Photos: Vetiver at Pure Groove

Photos up within 50minutes of the show ending. I’m like lightning. POW!

The drummer’s hat meant his face was permantly in shadow, so I didn’t get anything nice of him. I will review it later. I’m off to the Lexington in a minute to see The Joy Formidable.

Jaymay- Just Like That Robert Frost Poem…

Jaymay is really good at making lots of short, little sweet beautiful songs. She posted a new one on her Myspace player called Just Like That Robert Frost Poem… I really love her voice. Brilliant. I can’t wait for her to release more music… she’s also one of my super favourites who have potential to kill me when she announces tour dates. Kill me with happiness.

Beach House- Play The Game (Queen cover)

I love Beach House! I am curious to know how many of my posts start out with ‘I love [insert band name]‘. Probably alot. Beach House are universally loved, mostly due to the fact that they are amazing. Victoria’s dreamy vocals and Alex’s dreamy slide guitar make for some really dreamy tunes.

The band have uploaded a cover of Play The Game to their Myspace. Apparently it was going to be on Dark Was The Night but didn’t make it. I’d love to see them again. They have a show with Vetiver in just over a week, I’m off to see Vetiver in about 20 minutes…

Review: Emmy The Great at ULU

There’s not exactly a shortage of Emmy shows here in London… I saw her last November, December, January… and finally this February. I’m hoping she’ll do a show every month of the year. I managed to get a bit lost on the way to ULU, despite having been there before. I am so directionally challenged.

ULU is a fairly big venue, 800 capacity. The show was nearly sold out, only 20 or so tickets left. This was the first time I saw Emmy do a ‘proper’ show in a proper venue. I don’t really like ULU to be honest. They are anti cameras and I don’t like really high stages because I feel it removes the band or singer from the audience quite a bit. The staff, however, were very friendly. Well done, ULU. 

So anyway, on to the show. I’ve seen Younghusband before, he plays in Emmy’s band. His band and Ex Lovers were Emmy’s supports. Neither of them left any lasting impression on me, and I couldn’t see much of Ex Lovers because the lights were so bright behind the band. Maybe it’s because I was at the gorgeous Union Chapel the night before, but I thought the sound was kind of muddy too. So, I’ll just get straight on to Emmy.

The band launched into Easter Parade first. After a month of touring it’s understandable that the band were a bit tired. We didn’t get the usual amount of weird/awkward Emmy banter, but she did note ‘It’s been a long month.’. She stepped away then returned and said ‘well 28 days, a short month because it’s February.’ The audience laughed and Emmy responded ‘that’s not me making a joke, I’m just correcting myself’. She played lots of album tracks, a few non album tracks, and that absolutely brilliant cover she’s been doing of Skeeter Davis’ End Of The World. I’ve loved the original for something like the last six years so it was great to hear someone sing it live. Maybe it was because I was right by Younghusband’s monitor, but I though the parts where he sang drowned Emmy out a bit, which was not so pleasing. Towards the end of the set some random drunk fool barged his way to the front and barged the girl next to me out of her spot and was clapping out of time, when there wasn’t even any cause for clapping along. Despite him not being in my way, I thought this was incredibly rude and I was not pleased at all. After Emmy finished up her song, I told him off. I asked how old he was, 42, I asked him how did he get to that age and still be so rude, then he said he had a right to be at the front and to see, I said if you want to be at the front you get here on time, he said he pushed his way to the front and has as much right as us, then I told him he was deluded. And that’s how it went down. Eventually he moved and let the other girl back in, who was clearly a big Emmy fan (and not old, annoying and drunk) and deserved that spot way more than the other guy. Emmy ended with Everything Reminds Me Of You.

For the encore she said they hadn’t prepared anything, which obviously catalyzed a slew of requests. Adam wanted to hear the Secret Circus. We asked her to play it for him last time we saw her, and she said maybe. Adam called for it, and Emmy looked our way with a look that said ‘Adam, I’m going to play you Secret Circus’. She then went on to play Canopies and Grapes, Two Steps Forward and Edward Is Deadward. Poor Adam.

To conclude, Emmy is indeed great and I am quite happy to go to all her London shows whenever I can. Listen on Myspace. The First Love single came out Monday.

I guessed correctly

Not that it was hard to guess, but the ’secret guest’ at the Eugene McGuinnes/ Ex Lovers Rough Trade show is indeed Emmy. They didn’t keep it secret for very long. I have seen them all before. I would still like to go, but I’m seeing Howling Bells at 5 and Wildbirds & Peacedrums after that. Nevermind.

