I spent most of yesterday on the sofa recovering from what was a brilliant bank holiday weekend, only leaving the flat once to go to Tesco next door to buy food and shitloads of popcorn.
But, wow...I can't remember the last time I saw so many awesome bands in such a short space of time.
On Saturday I headed down to Brixton for the first day of The Oddbox Weekender. It was a great line-up, but I only stuck around for Fever Dream and Humousexual. They were both great!
Fever Dream
Humousexual
I left Brixton early to go home and drop off my own gear (I had been playing as well, you see). Then I headed over to Power Lunches in Dalston, where Trash Kit were playing a rare show. I love their album ALOT, but had never seen them live, so it was something I really didn't want to miss.
I've been without my proper camera for a month now, so apologies for all these terrible phone pictures. Somewhere in that red blur is a hazy outline of Trash Kit's drummer.
On Saturday it was time to do some Camden Crawling. I'd never been before and it always looked a bit horrible...but a friend was playing as part of a Fence Collective showcase, so I headed over to the Earl of Camden on Parkway. I managed to catch a glimpse of Rozi Plain, who was joined on stage by members of Francois & The Atlas Mountains and it was all very pleasant indeed.
Rozi Plain
Then it was time for The Pictish Trail to turn up the noise levels a notch and they were great....really good fun! It wasn't the best of venues or time slots, but they managed to pull it off.
Back on the tube to Islington and the Buffalo Bar for the second day of the Odd Box Weekender. We got there in time for The Middle Ones, who were absolutely brilliant as usual.
Then it was time for Martha, a pop-punk quartet from Durham, whose EP I've been listening to rather obsessively for the past month or so. Really, these guys are soooooo good. Great songs, great lyrics, really tight and just really nice people (which is always a bonus). They have an EP out and you cen listen to it below! And then...buy it! NOW!
Martha
Martha
Anguish Sandwich were up next. They also have a new EP out...and again, it's absolutely brilliant.
Anguish Sandwich
Finally, when I thought I couldn't handle any more music, it was time for Standard Fare. Those guys just keep getting better and better, which is quite incredible considering that they have been brilliant since the very beginning.
Standard Fare
Back to Camden...this time the Jazz Cafe (yes, really) and Rolo Tomassi. I'd heard a lot of good things about those guys, but maybe I had already reached my band limit for the day.
It's not really the kind of venue I feel comfortable in and definitely not one suited for that type of music. The bouncers threw out the first crowd-surfing kid before the first song had even finished.
We finished off the night at some Camden Crawl closing party at The Cuban Bar. It was all kinds of awful. We should have gone home.
That's all really. We made it home eventually, ears ringing and liver hurting.
Even if it has been a great year for music, it hasn't been a particularly great one for new albums. I've discovered a lot of new bands and been to alot of awesome shows, but I was struggling a bit to find ten records that had impressed me.
But, I got there in the end...so here goes...in reverse order...my top-10 albums of 2011
Apologies for the random mixture of videos, sound cloud players and youtube 'audio streams'...these are actually just boring "videos" of the album artwork that someone has uploaded, but I've turned the height way down so you only see the player bit. I'm sure this will mess up in some browsers. Sorry.
10. Black Lips – Arabia Mountain
There were some major warning bells when I heard that Mark Ronson was producing the new Black Lips album, but it turned out alright...great even. Arabia Mountain is just a really awesome record! Their last album didn't do much for me, but this one really brought back memories of their incredible Good Bad Not Evil from 2007. Although this is a much bigger sound and much more polished than we're used to, it's never "too much" and in the end the record just feels well-produced rather than over-produced. Great stuff! It's difficult picking a favourite track. There are so many awesome songs to pick from, but in the end I just love the chorus to Mr. Driver too much. It has to be that one. It was stuck in my head for so long over the summer.
9. Cloud Nothings – s/t
This one was released in the early days of the year and I was still listening to it regularly in the summer. That doesn't happen very often, so hats off to Dylan Baldi & Co. This is fun and bouncy garage pop of the best kind. Not overly serious, but never too juvenile either. I also managed to catch them live twice and they're sooo much fun. And then there's the videos! Eeek...some maximum weirdness going on there. It's a great song, but I'm still not sure how I feel about the gagging-on-hair video for Should Have. It's on youtube if you like that sort of thing. So, high expectations for this gang in the next year, since they already seem to have everything sorted...great on record, great live show and great (but weird) videos.
