Author: birminghamreview

Nerina Pallot is on the road promoting her new ‘Lonely Valentine Club EP’, playing seven UK dates throughout February.

Starting off at the Arlington Arts Centre on Feb 8^th, Nerina Pallot will be closing her tour at the Birmingham Glee Club on Feb 17^th.

On Valentine’s Day itself, Pallot will be playing at the Edinburgh Pleasance Theatre.

Known for her live solo shows, online performances, Russell Brand immunity and self described ‘exquisitely crafted pop’, Nerina Pallot has built up a solid following since 2001. Pallot’s ‘Lonely Valentine Club EP’ is the singer/songwriter’s first release since January 2012.

Featuring five original tracks, alongside a cover of Ce Ce Peniston’s ‘Finally’, the ‘Lonely Valentine Club EP’ will be primarily available as a digital download, via the usual online outlets and Pallot’s own website – http://www.nerinapallot.com

Limited edition hard copies can also be bought throughout the Lonely Valentine Club tour.

Pallot is also reportedly working on her 5^th studio album, planned for release later in 2013

Born in Jersey, Nerina Pallot started playing the piano as a child; reportedly writing her first composition by the age of 13. An accomplished musician, Pallot also plays the guitar and sings with significant range.

Releasing her first album, ‘Dear Frustrated Superstar’, on Polydor in 2001, Nerina Pallot broke with the label over publicly made comments about her A&R. Self releasing her second album, ‘Fires’, in 2005, Pallot achieved her highest chart position with the LP’s first single, ‘Everybody’s Gone to War’.

The album’s second single, ‘Sophia’ – released in Oct 2006, was nominated for the Best Song category at the Ivor Novello Awards.

Along with a publishing deal from Chrysalis, Nerina Pallot continued to self release material on her own label, Idaho – with her 3^rd album, ‘The Graduate’, coming out in 2009.

Six years later, however, Pallot returned to the majors; releasing her 4^th studio album – ‘Year of the Wolf’, on Geffen Records in June 2011

Nerina Pallot’s ‘Lonely Valentine Club’ tour comes to The Glee Club, Birmingham, on Feb 17^th. For more information on this, and other gigs at the venue, visit http://www.glee.co.uk/performers/nerina-pallot.htm

For more on Nerina Pallot, including a digital download of her ‘Lonely Valentine Club’ EP, visit http://www.nerinapallot.com

Words by Damien Russell / Pics by Katja Ogrin

It’s Friday night and Scottish Indie/Rock band Frightened Rabbit are on at the HMV Institute.

After some delays, due to an ‘extended soundcheck’, we’re allowed in. I settle in the middle of the crowd as the Canadian support act, Wintersleep, are in full swing; playing a smooth uplifting set that boasts some excellent harmonies, and an energy that really draws the crowd in.

     There’s a long changeover before the headliners, Frightened Rabbit, hit the stage; but they eventually do with an energetic drum driven start.

And some great audience interaction, as frontman, Scott Hutchison, chats to the audience about where his inspiration comes from, and continues to treat us to the full back story of several songs throughout the set.

Although, to me, this is the best part of an otherwise somewhat static performance.

There seems to be more people onstage than the sound deserves, and the set reaches a level early on which doesn’t really change.

New album tracks, such as ‘Backyard Skulls’ and ‘State Hospital’, hit the same style as the rest of the set; with a short emotive stripped down acoustic section at the end being the only surprise. One showing some folk roots that admittedly gets the audience singing.

The encore tonight is a bouncy number, ‘Living in Colour’, from their last album before moving to Atlantic Records. With some great harmonies, this also stands out; and again gets the audience bouncing right along with them.

So, as I leave somewhat quicker than I came in, I mull over the gig. All things considered, it was a solid, high octane performance with some great audience interaction.

But unfortunately I need more.

It’s been a while since Frightened Rabbit released an album, with this tour representing their new label debut, and forgettable choruses just don’t do it for me.

For more on Frightened Rabbit, including the official video for ‘Woodpile’ – the second single from ‘Pedestrian Verse’, visit http://www.frightenedrabbit.com

For more gigs at the Institute, visit http://mamacolive.com/theinstitute

Words by Damien Russell / Pics by Lucy Heath

On a dark and stormy night…

Okay, so it isn’t; but with a band called Esben and the Witch to see, you can’t help but feel it should be.