Wildbirds & Peacedrums busk

Today I was at work when I discovered W&P are doing a busk this Sunday at Arnold Circus Bandstand. I do not like being in public places when I discover news such as this. I wanted to clap my hands and get excited… but the reality is nobody else around me would care or want to get excited, boo to that. But hooray for W&P! I am also seeing them Monday. And again in April. They sound as though they will be truly stunning live, so I am very excited.

Frida VS Ane

These photos are similar. Who would win the battle? Probably Frida. She would death-stare Ane into surrendering.

VS

Au Revoir Simone- Vincent Moon session in NY

OK, prepare yourselves now for a post of utter joy. These songs in these videos sound so wonderful. One of my favourites of 2009 on the way? Quite possibly. Watch all 3 videos here.

Video 1: Layered vocals! I love it when they do that. So beautiful. So wonderful. I love it. Annie is on accordion, which is exciting. 

Video 2: A conversation and some footage of the girls practicing. ‘London in May’ is mentioned (!!!!!!!!!!!). They explain their band name for the probably the hundredth time. 

Video 3: A fast, exciting song and a swirly video that will probably make you dizzy, if you are one disposed to dizziness.

Video: Whispertown- Restless

Why won’t they announce a London show!? They’ve announced about 628399202 dates in April supporting Maria Taylor in the States. I won’t be super dramatic and say it’s ‘torture’, but… come on! It’s about time now.

Review: Ane Brun at Union Chapel

This gig was so good it deserves an immediate review. We got there early but because they let physical ticket holders in first we had to wait a while, which meant we were not able to get the killer pew. We had to get the pew next to it, which is much less killer. It was still on the front row and still good, but definately unable to claim the status of ‘killer’. 

As per usual talk turned to ‘what if…’ and Bobbles put questions to me like ‘what if Emily Haines was doing one solo show and you could only see that one show, or go to 500 other shows, what would you do?” kind of questions. We also talked about Frida, she’s quite the hot topic for us. You’d think we’d run out of things to say, but no, we don’t (!). Ane reminded me of Frida, mostly because they are both Scandinavian blondes (as Frida sings) and Ane had a very similar outfit to Frida, minus the leopard print skirt and glasses. Musically they aren’t really similar at all, apart from the fact they both have stunning voices. Alan from Wears The Trousers was also there in the pew behind me so we got to chat about more brilliant female folkies. It wasn’t all that long before the first act, Ellie Goulding took to the stage.

I get the impression Ellie hasn’t played all that many shows but she was nonetheless brilliant and very enjoyable. I would like re-reiterate the fact that the acoustics in Union Chapel are so so so so gorgeous. She played solo with an acoustic guitar, her voice carried well and I enjoyed her set and would like to see her play again. The next support act was called Teitur, a friend of Ane’s. He had leather trousers on and a see-through top. I started off enjoying him but as the set went on my interest faded. He reminded me of Peter Broderick minus all the clever looping and brilliant instruments. 

Next up it was the lady we all went to see, Ane. She was joined by three back up singers which she called her ‘Diamonds’. The Diamonds were indeed very special and did a fantastic job. Out of all the stage banter I’ve witnessed this week (and I’ve witnessed alot), Ane’s was definately the most endearing. She was so happy to be playing for us in this beautiful church and seemed so genuinely appreciative of the audience for coming and listening so attentively. She also said something like “I don’t know what to say… I’m just so happy to play.” She stepped back and smiled then sweetly said “oh, I made a rhyme!”. She did a cover called True Colours, noting that it was a very famous song and if you hadn’t heard it then you probably haven’t been on the planet for the last 30 years. Well, I have only been on this planet 18 years and I never heard it. Her version was beautiful though. Google tells me it’s by Cyndi Lauper… explains why I haven’t heard it. I only know her song from The Goonies and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Shame on me. I do like her voice so maybe I should listen more. She dedicated Changing Of The Seasons to the Scandinavians in the audience (there were quite a few). The Diamonds really shined on Balloon Ranger. There was a part at the end which was truly stunning. I think if anyone there was unimpressed by that then they must have no soul. In Petrified Forest Road there is a swear word. The three diamonds did some Joanna Newsom-esque back up parts, and awkwardly sung the swear word in the church (well, only the Welsh did). 

Finally for The Fall Ane got us all to hum along for her. It was beautiful. She got a standing ovation from the crowd, fully deserved. It was a very specials how and I am definately seeing her next time she stops by. Best show this week (and that’s really saying something). More photos in my Flickr set.