Album Review: Kano “Made in the Manor”-Grime Grows Up

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Grime’s recent revival seemed for a long time to have passed Kano by, with nothing heard from the writer of “P’s and Q’s” long after Stormzy had appeared seemingly from nowhere, JME had released his most successful album to date and Skepta and Lethal Bizzle had dragged Grime from Room 2 into the spotlight with “Shutdown” and “Fester Skank” respectively.

“Made in the Manor” is Kano’s answer to the question posed by his absence, and by and large it’s a very satisfying answer indeed. From the opening Track “Hail”, with its ominous backing track and driving bass, through to standout track “3 Wheel-ups” featuring stellar verses from Giggs and Wiley, it seems like Kano has lost none of his ability or aggression during his time away. The album does tail off slightly in the middle, with slower songs like “Little Sis” and “Deep Blues” featuring Damon Albarn blunting the raw energy of the opening salvo, before switching back to the original fury on the bonus tracks “Garageskankfreestyle” and “Flow of the Year” featuring JME. The middle portion is packed full of meaning and is obviously deeply personal to Kano, but musically it just doesn’t work quite as well as the more ‘traditional’ and aggressive Grime tracks at the beginning and end of the album, and would perhaps work better if it wasn’t sandwiched in between said tracks.

Part of Kano seems happy to revel in the lifestyle of the Grime superstar, with the line “Pussy and rum, that’s a rider for real OG’s” on “3 Wheel-ups” clearly showing that poetry doesn’t have to be meaningful to sound great. On the other hand “Made in the Manor” is more introspective than Grime has ever been before and songs like “Deep Blues” show that Kano isn’t scared to provide a critical look at his childhood and the violence and death that came with it. Just don’t expect the songs that grapple with these issues to be as catchy or danceable as others on the album and you’ll appreciate them a lot more, even if they do make the album feel more than a little bit schizophrenic.

Overall “Made in the Manor” is as much a trip down memory lane as it is a brand new album, with call-backs like “back when Lethal Bizzle was Lethal B” and references to D Double E and “Doin’ it Again” by Skepta being a clear nod to Grime’s heritage and the original artists that are taking part in the current revival. This sense of nostalgia goes further than the Grime scene however, with constant references to London and its history, from Reggie Kray to jellied eels and wagon wheels, showing that no matter how many US rappers are signed to BBK and how many American tours artists like Skepta go on, Grime is still a peculiarly and proudly British phenomenon, one that was born in London and Made in the Manor.

Interview-Get Inuit at Oakford Social Club, Reading-16th April 2016

Picture: Kasia Osowiecka (www.giggoer.com)

Kent based band Get Inuit played Reading’s Oakford Social Club last Saturday, and using all of my charisma I managed to press gang a couple of them into speaking to me afterwards, even if the singer had to spend about five minutes looking for me whilst I was in the toilet. Talking into an iPhone in the smoking area of a bar in Reading may not quite be the glitz and glamour that the band were promised when they first formed, but Jamie and James didn't seem to mind too much, which was good.

Get Inuit Self-Describe as “Dirty Pop”, although in reality they sound more like indie rock that someone's covered in a veneer of grunge and aimed at the charts, which doesn't sound too complimentary but trust me it works when you hear it. The gig itself was good, and it's nice to see a relatively young band with a varied catalogue of songs, meaning they manage to sidestep the trap of “is this the same song they were playing ten minutes ago or not?” that a lot of indie guitar bands fall into. Stand-out tracks were “My Oh My” and band pick “Pro Procrastinator” but I can’t recall there being a song played that wasn't decent, so you can’t go wrong whatever you choose to listen to.

With a bit of background out of the way here’s the interview with lead singer Jamie and guitarist James, who apparently decided to confuse everybody by having almost exactly the same name. Alex, who was holding the iPhone, also asks a question at the end because you can’t get good reliable staff these days.

Jake- How do you guys know each other?

Jamie-We all went to school together, and we all live in the same town. We weren’t friends at school though, none of us liked each other.

James-Well I think Rob liked you but you didn't know he liked you so you just thought he was a dick!

Jamie-Yeah it was like Romeo and Juliet…

James -And I was older so I was just like “who are these little kids?”

