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March 12, 2018March 12, 2018

SINGLE: ‘Oh Friend’ – Hunger Moon

Words by Ed King / Pics courtesy of Hunger Moon

On Monday 12^th March, Hunger Moon release their debut single ‘Oh Friend’ – wasting precious little time for a band that only formed at the tail end of last year, ‘deep in the heart of Birmingham’s warehouse and creative quarter’.

Out now and ‘available to stream on all major music platforms’, you can always make your own minds up with a quick visit to Soundcloud, Spotify or iTunes. Hunger Moon will also be supporting Joseph J. Jones at The Sunflower Lounge on Tuesday 13th March, if you wanted to check this out live and firsthand – for direct gig info, click here.

But who need independent thought or travel? Sit back, make yourself a cup of tea, look wistfully at rain, and let Birmingham Review do all the cognitive reasoning. Ssshhhh, there there… We’ll tell you.

But first a bit of background… Hunger Moon are the newly formed two piece from vocalist Natalie Jenkins and multi instrumentalist James Atwood, with a sound that draws immediate comparisons to London Grammar and Daughter. Their debut single, ‘Oh Friend’, had Ryan Pinson working behind the glass – with the skeleton written and rehearsed in Digbeth, and the skin produced at RML Studios in Wolverhampton. So, there’s a pretty solid start.

In the words of Hunger Moon, ‘Oh Friend is an ode to companionship, which has been the single constant within the lives of the duo over the past year throughout changes, some for better and others for worse’ and you get an immediate sense of longing, loss, or both.

Mournful yet comforting, ‘Oh Friend’ opens with an echoed guitar riff that is the linchpin to the Daughter comparison. Then after about 15 seconds, Jenkins’ vocals power though with the titular lyrics and ushering in the London Grammar comparison. This low cloud rolls across the horizon, with some ‘soft piano nuances and subtle electronics’ nudging their way in towards the end of Minute #1, before the instrumentation steps back leaving Jenkins’ vocals to introduce the first crescendo towards the end of Minute #2. A silent thunderclap… and downpour, with the emotional ebb and flow continuing in layers until the end of this nearly 5min single.

There is a beautiful proficiency to ‘Oh Friend’, with a confident subtly propelling an addictive melody. It’s not an easy sound to deliver well, and Hunger Moon have taken some bold steps down a road that is full of homage and potholes. But superbly handled by Ryan Pinson, the delicate strength that this genre requires is given its appropriate balance here. Plus, it could have been easily clipped to make it more radio (length) friendly but in fact saves the best minute for last.

As debuts go, ‘Oh Friend’ is solid introduction, managing to find a new corner of the electro/pop shadows to lurk in. The melody is rife too, which bodes well for an album of material to wrap around it – an LP we sincerely hope is on its way. But if we were to find one piece of constructive criticism, as is our job, it would be that the strength of Jenkins’ vocals can sometimes be a little, a small touch on the desk perhaps, too much in the lead. And to jump back to the two previous comparisons, one of these bands falls into this trap too, whist the other nails it perfectly on its perfect nail shaped head.

So, this is a little par for the course for the genre, kinda sorta. And having a strong asset in your box of musical tricks is one of those better problems to have. But for the first foray for Hunger Moon, ‘Oh Friend’ is cracking introduction from a band we have a sneaking suspicion have a lot more to offer over the next twelve months.

‘Oh Friend’ – Hunger Moon

Hunger Moon release their debut single, ‘Oh Friend’, on Monday 12^th March – available through all major music platforms.

Hunger Moon will also be performing at The Sunflower Lounge on Tuesday 13^th March, supporting Joseph J. Jones – for direct gig information, click here.

For more on Hunger Moon, including links to stream ‘Oh Friend’, visit www.facebook.com/hungermoonmusic

March 7, 2018March 7, 2018

BPREVIEW: Feeder @ O2 Academy 14.03.18

Words by Ed King

On Wednesday 14^th March, Feeder perform at the O2 Academy Birmingham – with support from Sheffield’s ‘one to watch’ pop/punk four piece, Sweet Little Machine. Doors open at 7pm, with tickets priced at £31.45 – as presented by Kilimanjaro Live. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

Formed in 1994, as Seattle’s SubPop phenomena let go of the rock reigns, Feeder wasted little time in establishing themselves in the decade’s maelstrom of new music – garnering a demo based deal from the Chrysalis subsidiary, The Echo Label, in the same year they started. No stranger to the trials, tribulations, and changing hands of the live music circuit, all three original members had been working musicians before Feeder finally brought them together, with the artistry and ethics needed for a new band to be taken seriously.

