lexington – and so she thinks

MONEY live at The Lexington

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 11:58:00 +0000

November 10th 2015
The Lexington is a small venue, a proper pub with a hipster sensibility. MONEY make big songs, expansive and grandiose. So tonight, it seems a fitting place for a warm up show ahead of the release of forthcoming album Suicide Songs and gigs next year at London’s Village Underground, a step back into the music business of gigging and performing, without a fanfare.
The room is pretty much empty for support Tony Volker, a few people sat around the edges of the room awkwardly as if at a school disco, but his finger picked melodies, electronic underscore and affable personality saw us eager ones happily entertained, if bewildered as to the wherabouts of everyone else.

They soon swarmed in for the main event; Manchester’s MONEY. Opening with new single You Look Like a Sad Painting on Both Sides of the Sky, and working through new songs and old, including the bass heavy Letter To Yesterday and a chunky version of So Long (God Is Dead) they are a captivating live act, matey banter and bright eyes juxtaposed with what can seem lofty and elaborate lyrics. Bleak and beautiful, their melancholy verses morph into the most epic of choruses, textured and explosive at the same time as being intimate, and despite the sombre nature of their songs, Billy Byron’s drum pulse over Charlie Cocksedge’s ambient keyboard and Scott Beamen’s intelligent bass makes it sound hopeful. They continue to be the sound of experience, rather than achievement, emotive and intense. It’s compelling, forceful, but still playful and warm. The last couple of years have apparently been hard, as Jamie Lee tells us at the start, but this time out being introspective and creative has been time well spent, if tonight’s show is anything to go by.
Suicide Songs is due for release on 29th January via Bella Union

Sky Larkin: wave after wave of brilliance

admin — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 18:55:09 +0000

Given that they are about to kick of their UK tour to support new album Motto, the one subject to rave reviews, 8/10 ratings and general buzz, Katie Harkin, founder, writer, singer and guitarist of Sky Larkin would be forgiven for feeling nervous or frantic, buzzing about the attention she is receiving and anxious as to how to perform to the level of the bar that has been set. As it is we are sat downstairs in The Lexington, munching chips, chatting away. Only after twenty minutes or so, when soundcheck is upon them, do we realise that there has been no question and answer situation, but a genuinely nice conversation. The gregarious and lovely Katie is chatty, happy, and quietly welcoming, saying thank you at any mere hint of praise, suggesting that not only are they one of the most exciting bands on the scene, but one of the nicest.
Today they have been playing an acoustic session for This is Fake DIY, something she describes as ‘odd for band like us, but nice.’ Loud and proud, their sound is not one that would immediately translate to acoustic, but she ‘enjoyed it. There is so much muscle memory to music, and you get used to physically playing live, so it is nice to strip it back to the song. I don’t want to be bound up in the athleticism of it all, and that isn’t why I play the way I play. Just because we can play really fast and loud now, but that doesn’t always mean that we should!’
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EycdIduOb70&w=560&h=315]
The way she plays is vibrant and vital, and the new songs have a rush of urgency that is immediate as well as intimate. It has always been this way, for both debut album The Golden Spike in 2009 and 2011 sophomore Kaleide, but the writing process for Motto accelerated the level of intensity and sound. Written whilst Katie was touring for twenty months with fellow Yorkshire band Wild Beasts, there was a need for immediacy and as she testifies, ‘there is nothing like a final boarding call or a limited few days back at home’ to force you to write.’
Whilst writing was done on the road, recording happened back in the band’s hometown of Leeds. The Leeds music scene is one that she rightly has a lot of pride in, the home leg of this tour at the legendary Brudenell Social Club being ‘the only place to be’ although confesses that she finds the hostessing element sometimes stressful. Just a day before they donated t shirts from their first album The Golden Spike to local record shops Jumbo and Crash. ‘We’re so lucky to have two independent music shops. There are cities that have massive universities that don’t have record shops. Can you believe that? Only HMVs.’
Sky Larkin’s place in the hierarchy of music is an odd one. They have been around for nearly five years, and are signed to mighty label Wichita, home of The Cribs, Los Campesinos, and Frankie & The Heartstrings, yet are still moderately small. Part of the reason for this is that although the band is ‘old’ they are ‘young.’ Right from the get go with debut single Fossil I they picked up attention from such a young age, being suddenly cast into the indie public eye right from the start, when Nestor was still at school and Kate had just started university. People shouldn’t put too much weight upon their age though. As Kate says, ‘we were just that age. We were lucky in many ways that we got attention so close to the start, it was right from the beginning. In the age of the internet everyone grows up in public, so people have always been aware of us.’

