Tag Archives: London

01.10.15
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Kim Halliday – 7 Deaths

Here’s one for all of those people who, despite thinking it’s probably wrong, can’t help but rubberneck as they drive past the scene of road traffic accidents. This is a video for those of us who congregate at scenes of crime and sudden death, (I don’t count myself within that crowd) hoping to get a fix of gore or a snippet of gossip. If you’re a voyeur of death and can’t wait for the next episode of Casualty then I give you this for Saturday morning breakfast – 7 deaths by Kim Halliday.

Sent through to me earlier this week, the combination of music and image quickly compels. Amidst a dark and driving ambient rock sound, a muffled, synthesized voice issues what might be health and safety instructions. But, we can’t quite pick out what we’re being told. The deliberate lack of clarity alienates and confuses as our brains try to make sense of the soggy mush we’re given.

Initially, the video doesn’t help but simply serves to compound this sense of dark mystery. Fixed images of heroin needles, devastating car crashes and missing aeroplanes hit us flash, bang and wallop; a collage of death. Then, as this stunning video progresses, we’re treated to scenes of more tenderness; snowscapes and family joy juxtaposed into the devastation; hunger and homelessness amplifying the desperation.

We’re encouraged to think, reflect and amend our interpretation as new stills reveal different perspectives; it’s a murky, mystery tour that we’re invited to be part of.

Unsurprisingly for something so cinematic, Kim Halliday is a composer who has worked on film and TV. Since studying at the London Film School he has scored several award winning short films as well as ‘Credo’, a movie which starred Boyzone vocalist Stephen Gately before he died.

7 deaths is taken from Halliday’s album, Halflight. Produced by and featuring Martin Lister of Alphaville, ‘Halflight’ was recorded between Halliday’s studio in London and Lister’s studio in Berlin. Tragically, soon after mastering was finished on the project Martin passed away following a heart attack. The pair, longtime friends, had never worked on a full project until this album, making its release all the more poignant for Halliday.

Some will find this talk of death morbid. I guess I’m nothing more than a virtual rubber-necker but there’s something at the very heart of this song and video that appeals.

 

11.30.14
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Wampire, TOPS & Oscar – Hackney Oslo – November 24th

A wintry, Monday night at the Hackney Oslo and excellent promoter, Bird On A Wire, has a triple pack to keep us entertained. It’s a disparate line-up and, apart from them both coming from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, it’s difficult to see quite what Wampire and Tops are doing on the same bill. Numbers are made up but by no means diminished by London pop-tarts, Oscar.

Working in London on Mondays has been a bit of a treat in recent weeks. Rather than catch an early train back with the cacophony of commuters, I’ve dipped into the London gig scene. Like pretty much every other venue in this fine city, Hackney Oslo is a new one on me. You can’t fail to be impressed. Set in some converted railway arches just beyond Hackney Central overground, this is an impressive enterprise. I count posh burgers and beards in the smart downstairs space whilst drinking London Fields unfiltered lager (there’s a great range of well priced beers) before heading up a flight of stairs to the venue proper… Every town should have one of these!!

The first band to take to the stage, Oscar, are a new one to me. I warm to their brand of indie pop. Lead singer, Oscar Scheller, with clothing part tie-dye and part Mickey Mouse complements the other members of his band who have a penchant for check. If the Magnetic Fields were from London, they might sound like this. It’s a lo-fi, drums through the Casio quirky thing. “I’m Oscar – but we’re all Oscar“, says Oscar with an awkward and yet friendly charm. I resolve to find out more about them.

I’m mostly here to see Wampire. I blogged about them (here) a month or two ago and their records have since enjoyed spins galore. “This is the first show of our UK tour – how are you all doing?” says Rocky Tinder by way of introduction and we’re off. Psychedelic lights bounce around the walls as Wampire’s brand of beardy, stoner pop-rock infiltrates.

I allow myself to drift off. This is the sort of euphoric sound that you’d want to hear flat on your back, as the sun beats down, in a festival field. You don’t need drugs to alter your mental equilibrium. Simply ask Wampire to do the honours. “We’re feeling a bit jet lagged but we’re glad to be back in England“, they say with understated abandon before launching into recent single ‘The Amazing Heart Attack’. This is as pop perky as it gets – and it’s no bad thing for that.

