Behaveya to play Exeter Hall, Oxford UK

Behaveya

If you happen to be in the Oxford area this Sunday, August 3, 2008 – be sure to check out Behaveya playing at The Exeter Hall. I was lucky enough to see the band play a few weeks ago at The Temple Bar …

Behaveya

If you happen to be in the Oxford area this Sunday, August 3, 2008 – be sure to check out Behaveya playing at The Exeter Hall.

I was lucky enough to see the band play a few weeks ago at The Temple Bar. Their ages are from 10-17, so if you have kids that are starting to play music themselves, bring them along if they’re looking for inspiration, because this talented young band ROCKS! (Of course, if you do plan to bring your kids, check with The Exeter Hall first.)

Behaveya plays old punk and rock covers as well as originals.

EXETER HALL
Oxford, UK
3rd of August at 4pm

For music and more information, go to:

Behaveya MySpace

By: Jenny May

Mink exclusive interview

Mink

Mink is a high energy, hard working rock band formed in 2006 with members hailing from the US and Australia. In a short time, they’ve already written more than 60 songs (30 of them in one intense three-week stretch), recorded their debut album in just four weeks …

Mink

Mink is a high energy, hard working rock band formed in 2006 with members hailing from the US and Australia. In a short time, they’ve already written more than 60 songs (30 of them in one intense three-week stretch), recorded their debut album in just four weeks and have played shows with KISS, Perry Farrell, Angels & Airwaves and festivals such as Lollapalooza and the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.

Their first single, “Talk to Me,” has been receiving airplay in the US and their songs have appeared on TV.

Mink is one of the hottest up and coming rock bands on the scene – and is one to watch!

Members are: Neal Carlson (vocals) from New York, Stella Mozgawa (drums), Nick Maybury (guitar) and Grant Fitzpatrick (bass) from Australia.

Download MP3: “Talk To Me” remix

Grant Fitzpatrick from Mink exclusive interview:

Jenny May: With Neal being from New York and Stella, Nick and Grant from Australia, where and how did you meet to eventually form the band?

Grant Fitz: Nick and I went to NY to meet Neal who was writing with a friend of ours. We wrote some songs and jammed and then did a show, which was a lot of fun. From there we went home to Australia with Neal coming shortly after. Nick introduced us to Stella who we fell in love with straight away. We wrote some more and toured and made an album with Spitfire Music who always believed in us from the beginning in New York. So the band was formed in New York and Sydney really. They are both special places for us.

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The Fullertons’ David Chanell – Exclusive interview

The Fullertons

The first time that I heard The Fullertons was during their soundcheck. I was outside, sitting in the back garden behind The Jericho Tavern in Oxford, and I couldn’t tell if it was the band or the DJ playing a CD …

The Fullertons

The first time that I heard The Fullertons was during their soundcheck. I was outside, sitting in the back garden behind The Jericho Tavern in Oxford, and I couldn’t tell if it was the band or a DJ playing a CD.

A few minutes later when I went inside and up the stairs, I found out that it was indeed the band, and from just the soundcheck – hearing the music from quite a distance, outside with the sound coming out through an open window, I was very much looking forward to watching their show. I was also singing with a band that night (currently being renamed), and it’s always good playing your own gig and also being treated with an entertaining set by the other bands that might be playing with you.

The Fullertons put on a very entertaining show and as I’ve said before on Band Weblogs, they look and sound great. Their songs are tight, energetic and the keyboard adds a nice touch to their indie/pop sound.

This summer, they’ve been touring around the UK and have recently come back from playing in Moscow, Russia.

Frontman/singer David Chanell took some time out for an interview with me for BandWeblogs.com.

Continue reading “The Fullertons’ David Chanell – Exclusive interview”

Truck Festival 2008 (Steventon, Oxfordshire) review

Truck Festival

Truck Festival – Photo: Gina Policelli. 2008 marked the eleventh Truck Festival in the normally sleepy Oxfordshire village of Steventon. Not to be mistaken for an event celebrating all things of the vehicular variety, Truck represents one of the precious few independent music festivals …

Truck Festival
Truck Festival – Photo: Gina Policelli

2008 marked the eleventh Truck Festival in the normally sleepy Oxfordshire village of Steventon. Not to be mistaken for an event celebrating all things of the vehicular variety, Truck represents one of the precious few independent music festivals still going strong in the UK and has grown in fame and prestige over the last decade. No corporate slogans for this event; rather you can expect to see the local vicar pouring pints as the Didcot Rotary Club serve you up a burger and chips.

Founded by Joe and Robin Bennett, Truck is a truly unique affair: a mixture of the village fete and the music festival, it celebrates some of the finest music – new and old – you can possibly expect to enjoy over two days. Past years have seen acts including Garth & Maud Hudson, The Futureheads, Regina Spektor, The Magic Numbers and Mystery Jets do their thing on the stages, one of which is comprised of a truck (hence the name), another a barn.

