Glastonbury Line-Up Announced! I REACT!

Ok so Glastonbury is less than 28 days away (or 4 weeks, if u perfer it like that) and at the start of the week the full line up was announced!

Now, I've gotta say that up to this point I was kinda worried that the highlights of the weekend would be Franz Ferdinand and Rolf Harris who, while being GREAT, aren't exactly what I was thinking of when I got the ticket (big thanks to me uncles for that!). But now it's looking sweet.

Things I'm looking forward to? Well at the moment it looks like I might just camp out at the Queen's Head stage for ALL of thursday (Golden Silvers, Ebony Bones and Metronomy YES!) and I can't wait to see Enter Shikari, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Bat For Lashes back to back on sunday. It's gunna be tight yaaal!

Blur headlining will be awesome of course... Unfortunately I'm not gunna be arround for T in the Park (the line-up makes me gurgle.... must see.... Mars... Volta....) and I was kinda worried that I was gunna miss them, because they had said they were only doing one show, but clearly they were refering to the Hyde Park shows that they're doing.

So? Complete list of bands I'm psyched about off the top of my head before I get into the messy business of rummaging through Myspace? Well if you insist...

Metronomy;Ebony Bones;Golden Silvers;We Have Band;Fleet Foxes;Regina Spektor;Bloc Party;Friendly Fires;The Streets;Rolf Harris;Annie Mac;Chip Munk;Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band;Dizzee Rascal;Franz Ferdinand;Pendulum;Maximo Park;Peter, Bjorn and John;Florence And The Machine;Passion Pit;Baddies;2ManyDJs;Deadmau5;La Roux;Wiley;Blur;Bat For Lashes;Yeah Yeah Yeahs;Enter Shikari;Roots Manuva;Micachu and the Shapes;The Magic Numbers;Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong!

Gunna be a lot of running going on I think...
Until next time!
Chris/Audio Biggot/Noodles
xx

P.S. Find the official complete line up here: http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/news/2009-line-up-revealed

ALBUM REVIEW: A Thousand Shark's Teeth by My Brightest Diamond

Well I've had this album for ages, but for two reasons I'm gunna revisit it: The 1st is that things have been a little bit heavy round here so far and I like to keep things balanced; the second is that it's lovely and Shara Worden doesn't get the praise she deserves over here.

A Thousand Shark's Teeth is a beautiful album; from the anthemic opener "Inside A Boy", to the achingly slow "If I Were Queen" and the stubby upbeat number "Apples". It is built of songs, rather than beats or riffs, which is refreshing in the modern pop music scene. There is some vairiety here, but the majority of tracks are strongly grounded in the department of strings and quasi-operatic vocals, with guitars and rock drums used sparingly and to good effect.

The production is sparse, and sounds pretty low budget. But the vocals are the main attraction and they always sound right on the mark. Unfortunately, the lyrics don't allways stand up to close scrutiny, but the awkwardnes often works, bringing a charm to it all. It's realy quite sweet.

I can't find much to say that's negative about this album, other than that it's very mellow. It's not much good if you're looking for something upbeat, and a bit of versatility is something I like to see in a record. That said, Shara is very good at writing these kind of songs, and the resulting album is a briliant listen if you're in the mood.

I can't wait for My Brightest Diamond to make annother trip back over the pond, I reckon this would make a damn good show. Maybe some day, and if so you can be sure there'll be a review on this page.

Thanks for reading, don't forget to leave a message if you like the blog. You don't have to register, just choose "Guest Pass" or whatever from the drop down...

Chris/Audio Biggot
xx

A few quick thoughts...

• Why does every one go completely mad over Green Day every time they bring out new material? I mean they're ok, but they aren't THAT good. The new album came out recently, and you can pretty much guarantee that they'll be flooding the mainstream media for atleast a month now. Get a grip!
• The new Black Eyed Peas song is a bit naff. It sounds like they just found a sampler in the corner of the studio and had a 30 min. dick arround with some guy saying "let the beat rock", then cut it and whacked it on iTunes before it could get leaked. Also, the irony that Fergie was about 5 months too late to realy get away with the "two thousand and late" line just cracks me up.
• The guy who replaces Colin Murray had better be good. I love that show, but it's all coming to a close as of next week. Gutted.
• Enter Shikari's new A-side "Juggernaughts" is amazing, and has been stuck in my head for a while. I got the free download "Antwerpen" a while back and was kinda worried the new material would suck, but this is classic ES stuff and I'm now well psyched for the album, which drops some time in June. Also, I may have to pick up a few of their T-shirts cos they look brill!
• I need to find the Doorly remix of "Bonkers". WHERE IS IT?!
  

Thas' all for now!
Chris/Audio Biggot/Rattle Your Bones!!

ALBUM REVIEW: Nights Out by Metronomy

Ok, this is a good album.

