Sunderland's Brewis brothers have consistently produced interesting music, either together as Field Music or via their various solo guises and side projects; David Brewis has released a couple of albums under the School of Language banner (2014's Old Fears is an excellent listen, if you've not checked it out already I heartily recommend that you lend it an ear or two), brother Peter forming The Week That Was in 2008 to release a one-off album of self-penned tunes.
You Tell Me is Peter's latest excursion, a collaboration with Admiral Fallow's Sarah Hayes, the pair bonding over a mutual love of Kate Bush to record an eleven track collection of delicate folk-tinged indie, introspective alt-rock and stabby electronica.
Initial single Clarion Call, a lilting folk number released last September, sounds far removed from subsequent single Water Cooler (which is itself heavily infused with Field Music's DNA). Listen to one after the other and you may even wonder if the same band is responsible for the two songs.
And yet, over the course of their recently released and eponymously titled album, the songs take their place amongst their cohorts, combining to make a very pleasurable listening experience.
The
collected songs all have a conversational bent to them, first-person
narratives of failing office romance, jealousy and intrigue, that occasionally take dark turns
into internal turmoil, all set to beautifully arranged music.
Showing posts with label Album. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Album. Show all posts
Friday, January 18, 2019
Friday, September 28, 2018
Classic Album Sundays @ P&V
Listening to an album, from beginning to end, appears to be an extravagant experience in our modern age. For some years now I've heard the phrase "the lost art of album listening" bandied about and, whilst I'll admit that MP3s and music streaming have changed the way we listen to and experience a collection of music, I feel it's to easy a trope to point the finger of blame solely in that direction.
People have, in my experience, always taken their music in different ways. There were mix-tapes before MP3s and they didn't kill album listening. Hitting shuffle on my old Pioneer 6 CD player left me ignorant of song titles for most of the albums I listened to in the 90s, the same goes for the large number of albums I've enjoyed on my iPod despite my listening to them from beginning to end. Maybe it's more the pace of life that has affected the savouring of an album; do we have the time to pore over the sleeve art and liner notes whilst taking in something either new or reassuringly familiar? Probably not as much as we did. To paraphrase Ferris Bueller, life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and listen once in a while, you could miss something good.
Thankfully there are like-minded folks who still want to enjoy the album experience, and it's through their efforts that Classic Album Sundays was born (apparently over a good meal with friends which, yes, adds to its charm). If you've not encountered it before the concept is beautifully simple, you listen to a classic album from beginning to end, on vinyl, pausing only to flip from A to B.
My one and only experience of an official Classic Album Sunday was several years ago, at Bestival, where whilst suffering the hangover of the previous evening's festival excesses I found myself in a wooden hut, atop a mound at Robin Hill Country Park. There are few better ways to prepare yourself for a day's festival-going than sitting in a darkened room, surrounded by strangers, and letting the blissful sounds of The KLF's Chill Out album wash over you.
After enjoying that experience I was pained to discover that, despite similar happenings popping up across the globe, there wasn't a regular event near me (which, now I think of it, does make me wonder why I didn't try and start up my own event, but I digress). Thankfully that's all about to change with the announcement that the very lovely Pie & Vinyl are to start hosting a regular Classic Album Sunday event.
The inaugural Classic Album Sunday at Pie & Vinyl takes place on Sunday 14th October with the featured vinyl being Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. The event is both a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the band's fifth album and part of National Album Day. Jon Callender & Jim Shaw (of Cranes) and Adi Vines (of Swervedriver) will be present to discuss the album and their personal experiences of Sonic Youth.
Limited tickets are available now, priced at £10 (plus £1 booking) that, obviously, includes a Sonic Youth themed pie (meat or vegan). Further information, including details of the shiny hardware AudioT are supplying for the event, is available on the CAS website and P&V's events page.
People have, in my experience, always taken their music in different ways. There were mix-tapes before MP3s and they didn't kill album listening. Hitting shuffle on my old Pioneer 6 CD player left me ignorant of song titles for most of the albums I listened to in the 90s, the same goes for the large number of albums I've enjoyed on my iPod despite my listening to them from beginning to end. Maybe it's more the pace of life that has affected the savouring of an album; do we have the time to pore over the sleeve art and liner notes whilst taking in something either new or reassuringly familiar? Probably not as much as we did. To paraphrase Ferris Bueller, life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and listen once in a while, you could miss something good.
Thankfully there are like-minded folks who still want to enjoy the album experience, and it's through their efforts that Classic Album Sundays was born (apparently over a good meal with friends which, yes, adds to its charm). If you've not encountered it before the concept is beautifully simple, you listen to a classic album from beginning to end, on vinyl, pausing only to flip from A to B.
My one and only experience of an official Classic Album Sunday was several years ago, at Bestival, where whilst suffering the hangover of the previous evening's festival excesses I found myself in a wooden hut, atop a mound at Robin Hill Country Park. There are few better ways to prepare yourself for a day's festival-going than sitting in a darkened room, surrounded by strangers, and letting the blissful sounds of The KLF's Chill Out album wash over you.
After enjoying that experience I was pained to discover that, despite similar happenings popping up across the globe, there wasn't a regular event near me (which, now I think of it, does make me wonder why I didn't try and start up my own event, but I digress). Thankfully that's all about to change with the announcement that the very lovely Pie & Vinyl are to start hosting a regular Classic Album Sunday event.
The inaugural Classic Album Sunday at Pie & Vinyl takes place on Sunday 14th October with the featured vinyl being Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. The event is both a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the band's fifth album and part of National Album Day. Jon Callender & Jim Shaw (of Cranes) and Adi Vines (of Swervedriver) will be present to discuss the album and their personal experiences of Sonic Youth.
Limited tickets are available now, priced at £10 (plus £1 booking) that, obviously, includes a Sonic Youth themed pie (meat or vegan). Further information, including details of the shiny hardware AudioT are supplying for the event, is available on the CAS website and P&V's events page.
Monday, August 01, 2011
Kodiak Jack - 'Your Death : My Glory'
Having laboured long in the studio Pompey rockers Kodiak Jack have unleashed their debut long player uoon the world; the band celebrated the launch of 'Your Death : My Glory' with a sold out gig at the Edge of The Wedge on Saturday last.
The 10 track CD is released by Southampton label Angry Badger Records (no, really) and to wet your appetite here's the album opener, Crossfire...
The CD version of the album can be purchased direct from the band, alternatively the album is available for download from such reputable outlets as Amazon and iTunes (update: the Portsmouth branch of HMV is now stocking the CD also).
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Golden Section album release
Chichester's Golden Section have released their debut album, Attack//Decay//Sustain//Release, as an electronic download from their MySpace site. Not only is it available for the bargain price of £5 but, if you produce the proof of purchase at one of their gigs, you'll be able to get your mitts on a physical copy of the CD (once it's pressed that is).The album has a somewhat transitional feel; some tracks present were released previously on their 2005 and 2006 EPs, those have a more anthemic feel than some of the newer material. However it all meshes together well to produce a cohesive listening experience (yes, I've bought a dictionary).
If parting with a fiver seems too much of a hardship then the three-track 2005 EP (containing a slightly longer version of Interchange than on the album) is available as a free download on their website.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
