The Harry James Angus Band, Jive, 12/3/2011

Everyone is familiar with the work of Harry Angus as the trumpet player and vocalist of Australian collective The Cat Empire and Jackson Jackson, but I’m sure those attending this gig had no idea how things were going to pan out at this special show as part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival. The description given in the official festival guide proclaimed that Angus and his band would be performing songs from the post-war era, with elements of nostalgia and reminiscence for those of older generations. Yet the majority of the crowd this evening appeared under 30, which goes to prove the power that members of The Cat Empire have over their adoring fans, considering they have only been around for just on 10 years.

It is fair to say Jive was the perfect venue for this performance, with the theatre style stage evoking images of the movie 'Ray', where Mr. Charles himself was depicted playing tunes to dim-lit bars in front of many swingers looking for a good time. This affair however was far more laid-back, with many choosing to sit down and soak up the immense ability of Angus and his band. There was a minimal amount of fanfare upon the band’s entrance, with a subdued Angus introducing the first track 'Shake Me or Break Me'. This subtlety would continue throughout the set, as the trumpeter opts largely to let the music take over.

The tracks on show this evening were very much in the style of vaudevillian swing, with a twee-like harmonious jazz element. Songs like 'Just A Closer Walk With The' and 'I Thought About You' all involved harmonies between band members, almost in a barber-shop fashion made popular throughout the 50s and 60s. Angus’ voice is absolutely sublime, and in this setting, has a far deeper timbre than his work in The Cat Empire; the vocalist has the ability to hit notes that many wouldn’t dare attempt, all the while keeping control of each note as the brilliant 5-piece backing band picked up the pieces. Consisting of saxophone, trombone, Hammond organ, double bass and drums, the accomplished band was a real standout of the evening. Of particular note was the saxophonist’s ability to really enhance the authentic swing sound that the band had re-created, and even singing on 'Just A Gigolo', which also featured the beautiful harmonies mentioned previously.

A few of the band’s favourite tracks were also thrown in for good measure, with Angus introducing 'Stardust' as possibly the greatest song ever made, while 'Drybones', now more familiar as a children’s sing-a-long, was performed succinctly with the movements to match. Finishing with 'Murder', a track that evoked some sort of Hitchcock thriller, the band left the stage with a rapturous reception, and returned to the crowd’s delight with one more track in 'Shanghai Honeymoon'. After a 90 minute set of classic tunes and great stories, it was hard to know where the time had disappeared to at the show’s conclusion. For the majority, this performance was most likely an education both in the history of this classic style of music and also the ability of Harry Angus as a genuine all-round performer. His musical appreciation is far and wide, and it is clear he has more tricks up his sleeve than just his other party-starting band. Through all this he still knows how to make people have a good time, and this was certainly evident at Jive this evening.

• As a sidenote, The Cat Empire play 3 Adelaide shows as a part of their 10th anniversary tour this April. The shows at the Crown & Sceptre Hotel on the 28th and Jive on the 29th are completely sold out, however tickets are still available for their performance at the Thebarton Theatre on the 30th of April.

The Seabellies, The Cairos, Glass Towers, Jive, 6/3/2011

I’ve always thought of The Seabellies as Australia’s answer to Arcade Fire on a much smaller scale. The band possesses a great penchant for punching out tracks that are on a massive scope; somewhat cinematic in nature if that is possible. As a 6-piece, this Novocastrian group makes the most of their size by implementing any instrument they can get their hands on in a live format, every part sharing an equally important piece of the overall sound. And they certainly did well to make their Jive performance a success, despite the venue’s small stage area.

A slow-building crowd witnessed sets firstly from two promising young interstate bands in Glass Towers and The Cairos. Both bands hold a far greater rock edge than their headlining counterpart, with raw and uncompromising live shows that demonstrated a lot of promise and future potential for the two. With an average age of only 18, Byron Bay’s Glass Towers take a more conventional indie-rock direction with their songwriting, and have enough licks on display through each track to keep the listener entertained. Meanwhile, Brisbane 4-piece The Cairos displayed an element of youthful grit that proved they are certainly going places in the near future. Lead vocalist Alistair Richardson screamed his lungs out in many tracks, perhaps reminiscent of Children Collide singer Johnny Mackay. The band played tracks mostly from their freely downloadable EP 'Summer Catalogue', with set closer 'Listening Party' a particular highlight as the crowd began to feel their way into the evening.

