Bonnie Prince Billy - Wolfroy goes to town, album review

The new Bonnie “Prince” Billy album “Wolfroy goes to town” is a spare and haunting piece – 10 tracks only of sombre alt-country which will not be seen as a departure by fans of his work. But novelty is now what you expect from Will Oldham who has been ploughing his distinctive furrow for 15 plus albums now under various different guises.

Opening track “No Match” sets the introspective tone for the rest of the record – beautiful harmonies underlie the repeated “No Match” refrain of the title, juxtaposing opposing statements like, “I’m no match for those who love the lord and they are no match for me” and “You can be a match for me I’ll be a match for you.”

Profound stuff; although I can’t unravel the meaning it’s beautiful all the same. The song ends on a hopeful note;

“Well, age may be a match for you but its no match for me”

The pattern is set by this first song – obtuse lyrics – which might repay repeated listening, and lovely singing, in particular by Angel Olsen who intones, with Oldham, on “New Tibet”

“As boys we fucked each other, as men we lie and smile”

A bird motif emerges in this song;

“Birds fight, birds hate”

And, crops up again later; “Soiled doves are my birds”….. And, in the download only single “Quail and Dumplings”; “Fuck birds in bushes!” he implores us….

As a whole the album is slow paced and introvert, but Oldham lets rip a little (handclaps!!) on the single, instrumentally more complex and dramatic.

“Black Captain” is a lament for lost love and a touching high point of the album, lyrically less oblique, haunting and beautiful.

This is a tender, touching collection of songs; a wonderful record. The best since “I see a darkness” which was the first under the “Bonnie Prince Billy” name, back in 1999.

Bonnie Prince Billy – Wolfroy Goes To Town tracklist:
1. No Match
2. New Whaling
3. Time To Be Clear
4. New Tibet
5. Black Captain
6. Cows
7. There Will Be Spring
8. Quail And Dumplings
9. We Are Unhappy
10. Night Noises

Wolfroy goes to town by Bonnie Prince Billy is released on Domino Records.

The Wooden Sky

Toronto band The Wooden Sky emerged in 2003 creating their own brand of folk rock music and earning national critical praise with the release of their album When Lost At Sea.

The album received a good reception via college radio airplay and tours followed with the likes of Canadian indie rock royalty Julie Doiron, a live performance on MTV, a spot at Osheaga Festival, and an In Session performance on CBC Radio 3, the Wooden Sky set about the daunting task of crafting a worthy follow-up.

The result is the kind of democratic rock and roll record that requires the total shedding of ego and the equal involvement of all parties; If I don’t come home you’ll know I’m gone is epic in its scope and contributions, but never bombastic or crowded. It’s a lot of people playing when they need to, not just when they want to.

The album represents a massive undertaking by the Wooden Sky as it sweeps through rock and roll subgenres with the deftness of the Allman Brothers, the songwriting focus of Wilco, and the experimental sonic cacophony of the Flaming Lips. It’s a career-defining record, grown and built organically over months spent living, writing, and recording in cramped apartments between Toronto and Montreal.

The record came together somewhere between Montreal and Toronto; starting out at Montreal’s legendary Hotel2Tango studio with Howard Billerman (Arcade Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the Dears), the band spent two weeks recording all day and sharing a cramped one-bedroom apartment with five friends at night.

Three days followed at Toronto’s Lincoln Country Social Club with Chris Stringer (Ohbijou, Timber Timbre, Rush), then a day with the pipe organ and piano at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Cobourg, and, finally, put the finishing touches on at Gardiner and Wyatt’s apartment in Toronto.

The list of people involved the creation of the record is expansive, including some of the band’s oldest friends and newest acquaintances: Heather Kirby (Ohbijou), Debra Jean Creelman (ex-Mother Mother), Mika Posen (Forest City Lovers), Jessica Moss (Silver Mount Zion), Howard Billerman (ex-Arcade Fire), Stew Crookes ($100), Edwin Huizinga (Mars Volta), Adam Kinner (Marathon), Elspeth Poole, and Tyler Belluz.

Here is a wonderful little taster;

The Wooden Sky – Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me)

The Wooden Sky are currently on a UK tour with Dan Michaelson & The Coastguards, catch them at the following venues this week:

Mar 8 The Basement York

Mar 9 The Castle Manchester

Mar 10 Milo Leeds

Mar 11 The Lexington London

emily jane white - photo cam archer

Following on from her two critically acclaimed albums Dark Undercoat and Victorian America, the Californian singer/songwriter Emily Jane White will release her latest full length Ode To The Sentience on February 14th.

