Author: birminghamreview

Alright, technically not a weekend, but you’re getting the gigs for free.

Making the pit stain of the calendar (January) a little less unpleasant, those kind souls at the Symphony Hall Café Bar (SHCB) tumble dry 2012 with some free music sessions. Bringing some well known local artists and promoters, the ATM/toilet/over priced coffee stop – connecting Centenary Square with Brindley Place, continues to host to a bevy of Jazz, roots, world and folk music. And all for free. Although if you buy a coffee it’s not quite as cheap.

Here’s what they got coming up this week:

 

Folk For Free – Llama

Because running two festivals a year just isn’t enough, Moseley Folk promoters have been feeding acts into the SHCB for gratis. And on Thurs 19^th its flamenco/fado duo – Llama, otherwise known as Ravid Goldschmid and Silvia Perez Cruz.

After meeting on the streets of Barcelona, that old chestnut, hang drum player – Goldschmid, and vocalist – Cruz, started producing some pretty melancholic Portuguese style folk.

5 years later and Llama, as is their combined moniker (don’t try Googling it, doesn’t help) have been selected as one of the 6 ECHO Rising Stars of 2011/12 – the European Concert Hall Organisations yearly tour of artists to follow, and play the SHCB as part of their promotional tour.

Llama play the SYCB, in conjunction with Moseley Folk Festival, on Thursday 19^th Jan – ADMISSION IS FREE / Ceri Black will be there for the Birmingham Review

For more info visit http://www.thsh.co.uk/event/folk-for-free-llama-19-jan-2012

 

Rush Hour Blues – Chris Bowden Quartet

Promoted by Birmingham Jazz, Chris Bowden makes a return to the SHCB – and hometown, with his four piece ensemble.

Starting out in the lofty Future Jazz days of Talkin’ Loud, Bowden made a name for himself with the label’s K-Creative.  Then, combining contemporary Jazz melodies with the early/mid 90’s new development of production and sound (and breathe out…), moved into world Mo’ Wax – working alongside Simon Richmond from Palm Skin Productions.

Bowden’s 1996 release, ‘Time Capsule’, earned him some respectable success, both commercial and critical, and led to future projects with 4Hero & The Herbaliser. A long standing relationship with the later cementing itself on the Ninja Tunes. He has also worked with Rehab Records.

The Chris Bowden Quartet play the SHCB, in conjunction with Birmingham Jazz, on Friday 20^th Jan – ADMISSION IS FREE / Robert Kornreich will be there for the Birmingham Review

For more info visit http://www.thsh.co.uk/event/rhb-chris-bowden-quartet

Casiokids, Norwegian’s left-left-up-left of centre electro ensemble, come to the Hare & Hounds on Jan 19th, marking the beginning of their 2012 UK tour.

Back in blighty to promote their 3^rd album, the Scrabble challenging – ‘Aabenbaringen over aaskammen’ (out on Moshi Moshi Records – Jan 16^th), Casiokids play 9 dates from Glasgow to Tunbridge Wells. With Birmingham being the first, so check us out and our big selves.

Once described by NME as ‘the best thing to come out of Norway since black metal’, and ‘cartoon trance’ by Rolling Stone, Casiokids have been hard to pin down. No bad thing. Combining pop (ish, kind of) melodies with slick electronica, live instruments with analogue keyboards, and shadow theatre with puppetry (oh yes), the boys from Bergen have generated a fair amount of good copy. Although my favourite description is currently ‘space disco’.

And it’s not only broadcast and print who seems embroiled in Casiokids praise. Norway’s still ashamedly most recognised band, A-ha, gave them 1million Krone (just shy of ₤110,000) for being one of the most ‘promising exports’ in their country’s music industry. Strangely pragmatic, but its hard to argue with a suitcase of cash.

In fact, it’s been hard to find much criticism of Casiokids at all. ‘There’s no sense of challenge on this record’, was about the worst I could unearth, after Googling ‘I hate Casio Kids’. And even that was surrounded by a herd of back handed compliments.

But it’s not down to me, or search engine abuse, or even the post McNicholas cat litter tray liner, its down to you.

So let us know what you think. We’ll be posting some Casiokids tracks on our Facebook page until the gig (www.facebook.com/birminghamreview – link to you right), so have a look/listen and write to reply.

