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Ariel Abshire – Exclamation Love

September 24, 2008 by  
Filed under Albums (and EPs)

Ariel Abshire
Exclamation Love

Right from what is both the album opener and title track it’s obvious what Ariel Abshire is about. Each of the ten tracks on Exclamation Love share a common ambience of easy on the ear instrumentation and the vocal talents of Ariel herself, which are considerable. While her backing band might not win any prizes for outstanding originality, they don’t sound as if they either need or want to either.

This is very much more than a “girl-meets-slide-guitar” album. Exclamation Love is, were anyone ever to remake it, the soundtrack to an updated “High School Confidential” – “we’re underage/we were on the phone/now we’re not at home/ and I’m hiding it from mom” – er, Ariel, your mom MIGHT find out, particularly if you add a string section and a xylophone to a song as confessional as “Nervous”.

But what really makes this album listenable is its blatant ordinariness. Every female singer-songwriter I’ve heard in the last decade seem to have been searching for a gimmick to hang their voice and guitar on. No-one really knows where this began but the award for “Most Obtuse Poetic Lyricist” hasn’t really had any very serious contenders recently. So step forward the New Realism – up to and including songs about skin conditions: (track 8, the memorably frank “Spots”).

And listen to that backing band again; rarely ever deviating from a basic four piece arrangement, the occasional bursts of lead guitar and notably, the moth-like mandolin of “Subscriptions And Lies” are all the more notable for their practised understatement. Ariel Abshire isn’t writing highly personalised poetry on her folders to impress Cheryl Crowe or vandalising the girls room with Avril Lavigne – in fact, it takes albums such as this one to alert us to the fact that girls like Ariel Abshire even exist at all. They do.

Wire – Object 47

September 24, 2008 by  
Filed under Albums (and EPs)

Wire
Object 47

Despite missing the contribution of ex-guitarist Bruce Gilbert here, the remaining members of Wire (Colin Newman – vocals/guitar, Graham Lewis – bass/vocals and Robert Grey – drums) have released an album a good few decades after their most popular works, Pink Flag and Chairs Missing, which truly showcases their vast musical repertoire. From searing punk aggression to trip-hop techno and through to more classically Brit-pop inspired tunes, the variety here is indicative of Wire’s ever-changing sound throughout the years. Never an easy band to pin down, Object 47 is nonetheless an album that can stand proudly next to Wire’s acclaimed early releases.

Opener “One Of Us” is ostensibly a fantastic pop song, built around an infectiously catchy bass line, a high-hat heavy drum beat and a contradictorily chirpy sounding chorus; “declining, divining, one of us will live to rue the day we met each other, one of us will live to rue the day we met each other.” According to Newman the song is about “at least one person who has pissed us off mightily.” Whoever it was, I’d like to give them a pat on the back for being the progenitor of such an awesome song.

“Mekon Headman” is a pulsating number, chugging along over another fantastic bass line from Lewis. With the chorus, “Please let me help you remember/ You’re memory’s shot, you’ve lost the plot/ Please reveal your whole agenda, you’re time is up (you fuckin’ crumb)”, could this song be an acerbic dig at some of the recent foreign policy decisions made by certain UK and US leaders? I’d like to think so.

“Four Long Years” starts off with quiet, echoing percussion and leads into a synth-laden Depeche Mode-esque number that rolls along nicely, helped along by a filthy bass-line and a catchy, chanty chorus, “Too fast, too slow/ The operator does not know/ Can’t sleep, can’t weep, for years and years not much to show”. This song best highlights the most fantastic thing to come from Gilbert’s departure from the band – the space they now have to experiment with the interplay between the rhythm section and the vocals, without all the noise and chaos of too much guitar. This might be just personal taste, but I actually like the mellower, rounded sound more than some of their earlier work.

“Patient Flees” is the weakest track on the album; it has a kind of weird Pink Floyd “Brain Damage” feel to it – unfortunately it’s not as good. The chorus sounds like there was an excessive use of the rhyming dictionary during the writing process, “Premonition, humiliation, inspiration, intoxication, provocation, subjugation, discrimination, motivation” and so on. I mean, they’re all lovely words, but I’m not sure that stringing random concepts together equals a great chorus. Maybe I’m missing something, probably am. Unfortunately, it’s the longest song on the album, which means that, for me, the album sucks for an inordinate amount of time.

