Swim Deep - She Changes The Weather

With the release of their full-length debut less than two months away, Birmingham quartet Swim Deep yesterday released another teaser of what is to come with their single 'She Changes the Weather.'

Stylistically, the track is noticeably different to Swim Deep's earlier releases as it begins. An instrumental intro that nearly spans two minutes is characterised by a circling piano progression that seems to digress from the haunting pairing of synth and bass that make previous songs like 'Honey' so listenable.

The track becomes more enchanting however when the drums roll and the song begins to come together. Enter Austin Williams' clean and direct vocals backed with a signature Swim Deep plodding bass line and we have a song that is more noticeable from the band.

Swim Deep's early success could be down to how fresh they sound in an era that boasts new 'next big thing' groups every weekend. There's a touch of psych in the summer-y surfer-esque intentions of Swim Deep, whilst they still retain a grungy edge as seen, for example, in the chorus of previous single 'The Sea.'

Some of this is lost in She Changes The Weather though, as by the time the song is showcasing why Swim Deep are so highly touted; that edge has been buried too deep in an outing that promises a gripping finale throughout, but evidently fails to deliver it as it becomes more and more mundane.

It is by no means a bad piece of music, but it isn't one that should be preceding such an anticipated full release. Their debut, 'Where The Heaven Are We,' is scheduled fro release July 29, 2013.

Bill Ryder-Jones at Rough Trade 09.05.2012

As the former lead guitarist of Wirral rockers The Coral, any recent piece written on Bill Ryder-Jones won't fail to mention his previous outfit despite him announcing his departure from the band in 2008. Ironically, this one is no different - but Ryder-Jones has been busy since, releasing four albums consisting of two soundtracks, a classically arranged debut in if... and his follow up; a return to his alternative rock roots in A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart. 

Acoustically showcasing songs from the latter, Ryder-Jones drew a small but intrigued gathering of music fans in the Rough Trade record store in East London last week. Ryder-Jones rasping and emotional vocals filled the back of the store as the crowd were guided through a handful of tracks which included a brand new song of the same ilk as it's associates, showing that more of the same could be expected from the Liverpudlian.

Stepping away from the music that has spectacularly showcased his hidden talents as an arranger of classical symphonies, it could be said that Ryder-Jones has taken a step back from this in order to release what would be expected from a man who spent 12 years with a British Indie group - a safe and straight-foreward record. Whilst The Coral's last output was arguably their most ambitious yet, Ryder-Jones remains in the groove that contained six-piece for a number of years.

Although not as emphatically impressive as his previous releases, there are moments on his latest record that nod to earlier classical efforts such as the hypnotic pedal-steel featured on 'Anthony and Owen.' Amongst the subdued ballads however, a listener won't witness the gripping crescendos that made his earlier musical efforts so uplifting and interesting. Although Ryder-Jones has made a different record by genre; it ensues one song begins to drone into another without the versatility listeners know he can brandish.

The melancholy attitude of many of the tracks on A Bad Wind... were accurately captured despite Ryder-Jones only being armed with an acoustic guitar at the in-store appearance last Thursday. Ryder-Jones' intricate chord progressions make the songs what they are - they definitely stray away from a routine three or four chord structure, but a record lacking in the ambition we know Ryder-Jones can muster means there isn't a great deal to be inspired by.

i-D Online (11/2012)

 i-donline.com/2012/11/i-dj-baunz

 Matthew Liam Fogg for i-D Online

The La’s – The La’s; Twenty-Two Years On.

‘It is this incongruous relationship Lee Mavers appears to have with his own trade which is echoed in the views of his fans and allows their frustrations to fall by the waistline in an almost sympathetic understanding of his torment.’

Whilst flicking through my record collection recently and once again finding solace in the timeless sound of Liverpudlian four-piece The La’s, I noticed that we are approaching the 22nd year anniversary of the release of their eponymous debut album. To me, this denotes that although it’s possible to look back at how they fervently announced themselves to the musical world, with their ambitions to capture music in its ‘purest form;’ it disappointingly also marks a 22nd year without an official release of any new material from frontman Lee Mavers. This is also something that most La’s fans have long since come to terms with, but is this time all the more disheartening due to the fact that recently, Mavers teamed up with Gary Murphy of The Bandits for a string of low-key performances around the UK and parts of Europe, which simultaneously once again conjured whispers of possible new releases and even a potential documentary – all of which is unsurprisingly yet to surface. Despite previous glimmers of hope of new material which appeared amongst, frankly, forgettable comebacks that witnessed makeshift line-ups trudge through a tired setlist that once enthralled audiences years prior; it seems there’s now more chance of The Stone Roses playing in your back garden amongst their countless reform shows than a new La’s album. How times have changed.

