Bands Of The Year 2013

Hi All.....
That time of year again! and we all seem to love a Hornby inspired list of everything!!
This is just a snippet of the things that have inspired and enamored me this year :-)

OUTFIT:
Outfit were a find from the Lauren Lavern Podcast which I enjoy every week. After listening to the interview of the band who came across as graceful and intelligent I decided to check them out on Spotify. Its become one of my favorite albums. Its a bizarre genre'less record spanning over psychedelia, to dream-pop with everything in between. Its at times melancholic but there's also something quite life affirming to it. The perfect soundtrack to walking through an urban environment. Listen whilst walking through a city and you'll understand what I mean.



MARIKA HACKMAN:
A pleasant surprise this song, a real testament to the fact one women/man and guitar can.. if done correctly.. stop time for its duration. Beautiful, and slightly creepy like the Metz advert from the 90's....



PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING:
Genius atmospheres created using old tapes from WW2 a fantastic idea, like lemon jelly on steroids.



DAVID BOWIE:
He surprised as all didn't he! What a legend of publicity but with the album to prove the hype. This record consumed me this year and it was at the height of my Bowie obsession as well....I nearly wet myself with excitement. What a classy beautiful way to come back as well...not with rock posture but with a reflecting melancholic, sonic landscape with a life affirming end that always brings a tear to my eye...
"As long as there's me....as long as there's you!"
Weird and wonderful Bowie back with grace putting the art back in pop.



MATT CORBY:
A fantastic EP from start to finish really illustrating this mans versatile vocal, songwriting and diversity. A whole range of emotions scale the Resolution EP... the songwriters EP choice of the year.



JON HOPKINS:
I always knew him as "that guy who added all the weird atmosphere to Xylo Myloto". Turns out hes an expensive, intense, cinematic, intelligent, dramatic genius of atmospheric electronic music!



JOHNNY MARR:
I've always loved Marrs guitar work but never fallen completely in love with his solo work, and it wasn't after hearing the single which didnt grab me... but more getting a copy of the album that I realised this album has some fantastic songwriting and has crept into my conscious and woven its way into my brain. The album spans his career and really is a celebration of the Fender Jaguar...in fact this album should come with every sale of Fender Jags...A great comeback made even better whilst watching him at the Wedgewood Rooms.



HYPNOTIC EYE:
A sexy 60's front-women, fantastic psychedelic pop style production, great tunes and fantastic guitar sounds...get on it! Shocking Blue for the new age... whats not to like!



DAFT PUNK:
I was as excited as any other this year as the wait for this album reminded me of pop music in the 90's when people actually used to get excited as an album was going to be released....remember that?! Anyway it wasn't quite the perfect comeback, there was a few clangers, possibly the most annoying hook in 'lose yourself to dance' in "come on! come on! come on!" for 2 mins....and although 'Get Lucky' was a pop masterpiece it slightly grated with its cheesy nod to sex...which was a shame... it didn't need that as it was 70s disco perfection. What it did have though was a half album of absolute genius, exploring genres, production, and ideas far better than bands that are scared of the charts and claiming to be experimental. This was exciting pop music again. Someone asked me recently that the album sounds different from everything else....you know what it is?.....its live!!! Live recorded music actually sounds vital again on record and Daft Punk record live... even their synths. Listen to the Drum-kit sound at the end of this record below....there's more urgency in that then most of the bloggers lists this year!



MANSIONS ON THE MOON:
I've been raving about this band on twitter all year and the year before.. and now they are just starting to come out of the "best kept secret" stage. The production has influenced me a lot on my own record coming out next year... the songs are exciting, spacey and with a slight tinge of fantasy sparkle which sends you of into M83 territory but sits the right side of accessible pop melody. Music to lose yourself to.


KASSASSIN STREET:
Kassassin have had a great year and deservedly so, the second gig they did at this years Southsea Fest was a real "I was there" moment. I adore this band and have made no secret of it, telling everyone who will listen about them and supporting them in any way I can. Its intelligent, colorful, urgent, and fresh and I suspect good things next year. Good people, good friends, and I respect them immensely.



FOALS:
I was never a fan of Foals, and mainly because as soon as any hipster scene starts creating a buzz I shy away or join later when the fuss dies down. I kind of had them in the same boat of the Vaccines which was naive of me. Like the Maccabees before them this second album was really rather clever and was a wide expansive exploration of sonic territory and some truly inspiring delay guitar-work.



Let me know your thoughts, I like to hear what people are listening to :-)

I'll have a new album next year which I think is my best work, stay in touch and please join me for the gigs and music. Have a fantastic Xmas and if you don't like it...lighten up! Have a day off! enjoy the magic :-)

Stay Safe
Andy
xx

PS....best film? Gravity!!! What a ride that was!!!!

Best thing in the year ever?
Doctor Who 50th in 3D.....yep yep.....incredible ;-)

Oh and best tea? Earl Grey.....standard......