8. Standard Fare – Out Of Sight, Out Of Town
After their amazing debut album last year, this was surely one of the most eagerly awaited indiepop releases of 2011. Did it live up to expectations? Of course it did! Emma is one of the best songwriters in indiepopland and this is another great record. And it's not just Emma...some of my favourite tracks on the record are Danny's this time. The songs on here are all great, but I must say that for me Standard Fare are really a live band...that's when the songs really shine.
Favorite track: Call Me Up
7. Let's Wrestle – Nursing Home
Let's Wrestle went all the way across the Atlantic to record this one. And who was doing the knob turning if not indie legend Steve Albini! Was it worth it...did they really need to? I'm not sure. The songs are all great, but I do find some of the production a bit strange...especially the drum sound on some of the songs (mainly on If I Keep On Loving You). Was this on purpose? Maybe. I don't know. The classic punk records are not really famous for their amazingly recorded drums. Anyway, who cares? It's all about the songs and as I said they are all amazing! Another brilliant record from London's finest punk kids.
Favorite track: In Dreams Part II
6. Veronica Falls – s/t
It was a long wait, but Veronica Falls finally released their album. Yes, there are quite a few songs on there that had already been released on various seven-inches, but those songs are all fucking ace and it would be a shame for people discovering the band to miss out, so that's fine in my book. This is dreamy garage pop at it's very best. It's not often I notice these things, but I really love their drums. They take you by surprise over and over again and just when you think it's not working...it just becomes part of it all and works just perfectly. Did that make any sense? Probably not. Same thing with the lyrics. I have no idea what most of the songs are about, but every time I try to listen and make sense of them I get carried away by the music and the subject matter becomes irrelevant.
Favorite track: Bad Feeling
5. John Maus – We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
I don't really know much about John Maus, apart from that he occasionally plays with Ariel Pink and is on Upset The Rhythm's label. Oh, and that this album is fucking incredible. That's all I need to be sure of for this kind of list, I suppose. It's full of echoey and reverbey goodness, with repetitive melodies that wrap around your brain like some sort of warm crazy blanket. Erm...yes...and then you find yourself humming 'let's kill the cops tonight' out loud on the tube and people stare. But, it's great! He's also a complete loon bag (in the best possible way) live...an absolutely mesmerising performer.
Favorite track: Cop Killer
4. The Death Set – Michael Poiccard I've listened an insane amount to the Death Set's 2008 record, Worldwide, so this one had a lot to live up to. After the sad death of bandmate Beau Valesco in 2009, the band understandably took a bit of time to figure out what to do. Nobody would have blamed them for calling it a day, since Beau was very much part of what made them such a great band, both on record and live. But they decided that he wouldn't have wanted them to give up...and what better way to keep ones memory alive than to keep doing the thing they loved. From the first line "I wanna take this tape and blow up your fucking stereo!" to the last note, Michael Poiccard is just bursting with energy, some happy, some sad, some angry and some just very sweet. It's certainly better produced than Worldwide and although I kinda miss the rubbish drum machines at times, Michael Poiccard is still definitely a record that I'll keep on playing for a long time.
Favorite track: Can You Seen Straight?
3. Times New Viking - Dancer Equired If there was one band I hoped would never "clean up their sound" it was Times New Viking. I adore all of their previous releases and as news of a change in direction for this record started popping up on the interwebs, I was getting worried. Part of their charm (to me anyway) was that you had to work hard to appreciate the songs. Somewhere under the cloud of hissy, distorted noise were these beautiful and incredibly catchy melodies. I shouldn't have worried...even though this is a massively smooth record in Times New Viking terms, it is still far from clean and dull. And those melodies...they're are as strong as ever! Awesome!