Ode To The Sentience is a collection of ten uncluttered and captivating songs that explore the sentimental qualities of the singers past experiences, giving the album a personal and intimate feel

“I found catharsis in creating these songs,they speak to the emotional simplicity and complexity of human relationship. I chose to call the record ‘Ode To Sentience’ because it is the capacity to feel that creates a shared human experience of music. We all share the potency of music by having the capacity to feel, and I found the simplicity of this fact very beautiful” says Emily Jane White.

Stunningly simple yet achingly beautiful, here is the video made to accompany the track Cliff from the latest album.

Emily Jane White – Cliff

EMILY JANE WHITE - cliff from Talitres on Vimeo.

Another track from the album Ode To The Sentience called Law, has been made available for free download on the Emily Jane White artist page.

Cowboy Junkies - Demons

The legendary Canadian alt-country band Cowboy Junkies will release a collection of Vic Chesnutt songs as their next album Demons, a tribute to the American singer songwriter who died on Christmas Day 2009.

Chesnutt was left partially paralysed from a car accident in 1983 when he was only eighteen years old and was left in a wheelchair with limited use of his hands, although he could manage to play simple chords.

He played alongside Todd McBride in the band La Di Das during the mid eighties before going solo performing regularly at the 40 Watt Club, where he was spotted by Michael Stipe.

Stipe, who became a great personal friend of Chesnutt, produced the singers first two albums Little in 1990 and West of Rome in 1991.

It was in 1996 however that Vic Chesnutt’s music reached a wider audience with the release of a tribute album Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation, the proceeds from which went to the Sweet Relief Fund.

The album consisted of Chesnutt covers by famous musicians including Cracker, Garbage, The Smashing Pumpkins (with Red Red Meat), Madonna, R.E.M., Soul Asylum, and Live.

Chesnutt himself collaborated with the likes of Guy Picciotto of Fugazi, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Elf Power and Lambchop during his career and last year he sang on the Danger Mouse / Sparklehorse / David Lynch collaboration ‘Grim Augury’.

Chesnutt died on Christmas Day 2009 from an overdose of muscle relaxants that had left him in a coma in hospital in Athens, Georgia.

The tie with Cowboy Junkies goes back to 2007 when Chesnutt worked with the band on their album Trinity Revisited.

Demons is described by Michael Timmins as “a labour of love” that explores Chesnutt’s deep and much overlooked catalogue and will be the second album in the Cowboy Junkies four volume Nomad series released on Proper Records, following the critically acclaimed first volume Renmin Park.

The band approached Chesnutt’s music with the same sense of adventure that Chesnutt approached his own recordings. Timmins says, “We let happy accidents happen and tried to invest his songs with the same spirit in which they were written, but at the same time adding our own Northern spin. Exploring his songs and delving deeper and deeper into them has been an intense, moving and joyous experience. I don’t think Vic would have wanted it any other way.”

Demons will be followed by volumes 3 and 4 of the series (Sing in My Meadow and The Wilderness).  Fans can follow the progression of the series at: http://latentrecordings.com/cowboyjunkies/

Demons’ full track listing is as follows:
Wrong Piano
Flirted With You All My Life
See You Around
Betty Lonely
Square Room
Ladle
Supernatural
West of Rome
Strange Language
We Hovered With Short Wings
When the Bottom Fell Out

Theatre Royal live @ Eagle Tavern, Rochester Kent

Theatre Royal live @ Eagle Tavern, Rochester Kent Sunday 5th December, 2010

Theatre Royal are from Medway in Kent and sound brilliant! Their music echoes British guitar influences from The Small Faces to Echo & The Bunnymen, and their live set comprises of several styles that knit tightly together well and their live performance tonight was professional and solid.  Unfortunately the small pub was only half full which says much more about Medway apathy than it does the quality of Theatre Royal.

Guitarist and lead singer Oliver Burgess was apparently struggling with a sore throat but not to the detriment of the performances. Theatre Royal are Oliver Burgess (Vocals/Guitar), Robbie Wilkinson (Guitar/Vocals), Brendan Esmonde (Bass) and Jon Gibbs (Drums), who were occasionally joined by a trumpet player that gave the songs an extra zest.

I wasn’t familiar with any of their songs before the gig but the slow tempo of ‘Painted Smile’ stood out and was a favourite with some drunken groupies who joined in with the chorus: “I’ll be right where you left me” (that will probably be hanging on to the bar or toilet bowl, depending how long you leave them!)

‘Painted Smile’ is a perfect guitar-led indie pop song with an alt-country edge and some great harmonies that wouldn’t sound amiss in a set list from and early 1980’s Smiths gig.  But what stands out here is that Theatre Royal are not looking to be labelled this or that and quite obviously aren’t afraid of playing different styles; and they do that so well.  Whether it be ‘I’m The One’ or ‘Turn To Rust’ with its unabashed sixties influence or the pop rock anthemic and wonderfully titled ‘Sit Me Under The Circling Vultures Lay Me Out To Die‘, reminiscent of The Alarm (who remembers them?) or leaning towards post-punk rock of The Clash (‘Foreign Shores’) or even hints of Theatre Of Hate (‘Cold Charity’).

