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Day: 5 December 2012

Matt Corby

Written by Harry Cooke on . Posted in Music.

Reality music competitions may have a lot to answer for; responsible for what some have described as the deterioration of music at the hands of corporations hell-bent on making a quick buck. But every so often, reality programming can weave another layer into the rich tapestry of independent music. Matt Corby is proof of this. In 2007, Matt appeared on the reality show Australian Idol as a fledgling musician, whose performances saw him finish runner-up. Since then, Matt moved to London, signed to Mumford and Sons’ Communion Records and embarked on a sold-out UK tour, which tonight brings him to a packed Deaf Institute.

The night’s ambiance, one of electricity and expectation, is crafted during the stunning acoustic renditions of the two support acts; Lucy Mason and Bears’ Den. The sound of the two acts matches the mature crowd that had gathered there that night, but it’s Bears’ Den who really invigorated the crowd with their own distinctive brand of indie folk.

The moment Matt takes to the stage, there’s an ushered silence that remains unbroken until he begins to delicately strum his acoustic guitar. Comparisons have been drawn with the late Jeff Buckley, and it is almost haunting how similar the two sound. To see Matt Corby perform is the closest one can come in witnessing Jeff Buckley before his untimely death. Not to say that he doesn’t accomplish his own distinctive brand of melancholy, underpinned by the obvious blues and jazz influences. Throughout the course of the night, he switches between his acoustic and electric guitar, before finally taking to the keyboard.

Matt makes no qualms about the fact that the evening was to be about just the music; whilst countless musicians feel the need to dress ostentatiously, Matt is nonchalant in his skinny jeans, baggy T and signature pony-tail. Before moving into ‘Letters’, Matt takes a moment to describe the inspiration for the song; a girl who brought him the “closest to love”, leaving the female majority swooning at the thought. Closing out the set with ‘Brother’ – already a major hit in his homeland – Matt restores some optimism in the hearts of the audience, and judging by the subsequent eruption of applause from the crowd, they were appreciative of watching this star in the making.

Live: Passion Pit

Written by Joe Goggins on . Posted in Music.

16th November 2012

6/10

In today’s terms, a period of two and a half years usually represents less of a period of creative downtime for a band than it does an extended break, especially for one that released a debut record to critical and commercial acclaim; in the midst of an ever-increasing climate of disposability, for a fledgling band to take any longer off than is necessary to produce a slew of new songs to tour behind is a gamble, with the band’s continued presence in the popular imagination at risk. Certainly, Academy 1 is much quieter tonight than the last time Passion Pit appeared here, in March of 2010, although it might be worth noting that the choice of support act last time out – an in-the-ascendancy Ellie Goulding – likely played no small part in filling the venue to capacity.

There are, of course, extenuating circumstances. Passion Pit haven’t been away playing golf, smoking cigars and basking unduly in the success of Manners; frontman Michael Angelakos, who acts as the group’s sole songwriter, has faced a continued battle with bipolar disorder; only this summer were a number of dates in his native U.S. axed, to allow him to “work on improving (his) mental health.” It’s a sequence of events that delayed the release of a second record by over a year from its original target date.

Gossamer finally saw the light of day in July, and Angelakos was well enough for a lap of the European festival circuit, which is where the band first displayed serious live credentials back in 2009; opening tonight’s show with a storming rendition of ‘Take a Walk’, it’s quickly apparent how well served they were by that experience. Angelakos’ energy is infectious, and there’s little to suggest that the band are experiencing anything in the way of road rust. Subsequent airings of choice Manners cuts ‘The Reeling’ and ‘To Kingdom Come’ solidify the set’s strong start, but packing the midsection with a number of tracks from Gossamer proves a mistake; the crowd are clearly comparatively unfamiliar with the new material, with only a modest, diehard sect providing any vigour in their response.

