I mentioned this track was due last week and now here it is, Sisters new track, their debut single entitled "Clearhead” and instantly it stands out as a potential carefree hit of the summer.
Those of us that like the combination of bright, breezy indie and fuzzy grunge-pop should pay attention right away as "Clearhead" fizzes along with rattling beats, delicious vocals and riff-tastic guitars.
A track guaranteed to make your day seem better alongside a catchy as hell chorus – you can already see this causing a storm at summer festivals.
It’s not just me who thinks so, Sisters have been tipped by fellow fuzz-poppers Big Deal as a band to catch and this week featured in their own right in the NME on the back of their Great Escape performance - the buzz is already forming around this London based trio of Irish decent, be sure to see them in small room whilst you can.
The next chance to do that is on June 18th at The Old Blue Last - details. "Clearhead" is released June 10th via Gravy Records.
I’ve featured Sheen here a couple of the times on the back of their tremendous demos and live show, this track, “Lovelust”, available as a free download is actually the London based sextet’s first official release and comes ahead of their debut single, due later this yet...
It combines the soundscapes hinted at by their earlier demos, part shimmering textures and echoey beats with Aneta’s wordly, alluring vocals whilst also hinting at their grander live sound – those who turn up to see Sheen live expecting soft, dream-pop are in for a surprise or two – as the track builds to an wonderful, infectious climax of repeated vocals, precise drums and intricate guitars.
The band have a few London dates lined up with an eye catching date on June 14th alongside Keebo – details.
Zooey Deschanel has rightly or wrongly become a love or loathe person over the past three or four years - I guess I must fit into the former - I’d be lying if I don’t say I cringingly (at times) love watching her New Girl TV show, a programme that does little to dampen the ‘irresistibly cute girl next door image’ she’s garnered. She & Him’s third full length Volume Three doesn't attempt to change their music direction either, another album of mainly original Deschanel compositions that could easily have been made some 50 years ago…
Latest single “I Could've Been Your Girl” is exactly that, pretty but predictable, that’s cool with me though, especially when it’s as joyful as this puppy-dog sweet track where buoyant drums and gorgeous strings are played with big-wide eyes and drenched in wistful nostalgia, unashamedly pop and completely irresistible– to me at least, and that’s all that matters here.
Volume Three came out this week on, yep, baby pink vinyl and the usual formats – shop. UK shows please.
Seemingly in the blink of an eye it’s the last day of the festival. After another early morning wake-up, breakfast and numerous cups of coffee I head to The Mesmerist to see a band I've featured a couple of times recently, Keebo.
Their early set time doesn't do many favours and the punters that have managed to dust themselves off early all have a beleaguered look about them. The sound is muddy too which doesn't help but amongst all that there are some wonderful textured guitar sounds and intricate melodies entwining with smooth, blissful vocal harmonies. There's obvious potential here and Keebo are very much a band on the up, I’m looking forward to hearing them again soon.
I rush all the way to The Hope to catch another new band I've recently featured but not seen live (until now), the London based Sisters. The fact they are playing in a real venue makes a huge difference and although I arrive mid-set I’m compelled by the large, loud sound the trio are making, grunge-riffs and ferocious beats combine with dreamy, nonchalant vocals and the audience is entranced – an exciting act is found.
Next I head to Komedia (via a quick trip to Pompoko) to watch an act I’ve followed for a while but had never actually seen live, Mary Epworth. The time-keeper at Komedia is clearly still enjoying the job as Mary has started and my watch still hasn’t hit her apparent stage time. The set gradually builds in power as more members of her backing band join the stage (and then spend much of the set moving around instruments) and is met by a large audience. Her strong voice is given plenty of room to shine amongst organ, guitar and drums and it’s a wonderful set, there are real haunting moments and beguiling ones too as Mary crosses the boundaries of multiple genres in half an hour and then just before we are about to be treated to one final, solo the time keeper is back and that’s it. Over. Still what we got was a real treat for those in attendance
I stick around for another new (live) act to me Wall, yesterday’s set in a Church might have been a more grandeur setting but here I can get close and that intimate feeling is fitting because Lyla’s hushed vocals and her bands subtle instrumentation is beautiful and touching and makes your hairs stand on end. Her ‘biggest’ tracks to date bookend the set “Magazine” and “Shoestring” and a genuine talent is definitely confirmed.
