MV&EE @ Miss Peapods, 11.02.08

After a run of quietly spectacular gigs in 2007 (Jack Rose, Jeffrey Lewis et al), Falmouth-based Lono Records' latest coup (and their list of forthcoming dates) only added to the unanimity that they're the saviours of truly alternative music in Cornwall. Preceeded by the yodelling, herb-referencing Simon Drinkwater, and Andrew Hockey's off-kilter pop-psych jams, MV & EE delighted the largely bearded crowd (the male contingent at least) with sprawling, 20-minute renditions of songs from their exponentially expanding back catalogue (anything written about the band will undoubtedly feature the word "prolific").
Both the more subtle, woody songs from recent album, "Gettin' Gone", and its crunchy Americana-tinged numbers were similarly burnt by an intriguing conversational drone and lysergic pounding rhythm, which, at times, could rightly have been labelled self-indulgent, but under the head-nodding influence of Miss Peapod's potent organic cider, a harsh stop to a song might have seemed unfair, and amputative. However, it'd be unrealistic to state that every 20-minute opus was a pleasure to hear - whilst the set seemed impressively built around intuition for the other musicians, it would perhaps have been more satisfying to hear them draw from further into their past recordings, with a little more tonal texture.

Tegan et Sara - The Con

Quand son dernier titre est devenu populaire seulement parce que les White Stripes ont enregistré un des chansons (le fantastique "Walking With a Ghost"), c'est comprendable qu'on serait amer. Naturellement, ce n'est pas probablement la raison du changement de la tonalité, mais il est indéniable que les jumeaux canadiens cinquième titre est lyriquement plus sobre, et moins "pop" par convention que son prédécesseur. 26 ne nous semble pas vieux, mais les rêveries sur l'âge brillent par le disque le plus musicalement expérimental de T&S - sur "Like O, Like H", et "Nineteen", relaté par le lyrique typiquement idiosyncratique - "je vous ai senti dans des mes jambes, avant que je vous aie jamais rencontré". Des quelques moments optimistes, "Back In Your Head" discute l'engagement très ouvrir - "je ne suis pas infidèle mais je vaguerai", s'ajoutant au type d'honnêteté rare et beau qui est sûre de permettre ce titre de parler pour lui-même, sans aide des amis célèbres.

Red Stripe Music Awards: Falmouth Heat

So it’s awards season again, and with the NME Awards making the Brits look more alternative than Britney doing gabba, it’s up to Red Stripe to revolutionise recognising unsigned talent (despite ignoring last year’s finalists, our resplendent Rosie and the Goldbug, in favour of another identikit guitar band). Kicking off the first of Cornwall’s three heats is The UPS, four skinny young chaps in full uniform (Topman’s Winter collection) with a nice line in explosive drumming. However, they let themselves down with the other members’ failure to concentrate on the job in hand, instead remembering to don one’s all-important white Wayfarers mid-set. All stuttering guitar and drums, most of their repertoire bombed with weak verses, and generic football terrace “oh-oh-oh-ing” about that much-mooted cliché, “reality”.

Less on-trend of disposition, Nervosa take to the stage, looking promisingly like a supergroup made up of Lemmy Motorhead, one of Arcade Fire and Glass Shark. However, they disappoint with their rankling, dated mid-90s rock sound, often evoking the hairy soul of Nickelback. To give credit where it’s due, they were significantly tighter than The UPS, but in no way comparable to their stage successor.

“Now for some fopp rock,” purrs the dandyish Andrew Bate, with the first sign of any charisma or real presence of the evening. Since first appearing two years ago, Andrew has developed remarkably, crafting an enigmatic, seemingly innocent onstage persona, and lending his songs a sweeping tonal grace akin to Radiohead’s acoustic moments. The rhythm section led by his waltzing eyebrows, ‘Trust’ writes the evening’s most thoughtful lyrics (although the competition’s not hard when up against nonsensical trend-chasing tales of reality).

Unfortunately, the embers of Andrew’s set are soon stomped on by the boisterous, hardcore Disco Pip, whose set was hampered by the presence of a great big Gaye albatross, and their every song ending in a crashing sonic wall of oblivion. However final song, “Even the Brake” was undeniably satisfying, all synthetic sirens and visceral yowls, erasing all memory of the one-chord wonders they played previously.

It’s hard not to take the bait in Tom Pitts’ opening statement – “Hello, I’m The Pitts” - especially when his first number sounds like a male Kate Nash with terminal screaming PMT, followed by an appalling cover of Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?”, which, like the rest of his set, attempts to be ramshackle and twee, but just comes off as unadulterated tosh. There might have been a certain charm lingering in his profusely perspiring nerves, but certainly not the addictive allure of the Moldy Peaches, Bill Bailey, or any other comedy acoustic troubadours.