Casiokids play the Hare & Hounds on January 19^th, for more info and ticket links visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk/2011/11/25/casio-kids/

For more info on Casiokids visit http://casiokids.com

Cesilia Oriana Trecaquista will be at the Hare & Hounds on Jan 19th, for the Birmingham Review

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**PROMOTER OFFER**

ThisIs Tmrw, promoters of this gig, have ‘a £5 list available to any1 who posts their names on the Facebook wall’. Exploit their generosity at http://www.facebook.com/pages/This-Is-Tmrw/182533748432925

 

Words by K Ann Sulaiman

JAN 6th; She Screams Murder

plus; Venom and Apathy, Signs of Fire, Kill Joy City & Conduit

The Birmingham Ballroom kicked off the New Year with local boys – She Screams Murder, headlining a 5 band show in The End room. The evening was small but tight, with a tiny smattering of fresh faces (and some parents) who came down for beer and Midlands metalcore.

The night opened with 90’s inspired alternative rock, before morphing into frenetic catchy metalcore – a style blending the crunchier riffs of thrash and groove metal with bits of hardcore. Conduit and Kill Joy City – who threw in a little extra with a bilingual track in Japanese and English – set this off, but it wasn’t until the appearance of She Screams Murder that the real show occurred.

She Screams Murder appeared at Brumstock 2011, and their set showed why they made that bill. Launching into a hard-edged mix of heavy grooves, front man David Woodhouse’s thoroughly harsh, throaty vocals anchored their sound to the ground. And despite indulging in a much darker side of metalcore, even managed a friendly burst of moshing and slam dancing before getting back onstage to sing.

Stomping and moving together, the band switched between extreme, chugged rhythms and occasional moments of lighter guitar notes. With a good presence and tight songwriting, they held the stage.

But perhaps a more telling sign of maturity was their mix of onstage confidence and banter. She Screams Murder know where they are in the Midlands music scene.

For more information of She Screams Murder visit http://www.myspace.com/ssmofficialukband

 

JAN 7th: Karma Suite

Plus; We Writers, Idle Playthings & Farisle

Saturday was a significant night for Birmingham Indie rockers Karma Suite. The first gig of the New Year, they’re headlining, it’s the drummer’s birthday (happy birthday Nick).

And their final show. They’re splitting up – front man Tom Swingler is ‘travelling for a bit’.

So whilst we chase some further info from Karma Suite HQ, we put this space on hold. For in a word – clarification. After all a New Year resolution is not to be taken lightly… side project anyone??

With any information on Karma Suite email ed@birminghamreview.net

New Year’s Resolutions; save money, actually save money, exercise more, talk less, support local bands. One of these is achievable.

Taking on the bravest weekend of the year to promote ANYTHING, the Birmingham Ballroom is giving its first Friday/Saturday to a veritable sausage fest of local musicianship. One Indie, one Metalcore. Or as a dance festival poster would sell it; 9 men, 4 guitars, 2 bands and 1 stage.

And having spent much of last year adding to the stockpiled column inches of those whose 15 minutes are as subjective as a taxi driver’s estimation, the Birmingham Review is keeping good on at least one New Year’s promise. I mean really, exercise more?

Here’s a quick heads up to who, what and when:

She Screams Murder

She Screams Murder are a five piece Metalcore band from Brummigem, formerly known as the slightly more pleasant Serenity Lies Within. The police may be asking about the name change lads. As fresh as a new born baby – formed in early 2010, and just as loud, SSM already have a self released EP under their belt, and are planning another one quick smart.

Already picking up some local attention, and I’m cringing at the cliché I’m about to put down, 2012 could be a good year for them. Which they may well deserve (we’ll clarify this in the review) if for nothing else than their sterling work for charity at Brumstock 2010. A one day mini fest that saw bands including; Point Blank Fury, Tread The Blood, My Great Affliction & Leather Pig raise money for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Right…

 

Karma Suite

With a worryingly depressed looking publicity shot, Karma Suite are a four piece Indie band from Birmingham. Although front man, Tom Swingler – who’s surname I want to steal by Deed Poll, sounds like he might be from a bit higher up the atlas (again, we’ll try and clarify this).

Drawing on a healthy mix of genres; Rock, Jazz & Folk, Karma Suite have been knocking about since 2009, but ‘making some noise in a series of energetic live shows throughout 2010’. They’ve ‘even put in a few festival appearances’, but the Birmingham Review couldn’t pin down what these were (…to clarify).

Stating ‘intricate percussive elements, melodic bass lines, thought provoking lyrics and a very British guitar sound’, as the reason for their ‘sound that is both familiar and refreshing at the same time’, Karma Suite seem to be solid. Or perhaps just prone to overzealous descriptions. We’ll see, as the list of clarifications grows ever longer.

She Screams Murder play the Birmingham Ballroom on Jan 6^th. For more info on the band visit http://www.myspace.com/ssmofficialukband

Karma Suite play the Birmingham Ballroom on Jan 7^th. For more info on the band visit http://www.myspace.com/karmasuitemusic

For tickets and info to both gigs, and further venue listings, visit http://www.birmingham-ballroom.com