After I head back to The Mesmerist, the place is rammed. The ‘Blog Up’ meeting is currently in progress but besides a brief chat with two bloggers I already know Robin from Breaking More Waves and Saam from Faded Glamour I stay low profile. I’m not very good at introducing myself and anonymity is pretty good too.
I’m here to see a band I’d never heard of before, local act Iyes- though given the crowds clearly a lot of people had – unfortunately they have some technical problems with their electronics and have to scrap their normal show in favour of a short acoustic set, for me at least it works perfectly and they pull of it off effortlessly with a few smiles too. The vocals are stunning and I made a mental note to check out the ‘real’ band afterwards.
I decide there is time to do a quick run and after four hours of standing on my feet I rush back to my room, run a quick 5k (Brighton is perfect for these short runs up and down the seafront) and return to The Mesmerist in good time to see Embersfor the second time in as many days. Worries about the sound in the pub managing with the sheer intensity of their music prove unfounded and as with yesterday it almost blows the roof on the room. I won’t repeat my praise again but suffice to say this band is incredible - 'The' unquestionable find (although I'd already 'found' them) of The Great Escape 2013.
A change of tempo next as I head to the festival’s main hub to see Farao performing on the hub ‘stage’, the only outdoor show I saw at The Great Escape this time around and it is almost sunny too. Farao have the sort of devastating harmonies that linger in your brain, so beautifully written and delivered by Kari’s gorgeous, ethereal vocals that make the listener fall effortlessly in love with them.
It feels weird to be in Audio – the darkest in a City of dark venues – whilst it’s still sunny outside, I’m here for Parlourand it’s very busy for a super early show - and afterwards when I leave there is also a massive queue waiting to go in - the next act on were NME buzz band Superfood who may or may not be good, I’ve never heard them – the sound guy takes a while to get the sound anything like right but eventually Parlour shine with a whirling cocktail and wonderful shoegaze, shimmering guitars are radiant and fuzzy and beautiful daydreams occur, the only track I'm familiar with before "My Love" sounds even better live so it's a win-win set.
I’m then left with an evening for which I didn’t really have any plans, after numerous clashes over the weekend I found Saturday night a little on the light side – unless you are a fan of electronica. I decide in the end to go and sit in Blind Tiger for Big Deal (who annoyingly directly clash with Drop Out Venus, the other band I’d have liked to have seen) so I taste a few acts I’d never heard before.
The first of which were Australian act Dune, unfortunately there is no sign of Frank Herbert and their dance friendly eltectro-pop, whilst enjoyable enough, seems out of place at 8pm. An early morning set, ironically in one of those dark and dingy venues I’ve been talking about rather than on the white walls of Blind Tiger, when people had enjoyed a few more drinks and were up for a boogie would have suited themh more, they are surprisingly enjoyable still with thick bass-lines combining with an engaging front-woman and although I doubt I’ll be queuing up at their album launch, the set passes quickly.
Next up is a girl making a bit of a name for herself, Chloe Howl, I can see why. Her sound combines mainstream with electro-pop, it’s a combination that has worked with blogs over the past twelve months and her three tracks on YouTube are at a million plays in total. It's not really my genre and her biggest song so far "Rumour" doesn't do much for me but her smooth vocals are win me over on the beautiful and undoubted highlight "I Wish I Could Tell You".
Afterwards YADi arrives to an alarmingly empty stage which gives me immediate pre-gig worries. No amps, no guitars, no keyboards. All the sounds come from the drummer whose beats add to a backing track whilst YADi dances around the stage. I’m not sure if it’s the Doom Bar I've been drinking a little to quickly or whether the combination of Eastern chimes, pummeling beats and pop is now ‘my thing’ but I quite enjoy it. Closing track and lead track from her recently released EP The Blow is the clear peak, again I’m not sure they’ll be a round two but it’s fun and in spirit of Eurovision which is happening at this exact same time, fun is good enough for me.
