REVIEW: Die Hard - 'Die Hard'

*Originally published for the Oxford Music Blog(10/2/12)

In a world of ever-merging musical genres, the inevitable results are the fusing of sounds that do and do not work together. Moreover, a band/artist’s identity may become blurred or enhanced in consequence of garnering such different sounds. Unfortunately for music writers, Glasgow’s Die Hard do not fit nicely into any of these boxes. Their experimental debut LP is at once remarkable as it is perplexing, comforting as it is disturbing. The band’s identity and their musical magnetism comes and goes.

‘In The Garden’ and ‘Here Goes The Rage’ strongly illustrate this dichotomy. An exciting, high-pitched whir akin to a surfer-rock tannerin opens the former track, before disfigured strings and dark European synths converge in bizarre fashion. The devilish, pitch-bent repetitions of “in the garden” evoke Biblical imagery that is soon intercepted by gratuitous, pornographic wails. It isn’t exactly a pleasant listen, but it is unique. A complete u-turn follows with, ‘Here Goes The Rage.’ Crisp, tinny acoustics and dazzling floods of “here goes the rage again” circle around Celtic whistles. It is extremely catchy and very reminiscent of early Biffy, yet at the same time comparisons are rife with Baltimore experimentalists, Animal Collective.

Soon enough, tracks arise that are not so appealing to the ear. The slowed-down, unpredictable trip-hop rhythms and aggravating, industrial bleeps on ‘Mmmm’ make for an interesting composition (an aptly-titled track too, with nasal groans trailing throughout). But aside from this creative musical playfulness, is the track actually any good? I’m not so sure.

It is frustrating that while the LP has its enticing moments, with ‘Here Goes The Rage’ and the attractive psychedelia of ‘Nailed To The Cross’, it never quite satiates. The mutated sounds that harvest the record’s gloominess are zapped by marching drum rolls on ‘980c’, but the track’s nascent strings remain bound. The smooth chillwave foundations of ‘See You Later Defibrillator’ are alluring, but never break into the beats you so crave.

The centre-piece of the album, ‘Shiver Through’, is the strongest track. It is a crafted dream with languorous interplay of female and male vocals paralysed by lust and tumbling guitars. Yet lust is, and you are, deserted by the track’s indistinct ending. Even if it is meant to be some kind of extended metaphor for sexual dissatisfaction, it is a vexing, but also an astonishing listen.

At the very last point on the album, Die Hard barrage you with hope. ‘We Said You Might Be Dead’ is a homage to every single choral-group based song ever written. It is as vast as Sub-Saharan plains with its unified, fiery tribal hums, and it is as promising as a Scottish army ready for battle with its stirring, Bagpipe drones. Synths ripple, warped vocals roar and tambourines build. Then it stops.

Die Hard’s eponymous LP will divide listeners as much as it will continue to divide me. The band’s intermittent identity will also continue to baffle. Perhaps it is intentional, but are they forgiven for the give-and-take nature of their music? Yes, because their potential is enormous.

7/10

REVIEW: Django Django - 'Default'

*Originally published for NSR (8/2/12)

Django Django's press release promises this of their sound: ‘rollicking sing-alongs’ that gallop into ‘disco sunsets like whisky-addled and leather-saddled bandits on the stolen backs of prairie wild mustangs.’ Although this imagery isn’t quite conjured by their new single, ‘Default’, the track is certainly as frantic and adventurous as the plot of a much-loved Spaghetti Western.

After a three-year hibernation, Django Django demand attention on ‘Default’ with clunky, rockabilly guitars and tambourine rhythms that wedge jaws ajar. Vinny Neff’s sparkling vocals also sear onto the brain and flicker throughout the single’s snappy duration.

It’s strange, because the raw guitar sounds, hand-clap drums and melodious vocals that lie at the heart of the track underpin Django Django as an indie band, but they are far from one. Ballooning synths, samples and malfunctioning cyber glitches are just a handful of the sounds that simmer beneath Neff’s echoes of ‘Default’. For description’s sake, the track’s sound is close to the likes of disco-pop masters, Hot Chip, yet Django Django are also nothing like them. Similarly, they have much to owe to Brian Wilson & co with infatuating crystal-clear harmonies, although their sound remains wholly original.

After criminally cocooning for so long, the adventurous four-piece have finally taken flight into 2012 with a perfectly-crafted pop song. All is forgiven.

   

REVIEW: OMB's Albums of 2011: Fleet Foxes - 'Helplessness Blues'

*Originally published for the Oxford Music Blog (23/12/11)

Pecknold and co. returned this year with a more ambitious follow up to their critically-acclaimed debut. Billowing flutes and Middle-Eastern tinged violins are but a few of the experimental nuances that have expanded Fleet Foxes' signature sound of open-tuned guitars and glowing harmonies. Tracks such as the toe-tapping, variably structured, ‘Helplessness Blues’ explore the album’s complex motif of maturity, while gentle, jazzy snare snaps in, ‘Bedouin Dress’ offer escapism to the tranquil, Yeats-inspired, “Innisfree.” Certainly, the most brave move on the album (and by the band to date) exists in, ‘The Shrine/An Argument’, with bizarre, dissonant trumpets that succinctly reflect the brashness of a passionate feud. A colourful and triumphant return.