If there’s one trait that La’s fans everywhere share, it’s undoubtedly frustration. It’s very much a question of who can be bothered keeping up with sporadic ‘stripped back’ shows as far flung as New York (which was cancelled perilously close to the gig) despite the seemingly unequivocal fact that there will never be new releases. All this from a man who inspired household names such as Liam and Noel Gallagher, only to wind up supporting them on tour years later. As new bands arose during the 1990’s, an unquestionably defining era for the identity of British music, The La’s seemingly sunk into the nether regions of musical obscurity as critics grew tired of waiting for a much anticipated follow-up to The La’s.

Despite all of this, there is something unquestionably endearing about The La’s that has earned them a place in music history. Despite releasing only one album, their legacy lingers and the fact that their ‘second coming’ isn’t on the horizon is ostensibly forgivable due to the cult status surrounding the band, especially frontman Lee Mavers. The perfectionism of Mavers is something that is well documented and is even often put forward in excuse for the lack of physical releases after The La’s. Even after the apparent forceful release of this record by its label, the composer himself questioned the authenticity of his own work and labelled it as not the real La’s. This was preceded by a list of engineers as long as your arm trying to figure out how to channel the ideas of Mavers into the musical genius he can obviously conjure, which shamefully wasn’t as frequently as it should have been. From this stemmed certain folklore from La’s fans based around Mavers, such as the story of him sprinkling ’60’s dust’ found on old equipment onto his equipment to touch it with the essence of musical era he found so influential. It is this incongruous relationship Lee Mavers appears to have with his own trade which is echoed in the views of his fans and allows their frustrations to fall by the waistline in an almost sympathetic understanding of his torment.

This all contributes to a status that has earned the Liverpudlian an almost mythological status in the world of music. I lived in the centre of Liverpool for three years and the stories about his recording techniques and angst relationship with popular music are rife amongst La’s fans. This has ensured that although the wait for new material has now exceeded two decades – Mavers, playing along side Murphy and billed as The La’s ‘Stripped Back’, managed to sell-out venues around Europe last summer, including a night at Liverpool’s 02 Academy in front of over a thousand people. Despite all of the setbacks and shortcomings; people were hooked on every lyric and riff in a see-it-to-believe-it atmosphere which culminated in one of the most impressive performer/crowd relationships I’ve ever seen during a gig. There’s something unquestionably special about The La’s that will guarantee they will always have listeners and admirers. There’s mystery behind the fact that they have the capacity to release great records, but left us with only one. Their b-sides and demo’s are all promising and deserve to be out there in their entirety; which maybe suggests a second record could have been as good, or better, than the debut – but this will always be a suggestion.

There are many reasons as to why I think there’ll never be another La’s record in my collection, one of the biggest is the manner of comebacks and gigs Lee Mavers has played over the last few years which have all ended abruptly after some speculation and excitement. Sheffield-based rocker Richard Hawley recently noted on his public forum that a La’s sound check he witnessed consisted merely of, ‘has anyone got a football?’ which begs questions of work ethic and motives behind going on the road again. It’s hard to imagine there’s much passion behind Maver’s work or work ethic anymore, which is a shame as there’ll always be a shroud of mystery and ‘if’s’ and ‘buts’ surrounding their legacy. He’s a perfectionist who disowned his own work immediately after its release, but thankfully die-hard fans of the band refuse to do so – which means somehow The La’s are still relevant.

I’m one of the fans of the group who believes the story of The La’s needs to be told. It’s a phenomenon, how a character that exudes such disappointment and has constantly let people down, still draws people in and is often heralded as a great musical mind, despite the lack of telling evidence. It’s always difficult telling someone who has previously stumbled across There She Goes, albeit on a Britpop playlist or played over an irrelevant advert, that there is much more to this band – they aren’t simply a one hit wonders as is often administered to them by dismissive casual listeners of British guitar music. These annoyances come with the territory of being a fan of The La’s; but you can’t say it isn’t personally worth it when you dig a little bit deeper and, for example, hear the unreleased version of Timeless Melody in all of its staggering, raw and enchanting beauty. The very fact that someone would daringly and boastfully declare a track as a timeless piece of music in its title is something that demands it to be heard – but yet again, it’s a track that is lost amongst the music it undoubtedly paved way to. I like to think that it will someday be unearthed, remembered and understood for the ingenious piece of song writing it is.