Jamie-Well we can start from the beginning in that Rob and James are brothers.

James-Yeah so that’s kind of how I knew him.

Jake- So you all hated each other but somehow formed a band, how does that happen?

Jamie-I guess it's not that we hated each other, its more we just ignored each other until we left school, then we went “Oh actually you’re alright!” we had so much in common and we never spoke and then I guess we were the only people still trying to make music whereas everyone else has grown up.

Jake- How’s Reading treating you? Are you enjoying it?

Jamie-It was a good show, I thought it was pretty busy. Parking though, parking was a bloody nightmare, what is that about?! Took us about an hour and a half, we went to go and park the van and didn't get back until just before we were on!

Jake- If someone who didn't know your band only had time to listen to one song, which one would you choose?

Jamie-Probably pro procrastinator, it’s got a video…

James-It’s a nice easy accessible one, it covers a lot of bases of what we do.

Jake- What would you consider your influences, either individually or as a band?

James-A lot of different stuff, stuff we all agree on is basically anything from the 90s with guitar on, that’s the kind of stuff all of us can say “Yeah we all like that” but then Ollie’s into his punk and even a bit of hip-hop. Rob's just a cheese man, any hit single, he loves it. He doesn't know any band's B-sides or even album tracks, it’s terrible! He just has greatest hits on his phone, that's it.

Jake- Do you think that all feeds into the band or is it a case of blocking that out and saying “Mate, we don’t want that”?

Jamie-Any song that we like, Rob will just put on this 80's shotgun snare *mimes snare drum* just imagine a fan with his hair blowing in the wind, exactly that!

James-If at any point we ask him to do something that's not that on the drums he's just like “Eh, what’s the point?”

Jamie-So yeah it has to have that.

James-I think like Pixies, Radiohead…boring stuff really! Weezer… that sort of thing

Jake- So we've talked about influences, but who can’t you stand musically?

James (without any hesitation)-Meghan Trainor.

Jamie-I have this weird hatred, and I understand I'm in the wrong here, but I can't stand Bruce Springsteen, just not my thing. And there is a fellow we know that likes listening to a lot of Bruce Springsteen…

James-And he usually has the controls to the radio, so Springsteen comes on, and he’s just blasting it and we’re sitting in the back.

Jamie-And it's not bad except that he’s usually louder than the main vocal as well, so it's not really Bruce Springsteen, it's said fellow featuring Bruce Springsteen.

Jake- Tonight’s gig was billed as a record store day party, did you buy anything?

James-Not a single thing, we've been driving in a van, so not much opportunity there.

Jamie -We sold some records, if that counts?

James-Don’t tell the record stores that though, they'll think we’re screwing them over!

Jake- Ok so final question, a real job interview type question, where do you see yourself in five years?

James-What, in my fantasy land in my bedroom or realistically?

Jake- Definitely fantasy land in your bedroom.

James-Well we've been saying for ages, since we started this band, that we wanted to play Reading at some point, it's a festival that most of us have been to once, I mean the drummer's been like ten times, bass player's been a load of times, I've been a couple of times, Jamie’s never been.

Jamie-Yeah, never been, no desire to go either.

James-He's never been to a festival ever, other than the ones we've played.

Jamie-I'm not rock and roll.

James-He’s allergic to grass!

Jake- So Jamie, where do you see yourself in 5 years, Middle manager at Tesco?

James-That’s what we've left actually!

Jamie-Well I feel I've already succeeded at making music, I might nurture my other hobbies, I like to make tiny miniature models of boats inside bottles and I’d really like to get better at that. I just don't have time to do it being a musician, you know?

Alex-I’ve got a question, if you could have a lifetimes supply of anything, what would it be? If I could just get it out of my back pocket.

Jamie-Out of your back pocket?

James-Or is it like a Mary Poppins deal?

Alex-Yeah I’ve got one hell of a bag.

Jamie-I think I'd go for the old Double Deckers, chocolate bars.

James-There’s a thing called a Mrs Crimble's Macaroon, which is probably the only sweet thing you can get in a normal shop that I can eat, so I'd go for that. They're pretty good though, if you see one I'd give it a go, I'm powered on them, on tour: Mrs Crimble's.

