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Day: 29 July 2014

Festival: Beat-Herder

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Music.

18th – 20th July

The Ribble Valley

9/10

Set amongst Lancashire’s rolling hills over a tropically hot weekend, Beat-Herder was a fantastic and memorable affair.

Upon entrance to the arena, it was immediately clear that this festival was something special. It’s littered with quirks and clever little touches: a system of underground tunnels; a fire pit; a stone circle. But the best part was that 30 minutes after opening a large crowd was already dancing to thumping music. Listening to a remix of ‘Born Slippy’ on a great sound system in a large fort can only be described as good vibes.

Now in its eighth year as a festival, Beathearder originated as the free party ‘Toil Soundsystems’. Thankfully, it has managed to retain a non-corporate atmosphere. Food was cheap and incredibly and there was no limit on alcohol allowed into the arena. Security was relaxed, unobtrusive and even friendly. The punters were of varied age and everyone I met, from Dave the 62 year old pub owner to Kevin the 16 year old festival first timer, were having a whale of a time.  Saturday’s ‘H’ themed fancy dress was met with enthusiasm, with a cracking array of outfits on show.

To be frank, the line up for this festival did not send me running from stage to stage in the hunt for specific acts. Sure, big names such as Hot Since 82 and Eats Everything attracted large crowds, with their breed of house well suited to the festival.  But it was the unknown DJs that I have no chance of remembering that proved to be the most memorable part of the festival. Arriving at a buzzing stage with a view over the Ribble valley after a journey in an underground tunnel typifies the ‘Beats and Barminess’ that the organisers promised and delivered.

By Thomas Bearpark and Ben Glover

Warehouse Project – The Return To Store Street

Written by Patrick Hinton on . Posted in Music.

There aren’t a whole lot of students left in Manchester who were there to experience Store Street the first time round. The crop of first years, myself included, that arrived in Manchester alongside Warehouse Project’s move to Trafford in September 2012 are now set to begin their third, and in most cases final, year.

Yet Store Street has remained prominent in the collective memory of Manchester students during its two year absence: be it openly through the accounts of its superiority to Victoria Warehouse from older friends or subconsciously in the fleeting feeling of annoyance at how much more convenient a city centre location would be when forking over twenty quid for a taxi back to Fallowfield – felt just before the need to get home immediately and cocoon yourself on your sofa kicks in and quashes any qualms. All in all, it feels like there’s unfinished business with Store Street, so it’s very good news indeed that Warehouse Project will be returning to their “spiritual home” for the 2014 series.

So, good venue – check. But who have they got playing? The answer is, of course, most of the best names in the game across all areas of dance music. With the variation on offer, if you’re interested in pretty much any form of dance music there’ll be at least one night that looks tailor made to your taste.

The series kicks off on September 27th with a killer house and techno offering headlined by Seth Troxler and also featuring names such as Carl Craig, Tale Of Us and Leon Vynehall. The 11th October sees Ape vs Ram Jam unleash a drum & bass, garage and reggae filled extravaganza with a bill including the likes of heavy hitters Andy C, Wilkinson, DJ EZ and David ‘Ram Jam’ Rodigan MBE.

Beaters and sunglasses at the ready – Jamie Jones and his Paradise crew on are in town 24th October. The following night I fear for the structural integrity of Store Street with Hudson Mohawke, Rustie, Lone and Jackmaster & Oneman’s Can U Dance all playing undoubtedly hyperactive and explosive sets.

Let’s hope it’s still standing at the next weekend because Four Tet and Caribou are back after their highly successful curation last year. As we enter November, Resident Advisor are providing my personal highlight of the calendar. Chilean master Ricardo Villalobos heads the bill with Nina Kraviz, a tantalising Hessle Audio three way b2b2b and Joy Orbison also appearing in Room 1. Then over in Room 2 you’ve got 3 hour sets from each of Jackmaster, Moodymann and Underground Paris. I’m looking into whether dividing myself into two parts is a viable option for this.

James Blake and his 1-800 Dinosaur project play on the 8th November. There’s more live music on the 21st as Bonobo and his band make another stop on their North Borders tour. Maya Janes Coles curates her first WHP night on 29th, with Heidi, Ten Walls and Dense & Pika in tow this will be a debut to remember.

December opens with 3 hour sets from legends The Chemical Brothers and Andrew Weatherall on the 5th. Speaking of legends, Fatboy Slim performs on December 19th. If soaring, blissful house is your thing then get yourself to the Innervisions night on December 13th, featuring none other than RA’s No. 1 DJ in the world – Dixon. This also falls nicely right at the start of the Christmas holidays.

There’s plenty more too beyond that, see http://www.thewarehouseproject.com/calendar.php for full details. Be sure to keep an eye on those TBA line ups, especially the consistently staggering New Year events.

Preview: Beacons Festival

Written by Alex Fenton on . Posted in Music.

7th-10th August, 2014

Skipton, North Yorkshire

The charming Yorkshire countryside will surely provide a kind backdrop to an eclectic range of music at Beacons Festival. Weaving together local arts, culture and fine ales alongside a strong line up it poses a fine alternative to the other local, but outsized Leeds Festival.

Jon Hopkins’ Immunity was voted the Mancuion’s album of last year and his presence draws attention immediately. Combining the ambient with the out and out intense his live show will undoubtedly be a highlight. Darkside will surely warrant attendance also. Following Psychic last year, and a recent Manchester set that rivals the finest to have graced the city, their experimental electronic sound cannot be overlooked. Daniel Snaith also appears in the form of Daphni, whose progressive house album Jaiolong was nominated for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize. The addition of East India Youth also offers more in the form of dream pop and spatial synthesiser sounds, whilst Erol Alkan is a worthy addition after his 2013 Illumination EP.