It’s always interesting looking at how The La’s fare today, musically. It’s baffling how an album that was considered out of kilter with the trends of music in the late 80’s, when it was conceived, sounds so relevant and in no way outdated upon listening today. The longevity of this record is certainly something to behold considering the fact it was put out in such a transitional period for British music. In some ways, it’s better to have this as a foundation of The La’s and a reminder of just how talented they were – rather than watch them being twisted and changed as their musical sound progressed. Then again, as mentioned before, it’s something that leaves so many unanswered questions that could have been answered with new material. It may be that it’s time to stop writing and speculating and let Mavers get on with his business. We don’t always achieve what we set out to achieve and after all, it’s Mavers who has to live with this – if he did set out to do more with The La’s, that is.

Peace - EP Delicious

The Birmingham-based band, Peace, have been steadily garnering interest with their intriguing artwork splayed across cities up and down the country, combined with sporadic releases of entrancing and interesting music. Those that have been keenly following the buzz surrounding the four-piece are finally treated with the follow-up to debut single, ‘follow baby,’ with EP Delicious.

Although it’s hard to pin down the musical direction the band set out to take with this release, this non-linear collection of four tracks is surprisingly easy to get lost in, albeit for a short while. It has proved just the trick though, as a couple of quickly sold-out London dates are inclusive of their upcoming tour. Currently ensuring fans are hanging on every note and captivated for a potential 2013 full length debut, it’s plain to see that the best of this band is yet to come; as a word-of-mouth style growth characterises the rising of Peace.

Opening track ‘Ocean’s Eye,’ has a ‘Doors like feel, with verses dependant on a carrying bass line, touched by gentle bursts of guitar. This similarity changes, however, with a soaring chorus capped by front man Harrison Koisser’s wailing and distinct vocal work. Offering only two and half minutes of music with their first track, Peace display why they’re currently on the lips of new music lovers around the country; the potential is there and they’re showing glimpses of it, guaranteeing you want to know more.

Flowing surprisingly smoothly into second track, recently renamed ‘Bloodshake,’ has a more bouncy feel to it, reminiscent of the unmistakeable clinging guitar hooks of band such as Foals that embodied the latter years of last decade’s Indie music scene. This has been somewhat resurrected and brought forward with a deeper and darker feel, captured on EP Delicious, concluding the track’s final minute with a crashing instrumental section sure to be an alluring feature in their upcoming live shows.

In choosing to release an EP, it’s sometimes hard to display versatility as a group considering the limited play-time compared to a full length album. The remaining two tracks on the EP, however, exemplify just how versatile Peace can be. ‘California Daze,’ undoubtedly the strongest track vocally, contains lyrics reaching out to those tired with their current situation and offering solace in gripping lyrics such as, ‘forget and forgive, there’s a place you can live.’ This characterises an intelligent crescendo that inevitably plunges into what Peace seemingly do best. Echoing leads that compliment churning power chords and make for uplifting instrumental work show why Peace are making noise in the music industry at the moment.

If you fail to see what separates Peace from a lot of the current run-of-the-mill Indie music filling the apparent answer to today’s popular music, then this releases’ final track undeniably shows you. EP Delicious culminates in a 10 minute re-working of the song 1998, by British Trance act Binary Finary. It’s an ambitious statement that is personified by a pulsing and rising feel, synonymous with the Trace genre. Peace add their own twist however, with the inclusion of lyrics and looping guitar. As a guitar-based band, covering a well known trance song and getting away with it isn’t an easy feat, but Peace manage to bridge the large gap between two very differing genres of music in song 1998. It is an unquestionably bold statement and one that paves the way for a much-anticipated debut album.

Peace are set to embark on their tour of the UK this month and it’s certainly the time to catch them before they being work on their first full release.

The 1-2-3-4 Shoreditch

As we approach autumn and musicians are shepherded back indoors, in an impressive alternate to the costly larger weekend festivals; The 1234 Shoreditch closed this summer’s outdoor music events with an eclectic array of live acts. The 1234 proved to be a very reasonably priced way of catching upcoming bands as well as the more established acts amongst today's alternative music scene.