Get Inuit are: Jamie: Vocals, James: Guitar, Ollie: Bass and Rob: Drums

They're also on Soundcloud if you fancy a listen: https://soundcloud.com/get-inuit

Review-Sundara Karma at Sub89, Reading- 11th March 2016

Picture: Adam Burzynski

You know you’re getting old when you accidentally stumble across a youth cult. This is the lesson I learnt at Sundara Karma’s recent gig at Sub89 on the 11^th of March, which was full to bursting with 15-17 year olds with enough energy to make me reach for my Zimmer frame, even if I am only 21 (although at least it did mean that there wasn’t much of a queue at the bar). Support came in the form of Pale Waves, self-described as “Glitter and reverb” and Beach Baby, who went with “A bit grungy, a bit dreampop, but really…good”, although maybe if they hadn't been put on the spot they would've had a more eloquent description to hand. Both bands got a well-deserved reception from the crowd, who seemed as excited to see the support as they were to see Sundara Karma themselves, a refreshing change from the standard attitude of “if they aren't the headline act I'm not interested” that seems to permeate most crowds at gigs.

Sundara Karma themselves were clearly having the time of their lives, which, given they were playing to a sold out crowd on the cusp of hero worship in their hometown at the end of a UK wide tour is understandable. An indie guitar band have to go the extra mile to get noticed in such a packed field, but the combination of singer Oscar Lulu’s stage presence and vocal confidence give Sundara Karma an edge that might just propel them to the top of the pile. Songs like "Flame" and "A Young Understanding" showed the band at their best and made the gig feel like something you’d be able to tell people about when the band are playing at the Ally Pally in a few years’ time. Having said this there were times when they seemed to devolve into a poor man’s version of The Maccabees, especially towards the end of the second half of their set with tracks like "The Night" failing to stick in the mind in the way that the band’s best work does.

This might be a bit unfair on the band however, as without even a debut album out its understandable that Sundara Karma are forced to play everything they've done to fill a live set, so the fact that some songs are significantly more polished than others can’t really be held against them. Even the less memorable tracks aren't bad, they just aren't quite as good as the others, something that’s easily picked up on when listening to them being played side by side. Overall Sundara Karma’s homecoming was a night to remember, even if it did make me nostalgic for a few years ago when I too had bad hair, a fake ID and an 11pm bedtime, mainly because it would mean I wouldn't have felt so strange at Friday’s gig.

(Written for The Spark*)

All Wizard, No Sleeves: Wizard sleeve/Chilli Gibbons and the Purple Monk: 26th March 2016

Picture: Callum Bunker

Wizards sleeve had their EP launch last night and, despite the absence of an EP to be launched (or even a proper stage), showed everyone there what a band can do using a couple of distortion pedals, a dressing up box they found in the loft and a barrel or three of beer.

The gig was on a boat cobbled together out of a couple of buses and decorated with enough animal skeletons to supply a lifetimes worth of nightmares, as well as artwork from Callum Farrell and Abbie Brothers that had been shipped in for one night only and went a long way towards making the place look more “gig” than “someone’s living room”, which is always a danger when the venue actually is someone’s living room. Wizard Sleeve added their own artistic flair with balloons with “Ned Flanders votes Trump” scrawled on in sharpie and a merch stand consisting of a couple of plant pots, a de-icer and a lovely picket fence. It was all a bit weird basically, and at one point I did feel like checking that nobody had slipped any LSD into my beer, especially when a band member wandered off and came back wearing a kilt.

Support was from Chilli Gibbons and the Purple Monk, a two piece band described by their singer as “Garage, Folk and Grunge” (no, not the Craig David kind of Garage, sorry to disappoint) although the emphasis was definitely on the first and last of those three, with the frontman all bulging veins and sweat as he blasted through possibly the shortest set I’ve ever seen a band play, with 4 or 5 songs condensed into about ten minutes of snarl and swagger.