But everything good starts with graft, and after a solid couple of years touring and releasing singles, Feeder got their debut Swim EP on shelf in 1996. The band’s follow up release and debut album, Polythene, was lauded by the rock press, with Metal Hammer giving it the No1 spot on their annual albums chart and Kerrang! likewise at No6.

Feeder’s balloon continued to rise as their sophomore LP, Yesterday Went Too Soon, entered the UK charts at No8 – with three of the album’s four singles breaking the Top 40 (‘Paperfaces’, the forth single, reached No41). Then in 2001, Feeder released Echo Park, with the band’s third studio album entering the UK charts at No5, reaching Gold status, and allaying any industry concerns about their pocket filling potential. Ah, the joys of creative cash flow…

But Feeder’s commercial zenith would also be their darkest time, as between the release of Echo Park and the band’s most commercially successful album, Comfort in Sound, drummer and founding member Jon Lee committed suicide. Mark Richardson took over the skins for Feeder in 2002, staying with them until reformation of Skunk Anansie in 2009 and handing his sticks to Solihull born Karl Brazil.

A workhorse of British rock, over their two decade and counting career Feeder have released 10 studio albums – their latest, Arrow, being morphed into a 41 track double LP, with a collection of what encompasses nearly all of the band’s singles.

Feeder are now bringing their new and old material to stages across the UK with The Best of Feeder Tour, landing at the O2 Academy Birmingham on 14^th March. And if you needed it, here’s a refresher from both sides of this particular rock rainbow.

‘Just the Way I’m Feeling’ – Feeder (from Comfort in Sound 2001)

‘Veins’ – Feeder (from Arrow 2016)

Feeder bring The Best of Feeder Tour to the O2 Academy Birmingham on Wednesday 14^th March, with support from Sweet Little Machine – as presented by Kilimanjaro Live. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham/events/1021733/feeder-best-tour-tickets

For more on Feeder, visit www.feederweb.com

For more on Sweet Little Machine, visit www.soundcloud.com/sweetlittlemachine

For more from Kilimanjaro Live, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.kilimanjarolive.co.uk

For more on the O2 Academy Birmingham, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academybirmingham

March 5, 2018

BPREVIEW: Plaid (live) @ Hare & Hounds 10.03.18

Words by Ed King

On Saturday 10^th March, Plaid… let me say that again, PLAID bring their live set to the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) – with support from Automaton, ADJ, Monoform (live) and Errorbeauty. Live visuals on the night will come from Plaid and Cromatouch.

Doors open to the Hare & Hounds main room at 9pm, with music going on until 3am. All Early Bird Tickets have flown the nest, but you can still get some Standard Tickets priced at £10 – as presented by Scratch Club. For direct event info, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

There are certain words that will set a portion of the electronic dance music fraternity all aquiver. ‘Warp Records’ are two of them, ‘Plaid’ is another. So, when the three appear on a poster together some ambient/electronica heads begin desperately scratching the corners of their minds for a trace of serotonin. It’s a big deal. And rightly so, as The Black Dog spawned two-piece have been a further cornerstone of the electronica evolution for over two decades. Or, at least, the good bits. I don’t think they had much to do with Tony di Bart or the Vengaboys.

Plaid formed in the late 80’s – back when rock was still rife, pills were still good, and raves were still illegal. Ah, the glory days. Made up of two thirds of The Black Dog (Messers Handley and Turner), the splinter duo jumped around a few monikers ‘post Dog’ but settled on Plaid for the release of their debut album, Mbuki Mvuki, in 1991. It means ‘the desire to take your clothes off and run around’ in case you were wandering. Plaid’s latest album, The Digging Remedy, was released through Warp Records in June 2016 – check out the album’s opening track, ‘Do Matter’, featured below.

Already revered from the pioneering techno of The Black Dog, Handley and Turner were quick to carve out a new and equally as respected corner of electronica with Plaid. Their second album, Not for Threes, went on to be an established EDM classic – featuring the vocals of a then rising Icelandic balloon, Bjork, on ‘Lilith’. But, for me, it’s ‘Rakimou’ all the way; if you can listen to that track without feeling the glory of God/Shiva/Primark, or whatever you pray to, then you are quite simply dead inside. Click here and see if you’re still pumping blood.

