Category: BPreviews

Basia Bulat comes to the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) on Sat 15^th Feb – promoted by SJM Concerts.

Recognised for her strong vocal led Folk, Bulat is also an accomplished multi-instrumentalist; playing, amongst others, the guitar, piano and her trademark autoharp.

Performing on the safer side of Valentine’s Day, Basia Bulat is only in the UK for a handful of shows before heading out to Scandinavia via one date in Amsterdam. Basia Bulat’s Feb 15^th gig at the Hare & Hounds will be the last chance to see her in the UK, on this tour.

Canadian born, Polish by proxy; Basia Bulat self released her first EP in 2005. Grabbing the attention of Rough Trade Records in London, Bulat was signed to the imprint and released her debut album, Oh, My Darling, in April 2007.

Following a swell of support in the UK and back in Canada, Oh, My Darling was licensed to Hardwood Records (the label owned by Canadian singer Hayden) for release across Bulat’s home country in June the same year. Basia Bulat followed her debut with Heart of My Own in January 2010, this time released through independent Canadian imprint – Secret City Records. Both albums were nominated for the Polaris Music Prize.

Basia Bulat released her third album, Tall, Tall Shadow, in September 2013, again through Secret City Records. Produced by Arcade Fire’s Tim Kingsbury (bassist) and Mark Lawson (producer), Tall, Tall Shadow is ‘a record with echo and reverb, electronic flutters and electric autoharp, voices that charge and incandesce around buzzing guitars, lonely piano and rattling percussion,’ according to Bulat’s website.

With musicians including Basia Bulat’s ‘punk inclined drummer’ brother Bobby, and established Canadian Folk singer/songwriter Ken Whiteley, Tall, Tall Shadow has been nominated in the Adult Alternative Album category at this year’s Juno Awards in Canada.

Basia Bulat comes to the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) on Sat 15^th Feb – promoted by SJM Concerts. For more information & tickets, visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk/event-listings/event/?eventID=10029225

For more on Busia Bulat, visit http://basiabulat.com

For further listings at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath), visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

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Ed’s Note…

Undoubtedly (to me) talented, I have wanted to like Basia Bulat more than I did. With a powerful voice, one that lends itself to Gospel as much as (possibly more than) Folk, and a bevy of instruments to literally play with, Basia Bulat is a proper musician’s musician. Whereas I, who can just about fudge his way up and down a keyboard, am not – me, want, melody. Simples.

That’s not to say Basia Bulat can’t write, she’s not been idle since stepping into the world or write/record/release, but previous to Tall, Tall Shadow her songs have carried an air of jovial Folk that kept me at arm’s length. Sort of like Mumford & Sons, minus the desire to hurt myself with cutlery.

Which leads me onto Tall, Tall Shadow. A beautiful record; one reportedly inspired by sad times, but a move into a world which lets the proles like me roll around and clap along. The title track is an emotive opener, and by the time chorus #1 comes around I had shivers down my back.

Never Let Me Go, the album’s penultimate track, is as heartfelt as you would want to handle – with a chance for Bulat’s vocals to soar magnificent. Play, repeat, play, repeat, play… Whist the midway City of Rivers shows what the ‘all together now’ can sound like with some deft producers behind it. Ironically, Wires, the album’s ‘latest’ single is one of the weaker links for me in an otherwise solid chain. But a great evolution – one I hope gets Basia Bulat a deservedly warm reception on the road.

I am also intrigued to see how SJM Concerts hold the regional reigns on their own, with an oddly prominent prefix presents… Luckily this is England, February, and Birmingham to boot. You can always blame the rain.

Ed King is editor of Birmingham Review. Follow him @EdKing2210 

Starting off 2014 in generous style, Birmingham’s long running House club Habit are back for a free party at The Bull’s Head (Moseley) tonight – Sat 18^th Jan.

Headlining will be Paul Thomas, the Birmingham DJ/Producer who cut his teeth at Godskitchen and Global Gathering.

Now a regular bill at events worldwide, including continued involvement with the international Global Gathering behemoth, Thomas is one of the city’s more prominent DJ success stories (and a thoroughly decent chap).

But recent years have seen Paul Thomas’ productions stand high on their own too, releasing through a barrage of reputable labels including SIZE, Doorn, Toolroom, Funk Farm & UltraViolet – Thomas’ own home grown imprint.

Hear more Paul Thomas here: https://soundcloud.com/djpaulthomas

Playing alongside Paul Thomas in the Habit main room (upstairs) will be Deano Ferrino. Part of the ferociously popular Magic Door club, Ferrino has been stacking up gigs across Birmingham & beyond, including The Garden Festival in Croatia.

Habit resident, Jack2Front, will also be DJing upstairs – with downstairs taken care of by Steve Thornton, Tiger Collective & Process.