Big Deal prove they are deserved headliners of the night almost immediately, an expanded sound means their duo are now a quartet and the more minimal beginnings are put to bed in favour of a lively, grungy sound. Earlier that day it had been commented to me that the most frequent word on this blog is probably fuzz and here I am using it again, fuzz is definitely apt here, “In Your Car” and “Teradactol” are the two big (and familiar to me beforehand) tracks in the set, dramatic and thunderous, with album two due very shortly, Big Deal are set to be just that.
That’s your lot. The Great Escape 2013 comes and goes in three whirlwind days. Overall it has been a good year if not my favourite ever. Thoght I'm sad it's over and I’ll be back again next year without any doubt.
Thinking of coming next year? Aside from arriving at a venue before doors opening I didn't have to queue once so don’t let people saying they couldn't get in anywhere put you off coming next year – it’s all, as I've said before, about being prepared. There are the niggling problems which seemingly occur every year such as lack of updates over the weekend about schedule changes and some poor venue choices for bands but overall The Great Escape organisers do a fine job and it should be an essential part of a new music fans diary. Only three hundred and sixty days until the next one! Oh, buy your tickets when the Super Early Bird tickets go on sale. I paid £35 for the whole weekend - later a Saturday day ticket was that same price.
Straight on with day two of The Great Escape and Friday starts with a period of stewing around the lanes drinking excessive coffee and then running to Hove and back to wash away a few of yesterdays ales. Kill or cure, that's the motto with running.
A shower later (you'll be glad to know) and I'm at Above Audio awaiting Embers. The quartet come quintet (with the addition of Sophie from PINS on violin) are crammed onto the tiny stage and soon they are producing the sort of mind-blowing landscapes which their tracks so far had indicated. It's loud, very fucking loud and knowing nods of approval to friends in between their wonderful tracks indicate that's also immense. Still new to the live arena as Embers, there are no signs of mishaps as wave after wave of expansive, shimmering noise and punctured drums combine with three way vocals and sharp violins. When/if Embers return to next years festival, it'll be somewhere more bigger than this. The fact that they come across as genuinely nice people only increases the already high affection I hold towards this band.
Next to the aptly titled venue Smack, a venue that hosted some not-so-secret 'secret shows' during the weekend, Friday's hottest lunchtime ticket (free) was forWolf Alice, luckily I'm early and after a long, name-checking off a list queue I'm near the front (the show was rammed and the stage elevation tiny - I can't imagine those near the back could see much) in time for the start of the set.
The band have been much hyped in the blog community over the past six months and the show delivers on the louder, grunge-pop front from fuzzy guitar driven opener "Fluffy" to closing track, their latest single, "Bros". Ellie's voice isn't quite allowed to shine and the softer earlier beginnings of the band are displaced for a loud, very 90's sound - it works well in the surroundings of a sleazy looking club and the reception they receive is suitable of the 'buzz' heading their way.
I stick around because next up are Findlay, I’d heard good things about the North West artist from a number of friends, I can see why they are hooked, the show engages from the beginning with a feisty, spunky set of fast-tempo rock & roll songs with beasty riffs led by a front-woman who commands your attention.
After a walk through the lanes I slow things down next in the Fountain Head to see Anna Lena & The Orchids playing a stripped down set, a new track sits perfectly amongst those from her wonderful debut EP and it sounds almost perfect. Anna's beautiful vocals combine with subtle electric guitar and backing harmonies from an artist I’d see later in the weekend, Farao. It’s Norway day too and there are a few flags are flying high and so they should.
I head to the courtyard next to try and see another Norwegian Susanne Sundfør but it’s impossible to get near it and instead I decide to have a couple of hours of wandering around Brighton and food.
