Laura Marling / Johnny Flynn / Jay Jay Pistolet @ Birmingham Glee Club, 5/5/08

The Glee Club was humming when I arrived, most likely caused by a reportedly excellent set by Jay Jay Pistolet which I’d just missed. The merchandise table was certainly doing a brisk trade with his stack of 7″ promos disappearing quickly. “Very like Bright Eyes” was one approving verdict so I’d urge you to check his MySpace, as will I. Continue reading “Laura Marling / Johnny Flynn / Jay Jay Pistolet @ Birmingham Glee Club, 5/5/08”

MGMT / Virgin Passages @ Birmingham Bar Academy, 3/3/08

My CDX Tips for 2008 are all doing pretty well save for one. I backed Yeasayer to make a splash over here after checking out their debut album and the wad of positive reviews that accompanied it. However, now they’re over here and touring no-one’s paying much attention to them. Their support act on their last US tour, MGMT, on the other hand are generating a right royal buzz with ‘Time To Pretend’ all over daytime radio. Continue reading “MGMT / Virgin Passages @ Birmingham Bar Academy, 3/3/08”

Tina Dico / Ain @ Birmingham Glee Club, 2/3/08

In a recent album review Ain was described as commanding attention by ‘being the quietest person in the room’. However, the ever polite Glee Club audience was silent and still threatened to drown him out. Ain is the archetypal shy, mumbling, floppy-haired singer/songwriter and has produced a decent album of textured subtlety but I found that most of this was lost in a rather too apologetic performance.

With exactly the same stage set-up – a mic and two guitars – Tina Dico made an entirely different impression. Of course, being thoroughly beautiful (if tall, musical, stereotypically Scandinavian girls are your type) doesn’t hurt to make a few jaws go slack around the room, but it was her breezy confidence and strong voice that helped her take the evening by the scruff of the neck.

Continue reading “Tina Dico / Ain @ Birmingham Glee Club, 2/3/08”