Habit runs from 8pm to 2am at The Bull’s Head (Moseley) tonight – Sat 18^th Jan. Entry is free. For more event info, visit  http://bullsheadmoseley.co.uk/event-listings/event/?eventID=10029504

For more on Habit, visit http://habitclub.co.uk

For more on Paul Thomas, visit http://www.djpaulthomas.com

For more on Deano Ferrino, visit https://www.facebook.com/DeanoFerrino

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                                                                                          Ed’s note…

This is one party definitely worth a look. Paul Thomas rose up through some tough ranks to establish a well earned place in today’s EDM scene, alongside the likes of Funkagenda and Kim Fai – a local-boy-done-good if ever one deserved to be.

His progressive yet ‘big room’ sound has come into force; buildups, breaks, strong melodies and some proper hands in the air moments (or maybe that’s just me… it has been known to get a little ‘euphoric’ when I go out) I can see him dominating The Bull’s Head upstairs in a way you might not hear again for a while.

I think they’ll be a fair amount of home town love in the room too. And it’s FREE. Are you mad??? Get yourself to this event; no excuses.

Ed King is editor of Birmingham Review. Follow him @EdKing2210

Midlands music promoters, Manifest, return to the O2 Academy with another showcase of regional acts on Sat 11^th Jan.

Performing in Academy 3, headliners are Lipzkin – the eclectic three piece from Staffordshire, who combine acoustic melodies with beatboxing, rap and soulful vocals. Support comes from The Synth, Quarry and a Birmingham Review favourite, Call Me Unique.

Manifest Live present Lipskin + Call Me Unique, Quarry, The Synth, at the O2 Academy 3 on Sat 11^th Jan.

Tickets are £6.05 + booking fee. Doors open at 7:30pm

For more info & tickets, visit: http://www.o2academybirmingham.co.uk/event/62316/manifest-live-ft-lipzkin-tickets

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Lipzkin

A partnership between beatboxer Matty Mullaney, rapper/singer Arron Erskine, and singer/songwriter Arran Page, Lipzkin have delivered some unusual goods.

But with a backbone of varied talent, including strong vocals from both Erskine and Page, Lipzkin have a refreshing cross genre approach; with acoustic melodies taking equal prominence to rapped verse and beats.

Apparently formed after an accidental jam, when Mullaney and Erskine saw Page busking and decided to join in, http://youtu.be/4n3R4NDvTP4, Lipzkin have now been picked up by Molaman Records – the New York imprint know primarily for grass roots House productions. Lipzkin’s first release on Molaman, ‘Break What You Break’, was released this month, with an album scheduled for Feb ’14.

For more on Lipzkin’s releases through Molaman Records, visit http://molamanrecords.com/shop/

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Call Me Unique

And that she is… Call Me Unique is steadily cementing her place as one of Birmingham’s more refreshing artists.

Rising above the city’s rank and file with six strings, pertinent lyrics and softly strong vocals, Call Me Unique has been respectfully grafting away for some time now. No stranger to Birmingham’s (and beyond) live music circuit, Call Me Unique has earned her stripes with engaging central/solo performances – delivered with equal vigour from the back of a bus to the LG Arena.

Now sharing stages with some serious A-Listers, regularly touring abroad, receiving the odd award nomination and a having just released a very generous 7 track EP, 2014 is already looking bright for this Birmingham artist. One to watch, and watch, and watch again.

Birmingham Review last saw Call Me Unique at The Bull’s Head, supporting Keziasoul at Sam Redmore’s Freesytle promotion – click here.

For more on Call Me Unique, visit http://www.callmeunique.co.uk/

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Ed’s Note…

I can’t remember where I heard about Lipzkin, but it was this video that I saw: http://youtu.be/C_FKWSaXr6M

I spent the first 11 seconds being irritated by the wind against the microphone, and casually wondering why there were all standing in a field. Then Arron Erskine started singing, “…I pray to a God I don’t believe in”, and by the time Arran Page finds his vocals I’m searching Google for a tour date or album.  I haven’t seen Lipzkin live, but I’m guessing with busking, beat boxing and rap battles behind them this could be where they excel.

Call Me Unique has been firmly on my radar since I heard her perform, alongside Jenna Varndell, on Radio WM a few years ago. Having met her whilst working on Soweto Kinch’s 2010 Flyover Show, I’ve watched the ebbs and flows of her musical path for a while – finding it hard not to get garrulously excited about nearly everything she does. And whilst I can make references and comparisons, she is, truly, Unique. A rare gift to the city.

N.B. is with sincere disappointment that we couldn’t include Quarry and/or The Synth in this BPreview. Manifest weren’t answering their phones, and we couldn’t find anything online to research either acts. Not good, especially for a showcase.