Straight from work I roll into the Hare and Hounds, and settle myself next to a man who had been listening to EATW “from the very start”.

We get talking, and his infectious laid-back enthusiasm leaves me looking forward to the start of the gig right along with him. And he seems typical of EATW fans in that respect; holding a deep seated enthusiasm that burns slowly, but very hot.

But that appears to be the only thing the fans here tonight have in common, with a mix of ages and personae patiently waiting for the show to commence.

First up are Skull TV, playing an Industrial style using samples and pre-recorded driving bass riffs; all behind some excellent live guitar and drum work.

Ex-Easter Island Head are next, a unique act, performing a well constructed wall of sound that fills every inch of space in the room.

And then the moment we had all been waiting for. Esben and the Witch.

The crowd packs in close to the stage and waits silently, before our headliners come out, pause – as if to gauge the crowd, then launch into a set that reaches full intensity right from the start. And intense it is.

Unable to look away, the audience are hit with discord and harmony, beauty and despair, all at once. The band too, so locked in their performance, at times looking barely aware there was anything around them outside the music.

The set runs pretty much straight through, with an occasional pause for breath every third or fourth song. Small windows of opportunity for us to show our appreciation, which are received with a subdued “thanks” before the next song begins.

We never get to hear ‘Deathwaltz’, EATW’s latest single from their new album, but after another uncharacteristic break we get the highlight, for me, of the show – ‘The Fall of Glorieta Mountain’.

A truly beautiful song with undertones of darkness, and a reason to buy ‘Wash The Sins Not Only The Face’ on its own.

The set ends on a similarly beautiful haunting note, and the band disappear into the shadows of backstage; leaving the audience with the feeling we’d seen something great.

And leaving me, in particular, wondering how long it can be before Esben and the Witch become a household name.

(Perhaps, on a dark and stormy night… – Ed)

‘Wash the Sins Not Only the Face’ was released on January 21^st. For more on Esben and the Witch, visit http://www.esbenandthewitch.co.uk

For more gigs at the Hare & Hounds, visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

This Is Tmrw, promoters of the above gig, can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/This-Is-Tmrw/182533748432925

Words by Ed King / Pics by Lucy Heath

Who are Folks? Seriously, I want names. I want dates too – as the ‘hotly tipped Manchester six piece’ appear to be chronologically incongruous.

The BBC wrote about them in 2005, their last MySpace blog was in April 2009, John Robb wrote about them in Feb 2011, with most other music websites featuring them from September the same year. I first found them about 4 weeks ago; which makes me late, a little sheepish, but still interested.

So I drag myself (off the sofa, away from the radiator, into some shoes, on to a bus…) to the Hare & Hounds, braving a very British Tuesday, to find out first hand. I’d been Google searching all week and a more traditional approach was required. Preferably one with a bar.

Catching the end of Cat Chinn’s set, a plucky punk poplette (I am alliteration’s bitch) from whom I would welcome a headline set, I nestle into a double JD.

The room is, to be straight, sparse; I wander downstairs to count stragglers. Pursuing the flyer stand with one eye and counting a potential crowd with the other, I am underwhelmed. Which is unfortunate; from what I did find online Folks seem worth a cheap gander, and tonight’s door charge is a modest £6.

So glug, slam, shuffle and climb – I make my way back upstairs, just as Folks kick off with ‘Skull & Bones’; the marching rock first release from their debut album, ‘I See Cathederals’.

I recognise the hot footed gutsy groan from their website (where a generous selection of live streams are on offer) and I like it. If I’m being coy I’d say ‘catchy’. If I’d had two more large JDs, I’d be looking for a table to mount.

Solid drums, solid riffs, a big build, a break, clean keys (think ‘A Day in the Life’) another 1min37secs of the same, and straight into ‘Avalanche’; the firm strumstrumstrum intro leaving just enough room for Scott Anderson’s vocals to get noticed. A Manc lad he may be, but one that can certainly carry a tune.

Although mind control he does not possess, as an impassioned plea to “come forward… we don’t bite” falls on deaf ears. The pepper spread audience continues to avoid the front half of the room like some vortex of responsibility. I, self-righteous/consciously, have a notepad and pen to look after, so stay by the bar.

