Jens Lekman, Deaf Institute (& Sandbar!), 2 August 2010

Bit of a treat today, here's a review of what sounds like it could be the gig of 2010 so far, by Mr Noggin....

For a whole week before this gig, I thought I was going to see an singer called Lens Yeckman – such was my criminal lack of knowledge about Swedish singer Jens. He was someone well and truly off my radar, his music was as alien to me as the music of Maurice Ravel or JLS. I think I half heard him the Friday before the big day in Saki Bar during their bi-monthly Underachievers Please Try Harder night; it brought to mind Jarvis Cocker singing a Belle and Sebastian number, with a slightly quirkier accent. This had the potential to be quite good, but I also had the nagging feeling that it might also be terrible.

August 2nd arrived. With Lazy Noggin away in London for a lavish wedding, it was up to me to stand in for her – I’d be the cultured lover of all things zeitgeist and twee – and then I’d report back to her, with sarcastic vitriol, how it was all the same old self aware indie bobbins, with added tweed, unkempt hair, and beads.

The Deaf Institute is an excellent venue. For a sauna. Bad start. It was hot in there – I could feel the sweat dripping down my back. Except it wasn’t mine – it was the person stood behind me. If you want to see a sea of unhappy yet shiny faces, then go to the Deaf Institute before a mildly popular gig. Or just spray paint a stranger silver.

And then Jens Lekman walked out with a gaggle of on stage beauties – male and female – they’re a lovely looking bunch – all cool and accessorised – with brass and string instruments. Needless to say, it was easy to forget about being 70% water when he appeared at the front – he won the crowd over with an effortless charm, a good-natured humour, and some bloody excellent tunes.

Tracks like the disco tinged The Opposite of Hallelujah, floating past like Tigermilk era Belle and Seb; blunt yet funny whimsical soul like A Postcard to Nina; and the heartbreaking The End of the World is Bigger than Love – flew by, seeming like songs I should have heard, should have had in my heart, and should have been singing along to like the rest of the audience.

Jens Lekman is hard to place – he’s pop without being embarrassing, he’s funk without needing marijuana, he’s northern soul without the dance moves. He’d probably slot in your CD collection nicely next to The Magnetic Fields, Kings of Convenience and Loney, Dear – yet he sounds utterly unique.

So there I was, happy, amazed, enchanted. And then the gig was over.

But no, Jens decided it wasn’t – he wanted more. And so did everyone else in the room. After a short break, her led us all over to Sandbar - a pied piper to us indie rats. This is where the true appeal of Jens shone through – he was alone, playing a little acoustic guitar, surrounded by cross-legged doe eyed fans, relying on his songs alone – and he had everyone singing along – he made us all feel like we were part of something special, something amazing – he brought down the barriers between musician and listener – we were all as one. Or maybe it just felt that way after the free booze laid on by the rather magnificent manager of Sandbar.

Jens was a true gent, staying way past 1am to sign autographs, pose for pictures, and engage in banter with people way more pissed than he was.

The only frustrating thing of the whole night was knowing that Lazy Noggin missed it all. Bloody London.

So the night ended, after a nice little lock in, some delicious red wine, and some excellent music – we’d hijacked Sandbar, and Jens, for long enough.

Much like this blog.

The Middle East @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester, Friday 25 June 2010

Or

The best gig ever?

Do you know when you almost don’t go to something, but then you do and afterwards you can’t believe you came so close to missing it? Well, maybe that’s a bit specific, but that was how I felt as I supped a post-gig drink in Sandbar. It was almost shellshock, a kind of “how amazing was that” euphoria.

The Australian band has been going for five years now, but it was their recent five song EP The Recordings of the Middle East which brought them to my attention. At the Deaf Institute on a beautiful summer evening the band open with The Darkest Side, which immediately sounds ten times better than the already good album version. There are six men and one woman on stage and the sound they make between them is just sublime. I don’t know whether to be impressed by the band or annoyed at whoever produced their EP that this sound was only hinted at on the recordings. The men harmonise together closely as they play guitars, drums, keyboard and a range of other less recognisable instruments. Then the beauty of the music is lifted to another level as Bree Tranter’s voice enters the fray, high and pure but somehow fitting in perfectly. With so many people on stage I was astounded at how considered the sound is. It would be easy for the sound to become loud, raucous or chaotic sounding, but the arrangement is perfect, with members sometimes singing away from the microphone or playing softly to control the song build-up.

