Seen It>> Pixies at Hammersmith Apollo, 24 November 2013

With the band being idle for a few years and original bass player Kim Deal leaving, you could have been forgiven for thinking that Pixies would be no more. However, just a week after Deal’s departure, the quartet announced a new single “Bagboy” and European tour. This tour included a stop at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, where their new line up included The Muffs’ Kim Shattuck replacing the other Kim on bass.

Opening with previous favourites “Bone Machine” and “Gouge Away,“ products of the quiet/loud fusion that made Pixies a huge influence on bands from the early 90s to today, revved the crowd up, before they enforced a spate of newer songs such as “Magdalena 318” and the aforementioned “Bagboy,” before an atmospheric cover of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Head On”. 

If this was all about showcasing the new Pixies onto the crowd, then it was the old material that resonated most of the audience, with “Velouria”, “Hey” and “Monkey Goes to Heaven” drawing large crowd interaction. A cover of Neil Young’s “Winterlong,“ whilst apt given the weather, was mostly lost on the crowd, before Black Francis kept hold of his acoustic guitar, to unleash “Here Comes Your Man,“ drawing the biggest sing-along of the night, until “Where is My Mind?” closed out the set.

The Boston quartet returned after the encore with “Caribou”, “Wave of Mutilation” and “Planet of Sound”, which was interrupted by the lights being turned on, a signal that the show was almost over. 

While Pixies may have been keen to showcase what is a indeed a new era for the band, their long lasting legacy is still evident enough to see thousands still lusting to hear their songs from over 20 years ago. 

Seen It>> Texas is the Reason at Electric Ballroom, 4 August 2013

As a member of the mid 90s post-hardcore/emo scene, Texas is the Reason have become a highly influential band since their break up in 1996. Though they were never as big as contemporaries such as Sunny Day Real Estate or Jimmy Eat World, they still have retained a passionate and hardcore fanbase in their following years. Their sold out show at London’s Electric Ballroom, is advertised as their final ever one, so it promises to be a highly engaging evening.

A somewhat dramatic backdrop begins the show, with a playing of “Do Who Know Who You Are?” before the band walk on to a rapturous welcome greeting “Back and To the Left”. Their energetic riffs seen on “Blue Boy” and “Johnny On the Spot” and “If It’s Here When We Back, It’s Ours”, are greeted by an exuberant crowd, despite the prospect of starting the working week again in a few hours’ time.

Whilst no one can ever be happy at the thought of a band calling it a day for good, the fact that it is Texas is the Reason’s final show adds a sense of excitement to the evening. When the night dawns on the band, the opening chords of their most heartfelt song, perhaps, “A Jack With One Eye”, is the perfect way to say goodbye, with audience members embracing one another and sing-along along for one final time. It all gets a bit too much for frontman Garret Klahn, who can’t hold his tears back following the last note.

Whilst some reunions can’t get tedious, there’s not one note of cynicism one can detect from this one. 

Seen It>> The Smashing Pumpkins at Wembley Arena, 22 July 2013

The stage that once played host to The Smashing Pumpkins’ farewell UK show in 2000, was once again host of the band, though this time it seems they were hosting a much more rejuvenated and forecasting band than 13 years ago. Positive reviews to last year’s Oceania album, meant the band were on an upward curve for the first time perhaps since those halcyon days in the mid-1990s.

One major criticism of the Billy Corgan-fronted band is regularly that they refused to “play the hits”, however the opening nostalgic burst of the anthemic “Tonight, Tonight” and the rocking “Cherub Rock”, put that to bed, before a storming rendition of “X.Y.U” and a beautiful sing-along to “Disarm”, complete with the mellotron opening chords.

The crowd are completely onside following the hit-friendly opening, allowing the band to show off material from Oceania, complete with psychedelic visuals on the big screen. The likes of “One Diamond, One Heart”, “Pale Horse” and “Pinwheels” are well received, with many in the crowd singing back. Corgan briefly opens up to the crowd, heartedly thanking those in attendance and reminiscing previous trips to London, including the now demolished Astoria venue. He promises “more hits to come”, after the bombastic “Oceania”, complete with searing guitars courtesy of long-time member Jeff Schroeder and funky basslines from Nicole Fiorentino.

