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Day: 14 October 2014

Live: Fat White Family

Written by Cecilia Bicknell on . Posted in Music.

17th September

Sound Control

9/10

More prepared than the last time I saw them live at Fallow Café, the assault on the senses that was ‘Auto Neutron’, the opening song, brought with it the terrifying realization that the taste in my mouth was sweat, and it wasn’t my own. Fat Whites never cease to amaze me with the sheer volumes of bodily fluids they can exhume in 2 hours, and last week Lias didn’t fail to deliver. Compelling and alarming in equal measure, the half naked front man stood over us like a warped Christ, screaming into the microphone for a hair raising rendition of ‘Cream of the Young’ and ‘I Am Mark E Smith’, undoubtedly the best songs of the night. By ‘Wet Hot Beef’ carnal desire had taken over the audience, I looked around to see middle aged men gurning with gay abandon as their disapproving girlfriends stood at the back trying not to breathe in too deeply.

This was the 4th time I’ve seen Fat Whites play, and each time it seems to descend further and further into bedlam. They’re raw and animalistic, a far cry from the over produced so-called “rock bands” sullying the music scene today.

Fat White Family leave you feeling equally drained, stimulated and oddly aroused; experiencing them live is as close to a religious experience I think I’ll ever get. The music may not have been as coherent as it is on record, but that’s the beauty of the South London band, they’re dirty and loud and uncomfortable, and we love them for it. I’ve given Fat Whites a 9/10 for the sole reason that I got liberally doused in a old man’s piss half way through the night, which put a dampener on things somewhat.

Top 5 songs: Forgotten New Wave Classics

Written by Dan Whiteley on . Posted in Music.

1. Rush Hour by Jane Wiedlin
The Go-Go’s guitarist’s lone solo hit, ‘Rush Hour’ is one of the New Wave era’s finest singles, with a driving beat, sunny synth fanfares and a then-obligatory piddly guitar solo. Also, THAT chorus.

2. Big Area by Then Jerico
Once touted as the next stadium rock gods, time has since consigned Then Jerico to bargain bins the world over. Nevertheless, ‘Big Area’ holds up surprisingly well, in a dated and cheesy kind of way.

3. Great Southern Land by Icehouse
80s pop at its best from one of Australia’s most underrated bands – chugging guitars and lush, atmospheric keyboards give a cinematic feel to this ode to the outback.

4. Bitter Heart by Seona Dancing
Fun fact: Ricky Gervais was once fronted a New Romantic duo. They didn’t last long, but this brooding single gives a fun glimpse into what could have been. Note Gervais’s Bowie-esque delivery.

5. Shattered Dreams by Johnny Hates Jazz
One hit wonders Johnny Hates Jazz found fleeting success in 1987 with this fine piece of sophisti-pop, carving a sound somewhere between The Police and the Style Council.

Album: Colt 45 – The Tide Is Turning

Written by Zakk Brown on . Posted in Music.

Released 28/07/2014

Visible Noise Records

3/10

An interesting analogy can be made between the weapon the band took its name from and the band itself. The Colt .45 was a sidearm that was standardised in the military during the late 19th century; the same can be said about Colt 45’s album The Tide is Turning- standardised.

The trio from Cumbria take influence from bands like Rise Against and in their album The Tide is Turning this is certainly clear. If you enjoy Rise Against then you will no doubt like Colt 45, however if you don’t then you will find the vocals of front man Neil Harper’s gruff snarling vocals grating and lyrics of self loathing and wounded souls tedious. Tediousness sums up the whole album; there is little difference to be found between each song on the LP with many having very similar staccato chord and bass structures to the point of needing to take a break half way through the album due to the mind-numbing repetition.

That said, there are some, though limited, redeeming factors to the album. Member Adam Lewis’ drumming is impressive and drive the songs forward, I found myself focusing on his drumming skills alone to get me through each song. The track ‘The Simple Things are Working’ is also a nice relief to the angst-y lyrics and vocal snarls with the front man deciding to actually sing for a change with some positive and uplifting words. Another highlight is ‘Found My Home’, due to the fresh riff that is heard at points throughout the song, which makes it more recognisable amongst all the other repetitive bland tracks, without losing the angry punk sound the band are going for.

Once again, if you like bands such as Rise Against, you will like this band. However for me the album fails to fill me with any kind of emotion other than boredom and will no doubt be forgotten within a couple of hours of hearing it.

Album: Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Singer’s Grave a Sea Of Tongues

Written by Cecilia Bicknell on . Posted in Music.

