RIP Blakfish: 2000-2010

Earlier this week I heard the sad news that during their European tour with Biffy Clyro, Blakfish co-vocalist/guitarist Sam ‘Mule’ Manville decided to call it a day. It’s a shame to see such a great band come to a premature end, especially so soon after their stunning debut album had started to take them places, but the toils of touring can take their toll.

The news came as a big shock, as it did when Colour announced their split last summer (although Alan and Trood play on as Tangled Hair) and Reuben in 2008. And Million Dead before them. And Beecher before them. So many great British bands have split so early in their careers.

Anyway, the remaining members of Blakfish have stated they will continue to make music, in what form I do not know, but I can’t wait to find out. Until then there are several EP’s and an album (which I cannot recommend enough) to enjoy. And if you like them buy some merch while you still can…

Marko





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NEW M.I.A ALBUM

Despite her current ubiquity I’m still a big fan of M.I.A, and her last album, 2007’s Kala, is a pretty great record. Not only does it feature some genuine pop moments in Boyz, Jimmy, and the ridiculously overplayed Paper Planes, it also contains some much more interesting and diverse sounds such as the baile-funk of Bird Flu and the rapping Aborigine children on Mango Pickle Down River.

So it’s good to know that a new album isn’t far off. According to an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the follow up to Kala should be out this summer. In a quote which will make her many detractors laugh bitterly, M.I.A has stated that she doesn’t want it “to be gimmicky or silly or hipstery”. Whatever she releases it’s unlikely to win round the haters, but for those who like innovative, intelligent pop music this can only be good news. Roll on summer.

Jed. x









2010 - AGCS ALBUM PREVIEW PART TWO

A few days ago we listed the 5 albums we’re most looking forward too in the brave new world that is 2010, but in the second part of our album preview we’ll be delving into the murky world of unconfirmed solo albums and rumoured returns. Here, then, is an examination of the albums we optimistically expect to be released this year, and why we’re looking forward to them.

(WARNING - VERY LONG POST)

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THE KABEEDIES - RUMPUS

I first saw the Kabeedies at Leicester’s Summer Sundae Festival in August and they were undoubtedly one of the weekend’s highlights. When I arrived home I got straight onto iTunes and bought everything they had released. And then I listened to the 8 or 9 tracks I now owned repeatedly. Like, obsessively.

With that in mind, I already know a good half of this album off by heart, and so you might be guessing that the novelty’s worn off and I’m bored by now, right? WRONG! On Rumpus the Kabeedies have managed to capture the same sense of energy and fun they exhibit live, and it makes for a great listen start to finish.

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JOHNNY FOREIGNER - GRACE AND THE BIGGER PICTURE

The first time I listened to Johnny Foreigner’s début Waited Up ‘Til It Was Light, I have to admit that I wasn’t that impressed. A few months later, album highlight DJ’s Get Doubt’s would come up on shuffle and I decided to give the record another chance. The rest, as they say, is history.

I tell you this because on first listen, Johnny Foreigner’s new album Grace and the Bigger Picture seemed a bit underwhelming. But some albums are growers, right? -and I didn’t like the début at first either. I’ve probably listened to Grace about ten times now, and I’m glad that I didn’t review the record straight away because I’ve decided that it is actually a pretty good album. The bad news, however, is that my first impressions weren’t entitely wrong.

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ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: SONGS FOR THE DEAF (2002)

By 2002 (at the still-blissfully-unaware-of-the-trappings-of-life age of 15) three American bands dominated my musical preference; Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age.

Whilst Foo Fighters’ One By One wasn’t good enough to be in the running for this retrospective album of the year award, By The Way is my perfect summer album, showing an epic progression in the band’s song writing capabilities and the coming of age of John Frusciante. As well as this, Hot Hot Heat came along at the last minute with Make Up the Breakdown, the album that started my passion for finding new bands and steering away from the big hitters it was easier to like.

Despite how good these two albums are, the sheer ambition of Queens of the Stone Age’s Songs for the Deaf puts it ahead of the rest, making it an AGCS Album of the Decade.

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Vampire Weekend - Contra

Yes we may be a bit sick of it now, but last summer (and year infact) was dominated by Vampire Weekend’s self titled debut, and today comes the exciting announcement that their second album, Contra, will be out January 12th, 2010 on XL Recordings.

I think ur a contra 2 m8!

Greg









fun. - I Wanna Be The One


Evening campers.

A short post to let you in on the only band I’ve been really listening to in the last three weeks (sorry Arctic Monkeys etc.),  a band called ‘fun.’.

Formed from the ashes of previous band The Format (who I am not yet that aware of), its like Lightspeed Champion but American, with better melodies and even more eclectic instrumentation (including steel drums!). Perfect Pop for the summer.