Thank goodness then, for My Elvis Blackout, who despite a year away from the scene, are razor sharp of wit and shirts, without a dated note in their ‘50s surf-rock heavy set. Their thumping, swaggering sonic beast would leave the Cloverfield monster pleading for mercy, and they’re the only band tonight to whip the crowd into mid-song whoops of joy. Old favourite “Elsie Elsie” rears its head, steaming with pheromones and the scent of sticky young lust. Set-closer “Back In The Food Chain”, with its bullish feudal lyrics, sent a message to all the young pretenders to their throne, but it’s not one to be printed here...

Stars of Hope Charity Gig at Princess Pavillions

A group of local teenagers are organising a charity concert in Falmouth to raise funds for Kenyan children. The gig will take place in Princess Pavilions on 23rd November, in order to raise funds for the Cornwall-based charity, Stars of Hope.

Performing will be popular local bands such as Rosie and the Goldbug, Ammunition, and The Reels, in addition to young newcomers Harry and the Hermits, and the alternative girl band, Shagrat.

“We started off as a bit of a joke, now we’re playing at Princess Pavilions! It seems farfetched, but now it’s dawned on us properly, we’re scared but really proud!” said Georgia Gendall (16), of Shagrat. “I’m very impressed that a fair bit of the success is down to some teenagers.”

Rosie Henderson, Emily Knuckey, Tim Petherick and Rachel McKie (all of Truro College or Truro High School) are in charge of the night, which succeeds a similar, extremely successful gig at Truro High School.

“At our first gig, we had seven young local bands playing, which we discovered through friends and the internet. We raised over £850, and instead of donating it straight to the charity, we asked if we could invest it in another, bigger gig, which they allowed,” said band-organiser Emily Knuckey (16). “This time, we’re aiming to raise at least £2000, hopefully nearer £3000!”

Second on the bill is My Elvis Blackout, who have enjoyed a stellar 2007: “We’ve done a few charity do’s recently because we’re extremely altruistic, well-adjusted, modern individuals. We’re also doing this one because we don’t play in the mother land very often.”

Despite the young age of the organisers, they appear to be coping well with the demands of such a huge task, as recognised by their performers. Rosie Vanier, frontwoman of headliners, Rosie and the Goldbug, said: “They are doing an amazing job of getting everyone together! We are looking forward to the show and seeing all the other bands – it will be a great night, and a good opportunity to get together and have a few drinks!

“We were not aware of the charity before, so it just goes to show that events like this are great for raising awareness and funds. It sounds like a great cause, and we are delighted to be playing.”

Georgia of Shagrat also praised the organisers for their inclusion of fledgling bands: “I think that Cornwall should give new bands more opportunities like this, because it’s something to strive for. This is huge for us!”

Stars of Hope is a Cornwall-based, non-profit organisation working locally with young people. Proceeds go to their centre in Kenya, which supports vulnerable children in poverty-stricken countries, and aims to help local people to help themselves. Their latest project is in Bali, to raise awareness and care for disabled children.

Tickets are £8 on the door, or £6 in advance, available from Princess Pavilions on 01326 211222. Apart from the small percentage of money which the Pavilions receives for tickets sold from their box office, every penny goes to charity.

Cuckoo Flies the Nest

The people behind a recently-closed Truro bar have relaunched the brand as an alternative club night.

Cuckoo, formerly of Old Bridge Street, was closed in September due to the proprietor's ill health. It is now manifesting itself as 'Club Cuckoo', which kicked off in Truro's Bar 200 on 20th October, and will move around the clubs of the area. Liam Jolly was the bar's live music promoter, who, with his company 'Suave', will be journeying the night around Cornwall:

"At Cuckoo we created a very identifiable brand, so now we can take that to those who couldn't make it to Truro due to Cornwall's awful public transport! We wanted a friendly, non-cliquey environment in which to listen to the best in alternative music at loud volume.

"We had great feedback from the first night, although it was quite stressful as we coincided with the rugby world cup final."

A customer from the first night seemed to agree: "I'm so glad that Cuckoo hasn't gone completely - we need this kind of thing to cater for people who don't like 5000 beat-per-minute dance rubbish, which is the only taste that other clubs in the area seem to cater for. The mixture of live music and DJs is obviously a winner, and going by their track record with getting bigger names to play, I for one am excited."

During its time at a permanent location, Cuckoo was renowned for supporting bands from Cornwall and further afield, with over 80 bands performing on their stage in the five months they were open. Many of these nights were filled to capacity. Live music is also a feature of the new night, which will take place across the county.

"We're opening in Falmouth on 12th November in the upstairs of MI Bar. We have some great bands lined up for it, and with the student population in and around Falmouth at an all-time high, it should be great. It's a very arty night, so where better to do it than Falmouth? There will also be a one-off night in Redruth soon," said Mr Jolly.