Electronic music is well represented, though Daughter’s addition poses a stark contrast, but a welcomed one. Last year their heart-wrenching folk album If You Leave was well received and the genre seems appropriate to the Yorkshire setting. Moreover Nightmares on Wax is one of Leeds’s own and offers a chilled vibe in the downtempo genre. If the intensity of other acts is too much, these acts will be the haven. However, The Fall and Metz mean the heavier guitar is not far away.  Pains of Being Pure at Heart also provide a sound reminiscent of The Smiths and so clearly Beacons can cater for many tastes.

With local pale ales by the barrel, scale and quality appear impeccably balanced. Old Local Kirkstall Brewery and Five Points mean the quality of beer will be by no means suspect. Alongside English tea and homemade Yorkshire cakes, this has the makings of a sublime weekend.

Album: Real Friends – Maybe This Place Is The Same And We’re Just Changing

Written by Donald Spencer on . Posted in Music.

Released 22nd July

Banquet Records

6/10

The Pop Punk scene has certainly made somewhat of a revival in the past few years, with bands like The Wonder Years, Handguns, The Story So Far and the U.K’s own Neck Deep dishing out relentless live shows and unforgettable records. Chicago’s pop-punk titans Real Friends are no exception, their previous E.P’s are invaluable to the genre, but their debut full length falls just short of the mark.

By that I do mean just short, Maybe This Place Is The Same And We’re Just Changing is a solid pop-punk record, it’s full of catchy hooks and melodies and is a good record to stick on for a night of pizza consumption. The twelve songer opens with the title track which is a little out of place and unnecessary, we hear frontman Dan Lambton yelling the words of the title in his signature ‘’just got dumped by my girlfriend’’ style.

Luckily, the album picks up at this point and we are treated to the best portion of the record in the first half, including the two lead singles both of which have had music videos released. Track 2 ‘I Don’t Love You Anymore’ is Real Friends at their most formulaic, with repetitive themes and lyrics we have heard on previous releases such as Everyone That Dragged You Here , a very safe bet. It works and the band get away with it, but one can’t help but be a little cringed out by some of the overcooked lyrics ‘’I’ll keep sleeping sideways in my empty bed to fill up the lonely space,
I’m just a kid with too much lonely space.’’ The lead single ‘Loose Ends’ has a very similar feel to Everyone That Dragged You Here and the listener is treated to a nod to their previous glory.

The problem with the remainder of the record is that Real Friends seem to have regressed, both lyrically and in terms of their musicianship. The third single ‘Sixteen’ is one of the softer tracks on the album and is an emotional open letter of sorts for bassist Kyle Fasel who writes the lyrics, it’s a nice slow track to interlude an otherwise fast paced album but it lacks the wow factor we have seen in their previous 5 E.P’s.

I don’t want to sell Real Friends too short, they are an incredible live band and are capable of some fantastic feats, but it seems that their finest material has been and gone in the years preceding Maybe This Place Is The Same And We’re Just Changing. It might be a grower and could become an album we grow to love in time, but on first impression we are treated to potent nostalgia and some solid tracks but not much else.Maybe this album is the all same and needs to change.

Album: Handguns – Life Lessons

Written by Donald Spencer on . Posted in Music.

Released 8th July 2014

Pure Noise Records

When The Story So Far released their ground-breaking second album What You Don’t See in 2013, the bar for modern pop-punk music was raised. It seemed 2014 would be an opportunity for new blood to take their place in the foreground of the genre, with bands like Neck Deep, Real Friends, State Champs and Handguns grappling for recognition.

Handguns have yet to garner a true following outside of the U.S. and are yet to embark on even a headline tour in the U.K. but have extensively opened for legends The Wonder Years, and their new record should propel them into the stratosphere. Life Lessons is not a departure from 2012’s deeply treasured debut Angst, but is a fitting sequel that has continued its momentum, and should see the cult following of Handguns increase to a wider spread fan base.

The epic tour de-pop-punk opens with ‘Anvil’ a 1:21 cracker that throws you straight into the deep end of fast paced and emotional melody, the listener is treated to the angst-ridden feels of Angst and is then moved onto the lead single ‘Sleep Deprived’ where the lyrics and song structure continue to reflect their debut but with a slightly cleaner production value, but not too overcooked. So far we’re happy.

The mid-section of the album successfully encompasses a good balance of pop-punk clichés ‘’I can’t seem to shake this feeling of always staring at the ceiling’’ and accessibility as well brutally honest lyrics which is always pleasing to listeners who look for a catharsis in music, and front man Taylor Eby delivers with unparalleled intensity. Something that must be understood about this record is that it does not bring anything new to the table, it is not innovative nor is it particularly intelligently crafted, but it is an absolute blinder of a record, especially considering the pressure it had on it to equal the success of Angst. Delightfully memorable hooks and choruses bring the listener gleefully through the album, with songs like ‘Heart Vs Head’ and ‘The Loved Ones Who Hate Us’ carrying a happy-sad juvenility that can’t help but be adored.

It is interesting to note that the latter half of the record actually holds some of Handguns’ finest material to date, and ‘Queens’ is the best song they have ever churned out, blistering energy should make this one to look out for in live shows and should definitely be considered for a single.

There are a lot of generic pop-punk bands that are bringing a certain redundancy to a genre that is simple by nature, but Handguns are holding the flag high for hopeful young bloods looking to earn a name for themselves. Life Lessons remains one of the most enjoyable releases of 2014, and will be a favourite for many. Watch out for Handguns.