The WHOLE album is up for streaming on MySpace (review to come), but if you don’t have much time I suggest you check out my track of the summer; ‘I Wanna be the One’.

http://www.myspace.com/fun

Greg

PS: The final two Summer Sundae posts are coming; don’t forget coverage of the first two days including reviews of 65daysofstatic, Múm, Wild Beats, Mr Hudson and more can be viewed here.









Adebisi Shank - This Is The Album...

I got the debut album from Irish 3-piece noisemonsters Adebisi Shank (Adebisi was a character in HBO series Oz who unsurprisingly got shanked) earlier this week and have been listening to it on repeat for at least 48 hours now. It is that good. It’s almost impossible to try and describe what they sound like so I won’t, all you need to know is they are mind-bendingly good and their album (This Is The Album Of A Band Called Adebisi Shank) is only £8 (vinyl with free cd) from here.

To give you some idea of what they are like, here is one of the bonus tracks from the album, Oyasumi. It’s 50% Ratatat, 50% Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade and 50% Refused. That’s 150% win. Turn it up real loud.

The band also released a pretty damn good summer mix-tape that can be found here (right-click and ‘save link as’ to download).

Marko









AGCS @ Summer Sundae : Saturday

Day two of Summer Sundae and no-ones tired yet, oh no, as we head indoors for Her Name Is Calla (///). A local band that I’d seen before (without realising it) who overall impressed, LOUDquietLOUD type of thing, executed very well with added strings and brass (which is obviously always a bonus).

Next up it’s outside for what turned out to be the worst act I saw of the weekend, a pastiche of Johnny Cash taken very seriously in the form of Mr Plow( ). Every bit of between-song-banter is clearly perfectly rehearsed, although not enough to stop some deviations from the script which were painfully obvious through the attempted resolve. Personally, when an ‘artist’ can go from a broad Leicester accent to mid-west American it makes me be sick in my mouth and want to spit it into the faces of people that fall for it.

Back inside for Yunioshi (/) who sounded ace on their Myspace but due to ‘technical errors’ which seemed to involve the laptop containing the gold failing, they fall flat on their faces. Shame.

Then it’s back outside for Frontiers (//), who are OK but not close enough to The Cure (as suggested in their press release) to make them good. They didn’t grab my attention and if music aint doing that folks, then what’s the point?

However, Minnaars (////) are up on the main stage next and despite (having seen them before) thinking that it would be too big for them, they pretty much fucking nailed it. Heavily reliant on the laptop yes, but the live playing was impressive still. It seemed they were aware they were on the whole playing to the wrong audience but they still went for it and so did the younger folks down the front.

The Joy Formidable (///) (or The Joy Formidab as announced by the ‘I’m going to pretend I like your band when I announce it but not watch any of your set’ compère Richard) were pretty good. Boy Girl vocals I always like, and the set was good despite the two songs that have been getting radio play being their best songs by far.

Next it’s into the Rising Tent that delivered so much the day before, and it delivered again with what was probably the set of the festival from The Kabeedies (/////). Great songs, I mean REALLY great songs, boy/girl vocals, genuinely funny banter, fun stage presence. We were all pretty enthralled for the entirety of the set. All from a little newish band from Norwich. Take that The Zutons.

Back to the main for the so-called ‘Arcade Fire + Scotland’ Broken Records (//), who were good not great. For personal consumption, you might as well listen to the arcade fire. NEXT…

Emmy The Great (///), who was also good not Great. The songs are nice and her voice is beautiful, but something weird was in the air and it seemed she was a bit distracted which was obviously a shame.

On the main stage Bombay Bicycle Club (////) got the children going, and too right. They’ve released one of the best debut albums of 2009 and seem to be relishing the crowd getting into it. What they didn’t know was the children would dance to anything that either had a NME mention or a bear, but BBC were deserving and I look forward to catching them at Offset next month (review to come).

65daysofstatic (/////) inside provided me with the loudest set I have any seen at any festival or gig (previously held by the Mooney Suzuki, 2004), and it fucking rocked. Again, like Minanars they were playing largely to the wrong crowd but people seemed to get into them in their own way, and they were tight as. Plus, the front man balanced his guitar on his chin mid song! YEAH!

Over to the Rising again for Frank Turner (//) who was fine but very preachy, too preachy for me in fact so I pop over to catch the second half of Hugh Cornwell (of The Stranglers) (//) set which is alright, a couple of the hits seemed to go down well with the largely menopausal crowd.

Mr Hudson (/////) on the indoor stage is next, with what he later described as one of his favourite gigs ever and it was indeed very impressive. Last (and first) time I saw Hudson was at 10.50AM at Glastonbury and it was unsurprisingly lacklustre however at night it’s a whole different story, and it does feel a bit like a singles set despite the crowd only knowing the one which he obviously, and rightly, saves until last.

Following Mr Hudson is little shit Chipmunk ( ). Any artist that promotes a single/album (including release date) before they have performed a single note can fuck right off. But seen as the kids fell for it and he wasn’t going anywhere, I had to do the honour.

Greg













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