Oliver Burgess & Robbie Wilkinson’s voices are a perfect match, whether on the gentle ‘Painted Smile’ or more up tempo songs like ‘If You Could Stand Up’.  But my favourite song of the night was possibly the most aggressive of the set, ‘Foreign Shores’ with its post-punk aggression of The Clash circa Tommy Gun. Complete with a perfect twin vocal performance but this time through gritted teeth and leg thumping angst.

sharon van etten - epic

In contrast to her previous album, the stark, sparse, yet beguiling and beautiful Because I Was In Love, which first brought the Brooklyn based singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten to my attention, her latest album Epic is a bigger produced affair where the singer has allowed herself the luxury of using additional musicians to push her songs into a new dimension.

Adding drums, piano, steel guitar and three backing singers to her guitar and elegant, yet at times already world weary vocals, enhances  Sharon Van Etten’s beautiful songs launching them into the territory of a wider audience.

The music on Epic is more accessible than her previous material, although following the same themes of sadness, hope and fear. Van Etten’s latest songs appear more confident and upbeat within the framework of other musicians and the beautiful arrangements on the album endear themselves to the listener immediately.

Van Etten writes songs about the the things that affect us all, everyone can connect to her songs, meaning that there is a big audience out there that this album will win over, given the chance.

On the opening track, A Crime, she sings about Never letting herself love like that again and the fear of telling someone you love, how you really feel about them.

On the gorgeous alt-country style Save Yourself Van Etten sings “Don’t you think I know you’re only try to save yourself, just like everyone else” to fend off advances, from a former love I imagine.

There is beautiful musical mood change as the track DsharpG segues into Don’t Do It where Van Etten sings “If you wan’t to do it, You will if you want too, even if I don’t want you to” on top of a wonderful soaring soundscape.

Epic closes with the wonderful ambience of Love More, another wonderful arrangement in which the vocal appears almost suspended on the sparse instrumentation and heavenly backing.

After a couple of years playing round the New York club circuit Sharon Van Etten will embark on a tour of North America and Europe (with her band in tow), this winter.

Listen to her remarkable new songs now on Sharon Van Etten’s My Space page

Uncle Treacle by Willis

Hayley Willis (aka Willis) is from west London.  She received critical acclaim for her debut album, Come Get Some, for its American-style bluesy soul and complimentary country and folk styles; and for Willis’ vocals, which were raw and authentically powerful as the pre-war belters whose spirits she so effortlessly summoned.

Willis spent several years immersed in everything from psych and krautrock to funk noir, working at London’s Soul Jazz record store-cum-label before she decided to stop selling music and make her own.

On her MySpace page she cites many influences including Kris Kristofferson, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Laurie Anderson, Bob Dylan and Kate Bush.  Now that alone is enough to get my attention.  Other left of centre female artists come to mind when listening to Willis, the likes of PJ Harvey and Imogen Heap.

I can definitely hear her influences throughout the album.  But in these times of safe, middle of the road music made for executives and shifting units, Uncle Treacle is awash with interesting songs carried by the mesmorising voice of Willis.

Candyman has all the brooding dark energy of a Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song, while the banjo-picking tune of So Nice To Meet You offers a lighter, leftfield country side to the multi-faceted sound of Willis. Other songs such as Round Again are altogether more weird wonky pop with heavy traces of Kate Bush at her wailing best.

Uncle Treacle by Willis Tracklisting:
1.    Candyman
2.    Get In The Ring
3.    So Nice To Meet You
4.    Round Again
5.    The Lesson
6.    Hell-Money-O
7.    October
8.    Weatherman
9.    What You Want For Me
10.    Goosey Gander
11.    9 To 5

Uncle Treacle by Willis is released by Cripple Creek Records.

Beth Jeans Houghton: Hot Toast Vol. 1 (Static Caravan)

Hot Toast Vol. 1 is the latest release from Beth Jeans Houghton, the Newcastle folk/country singer. Following the success of so many female artists in the past couple of years, Static Caravan will be hoping that Houghton can transfer the success of the female-soul revival with a female-folk/country revival.

The five track EP is produced by Mike Lindsay of Tunng, for whom Beth Jeans Houghton has provided support in the past. The influence is discernible in places, with a playful folk vibe accompanying the dark fantasy throughout the album. ‘Cruel Francis’, for example, matches a jaunty backing to the (presumably) somewhat fantastical explanation by Houghton that it is about:

“… my old mandolin player, Frank Conway. We used to take ballet classes together in our local church but he ditched me to make sweet love to his sitar, so I burned down his house.”