There are a gaggle of girls standing next to me who appear to have little understanding of gig etiquette. Wampire are hardly a quiet band but still I am perplexed by the rudeness on show. “Oh my god, yes, it’s him”, observes one in a particularly loud North American drawl. They then proceed to consider with volume which member of Wampire they would want to shag. “We’re going to play a song about girls with bad attitude“, says Tinder. I’m pretty sure he didn’t hear the conversation.

With a shake of a Wizards Staff, Wampire’s set draws to a close. The loud girls push to the front. They must have been here to see TOPS. This is weedy and weak synth-pop from Canada. It might be better on record but live, it’s like a watching bad karaoke versions of Madonna records from the 1980’s. Lead singer, Jayne Penny, does her best to look alluring but actually just looks awkward. TOPS play a song that sounds like the bastard son of ‘Nothing compares to U’ if mixed with ‘Together in Electric Dreams’. I resist the urge to find the loud talkers and to shout in their ears and simply leave to catch a train home.

11.26.14
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CHILDCARE – Flush

CHILDCARE, also known as London-based musician Ed Cares, seems to be an interesting sort. His debut EP, Flush, was released a few weeks ago to some acclaim. The video that accompanied it had Dan Smith from Bastille jumping to praise it but don’t let that put you off!!!

A real-life Mary Poppins, Ed Cares is apparently a nanny in his day job. He tests his material out on the three children he looks after. I wonder what they make of his tune, Kimberley, an upbeat pop song in which the protagonist confesses to stabbing Kimberley’s boyfriend with a knife, after she’d asked him to. You can’t argue with songs that manage to rhyme Tai-Chi, library and Kimberley.

 

 

It’s probably fair to suggest that Ed isn’t a shy, retiring sort. From being a contestant on Saturday evening dating show, ‘Take Me Out’, through to appearing, dressed in drag, in this smoky, seedy video for Flush, here’s a man full of creative ideas for how to make an impression. A series of secret shows in London recently (the venues only being announced to ticket holders on the day) confirm that desire to take an alternative route. By all accounts, Iggy Pop would have been embarrassed by the nakedness on display.

I mustn’t give the impression that it’s all gimmick and no substance though because, quite simply, it’s not. Strip away at the layers of this nursery and the music stands up to scrutiny.

I’m predicting an exciting 2015 for CHILDCARE. Festival fields will surely beckon. We need our pop stars excitingly extrovert and, now that Stevi has been dumped out of X-Factor, we might just be relying on CHILDCARE to break the mundane.

 

11.18.14
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Sheepy – Don’t Know Much

I wish that I was in London this coming Thursday. If I was then I’d be delaying my trip home and heading to the Tamesis Dock, a boat moored on the Albert Embankment, somewhere between Vauxhall and Westminster.

For that’s where Blang Records are hosting a free split single launch party. Two new(ish) bands to me, Sheepy and Lucy’s Diary share the release. I’m keen on both sides of the single but it’s the charming Mod(ish) Britpop bleat of Sheepy’s ‘Don’t Know Much’ that’s mostly grabbed my attention. Just for avoidance of any doubt, Sheepy are not to be confused with the Shepee’s found on festival sites, most commonly at Glastonbury. 

It’s evident within the cheeky, chirpy video for ‘Don’t Know Much’ that Sheepy are a three piece. If you’re the sort who recognises cathedrals and churches whilst looking out from the cockpit of a paper aeroplane you might also pick up on the fact that Sheepy are from Liverpool. 

Clocking in at a little under two minutes, Sheepy confirm what we’ve always known that length isn’t important (right?) – for, in this short burst of a song, Sheepy prove that their seven inch offers infinitely more than can often be heard in tracks twice as long. This has energy, immediacy and pzazz by the bucketload. It’s very difficult not to fall for its charms.

I mightn’t know much but I reckon they’ll be dancing on the dock and rocking in the rigging come Thursday night.

 

11.06.14
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Twin Hidden – Join Hands

Hmmm…A freezing Friday. I sense that we’re all going to need something bouncy and quirky to get us through to the weekend.