The hits do indeed come, a relentless burst of ”Thirty Three”, “Ava Adore”, “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”, “Zero”, “Today and Stand Inside Your Love” follows, “Bullet” and “Today” showing the type of atmospheric crowd pogoing that you rarely see anymore, certainly not at a soulless arena such as Wembley. The 10 minute progressive beast “United States” closes things off, with 23-year-old drummer Mike Byrne doing a decent job of filling Jimmy Chamberlin’s impossible footsteps, with a melted image of the US flag projected on the screen behind.

A two song encore sees an acoustic sing-along to “The Celestials” and the surprise of the night perhaps, the nine-minute long “Porcelina of the Vast Oceans” from 1995’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which features the usual ingredients from the Pumpkins’ back catalogue; slow builds, thumping drums and an explosive release of noise.

Tonight’s set is about as crowd pleasing as it can be, for a notoriously unpredictable live band, one to please the hardcores and casual fans aplenty. Perhaps it could be the start of a progressive and positive new era for the band at last. 

Seen It>> Japandroids at Dingwalls, July 17 2013

With temperatures outside reaching the lower 30s, it was inside however, where there was a much more sweatier and claustrophobic environment.

Japandroids were in the UK to play a few shows before their slot at Latitude Festival, and the final UK shows on the tour of critically-acclaimed Celebration Rock. The sweltering conditions inside, meant for a stuffy show, that wasn’t going to hold back despite the intense heat.

Their extensive global touring hasn’t slowed them down, the two journeymen from British Columbia, who’d planned to call it a day before the success of their debut album, Post Nothing, play ever show like it’s their last. The opener “Fire’s Highway” starts off the crowd with the hollering of ‘woah ohs’ that seem a present fixture in every Japandroids song, whilst the nostalgia-filled “Younger Us” is an anthemic beast ready made for bigger venues than a modest Dingwalls, whilst “Wet Hair” saw the crowd bouncing up and down.

“Continuous Thunder”, with its military drumming, slowed down the relentless pace for a few minutes, before the rare “I Quit Girls” got an outing that was complete with a few improvised chord changes. The duo followed with their so-called “hit single”, “The House That Heaven Built”, where singer/guitarist Brian King called for “anything goes”, resulting in a surge of crowd surfers and stage divers. The set was ended their take on The Gun Club’s “For the Love of Ivy”.

This is Japandroids’ one final knockout blow before heading home to Canada to work on a new record and a well-earned rest, and no doubt they’ll coming back for more in later years. 

Seen It>> Fucked Up & Titus Andronicus at Electric Ballroom, May 30 2013

Three of North American punk’s most exciting young bands teamed up for a UK wide tour, spanning Bristol, Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester and finally London, in between dates at both Primavera Sounds.

First up was Toronto’s METZ, who garnered comparisons to the likes of Melvins and Drive Like Jehu with the release of their debut self-titled album last year. The power trio threatened to destroy the eardrums of everyone present with their relentless loud-fuzz anthems such as “Wasted”, “Headache” and “Wet Blanket”, making a similar racket to their forbearers like Sonic Youth and Big Black.

New Jersey’s beer brawling Shakespearean punks Titus Andronicus followed, who are a combination of The Pogues, The Replacements and with a dash of Springsteen for afters. Opener “Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ” had everyone awaiting to chant “FUCK YOU!”, before “A More Perfect Union” had everyone launching into a moshing frenzy. The sweaty atmosphere inside saw frontman Patrick Stickles remove his top to unveil a Lil Wayne t-shirt he’d purchased from Camden market. “Titus Andronicus vs. The Absurd Universe (3^RD Round KO)”, from last year’s third album, Local Business, took on a hardcore flavour, reminiscent of early Replacements, whilst the self-titled loser anthem “Titus Andronicus”, saw Stickles go into the crowd, with everyone in unison chanting “Your life is over”, like it’s a badge of honour. The 14-minute epic “The Battle of Hampton Roads”, earned a brief rest bite, before the climatic and chaotic ending. The quintet ended on Neil Young’s classic “Rockin’ in the Free World”, which was dedicated to the Canadian friendly line-up, and saw members of Metz and Fucked Up join in.