Released 23rd September

Drag City Records

8.5/10

“It’s not who I am it’s who I’ll never be” sings William Oldham, or Bonnie Prince Billy as we have come to know him. And what we know for sure Oldham will never be is dull. Singer’s Grave A Sea Of Tongues is Oldham’s 13th studio album under the moniker, and doesn’t fail to disappoint. Reminiscent of the mournful melodic ‘I See A Darkness’, his first album under the name, Singer’s Grave is a return to form for the American singer.

The title song, the last of 11 tracks, is well worth the wait and hits you with a gentle force that builds into a powerful chorus that will make you want to smile and cry all at once. The album has a softness to it, but that’s not to say it’s background music in any way; it’s enthralling and heartbreaking all at once. The lyrics are a breath of fresh air in the somewhat stagnant music scene and the simple but effective arrangements work perfectly in an album that’s tipped to become one of 2014’s finest. The opening track ‘Night Noises’ gives a strong indication of what’s to come, effortlessly executed slide guitar with a soft bluegrass beat and husky vocals, Oldham delivers exactly what you would expect from the man once covered by Johnny Cash himself.

Things heat up for the second track ‘So Far and Here We Are’ with Oldham giving a brief to nod to his all American roots, with a resonating bass line and jangling guitar. ‘Quail And Dumplings’ is both sad and uplifting with a somewhat unnecessary female backing vocal providing an extra layer to already complex song. Such is the mesmerizing power of Oldham’s voice that I could quite happily listen to him sing the phone book and be blissfully content. The album is admittedly a little self-indulgent at times, with middle tracks ‘We Are Unhappy’ and ‘It’s Time To Be Clear’ showcasing more of his songwriting skills, but not exactly showing us anything new. This isn’t to say that the album is in any way tedious; it’s gentle and beautiful leaving you fulfilled and craving more. Inevitably comparisons will be made to lesser musicians as is always the way, but listen to this for Prince Billy and him alone.

Interview: These Ghosts

Written by Dan Whiteley on . Posted in Music.

Norfolk-based indietronica trio These Ghosts are finally heading back on the road again, after spending the last few years taking their time with the recording of their long awaited second album. Still the Waves, which was released a fortnight ago, is already garnering critical praise, and went straight into the iTunes Electronica Top 10. Ahead of their first ever Manchester show supporting Tall Ships next week, The Mancunion spoke to drummer Harry Hall.

“We can’t believe it, really. It’s been a long time coming; we’ve been working on it for over two years while we’ve been at university, and so for it to come out and go straight into the iTunes at number 6 is kind of mental,” Hall says, “it was a crazy day, just refreshing that and watching it go higher and higher! People are really enjoying it, and that’s really important to us.” By all initial accounts, Still the Waves has been worth the wait, building on their electronic rock formula with increasingly intricate arrangements and polished production values. Hall states this is due in part to the time the band spent away from each other. “We went to three different universities – Exeter, Reading and London – and so we were far away, basically. So we used the holidays that we had, which everyone knows are very long at university, to go into the studio with Johnny [Cole], our long term producer. We’d take ideas we thought of at uni, and Callum [Duncan, vocalist] would share a lot of stuff on WhatsApp or Skype or whatever, and pass around all these ideas, and it just meant because we were apart for so long that we had way more time to reflect on the stuff that we’d done. So I think this album, we all agree, is far more thought out than anything we’ve ever done before, and that’s why the process was so long, but also why we’re all so proud of it.”

With their soaring falsetto vocals, complex drum rhythms and rich guitar/synthesizer interplay, Radiohead are a band often touted as an influence on These Ghosts’ music, though Hall says they don’t mind these constant comparisons. “We’re incredibly flattered to be constantly compared to people of that kind of scale and quality, and we’re really grateful that people think we’re capable of carrying that sound.” He is quick to note, however, that the band’s list of influences runs deeper than the Oxford legends: “We’re also into things like Jon Hopkins, and a lot of dance stuff – Callum’s just got back from a festival and said that he didn’t actually watch many bands there; he was really engaged in all these electronic artists, which is really great. Also Mount Kimbie and The Invisible, who are close to us because Matthew Herbert [Still the Waves’ co-producer] produced their first record. And just a whole load of eclectic stuff really, our tastes are so varied in the sense that we’re constantly listening to different things. There’ll be Sigur Ros on at one point, dance music on at another, electronic music or something really abstract. It’s really eclectic, which is definitely exciting.”

