Ones to Watch - Demontré

Psychedelic shoegazing guitar, post-punk rhythm section, sharp, concrete bass? Just three things that spring to mind when listening to this band. Their debut ep MASCULIN/FÉMININ is out now featuring seven tracks of shimmering yet solid sound. Vocal melodies float through each song, amongst ambient sounds that weave in and out of spaces in the tracks. The atmosphere and the tension builds and then slackens, from the catapulting segue of 'Vale of Health' to the low-key, piano-led, somewhat dubiously titled 'The Lion King'. With any luck you'll leave satisfied, because Demontré appear finally to have fulfilled their potential.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thisisdemontre

Video of the Week - I Blame Coco - 'Playwright Fate'

Eliot Sumner, aka Coco Sumner of I Blame Coco, has a very distinct and unique voice. Being the daughter of Sting, she grew up surrounded by music and from the age of fifteen started working on an album. At seventeen, Coco signed a multi-record deal with island records. Since then she spent time rewriting and recording the album 'The Constant' (debut single was released in February 2010 along with a music video - 'Caesar' featuring Robin). Fifteen songs were recorded, but only thirteen made it to the final album. This is one song which did make it, although acoustically and accompanied by Coco's 'rough around the edges'I much prefer her solo acoustic rendition.

Video of the Week - The Temper Trap - 'Love Lost'

A great follow up to their hit 'Sweet Disposition', also used on the soundtrack for '500 Days of Summer'. As a support act for Florence and the Machine in 2009 I was impressed by their live performance and how they captured the audiences attention - even though at the time they weren't well known. I would expect bigger and better things to come from this band and they are definitely ones to watch.

Bat for Lashes - Two Suns, Album Review

Bat for Lashes is a one woman act consisting of British singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Natasha Khan. ‘Two Suns’ – her second album - was released back in April 2009 and slowly, but surely, has been rising in popularity – also leading her to receive a nomination for Best British Female Solo Act at the Brit Awards 2010.

Voice is Khan’s primary instrument, it inviting us into her world from the get-go with a soft vulnerability that enthrals the listener. The opener begins acapella, draws us in (“I will rise now / And go about the city”). Inspired by her travels and composed across the globe , ’Two Suns’ invites us to join the protagonist on her travels from a cityscape to a countryscape which is particularly evident from ‘Two Planets’ and ‘Travelling Woman’. The album begins softly with ‘Glass’ as she immediately draws us into the haunting atmosphere. Voice is Khan’s primary instrument, it inviting us into her world from the get-go with a soft vulnerability that enthrals the listener.

‘Daniel’ is relatively up tempo in comparison to the rest of the album. My favourite song, and is about her childhood crush, Daniel LaRusso from the Karate Kid.

She talks a lot throughout of Pearl, her alter ego. She distances herself from this character while at the same time acknowledging that Pearl is one side of her personality. ‘Siren Song’ and ‘Pearl’s Dream’ – both of which have Pearl as their protagonist – are lyrically beautiful, portraying the sense of loneliness, longing and bewilderment that oftentimes accompanies one on their travels.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album however it’s a grower. Upon first listen it is quite forgettable but once it has been played a few times its hard to stop listening. The haunting sound of Natasha Khan’s voice, consistent throughout the album, has what it takes to give the willing listener a healthy bit of escapism.

With the recent Brit nomination received by Bat for Lashes it seems that Khan’s efforts as a composer, vocalist and instrumentalist haven’t gone unnoticed. With any luck she will gather some attention and praise, much deserved.

Video of the Week - The XX - 'Crystalised' Acoustic

This particular rendition of The XX's 'Crystalised' shows off Oliver and Romy's raw voices and is a different twist on the more electronic sounds of the album.

The Drums - The Drums, Album Review

The Drums formed in 2008 and moved to New York, following work with other groups previously, they are Jonny Pierce on vocals, his vocals deliver outstanding, simple lyrics with amazing clarity and quality, Jacob Graham and Adam Kessler, on guitars, deliver amazing and addictive scratchy guitar melodies and huge, high bass lines and Connor Hanwick keeps the band in check with his simple, upbeat drumming brilliantly, as this band show us yet another tweak to indie rock with this wonderful blend of indie pop.

'Best Friend' is the first track on the album, it’s an upbeat track, kicked straight into life with upbeat drumming and warm, high bass, the bass gives this track its depth and its brilliance and it sounds like the 80’s at their best. The lovely sections of guitar melodies add even more warmth and another layer of pop brilliance. Pierce’s vocals too are wonderful and the simple lyrics are just as immense.

'Me And The Moon', is more of the same, drums, bass and guitar working together superbly, the track is quicker in rhythm and the lyrics warm the soul, musically awesome, vocally brilliant, with lashings of samples and effects to boot.

'Let’s Go Surfing' is a happy, upbeat track and by now I’m absolutely intoxicated by the drums and bass. Pierce’s vocals are again flawless and the breaks in singing for whistling just broaden your smile even further.

'Book Of Stories' begins with simple high bass before gentle drums and percussion kick in, we hear a different style here, soft vocals and a simple structure, there is a real 1950’s pop meets the 80’s here, the harmonies are catchy, the bass brilliant, the short passages of guitar simple and the addition of gentle synthed keys wonderful, it’s a psychedelic trip of everything that’s great about simple music done well.

