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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Rose Elinor Dougall - Fallen Over

Rose Elinor Dougall must already be fed up of reviews linking her current project to her pokadot past as the lead member of the Pipettes, alas the transition from band to solo isn’t as easy as Phil Collins would make out. The Pipettes arguably were the first act of recent times to acknowledge and embody the sound of pre-rock/mid-60s girl-group pop which has now proved so fruitful for Duffy, Amy Winehouse and co. They brought back a forgotten girl group sound and made it contemporary and fun again before falling apart after one album and a handful of singles. They became perhaps a little too twee, almost a novelty act for the indie crowd. However Rose Elinor Dougall has successfully disassociated herself from this with her own work and this latest offering due out in November.

The first to go solo, I originally became aware of Dougall’s work with her previous single “Stop/Start/Synchro” and “Fallen Over” can only further her fan base. A nostalgic pop track, Dougall’s vocals float over the descending bassline and pacey drums perfectly as she sings of the difficulties that come with a relationship. How we often stumble, but these troubles are continually worth it.

Dougall has been careful to take her time with her return. Quietly making sure her sound grows organically with limited release singles, bedroom recordings and the like. She admits this single itself has gone through a few incarnations before its recording and right now she sounds like she's trying to find her own sound and style. But this single is encouraging stuff and with an album ‘Without Why’ due out next year, it seems Rose Elinor Dougall will dispel any notion of the difficulties that come with going solo.

Official Myspace

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Here's a shameless plug for mine and Chris' band Candidates.
Sorry.

We recorded a couple of demos a few weeks back, and so we just thought we'd post them up here for you to listen to :)

01 My First Pair Of Sondicos by Candidates

02 Procrastination by Candidates

Let us know what you think in the old comments section there.
Cheers!
Gareth
x

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Not only are Japandroids a garage rock two-piece, but they’re from Vancouver, whats not to like? Two members playing the loudest and fastest they can, this band has all the enthusiasm and velocity of a 5 piece punk outfit. The recent trend for no thrill, lo-fi recordings and indeed a two man setup obviously suits this band but there’s more to Japandroids. Their energy and enthusiasm is matched by their ear for a catchy melody and relaxed, often amusing lyrics ‘Let's get to France, So we can French kiss some French girls’. They embark on their first tour of the U.K late October.

Christian.










Japandroids Official Myspace

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Here at Next Goal Wins Towers, we're quite fond of our sport.

Yeah, we're a 'music blog' (whatever that is), but that name didn't come from our hanging out down the park as 8 year olds looking for the latest TV On The Radio remixes on the Hype Machine; nope, it filtered through from our childhood, along with the phrases "Jumpers for goalposts!" and "Can Chris come out to play please?"

But even though football was 8 year old Gareth's first love, it did not own my heart entirely.

As soon as the sun burst through the clouds on a regular basis, and that famous Booker T and the MGs tune signaled the start of the BBC's coverage of the first test between England Vs Australia/West Indies/India/etc, I'd be enraptured (though I did not know by what at the time) by the sheer poetic beauty of the game of cricket.

And so that's why it breaks my heart to see English cricket in the state that it's in.

"BUT WAIT A MINUTE GARETH, England just valiantly won a thrilling Ashes series against an Australian side chock-full of world class talent, didn't they? How can you say that English cricket is in a bad state?" I hear you cry.

Well, my retort to that question is this: for all I know, England haven't won the Ashes, it's all just been a big media illusion. British sport's version of the moon landings, with conspiracy theories abound as to whether or not it all actually happened. I have no proof that it actually happened, because I haven't seen a single ball bowled.

And do you know why I haven't seen a single ball of the 2009 Ashes bowled?

Because in 2005, prior to that year's famous Ashes series, the English Cricket Board sold the rights to all of England's live test games to Sky, rather than to one of the terrestrial channels.

And as such I'm finding it really hard to celebrate. I really am. And yet I long to. Trust me I do.

2005 was one of the happiest summers of my life: the reclaiming of English patriotism from fascist clutches, as sporting events so often do, was riding high on the agenda of the nation's collective consciousness, and the feeling of pride and happiness induced by the novel notion that we English are actually half decent at some sports was something beautiful, and something wonderful that, for those six magnificent weeks we all had in common with one another.

Even people who had never cared for cricket before, could not help but be captivated by Flintoff, KP, Vaughan and co's antics in the fourth and fifth tests that summer.

Even my Mum shouted for joy when Rudi Koertzen pulled those stumps out of the ground.

Yet this year, there's been none of that. And it's all the English Cricket Board's fault.

And this isn't even the thing that breaks my heart the most.

What breaks my heart the most, is thinking of all of those children who were intent on emulating Flintoff with the ball and Pietersen with the bat, on council estates and in parks up and down the country in 2005; and then thinking about how many of them have probably given up those dreams now, and perhaps didn't even realise the Ashes was taking place this summer.

Simply because their parents can't afford Sky.

It's all the English Cricket Board's fault.

Good job on the whole promoting cricket front, chaps.

I hope you're happy with yourselves.

Gareth.

P.s. Just to legitimise this post as fitting in with the rest of the music blog, here's a cricket related song:

The Duckworth Lewis Method's Jiggery Pokery

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The Soft Pack - Right and Wrong

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Miike Snow "Burial" from Downtown Music on Vimeo.

It seems you can't go on a music blog without finding an article on Swedish 3 piece Miike Snow at the moment, and their new single 'Animal' is receiving more airtime than a Coldseal Windows Ad, but here's the beautifully shot video for their last single 'Burial'.

Miike Snow Official Myspace

Christian.

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