I saw them again at Latitude and although the sound was lost a little on the windy Sunrise stage it was still special and beautiful. Highly recommended – go see!

Next month in music

A quick rundown of musical things that look good between now and the end of July, generally a pretty quiet time on the music scene:
Thursday 24 June 2010 (tonight!)
Midsummer House Party @ The Whitworth Art Gallery

A folky evening gig at a beautiful art gallery ten minutes walk from my new home? Its like if Carling put on gigs (though of course they do and they’re nothing special, but you know what I mean). Pull Yourself Together, Manchester’s indiepop fanzine and clubnight have singer songwriters Edmund Cottam and Christopher Eatough before PYT DJs play some tunes. For Folk’s Sake, the huge folk website, have poets Gemma O'Neil and Jackie Hagan. Also playing are Jam on bread and the Chantilly Belles. All relative unknowns to me but look like they will combine to make a splendid evening. There’s also some craftiness (what, like it wasn’t twee enough?), a bar and the whole thing is free. It’d be a crime to miss it.
Friday 25 June 2010 (tomorrow!)
The Middle East @ The Deaf Institute

This Australian band’s EP, The Recordings of the Middle East, has barely been off my ipod. Their music is indie/folk/bit of everything, and very much worth catching.

Tuesday 29 June 2010
Johnny Flynn @ Academy 3

English folk singer who’s been around for a while now and has played with Laura Marling. This will be a lovely gig to promote his new album Been Listening.

Saturday 3 July 2010
Noah and the Whale @ Manchester Cathedral

They need no introduction as the pioneers of the new British folk scene. Enjoy them in very special surroundings.

Later in July…Latitude! Pick of the festival to come

Lissie + Alan Pownall @ Night and Day, Manchester, 17 June 2010

Its unusual to arrive at Night and Day on a Thursday evening and find a queue halfway up the street, but it signals that the popularity tipping point may have been reached for Illinois-born Lissie. Real name Lissie Maurus, the 27 year old has her first album, Catching a Tiger, out on Columbia on Monday and the recent single When I'm Alone has been getting quite a lot of airplay. I had been listening to her EP, Why You Runnin' on repeat, and was keen to see if she was as good live as she sounded on record.

But before she came on it was joint headliner Alan Pownall. He struggled somewhat, as a large part of the crowd, who had clearly come for Lissie, talked loudly throughout his set and he had to repeat himself a number of times. A song of his, Take Me, I'd heard previously and he began with the reggae-tinged number. He has a kind of Jason Mraz thing going on combined with a bit of Jack Johnson - whether you see this as a good thing or not is purely down to taste. I can see clear songwriting talent but he wasn't to Mr Noggin's liking. What was clear was that he is being heavily pushed by his label, with flyers and leaflets everywhere, but there was a blandness to some of the songs that contrasted with potential hits such as Colourful Day. To be honest, I probably won't buy the album. No doubt he'll do well anyway.

The crowd were good and attentive for Lissie, who got huge cheers. She started off with my absolute favourite, Wedding Bells, which has strangely not been included on the album. Its a yearning song of lost love which has been known to make girls cry on first listen. The crowd were visibly more animated by single When I'm Alone, and by her popular Lady Gaga cover Bad Romance. As a non-Gaga fan, they left me kind of cold. Much more interesting was the proper country track Oh Mississippi and Everywhere I Go, which gave her a chance to show off her really very spectacular voice.

It was a funny old gig, and I have to be honest, I turned into a bit of a music snob about it. A lot of the crowd maybe didn't go to gigs that often and were really irritating to those who were just trying to hear the music. Plus I had the underlying feeling that both Lissie and Alan had talents that were in danger of being diluted into bland folky-pop in order to appeal to the mainstream. That being said, there was some great spine-tingly moments that I wouldn't have missed for the world, and I will definitely keep an eye on these two.

PS. Apologies for the terrible photos, I blame it on the light!