FEATURE: Blog post for BBC 6 Music Introducing with Tom Robinson

*Originally published for BBC 6 Music (13/11/11)

After Bethan Elfyn’s superb takeover of the show for the last two weeks, Tom returned from his break this morning with more of the best new streaming tunes around. As ever, he brought an eclectic mix of music to the show; from the chillwave soundscapes of Newcastle producer Waskerley Way to the folky vibes of Will Varley and the gothic electronic nuances of NY artist Bonnie Baxter, aka Shad[]wb[]x.

Joining us in the studio this week was the fantastic London-based artist Jono McCleery (with Tom, above). Since his initial airplay on 6 Music in 2006, Jono has been swiftly snapped up by Ninja Tune Records - and his second album There Is is out now. As well as talking to us about the positive reception of his new album in France and the US and his love for jazz/ improvisational styles, he admitted to a secret fetish for mastering the double-bass. This was unbeknown to us and it certainly adds to McCleery’s musical aresenal ! We played Tie Me In - one of his favourites from the new album - and  we loved its jazz-snap rhythms, brooding vocals and yearning strings. Jono plays a headline show at London's legendary 100 Club on November and we wish him a storming succes.

Our Sunday morning tip from Huw Stephens at Radio One featured, he told us, the "musical hip-hop genius" of 26 year old London rapper, Mikill Pane. The heavy marching rhythms and booming chorus of his track I Can Feel It make it near-impossible to not dance to. DJ Target recommended To And Fro by the Ipswich duo De’ Vide, while Bobby Friction brought us a brash but catchy hip-hop chant called I Don’t Really Care by the London artist Menis, aka The Brown Boi. We were interested to note that Menis had been part of an Asian cultural delegation to Downing Street recently, where he met PM David Cameron. Also in attendance was Swami Baracus - featured on this Monday’s Mixtape edition of the show.

In place of session tracks this week we had two live recordings by The Slow Show - who were recommended to support Elbow at Manchester Cathedral last month by the city's local BBC Introducing show - and were recorded there by BBC Radio 2. Working in a similar vein to to the contemplative, alt-rock stylings of bands such as The National. it's amazing to think how far this unsigned band have come since their formation just a few months ago.

Tom gave repeat plays to several of his favourite tracks - including Ghosting by Secret Rivals, and All At Sea by The Peryls - while tonight's spin of the Introducing Roulette wheel turned up the Ulster quartet Seven Summits, with I Want Somebody. It came to us courtesy of Steven Rainey from Rory McConnell’s BBC Introducing In Northern Ireland programme - and our thanks go out as usual to the listeners, artists and colleagues who recommended yet another great week of diverse under-the-radar music from cyberspace.

Charlotte Krol and Tom Robinson

NEWS: Listen to the first 'Charlotte's Web' cloudcast

If you missed the radio show on NSR this week, then check out the Week 3 cloudcast here:
 (NB: following shows may appear now too)!

Charlottes_Web's Cloudcasts on Mixcloud

http://www.mixcloud.com/Charlottes_Web/

Brand new tracks from Dimbleby & Capper, The Black Keys, Coldplay and Mazzy Star, as well as some great tunes from Spotlight Kid and Little Dragon...

Shows will be uploaded on a weekly basis at Mixcloud.

The lovely, Chris Scott, will be hosting the next three shows.

Enjoy.

This week, it's all about...

LIVE: NME Radar Tour 2011

With the crowd sparse in attendance at this year’s NME Radar Tour at the O2 Academy Newcastle, it was up to Malin Dahlström of Niki & The Dove (Sweden’s first – no second – perhaps even fourth lady of electro-pop, with the likes of Robyn, Fever Ray and Lykki Li before her) to pull the punters in. And she didn’t disappoint. Her powerful, shrill vocals, swathed in groggy synth, constantly demanded the attention of the somewhat bemused crowd who were
clearly captivated by her Kate Bush-like immersive dance routine. The drum rumbles and trance hooks in ‘Mother Courage’ sounded flawless live and Malin Dahlström’s strange, animalistic glottal noises made it a solid, if not disturbing performance.

Storming onto the stage next with angsty self-importance was London’s post-punk/krautrockers S.C.U.M, opening with their fantastic single, ‘Amber Hands’. The chiming octave guitar chords, pounding beats and eerie fairground synths, or as the band like to put it, ‘machines/press’, were astonishing to hear live. Thomas Cohen’s Bowie-meets-Molko vocal is an instrument in itself, jittering against the onslaught of off-beat drums, cryptic sounds and jaunty bass lines in upcoming single, ‘Whitechapel’. The band are true performers - especially circus ringleader Cohen - with his spindly fingers casting a spell over the crowd.

Headliners for the evening, Wolf Gang, however were the most comfortable on stage, or should I say was, since Max McElligot is credited as the sole personification of the band. God knows why - there is astonishing chemistry between him and the other four members. Besides this, MGMT and the 80s electro-pop nuances of Talking Heads immediately sprung to mind. McElligot’s songwriting style is very advanced for his short time being recognised as an NME rising star; his choruses never fail to worm their way into your brain, with thunderous pianos, delayed guitars and sprightly falsetto harmonies. Wolf Gang are clearly the most conventional band of the night, but this is no discredit to them, since they at least got the crowd jumping to the up-beat indie pop of ‘Lions In Cages’ and swaying to the crystal-clear, angelic sounds of ‘Suego Faults’. What is refreshing overall is that NME can host a gig that shows a wealth of diverse styles breaking from the underground, and many onlookers will have left with their bellies full of wonderful, new music.

*Originally published for NSR (24/10/11)