But nine albums, countless festivals, and a seemingly endless international tour schedule later, and Plaid are still at the very respectable sharp end of electronica – whilst having also garnered remix requests from artists including Goldfrapp, Bjork, U.N.K.L.E., and even Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five.

So, the boys done good. And getting to see Plaid at such a superb suburban venue is somewhat of a Christmas come early situation. Just no more snow, please. Enough with the snow.

‘Do Matter’ – Plaid (from The Digging Remedy)

Plaid bring their live set to the Hare & Hounds on Saturday 10^th March – as presented by Scratch Club. For direct event information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit http://bit.ly/2oRJuEF

For more on Plaid, visit www.plaid.co.uk

For more from Scratch Club, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.facebook.com/scratchclubbirmingham

For more on the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath), including venue details and further event listings, visit www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

February 28, 2018

THE GALLERY: Average Sex @ Hare & Hounds 25.01.18

Words by Ed King / Pics by Martin O’Callaghan

Sunday, a day so hard to sell even God has to pass the hat. But Setting Son are unperturbed, as the local record label and promotions company present the London based pop/punksters, Average Sex, after having to reschedule the gig from a previously booked date back in January. And gaw’d bless them for it.

Average Sex were last in the city for The Hungry Ghosts’ ‘Amerika/Lazaro’ single launch party at Centrala – a cracking night, swirling in a maelstrom of DIY, inappropriate nakedness, steel blues, garage rock, endless cider, and a middle finger to the EHO smoke machine. Lots of fun.

But tonight Average Sex are headlining the bill, replete with their new bassist and The Hungry Ghosts and Miles Cocker in support. As far as I can see there’s no smoke machine, and I’m not taking any layers of clothing off, but with such a promising line up I reckon there’s still some fun to be had. And cider. There’s always cider.

Nestled into the ‘second room’ at the Hare & Hounds (which I curiously prefer to the main stage) a comfortable crowd and sense of camaraderie huddle together, braving the tail end of their collective hangovers and an absurd cold snap that just won’t quit.

First up is Miles Cocker, the dark fringe lyricist and ex-Horror Show front man/Youth Man bassist, who is on stage for the “first time I’ve played an acoustic guitar in public”. But like the bastard child of Kelly Jones and Kristin Hersh (now there’s a hangover), Cocker oozes snakeskin confidence – proffering an onslaught of melody and more sentences to make this writer a bit green round the gills. “Exercise me, circumcise me, drill three holes and crucify me,” awesome stuff.

A cat call to “all our brothers and sisters” announces The Hungry Ghosts are on stage next, as the man so good they named him twice waves a mic in the air and rests his other hand on the keyboard which is now front and centre to their set.

Opening with ‘Amerika’, the jangly opiate journey across an imagined West Coast, The Ghosts are on top form tonight – tight and slick, especially for a Sunday, and sounding ‘more Donington’ than I have heard them in a while, according to my notes. ‘Death Rattle Blues’ swaggers off stage second, before one of my favourite from the famished phantoms, ‘Super King King’, struts its predatory blues across the room.

(Note to self: loud public exclamations about a song with your surname in the title might appear a touch narcissistic, and I am too perfect for narcissism. But here’s some proof that it’s not just a tenuous link I’m applauding. And that I repeat myself.)

And now it’s time for the big show… as the slightly tweaked Average Sex take their places on stage, with Laetitia Bocquet’s broad smile and self-expressions filling the rest of the room. Dragging yourself to The Midlands on a Sunday could threaten the pilot light of many an out of town band, but not tonight.

Opening with ‘Hey Boy’, there seems to be no stumbling or blocks in the new path of Average Sex – with a confident punk pop sound bouncing off stage. Immediate and together, you can see the professional sheen on a band who have been taken under the OGenesis wings and recently toured with The Charlatans. ‘Sociopath’ is next, which could have been written about the man standing to my left, before The Las-esque sound (and dubious set list spelling) of ‘Come Over’ are thrown off stage in short succession.

Far from embedding a new member, and having to say goodbye to an old one, Average Sex appear as close as a rock band should be without drawing tabloid attention. Chat and banter roll around the stage and into the crowd, with a couple of publicly endearing moments between Bocquet and her band mates. Average Sex feel like they have spent many van rides and hotel rooms together, with most of them surviving to tell the tale. But its infectious, and by the time the heavy riffs and distorted love laden lyrics of ‘Ice Cream’ are rattling around the room most of the bodies within it are following suit.

