Posted: 26 March 2008 | Author: Chris Unitt | No Comments »
You may remember mobileAct unsigned as T4′s awful indie-X-Factor show with an amusing twist. The twist being that it managed to be more embarrassing for the presenters (hello Alex James, Jo Whiley and Simon Gavin) than for the acts involved. The eventual winners were the Birmingham-based Envy & Other Sins; a likeable quartet of Victoriana-clad gents and the evening’s headliners. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: 25 March 2008 | Author: Chris Unitt | No Comments »
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. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: 2 February 2008 | Author: Chris Unitt | 1 Comment »
“We’re Alphabeat and we play pop!” Yes, they sure do! Alphabeat are a pop band who are in the habit of stating the obvious. Six fresh-faced, energetic Danes who do exactly what they say they do. There’s no angst, subtle subtexts or navel-gazing, just honest to goodness, perky nonsense with more bounce to the ounce. You may have noticed they were a CDX top tip for 2008 and for good reason seemingly. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: 27 October 2007 | Author: Chris Unitt | No Comments »
No-one ever came up with a better name for it than nu-rave did they? No-one came up with an alternative that stuck anyway. Who cares what’s in a name anyway? If the original rave scene hasn’t been reborn by a bunch of indie kids with drum machines and keyboards, so what? If you’re that literal minded then wait til you hear about other instruments being used in drum n bass other than drums and bass. Don’t tell anyone, but there’s not much in the way of blues in some RnB songs.What was I talking about? Oh yeah. For all the exciting new bands that have sprung up in the last couple of years that could be loosely grouped into the nu-rave camp I’ve only caught a couple of them live (Hadouken!, Does It Offend You, Yeah? and, at a push, the punctuationless Hot Chip) so I was looking forward to catching Shy Child doing their thing. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: 21 October 2007 | Author: Chris Unitt | 1 Comment »
In time-honoured fashion I turned up too late to catch any of the support acts, but only barely. I got to the top of stairs to find myself dodging sweat-covered, panting kids making their way back from the stage. I couldn’t help feeling I’d missed something so I grabbed a drink and took in my surroundings. The place had been taken over with kids, some clearly pushing the 14+ age limit. What the heck was that about? Perhaps all the older people were at the main Academy next door for the NME tour and I’d wandered into an indie crèche or something. Still, there’s nothing like the enthusiasm of youth to knock a twenty-something’s cynicism, and Flamboyant Bella aren’t a band that have much truck with cynicism. If you’ve encountered them then there’s a good chance it’s been via their Myspace where, still unsigned, they’re racking up friends like nobody’s business. Or perhaps you’ve thrilled to the sounds of their two EPs with their perky, occasionally jangly, indie guitar-synth-pop happiness. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: 29 August 2006 | Author: Chris Unitt | 1 Comment »
“When we trash the place this is the first thing that’s going”. Emily Haines has only just walked out on stage and she’s not happy, the barrier between her band and the crowd provoking her ire, but in the end her declaration of intent goes unfulfilled. Still, Metric are definitely in the mood to use the intimate confines of Bar Academy to make an impression. The venue sold out some weeks ago and it’s a mystery why the show wasn’t upgraded to the Academy next door (a lesson learned perhaps – they’re playing the larger venue on the next tour later this year). As it is, the overwhelmingly young crowd are packed in to see Metric churn around their pen, Emily thrashing around like a ball of pent up of energy. But hang on, I’m getting ahead of myself. Read the rest of this entry »