‘Say Something’ gets dedicated “to our new friends, Kerry and Charlie”, who don’t appear to be in the room, and feels like a pastiche of their label associates; before the Monkees b-side, ‘Venom’, pushes Anderson into a lower, lackluster register.

Folks “slow things down” for ‘Where Does the White Go’ – a proficient piano led vocal lament, with an Isley Brothers riff thrown in; before jumping back up to the guitar stomp of ‘Do the Right Thing’.

Anderson unleashes a scream, roll of the eyes, tambourine and smile, then asks “are you alright Kings Heath?”  before seeing if  “we can go higher” with ‘4 & 20 Blackbirds’; a rising wall of sound, that punches its way off the stage and head butts us mercilessly around the room. Anderson’s vocals get lost, one guitarist abandons his axe for distortion pedals, and I shut my eyes and think of ‘Starla’. I think most of us are having fun.

A posthumous dedication introduces ‘We’re All Dead’, allowing the strum-pluck-vocals to take us back by the hand; before the thump, thump of gregarious rock returns with ‘In a Moment’. A solid song, but one that reminds me of the closing credits to Grease.

‘My Mother’ closes the set, with an upbeat two fingers lacing its, oddly reminiscent, chorus. Anderson thanks us “so much for sticking around”, before most of the band set up camp behind the merchandise stand.

Tight, confident and occasionally all too familiar; Folks deserved a much bigger audience. But signed to Ignition Records, I’m sure they’re in good hands – and even The Beatles spent years on the road perfecting their craft.

But I suspect the next 6-12months, and impending festival circuit, will define Folks; hopefully (in my mind deservedly) as a more prominent pillar of modern British rock. But we’ll see. Whilst Jessie J exists, and the TV churns out more sewage than the Ganges, I still fear the cultural apocalypse.

If only there was some medium, some far reaching audio and visual platform, where bands could promote themselves freely; perhaps cleverly indexed with unique ‘addresses’…

Which reminds me, I did get an answer to my opening question. Apparently www.wearefolks.com

Who knew.

Folks debut album, ‘I See Cathedrals’, is out now. For more on Folks, visit http://www.wearefolks.com

For more gigs from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://www.birminghampromoters.co.uk

Playing the second gig of a 17 date month long tour, Frightened Rabbit come to the Institute on Feb 9^th.

Out on the road hocking their new album, ‘Pedestrian Verse’, the Scottish quintet will start off in Norwich on Feb 8^th, before coming across to The Midlands the next day.

Released on Feb 4^th, ‘Pedestrian Verse’ is Frightened Rabbit’s fourth studio album, and long awaited LP release from their new home at Atlantic Records.

Continuing the band’s dark, brooding rock sound – ‘Pedestrian Verse’ was recorded at the Monnow Valley Studio in Rockfield, South Wales.

The 12 track album (plus three bonus tracks on the Deluxe issue) was written and rehearsed whilst Frightened Rabbit were on tour, eventually making it into the hands of UK producer Leo Abrahams – the 35 year old musician and composer who has worked with Brian Eno, Ed Harcourt, Grace Jones and Nick Cave.

After an initial release on Hits the Fan Records, Frightened Rabbit were a stalwart of Fat Cat – the Brighton based independent, since 2007. Fat Cat also has The Twilight Sad on their books, who recently supported Frightened Rabbit on the West Coast dates of their of North American tour.

But since switching to Atlantic Records in 2010, following their last release on Fat Cat – ‘Winter of Mixed Drinks’, the boys from Selkirk have been quieter than most; with the international major only releasing two EPs from Frightened Rabbit in the past three years: ‘A Frightened Rabbit EP’ (2011), and ‘State Hospital’ (2012).

But taking it slow seems to be the Frightened Rabbit form, with the band growing at an average of one member every 1.2years – its final addition, Gordon Skene, joining in 2009.

And perhaps ‘Pedestrian Verse’, and the February tour to promote it from Exeter to Aberdeen, will be well worth the wait.

Although how much patience Atlantic Records have left, is another issue entirely.

Frightened Rabbit play the Institute on Feb 9^th, brought to you by Kilimanjaro Live

For details and tickets on this, and other gigs at the venue, visit http://mamacolive.com/theinstitute/listings/upcoming-events/13313/frightened-rabbit-2

For more on Frightened Rabbit, including the official video for ‘Woodpile’ – the second single from ‘Pedestrian Verse’, visit http://www.frightenedrabbit.com