Rounding off with two more relatively recently released tracks, the darkly declarative ‘Ugly Strangers’ and perfectly tilted set closer ‘We’re Done’, the polished sharp edge of this well-rehearsed anarchy is off stage without an encore. Mind you, the downstairs bar has closed (so no more cider) and all that’s left are the tight stares of bar staff who want to call it a week.

Always good to see such a commanding line up, whatever day you can squeeze it into your schedule, and I leave the Hare & Hounds both a little Sunday blissed and full satiated. Not bad for the end of a weekend.

But it would be good to see more from Setting Son, if they have the inclination, as every time they promote a gig I end up with more in my earphones than I had before going in. And as much as I love the creative corner of Centrala, if you can keep them walking (stumbling) distance to my house then I won’t be arguing. Now all we need is a well penned joke about it being cold but still wanting to by ‘Ice Cream’. A man walks into a gelateria with his earphones in…

Average Sex @ Hare & Hounds 25.01.18 / Martin O’Callaghan – Birmingham Review

For more on Average Sex, visit www.facebook.com/averagesex

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The Hungry Ghosts – supporting Average Sex @ Hare & Hounds 25.01.18 / Martin O’Callaghan – Birmingham Review

For more on The Hungry Ghosts, visit www.thehungryghosts.co.uk

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Miles Cocker – supporting Average Sex @ Hare & Hounds 25.01.18 / Martin O’Callaghan – Birmingham Review

For more on Miles Cocker, visit www.soundcloud.com/miles-cocker

For more from the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath), including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

For more on Setting Son Records, visit www.facebook.com/settingsonrecords

February 23, 2018February 27, 2018

BPREVIEW: Average Sex @ Hare & Hounds 24.01.18

Words by Ed King

On Sunday 25^th January, Average Sex play at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) with support from The Hungry Ghosts and Miles Cocker.

Doors open at 7:30pm, with tickets priced at £5 – as presented by Setting Son Records. For direct gig info, including links to online tickets sales, click here.

Hot on the heels of their tour with The Charlatans (…mic, drop) Average Sex are coming back to the Midlands for a headline show at the Hare & Hounds – ticking off the Birmingham box that was sadly missed on their winter support tour. Gaw’d bless ‘em.

And whilst they spent last December playing with the Tim Burgess’ indie pop flower/powerhouse, Average Sex have also not long released their debut Ice Cream EP – out on Burgess’ own OGenesis Recordings. Lead single, ‘Ugly Strangers’, is a cathartic (we hope) look at drink, denial and the dark corners that our minds try and run from – reported penned by vocalist Laetitia Bocquet during her evening escapes at a pub in Dalston. Whilst the other three tracks cover the familiar themes of love, unrequited love, break up (falling out of love) and licking someone’s face (kinda, sorta love). Job done, we reckon.

Fun and a little ferocious, the last time Birmingham Review saw Average Sex was at the Hungry Ghosts’ ‘Amerika/Lazaro’ single launch at Centrala, and to quote The Four Seasons… Now sharing a stage with the famished phantoms once again, albeit the other way round, we’re pretty confident this gig will be well worth your five British pounds.

But if you needed more (you cultural capitalists) then Setting Son have also thrown Miles Cocker into the mix, who can usually be found ripping an eardrum or two with the wonderful and loud (or even wonderfully loud) Youth Man. Last seen, by Birmingham Review, flying solo at the uber-muso-glorious-smorgasbord that is All Years Leaving, Senor Cocker may be a tad calmer on his own. Only a tad mind, this ‘aint a Magic FM roadshow quite yet. But in whatever form this stalwart of the local stages and scene is always worth a stop, look and listen – so get there early, you know the drill people.

But we’ll stretch our editorial neck a little further along the line and say: expect fuzz. All round, really. And with a line-up of bouncy garage punk, slaughterhouse blues, and lyrics explaining how to stretch your bread budget, this can’t be too bad an idea for a Sunday.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Dalston…

‘Ugly Strangers’ – Average Sex

Average Sex play at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) on Thursday 25^th February, with support from The Hungry Ghosts and Miles Cocker – as presented by Setting Son Records. For direct event info and links to online ticket sales, click here.

For more on Average Sex, visit www.facebook.com/averagesex

For more on The Hungry Ghosts, visit www.thehungryghosts.co.uk

For more on Miles Cocker, visit www.soundcloud.com/miles-cocker

For more from the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath), including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

For more on Setting Son Records, visit www.facebook.com/settingsonrecords