The evening session starts with one of the acts I’ve been most looking forward to all weekend Golden Fable. The venue is a dimly lit basement (as so many are in Brighton) and I wasn’t anticipating it to suit the bands graceful beauty but I’m more than pleasantly surprised that with the addition of an excellent (really excellent) live drummer the band merge their choral wonder with a fuller, heavier sound and I’m instantly blown away. The set continues to astound and is met with a great reception by a vast crowd – as glowing an endorsement as any.
I head promptly to the Fountain Head to see Emma Gatrill, last year her show at the Fishbowl was one of my weekend highlights and I was hopeful for more. Those hopes were soon dashed when I walked through the door at the venue – which was still operating as a pub with a hired PA by the fireplace – there was your typical Friday night mixture of drunks and belligerents in attendance whom seemed oblivious to the attempts of Emma to quieten them even a little, her delicate harp melodies and beguiling vocals are all but lost amongst this setting and it’s a devastating shame. Thankfully the funnier side of the situation is made by most.
I head around the corner to The Basement where Bird are due to play. Unfortunately there’s another problem completely out of the bands hands. The organisers decided (for whatever reason I cannot say) to change the running times of this show three times (and later send a message out recommending the show some four hours after Bird had played) and it seems word has not got out about the reschedule of the gig, the attendance is far less than they deserve. Thankfully they don’t let the sparse splattering of punters put them off and Bird deliver a fantastic set of almost entirely new songs which bodes extremely well for their future, entwining harmonies and haunting, brilliant melodies, yet again Bird confirm themselves as one of my favourite new bands.
As perverse as it sounds I head back to the Fountain Head next for The Mariner's Children, another act I’d seen at last years festival in slightly better conditions. The hope was the drunks had moved on by now. Naturally they hadn’t and there is a little delay before the band take to the ‘stage’. The number of people watching the gig out numbers those not by now and it’s a real shame that the chatter of those dis-interested folk rises above the instrumentation. Amongst everything there are some beautiful harmonies and the louder songs taken from their recent EP release almost drown out the noise too. Excellent.
I grab another beer and wait for This Is The Kit. Kate and Rozi soon start and I’m close enough to almost be able to ignore the surroundings and immerse myself fully in their craft. I’m delighted than near the end of the set “Earthquake” is played as I missed Kate playing that on my previous This is the Kit gig. From the start they engage the audience (those paying attention) fully and even bring a couple of girls forward to add harmonies – they actually sound ok too – this is a band who should be household names by now, such is the depth and grace of their songs and it’s wonderful to see them in a tiny Brighton pub.
With music at the Fountain Head finished I head across the road to Blind Tiger. The Adelinesare a new band to me who I discovered and blogged about prior to the weekend, their set successfully merges the melodic shimmering guitar based sounds with punchy drums and dreamy vocals best seen on their debut single “Alleyways”. An enjoyable set from a band you’ll probably hear more from here.
Last but not least for the day in the same venue is Cut Ribbons, they sound a lot tighter than last year and louder too and the venue is deservedly full as their sky-scraping guitars and power-pop rhythms merge with soft-sweet dual vocals.
By now it’s past my bedtime an evening drinking has given me 2am munchies so I regrettingly hit the seafront chip shop and head home with other waifs and strays.
Friday with a dozen full sets, almost all of a good quality and a couple of exceptional ones from bands who will be on my must see lists the next time they hit town – The Great Escape has a few uses indeed.
Here we are again, home from The Great Escape, it sure has come around quickly! Three days of treating our bodies with the littlest respect (copious amounts of concentrated orange juice at breakfast aside) living, eating and breathing live music in Brighton's many venues and bars seems to have taken their toll on the many muso's and punters littering Brighton's streets and my Sunday Twitter feed was an almost universal story of suffering and hangover, back to the beginning of the weekend for this post though....