Gig Diary 5 - The Bedford - The Abbey Tavern - Dublin Castle

The Bedford was the first of three London dates running back to back, and it's a pleasure to play. I've said much about it over the years and hold it close as my favorite London venue for my music. Tonight's gig was five songwriters doing the usual four songs over two parts of the evening. A Swedish lad called Ludvig Andersson was waiting patiently for soundcheck looking like a Americana star already, and we started talking. He is an interesting guy, he travels over from Sweden to play gigs knowing that to get a cheap flight to London and back is actually cheaper than staying in a hotel over here! You've got to admire that kind of thinking and he was a great performer too. Backstage we all swapped touring stories, guitars, and a rather interesting conversation with another artist Simon Wells about the lost Dr Who tapes recently found. Simon was another interesting chap, a writer as well as a musician with the bohemian vibe to boot. It was a warm and friendly night with a good receptive crowd no animosity from the other performers and a sense of camaraderie.

My pedal board has raised a few eyebrows this year as the textures really do add a little depth to the vibe I try to create with my songs. Tonight was no exception with "the Garden" being particularly psychedelic! 

The Bedford in Balham, backstage graffiti wall

The Abbey Tavern is a place I've never played before and is essentially an open mic night that you book to play on. It has the option to record the three songs you perform and I'll no doubt have one of them up soon to listen to. The pub where the stage is present is all open plan so people all sit around and you get up and do your thing. It's very relaxed and a nice vibe in there, I'd imagine this place would be great to try out new material or to play tracks in development. The other artists on the bill were all friendly and I stayed around to chat to the people who listened giving out flyers and introducing myself. I then left to catch a very good friend of mine play in the Camden Eye to a slightly different vibe. 'Lewisberg' has just started solo performing but he played fantastically well against a tough background.

London looked quite beautiful on the way to The Dublin Castle in Camden today. The overground train I was on from Wimbledon is mostly overground rooftop height and everything was silhouetted against a cold December sunset. Quite a different view from my last visit to London where the overground journey exposed a darker derelict side to East London I'd never really experienced even when I lived here. Forgotten railway stations hold their ground amongst industrial buildings that were once key players now ghosts of themselves. Nature has taken over and grown around empty playgrounds and concrete graffiti ridden structures. Not today though it looked like a panning shot from an amalgamation of a Richard Curtis/Tim Burton movie... all romance and mystery.

Photo by aaron bennett photography

Dublin Castle is somewhere I'd never played on my own and I was the only solo performer there. Soundcheck was great and my effects sounded huge through the PA. Headliners 'Fracture' were a nice bunch and I'm sorry I couldn't hang around for their set as I was homeward bound that night and had to leave early. 

Unfortunately a bit like the other historic indie pillar venues I've played in London recently the crowd was sparse. I must say though the few that were there were great and listened and engaged with me. It's a shame seeing these venues across the country become less engaged with but that's a whole different conversation and is covered by many. Dublin Castle is a fantastic venue and its staff are all approachable and nice and the sound guy is very good indeed.

My voice is not running on full steam at present, I have a vocal chord injury. It's really made me realise the importance of looking after it as I've always been extremely nonchalant and taken it for granted that it would always be there. Every musician is scared of colds and I'm no different, avoiding people with them and getting all paranoid when a gig comes near. Nothing has prepared me for an actual vocal chord injury though and it's quite a shock when things you used to do become a struggle. My point to this confession is... singers....look after your voice. It will go if not respected, and when it does you will S@*t yourselves! 

Next stop The Good Ship...

Stay Safe

Andy x

Gig Diary 4 - The Regal Rooms - Five Ways Folk Club

The Regal Rooms is the other half of the two most important figurehead venues for songwriters in London. The Bedford was a place I was recommended to play very early on when I started performing on my own and I fell in love with it on my first visit. It's Shakespearean theatre decor makes for as grand backdrop for the singer/songwriter guise. The Regal Rooms in Hammersmith was it's sister venue often regarded with a certain respect for its history of having industry present at shows. Showcases tend to be arranged there for wide eyed hopefuls on the brink of discovery. It's with sadness I say that the Regal Rooms's future is in jeopardy now it's been bought out, which now makes this gig even more poignant as it was to be my last as it stands in the venue. It was your typical Regal Rooms gig, great sound, civilised crowd, cheeky camp compare, and some fine talent on the bill with a touch of show tune and theatrics thrown in for good measure. I often feel the odd one out in London but have never felt out of place in either of these venues. My voice had taken a battering by the end of these dates more of which later but for now the Regal Rooms I salute your hospitality and memories.

The Fiveways folk club was a real shot in the dark for me. I'd never heard of it before trying it out and didn't know what to expect. After getting to the pub which seemed the same as any other Weatherspoons in a suburb in anywheresville, I was told it was upstairs in a tiny room. So upstairs I went a little confused trusty guitar on back and Jack Daniels In hand. The room is just that.. very tiny and it's modest decor and school room chairs had me thinking maybe I was in the wrong place. I must admit I'd had my reservations but this was turned by the warmth of the people who frequent this aptly named club into the perfect example of what I imagined true folk clubs to be. It was an older crowd who where respectful, graceful, attentive and open to my material even though some of my songs don't necessarily fit the bill of purist folk music. I performed more pure acoustic songs leaving behind my box of effect tricks that night. Another thing that is a huge factor as well as the people  in the atmosphere of the place is there's no PA! Completely acoustic....nothing! Which I actually enjoy the pressure and tend to rise to it as it's comfortable for me. I thoroughly enjoyed myself at fiveways and I'm back next year. It's different but it's untouched by media and expectations...it's a small room where people play songs that shape peoples experiences and traditions...there's a purity in that.

Tonight I'm playing at the legendary Dublin Castle in Camden :-)

Stay Safe

Andy x