“All Fours”, the last track, is most reminiscent of the older Wire material, sounding like it wouldn’t have been out of place on Pink Flag. Starting with a distorted guitar tone and a simple drum pattern, the vocals and bass kick in and build up to a Ramones-esque (if lyrically a lot more intelligent) chorus, “Rethinking strategies, terror forms in liquid slums, dictators’ ships supplied at all costs/ Sulphur spots and rising tides, fetid chancellors of taste/ Lowest counts since moonman walked on all fours”. This song builds up to a frenetic, noisy ending; a perfect close to the album.

This is a really great album, and very unlike any of Wire’s other releases (but that’s not saying much, since each album seems to take an entirely different path to the last whilst always sounding typically Wire-ish). This may be a good introductory album for those new to Wire; with its pop sensibilities it remains accessible, whilst also showcasing the more punk and techno elements present in the band’s back catalogue. Long-term fans of the band should also find something to love here; since the album clarifies that Wire still has a drive towards experimentation that has kept it sounding so fresh during its amazingly long career.

Time Since Western – A Sun Goes Down

September 24, 2008 by  
Filed under Albums (and EPs)

Time Since Western
A Sun Goes Down

Departing from the kitschy-cool chamber rock of his other band, Pale Young Gentlemen, Madison, Wisconsin-based Andrew Brawner has created a simmering album with understated messages and stunning craftsmanship. With emotive, Cat Power-like composition and poised, crooning vocals, Brawner’s Time Since Western combines diverse elements that can be sweet, poignant, and always unexpected.

Trip-hop drums in “Northern Down” and the orchestration a la Grizzly Bear in “Perspective” are just two examples of genre-spanning in A Sun Goes Down. Seemingly disjointed pieces manage to come together beautifully in many of Brawner’s tracks, and the deceptively quiet, muted vocal stylings hide sparkling lyrics. Both of these traits are perhaps most noticeable on “CST.” “Apple”, a gem of an acoustic ballad, hints at A Sun Goes Down as one of the strongest self-released, local albums to come out in the recent past. This is a concise, simple album, with each track flowing into the next with ease and this cohesiveness is one of the high points of A Sun Goes Down. The uptempo “Feathers” features the best lyrical work on the entire record.

Brawner’s stylistic choices are conscious and careful, perhaps best exhibited on the album’s closing track “Inside Out” – a song that somehow fits in with the rest despite its obvious dissimilarities. Madison is, in fact, becoming more and more prevalent as a city for music, and based on Brawner’s work, deservedly so. Pick up a copy of A Sun Goes Down – Brawner’s album has something special.

The Great Northwest – The Widespread Reign of the Great Northwest

September 23, 2008 by  
Filed under Albums (and EPs)

The Great Northwest
The Widespread Reign of the Great Northwest

The Great Northwest gathers for sonic reverie on its debut, The Widespread Reign of the Great Northwest. With resolute patience and stellar production, this Portland, Oregon band weaves rich soundscapes that are equal parts space rock, slowcore, and psychedelic jams. This music doesn’t come right at you. Rather, it floats out and surrounds you.

Songs gradually develop as the band indulges, slowly brushing coats of varnished guitars and keys over a repetitive, central guitar figure. Ambient this is not. The bedroom vocals and involved musicianship invites both ears.

Some of these tracks are almost drone-like in their meditation. The pace creeps, and the mood relaxes despite the compositions’ introverted tensions. The electric guitar is the star instrument, played here through multiple effects using a combination of picking styles. Understated vocals, often little above a whisper, hover over the mix. The Great Northwest’s liberal use of pedals and processing adds psychedelic overtones. The music is half underwater, half in the clouds.

The Widespread Reign of the Great Northwest holds many treasures. The acoustic guitar and syrupy bass of “Chief John” start this day beneath a hazy, sleeping sunrise, and establishes the album’s unwavering pace. “Reverie” sounds brighter than its predecessor, thanks to a ringing electric guitar, thick with reverb.

Later in the album, the nearly 7 minute “Western American” offers up another acoustic guitar figure that repeats and repeats until the song starves for more sounds. Soon comes phased vocals, electric guitars, and a bobbing bass line. Up next is “Know What I Mean”, featuring a dirty rock riff fit for Jack White ‘s repertoire.

Some of the best parts come last. “Game” reveals the album’s most intriguing guitar line. And “Split” is by far the catchiest number, courting the hook with sad lyrics like, “I think I’m done with this today / it’s been fun, I’m glad to say / Kiss this world a sweet goodbye / go where the grass kisses the sky”.