What it does mean though is that there is a clear evolving progression to their sound, and general consensus is that on Motto they have stepped up a gear with The Fly, NME and The Guardian all raving about them. Again, Kate believes this to be something that is pretty obvious. ‘Between the ages of like 17 and 24 you change a lot, and so our sound has also altered. We’ve become more mature so I guess that the sound has to. It’s not a conscious decision, but a natural evolution. Of course we have changed, so of course our sound has.’
As a label Wichita is a good place for them to be, and a great umbrella for the band, the support that comes from a mass indie label never dulling the vibrancy of the independent band. The label are sat at a table next to us drinking pints and eating burgers, all hanging out together. ‘There’s a huge deal of push and pull, we are always trying to create opportunities for each other, and we come to them with ideas and vice versa. There are no restrictions..’ In fact later on, when on stage, Katie thanks the label for responding to her text to ‘bring whisky to the stage please.’
Everywhere people have been commenting on the band’s time off, but whilst Nestor was finishing his degree and playing in Menace Beach, members changing (it was bassist Michael Matthews first gig tonight, and Nile Marr and Sam Pryor perform on the album) Katie had ‘never physically worked so hard in my life.’ Touring, learning new songs, writing the album, as well as ‘trying to be a good person to everyone at home’ takes its toll. This is the first hint that things have not been so rosy on a personal level. Losses and loves have clearly influenced the songs and the lyrics, and it wasn’t something that Katie spoke to people about until the release of Loom, her ‘fake out.’ Is the album an exorcism in some way then? ‘I can’t detach myself from what happened, and when I write I guess it all comes out, but the way they are written though means that people can read the lyrics and understand or they can take it as a pop song, the way it is.’
With a level of complexity and depth the new album reflects a game change and step up for the band, be that conscious or not. At tonight’s gig I am with three people who have never heard the band before. Each goes home and buys the album that evening. Like me they are enamored by Katie’s reticent beauty and banter, but also those immediate and captivating great pop songs, slow building gritty lyrics, and the band’s masterful stage vibrations. Sky Larkin, and Katie Harkin, have no reason to feel nervous or frantic – they have talent and tunes.

Grass House – Marshall Teller

admin — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 11:52:11 +0000

So on first listen of Grass House‘s I Was A Streetlight I feared a bit of Mumfords. But then I realised the voice had depth, the chords brimmed with real intensity, the sound was one of life lived rather than one imagined, and, I liked them. Released on Marshall Teller on Sept 2nd. The song is one full of potential, that whilst great, is never quite realised. Flecks of electronic riffs, quivering melodies and dramatic builds tease, and whilst it is a lovely and luscious songs, there is a sense that it doesn’t quite deliver. A hypnotic aura prevails and there are senses of sinister but stylish rhythms – I can’t put my finger on what is lacking. Here’s hoping the London four piece are just flirting and we will see then follow through on their debut album, A Sun Full And Drowning which is set for release on the 28th of October. whilst the launch of I Was a Streetlight takes place at The Lexington on Sept 5th.