Enter Twin Hidden, a new duo to me, who might be from Manchester or might be from London. Matthew Shribman and Sam Lea have just released ‘Join Hands’ and I think it’s blooming exciting.

After an intro that sounds just like the opening chimes to an episode of Skins, a falsetto vocal urges us to ‘come step outside, the world has changed.‘ Amidst a piano that builds and falls and an assortment of percussive, positive beats, we’re almost charmed into thinking that love is in the air and that we’re about to witness a couple taking their first steps together. “Come, lead me away to your favourite place. I’ve been waiting for us to join hands” sing Twin Hidden as the chorus crescendo’s and the hardest of hearts almost defrosts…

Almost defrosts but such sweetness is snatched away as the song takes a sinister tumble…

“Pick up my calls, I’ve penned a pile of letters many metres tall for you”, they sing and you bump back down to earth realising that the joyful companionship initially described is perhaps little more than an obsession; an unrequited love that will never bear fruit…

Inevitable comparisons will be drawn to Alt-J and Everything Everything. You can see why but there’s a quirky sense of humour coming from Twin Hidden not always evident in the earnestness of the aforementioned.

I hope you’re feeling warmer now.

 

 

10.29.14
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Sam Baker – Dingwalls – Broken Fingers

“Life is a gift. I went through a lot of bitterness- a lot of anger. But those things are toxic. Gratitude for what remains is more helpful than resentment for what was lost.” Sam Baker

I’ve mentioned this before but one of the many benefits of working out of London so much recently is that I’ve been able to schedule in some gigs for acts that aren’t heading to the East Midlands when they tour.

I have a nagging certainty that I might have once been hastily ejected from Camden Dingwalls. I can no longer recall my crime but I almost certainly will have felt aggrieved and victimised as a result. Huffing and puffing, bursting vessels in my head, I will have argued the toss about my heavy-handed treatment at the hands of over-efficient security jobsworths. Goodness, I was unpleasant back then.

I seriously hope that the security personnel haven’t marked my card for life because I’m quite looking forward to seeing Sam Baker on November 10th, a couple of Mondays from now. Sam’s a relatively new addition to my list of must-see acts. It’s difficult not to be drawn into the sparse musical narratives that he creates. Here is a live performer who makes every word count, every guitar note resonate and every space between sound vital. His is quite a story.

A Peruvian train bombing almost killed Baker in 1986. Others on the train weren’t quite so lucky and you can only imagine the psychological and physical distress this must have caused. Baker turned inward, to relearn the use of his body and brain.

This video shows what incredible progress he’s made.

I hope they let me into the venue…

 

 

10.15.14
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Alexia Coley – Drive Me Wild

Sometimes, you just want music to make you smile. You want it to be happy, uplifting and positive. There’s a place for the earnest, the morose and the angry but there are times when you just needs a healthy snack. On days such as these, when it’s damp and drizzling outside, I often get my fix from Soul music.

Londoner, Alexia Coley, has just released her debut record, Keep The Faith, on Jalapeño Records. I’ve not heard it from start to finish but there’s an album sampler on Soundcloud that gives a pretty good indication of where this is rooted. Here is a woman with a special voice backed with a stack of sax and a ton of tune. At times tender, sweet and sultry and at times bursting with a big band raw gospel power, Alexia sings lines that manage to sound both familiar and fresh within the same sentence. As her marketing says, this is “a modern twist on classic soul”.

The video for Drive Me Wild, one of the lead singles from the album, doesn’t need to employ gimmicks or effects to make it work. There’s a simple, smiley joy at play here. Only the most hardened heart will fail to go ‘Awww’ as this draws to its concluding moments.

See if it gives you that kick…

 

 

 

 

10.11.14
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Wampire – Bazaar

My day job is taking me to London quite a bit over the next couple of months. I plan to make the most of this by getting along to some gigs of bands who aren’t touching the East Midlands when they tour.

One such band is Wampire. Eric Phipps and Rocky Tinder (what a fabulous name) met at school. They settled upon the name, Wampire, after hearing German goths mispronounciating Vampire.

