Category: The Cuff

Words by Helen Knott, pic courtesy of Wichita Recordings

Have you ever had a best friend? You spend all day together at school, but still need to chat on the phone all evening. You like the same music and films, you discuss boys or girls you fancy and your hopes for the future. You share everything.

This sort of friendship is the steady foundation that LA born band Girlpool is built on. These best friends formed a band a couple of years ago when teenagers Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad hit it off at a gig. Since then they have relocated to Philadelphia, released an album, and have received plenty of press for some rather explicit songs (sample lyric: “It’s not enough to watch a movie/Eat me out to American Beauty”).

As the duo amble on stage at the Hare & Hounds they don’t have the air of upstart teenage rock stars. They look like they might be in the middle of a country hike, or perhaps a clowning workshop; I’m talking dungarees, stripes, sensible shoes and cardigans. But this, along with an involved conversation with a girl in the audience about haircare, just serves to create a relaxed atmosphere. It’s like you’re hanging out with a couple of mates and they’re playing you a few songs that they’ve been working on.

With just two of them in the band, Girlpool keep themselves musically straightforward, utilising just a bass, guitar and vocals. Embracing the Punk spirit, simple single note guitar lines are replicated in the bass, with rarely more than three chords in a song. But despite the simplicity, the music isn’t unrefined; each word and note is thoughtful and considered. With such limited musical accompaniment,the lyrics and melodies are foregrounded. The songs explore all the big themes: love, gender, aging, racism… There’s a melancholy throughout, for example, in ‘Cherry Picking’, “Cos lovers turn to strangers/ Everyone always has to go”.

One of the most interesting songs is their album’s title track, ‘Before the World was Big’. As usual, most of the guitar part is played one note at a time, and it’s quietly hypnotic. The words explore the unsettling transition from childhood to adulthood; the streets in your neighbourhood you’ve walked, “one hundred, one million, billion, trillion times…” are haunted with memories, and they seem different now, because you are different. The song thoughtfully captures a wistful mourning for the routine and safety of childhood, mixed with excitement for what’s ahead.

The strength of Girlpool lies in the friendship between Tucker and Tividad. This is a best friend relationship externalised and channeled into a band. The result is a complete clarity of vision; they sing and play in unison because they have the same experiences and the same things to say.

Alas, all of us who have had a childhood best friend know that these relationships are too intense to last. They gradually become less important as real life – jobs, university, relationships – kicks in. Hopefully, for Girlpool, embarking on tours around the world and making records, real life isn’t going to kick in for another few albums at least.

For more on Girlpool, visit http://girlpoolmusic.com/

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

Words by James Gardener

Chilean psych band Föllakzoid weren’t content with playing one gig of blissed out cosmic music in the Midlands, so they decided to make a surprise lunch time appearance at Lunar Festival – before heading to The Sunflower Lounge for their eagerly awaited Birmingham Promoters show.

Opening for them were Birmingham new boys Sky Children, giving a solid if not spectacular start to proceedings – albeit leaning on the much popular and over saturated BTown sound. There were moments of promise and with a few more gigs, and time to develop their own style, we may see brighter and better things to come.

Next to play in front of the packed out crowd were The Hungry Ghosts. With influences from the dark side and the other side of the pond, and with nods to The Velvet Underground and Dylan, this is a band happy to wear those influences on their leather clad sleeves.

The Hungry Ghost’s latest single ‘Hares on The Mountain’ comes halfway through a fast and ferocious set; this moment sees the band at their lyrically brutal and musical peak. The Hungry Ghosts, make a note – these are one to keep an eye on for sure.

Föllakzoid are in the UK as part of a European tour to plug their new album, Föllakzoid lll – out now on Sacred Bones Records. Tonight they are the puppet masters over a mesmerising crowd; with deep grooves and dark vibes they have the whole room in awe

Songs like ‘Electric’ are a master class in the interplay between drums, guitar and synth – drawing you in and toying with you; this is what the band have built a reputation on and tonight sees them execute it to perfection.

Föllakzoid’s set is a real treat for this Sunday evening Birmingham crowd, who stick with them through the ambient parts, the long drawn out songs, and revel in the ultimate highs.

Between a field in Tanworth-in-Arden to a basement in Birmingham city centre, if you caught one of Föllakzoid’s gigs today you should consider yourself lucky.

For more on Föllakzoid, visit https://www.facebook.com/FOLLAKZOID

For more on The Hungry Ghosts, visit http://thehungryghosts.co.uk/

For more on Sky Children, visit https://www.facebook.com/skychildrenband

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For more on The Sunflower Lounge, including full event listings, visit http://www.thesunflowerlounge.com/

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

Words by Ceri Black / Images courtesy of Boat to Row & Birmingham Promoters

Initially founded in 2009 as a solo project, Boat to Row have evolved into a band with an impressive live reputation – bringing this evening’s harmonious tones to the The Rainbow in Digbeth.

Tonight’s venue, one of the few to be found under The Rainbow, is fairly low key. Tucked away behind the main bar, the room itself is simple and small with a humble stage. Almost the opposite of the sort of music Boat to Row produce. Surmised as ‘simply wonderful’ by Janice Long, who’s listened to a few bands in her time, I have high expectations for the Birmingham based quintet this evening.

With all five members each playing multiple instruments throughout the set, Boat to Row create intricate songs. Combining strings with near to perfect vocal harmonies, many of their songs are epic and energetic tales that lead singer, Michael King, faultlessly reveals to the audience.

Songs such as ‘A Boat to Row, To Row to You’ and ‘Grassmarket’ use guitar riffs and simple drum beats to construct strong and emotive sounds – captivating tonight’s small yet intimate audience. The introduction of a violin into many of their songs also helps to tie up the complexity of their sound.

But it is clear by watching Boat to Row that they are more than just a Folk band. They are, over and above, a group of friends that play with undeniably chemistry; an element of which is also reflected in tonight’s crowd. As the set continues it becomes clear that many of the fans are friends, and as words get exchanged between the stage and audience the atmosphere further relaxes.

Boat to Row round off their set with a beautifully simple version of ‘Heavy Was the Night.’ Here the audience see each member around a microphone, executing an almost hypnotic, definitely passionate song – perfectly ending tonight’s poetic and laid back performance.

For more from Boat to Row, visit http://www.boattorow.com/

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For more from The Rainbow Venues, visit http://www.therainbowvenues.co.uk/

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