But I guess that's not realy a deep enough review so here goes with the words... Nights Out is a dance and electronic record that plays like a rock album; theres plenty of light and dark. Instrumental tracks are mixed with "proper" pop songs, and the good news is that Metronomy are good at both. The lyrical content is solid, if not award-winning, and the instrumentals are crammed with ideas and never sound sterile.

Infact the whole album sounds fresh. Even if you, for some strange reason, happen to have spent the last week constantly listening to the entire works of Hot Chip and New Order on shuffle and repeat, I reckon this would still manage to sound original. I mean its quite easy to draw comparisons with these bands (awkward guitar sounds, lazy/reverbey vocals and consistent use of that "Blue Monday" drum sound), but the result is something new and exciting. It's homage, not imitation.

Nights Out also manages to make it into the elite group of albums where the singles aren't the clear stand out tracks; there are plenty of other tracks that could of made a decent A side. Admitedly, having just now Wiki'ed the album I find that all the ones I was gunna list here WERE infact released as A-sides (take note kids: Always do the research! :P) but the point still stands, showing the strength of the material.

Baisically, this is a realy strong album, and if you're feeling cheep and want something that's both realy danceable AND a good listen then you can't go wrong here. Meanwhile, I'll be adding this to my list of discs to not loose.

G'day!
Chris/Audio Biggot

LIVE REVIEW: Gallows and Every Time I Die @ O2 Academy 18/5

Right, well this is gunna go a hell of a lot different to how I thought it would. Having bought the ticket mainly to see ETID, I wasn't expecting to realy enjoy Gallows as much. But I was wrong.

Throats kicked the bill off. I don't wanna say too much because the sound was a bit crap, the crowd weren't into it and I didn't realy care much about them. Sorry. They got a lot better as the set went on with plenty of head nodding riffs, but they lack any realy distinctive spark.

Then Every Time I Die strut on. The sound man gets his act together cos it sounds mint here. Those wonderful Marshall guitar walls are clear and crisp, and vocals come over strong. They play a mix of songs from all three full-lengths, which is always nice, plus a brand new one off their up-comming 4th which goes down well and sounds tight.

It's a quality set that's only slightly tarnished when Frank Gallows rushes the stage and dives straight into the crowd. The resulting tussle with the bouncers brings the band to a halt mid-song and rather than starting from the top they skip it and move on. The singer says something about "that's how it's ment to be played", but nads to that! It was a good track and we didn't get to hear it! I mean when we pay £15 (yeah, that's FIFTEEN!) we expect to hear the whole damn set. Ahem. Other than that it's a good solid show, that certainly makes me wanna go dig out my copy of Gutter Phenomenon and play it bloody loud a few times.

When Gallows take to the stage, it is draped with grey union jack flags, to tie in with their new album artwork. It should be noted that I'm not a massive fan and not know many of their songs, other than a few off "Orchestra of Wolves" but that turned out to be fine! The energy was such that I was drawn right in anyway.

There was a nice supprise instore too! Eva Spence, of Rolo Tomassi, was waiting in the wings to come on and blow out her birthday candles. WHY? becasuse it's her birthday. Oh why was she in Bristol? no idea. But she and some other guy (???) then proceeded to sing guest vocals on a track and rip the stage up!

By the end, there are plenty of people jumping on and off stage, which just adds to the manic energy of the set. When Frank launches himself from the stairs to the top floor straight into the pit... well yeah that pretty much sums it up.

They close the set by bringing out 4 snare drums and play out a funeral march. It's a nice touch that brings the set to a clean conclusion.

I'm now nackered, so that's all I'm gunna say on the matter. It was a good set and I strongly reccomend getting a ticket next time they rock up in your town.

Much love.
Chris/Noodles/Audio Biggot
xx

ALBUM REVIEW: Waited Up Til It Was Light by Johnny Foreigner

Right, so I got this album on the morning of their Bristol gig (which I can't be arsed to review. It was ok. Tubelord supported, and they were ace. I wish my name were Azerrad.)

The three piece play a big noisy Northern-rock sound that's not un-similar to label mates Danananananananananananananaykroyd, but never seems to satisfy. The record sounds slightly uncomfortable, and big hooks like the chorus of "Eyes Wide Terrified" never seem to sparkle the way they should, but instead get kind of lost in the rest of the song.

If you ask me, the key to this band is to realise how cute they are. They have a twinge of the american alternative scene in them (eg. The Shins, Mates of Sate, Shout Out Louds... or practically any T-Mobile advert music) that beams through the racket and tells you that it's ok. Admitedly, it's not an obvious assesment to make, but the lyrics and vocals in general bring a distinct new flavour to the sound that distinguishes this band from other heavy northen acts, with their yelps and non-sensical lyrics about big cat assault... for example.

