and of itself the lyrics are very outlaw country, and the references to CIA experiments with LSD and the attempts to weaponise space provide a wider American feel helping push the song into Americana. Plus the title, KMAG YOYO, stands for Kiss My Ass Guys, You’re On Your Own, which is about as American as it gets in my book.

Sinful Gladly – WIlliam The Conqueror – William The Conqueror EP (2016)

The first piece of Americana not actually by American band! With so much Americana produced overseas I felt at least one non-American group had to make into this post. William the Conquerer is a trio from Cornwall and I saw them at the Nashville Meets London festival in Canary Wharf, which just about covers their Americana credentials as far as I’m concerned. The song itself is all slide guitar, bluesy chords, and harmonica. And with lyrics suggesting forbidden, dangerous love in smoky rooms harking back to classic blues tracks it ticks all the boxes.

American Girl – Tom Petty – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1976)

It would seem wrong not to include this… While I would understand an argument that Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are more rock (and/or roll, thank you Reverend Lovejoy) than Americana, but this song in particular qualifies for me. The rootsy drums, combined with a guitar jangling like it’s still the 60’s and nostalgic lyrics turn this song into a little slice of America. ‘Raised on promises’ feels like a sarcastic reference to the American Dream, but the song never quite gets to a Springsteen level of cynicism or broken heartedness helping it keep a nostalgic feeling. On top of that, 10 years later the American Girl line of dolls was released, although I’m guessing the two are completely unrelated…