Beginning their set with 'Orange X', The Seabellies immediately had everyone’s full attention, displaying all the elements of their music that make the soundscapes on debut album 'By Limbo Lake' so rich and fulfilling. Each instrument had their time in the sun when necessary, with no one particularly over-powering another at any stage. The band’s sound is probably best summated on lead singles 'Young Cubs' and 'Trans Ending'. The former is exuberant and carefree, and the band is exactly that on stage throughout the track, with guitarist Kyle Grenell perfectly recreating the ever-so-catchy lick that accompanies 'Young Cubs'. 'Trans Ending' shows The Seabellies’ aforementioned instrumental talent, as vocalist Trent Grenell and stickman Sean Kelleher swap positions as Kelleher takes front spot with a joyous trumpet performance that underpins the grandiose nature of the track. The band interspersed their well-known pieces with some newer material, which overall sounded like an extension of 'By Limbo Lake' with a slightly more mellow twist perhaps. Needless to say these songs sounded great, and all bodes well for fans of the band with a nice sophomore release seemingly ensuing in the not-too-distant future.

Older track 'Armour' and current single 'Board The Apartment Up' provided two more enjoyable moments for the enthusiastic patrons, with the latter showing off the flawless harmonies between lead vocalist Grenell, keyboardist Steph Setz and bassist Eddie Garven that make it a bona-fide hit on Australian radio at present. It was fantastic to see the band perform album track 'Paper Flames', one of the most mature-sounding songs on 'By Limbo Lake'. For those unacquainted, this song is so reminiscent of an Australian sound, if such a thing exists, and without trying to provide too many comparisons evokes the same form of lyrical articulacy as great bands like The Go-Betweens and The Panics. The night is then finished off with the cinematic album opener 'Ices (Death & Love)', leaving everyone with a great lasting impression of their Adelaide stopover. This is a band well and truly hitting their straps and it seems with every tour they continue to gain a new band of followers cottoning on to the immense talent this band holds. Their next visit, which, according to the band, will occur in the next month or so, is certainly not to be missed.

New Music Monday - Lacey, Cogel, Sky Squadron

Last Friday evening's viewing of rage was somewhat eye-opening in that one after another, great Australian tracks continued to appear. Songs and bands I had never heard of, yet given a slot in our most well-respected music program at a reasonable hour. This run was ultimately ended by Kylie Minogue's new track, however some may say that the run in fact cranked up from there... Anyhow, I thought I would display these tracks on here in video form.

Lacey - Set

Perth band Lacey have been kicking around since 2007, and, after being found on triple j Unearthed in 2009, have since released their debut EP 'Ropes' which spawned the single 'Afraid Yet?' (which also has a cracking clip, as I've found). Latest single 'Set' shows the band in a softer light, with inviting electronics and a thumping bass drum setting the scene for a track that perfectly blends acoustics and electrics.

Cogel - Aquarium

Cogel, with the help of production team ChocFish, have created some fantastic imagery with this video for 'Aquarium', a slow burner that thrives on minimalism on the whole. The track sits somewhere between David Gray and Snow Patrol in essence, though if you are not a fan of either of those artists do not feel the need to tune out. The voice of Nic Cogels carries 'Aquarium', a song that introduces Cogels to the world in sublime style.

Sky Squadron - IPQR

Another brilliantly shot clip, this one coming from young Sydney band Sky Squadron and completing the run of great new tracks this week. Beware of the wondrous twists and turns this track takes. Once the raw edge is taken away from this band, mark my words they will be something incredible.

