Showing posts with label Newcastle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newcastle. Show all posts

Polarsets - Then a Girl Falls In Your Arms




Recently I was lucky enough to gain work experience as an intern at 6music over the extended Uni Christmas holidays. Contrary to what you’d think it wasn’t all about making cups of tea and coffee either, granted I did excel at this. I got to spend most of my time working on the Tom Robinson’s Introducing Show and as a result feel more clued up on new music than ever. One of the main jobs was sifting through the recommendations we got sent, which contained an unusually high amount of North-East contributions. Amongst them were Newcastle’s very own Polarsets, which, after maybe 10 seconds of listening, I put through and with Tom’s seal of approval made it into the show last week.

Now, safely back in the North-East, NSR have been sent their new E.P, available for free at polarsets.bandcamp.com, 3 tracks which cement the band as one of the strongest in the region. ‘Just Don’t Open Your Eyes Yet’ and ‘Then a Girl Falls In Your Arms’ are strong, hook laden tracks you’d expect to hear on any daytime radio show, the latter as catchy a pop song I’ve heard all year.

Obvious similarities can be drawn between the band and fellow Tyne natives Little Comets, jangly guitar riffs, frantic drumming and high pitched vocals; complete with golden vocal harmonies is the closest thing the North-East has to a ‘sound’. Parallels can also been drawn to The Wombats, Go Faster and Hot Club De Paris, all with the ability to write a track to chant along to that isn’t necessarily seen as ‘Lad-Rock’. However, the fundamental connection these bands share, above all else, is that they sound like their enjoying themselves.

They’re apparently pioneering a genre they call ‘Deep Disco’, a sound which conjures up images of the Bee Gees and Kool and the Gang being banished to the sewers. But on this evidence, this is indie-pop at its catchiest. The E.P has a genuine sense of exuberance, optimism and energy hugely lacking from a host of ‘ones to watch’ acts and promises much for future releases. They’re playing a host of dates around the North-East, well worth investigating.


Christian.





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Live Review: Good Shoes



It’s been over two years since Good Shoes released their debut album, Think before You Speak, and 3 years since they’re early demos dominated British music website discussion boards. For a band who have been extremely quiet throughout most of 2008 and 2009 tonight’s turn out is testament to their sound, especially in the stronghold for lad-rock that is Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. This considered the current tour is quite a change for a band that, in 2007, headlined the 2,000 capacity Astoria. It’s an opportunity for the band to almost start from scratch and play those kind of back of pub venues full of sweaty teens that their music led’s itself to.

Lead singer Rhys Jones fully embraces the intimate setting throughout the set, warning me in the interview prior to the gig that he’s prepared to join the crowd as many times as it takes to get them animated and rowdy. Despite the stagnant crowd’s best efforts the band remains upbeat and uses the opportunity to play a selection of tracks off the impending 2nd album ‘No Hope, No Future’. It’s difficult to judge them after one listen, and with the new wave of tracks ‘The Way My Heart Beats’ already seems like a classic. ‘Under Control’ has quickly found itself a crowd favourite and a couple of new tracks show the band perhaps going for a more angular, distorted sound with this follow up.


In with the new tracks were the expected, established hits from the debut album, Ice Age, Small Town Girl and Morden all sounding sharper and speeder than ever. An exuberant, enthusiastic gig marks the return of Good Shoes and on tonight’s evidence the band’s brand of jaunty indie pop look set to find it’s home once again on national radio playlists and in larger venues across the U.K.



Good Shoes Myspace


Good Shoes Interview Edit by nsrstationmanager


Christian!


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Live Review: Mumford & Sons


The Cluny, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Interview For NSR:









21st September 2009


Gone are the stereotypes of middle aged, grass chewing, check-shirted men finger picking banjos to the delight of a gaggle of flowery dresses. Mumford and Sons are surely the figurehead to a new generation of lively folk acts, armed with beautiful vocal harmonies, talented musicianship and mood-altering, poetic lyrics. This is by no means a ‘scene’ more a community of musicians who join each other on tour and contribute backing vocals more often than an England football team on a novelty tournament song.



Tonight is a welcomed return for Marcus Mumford and Co, with various sound issues marring their last visit to Newcastle at an intimate Cumberland Arms gig. They announce their arrival with a hushed, almost acapella version of ‘Sigh No More’ before breaking out into ‘Awake My Soul’ which does more than just wake a dozen members of the crowd who seem intent in barn dancing, and strangely pogoing their way through the set.



Latest single ‘Little Lion Man’ is greeted with a merry chant along from the sold old crowd and looks set to become the bands anthem, the sort of song fans will pester them to play throughout their career. Indeed the band, like a conductor, has the crowd in their complete control. When the instruments cut out the gathering fall silent, hanging on every lovelorn word. Then as the banjo, drums, bass and guitar take over, the audience can’t help but stomp their feet along. The set finishes on the perfect final song, ‘Dust Bowl Dance’. A personal favourite of mine, it’s a track which comes into its own live with Marcus Mumford putting any of his remaining energy into the drum kit.



Tonight we’re treated to a set which plays almost the complete track listing of M&S’s debut album ‘Sigh No More’. A fitting name for an album which, live, perfectly expresses both a broken heart and sorrow before offering hope and optimism. Although the album has received mixed reviews, Mumford & Sons show tonight their gift for storytelling and performance which leaves the crowd spellbound and promises much for their future.


Christian Allen

Mumford and Sons Myspace


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Wild Beasts Interview


26/2/2009

I caught up with Wild Beasts half way through their U.K tour at the End Bar, Newcastle!











Christian: How has the tour been for you so far, do you sense people are enjoying the new songs?

Wild Beasts: It’s gone better then we could have dreamt of, people have been really open minded. It’s important for us to tour, realistically the album may not be out till September but when you’re in a band and you make new music you want people to hear it straight away.

Christian: So you’ve finished recording the new album, that’s a pretty quick turnaround from last year’s ‘Limbo Panto’, pretty prolific.


Wild Beasts: Well that’s our job; it’s easy to get embroiled in other things. But being in the studio recording new music is where we want to be.


Christian: For people who haven’t heard you before can you try and sum up your sound?


Wild Beasts: Fundamentally it’s pop music, 4 minute long songs with verses and choruses. But at the same time we want to think outside the box, and surprise people. We ourselves are very bored of what we’re being force fed.


Christian: What can we expect from the new album then?


Wild Beasts: Musically I think it’s more ‘groovy’ and danceable. More accessible and less of an intense listen from the last album.


Christian: What new releases are you most looking forward to in 2009?


Wild Beasts: One of the most underrated bands around are Junior Boys, they’re on Domino Records and have a new album coming out this year. If it’s anything like the last it will be worth a listen.


Christian: The first time I saw you was a couple of years ago supporting Maximo Park at Gloucester Guildhall and the crowd wasn’t really sure how to take you, is this becoming less the case now?


Wild Beasts: I remember that being a particularly difficult gig but that’s part of what we want, to confront people.


Christian: Any advice for Newcastle Students?


Wild Beasts: Make the most of it. Just keep on having a good time because you won’t get the chance to again.

Christian!


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