A couple of hours in to the event, Sam McGarrigle's Gross Magic captivated a gathering of intrigued music fans at the Rough Trade Shops stage with swirling psychedelic riffs and a touch of early Nirvana-esque grunge. Playing songs from their 'Teen Jamz' EP, Gross Magic's set culminated with their anthemic song Sweetest Touch, setting the bar high for the rest of the festival. Across other stages, hopefuls such as Deptford trio Drop Out Venus were making a name for themselves with their unquestionable stage presence and promising live sound.

With a growing crowd and atmosphere; buzz acts Crocodiles and Dirty Beaches, from USA and Canada respectively, treated Main Stage attendees with an hour and a half of gritty lo-fi music from across the pond. Contributing to an impressive Main Stage line-up, they set the mood distinctly for what was an enthralling performance by Punk legends The Buzzcocks later in the evening. Showcasing their unequivocal success by drawing arguably the biggest crowd of the day, despite playing amongst predominantly contemporary acts, they hurtled through a setlist compiled of classic Punk tracks such as What Do I Get, Orgasm Addict and their seminal song Ever Fallen in Love.

Worth a mention and having the most difficult task of the day - competing for the crowd with The Buzzcocks, Citizens! headlined the Artrocker Newblood Stage in style. Four months on from releasing their debut album, the aptly titled Here We Are, the UK-based Indie group displayed moments of magic such as their performance of single Caroline - prompting sing-a-longs amongst a good sized attendance and closed the day in great fashion.

As the festival gates closed and afterparties filled with satisfied music lovers roared on, the unmistakeable atmosphere that was previously enclosed within the grounds of Shoreditch Park was carried in to the night. The 1234 Shoreditch was a telling success, a collective of acts so hip they will undoubtedly scurry back to playing dark and dirty underground venues you've never heard of - amongst everlasting acts such as The Buzzcocks made for a compelling close to this summer's festivals.

2012 - The Year of Richard Hawley

Commonly, a person in their mid-forties who steps away from their habitual routine in order to discover new aspects of life can raise questions of identity. It’s often labelled a midlife crisis and is something which can be undoubtedly worrying in the music industry. Call it what you want, but this stark change in direction underlying Richard Hawley’s Standing at the Sky’s Edge signals no trouble. Distorted riffs (louder than commonplace in a Hawley LP) twinned with fuzz-toned progressions in his latest album release, spark an instantly recognisable nod to the heavier psychedelic era whilst maintaining a hold on a contemporary sound. 

The 45 year old singer-songwriter recently teamed up with fellow Sheffield-based group The Arctic Monkeys for the song You & I, with the consequent popularity of the collaboration bringing him in to prominence with a whole new fan base. The subsequent air-time and television appearances, combined with a wholly positive response to his latest album, have finally given notability to the well deserved unearthing of Richard Hawley in popular music.

Richard Hawley has achieved all of this whilst mostly alluding to the direct, melodic song-writing that has enabled him to become the established artist that he is. The opening track of Standing at the Sky’s Edge, titled She Brings the Sunlight; meddles with an Eastern sound - backed with grinding, shoegaze-esque guitars, before releasing a traditionally soaring chorus long-term fans of Richard Hawley can relate to. A slight criticism is that unfortunately, some of this inherent appeal is forfeited in tracks such as Time will Bring you Winter which act as something of an ‘in-between’ amongst the traditionally sombre and meaningful Richard Hawley song-writing and the refreshingly heavier and gripping songs such as Down to the Woods and Leave Your Body Behind You. Richard Hawley, however, has made a daring move not seen too often amongst alternative rock outfits. By seemingly stepping out of his usual song-writing mediums and introducing a broader range of his influences, we are presented with one of the most ambitious records of the year. It seems a louder album, in both volume and essence, has evoked a louder response from the plaudits – with Standing at the Sky’s Edge set to be his most successful album to date.

Musicianship isn’t the only thing being showcased by Richard Hawley this year; his ethics and attitudes towards the business side of things have also been portrayed in his actions with regards to the release of some of his music. A vinyl-only exclusive version of his album’s first single Leave Your Body Behind You, released earlier this year, could be purchased solely from independent record stores. In an age where illegal downloads and various ways of streaming music for free are easily available – it’s a commendable act showing how actually buying music can be rewarding.

With a UK tour imminent, Richard Hawley is capitalising on a year that has arguably been his most defining as a solo musician. If you want to be a part of it; get a ticket. It’s impossible to be disappointed with his live performances – direct, no frills delivery where over the top rock-clichés are excluded, meaning you’ll get exactly what you went to see - and when it comes to live music, that’s a very good thing.