I wondered with interest about their 2013 album, Curiosity, but they’ve truly raised the bar higher with their new release, Bazaar. Some reviewers call them psych-pop and there’s definitely elements of that yet I think this album takes them further into some of the punkier, rockier, soul stuff only hinted at before.

Indeed, this is an album that draws upon many influences and then fuzzes them together into a Wampire sound. A bazaar is a street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold and Wampire’s album, Bazaar, definitely meets that definition, offering up a range of styles to keep the listener curious.

They’ve just released a video to one of those Bazaar tunes that touches on soul. The muted sax that runs throughout Wizard Staff comes to the fore in this bizarre yet completely creative video. It’s worth watching if you’ve got any interest at all in wizards, private detectives, tandem bikes or roller skating.

I’ll be listening to Bazaar a whole lot more before I head off to their show at Oslo Hackney on November 24th.

 

10.02.14
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Cross Wires – Your History Defaced

“When you’ve got Crosswires, Everything is Buzz Buzz,Everything is Beep Beep”…

It is surely no accident that Cross Wires, a four piece from East London, share their name with a track from XTC’s first album. There’s a moment in ‘Modern Art’, the opening track from ‘Your History Defaced’, the dark and desirable new EP from Cross Wires, when you wonder if Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding have got back together for one final studio blast. The meandering verse gives way to a skewed chorus that’s almost singalong if new wave post punk is your thing and you really hate the concept of singalongs.

 

Yep – Cross Wires have no crossed wires when it comes to understanding their place in the history of popular music. There’s a raw, deliberately under-produced excitement that permeates throughout this five track EP. “The past is always repeating, I can’t run away“, sings Jonathan Chapman within ‘Tab Clear’. This is an EP with a knowing nod towards early Jam, a dash of mod and a double serving of punk.

I asked Jonathan why Cross Wires had settled upon ‘Your History Defaced’ as a title for this EP:-

“All the songs on the EP are kind of twisted versions of things that have happened to me. The idea behind it was we are all carrying around this baggage with us and we all have our own reality. Two people can have two different versions of the same event. It comes from that idea really.”

That sense of unresolved baggage from the past looms large; ‘Last Stand’ tells the mournful tale of a woman who’s getting older and no longer ‘rules the town’ as she once did. Elsewhere, we have persistent ghosts living in houses, misunderstandings and future days filled with dread. This is music that can hardly be described as happy; it comes from too claustrophobic a place for that. Sonic Breakfast highly recommends that you give it a listen over at Bandcamp.

 

 

10.01.14
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Donna HineZ – Ice Cream


“I do enjoy reading your daily Sonic Breakfast posts”, said a friend at the weekend. “But it could do with being a bit more urban, a bit more soul, a bit more pop“, they declared, firmly nailing their musical appreciation to the mast.

“I’ll feature any new, quirky music if I like it,” I replied. “This isn’t about preferring one genre over another. It’s a Jack of all trades and a master of none. This is about finding the stories behind the songs. This is about discovery.”

Today, I received an E-mail about Donna HineZ. With the weekend’s accusation still ringing in my ears and a general acceptance that I’d never really understand why the ‘Z’ has to replace an ‘s’, I had a look and a listen.

Donna HineZ is a Londoner. Displaying a talent for all things stage as a youngster, she got a place at Brit School. Sharing a class with Jessie J, she forged an initial career in musical theatre working alongside an array of talent that included David Hasselhoff, Henry Winkler and Louie Spence!!

The video to ‘Ice cream’ was released months ago but I’m told that the single gets a full release at the end of November. On the surface, winter is an odd time to be releasing a song about a food that’s made for sunny, summer days on the beach. But, perhaps this is the point; when it’s cold and rainy, we need some form of escape and what better way than to think of the vanilla stuff.

Anyway, some might argue that to take this song too literally is missing the point. It’s not really about ‘Ice cream’ is it? In many ways, this is an uneasy bedfellow, a companion piece, to the Heyrocco song, Melt, that I featured on Monday. It’s a tune of cone-licking proportion that Prince would be proud of. It might be throwaway pop but it’s also damn raunchy and just a little bit provocative. It’s featured because I like it.