'Skippin’ Town', a great track with that fantastic bass and drum collaboration again, fast, high guitar strings, full of effects, brilliantly simple lyrics, great vocals and ultra catchy chorus’s and harmonies. Happiness and brilliance summed up in one amazing track.

'Forever and Ever Amen', uses faster drums, more use of wonderfully high guitar strings and catchy bass setting. Synthed keys add extra layers as each simple layer soon builds and becomes a complex mix of musical excellence. The vocals and lyrics are top notch again and the melodies just add to the pop appeal.

'Down By The Water', the first solemn track, much slower and deeper in sound with plodding bass and gentle percussion, the lyrics for the first time contain sorrow and they are delivered with a real pain and atmosphere through Pierce’s amazing vocal range. This track illustrates the diverse range this group have. This time the keyboards add despair and sadness instead of the pop nature before, the melodies too sadden as the group play with your emotions.

'It Will All End In Tears', is a blend of upbeat drums, high bass and guitar melodies, with contradicting mellow lyrics and desperate, emotion filled vocals, remember The Smiths? This track is a blend of all things great about the Manchester scene I mentioned earlier, yet this group are New Yorkers, it shows great depth, thoughtfulness and class. A very clever track.

'We Tried', is another medley of early pop, the chorus is as full of vocal depth as it is catchy, there is a distance between the instruments and vocals during the verse, before the track explodes with each chorus, bringing the vocals right back with the rest of the group and firing up the tempo, while samples and echoes are thrown in brilliantly for good measure.

'I Need Fun In My Life', is another example of awesome high bass right at the front of the track with just as brilliant drums right behind, passages of guitar melodies here and there added to this and you have to tell yourself this is not New Order, because that amazing sound is there, no doubt about it. More Smith’s style lyrics and the vocals to match round off another fantastic track.

'I’ll Never Drop My Sword', is the first time we here strummed guitars, this coupled with the deep bass and soft percussion and melodic nature provides us with another show of diverse talent. Vocally this track is brilliant as the ranges rise and fall seamlessly with the music also. Another catchy sing-a-long.

'The Future', ends the album and takes everything that has so far been great about this album, high bass riffs, soft guitar riffs and melodic guitar sections, diverse and deep vocals, warming backing harmonies, upbeat drumming and percussion and extremely well written lyrics and chucks it all together into a medley of musical brilliance.

I think it is clear to see that I absolutely love this awesome album. They have managed to take some of the best influences, the UK and more precisely, the Manchester music scene over the last 30 odd years have had to offer, mix it all together and add their own twists and dimensions to what is a catchy, clever and extremely good, unique sound.

Florence and the Machine - Cosmic Love Tour 2010, Blackpool

This being my third time seeing the red-headed machine, I knew to expect a memorable and epic performance and was certainly not disappointed. After finding out the line up before the gig I also eagerly anticipated the main support act’s performance -The Drums from New York, and they didn’t disappoint. Having been the first time seeing this band I didn’t know what to expect but they sounded just as good live as they do on their recordings – which is always a good sign!

Front woman Florence Welch, dressed all in white, started the show with ’Howl’ before blasting through ’My Boy Builds Coffins’, ’Girl With One Eye’ and ’Between Two Lungs’ in quick succession. The Southerner wowed the crowd with the power of her voice – and anyone seeing her for the first time will have been blown away by the sound of her live performance.


‘Drumming Song’ was received with a chorus of claps from the crowd, while ’Blinding’ featured Welch wearing a shawl over her head and lit by strobe lights – always the quirky individual. I felt slightly sorry for her when she stated that she was so happy to be performing under Blackpool Tower itself, when in actual fact she was slightly behind it and the whole crowd shouted back at her stating this.

The set design was the same as the previous tour; a floral backdrop and props of bouquets and bird cages littered the stage. The set list was also virtually the same, apart from a change of opening song and maybe a couple of others swopped around in the middle. Before leaving the stage in preparation for the encore she sang two of her biggest hits to date, ‘You’ve Got the Love’ (originally by Candi Station) and ‘Dog Days Are Over’. Both songs received a great reaction from the crowd. For Dog Days Florence had the crowd jump up and down from the chorus (“run fast for your mother” etc) and as this particular gig was situated in the Empress Ballroom the floors were springy and the crowd were bouncing all over the place!

For the encore Florence and her machine performed ‘Kiss With a Fist’ and ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up). It seemed to me that the night had flown by far too quickly, even though she had sang through the entire album and included new songs and songs not featured on the album itself – this was more than likely because everyone was entranced by her and her music that time seemed to whiz by unknowingly. After climbing on top of one of the huge speakers placed at the side of the stage to finish ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)’ she clambered down and left the stage after emotionally thanking the audience. At the previous gig in Manchester she got so emotional she was crying slightly as she did this, and stopped mid-song on the encore to watch the crowd singing back at her and her face was lit up (being her first major solo tour I’m guessing she didn’t expect such an awesome reaction).

I would recommend to anyone to go and see Florence and the Machine themselves as the album, although still sounding near perfect, doesn’t give justice to her live voice and performance when you’re actually there.