The albums meditative repetition and sluggish pace won’t appeal to everyone. But patient audiophiles comfortable with spacey jams will find a lot to dig into on The Widespread Reign of the Great Northwest.

But note that this is not the Dandy Warhols, despite the PR guy’s insistent name dropping. Of the 11 musicians credited on the album, only one was a Dandy.

Cheap Girls – Find Me A Drink Home

September 23, 2008 by  
Filed under Albums (and EPs)

Cheap Girls
Find Me A Drink Home

With a band name like Cheap Girls and an album called Find Me A Drink Home, you might expect some alcohol-fueled, hard-edged bar-rock to come spewing from the speakers, and that’s exactly what you get. The trio from Lansing, Michigan use guitar, bass and drums to pound out eleven similar sounding and quick-paced, average rock songs.

The evenly produced power-rock tunes contain copious amounts of chugging and churning guitars, throbbing bass lines and smooth drumming, but do little to engage the listener. Other than a few tempo shifts and some classic-rock sounding guitar leads, the songs hardly distinguish themselves. Cheap Girls play their inane rock with a decidedly hard rock ethos coupled with uninspired alternative stylings and sterile songwriting. Their monotonous brand of music is like ordinary classic rock in alt-rock clothing, occasionally showing hints of punk-pop like the Failure’s Union and/or The Futureheads.

The only thing stopping this from being a truly disastrous release are the flashes of alt-punk, the competent vocals and two tracks that don’t suck. Ian Graham’s singing is energetic and smooth and accented with just the right amount of angst, while “Kind Of On Purpose” and “A Lesser Rate” are playful and melodic enough to elevate this album from extremely awful to extremely disappointing.

Mercury Rev – Snowflake Midnight

September 23, 2008 by  
Filed under Albums (and EPs)

Mercury Rev
Snowflake Midnight

When the plaudits were given to Mercury Rev for 1998’s Deserter’s Songs, some were clearly unjustified – including those hyperbolically handed-out by a younger version of this writer. It was asserted erroneously that the album was a new dazzling dawn for the band, with the preceding trio of 1991’s Yerself Is Steam, 1993’s Boces and 1995’s See You On The Other Side acting as merely curious ‘warming-up’ exercises. But in hindsight-sharpened reality, Deserter’s Songs began to feel like the beginning of the end, with Mercury Rev’s maverick psychedelia watering-down into drippy tweeness. Aside from the legions of copycat acts it inspired, Deserter’s Songs lead to the overblown but underfed All Is Dream LP in 2001 and the painfully-etiolated Secret Migration in 2005; wherein primary vocalist Jonathan Donahue in particular reached new-lows with his pseudo-pastoral wordplay and tiresome Neil Young vocal affectations. It seemed then, that 2006’s Stillness Breathes: 1991-2006 compilation could have been a prudent place to call it quits. However, 2008 sees the release of two simultaneously-released albums; one being a free download-only instrumental collection entitled Strange Attractor and the other being the flaccidly-anointed ‘official’ song-based set, Snowflake Midnight. Whilst followers can take a chance on Strange Attractor (unavailable for review) without financial penalties, can Snowflake Midnight justify any expense?

The signs aren’t good from just a cursory glance at the insipid song titles; such as “Snowflake In A Hot World,” “People Are So Unpredictable (There’s No Bliss Like Home),” “Runaway Raindrop” and – perhaps worst of all – “A Squirrel And I (Holding On… And Then Letting Go).” Yet giving Snowflake Midnight some ‘professional’ benefit of the doubt for review purposes leads to the discovery that it isn’t quite as bad as one might expect. It’s not an especially great Mercury Rev release – and lyrically it tokes on some truly abysmal sub-hippie couplets – but it’s not quite following the same arc of deterioration as its three predecessors.

It appears that at least the need for musical change has been recognised within the Rev ranks (Donahue together with Sean ‘Grasshopper’ Mackowiak, Jeff Mercel and producer Dave Fridmann). This doesn’t unfortunately mean a return to the soaring symphonic noise of the outfit’s classic early triumvirate. Instead it seems, that the group sought to re-explore the electronic avenues lit-up by Donahue’s creditable collaborations with The Chemical Brothers and via the bouncy space-pop of “Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp” (tucked-into the closing corner of Deserter’s Songs). Hence, artilleries of busy drum machines, squelching synths, whooshing drones, samples, loops and vocal effects are fired into action, instead of guitars and syrupy strings.