I arrive in town at around midday to find sky blue skies, it's a lovely day (and as so happens is the rest of the weekend with the weather forecasters well and truly proving their ineptitude) and I head straight to drop off my bag at the my hotel - a seafront location is perfect for dipping in and out of your room if you need to and cheap too as I booked in advance - preparation - it's one of the weekends key words. I'm lucky enough to know Brighton pretty well too so I don't suffer with any navigational problems all weekend (after working out where the renamed / new locations are).
Music, yes, that's what we were here for. After a quick pizza I start Downstairs at Komedia for Jenny Hval, a show which deserved more attendance - well some attendance - there were about a dozen people there at the outset of her show (the set was a last minute addition and didn't feature in the festival programme - seemingly the word didn't get out although the attendance improved as the set progressed). I'd not encountered Jenny before and wasn't really sure what to expect - I took her Norwegian roots and anticipated an ethereal, beautiful sound, I was wrong. Jenny is possessed with a stunning, haunting voice for sure and her half-monologue, half left-field experimental sounds take some adjusting to but once I had, I find myself enchanted by an unusual, inventive talent with an eerie half-folk, half electronic sound that commands your full attention. Time keeping at Komedia is like clock work and the set is swiftly brought to a close, a start to the weekend that should have been enjoyed by more.
I move on to the Breaking More Waves endorsed Laura St Jude at Dome Studio, the unnamed craft ale is expensive (£4.40) but sure tastes good as the young, Scottish singer plays to an attentive audience and another pitch black room. Laura reminds me slightly of a rawer, stripped-down Caitlin Rose, armed with a big, powerful voice and songs of stark desolation and alluring atmosphere Laura is clearly a name to watch out for and once she makes the natural progression and adds a backing band her sound will grow even more flawless.
I grab another beer - something which was bound to come back and haunt me later - and wait for Honeyblood, starting perhaps even a little early they bash quickly through a delightful selection of garage pop classics, a combo of fuzzy guitar and precise drum beats soon gets a wave of nodding heads and appreciative applause between songs. Holy Esqueare next and I stick around, their shimmering soundscapes are impressive enough but I find the vocals a little to grating for my tastes and decide to reacquaint myself with the sunshine.
I was unsure where to head next and knowing some friends were sitting in a nearby pub I soon find myself quickly sinking a few too many ales and feeling a little sorry for myself. I decide a little power nap is the order of the day and disappear back to my room for half an hour before heading back out again for the evening session to see the first of my pre-festival 'tips'Curxes.
The pub setting with hastily assembled PA and a few pre-gig technical hiccups brings back nightmares of last years show, thankfully those don't happen and the sound is actually okay. Starting with their most recent track "Further Still" and with a Strangers member on electronic drum duty they soon rip and soar their way through their typically dark, ghostly set. Roberta's vocals showing little sign of the cold she's suffering with and the number of photographers in attendance are a sure sign of a band doing something right.
I head quickly to Latest Music Bar as Mt. Wolf are due to play soon, I find the previous band are still playing so I take shelter outside for a while and return to find the band having a few technical problems with their setup which delays things for a good while. When they start the room is busy and we are treated to a beautifully radiant set of subtle electronic pulses and stunning vocals, another band suffering with ailments that show little sign of such during their performance. The setting of their forthcoming Union Chapel gig will definitely suit them better but this dimly lit basement acts as a fine introduction to their live set.
I'm not sure who the band in between Mt. Wolf and Fear of Men are but they give me time to grab some food and head back to a prime position in time to watch Fear of Men at The Great Escape for the third consecutive year. It's easily the best set too, after being together for a few years (a couple of bass player changes aside) they've perfected their sound and tracks like "Seer" and "Mosaic" are delivered with an always sweet sheen. Their cover of "Pink Frost" and new track "Waterfall" equally compliment an exquisite half hour set. The absolute highlight of the day.
Now at this point I was meant to head to The Corn Exchange to see Melody's Echo Chamber, I'd no idea if there was a heaving queue or not and I found myself walking past my hotel where I am sorry to say at the age of 30, the sound of my bed was too much to resist after I'd been up since six am. So the first night of The Great Escape comes to an early conclusion, it's a marathon not a sprint after-all...
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