After Chilli Gibbons and the Purple Monk’s Blitzkrieg set was over Wizard Sleeve themselves took to the stage, sharing the same singer as the support (although he had at least changed his shirt in an attempt to stop people noticing). They opened with a bizarre cover of Fat White Family’s “Borderline” performed by Bassist Luke Davies in a crooning Scottish accent, but quickly slammed into their set proper, a kind of psychedelic Punk inspired metal, including an excellent version of “She’s Not There”, more reminiscent of the UK Subs’ cover than the Zombies original and all the better for it.  The band mix the overblown style of early heavy metal with a collection of clothes that include the previously mentioned kilt, an Anonymous-style Guy Fawkes Mask and what can only be described as a bargain basement steampunk ogre outfit, all helped along with a generous mix of face paint and beer. My only real complaint is that the venue was above ground, because if any band is designed for a sweaty basement gig it’s this one.

Overall Wizard Sleeve seem as cobbled together as the boat they were playing on, a hybrid love child of Fat White Family and Black Sabbath that seems to have been dropped on its head at an early age, and by god I love them for it.

Wizard Sleeve are on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/wizard-sleeve

Chilli Gibbons and the Purple Monk aren't online in any form, maybe I hallucinated them after all.

Review-Blossoms at Sub89, Reading- 10th February 2016

Picture: James Polley
 https://jamespolleyphotography.wordpress.com/

Recent contenders for the BBC’s Sound of 2016, Stockport based shoegaze rock band Blossoms played Sub89 on the 10^th of February to a crowd consisting of a mix of 18-21 year olds and 50-60 year olds, with seemingly little in between. Rumour has it that Radio 6 DJ Steve Lamacq turned up but he could’ve been any one of the grey haired men sipping Guinness in the crowd so who knows how much truth there was in that.

Support was in the form of Viola Beach, described by one of their members as “Candy floss in sonic form” and The Vryll Society, who went with the slightly more cryptic description of “Esoteric expansion”.

Blossoms themselves were on excellent form, with each song being received like a fan favourite and the band not putting a foot wrong throughout their (admittedly quite short) set. Breakout hit ‘Charlemagne’ was the highlight of the night, almost being drowned out by the sound of a room full of drunk fans shouting the words, no mean feat considering the song’s only been out for a few months and with this in mind it’s a shame they didn’t save it for last, with the stellar finisher ‘Blow’ seeming a bit of a letdown after the euphoria that preceded it.

The set list itself was predictable, as the band only just have enough songs to carry off a headline slot, so the only real surprise they could manage was the order they’d be playing them in. This is no bad thing however, with the feeling of seeing a band on the cusp of something big lending their performance even more energy.

It’s also nice to see three bands that are clearly having the time of their lives, with a special mention to Viola Beach trying to sell people t-shirts via hypnosis and an old scouser telling me not to call them shoegaze because “shoegaze used to be an insult, y’know?” Well sorry mate I’ve done it but I mean it as the highest praise, I promise.

Overall it’s clear to see that Manchester’s reputation for generating the next big thing (well alright, they’re from Stockport, but that’s close enough for me) is well deserved, with Blossoms a clear candidate for 2016’s breakout indie band. Expect to see them on the cover of the NME looking nonchalant any day now, as in the words of front man Tom Ogden “We just want to be as big as we can” and if their performance at Sub 89 is anything to go by, that’s going to be pretty damned big.

Since writing this review the members of Viola Beach have tragically passed away in a car accident, along with their manager. My thoughts and condolences go out to all involved and I hope that the outpouring of support that ensued provided some small comfort to those who knew them.

"Not a Prophet or a Stone Aged Man”: In Memory of David Bowie

Credit to Ron Frazier

David Bowie, singer, songwriter, actor and full time extra-terrestrial-posing-as-human sadly left us on the 10th of January, leaving the world a decidedly less colourful place. Whilst I’m sure you’ve all seen tributes from the likes of Kanye West all the way to Prime Minister David Cameron I think Bowie may be one person who can never be written about too much, and who deserves every note of over the top praise he receives. With that in mind, what follows is a memorial to the man who was born David Jones in South London and proceeded to change the landscape of both music and culture forever, written by a self-confessed and entirely biased fan of the man and his music.