Third and finally, Toronto’s hardcore punks Fucked Up closed the show. If you were expecting the audience to be knackered by that point, then opener “Let Her Rest” paid rest to those fears, as a giant pit opened up, with frontman Pink Eyes joining them, before “Queens of Hearts” had everyone singing along. The growling Pink Eyes (or Damian Abraham to his mother) gave a shout-out to Camden’s finest punk record store All Ages Records, before dedicating “I Hate Summer” to anyone who’s ever suffered from tormentors about weight issues or else. They closed with “Police” and “The Other Shoe”, the latter leading a chorus of “dying on the inside” from the crowd. They returned from the encore with “Two Snakes”, which Pink Eyes dedicated to the audience member who shouted out “I hate weed”.

A carnage and chaotic triple bill that delivered on its promise, it will be hard-pressed to find a better line up for a gig this year. 

Seen It>> Primavera Sound 2013, May 22-26 Parc Del Forum, Barcelona

Thursday, 23 May>>

Tame Impala>>The Australians were at Primavera promoting Lonerism, which was one of 20102's most acclaimed albums. Their psychedelic fuzz set included "Elephant" and "Apocalyptic Dreams" on the Heineken Stage.

Dinosaur Jr>>The American alternative legends were back at Primavera, but without drummer Murph, after the release of I Bet On Sky in 2012. They gave a tour round their impressive back catalogue, including "Lung", "Watch The Corners", "Fell the Pain", "Freak Scene", and rounded off their set with an appearance from Pink Eyes of Fucked Up, to cover Last Rights, a Boston hardcore band.

The Postal Service>>Tears aplenty were at the Heineken Stage, to witness the return of The Postal Service. Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard's electronic side-project had reformed after 10 years from their only album Give Up was released, which was played in full. 

Grizzly Bear>>A later than scheduled appearance meant only a glimpse of the Brooklyn indie rockers, which included songs from 2012's Shields, including "Speak in Rounds" and "Sleeping Ute". 

Fucked Up>>On the more intimate Pitchfork Stage, were Toronto hardcore band Fucked Up. With no new album to promote, the band were just here to show everyone how to rock out with fury, the set included opener "Queen of Hearts", "The Other Shoes" and "David Comes to Life".

Friday, 24 May>>

The Breeders>>The Ohio based band, featuring Pixies bassist Kim Deal and her twin sister Kelley, were playing their 20-year-old classic The Last Splash in full, which meant crowd favourite "Cannonball" made an early appearance in the set. 

Shellac>>Steve Albini's band are regulars at Primavera, and the show just why with a loud, blistering set that included "Ghosts" and "Watch Song".

The Jesus and Mary Chain>>The Scottish alternative rock band were a rare sight on the festival line ups of 2013, and they were a big pull for the Primavera audience. Their set included "Halfway to Crazy", "Some Candy Talking" and "Just Like Honey", where they were joined by Bilinda Butcher from My Bloody Valentine. 

Blur>>The Britpoppers are headlining festival all over Europe this summer, with a stomping and atmospheric delve through their back catalogue, including "Tender", "Parklife" and opener "Girls and Boys".

Titus Andronicus>>New Jersey's beer brawling punks Titus Andronicus were back at Primavera, after last year's release Local Business. Their manic beer-fulled anthems such as "No Future Part III" and "Titus Andronicus" got the repetitive fist pumping chants that they deserve, "You Will Always Be A Loser" and "Your Life is Over" respectively. The rowdy crowd were treated to new tracks such as "Still Life With Hot Deuce and Silver Platter" and "In a Big City", along with classics "Upon Viewing Bruegel's 'Landscape with the Fall of Icarus'" and "My Time Outside the Womb". 

Saturday, 25 May>>

Thee Oh Sees>>The quarter from San Francisco had a fast paced and eventful set, that saw frontman John Dwyer arguing with security guards over their handling of the rowdy crowd. Their psychedelic garage rock featured the new release of Floating Coffin, including "Strawberries 1+2" and "Minatuor". 