Whilst it’s still hard to be moved by the core role of Donahue, the new and more imaginative sonic scenery does pull a few borderline-delights out of the bag. The pulsing “Senses On Fire” – with its disorientating multi-tracked ensemble vocals and stomping insistent groove – is certainly a good place to start. Elsewhere, the wordless “October Sunshine” delivers a glacial ghostliness worthy of Dead Can Dance or Labradford; “Dream Of A Young Girl As A Flower” clings tightly to a powerfully marauding rhythm track; the Tortoise-like percussion workouts on “Faraway From Cars” nearly offset the terrible prose; and the ambient-techno threads of “Butterfly’s Wing” pull off a similarly mean feat.

It will take a stiff stomach to digest it all, with some tracks – like “A Squirrel And I…” – dissolving into a mess of studio and Donahue-related gloop. But overall Snowflake Midnight isn’t quite the disaster that the disillusioned might have expected. Now if only Mercury Rev had the guts to bring back underrated wild-cat co-vocalist David Baker back into the fold, then we might again hear some near-magical Boces-style carnage. We can but dream…

The Golden Hands Before God – Blood of November

September 22, 2008 by  
Filed under MP3s, Concerts, DVDs, and More

The Golden Hands Before God
Blood of November

The Golden Hands Before God call Windsor, Canada its hometown. The group has recently produced its first album Here. After listening to “Blood of November” I’m quite inspired to purchase the album ASAP. The band has a unique voice that reflects a solemn yet down to earth tone which reminds one of Neil Young, Bob Dylan and other great artist of the 1960s.

“Blood of November” hits quite an emotional note with the listener; this is the kind of music that breaks you out of the mundane moments of daily life and reminds of the deeper things. Go ahead – listen, enjoy and take a moment to ponder.

Blitzen Trapper – Furr

September 22, 2008 by  
Filed under Albums (and EPs)

When you’re part of something like Blitzen Trapper, a band whose umbrella is under about ten different genres — all on just one song — it creates a certain expectation. And following the triumph that was last year’s sprawling, surprisingly cohesive, and outstanding Wild Mountain Nation, there were certainly great expectations for these Northwesterners. They signed onto Sub Pop, embarked on an imposing tour with Fleet Foxes and chose to take small breaks in between set dates to craft and create Furr.

The album begins with the pounding drums and guitars of “Sleepy Time in the Western World,” it’s a joyous and raucous start to the album and one that finds the band showcasing a much cleaner and polished sound. Make no doubt about it, this is still a Blitzen Trapper album but it definitely sounds a lot different.

The guitars are scaled back to reveal a tighter musicianship and although there are some breakaway sections, this is one accomplished sounding band. The synthesizers and atmospheric sounds on “Gold for Bread” recall Midnite Vultures-era Beck and the acoustic guitar ending is utterly sublime. A tremendous moment appears on “Love U” when Eric Earley literally shouts the opening lines and it tears into a menacing, torrid slamming of cymbals, rolling drum fills and Earley’s shouting screams. The song, somehow, turns into a melancholy, sad affair with organ and almost lulling vocals and it makes for a unique transition that only works because of the band that’s executing it.

A lot of the songs on the album rely on Earley’s strong songwriting chops and the band’s eclectic use of varying sounds and styles. “Black River Killer” is a smooth rock song with storytelling lyrics and a soul-tapping groove. It’s followed by a piano-driven ballad in “Not Your Lover,” a song portraying a ruined relationship that is nicely filled out with musical harmonica and only Earle’s vocals to carry it. Apparently the band was deeply influenced at the founding of an old, warped piano which they used to deliver some of the bare skeletons of songs. It’s easily felt on the aforementioned song and on the Elton John-esque sounds of “Echo/Always On/Ez Con.” These are styles that the band is attempting for the first time and they actually make them work.

Although the press release only mentions Wild Mountain Nation we mustn’t forget that Blitzen Trapper have been a great band for quite some time now — eight years and counting. It’s only obvious that comparisons between the two albums will be endless; and while there isn’t anything as blisteringly heavy as “Woof & Warp of the Quiet Giant’s Hem,” as gritty and grimy as “Miss Spiritual Tramp,” or even as trippy and psychedelic as “Hot Tip/Tough Cub,” there is still plenty to love on Furr.

A song like the title track possesses a killer chug and enough country swagger to make anyone tap their foot and “God + Suicide” is only more of the same great music. This is an album that will probably not attract more fans but it will surely retain many of the band’s long-time ones. Furr may not be as extensive as its predecessor but this feels like a solid progression for a band that is due for some recognition. And this proves that Blitzen Trapper will continue to grow and challenge themselves with each subsequent release.