The musical landscape of England in the last 50 or so years is a hell of a ride, from Rockers to Punks, Skinheads, New Romantics, Ravers, Indie and everything in between, but through it all Bowie managed to stay relevant (save a few years in the 90’s, but we won’t talk about that) and even managed to release a bizarrely cutting edge album on his 69th birthday, an age at which I’ll probably be worrying about whether or not BBC Four will have a documentary on steam trains that night. I won’t go into a full run through of his Number 1 hits in the UK because there probably isn’t enough space in this whole paper for that, let alone in this one piece, but asking people their favourite Bowie Song merits such a variation of answers that it’s amazing that we’re all talking about the same artist, and even more amazing that he was so consistently not just good, but great. Add into this Bowie’s varied film career (Labyrinth and The Man Who Fell to Earth spring to mind, not to mention a brilliant cameo in Zoolander) and you’re looking at somebody that could be called the most influential pop culture icon of the last 50 years without much competition. His sheer sense of style and persona throughout the half century he was active were varied to the extent that he gained the nickname “The Musical Chameleon” and the entire theme of a fancy dress party could be “come as David Bowie” and, aside from ten or so lightning bolt clad Aladdin Sanes you’d be hard pressed to find two people that look alike.

I guess what I’m trying to say in this article is that David Bowie’s death is a cataclysmic event in the landscape of popular culture, but rather than mourn the fact that he isn’t here anymore, we should celebrate, safe in the knowledge that at least he was here in the first place.  In the words of the man himself “I’m happy, hope you’re happy too”.

(Originally published in The Spark*)

Review-Adrenalin Baby-Johnny Marr Live

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Johnny Marr, best and most fondly remembered as the guitarist and co-writer for The Smiths, has mounted somewhat of a comeback over the last few years, with two solo albums both well received by critics and fans alike. Adrenalin Baby is somewhat different, being a live album recorded from Marr’s tour and including hits from The Smiths’ back catalogue as well as his own and even featuring a cover of The Clash’s famous song I Fought The Law, but the real question is: how well does it hold up?

The answer is surprisingly well, as a confusingly long barrage of noise at the start of Playland soon gives way to a punchy sound that blends Marr’s considerable talent on the guitar with surprisingly slick vocals reminiscent of a pumped up and slightly more in tune Noel Gallagher, although that could be just be due to the Mancunian connection between the two. Between songs the crowd are enthusiastic and the man himself offers a few choice phrases but this crowd noise is only present between numbers and is not allowed to interfere with the songs themselves, meaning you never feel like you have to fight through the cheers to get at the music, an annoyance that many live albums  suffer from.

Marr’s performance on Smiths classics like Bigmouth Strikes Again and There is a Light That Never Goes Out is equally good, with Marr’s guitar being as inimitable and brilliant as ever and his vocals doing a surprisingly good job of fitting the song without devolving into a poor man’s Morrissey karaoke set, something that is easily done (it’s also nice to be able to hear the lyrics that often get lost in Morrissey’s trademark warble). The Post-Smiths offerings are in places just as good and Adrenalin Baby plays like something of a greatest hits for a man that has been active in the industry for so long and has often been unfairly overlooked. Whilst waiting for the first song by The Smiths you realise that Johnny Marr’s made some damned good songs (listen to New Town Velocity and you’ll see what I mean) and many of them may have passed you by, I know they did me.

Overall Adrenalin Baby is a great introduction to Johnny Marr’s solo career and just goes to show that even if he doesn’t make the headlines as much as Morrissey, and may not have the same rabid fan base, he’s still a hell of a musician and a pleasure to listen to. From somebody that has seen Marr live I can also attest to the fact that the crowd reaction in this album isn’t at all staged, he really is that good live and I’d recommend both his live set and this live album to anyone.

(Originally published in The Spark*)

Review-Maribou State at Purple Turtle, Reading- 16th February 2016

Maribou State at The Art School, Glasgow in 2015
Picture: Matthew Swan/Flickr

Electronic duo Maribou State played a warm-up gig for their upcoming UK tour on Tuesday, taking to the (admittedly small) stage of Purple Turtle in Reading for a live set. Hard to pin down as far as genre goes, Maribou State’s online descriptions range from garage to instrumental hip hop to contemporary R&B, but sound-wise they slot easily into place as a more downbeat Disclosure, something like Bondax on a comedown, or a slightly less orchestral take on Bonobo.