Radiohead - The King of Limbs

Radiohead are known for surprising the music community. Their 2007 release ‘In Rainbows’ gave fans the opportunity to purchase the album from the band’s website at whatever cost was seen fit, the first time anything of the like had been attempted in the music industry. It was somewhat of an attempt to make known the influence of the electronic age in music and how the Internet has influenced the purchasing power of the consumer in releasing a record. The album itself also incorporated far more electronic methods of songwriting than anything Radiohead have produced in their career as a collective release. This album followed on from Thom Yorke’s solo release ‘The Eraser’ in the previous year, which gave the listening public into an electronic world and most likely gave a great indication into what fans may expect from the forthcoming Radiohead record.

Fast forward to 2011, and Radiohead surprise the music community once more with the announcement of their 8^th studio album ‘The King of Limbs’, largely without fanfare, to be released on the 19^th of February through their website. Three weeks on from its release and it appears the immediate attraction surrounding ‘The King of Limbs’ has massively died down, allowing perhaps for more accurate analysis of the album and its impact. Impact is something that challenges a band such as Radiohead, with their previous attempts marking the amount of pressure on them to release timeless music with each record they produce. However, ‘The King of Limbs’ does not quite have that ear-catching effect that even its predecessor carried.

This is not to take anything away from the brilliance of the album as a creative effort. Opener ‘Bloom’, with its off-kilter rhythm and scattered electronic samples, creates a completely different feel to any other Radiohead albums as the band veer off into more experimental soundscapes. This is continued with ‘Morning Mr Magpie’ with its muted guitar rhythms rooting a far deeper, darker sound even to that of ‘In Rainbows’. This darkened atmosphere shines through on the majority of ‘The King of Limbs’, as much as perhaps Yorke may attempt to conceal this feeling through his conceited vocal effort. Two tracks that go against the grain in this sense are 'Little By Little' and 'Give Up The Ghost'. The latter is quite possibly the album stand out, with a clear and concerted effort on adapting the right instrumentation to build the song adequately. The lyric “Don’t haunt me” is repeated throughout the track in an ironically haunting manner, with Yorke mildly expressing fears of past experiences over lush acoustics and bold brass notes that truly give the song an overcoming feeling.

‘Lotus Flower’ is perhaps the only track, other than ‘Give Up The Ghost’, that is truly memorable on ‘The King of Limbs’ as a result of its prevalent mix of new and old Radiohead with a powerful vocal performance (and dance style that can be witnessed in the video below) from Yorke. That seems to be the moral of the story here; Radiohead are at their best when Thom Yorke’s voice is soaring, demanding the listener’s full attention rather than simply blending in to the mix as a useless instrument. Album closer ‘Separator’ ends ‘The King of Limbs’ strangely. As ‘Give Up The Ghost’ concludes, it almost feels like the album is ready to kick-start again with the up-tempo song, but, coming in as the 8^th track on the record, that is where ‘The King of Limbs’ ends.

At the end of the day we are left with a record that is simply good but not great. ‘The King of Limbs’ may be remembered for being an album in where Radiohead took some risks with the adaptation of their sound, but it can be assured the die-hard fans will love every minute of this new chapter in the band’s career. The phenomenon of its release has been and gone, so how long this album will remain a prominent fixture in the music world in 2011 is yet to be known. What is certain though is that Radiohead continue to carry an element of surprise with their every release, and it is often the unexpected nature of their music that can be most appreciated on the whole.

• We can only hope for a Radiohead Australian jaunt in the near future, and, if some rumours are to be believed, it is certainly in the band's planning to come to the country perhaps in the next year. The King of Limbs will be released on CD and 12" vinyl on March 28.

New Music Monday - Parades, The Middle East

This will hopefully become a regular piece every Monday, with a hope of shining a light on either local or international talent that have released ear-catching music sometime in the preceding week.

This week I thought I would offer up two incredible tracks from two of Australia’s brightest musical collectives (and two of my favourites of past years if I may say without too much bias).

Parades - 'Water Stories'

Parades won critical acclaim last year with their debut release ‘Foreign Tapes’. The album was an eclectic journey across a vast musical spectrum, highlighted by the band’s ambitious soundscapes and expeditious songwriting overseen by the incredibly talented Jonathan Boulet. Boulet manages to deliver an impeccable level of production nous to every sound he creates, whether it is in his own solo project, with Parades, or one of a number of other bands he has so far worked with. It appears he has created another gem here with 'Water Stories', the first single to be lifted from Parades sophomore record, due out sometime later this year.