This might also be down to the fact that Gossamer is, in short, little more than an uninspired rehash of Manners; that record was an assured debut with plenty of sonic variety, switching between guitars and synths in a fashion seldom as jarring as it might’ve been, but these fresh tracks often find a way to accommodate excesses not present on its airtight predecessor; ‘Constant Conversations’ is an ill-advised attempt to produce the brand of ‘indie R&B’ currently being done so much better by a host of contemporaries, drawing the crowd into a lull that not even fizzing album highlight ‘Mirrored Sea’ can drag them out of; the drawn-out ennui of ‘It’s Not My Fault, I’m Happy’ sounds especially flat when dropped immediately after the explosive opening hat-trick.

It’s not that Passion Pit aren’t an accomplished live act; Angelakos is genuinely a very engaging frontman, and that the band are no less entertaining without the impressive stage set that accompanied them for their Manners shows is undeniably impressive; a little more selectivity with the new material, in addition to smarter pacing of the set, could place them back where they left off last time round.

Interview: Tim Westwood

Written by Lydia Paver on . Posted in Music.

Tim Westwood; often considered somewhat of a ‘marmite’ personality, some adore him, others loathe. It just so happens that I adore him. Regardless of varying opinions, the 54 year old DJ from Lowestoft’s role in the UK Urban scene cannot be disputed. Westwood’s love for American Hip-Hop and promotion of home-grown British talent have graced (if you like) the airways of BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra for over 20 years, and earned him huge support from Hip-Hop royalty such as Jay-Z, Eminem and 50 Cent.

Despite constant criticism, even from David Cameron (who accuses Westwood of promoting gun violence), alongside the removal of his drive-time spot on BBC 1Xtra earlier this year, The Big Dawg is as cheerful and positive as ever, insisting that ‘life is brilliant, life is bless’. One reason for such optimism may be a recent edition to his plethora of awards, which includes three MOBO’s, three Sony awards and a Pure Music Award for his ‘Outstanding Contribution to Music Radio’. Westwood defeated the likes of Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk and Jamie Jones in securing U.S. Global Spins’ ‘Europe DJ of the Year’ award. He was humbly elated, describing his success as “crazy” and expressed great regret that he was unable to attend the awards ceremony in New York City due to his even more “crazy” work schedule.

His latest album mix ‘Hardest In The Game, Legends Live Foreva’ , which is available for download on SoundCloud, iTunes and the 1Xtra website, complies the biggest Hip-Hop anthems right now from artists such as Young Money, Waka Floka Flame, 2 Chainz, MMG, Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd. The mix really does sum up a Westwood party- Hip-Hop and R&B mixed with Afro-Beats and Bashment. As The Big Dawg himself says, “there aint no party like a Westwood party, baby”.

In terms of 2012’s best albums, Westwood found difficulty in selecting one, or even two, of his favourites. He eventually selects both 2Chainz’s ‘Based on a T.R.U. Story’, and ‘Dreams and Nightmares’ by Philadelphia’s Meek Mill as the two hottest albums of this year. Unsurprisingly, he also mentions Nicki Minaj’s Roman Reloaded Re-Up Album as one which “can’t be forgotten”, alongside the boss of MMG- Rick Ross’ ‘God Forgives, I Don’t’ and trap music’s very own Waka Flocka Flame’s album ‘Triple F Life: Friends, Fans and Family’.

On the hip-hop talent of the moment Kendrick Lamar, Westwood says there’s “an enormous buzz in the West Coast”, and that he is the height of conversation for “any artist to come from outta LA”. The Compton born-and-raised rapper is described as “an incredible artist”, which needless to say is proven throughout his debut album ‘good kid m.A.A.d city’, which sold 241,000 copies in its first week alone, putting him at number two on the Billboard’s Top 200 Albums Chart.

As for the UK Music scene, Westwood says there’s “a lot of good things out there”, praising the grime artist J Spades as one to watch for 2013. Another UK artist, Giggs, whose upcoming album’s release has seen a push back, is also a favourite of Westwood’s, who insists Giggs’ album, once released, is to “come with some heat”. As for American artists, The Big Dawg views the current popular hip-hop stars as only to get bigger this coming year, describing Maybach’s Meek Mill and G.O.O.D. Music’s 2Chainz as “crazy beyond belief” and Detroit’s Big Sean as “on fire”.  “A good year ahead” is predicted for the Hip-Hop and UK Grime music scene.