2. Humousexual – Grenzenlos
It's only seven tracks, but I'm gonna call it an album. Sue me. This record just blew me away in a way I never expected. Sure, I like Tahini Beach Party, but it never made me feel like this. From the first song to the last, this is an incredible little album and sadly one that far too few people will ever hear. Or is it sad? Maybe we don't want "them" to find out about Humousexual? Maybe they're one of those bands that should be treasured by a few. I'm pretty sure Victor and Boitel are reasonably happy with that...if not, I guess I'll help spread the word some more.
Favorite track: No Borders (but a very close second is the quieter last song, Come On In..and that one is on youtube)
1. Japanther – Beets, Lime and Rice Readers of this blog will know how I feel about Japanther. They keep impressing me more and more, record after record, show after show and this is no different. It's just awesome. It's a bit less upbeat than last year's Rock n'roll Ice Cream, but you can't just spend your entire life just bouncing up and down, right? Sometimes bad or sad things happen. Heroes die, girlfriends leave...it's all just part of life...and that is one thing this record is full of. It is almost impossible to pick a favourite track here, but I've settled for the opening track. The first time I listened I thought there was something wrong with the recording in the beginning...and then drums kicked in properly...and I was totally blown away. Awesomeness indeed.
Favorite track: First Of All
I think that's it. Can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us...I hear rumours of a Japanther European tour in February! Eeeek!
Here goes...the ten best/most memorable gigs I've been to this year.
10. Let's Wrestle (26th February 2011, The Victory)
This one was a hard one to decide on. I've been to so many great shows this year...but there can only be ten in a top-10. Maybe it's unfair to pick a gig that I can't really remember much of...all I know is that I had a lot of fun. It was dirty, smelly and hideously cramped but I was too drunk to care. I'm pretty sure it was awesome!
9. The Death Set (13th April 2011, Old Blue Last)
The show that almost didn't happen. The Death Set were meant to play the night before, but had to cancel because of some transport issues. I can't remember happened exactly, but they didn't get to the venue in time for curfew anyway. Luckily, the venue managed to find a slot for them the following night. It was my first time seeing them live and it was just as great as I'd imagined.
8. Withered Hand, Standard Fare and Tigercats (9th February 2011, Catch)
The only show I promoted this year, but it sure was a good one. It didn't matter that it was unbelievably packed, uncomfortable and almost impossible to see anything. All three bands were incredible that night.
7. Allo Darlin' (Greg's garden)
I've seen Allo Darlin' play all sorts of venues this year, but this was probably the one I enjoyed the most. Playing in the garden at a friend's birthday party, the band came alive in a different way than normal. I love how these kind of small shows makes bands relax and just have fun.
6. Half Japanese (31st May 2011, The Scala)
I had seen Half Japanese play an amazing show in Barcelona just a couple of days earlier, but this was even better. Everything was spot on. They played all the the songs I wanted to hear and Jad made full use of his amazing bendy guitar.
And with support from Let's Wrestle and The Lovely Eggs of course this was an awesome evening!
5. Times New Viking, Veronica Falls (3rd May 2011, XOYO)
This was a great night. I hadn't seen Veronica Falls for a long time and was really excited about hearing some new stuff. They certainly didn't disappoint and I rememeber being blown away by how great they were live. Times New Viking are always awesome and this show was no different. To finish off a great set they tried to play Fuck Her Tears (one of my favorite tracks on the new record) twice, before giving up. The guitar strings just couldn't handle it and snapped during the intro both times. Great end to an awesome show.
4. Humousexual (25th February 2011, Andrew's living room in Notting Hill)
Now this is what I'm talking about! It doesn't get much better than a proper bedroom show. Humousexual in a small bedroom, playing to just a handful of people. This was very special indeed.
3. Japanther (14th February 2011, Tufnell Park Dome)
I've seen Japanther five or six times and it's never been less than amazing. This show in North London was one of the best. The atmosphere was just unbelievable. Not many bands can get a London crowd going like these guys can.
2. Math The Band x 3 (Guildford/Harlow/Tunbridge Wells, October 2011)
I'd been wanting to see Math The Band for a looooong time and I never expected to have to thank Wheatus for finally making it happen. Kevin and Justine were invited to join the more-than-just-a-little-older-than-teenage dirtbags on an insane UK tour that lasted something ridiculous like five weeks.