The Black Watch – Icing the Snow Queen

September 22, 2008 by  
Filed under Albums (and EPs)

The Black Watch
Icing the Snow Queen

The Black Watch has been under the radar for a long time. Critical acclaim won’t take away these guys’ street cred. I admire their choice to stay away from the spotlight, as they let the music speak for itself. I’ve only recently read up on them, but if their latest album Icing The Snow Queen is any indication, I’ll probably be seeking out their back catalog soon.

The album appropriately opens with the title track, which gives the audience a good primer for the rest of the album. Jazzy and psychedelic folk-rock will fill your ears, and if that’s your bag then you’re in for a treat. I personally feel that the band is best when they mix things up a bit more on their more urgent pseudo-alt. rock affairs like “On Another Plane” and “Jenny Holly Wally Martin”. Other than that, there’s a sunny sense of familiarity in the basic riff that “Quartz Pink Cloud” chimes. It’s derivative, yet the song as a whole is definitely charming nonetheless due to its simplicity. “Apres Lisette” is another slow one, yet it soars more often than the previous song as far as its emotional intensity is concerned.

It’s hard not to think of The Beatles when listening to the super catchy “The Love of the Buzz”. Just picture a slightly grungy version of The Beatles and you’ll be in the same ball park. The pleasant folk ruminations of “Quite Contrary” end all too soon, yet the song serves its purpose and doesn’t feel like a filler. After the rough “Jenny Holly”, “The Jean-Rhys Appreciation Society” is an interesting change of pace. It’s instrumental and somewhat repetitious, but if you really absorb the track it’s almost out of place. “Peppermint” is gentile yet raw in delivery. A sugary pop song if there was one on this album. “Oh Death Death Death” has a predictable chorus, yet The Black Watch truly shines again here with a briskly paced rock song.

Overall, Icing the Snow Queen is a satisfying and well rounded album. As mentioned before, I do wish the band would rock out a little more, yet what we get in their slightly calmer moments, is excellent nonetheless. “Kindly Remind Me” is an appropriate title for the closer, as it reflects most of what makes the rest of the album so appealing. This is like easy listening for the thinking music fan.

Jubilee – Manchester – Night and Day Cafe, United Kingdom – 2008-09-11

September 19, 2008 by  
Filed under MP3s, Concerts, DVDs, and More

Jubilee
Where: Manchester – Night and Day Cafe, United Kingdom.

When: 2008-09-11

So, I didn’t want to start like this but there’s no real way to get round it; yes, Jubilee’s line-up does contain ex-members of Nine Inch Nails and The Icarus Line and one current member of Queens of the Stone Age. However, any preconceptions or expectations this information might give you should be left firmly at the door if you go to see them play. Jubilee is a different beast altogether; this LA band has gone back to its roots for a small venue tour, bringing their exuberant, scuzzy, Brit-pop tinged music with them.

I was understandably excited about this gig, as the first time I saw them they were actually much better than I ever could have imagined. Seeing such fantastic musicians in a small, intimate setting was awesome and I think the band probably fed off the ‘small grimy UK venue’ atmosphere (and you don’t get much grimier than WA1) as well. The only thing spoiling it was the less than enthusiastic and, in some cases, downright irritating crowd and the fact that half of them seemed to piss off to the bar downstairs after the support acts – meaning they missed out on the amazing headlining band. Their loss.

This time round, then, I was expecting more of the same boundless energy that Jubilee displayed last time. I found myself getting increasingly impatient waiting around before the support band started; drinking the ridiculously priced bottled beer and feeling more and more overwhelmed by the almost tropical temperatures in the venue. I admit, I was kind of falling asleep there for a while, in between being tempted to take up smoking just so I could go and stand outside for a bit – that place seriously needs to sort out its ventilation issues.

My expectations were raised even higher by fantastic Canadian support act, Les Gars. Admittedly, I don’t really know all that much about them, but the lyrics I heard seemed to be about the minimum wage, girls and other rock ‘n’ roll things. The vocals were gritty, rough and their fairly short set created a great party atmosphere. At least, it would have done if they could have inspired some movement into the tired limbs of the audience – but I’m not blaming the band for this, I’m blaming the temperature and the price of beer. The best thing by far about this band though was the bass playing – which was always spot on rhythmically and was so prominent it was hard to ignore the complexity of what the guy was doing. All this and the bassist still managed to spend much of his time jigging around like a mad pixie, which was truly quite impressive. The key things Les Gars provided were energy, enthusiasm and grit in bucketfuls; a perfect support band for Jubilee and definitely a band to watch out for in the future.