Support was from the excellent Twin Sun, who described themselves as “unpretentious and summery” although Pete Wheeler, one half of the duo, said he preferred my initial impression of “Being inside a cartoon spaceship”, so pick whichever of those you prefer. Maribou State (billed as “Ian & I” in perhaps the worst kept secret set of all time) came on at around half ten, playing an hour long set complete with live drummer and an array of guitar pedals that were confusing to look at, let alone use. Being at a gig that fits more into the “3am start and a bucket of MDMA” category at half ten after only a couple of pints was a strange experience, although as somebody that isn’t a huge fan of the genre it was nice to be able to stand and appreciate what was happening without a stranger telling me how much they love me whilst chewing through their own tongue. The music itself was enjoyable and it was impressive seeing how well something clearly originally made on a laptop translated into a traditional band setup, and even if it was reverse engineered it did somehow seem more authentic than a DJ set, which can only be a good thing.

The highpoint of the gig were the songs with vocalist Holly Walker, who added a focal point that some of the set was lacking, and actually managing to get a relatively sober crowd dancing and singing along to a remix of “Praise you” by Fatboy Slim towards the end, even if she did have to ask everyone politely to join in before they let themselves have a bit of fun. The feeling of the set being a warmup for bigger things was definitely there and I’d say that their upcoming gigs will probably be better, but that’s to be expected at an event that’s clearly intended to test out their set before sold out gigs around the country and hey, for a free entry gig on a Tuesday night it was still good fun, so I can hardly complain.

Overall if you’re a fan of Maribou State, Tuesday’s gig probably wasn’t the best place to go and see them, with a pretty static crowd and an early set time making it more of a taster for people that are on the fence than a night out for the converted. Having said that the songs were good, the playing was incredibly tight (especially considering they didn’t start out as a live act) and the people there were definitely enjoying themselves, even if they were just tapping their feet and sipping a vodka coke rather than shuffling manically with a bottle of water in their hand as I feel the crowd at their future gigs may well be.

Both acts are on Soundcloud:
You can listen to Twin Sun here: www.soundcloud.com/twinsunmusic
and Maribou State here: www.soundcloud.com/mariboustate

Review-Tame Impala at The Alexandra Palace- 12th February 2016

Australian psychedelic rock Band Tame Impala took over the Ally Pally last night, playing a sold out gig to thousands and clearly having the time of their lives. Support was from the excellent Jagwar Ma, although thanks to the delights of London’s public transport system we managed to arrive as they walked off stage, which was hardly ideal.

Refusing to be put out by our late arrival we forced our way through the crowd and waited for the main event. When Tame Impala came on they did so accompanied by a light show straight out of a 1960’s LSD trip and started with into one of the biggest songs from their newer album, the stellar “Let it Happen”. The crowd reaction was incredible, but slightly bizarre, with almost a mosh-pit opening up at the front and people leaping around as if it was 1977 and the Sex Pistols had just launched into “Anarchy in the UK”, not what I was expecting from the decidedly mellow, psychedelic feel of Tame Impala. This was the first of a few times during the gig that the band seemed a bit out of place in the traditional gig setting, their set was tight, the songs were great and lead singer Kevin Parker’s rapport with the crowd was undeniable, but it seems strange that a band whose frontman is listed as playing “Vocals, Guitar and Kazoo” on their Wikipedia would provoke such an energetic and at times violent response. The security at the gig also detracted from the free-love aesthetics of the visuals and music, demanding that nobody get on each other’s shoulders, crowd surf or breath in the wrong direction, perhaps understandable when trying to police such a massive crowd, but still a bit of a mood killer.

Overall Tame Impala played a fantastic set, with an encore consisting of the old favourite “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” coupled with new song “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” and a blast from two massive confetti cannons summing up the exuberance and fun that should have permeated the whole gig. Unfortunately a cold February night and a ten thousand strong crowd don’t easily gel with the band’s sound, and no matter how great they were there was always the feeling that really, you’d rather be listening to them whilst lying in a field on a summers day with a cold pint in one hand, not standing jammed into a sweaty teenagers armpit drinking warm Carlsberg out of a paper cup whilst an overenthusiastic fan elbows you in the kidneys from behind.