Author: birminghamreview

Esben and the Witch come to Birmingham on Feb 7^th, playing the Hare and Hounds, as part of a 16 date European tour.

Formed back in 2008, the Brighton born three piece have established a solid following; defining themselves through intelligent references within dark, melodic rock.

Self releasing their first EP, ‘33’, in 2009, Esben signed to Matador Records in 2010 – releasing their debut album, ‘Violet Cries’, in Jan 2011.

Two years later, and Esben are back on the road with a new album, ‘Wash the Sins Not Only the Face’, released on Jan 22^nd.

Known for their ‘intelligent exploration of gothic aesthetics’ (Gothic, NOT GOTH), and named after a pretty gruesome Danish fairytale, Esben & the Witch “wanted to create something that was warmer, and slightly more uplifting” for their second long player.

Holing themselves up in a countryside bungalow, lead singer, Rachel Davies, states the band wanted “to create a body of work that was written in one concentrated period of time… to isolate ourselves from everything and write the songs while we were in this space”; encouraging a different direction to their “claustrophobic, and dense, and challenging” 2011 debut.

And so far it seems to be working, with ‘Wash the Sins Not Only the Face’ getting national press attention for its ‘intricate, swirly dream-rock’, ‘glacial soundscape’ and ‘strangely appealing, abrasive groove’.

But Birmingham can decide for itself, on Feb 7^th at the Hare and Hounds; with support from Ex Easter Island Head and Skull TV.

Esben and the Witch play the Hare and Hounds on Feb 7^th, brought to you by This Is Tmrw.

For details on this, and other gigs at the venue, visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk/event-listings/event/?eventID=10023840

For more on Esben and the Witch, visit http://www.esbenandthewitch.co.uk

 

Words by Ed King / Pictures by Katie Foulkes

Nell Bryden’s been busy. The past seven years have ‘seen her travel 300,000 miles to play 1,400 shows’, and now she’s on another UK tour, playing 14 gigs throughout January. But tonight, a Sunday, she’s at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath. The place I’m supposed to be in 15 minutes.

But I’m at home, watching ‘Marley & Me’, feeling lazy enough to give the whole thing a miss. And now I have Jennifer Aniston in a swim suit… the odds are not in Nell’s favour.

Just catching the end of Robert Lane, the Birmingham singer songwriter – and Bryden’s support in the city, I walk into a healthily full room. Apparently Ms Anniston isn’t as popular with everyone else.

Bryden’s backing band slink onstage; dressed in head to toe in black, they scream either professional stage hands or morbid middle aged.

Either way, Bryden confidently claims her Sunday stage, declaring ‘this is not a serious event, so feel free to have fun’, as a wave of British reserve trickles through the crowd. My social tourettes tells me to scream the word ‘LIMEYS’.

Opening with ‘What Does It Take?’, the title track from her second album, Bryden stamps out some polished blues rock. Her deep, soulful vocals – with a considerable and confident range, move effortless through a well versed introduction.

The crowd sway, the crowd whoop, the crowd shuffle out awkward little steps; and as we’re led straight into ‘Tonight’, the upbeat invitation to ‘arrive fashionably late again’ (ha, vindication), I look around for the barn doors and hay bales.

‘Helen’s Requiem’ brings more somber tones, with Bryden paying homage to the people who suffered, and died, due to Hurricane Katrina; before ‘Echoes’ give credence to the American troops serving in Iraq.

Musically I’m on board, the slow twang enticing me more than the hoedown, but I struggle with the context. Songs about disasters, or war (or both), just feel narcissistic, to me. TO ME. And, moving on…

‘Buildings and Treetops’ opens with glorious keys, always a good move in my world, and is the first time I notice the harmonies (one set coming from Bryden’s rhythm guitar/tour manager).

‘Green Dress’ delivers a blue jeans ballad, with Bryden’s accomplished vocals rising up form a simple line of verse to smack us in the chops; before ‘ The Only Life I know’ continues the lament, with a build up and crescendo that silently electrocutes most of my neighbours. I fear the room may explode in a maelstrom of frustration and dad dancing.

Moving firmly between songs, Bryden is as professional as they come; balancing the ego massage (ours, not hers) banter with a tight performance portfolio. And talented, there is no doubt.

Bouncing between the slow, modern Jazz tempo of ‘Fingerprints’, to the Hills Street Blues of ‘Downtown Lullaby’, and throwing some Iron Butterfly keyboards from left of centre (didn’t catch the song, something about a loaded gun), we witness her musical evolution; with the Darwinian zenith found in Bryden’s most recent material.

Her experience shows, and as she closes the main set with a fearsome delivery of ‘Second Time Around’ – Bryden’s debut single from 2007, the man to my left tells me ‘she’s the best person I’ve seen in Kings Heath since John Lee Hooker.’

The inescapable encore opens with ‘Sirens’, a song written about the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York, and I start biting my lip again, but a little less than before.

