Sorry for another few blank days kids, have had work up to my earlobes.
HOWEVER. Joy. Coming at you very soon...
- SIA live @ Night & Day Cafe (review, pictures and video)
- Adele A/B Side single review
- Jay-z new single review
- Noah & The Whale live @ Night & Day Cafe
plus any of you fine people who are going to see my friend from across the pond, Jenny Owen Youngs (the Kingston/London/Manchester shows) I will see you there. Cheer loudly and yell things (nice things).
www.myspace.com/jennyowenyoungs
Glucky
xxx
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Saturday, 24 November 2007
*Tegan and Sara - The Con (Album)
I realise this album came out a little while ago, and therefore this review should have gone up a while ago but thought i'd dig it out and post it seeing as T&S are touring here soon and if you don't have a ticket.. what are you waiting for silly?
Tegan and Sara - The Con (Maple Music)
Sometimes along comes an album where a band has grown so much, lyrically, melodically and personally that when it’s laid out in front of you bare boned on a record there is nothing left to do but sit down with a pair of headphones, put the record on and press repeat.
The talent of Tegan and Sara has never been in doubt, with four previous records underneath their belts including the very successful; ‘So Jealous’ and countless numbers of honest, catchy and often heart wrenching songs, they are clearly accomplished, but with their new record ‘The Con’ they have taken everything to the next level.
Somewhat like a perfect lovers’ mix tape; the songs deal in heartbreak, longing, coping, realisation and speaking out - and that’s only on the surface, dig deeper and there is a hoard of intricate and intimate moments to be found.
While both girls are intense songwriters, interestingly, while they perform together, it is well known that they write alone, which is maybe why their individual sounds are becoming more distinct. Songs like; Nineteen, Call It Off and The Con are clearly Tegan’s – direct, passionate and allow you so much access, you wonder if you’re listening in on something that was meant to be private. Singing over an intense drumbeat on ‘Are You Ten Years Ago’ she takes the sound of Tegan and Sara into an entirely different territory. Equally Sara’s ‘Like O Like H’, ‘Burn Your Life Down’ and ‘Floorplan’ are full of intricate parts, quirky vocals and subject matter stretching far beyond some of her previous songs, now incorporating inspiration from childhood, marriage and even coping with death.
What’s so unique is that their records never seem to display a stronger writer/lyricist, you are never made to choose between them, they both have their accomplished individual songs but together, they have a fantastic record. So no matter who has written what, like a musical ying and yang they have managed to intertwine their styles to produce a record that everyone can relate to. Whether it’s love lost or gained, self-realisation or self-confusion, every song on this album resonates.
With their live shows garnering a reputation for hilarious storytelling along with fantastic musical performance, it’s clear these are woman of great talent and substance and in a musical world where unfortunately that can be a rarity, thank Canada for Tegan and Sara.
10/10
Tegan and Sara - The Con (Maple Music)
Sometimes along comes an album where a band has grown so much, lyrically, melodically and personally that when it’s laid out in front of you bare boned on a record there is nothing left to do but sit down with a pair of headphones, put the record on and press repeat.
The talent of Tegan and Sara has never been in doubt, with four previous records underneath their belts including the very successful; ‘So Jealous’ and countless numbers of honest, catchy and often heart wrenching songs, they are clearly accomplished, but with their new record ‘The Con’ they have taken everything to the next level.
Somewhat like a perfect lovers’ mix tape; the songs deal in heartbreak, longing, coping, realisation and speaking out - and that’s only on the surface, dig deeper and there is a hoard of intricate and intimate moments to be found.
While both girls are intense songwriters, interestingly, while they perform together, it is well known that they write alone, which is maybe why their individual sounds are becoming more distinct. Songs like; Nineteen, Call It Off and The Con are clearly Tegan’s – direct, passionate and allow you so much access, you wonder if you’re listening in on something that was meant to be private. Singing over an intense drumbeat on ‘Are You Ten Years Ago’ she takes the sound of Tegan and Sara into an entirely different territory. Equally Sara’s ‘Like O Like H’, ‘Burn Your Life Down’ and ‘Floorplan’ are full of intricate parts, quirky vocals and subject matter stretching far beyond some of her previous songs, now incorporating inspiration from childhood, marriage and even coping with death.