Under the proprietors of Kazbah, the Barley Sheaf became Cuckoo in April, and was suceeded by The Riverside, a new gastropub, in September.

The next night will take place at Bar 200 on 27th October, featuring A Day At The Movies, King Furnace, and The Venton Gimps, in addition to resident DJs The Earls of Suave (aka Liam Jolly and Frank Gane). Entry is £3 and strictly 18+.

Harmonia - Live 1974

Comprising members of Krautrock superstars Neu!, Cluster, and, at times, Brian Eno, Harmonia helped to redefine and rebel against the cultural wasteland of a Germany in the process of renewed self-discovery. On ‘Live 1974’, they’ve taken the moody mechanical side of the genre, lacing it with determined soaring intricacies and synths which inspired bands from Battles to Radiohead, potentially making Harmonia one of the most important supergroups you’ve probably never heard of.

9/10

(as printed in NME 17.10.07)

Listen to: Laura Gibson

If alternative and challenging culture needed a mecca, one need look no further than Portland. From the legacy of Riot Grrl, Matt Groening's take on American suburbia and Chuck Palahniuk's defining work springs Laura Gibson, whose waltz-imbued 'Nightwatch' brings to mind staticky super-8 films of fun in snowy parks and coffee by dappled light. The four tracks on her Myspace challenge Bright Eyes' 'I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning' for the crown of exquisitely-interpreted acoustic Americana, and her voice laps with natural nonchalance such that Kate Nash only wishes she could accomplish. The sepia fanfare on 'Come By Storm' wouldn't sounds incongruous on a Sufjan Stevens album, nor Nina Nastasia. Luckily for us, she's playing in London in December, so there's no need to buy a ticket to Portland for the pilgrimage.

Lethal Bizzle to play in Falmouth

Grime star Lethal Bizzle will be performing at University College Falmouth’s (UCF) Stannary in November as part of his ‘Back to Bizznizz’ tour.

Bizzle (real name Maxwell Ansah) will be playing the Stannary, one of Cornwall’s biggest music venues, on 27th November. He was due to support punk band Gallows on the Falmouth leg of their tour, but had to pull out due to a video shoot which ran over-schedule.

“We knew that a lots of people had been disappointed when Bizzle was a no-show on the Gallows date at Princess Pavilion last month, so we have been talking to his agent ever since about getting him a date in Cornwall,” said Katy Thomas from SW1 Productions, who are promoting the event.

‘The Hook Up’ are presenting the tour, which will also feature music, film, fashion, technology and more, and is said to “reflect what is happening” in the UK scene at present.

Lethal Bizzle came to prominence in 2003 when his single, ‘Pow! (Forward Riddim)’ was banned from UK clubs for supposedly inciting riots. He is part of the East London ‘grime’ scene responsible for the careers of Dizzee Rascal and Kano, and has released two albums to critical acclaim.

Tickets are £11 and available at www.seetickets.com, or £10 for students, available from Woodlane and Tremough FXU offices. The show is strictly over 18s.

Fruit juice and smoothies are taxed; hot dogs and all other foods are not.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/fruitjuiceVAT/

Please sign this petition to encourage the government to lift the 17.5% VAT on fruit juice and smoothies. If they are as committed to decreasing the rate of obesity in this country as they say they are, they should also switch the tax around to make unhealthy foods more expensive. It seems ridiculous that people who make a healthy choice in their purchases are being penalised.

Research conducted by Innocent, the people behind Innocent Smoothies and This Water, has established that at least 500 million more portions of fruit would be consumed each year if this tax was lifted.

How many times have you gone for a cheaper carbonated drink after being put off by the price of smoothies etc? Sign this petition so everyone can enjoy the benefits of drinking fruit (it's quicker and easier than eating apples as well as being healthy!).

of Montreal at The Scala 02.08.07

In any land far far away, it would take a powerful and exotic creature to turn torture festive, but electro pop chameleon Kevin Barnes's flamboyant psychosis did just that at the Scala, lacing the mental unrest that permeated most recent album Hissing Fauna with twisted nonchalance, and a gaudy stage show that made the comparable Rufus Wainwright look positively conservative. Dancing in front of images of duck-horses fondling each other (seriously), chic basslines rumbled around Barnes' pouting, often downright bitchy (yet comical) delivery (on "She's A Rejector" in particular), whilst a whole host of post-Brothers Grimm characters fought around him. "The Past Is A Grotesque Animal", "Hissing Fauna"'s 10 minute brainstorm, toned down the vibrance of the set as Barnes spat his personal dissatisfactions out to richochet inside his crystal encrusted bell jar, coming on like a rainbow-coloured Ian Curtis. Returning for an encore of older songs, Of Montreal blew the roof off their fairytale kingdom.