A similarly upbeat feel accompanies ‘Hot Toast’, which could easily be a remake of a novelty track from the 40s. But ironically, it is away from the upbeat tracks where Beth Jeans Houghton’s voice best resides. The short ‘Anne Cramb’ is understated yet powerful, whilst that vocal change of tone on ‘Lilyputt’ is affecting and strips away the silliness of the verse. “Oh my love, I’m not done with you yet, oh no.”

The silliness comes with Beth Jeans Houghton’s style though, describing, for example, ‘Lilyputt’ as about “running away from a guy with really big hair and having to take my shoes off to go faster.” It will be interesting to see how Ben Hillier, the production mastermind behind Elbow’s Cast Of Thousands, Doves’s Some Cities and Blur’s Think Tank, will handle it on her forthcoming album. Apparently he has already been sucked in:

“He looks like Mr. Bean, rides a bike, and helps me pass on love notes to cute guys in cafe’s.”

The Hot Toast Vol. 1 EP features Beth Jeans Houghton’s band, The Hooves of Destiny. Hot Toast Vol. 1 is out now on Static Caravan records.

This is her MySpace.

happy hollows

The acclaimed Los Angeles trio The Happy Hollows will be releasing their debut album on October 6th. The album called Spells is a culmination of the bands work with producer and former Mighty Lemon Drops guitarist David Newton, who was also responsible for The Happy Hollows 2008 EP Imaginary.

The BBC picked them as a band to watch for 2009, while the Los Angeles Times has described the group’s sound as a “pugilistic mix of stinging guitars, turbulent rhythms, and shouted vocals” that “alternates between childlike experimentation and ferocious firestorm.” AllMusic wrote that the band’s “appeal is immediate” and LAist has labeled them “a must see!”

Formed in 2006 The Happy Hollows played their first shows in Japanese restaraunts, laundromats and small clubs, their debut EP Bunnies and Bombs released in the first year attracted the attention of LA’s underground music scene.

Drawing inspiration from 90s college rock, garage punk art rock and80’s pop The Happy Hollows new album encompasses a wide range of musical ideas and performances.

The album’s opening track, Faces, begins with a crunchy guitar hook strummed by Sarah Negahdari on her Gibson SG. The song takes an unexpected twist with the introduction of the drums and bass, and yet another turn when Negahdari’s irresistible, chanteuse style vocals begin floating over the music.

Track 3, Silver, is a gritty and danceable song that shows off Ms. Negahdari’s unconventional lead guitar technique. On track 5, Lieutenant, the band demonstrates their technical chops as well as their ability to compose songs with non-traditional structures. Two of the later songs on Spells, Father Time and Turtle and Hare, highlight the band’s more eerie and melodic side.

Spells is an album which is at once catchy and innovative. It is gritty, loud, and ambitious, while not shying away from the use of melody and the employment pop sensibility. Written and recorded over a period of two years, it will certainly stand as one of the definitive statements of the Los Angeles and indie rock music scenes in recent memory.

The Happy Hollows perform Lieutenant @ Glasshouse Pomona, CA;

Spells – Tracklisting:
01. Faces
02. Death To Vivek Kemp
03. Silver
04. We Will Find You
05. Lieutenant
06. Father Time
07. Monster Room
08. High Wire
09. Turtle and Hare
10. DeLorean
11. The Stein
12. Tambourine
13. A Man, A Plan, A Canal
14. Second Lieutenant

hey Negrita

The new album from hey Negrita is an all acoustic melody rich effort that is perhaps the bands most diverse piece yet. Burn The Whole Place Down was inspired by the success of a series of sessions recorded for the BBC, including the ever popular Bob Harris Show on Radio Two.

The band took time out from their 2008 tour and headed to the Miloko Studio in South London for a spur of the moment session and five hours later had recorded the makings of the album Burn The Whole Place Down.

Felix Bechtolsheimer explains:

“The idea was to cut as many tracks as we could in five hours without any overdubs or edits. So we put down our electric guitars, turned off the amps and stripped back the drums. We just sat, in a circle, and put some microphones up. We didn’t even bother with headphones. We wanted to capture the raw energy of one of our live performances, while preserving the intimacy of how we sound when we’re jamming in the kitchen.”

Burn The House Down is hey Negrita’s fourth album and the content may in some ways come as a surprise to anyone who has witnessed the bands raucous ‘live’ performances in recent years.

This album of acoustic tracks sees hey Negrita shifting down several gears. In many ways the gentler, unplugged approach allows their deft way with melody and lyrics to shine through like never before.

This video clip was shot during the making of the new album and features the title track Burn The Whole Place Down being recorded during the five hour session in South London in 2008.

Hey Negrita: Burn The Whole Place Down
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Check out hey Negrita’s MySpace page.