‘Coat of Feathers’, the first single taken from the record, exemplifies the band’s ethereal, otherworldly sound. Describing how that track came about, he explains “we built it up in the process, so Callum brought the melody, and the guitar line, and this really haunting vocal – which is one of my favourite vocals on the record actually – it’s got this weird kind of lullaby, drone-y effect that a lot of people have picked up on. It’s haunting while also quite driving. In terms of percussion, we didn’t really think it needed much. It’s quite a subtle number, it’s very simple. It’s three parts. We stuck on this kind of four-to-the-floor bass drum effect just to really drive the track and to keep it moving, which I think works.”

With such a complex, layered sound, These Ghosts’ music is not the type you would think easy to replicate in a live setting, though they seem unfazed. “We really enjoy that challenge, actually. We’re big fans of being able to say ‘Okay, that’s the recorded version, let’s do a live version, let’s mix it up’, and it’s enjoyable to be able to make changes and stuff, trying to duplicate it live and adding other sections, working on intro pieces and interludes. We love taking things from studio to the stage.”

These Ghosts play the Soup Kitchen on 8th October

Throwback Fashion

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

It is safe to say that fashion throughout the late 20th century has been rather entertaining. Whether it’s Britney and Justin’s denim duo or Twiggy’s iconic 60s style that has remained imprinted in your mind, the influences of previous fashion have impacted us all at some stage. Without the knowledge of social media channels, blogs, trend reports and articles directing us to the latest season’s hottest trends, previous generations relied upon traditional socio-cultural sources of inspiration guiding them as to how to best fill their wardrobe.

Fashion evidently expresses affiliation and identity, and this notion has never changed. However, the methods by which people have been influenced have. Unlike today, the trends seemed to have a longer duration, therefore the mid-twentieth century can be typified by each decade’s general fashion movement. Let’s relive them for old time’s sake.

With music being one of the few sources of viral entertainment in the late 20th century, it was looked upon as being an important part of social culture, therefore providing a great platform to gain fashion inspiration. The mid-60s displayed Top of the Pops, which was classed as the predominant form of social culture and musical entertainment. Hippies were out in their hundreds as bold prints and flared trousers were all the rage. With the 80s seeing a rise in the purchase of denim, it was almost illegal in the fashion world if you didn’t have a number of denim garments prominently featuring in your wardrobe.

Even though music culture still plays a significant part in the fashion industry, its importance in the second half of the 20th century is known as being most influential. With the musical influences of bands such as The Beatles providing menswear inspiration and the popularity of heavy metal, the ‘Grunge’ trend emerged as being a popular movement in the 90s. However, music and fashion were not the only elements that were inextricably connected. Political happenings also played an important role in the way the fashion industry progressed, with the liberation of women during the rise of Margaret Thatcher beginning in the late 70s. And yes ladies—I bet even The Spice Girls have been a form of inspiration growing up (we know you all loved at least one of their iconic numbers!)

If you’re anything like me, then your favourite way to embrace the topic of history is through vintage clothing classics. So, I say embrace the recycling of the late 20th century’s memorable fashions and enjoy trends that aren’t strictly about following the high-street crowd. If we can’t be reborn as our favourite 90s fashion icon, then the second best option is to pretend to be them. I’m all for giving it a go—anyone with me?

Let us know your favourite part of fashion’s history by Tweeting us at @MancunionFash – or, snap your favourite 90s throwback purchase and tag us on Instagram @mancunionfashionandbeauty

Henry Holland Spring/Summer ’15

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

This A/W we saw a hard-hitting mash-up of statement styles; from intergalactic metallics by Marc Jacobs to psychedelic urban prints by Christopher Kane, it seemed there was no stone left unturned in this season of standout innovative designs. However, we could not help but think: could Henry Holland be crowned the King of Statement with his show-stopping collection? Subtle is not the word that springs to mind when looking at the House of Holland A/W14 collection. With a dash of the 60s and a hint of the 70s, House of Holland took indulgent retro to a whole new level using high necks, oversized collars, A-line dresses and vintage flocked curtain prints… Bet you never thought your old aunt’s 70s decor would ever seem so trendy! Henry put this together with unusual contrasting colours, with grungy emerald green and candy-popping pink having a strong presence throughout the collection.

Another feature of House of Holland’s collection was the use of shearling on a variety of pieces, adding a broad structure to coats, and a luxe trimming to skirts and blouses. Henry made shearling extravagant and bold by layering upon it sparkling sequins and shimmering silk. We also saw a hint of chic sportswear in the House of Holland collection: with the opening model at his London Fashion Week catwalk show rocking a ‘rich bitch’ tee upon metallic tracksuit bottoms, here we can see the designer bring his trademark urban edge to his elaborate designs. And what more to love about Henry—he’s from Manchester! The now London-based designer has risen rapidly through the ranks, launching his brand House of Holland only 6 years ago, and now, with every new season collection, we simply love it more and more.