Dette of Gratitude w/ Race Horses, Emmy the Great, Beth Jeans Houghton and Field Music @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester, 2 June 2010

It was as if the gig gods knew I needed something good after the mediocre-fest of Dot to Dot. I was having a read of some blogs and noticed this post. Emmy the Great at the Deaf Institute this week? How had I not clocked that one? So tickets were duly bought and we moseyed on down after work at around 8pm to get some quality Trof burgers before the show. As we walked in though we noticed the line-up posted on the door: The Acorn were starting imminently, followed by a band called Race Horses, Emmy the Great, Beth Jeans Houghton and topped off at 11 with another chance to see Field Music. That is a ridiculously good bill! As it turned out, the event had actually been put on as a surprise leaving party for a local lady called Bernie Phillips. Over the years she has accommodated bands playing and recording in the city in her home, and is now heading off to live in Canada, so there was a very sweet tone to the whole evening, even if we did feel a little like gate crashers!

The need for food unfortunately took precedent, and we missed The Acorn, which was a real shame. But we got upstairs in time to catch Race Horses and I am so glad we did – they were delightful. Although they hailed from Cardiff they had a Liverpool Beatles-esque sound, with a dash of the Wombats (that’s a compliment!). They were full of energy and smiled throughout the set, and they had some beautiful harmonies – I do love a male harmony. They really impressed the crowd and got a great reception. We bought their album so will get a review up here soon.

Emmy the Great was up next, and she was as remarkable as I expected. She read out a message to Bernie from the Howling Bells before cantering through some tracks from First Love. Although she was on stage on her own for most of the set, the songs sounded as great as they did on the album because her voice is so flawless. Highlights of a brilliant set were the candid We Almost Had a Baby, and Absentee with its hymn-like refrain Kyrie Eleison reminding me of mass as a child.

The evening was turning into one of the best gigs I’d been to in ages. It was lovely to sit in the wonderful Music Hall with a perfect view of these truly talented people performing little half hour sets. A friend once argued that 40 minutes is the most he ever likes to watch anything for, be it music or any other performance, and I’m starting to see his point.

It was difficult to imagine how you could follow Emmy’s set but wow, did Beth Jeans Houghton impress. I had heard a track or two of hers on the radio before but never had a proper listen, but she’s next on my list for back-catalogue buying. After a few words from Marc Riley paying tribute to Bernie and the evening which was apparently Beth’s idea, she came on in an Dolly Parton style outfit and wig and with a band dressed in a messed-up Marie Antoinette get-up. The set was song after joyful song combining traditional guitar and drums with trumpet-playing, Jarvis-style spoken word and a wonderful cover of Devil in Disguise. I loved every second of it and did not want it to end.

Finally the special guests Field Music came on. Having described them as bland in my Dot to Dot review, I was ready to put that down to a bad day, and in some ways I was able to. They were four lads who could play their instruments very well and obviously enjoyed playing with each other. They mentioned that this was their first gig in three years without a set list and they really had fun with it, improvising as they went along. The drum beat is the focus of most of the songs, which makes the sound somewhat flat and repetitive, and I can’t help thinking three guitars makes it too heavy, but although they’re not my thing the crowd liked them and they were a good end to an excellent night. The whole evening had been a real treat – Bernie must be pretty special.

Jesca Hoop @ Band on the Wall, Manchester, 24 May 2010

The first time I went to see Jesca Hoop was at the Deaf Institute back in February, and I almost didn’t go. It seems incredible now, but I was tired and it was the night before I flew to Amsterdam. And now after seeing her twice? I wouldn’t miss a gig for the world. I have every intention of catching her for a third time at Latitude, and maybe even a fourth this year at Summer Sundae.

So, Jesca, how do I love thee? I shall count the ways:

1. Hoop has a wonderfully endearing stage presence. She flirts with the crowd, telling us how, as a California girl she has been won over by British treats such as Marmite. She tells a peanut butter joke. She apologies for taking time to tune her guitar. She talks about her mother’s illness and her Mormon family. And the audience fall for her bit by bit until they leave, totally head over heels.


2. You just know she would throw a good party. Songs like Out the Back Door and the brand new Kitchen Disco (complete with strobes) are just so damn cool I want to hang out after the gig and ask her to be my friend.


3. Angel Mom, despite the title, is one of the most beautiful songs I think I have ever heard. It demonstrates the purity of Hoop’s voice perfectly, and makes me cry a little bit. And I love a cry.