We were now onto the main event, but unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond their control, luck seemed to be against Jubilee for the rest of the night. An event involving their van, the M6 and the police had left a lot of their equipment less than useful. It was very difficult to have any other reaction to the delay other than to feel very sorry for these guys; who obviously wanted to put on a great show but were struggling against what seemed like fairly insurmountable technical problems. As it approached 10:45 I realised that there was no way I was going to be seeing much of Jubilee at all, what with my last train home being at 11:20. I was very upset by this in all honesty, but just about managed to retain my composure.

Not to be kept down for long, however, the members of Jubilee; Aaron North (guitar/vocals), Michael Shuman (bass/vocals), Jeff Lynn (guitar) and Troy Petrey (drums); soon after came onto the stage. Shuman apologised for the delay and promised they would play as many songs as possible with the time and equipment they had left. North also apologised, in his own special way. Good enough for me; but apparently not for the bloke standing to the side of me, who went into a fit of unparalleled rage because North had had the audacity to speak when he should have been playing. His use of language was impressively colourful.

Let’s just say this interaction ended with North brandishing a mic stand quite threateningly (although, I guess it’s never an action that’s going to look friendly) in an attempt to ward off the rabid local. The crowd fell into a hushed silence, maybe taking bets on who would come out the winner. My money was always on the guy holding the big metal pole standing on the monitor amp. Luckily, it didn’t actually come to blows, which was somewhat of a relief.

However, having said all that and despite the fact that the guy was clearly acting like a cock, it was possibly the best thing that could have happened. Jubilee seemed pretty pissed off before this event, what with the equipment screw-up, but this made them practically vitriolic. They blistered through about five songs (which was all I had time to hear before being dragged away to catch the train), including “Rebel Hiss” and “In With The Out Crowd”, with North slashing his guitar at the air and the mic (which seemed to keep cutting out) with unabated violence.

This was definitely the most furious version of “Rebel Hiss” I’ve heard from them; usually sounding quite jaunty, North’s voice was raspier than usual here and the bridge section was ominous with all the band members thrashing around the stage in a barely contained frenzy. Their performance, what I saw of it, was fantastically edgy; their annoyance at being treated badly for something that was not their fault seeming to drive them on to provide the audience with a performance that would leave them with pounding hearts and dry mouths. They certainly delivered.

It was a shame, in my opinion, that I didn’t see any of the quieter stuff, like “Fool On The Pill” (although they might have played it after I left) – which showcases a softer side to Jubilee, provided for the most part by Shuman’s almost sweet sounding vocal tones. I have to admit, I’m adding this bit into my review mostly because one peculiar reviewer has made the comment previously that Jubilee’s songs are good up until the point when Shuman takes centre stage – when, apparently, the songs take a boring, folky-sounding nose-dive. I think this is just wrong. In fact, I’d go further than that; it’s just objectively wrong. Shuman is an integral part of Jubilee’s live act, both musically and vocally. Yes, his voice is different, but certainly no worse, than North’s. As for the comment about things going downhill on the slow songs – well, obviously some people just can’t cope with time signature changes, which is a pity. Further to this, Michael Shuman is an obscenely good bass player – it was worth the money just to see him play one song. I think I’ve made my opinion fairly clear on this point now, so I’ll get off my soapbox.

Overall, this was a fantastic gig and I was genuinely distressed to miss the end of it and was almost considering shelling out the £40 taxi fare home just so I could catch the end. However, I decided better of it and that Manchester was not the kind of place you want to get stranded in for too long at that time. This point was made all the more clear to me as, when I was approaching Piccadilly Station, a man came up to me completely convinced that he knew me from last weekend and asked me if he could have his boxer shorts back. How strange.

Seriously though, Jubilee are touring the UK for awhile longer I think and anyone living in this fine country should head down to their nearest venue and see them before the release of their debut full-length album (hopefully soon!). If I was impressed with five songs, just imagine what a whole set is like! If you live elsewhere in the world, well, you’ll just have to wait your turn I suppose – but hopefully they’ll be appearing in a venue near you soon.

(PLEASE NOTE: These fantastic photographs are used with the permission of Edmund Townend, and were taken by him and not me. They were also taken at the Jubilee gig in Cardiff, not at Manchester. More awesome photographs from the Cardiff set can be seen here: http://stellarspontaneous.fotki.com/jubilee/)

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