'Water Stories feels' like a natural follow-up from 'Foreign Tapes', as the band take pieces from their debut release and form a new, perhaps even more grandiose sound typified by the floating guitar lines that hold the track together. The song lyrically is reminiscent to 'Lung Full of Light', from 'Foreign Tapes', which too questions a life beneath the water, yet where the former appears more adolescent to a certain extent, 'Water Stories' has a greater sense of reach both in a musical and lyrical sense. Echoed voices hold a presence throughout the track, while sampled beats collide with Boulet’s precise stick-work to build a song that is structurally as sound on the first listen as it is on the 21^st. The crescendos that each moment of the track builds towards suggests that 'Water Stories' represents a feeling of almost reaching pinnacles, of being so close to something, of constantly striving to go further with the end in sight, and then the blissful feeling of reaching such a height.

Parades bear a striking presence in the modern Australian indie scene, creating music that constantly pushes boundaries while remaining relatively simplistic at it’s core. If 'Foreign Tapes' wasn’t enough to ensure their position amongst their peers, then it appears their follow-up may cement them as one of Australia’s most lauded rock acts.

• 'Water Stories' can be downloaded for free from paradesmusic.com now. The band is playing at Jive on April 16.

The Middle East - 'Black Death 1349'

Townsville folk collective The Middle East have been touring endlessly it seems since releasing their 2008 mini album 'The Recordings of The Middle East', which gained success in 2009 after being re-released as a 5-track EP. Tracks like ‘Blood and ‘The Darkest Side’ cemented their place as alternative radio mainstays, yet the darker side (pun) to the group’s music possibly gave fans and critics alike a sense of what this band was truly capable of. Songs like ‘Beleriand’, ‘Lonely’, and ‘Pig Food’, which was left out of the 2009 reincarnation of ‘Recordings…’, demonstrated a completely unique group; the atmospheric folk sounds that at times felt eerie and unsettling on these tracks defined The Middle East as a folk collective as good as any in the world. However, the band released a generic feeling track in ‘Jesus Came To My Birthday Party’ late last year, which simultaneously displayed the band’s lighter elements in combination with a feeling of giving in to their surroundings. Yet ‘Black Death 1349’ reinforces The Middle East’s versatility in many ways.

The song never really takes off from first gear, but it doesn’t need to. It is in the simplicity of ‘Black Death 1349’ where it’s beauty lies. A sinister tale of children dying and Jesus Christ being the survivors’ saviour is ruggedly spun over a lightly plucked acoustic guitar line. The production on this track really sets it apart from any of the band’s other releases, with a much more focused effort ensuring the band maintain their grandness whilst creating a vast distance that often shines through between the vocals and the music itself. It is a reflective ambience that slowly gets you in, and although it may come in at just under three minutes, it hopefully bodes as an indicator of what we may come to expect from the band’s debut full length album.

• 'Black Death 1349' can be downloaded for free from the Golden Plains website now. The Middle East's long awaited debut album 'I Want That You Are Always Happy' will be released on April 8, with a slew of June tour dates to follow.

Crystal Fighters - Star of Love

There is an alluring sense of mystery surrounding UK group Crystal Fighters and their debut album Star of Love. This mysterious nature is conveyed firstly through the album cover, which shows two masked witches standing aside an exotic looking woman with percussive instruments and is set presumably in a Spanish jungle, where the band draw the majority of their influences. It is then noticeable in the broad range of musical stylings that are drawn from throughout Star of Love that demonstrates the band’s attentiveness in combining as many elements as necessary to create a track they feel content with. The mystery also extends to the themes implemented in the band’s songwriting; according to the band there is a “cosmic element” in each of their songs which was influenced by a half-written operatic manuscript left behind by one of the band members’ grandfathers, who became a recluse in the latter years of his life. It was in these writing that Crystal Fighters opted to look into more conceptual aspects of life rather than focusing on the basics of particular situations.