I skipped the London show and instead decided to visit some nearby towns and venues I'd never been to. It was weird and great on so many different levels. Great to see one of my favorite bands play to a packed venue...weird that it was happening in Harlow, Guildford and Tunbridge Wells....and even weirder that they were supporting Wheatus, a band that played my University graduation ball ten years ago!
Anyway, every single show was great and the only thing I regret now is not going to more of them.
Finally...
1. Weezer (6th July 2011, Brixton Academy)
I know Weezer doesn't really need the publicity and in general I tend to prefer smaller gigs, so this might come as a surprise. But, the thing is...Weezer at Brixton Academy was just unbelievably AMAZING!
Reading that makes me want to go to that show again and again and again and again...you get the point. And Male Bonding were supporting! Best gig of 2011. FACT!
That's it. My ten gigs of 2011. Many awesome shows have been left out. Other incredible gigs that spring to mind are Proper Ornaments at Power Lunches, Pulp in Hyde Park, Enfant Bastard in Edinburgh, Cloud Nothings at CAMP Basement, Omi Palone at Duke Of Uke, Best Friends Forever and The Middle Ones at the Old Blue Last, Anguish Sandwich at Indietracks, Spaghetti Tree weekend in Peckham (with Japanther, Please, John Maus etc) and the awesomeness that was Primavera Sound in Barcelona.
Bring on 2012! I noticed on Songkick that my teenage heroes Guttermouth are playing in London in March. I might have to go, just for old times' sake. One of the first big concerts I ever went to was to see them support The Offspring in Gothenburg in 1994. Shit, I feel old.
Power Lunches is a nice little place on Kingsland Road, near Haggerston overground. It kinda reminds me of Cake Shop in New York, with a lovely cafe upstairs and a somewhat dingy (but nice) venue downstairs.
Last night, Humousexual were playing a London gig, something which doesn't happen very often. Last time I saw them was back in February when they played a bedroom in Notting Hill. Victor and Boitel were in great form, playing the hits, as well as some new songs. They have new CD out that you may or may not be able to order from Everard Records...and if you can then you should. I haven't had the chance to listen yet, but of course it's gonna be awesome.
A short youtube clip of Get On Yr Bike...
Later on, it was time for Anguish Sandwich. They played The Reading Festival this summer, as proven here by the official Reading Festival t-shirt.
Somewhere right between Henry Rollins and Descendents, which is not bad place to be on a t-shirt.
Anyway, they were awesome as usual and even treated us to some new songs.
They've been threatening to take their current EP off bandcamp, so hurry over and get while you still can.
I didn't touch a drop of alcohol yesterday, but my whole body still hurts from my efforts of previous nights. I've seen so much music in the past few days...and with a couple of exceptions it has all been really good stuff.
On Friday I headed to a flat in Notting Hill for a bedroom show organised by Dyke Bar. I do love those kind of things and they seem to be quite a rare occurrence in London. First band playing in the small room was The Choo Choo Trains, an all-girl three-piece playing charming, dreamy lo-fi surf-pop. They were really good and I definitely would like to hear more from these girls.
Next on was The Madrigals, another lovely band that was news to me. They picked up where the The Choo Choo Trains left off, adding a twist of banjo, keyboards and glockenspiel.
Finally, Humousexual…
They were just really, really great and this was definitely the perfect place to see them.
A lovely evening in every possible way. Well, I did manage to fall asleep on the night bus on my way home, which was a bit unfortunate. I woke up somewhere outside Edmonton, which is not a particularly nice place, especially at 3 in the morning. Some old guy on the bus told me I looked like "that guy from Simple Minds". He was a bit bummed when I didn't know who he was talking about, so he left me alone and went to start a fight with someone near the front of the bus. North London night buses. There's nothing quite like'em.
I'm Nik, a Swede in the wonderful mess that is London. I watch a lot of films and I listen to a lot of music.
I mainly seem to write about films these days, but occasionally I do post about music. If you want me to remove a song, send me an email (recordsmakegreatpets@gmail.com) and I will remove it immediately. If you like what you hear, please support the bands by buying their albums and going to their shows.
