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Day: 5 December 2011

Live: Exit Ten @ Moho Live

Written by Solomon Radley on . Posted in Music.

Exit Ten
Moho Live
16th November
4 stars

Chatting before the show, Exit Ten vocalist Ryan Redman lamented about the disappointing advance ticket sales for this show. Unfortunately, the two-year gap between their debut album and the band’s follow up offering Give Me Infinity has taken it’s toll, and interest in the band is not what it once was. As the support acts began strumming out their first chords, the 500 capacity venue had only around 40 people in it – it looks like Exit Ten will have to wait until their next support tour before they next get to play to the large crowds they deserve.

For those dedicated fans that turned up though, the band put on a captivating performance, with only a few minor feedback problems at the beginning dampening what was otherwise an exceptional show. From the moment that Exit Ten took to the stage it was clear that this is a band that have only matured with age. The initial full-band barrage of sound from the opening song ‘Life’ was delivered with absolute precision, and very much set the tone for the rest of the evening.

This tour has been a chance for the band to showcase their new material, and this show was no exception. The new songs were very well received, with both ‘Suggest a Path’ and ‘Lion’ provoking spontaneous sing-alongs.

Many of the band’s heavier songs were struck from the Exit Ten repertoire tonight, since a broken foot meant that Chris Steele (drums) was struggling with some of the meatier double-kick patterns. However, this didn’t prevent them from performing old favourites such as ‘Warriors’ and ‘Resume Ignore’, which again had the whole crowd shouting along.

Exit Ten continue to improve with time. This band are certainly worth keeping an eye out for next festival season.

Exit Ten – Suggest A Path (official video)

Live: Foster The People @ Academy 2

Written by Paul Frame on . Posted in Music.

Foster The People
Academy 2
23rd November
3 stars

After their huge success this summer with infectious indie crossover hit ‘Pumped Up Kicks’, it was no surprise that Foster The People were upgraded to Manchester’s Academy 2 venue to showcase their debut album Torches. Unlike a lot of bands of their ilk who shy away from giving such a mega hit too much limelight in their set, Foster The People dedicated their whole encore to an extended version of the aforementioned track. The ultra catchy refrain was even given dubstep and dance breakdowns, which frontman Mark Foster took to the crowd to sing a final dozen times. It’s a shame really that their rendition of this was so over egged as the main body of the set was by no means lacking in substance.
With the use of multiple percussionists, the very ‘Fix Up Look Sharp’ sounding drum intro to opener ‘Houdini’ had the receptive crowd’s feet shuffling from the off and ‘Miss You’ and ‘Life on a Nickel’ showed the band’s penchant for groove laden indie pop. Foster stopped a few times to praise Manchester’s music legacy in a surprisingly low voice, very much in contrast to his Jamiroquai styled vocal. His strange dancing, which was a bizarre fusion between Ian Curtis and Mika, accompanied the “ooh la la’s” of ‘I Would Do Anything For You’ and the irresistible set highlight ‘Helena Beat’ gained a rapturous response from what by this point was a fully satisfied audience .

Foster The People’s obvious downfall however is that many bands have already tread the same path as them recently and done it a lot better. ‘Call it What You Want’ is a pop gem but is too heavily indebted to the likes of MGMT, Empire of the Sun and Miike Snow.

Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks

Foster The People – Helena Beat

Live: The Vaccines @ Academy 1

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Music.

The Vaccines
Academy 1
25th November
4 stars 

If we are to believe Guinness that “good things come to those who wait” then The Vaccines are a sure fire exception. Having formed little over a year ago, they have stormed the UK with their debut album, What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?, and have supported the Arctic Monkeys on their latest outing. Tonight however, they grace the Manchester Academy for the 2nd time, indulging in an orgy of new talent, with support acts Howler and Frankie and the Heartstrings.

The Vaccines pull in an eclectic mix of fans, all well versed in the bands’ first album. However, we were also treated to new songs, such as ‘Tiger Blood’ (produced by Albert Hammond Jr.).  It was first album gem though, ‘Family Friend’, that really showed off the bands’ craft, elevating them above other guitar thrashing outfits. Despite this, the biggest receptions were for the more direct numbers, notably ‘If you Wanna’ and ‘Norgaard’.