4. Jesca puts it all out there to give you a gig well worth your money. The music veers from blues to folk to…God, I want to say funk, but its more like some kind of new genre she has invented. There are strikingly beautiful backing singers, telephone theatrics, encores and a completely A Capella song that simply stuns the crowd.


5. Oh, and Guy Garvey came out to sing with her. Did I not mention that? You know it’s been a good gig when Guy Garvey is an afterthought.

Antlers @ St Philip's Church, Salford, 20 May 2010

I think I would go and see any act on at St Philip’s Church. Seriously. Even Diana Vickers who I accidentally went to see the other night (don’t ask). Its just the most perfect venue: beautiful Grecian church, pews to sit on, and in a lovely spot just round the corner from the New Oxford and 15 minutes walk from St Peter’s Square. It certainly encourages a more reverential atmosphere, as commented on by Peter Silberman of the Antlers last night. But it does differ from mass in one important way: parishioners run a bar from a trestle table at the back, and provide a frankly better service than most bars in Manchester. They recommended Mr Noggin buy me a cider as “the wine tastes of bleach”. It’s that kind of guidance you need from a barperson.

It’s only fair to say up front that I hadn’t listened to the Antlers before that day and wasn’t sure what to expect – I was going along with a couple of fans. I’d also had a rather nice tea and a couple of beers and was half expecting to have a snooze at some point (see title of blog). But there was no risk of that with this band. They were intense from the very beginning, and worked their way through the album Hospice in track order, as it tells of a traumatic relationship with a patient dying of cancer. Silberman’s voice is hypnotic and the audience is drawn fully into the story-telling.

The mood broke only a couple of times. At one point a member of the audience asked if they were going to play Two, and they smiled and coyly said “Maybe” – surely redundant as they were clearly playing the whole album. Later on Silberman commented on how respectful the audience were, proceeding to shush the crowd when they laughed. It was a welcome break from the intensity of the music, but they were soon back into it.

The album alternates pained quiet singing with loud crashing of Silberman’s guitar and Michael Lerner’s drums. Darby Cicci hides behind a mop of hair as he provides anguished keyboard. There is a real synchronicity within the band as they play. They aren’t going through the motions, there are genuine connections made as they look to each other throughout the show.

It seems there has been much chatter around the subject matter of the album and whose story it tells. But this wasn’t the question at the forefront of our minds as we walked into the warm Salford night. We were wondering what on earth the band would do to follow that.

The next month in music

There seems to be rather a lot of interesting live music in Manchester coming up, despite the fact that we are entering the traditionally slow summer season. Here’s my pick of the best stuff:

1. Antlers @ St Philip’s Church in Salford, Thursday 20 May:
Don’t know much about this band, I’m going with a fan, but always look forward to a gig in this venue. Seeing Hurts do their debut gig here was very special

2. Jesca Hoop @ Band on the Wall, Monday 24 May:
Seeing Jesca for the second time. She was mesmerising at the Deaf Institute, her songs are like a kind of wonderful soul-folk and she has quite a stage presence. Her ridiculously good-looking backing singers were crowd-pleasers last time as I remember. Her popularity is increasing rapidly, I would expect her to be pretty well-known by the end of the festival season



3. Dot to Dot Festival, various venues, all-day, Bank Holiday Monday 31 May:
Booked tickets for this before the line-up was announced, and the first batch of bands was a bit disappointing. Zane Lowe? But things are looking up, I’m especially looking forward to Wild Beasts, Beach House, Wolf Gang and Lissie – the latter’s EP I have has on repeat for a week or so, brilliant stuff. Booked the next day off work – for the best after a bank holiday all-day session.

4. Lau @ The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge, Friday 4 June:
Bit out of the area this one, but actually surprisingly easy to get to – there are regular trains to and from Victoria, and it’s nice to have a change of scene. Lau won Best Group at the 2010 BBC2 Folk Awards, and have some beautiful, more traditional folk songs.

5. Ian Brown @ Platt Fields, 11 June:
Is anybody not going to this? Have taken the afternoon off work to fully enjoy the line-up. Only mildly looking forward to Ian Brown himself, but with the park-based fun starting at 4:30pm and UNKLE, A Certain Ratio, Mr Scruff and Now Wave DJs also on the line up, I’m anticipating it to be one of the events of the summer.

Reviews to follow!