As was aforementioned, these songs are heavily influenced by the music of the Basque region of northern Spain. The band use traditional Basque instruments such as txalapartas and txistus (10 points for pronouncing these correctly) to great extent throughout Star of Love, and the vibe they aim to give off becomes evident early on in the album. Yet it is their fusion of these instruments with a number modern day musical offshoots (think Latin acoustic guitars and Spanish lyrics melding together with dance beats, flourishes of synth and heavy electronic build-ups) that really create the Crystal Fighters sound. And they certainly deserve some level of credit for attempting to produce something so original and conceptual on the whole.

The only difficulty with these kinds of albums is overcoming the imposed facetious nature that they tend to carry, and Star of Love is no exception. It is almost a case of the more you know the lesser the experience becomes. Crystal Fighters make music that generally, and by all means minus any offence, does not take much thought to envelope. This overall makes for a completely enjoyable listening experience, one that evokes hope and happiness on the whole and will be appreciated by many, that much is clear. Tracks like Plage and Follow are the most indicative moments on Star of Love that completely demonstrate the band’s musical direction, combining every element of their sound to create some completely incredible tracks. Other standout songs on the album include Champion Sound, which sees the band dapple in flourishes of synth reminiscent of Four Tet’s recent work, and Swallow, which cleverly blends winding acoustic melodies and distant panpipes with heavy dubstep – and in case you were wondering, yes, this does work on so many levels.

However, this is an album that does take a number of listens to fully appreciate. Upon running this through for the first time you may get the feeling of ‘what have I just been listening to?’ The problem with Star of Love is that it comes in blocks; an aural onslaught of heavy dance tracks is thrust upon you at first, then the album slows down and slightly trails off into unnecessary tracks (see particularly I Love London) before once again reclaiming the listener’s attention towards the end of the album. There is no clear flow between each track, which, if implemented, would have made Star of Love a complete success. Furthermore, if you completely take away the cited influences that were drawn upon by the band on this release you will find an upbeat, eclectic, and mostly uplifting collection of songs that would rate highly in their own arena. It is hard though not to think about the manuscripts that many of these songs are based on, and in doing so, wonder about where these stories fit exactly in the context of each song. It almost becomes an instance of the band thinking too hard about what they are putting out, and feeling the need to justify everything they produce.

Crystal Fighters will certainly be a mainstayer on the live scene, with the nature of their music surely hard to resist on any dance-floor they perform on. The band has created a fantastic, carefree vibe on Star of Love, and although this appears as somewhat of a conceptual album, the group should have no trouble following this up in future releases. And to be honest, wherever this music is coming from I want to be there, and I trust you will too.

• According to a recent interview with triple j, Crystal Fighters debut visit to Australian shores is "imminent" (perhaps a Splendour In The Grass appearance), so this is what we may come to expect from the band in a live sense later this year.

2011

Okay, it appears I haven't been around these parts too much in the past 6 months or so (shit, time does indeed fly). No that I have been inactive on the reviewing front, most often I have just neglected this forum for one reason or another. But I have decided to make a comeback in the hope that someone out there may read this and appreciate the opinions of a passionate music writer. As mentioned, I have produced a few articles in the past few months, and they can all be read here: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/people/sam-1710/portfolio/articles/ Most notable of the articles include a review of Little Red's 'Midnight Remember', an interview with Benjamin Plant of Miami Horror, and live reviews of Cloud Control, Alexisonfire, and Hungry Kids of Hungary to name but a few. Perhaps you can enjoy these at your own leisure.

In the meantime I will hopefully continue to post more frequently on here in order to keep you up to date with various live shows and well-documented albums. It is only February, and there has already been some fantastic (and some not so fantastic) music released this year, which I will hopefully have a chance to back track and provide an opinion on. And of course, the music world was surprised last week when Radiohead dropped their 8th album 'The King of Limbs' seemingly from nowhere, so it would be wrong not to have a view on that in the coming days. I think that is all. The first review I will provide for this year is from UK group Crystal Fighters, who gained some early 2011 success with their track 'Follow'. Look for analysis of 'Star of Love' above this post.

Ciao.