Although they’re not re-inventing the wheel, The Vaccines have managed to create their own distinctive sound, even within the regular constraints of guitar pop. The band put on a polished, surprisingly restrained performance, allowing the music to come to the forefront. It’s hard to say if they are individual enough to really stand out in a saturated field, but with a second album due and an already loyal fan base, they have a chance to build on their initial success.

The Vaccines – If You Wanna

Feature: Marcus Foster @ Deaf Institute

Written by Alexandre Briand on . Posted in Music.

Marcus Foster
Deaf Institute
25th November
4 Stars

“I guess I became a hunter quite young, I just for some reason became obsessed with it,” explains Marcus Foster of his love for discovering music. A lifelong fan of Tom Waits and John Martyn, Foster’s music belongs to a different time, and his on-stage presence borrows from an age of vocal theatricality and brutally honest performance.

When I caught up with Foster before the show, he described how his sound came about. “A few years ago I thought I wanted to make a kind of folky record, then Mumford came out and this whole folk thing started happening and I guess I naturally kind of found the electric guitar again.”

“I guess the kind of music I like listening to is primarily about the voice. The voice kind of carries everything, whether or not you play different characters… like the sense of someone just feeling it, the ability to tell a story.”

“I like honesty, people that just go for it. Music that just smacks you in the face, I like that.”

And go for it he does. Undeterred by an unfortunately sparse Deaf Institute crowd, and accompanied only by his own guitar, Marcus Foster holds no punches. His confidence is admirable, and certainly refreshing, but his insistence in pushing every song to its emotional limit makes for a slightly confusing experience.

Of his wide-ranging influences, Foster says “It’s dangerous to be so wide sometimes, it can be like you’re just trying to bring too many ingredients to a recipe, I mean ‘we’re just going to make beans on toast, put the pineapple away…’”, but he’s got nothing to worry about. His weather-beaten voice convincingly lends itself to the old Folk, Rock and Blues he channels, and for those of you still rifling through Oxfam for rare Alan Lomax compilations; Marcus Foster is well worth a visit.

Marcus Foster – I Was Broken

Album: De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)

Written by Daniel Jones on . Posted in Music.

De La Soul
3 Feet High and Rising
Released 1989
Tommy Boy Music
5 stars

De La Soul bucked the trend in 1989 with their debut release 3 Feet High and Rising, a record that ultimately changed the face of rap as we knew it. The hip hop scene was becoming an egocentric, violent and politically motivated minefield, in which feel-good beats and messages of peace had no place.  Fortunately though, Posdunous, Trugoy and Mase didn’t care too much for guns, bitches and bling.

Instead, they preached about the ‘D.A.I.S.Y Age’, animals and having a good time.  Their rhymes reflect an inventive, intelligent mindset, which when coupled with the wizardry of Prince Paul in the production process, is expressed in all its funkadelic glory.  Classics such as ‘The Magic Number’ and ‘Eye Know’ stand out immediately, but if you just press play and take an hour to indulge yourself, you’ll feel a lot happier afterwards.  Samples are scattered throughout to create a flow that eases the journey through tracks like ‘Change in Speak’, ‘Say No Go’ and ‘Plug Tunin’.  Not only do the skits complement the care-free nature of the album, they are actually pretty funny as well.  Then we get to ‘Me Myself and I’.  Obviously, it is a staple banger but it also reveals the importance of ‘being an individual’, a message that everybody should take heed of, especially these days.

You get the feeling that all three members are confident in themselves and just to want to have fun.  There’s no point in being boring is there. This is what makes 3 Feet High and Rising such a good, light-hearted album. It discusses everything from body odour (‘A Little Bit Of Soap’) to losing your virginity (‘Jennifer Taught Me’) but every discussion is completely sincere.  Even I, some skinny, white guy who lives half way across the world, can relate to what De La Soul were talking about.

De La Soul – Say No Go

De La Soul – The Magic Number