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds>>Nick Cave was at Primavera with his Bad Seeds in tow. They gave a pulsating delivery through his ethereal back catalogue, including "Jubilee Street", "Jack the Ripper" and of course, "Red Right Hand."

My Bloody Valentine>>Festival and Heineken stage closers My Bloody Valentine, drew a somewhat modest crowd. Their loud guitars had blocked out Kevin Sheilds' vocals, which caused a problem. Their set included songs from the new record, mbv, "Only Tomorrow" and "Wonder 2" and their first EP You Made Me Realise, "Slow" and the self-titled track. 

Incoming>>Titus Andronicus - "The Dog"

New Jersey punks Titus Andronicus, have given us a slice of summer thanks to their Record Store Day split, "I've Got A Date Tonight/The Dog". The latter is a two minute punk jam, with vocals provided by drummer Eric Harm. It is more lo-fi than their recent third album Local Business, with an 80s punk sound similar to the likes of Cock Sparrer and The Replacements.

The five-piece will be hitting the UK at the end of the month, alongside Fucked Up and Metz, so make sure to catch them. Dates are:

Sun 26 May 2013, Bristol, The Fleece

Mon 27 May 2013,  Leeds, Brudenell Social Club

Tue 28 May 2013, Glasgow, SWG3

Wed 29 May 2013, Manchester, Soundcontrol

Thu 30 May 2013, London, Electric Ballroom

Seen It>> Fang Island at Birthdays, 14 April 2013

When Fang Island are in town, you’re bound to have a good time. The sunshine was out for the first time since the pre-historic age, which seemed the perfect time to greet the Brooklyn party-metal trio. Formed in 2005 whilst students at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, whose alumni includes members of Talking Heads, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Les Savy Fav and others, they describe their music as “everyone high-fiving everyone” complemented with stomping drums and metallic stadium-ready guitars.

Opening “The Illinois”, from the self-titled debut, got the party started, before “Careful Crosses” and “Sideswiper” saw frantic head-banging and delirious bouncing. “Sisterly”, from last year’s sophomore release, Major, got so heated it blew the sound, literally! The band had to stop from a few minutes to fix the problem, whilst vocalist/guitarist Jason Bartell organised an a cappella sing-along during the wait. Once the sound returned, the band continued from where it had been halted.

“Welcome Wagon” and “Asunder” contained the aforementioned stomping drums and heavy riffs, whilst “Daisy”, probably their most famous ‘hit’, saw the crowd singing along into the mic and moshing like hell. They returned for a brief encore of “Davey Crockett”, which the drunken fans in the front were yelling for all gig. Bartell was then carried off by the crowd as the hero of the night.

It was an energetic, fun-filled show, where everyone did indeed high-five each other!

Features>>25 years of Surfer Rosa

“I wanted to rip off the Pixies.” Kurt Cobain
“It was the one that made me go ‘Holy shit.’ It was so fresh. It rocked without being lame.” Billy Corgan
“It blew my mind.” PJ Harvey
“They changed my life.” Thom Yorke
“The most compelling music of the entire 1980s.” David Bowie

March 21, 1988, three months after its completion in a Boston recording studio, Pixies’ Surfer Rosa is released on English independent record label, 4AD. At the time, who would have known the impact it would have or the legacy and influence it would leave, still a quarter of a century after its release. Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Weezer, Pavement, Modest Mouse, Blur…the list may read of a who’s who of 90s alt rock, but that’s precisely how influential Surfer Rosa became to that movement. Without the impact of college rock staples such as the Pixies, we may not have been so lucky later on to hear such names. Whilst its quiet-loud dynamic may have been regularly imitated, Surfer Rosa has simply not been equaled or bettered since its release, still sounding as fresh and raw on regular plays as it was 25 years ago. 

It cost just $10,000 to make, with producer, former Big Black front man Steve Albini, receiving $1500 and no royalties from its sales, which would eventually end up going Gold in the US in 2005, around the time of their reunion. Albini’s abrasive and lo-fi punk noise added to the pop dynamics and surf rock influences of the Pixies, which made them stand alone and pushed them away from the hardcore punk scene of 80s US alt rock. The surrealism element that has always been the cornerstone of the Pixies’ sound was also present, with themes including mutilation and voyeurism  “Gigantic” is supplemented by its burst of distorted guitar noise and welcoming bass intro,  “Cactus” is a slow burning mood changer and the Pixies’ most famous hit, “Where is My  Mind?”, a one-take ode to insanity and ecstasy. 