Until ‘Shake the Tree’, the title track from Bryden’s latest album, closes the show; and I ignore the dubious connotations and say goodnight to a busy room full of contented grown ups.

Nell Bryden’s not my cup of tea, or indeed finger of bourbon, but even I left suitably impressed; the girl can certainly deliver. And whilst I won’t be following her around the UK next time she tours here, as much of the front row seemed to have done, I leave the Hare & Hounds glad that I’d come out.

And besides, in this day and age – how far away can you get from an episode of friends. Perhaps Bruce Almighty is on Netflix…

For more on Nell Bryden, visit http://nellbryden.com

For gigs from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com

Kicking off our February resurgence, Manchester born blues rock six piece – or Folks as they preferred to be called, are coming to the Hare & Hounds on Feb 5^th.

In actual fact, they’re coming back – to Birmingham at least, having supported Band of Skulls at the Institute last December.

But this time Folks are on their first headline tour of the UK, kicking off in Leeds yesterday (Jan 30^th), following with Liverpool tonight (Jan 31^st), and playing venues from London to Sowery Bridge until mid Feb.

Likened to The Black Crows, The Stones, and even ‘a touch of Ocean Colour Scene’, Folks mainly deliver a raw, retrospective, blues/indie rock reportage. Although personally their second single, ‘Say Something’, reminds me of Jellyfish; with its predecessor, ‘Skull & Bones’, heavily reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age.

Folks have been heralded as ‘up and coming’, ‘hotly tipped’ and ‘emerging’ by much of the music press, but the BBC introduced them online in 2005 – citing ‘a cover of The Bee Gees track ‘On Time’ for the album ‘Ten From Ten’, released on Concrete Recordings.’

Their debut album, ‘I See Cathedrals’, was released in October last year – having been recorded in both London and L.A., with Folk’s first two singles set sail on the run up.

But, after an initial Internet search, there’s not much more on Folks. Their website biog is just a list of band members, with even less information on their MySpace page; leaving only a few online interviews to fill in the blanks.

Imagine it, a band without a detailed homepage, YouTube channel or extensive Twitter account… this must be how musicians lived in the dark ages. Or early 90’s.

But signed to Ignition Records, the recently launched label from Ignition Management – the team managing most of the Gallagher’s group and solo personas, Folks have some pretty heavy weight support behind them.

And having already opened for High Flying Bird’s, Miles Kane and We Are Augustines, Folk’s are unlikely to be stage shy as the headline across the UK; with Birmingham getting it’s chance to find out first hand on Feb 5^th.

Folks play the Hare & Hounds on Feb 5th – with support from Cat Chinn & The Van Cortlandt Rangers.

For info/tickets on this, and other gigs from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/Events/folks-2

For (kind of, sort of) more on Folks, visit http://www.wearefolks.com

Having already travelled over ‘300,000miles to play 1,400 shows over the past seven years’, New York born Nell Bryden comes to the Hare & Hounds on Jan 27^th, supported by Birmingham singer/songwriter Robert Lane.

The first gig of 2013 the Birmingham Review has gotten out of bed for, Bryden is on her debut headline tour of the UK – promoting her third studio album, ‘Shake the Tree’. Starting off in Edinburgh, tonight, Bryden is having one day off this week; before coming to Birmingham on Sunday.

Singing deep blues vocals over grass rooted Americana pop, Nell Bryden launched herself at the world in the millennium; cutting her teeth playing Folk and Rock clubs in Boston.

Then, after releasing her debut album, ‘Day for Night’ – through her own 157 Records, Bryden moved to New Orleans, where she embraced the city’s ‘musical melting pot’ of  “jazz, blues, folk, country, cajun, zydeco, everything except rock!”

Having “found my (her) voice” in The Big Easy, Bryden began a relentless touring schedule; taking her across America, Europe and even out to perform for American troops in Iraq. Then, after securing personal funding through the sale of a gifted Milton Avery painting, Bryden began to re-record her second studio album; re-releasing the newly titled ‘What Does It Take?’ on Cooking Vinyl Records in 2009.

Following a month long tour of Ireland, Scotland and Holland, ‘What Does It Take?’ caught the attention of BBC2; with station pundits such as Ken Bruce, Janice Long, Terry Wogan, Steve Wright and Bob Harris all inviting Bryden on air.

Several UK festival performances followed, before Bryden met Patrick Mascall, “a British guitarist and songwriter who “knew more about America and American music than most Americans,” and started workingon material for her third studio album

After recruiting British producer, Mark Taylor, Bryden and Mascall recorded ‘Shake the Tree’ at London’s State of the Ark Studios; releasing the 12 track album through both Warner & 157 Records in June 2013.

Nell Bryden plays the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath, Birmingham, on Sunday January 27^th. For more on this, and other gigs at the venue, visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk/event-listings/event/?eventID=10023731

For gigs from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com

For more on Nell Bryden, visit http://nellbryden.com