What’s so unique is that their records never seem to display a stronger writer/lyricist, you are never made to choose between them, they both have their accomplished individual songs but together, they have a fantastic record. So no matter who has written what, like a musical ying and yang they have managed to intertwine their styles to produce a record that everyone can relate to. Whether it’s love lost or gained, self-realisation or self-confusion, every song on this album resonates.
With their live shows garnering a reputation for hilarious storytelling along with fantastic musical performance, it’s clear these are woman of great talent and substance and in a musical world where unfortunately that can be a rarity, thank Canada for Tegan and Sara.
10/10
*WIN - Tellison
Hey Kids,
one of our favourite bands Tellison;
have finally released their single 'Gallery' on very very limited (500 copies) 7" vinyl;
and we have a lovely shiny new copy to give away.
To win, email the regular email (getglucky@googlemail.com) with your name and address.. points win prizes, or in this case emails do.
*Get Glucky*
one of our favourite bands Tellison;
have finally released their single 'Gallery' on very very limited (500 copies) 7" vinyl;
and we have a lovely shiny new copy to give away.
To win, email the regular email (getglucky@googlemail.com) with your name and address.. points win prizes, or in this case emails do.
*Get Glucky*
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
*Remi Nicole - My Conscience and I (Album)
Remi Nicole - My Conscience and I (Cool Delta)
The album opens with, 'Go With The Flow' and an unfortunately irritating over the top London accent. This seems to be a trend at the moment, but Remi is just arriving that little bit too late; it just feels tired now, where are all the females who are going to be offering something new? A bigger frustration though is that when it's the 'LDN' style of singing it's near impossible to tell if the artist actually has a good voice. A lot of the songs on 'My Conscience And I' seem to follow the same formula; none of them are offensive, or particularly bad, but very few song on the album are special enough in music or lyric, to stand out from everything else that's around at the moment.
First single 'Rock 'n' Roll' single is highlight, 'Tabloid Queen' sounds like the beginning of a Jack Penate song, but then as soon as she starts to sing about Heat Magazine, it all gets a bit embarassing. You get the feeling someone has put a lot of effort in to making Remi Nicole appear 'cool' when instead this intense pushing of current culture actually rubs off in a negative way. 'Fed Up' and 'Right Side Of Me' are more stripped down songs and suit her much better, it feels more comfortable - like she isn't trying so hard to be relevant. As a whole though the album just seems too simple, it's followed a pop formula and slung a guitar on the singer to make it feel a bit indie, but it ends up just feeling like some odd 'tween rock/pop' sent to give mothers someone their child can safely listen to.
3/10
*Kill The Lights - Buffalo Love (Album)
Kill The Lights - Buffalo Love (Maple Music)
"Kill The Lights is four men and one woman making calculated noises to specific rhythms with amplified instruments." Band Bio
"Buffalo Love" is one of those albums with so much difference and variation to it that it takes a good few listens to start to understand what it is you might be listening to. This is not a negative quality by any means, unless you are an impatient listener. The album is definitely a grower - however 'Skinny White Girls' along with having an amusing title and being my favourite track on the album, has an instantly clear indie/pop appeal while remaining just on the edge to constantly make you re-consider whether that is anywhere near a correct classification.
The album is full of prominent stabbing guitar parts placed throughout, speedy drumming and a variation of vocal showcases - yearning, sleepy, and at times urgent; Kill The Lights is a hard band to fit into any boxes. Songs like 'Orestes' while still containing the feverish drumming seen so many other places on the album has haunting guitar parts and the kind of vocals on a chorus that make you shout right back. It's not the most consistent of albums, there are a few tracks that fall at the mediocre end of the spectrum, but highlights such as 'Skinny White Girls' 'Orestes' and 'Bombs' clearly show a band that knows what they want to sound like, even if we don't always share in that knowledge.
"Underlying it all, there is a sense that music should be an artistic venture that combines passion, musical chops, friendship, and self-challenge." Band Bio
6.5/10
*Silversun Pickups - Pikul (EP)
Silversun Pickups - Pikul (Upshot)
Silversun Pickups are without a doubt one of my favourite new bands of this year. They manage to mix up their sound to be familiar yet completely refreshing. As a band their song is both quiet and loud, delicate and strong, and always in all the right places.