Surfer Rosa’s impact helped push the US college rock scene into the mainstream, with Pixies’ follows up eagerly anticipated and more accessible to commercialisation, concluding with appearances on MTV’s 120 Minutes, The Late Show on BBC2 and a headline set at Reading Festival in 1990. By the late 80s and early 90s, alternative rock began to incorporate more airtime on radio stations, rather than being secluded solely to college radio, which in turn saw the breakout of grunge and alternative rock to a much wider audience than before. 

Its legacy is compounded with its appearance at 315th Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, whilst it was also Pitchfork’s seventh best album of the 1980s, who incidentally had the follow up, Doolittle, placed above Surfer Rosa. They would later beef up their production for Doolittle with Gil Norton, with Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis in the belief that Surfer Rosa “sounded way better than the other ones.”

Features>>NIN are back and why it's important

Just when it looked as though Trent Reznor would be expanding his resume with the debut EP from How To Destroy Angels this year, his brainchild and main focus, Nine Inch Nails, announced a surprise live return with sets at Fuji Rock and Rock n Heim already confirmed, alongside their UK exclusive appearance at Reading and Leeds.

Formed in 1988 in Cleveland, Ohio, Nine Inch Nails released a total of seven albums in total, plus an EP titled Broken. Reznor brought industrial rock from underneath the American underground into mainstream rock conscious. Whereas artists like Ministry or Big Black never received such mainstream exposure in the eighties, NIN were regulars at festivals such as Lollapalooza and received several Grammy nominations. Their impact helped their peers gain more recognition, with Ministry’s Psalm 69 becoming platinum three years after its release, so much so that David Bowie compared their impact to revered art rock band, The Velvet Underground. Their second LP, The Downward Spiral, a tale of a man’s destruction and suicide attempt, based around Reznor’s heroin addiction, went 4xPlatinum in the US and Silver in the UK as well as being named on several “Best Albums” lists. It spawned the track "Hurt”, which was covered by country legend Johnny Cash, before his death in 2003. The double LP The Fragile was released in 1999 as a follow up in a midst of hype, and went to number one on the US Billboard. Their most recent album , and seventh in total, The Slip, was released in 2008 and Reznor has promised work on a follow up in the next year.

Reznor has also been making a name for himself in Hollywood, after winning the Oscar for Best Original Score alongside his HTDA band mate, Atticus Ross. Their dark ambient mood for The Social Network added dramatic tension that drove the film’s urgent climax. They were later asked by the same director, David Fincher, to do his remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which saw them later nominated for a Golden Globe.

Their return to touring has been mouth-watering for many reasons. Their live reputation has grown off of the back of their phenomenal performance at Reading in 2007, with “Hurt” among the highlights. After their so called ‘farewell tour’ in 2009, which included a co-headline stop with Jane’s Addiction on the NINJA tour, it seemed always likely NIN would be back on the live front. They are simply too good to retire. Now they are back in Berkshire and Leeds, make sure you DO NOT give them a miss, they will be the set of the weekend. 

Seen It>>Desaparecidos at Electric Ballroom, 11 February 2013

Eleven years after the release of Read Music/Speak Spanish and their subsequent break-up, Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst finally brought his hardcore band, Desaparecidos, over the pond, playing three shows in London, Manchester and Glasgow. After the efforts of Detour and Songkick, Desaparecidos were able to head to the UK for their first ever shows, including the tour finale at Electric Ballroom, which was packed to the rafters to see the band who had reunited in 2012, to play a local festival in Omaha.

Oberst appeared clad in long black hair and indoor sunglasses, neither what you’d expect from punk activist, nor appropriate attire for the incumbent weather. However, new song and opener, “The Left is Right”, saw a crowd push of excited fans eager to get their first glimpse of the Nebraskan quintet. Another newbie in “Anonymous” is greeted with the fist pumping anthem “you can’t stop us, we are anonymous”, whilst “Greater Omaha’s opening chords are greeted with excited loud cheers. The relentless set vary rarely offers an opportunity for a rest, just an enthralling political noise on stage, supplemented by a passionate following within the crowd.