Story Books – Peregrine

admin — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:59:31 +0000

A while back we came across this six piece band called Story Books and thought how nice it is to see some bands from our home county of Kent, and even better to hear that they’re great. Now everyone’s in on the act Bloc Party asked them to support their recent show at the Koko, their single launch party at the Lexington last week went off, John Kennedy and Tom Robinson loves them, and Radio 1 DJs such as Fearne Cotton and Zane Lowe given new track Peregrine the kiss of cool.
Well crafted, Peregrine is a song of panoramic spectrum that manages to stay grounded and tangible in its rock roots. It builds slowly, not to a short lived peak but a powerful crunch of chords that really wraps round and delights. Filmed in the most gloomy, desolate place on earth, the Isle of Sheppey, the video is delightfully simple, and all the more emotive for it.
Buy the limited edition 7” here.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLumIFt_tFQ]

The Cast of Cheers & Theme Park on tour

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:22:27 +0000

Just the names of the bands mean it’s likely to be the best night ever. We had Cast of Cheers down as Ones to Watch in 2011 and reviewed album Chariot this time last year, and Theme Park have been getting us excited for a while, (see Gigs Of The Week) and have recently been voted second in the Blog Sound of 2012 poll. Catch them both at the following shows:

February

27 – Art School, Glasgow – www.gigsinscotland.com

28 – Electric Circus, Edinburgh – www.gigsinscotland.com

29 – Cockpit, Leeds – www.lunatickets.co.uk

March

1 – Bodega, Nottingham – www.alt-tickets.co.uk

2 – Charlie Browns, Luton – http://wegottickets.co.uk

3 – Temple, Birmingham – www.gigsandtours.com

4 – Deaf Institute, Manchester – www.seetickets.com

5 – Louisiana, Bristol – www.seetickets.com * (The Cast Of Cheers only)

6 – Lexington, London – www.gigsandtours.com

7 – Joiners, Southampton – www.crowdsurge.com

8 – New Slang, Kingston – http://www.banquetrecords.com/showsclubs

PS I Love You @ The Lexington, 6 May 2011

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 10:55:23 +0000

It’s amazing to think that people still seem shocked at the huge sound that two people can make on a stage. It’s also a shame that the Lexington is only a third full tonight as PS I Love You are really something unique at the moment. When a band as genuine as this Canadian duo come along you really do wish more people were listening.
For a big guy Paul Saulnier is as unassuming a frontman as you could envisage, shuffling onto the stage to take his place next to his drumming compatriot Benjamin Nelson, before launching into Meet Me at the Muster Station from their debut album of the same name. On record the duo produce a caterwauling of guitars and drums, but beneath the layers of feedback and swirling sounds of Saulnier’s guitar, are some beautifully crafted and melodic songs. Chat is kept to a minimum – there’s an endearing shyness to the bearded frontman – but the songs are big and brash enough to compensate, given a freer reign live than on record. For this, Saulnier’s guitar playing is the key. On songs such as Get Over and 2012 he’s able to seemingly play 3 different rhythms at once before crashing into powerchord delirium. It’s indie alt-rock at its best, but with a layer of machismo metal thrown into the mix with the soloing of a heavy rock enthusiast on songs such as Butterflies and Boners.
Whilst the guitar thrashes and the drums pound, Saulnier’s vocals definitely conjure comparisons to the Pixies Frank Black. He has that strained yelp that Black perfected, never quite hitting the note, but always portraying the emotion of someone struggling to get across their point of view. Throughout the 40 minute set there are moments of reflection and downtime. Subtle and Majestic is almost a ballad, a 3 and a half minute ode to the beauty of making a mixtape for someone, not to romance, but “so you can really hear what they actually mean”, sung with a fragility and honesty befitting the lyrical sentiment. Final song Facelove is the stand out track tonight, the closest thing PS I Love You have to a ‘hit’. With 3 lines of anguished lyrics followed by 3 minutes of guitar solos it perfectly encapsulates why PS I Love You are one of the best performances I’ve seen this year. Watching Saulnier finger tap his way around the frets, playing the bass notes with his right hand whilst Nelson builds the drums louder and louder to a monumental drop, it draws you into their world a thousand times more than any greetings-card lyric love song would. It’s just a shame more people aren’t here to witness it.