The EP originally released in 2005 has been re-released off the back of the success of the album. Since we have already done the 'New Kids on the Block" feature with their drummer i'm going to keep this short and sweet. This EP is great, the album is great, go show them some love even if you don't feel strongly about the colour silver, the sun or pickups in general.
8/10
*Little Noise Sessions - Jack Penate, Young Knives, Laura Marling, Joe Lean & JJJ (Live)
First some pictures:
apologies for slightly crap quality of photos, but it was in church, so no flash and no sinning. Flashing... sinning.. god i hope that pun made sense or I just sound crazy. SO on to the gig.
For those of you unfamiliar with the "Little Noise Sessions" they are acoustic gigs done one every night for about a week in aid of a charity called MENCAP for people with mental disabilities. The venue was absolutely stunning, you'd be forgiven for thinking the acoustics of a church would be weird but it sounded fantastic and felt like a hugely special gig to be a part of even before the music came on.
Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong were on first.. unfortunately I really don't have a lot to say about them. They're hyped by NME which makes me almost immediately not want to listen but I ofcourse gave it a chance and just didn't hear anything remotely special, original or particularly interesting.
Laura Marling.. ah Miss Marling, she was primarily who I came to see and I was not disappointed. She really has a phenominally haunting voice, and as much as I hate to play the age card she is only 18, maybe even 17? But to think of all the growth she could acheive in the next few years when she's already so fantastic both as a lyricist/songwriter and as a live performer, is really exciting. She played most of the songs off her "My Manic & I" EP apart from my favourite, 'Typical' however she gave a beautiful rendition of "Ghosts" that more than made up for the absence of the former.
Jack Penate... bless him. What a trooper, he's used to playing live, loud, jump around gigs and here he was in a church playing his acoustic guitar and still jumping around the stage and dancing like a maniac. A genuinely nice seeming guy with catchy songs and envy inducing dance moves, the music isn't always amazing but there are a handful of great songs on his debut "Matinee" so it's worth giving it a listen and if you really hate him you're probably related to scrooge. I mean he talks about his mum and dad in his songs, and trainers, and Jack Kerouac. He's a nice guy ok?
Videos to come very soon...
Friends Forever
*Get Glucky*
apologies for slightly crap quality of photos, but it was in church, so no flash and no sinning. Flashing... sinning.. god i hope that pun made sense or I just sound crazy. SO on to the gig.
For those of you unfamiliar with the "Little Noise Sessions" they are acoustic gigs done one every night for about a week in aid of a charity called MENCAP for people with mental disabilities. The venue was absolutely stunning, you'd be forgiven for thinking the acoustics of a church would be weird but it sounded fantastic and felt like a hugely special gig to be a part of even before the music came on.
Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong were on first.. unfortunately I really don't have a lot to say about them. They're hyped by NME which makes me almost immediately not want to listen but I ofcourse gave it a chance and just didn't hear anything remotely special, original or particularly interesting.
Laura Marling.. ah Miss Marling, she was primarily who I came to see and I was not disappointed. She really has a phenominally haunting voice, and as much as I hate to play the age card she is only 18, maybe even 17? But to think of all the growth she could acheive in the next few years when she's already so fantastic both as a lyricist/songwriter and as a live performer, is really exciting. She played most of the songs off her "My Manic & I" EP apart from my favourite, 'Typical' however she gave a beautiful rendition of "Ghosts" that more than made up for the absence of the former.
Jack Penate... bless him. What a trooper, he's used to playing live, loud, jump around gigs and here he was in a church playing his acoustic guitar and still jumping around the stage and dancing like a maniac. A genuinely nice seeming guy with catchy songs and envy inducing dance moves, the music isn't always amazing but there are a handful of great songs on his debut "Matinee" so it's worth giving it a listen and if you really hate him you're probably related to scrooge. I mean he talks about his mum and dad in his songs, and trainers, and Jack Kerouac. He's a nice guy ok?
Videos to come very soon...
Friends Forever
*Get Glucky*
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)