“MariKKopa”, written after their reunion in 2012, about a racist sheriff of Phoenix, Arizona, seemed to be Oberst’s vocal calling. They returned after the encore with a cover of The Clash’s “Spanish Bombs” and set closer “Hole in One”, which saw guitarist Denver Dalley, diving into the crowd.

Even some eleven years after they first came to our attention, the passion and message of Desaparecidos is still there to see. With youth unemployment and disillusionment still at rife, this is their time to speak. Perhaps Oberst means the truth, when he says they will see us again. This isn’t a reunion to pay the bills. 

Seen It>> Dinosaur Jr at Electric Ballroom, 4 February 2013

Nearly thirty years since their formation in Amherst, Massachusetts, Dinosaur Jr have more than enough material to fill over three shows, but their NME Awards show at the Electric Ballroom, is a trip through their career, which has seen them influence countless bands of both past and present.

Opener “Lung” is a distorted mess of noise, which gives guitar wizard J Mascis, his first chance to show off his impressive skills. But it wasn’t solely dedicated to their impressive back catalogue, last years’ I Bet On Sky, is on show with “Don’t Pretend You Didn’t Know”, “Rude” and “Watch the Corners”, showing the trio can still write tracks as good as in their late 80s heyday.

Other classics appear, such as “Feel the Pain”, complete the quiet-loud dynamic that has long been recognizable in alternative American rock, and Mascis and bassist Lou Barlow’s previous band, Deep Wound, gets an outing with “Training Ground”. They return from the encore with their take on The Cure’s classic “Just Like Heaven” and the 6 minute ear bleeder “Sludgefeast”.

The may now be longer in the tooth, but Dinosaur Jr showed that on their day, they can still compete with the youngest of mammals. 

Reviews>>My Bloody Valentine - m b v

After some 22 years of waiting, hoping, waiting some more, on-going jokes and finally, resigned belief that it would never happen, My Bloody Valentine finally released their follow up to the legendary Loveless album, with the self-titled mbv. Given the immense amount of hysteria and excitement circulating the internet ahead of the album’s release on Saturday, it was never quite going to live up to the hype. It wasn’t going to be The White Album or London Calling, it was just going to be My Bloody Valentine doing their thing, which has seen them influence countless bands in the last 25 years.

The time of the release, unfortunately, happens to be in an era loaded of fuzz, droned shoegaze bands (or the awful term ‘nu-gaze’ it’s been credited with), it doesn’t feel as transcendental and bold a statement as Isn’t Anything was back in 1989. However this is 21^st century MBV, and with the advancement of technology over the years, it is a very different beast to their previous two. It isn’t all just reverb and noise, Kevin Shields is keen to implement melody and make the songs memorable to the listener. The dreamy, “She Found You” lets the listener drift off on toward a spiritual journey, “Who Sees You” has a passing similarity to “Only Follow” with the alarming guitars, “Is This and Tomorrow” is an ambient slice of dream pop, “Wonder 2” and “In Another Way”, argubaly the highlight of the record, add a techno vibe and a different dimension.  Whilst “Nothing Is” is a thundering instrumental club anthem.

It isn’t the jaw dropping release many critics may claim it is, but it’s still a solid listen and better than the new breed of shoegazers currently out there today. Take away the 22 year wait and it’s the perfect follow up to Loveless.

7/10

Incoming>>Cold War Kids - "Miracle Mile"

Long Beach inhabitants Cold War Kids, today revealed their first glimpse into their fourth studio album, Dear Miss Lonely Hearts, with the lead track "Miracle Mile"

It is the quartet's first new release, since 2011's Mine Is Yours, and sees former Modest Mouse guitarist Dann Gallucci joining the band, replacing founder member Jonnie Russell, who left in 2012. Singer Nathan Willett said of the album: "We were shaken up, ready to let certain songs go further than before by trying new styles and arrangements, while keeping others sparse and caring more about the finished product and less about how we got there." 

"Miracle Mile" will be released on March 25.