Having played Sankeys just a few weeks ago, Westwood is already looking forward to his return to Manchester’s “excellent party scene” on the 14th of December, when he will be hosting the End of Term Party at Sankeys.  The event is from 10.00pm-4.00am, with last entry at 2.00am. Tickets are £7 for males on the door, and entry for females is free all night. Be sure to come and experience just what Westwood can do to crowds, and as Snoop Dogg puts it; “You can’t be in the Kingdom and not see the Prince”.

http://sankeys.skiddletickets.com/event.php?id=11757966

The Night-Wear Before Christmas

Written by Aimee Grant Cumberbatch on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

As the nights draw in and there’s more grey than day, it’s easy to let your wardrobe become bleaker than midwinter itself. Many will find themselves thinking wishfully of long-gone summer days, not to mention summer dresses, that now seem a remote fantasy in the arctic tundra that is frost-bitten Manchester. However, as the festive season rushes towards us like a glitzy red, green and gold tidal wave, now is certainly not the time to to get SAD (sartorial affective disorder). Instead grab your black opaques and embrace the night and your winter wardrobe by espousing some of AW12/13’s favourite evening/party-wear trends. On the catwalk the frivolous pastel chiffons of SS12 were given a gothic revamp in sumptuously deep plums, burgundies and forest greens. Elsewhere there was velvet, that most luxurious of fabrics, in abundance and lashings of black lace. Prints were opulent jacquards, deluxe devores and resplendent baroques. Well after all, t’is the season to be decadent… On the accessories front there were throat-adorning chokers giving a beguiling gothic edge to the ‘90s trend that’s been going on a while now. All bewitching, but how to do this look on the high street in a way that’s Wednesday Addams and not wednesday-afternoon-school-girl-rebellion-gone-wrong? Well it seems Topshop has all the right, and rather witchy, answers.

Photo: Topshop.com

This prom-style dress, £65, occupies the enigmatic space between lace and embroidery to magnificent effect, this shadowy showstopper is perfect for any party.

Photo: Topshop.com

Or if you prefer a little more colour, sport the season’s favourite hue with this lavish skirt, £28, the red velvet a subtle nod to this month’s man of the moment.

Photo: Topshop.com

These strikingly stompy ankle boots, £95, will add a kick to any outfit, not to mention keep those toes nice and toasty!

Photo: Topshop.com

Finally, this luxurious choker, £35, is just crying out to be artfully layered over a black chiffon collar. So now there’s no excuse (sartorial, anyway) to spend the night hiding away beneath the bedcovers in your onesie, tempting though it may be. Instead baroque and roll into the night and all its beguiling midnight possibilities…

The History of the Christmas Jumper

Written by Grainne Morrison on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

The Christmas jumper, like the Brussels sprout, is a tradition equally adored and abhorred by the masses. It’s either an in-your-face snowman or adorned with pine cone print, there is an endless array of sweaters to express your inner Christmas tree. One only needs to scour the rails of any vintage outlet to see that the Christmas jumper has been around almost as long as Father Christmas himself. Bill Cosby is said to be the main cause of this massive trend in the early 1980s but cynics trace its existence back to the 1950s and the commercialisation of all things Christmas-esque. Ever since 2001, when Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy graced our screens in a Rudolph polo neck, millions have been besotted with the novelty jumper. Most importantly, Firth taught us the valuable lesson that pulling it off lies with the wearer not the sweater.

The dreaded Christmas gift of every member of the Weasley family, the garment has lost its cringe factor. In a generation of ‘ironic’ fashion, the Christmas jumper has accumulated a reputation as something other than the attire of an embarrassing uncle. In fact, this vestment has seen a stark rise in popularity in recent years amongst men and women alike. Type ‘Christmas Jumper’ into the ASOS search engine and there are at least 220 items to choose from, the most expensive costing almost £300.

Almost as surely as you’ll eat too many Green triangles, you will witness both the Christmas jumper success and the inevitable faux pas this festive season. But spare judgement on those that look more Santa Claus than Mr Darcy, it is the season of goodwill.