gig review : spector + swim deep + luls

I don’t have a lot of time to write this review as I should actually be doing work. So I’ve put a timer on my phone and when 15 mins is up, I have to stop and move onto my work for my Caribbean Francophone Writing seminar. As you do.

What seems like an eternity ago, I went and saw Spector. It was actually a month ago so not that long. Here’s what I learnt.

Be on time for gigs. I keep missing the very first act when there’s three acts playing. I caught the end of the LULS set and from what I could tell - the lead singer was pissed off.

I can dance. Having been able to move closer to the front as my trusty gig friend actually arrived on time, I got to bob along happily at the front for Swim Deep. We met Austin selling tshirts at the end and he was complimentary of our nodding skillz.

Swim Deep are a relatively new band and they appear to be growing in confidence - they showed off a new song and they are still flirting with new sounds but Honey and King City were warm, hazy electro songs with sunshine laidback vocals. Hopefully they’ll have finished their album and be full of confidence when they’re back in Feb.

Don’t just dream in your sleep, it’s lazy. I love that line.

I have four minutes left. Fuck.

Indie disco is not dead. I think it’s a well known fact that I’ve been HASHTAG ## TEAM FRED INDIE KING MACPHERSON, since the days of Les Incompetents. Dividing opinion since 2003, Fred Macpherson is best described as the smarmy kid in the back of the class who tells the teacher they’re wrong. But it’s for the exact same reason that he’s loved.

So what about his latest venture, Spector? Having been described hilariously as H&M models (remember the Strokes were too!), you can’t deny their hipster style. However, they know how to put on a good show. They’re cool kids in suits but they’re not afraid to poke fun at themselves. Enjoy It While It Lasts is throwback and nod to Fred’s indie disco, electro pop past but it’s humorous, witty and full of big choruses. Never Fade Away was a highlight in particular of mine.

Crap it’s actually 18 minutes past the time I was supposed to finish this.

Spector’s 40 minute set of juxtaposed, dancealong indie is exciting and full of character with Fred whipping out his comb, looking in the mirror, taking questions and compliments (an old guy yells ‘YOU LOOK LIKE SPANDAU BALLET!’ and Fred gladly accepts the accolade), tweeting from his blackberry and jerking around with his bandmates. His bandmates humour his playful nature - laughing, posing around him and his bassist tells off my mate for tweeting during the gig and threatens to call his dad.

You’ve got to give Fred some credit here as for all his ambition - Spector’s tunes  and set pack more punch and spontaneity than most of the other indie cindy guitar bands, nonchalantly plodding along. I’m not sure if the album title is supposed to be self-fulfilling or some kind of prophecy but handle it with care, it doesn’t belong with the landfill indie pile.

#luls  #rescue rooms  #spector  #swim deep  #nottingham  #october  #24th  #indie  #landfill indie  #midskanking natty  #spandau ballet  #Fred MacPherson  #b-town  #rss  #/rss  

10 Albums That I’m Rather Looking Forward To… (Part 1)

10. Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon

Two Door Cinema Club delivered a promising debut but it felt like they had more to give. Something Good Can Work showed they could write a cracker of tune, one that used guitars but also had a carefree dance feel. CUE TRAILER. This trailer (thank God, it’s not cryptic at all) seems to say that more of the same will be delivered but I hope it dances towards the use of electronics that are employed usefully. 

09. The Vaccines - The Vaccines Come Of Age

Considering that I was left a tiny bit cold listening to their debut, I am still looking forward to The Vaccines. There’s something rather youthful and exciting about them, maybe it’s because they’re singing about stuff I reflect upon after night outs at uni. Lyrics like “And I don’t really care about/Anybody else when I haven’t got my own life figured out” from No Hope feel slightly inviting and insightful so I hold out lots of hope for their new offering.

08. Spector - Enjoy It While It Lasts 

NME made a joke the other week about it being 2004 again with Fred Macpherson spearheading an awesome band. I’m going to be honest, I may slyly have a crush on dear Fred. This guy was a part of Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man and Les Incompetents - a band that I had violent on repeat and requested in my Year 9, listening to XFM in the morning years. I still know all the words to ‘How It All Went Wrong’ - it’s a cracking song. 

I’m glad that Fred carried on making music on his own. It seems in his time away, he has truly developed into an enigmatic frontman. (I’m kicking myself that I missed them at Bodega, Nottingham). I watched a video on how he wrote Never Fade Away and got Spector together and was full of love again. So I’m going to patiently await the Spector album and pray it takes me back to 2006 at least.

07. Jessie Ware - Devotion

Many a spare bored moment lately has been spent with me spazzing out to 110%. The Julio Bashmore produced track is a stroke of genius. Its sweet twinkles, dubstep beats, sparse bass arpeggi, Big Pun sample and the soulful vocal of Jessie Ware work together to produce one of my favourite tracks of 2012. Along with 110%, Running and Strangest Feeling leave me hotly anticipating her album, so much so I’m planning on buying tickets to her gig at Rescue Rooms in November (when I get paid!).

06. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange 

There is no denying that Nostalgia, Ultra was one of last years best mixtapes, with mixtapes cropping up on the internet left right and centre, so I was pleased that Frank Ocean decided to focus on his debut album instead of completely re-releasing Nostalgia, Ultra. A couple of weeks ago, he dropped Pyramids. 9 minutes of excellence from Channel Orange, I’m excited to hear more. 

#10 albums that i'm looking forward to  #midskanking natty  #10  #9  #8  #7  #6  #the vaccines  #no hope  #two door cinema club  #beacon  #something good can work  #come of age  #2004  #spector  #fred macpherson  #les incompetents  #how it all went wrong  #NME  #XFM  #ox.eagle.lion.man  #never fade away  #bodega  #jools holland  #jessie ware  #devotion  #julio bashmore  #big pun  #110%  #running