Of course this doesn't apply to stand out track, and general GEM of a song, "Salt, Peppa and Spinderella". While synths feature in other songs on the album, this is the only track that incorperates them as a key feature, resulting in an urgent and imediate pop sound. Stripping back the huge guitars give the vocals room to breathe, and some of the best lyrics and melodys get their fair share of space in the mix here. This song realy is great. (and the video is cool too, you can check it at their myspazz)

Unfortunately though, it realy overshadows the rest of the material here, which I don't feel has been realised well on record. Apparently, the band have just got back from america, where they were recording their seccond full-length. I've got higher hopes for this record and will be checking it out fo sho!

Ultimately then, a promising but ultimately unconvincing album.

Cheers.
Chris/Audio Biggot

LIVE REVIEW: Rolo Tomassi / Grammatics / Pulled Apart By Horses NORTHERN ALLIENCE TOUR!

Ok, so baisically these gigs were one of the main reasons I've decided to set up this blog. They we're THAT good.

Now I'm talking in plurals because I actually attended 3 of the gigs on this tour; in Bristol at the Croft, in Cardiff at the Barfly, and in Oxford at the O2 Academy 3 on 28/4, 29/4 and 4/5 respectively. I've gotta say that they were all pretty stellar gigs, though for the sake of cohesion I'm going to review the Oxford gig here.

So we rock up in plenty of time to catch the opening band, Pulled Apart By Horses, who are the perfect band to kick off the evening. They epitomised the role of the warm-up act and got the crowd moving within the 1st track, with their combination of Death From Above 1979 dance floor grooves and big, Reuben-esque riffs. Most of the energy the crowd gets comes straight from the guys though, as singer Tom plays a good portion of the set from the front row and guitarist James refuses to stay at ground level- clambering over the bar during one break-down, despite a knee injury that saw him pull out of the tour in the early stages. Stand out track for me has to be "High Five Nose Dive Swan Dive", which introduces massive tempo changes to what is otherwise a full-steam-ahead set with powerful results, although single "I Punched A Lion In The Throat" never dissapoints.

Problems? We'll the guys seriously need to invest in some wireless systems for their guitars if they're going to continue to asault the punter's personal space. Not that we mind getting up close and personal, but sorting out the cables and CONSTANTLY kicking out the pedals realy breaks up the pace of what is otherwise a thrilling set.

Next up are the leeds based art-rock gods Grammatics. Possibly the source of many scratched heads, their inclusion on the bill seems a bit obscure on paper, but works perfectly on the night. They offer a respite for those intent on moshing to hell and back, and a melodic oasis for those seeking some variety.

The performance is effortless. Melodies that would leave annother man with severe marital problems flow from singer Owen like they're nothing, and drummer Dom keeps things tight, despite the complicated and involving paterns. Fans of the band may have been slightly dissapointed with the set list though; single "The Vague Archive" and fan favourite "Rosa Flood" are sorely missed, and the inclusion of album closer "Swan Song" seems dubious. However, to discount the set on this fact is to disregard what makes the band so great in the first place. The band's music makes use of the so-called "rule book" when it suits them, but they aren't afraid to deviate if they want to. The same can be said of the setlist; opener "Shadow Committee" and closer "Relentless Fours" remain firmly in place as staple standards, but the format in between is unexpected and exciting. Furthermore, the new as yet unnamed song they played shows real promise, all "doo doo dooos" and hip waggling rhythms.

Finally, headliners Rolo Tomassi take to the stage, Rock and Roll guns blaring. To look at, you wouldn't expect what would happen next, and indeed the friends I had brought along were pretty shocked.

I could now plough on through the relatively boring and well trodden ground of saying how cute and disarming singer Eva is, or how mad her brother James seems to go WHILE STILL KICKING EVERYONE'S ASS AS A KEYBOARDIST, but the reality is that I had a tete a tete with annother bloke in the mosh pit during the 1st song and can't remember a lot of the set. They were ace on all the other nights though!

They close with "Fantasia", the 10 minute epic that closes their album, but on this, the last night of the tour, they are joined for the final riff by Grammatics and PABH. All thirteen band members clamber onto the tiny stage to thrash out the final melody, and a big shout out to the sound guy for managing to make it sound half decent!

This is why this tour was such a success though. All three bands seem to have gotten on so well and kicked ass every night. It's a real party atmosphere as the set closes, and the bands abandon their merch stalls to go get pissed somewhere. Good job.

Thanks for reading,
Chris/Audio Biggot/Rattle Your Bones!!/Whatever...

P.S. Ta muchly to Rory for getting me on the guest list....... Bloc Party in Bristol? I seem to be lacking a ticket... :P

Experimental Parameters

So yeah!

Following a sharp decline in the number of people objecting to my musical taste, I've decided to set up this blog and force it down the collective throat of the internet. Either people are getting smart to sweet music, or I'm just running out of friends. Lets find out!

Cheers guys, Keep reading!
Audio Biggot/Chris/Noodles/Rattle Your Bones!!