For 2008 there were some new stages, including the Village Pub and Pavilion, offering even more choice than before at this loveable boutique festival. This year was my sixth Truck and I arrived on Saturday pleased that the weather was one of those wonderfully English summer days – no, not rainy you joker you – a genuinely lovely sunny day with a mild breeze and fluffy white clouds in a picture book blue sky. Which – given last years floods – was no less than a miracle for an event that was postponed after entire marquees were swept down the fields in 2007.

As usual the punters were spoilt for choice, with established artists like The Lemonheads doing sets alongside up and coming artists such as Noah and the Whale and Stornoway. Truck line-ups are never anything less than idiosyncratic and that’s why it’s so thoroughly charming.

Where was I? Ah, Saturday. Aside from a mildly shambolic set from Television Personalities there were plenty of highlights. These included an energetic set from Little Fish, a rock duo whose singer Juju has an intense, PJ Harvey vocal style and a whole lot of charisma to boot; and an utterly magical performance from Emmy the Great.

Emmy The Great
Emmy the Great – Photo: Lindsey Davis

As the breeze ruffled her hair and bubbles floated across the sky and into the fields beyond the stage, Emmy had a rapt audience at her disposal – a rare feat for an artist on so early in the day. As she stared into the sunlight, I am sure I wasn’t alone in wondering how big she would be this time next year – the girl has star quality whilst never seeming cocky. The enchanting voice, the looks, the likeable presence … Her folky music is married to winning lyrics which have a humour and self awareness that prevent anyone from making accusations of her being twee or overearnest. And boy has she got fans! Even at this early stage in her career, a hardcore group were eagerly standing at the front and bantering with her, which she clearly relished. She’s one to watch that’s for sure.

The Ralfe Band had a hard act to follow on the Truck Stage but acquitted themselves well, their brand of quirky pyschedelia going down well with the audience. From them we wandered off to the Market Stage for the nostalgia fest that was Dodgy. Anyone who was a teenager in the mid nineties will recall with fondness (or minor irritation) the jingly jangly indie pop produced by the Brummie threesome, and it was on this basis we found ourselves in the crammed circus style tent singing along to classics like “Good Enough” and “Staying Out for the Summer”.

Dodgy
Dodgy – Photo: Gina Policelli

The band sheepishly knew their audience and kept new tracks to a minimum, drummer Matt getting highly into the spirit of things. You can’t keep a good Brummie down! It was all very good fun; the band were consummate professionals and played a polished set which you’d have to be pretty curmudgeonly to walk away from and criticise.

I then stayed behind to catch Martin Simpson, whose name readers might recall from his days supporting Steeleye Span but who deserves credit on his own terms. One of the finest guitarists I’ve seen play in a long time, I was lucky enough to bag a place at the front of the audience and watch his precise, skilful fingers as they worked their magic on his guitar.

I should also add an apology to Martin here, for forgetting to turn the flash off my camera and inadvertently letting off a blinding light only a few songs in. The picture was unfortunately blurred so that’ll show me to be so inconsiderate! Sorry (hangs head) … Anyhows, back to the music. It was fascinating to watch him play and I adored listening to the wonderful tales his songs relayed, including “Highway 61” and the moving “Prodigal Son”, which he dedicated to his father. My own father recommended Martin to me and after seeing him live, I’m very glad he did. Martin had a warm stage presence and seemed comfortable to casually chat away to the audience, telling us that the previous night he’d played a town hall and was off to play the Royal Albert Hall the next night. What a wonderfully diverse triad of venues to do in the space of three days – evidence if any was needed of his love of playing no matter where!

The Market Stage then played host to Noah and the Whale which, having returned to it after grabbing a drink, we found so crammed it was impossible to get in. We headed off to see Okkervil River instead. Although they initially sounded like they were rattling around the large Truck Stage a little lost, things soon picked up and as the dusk fell, the band gave an increasingly assured and sprawling set. Their ornate folk rock and multi-layered instrumentation was perfectly pitched against the clear velvety skies and backdrop of whispering corn fields; and singer Will Sheff’s yelpy vocals were seemingly unaffected by his frenzied jumping around the stage.

They were more than a match for headliners The Lemonheads, who as a certain special guest argued very sweetly the next day, just didn’t seem like they wanted to be there. After deserting the silliness of hyperactive Klaxons-esque Munch Munch for Dando et al, I was left cold by the band’s absolute minimum of engagement with the audience. Their choice to play the entirety of album ‘It’s a Shame About Ray’ proved to be a bit off – with the eponymous song played early on in the set, there was no ‘favourite’ for the crowd to wait for and the band seemed oblivious to all notions of whipping the crowd up. They were good, yes, but ultimately left no greater impression.

So although Saturday ended a little flatly with the much-feted headliners detached from spirit of Truck – i.e. the sense of fun and inclusion which artists and audiences rightly love it for – Sunday more than made up for it. By this point I’d already seen Romeo Stodart of The Magic Numbers wandering around the site and been so excited I could barely speak, and spent most of the day eagerly anticipating his set.

Whilst I waited and tried not to embarrass myself by approaching him, I took in Tristan & the Troubadours, Indigo Moss and Luke Smith. T&TT are a bunch of GCSE students whose age belies their evident knack for a tune. Their sparkly pop, backed by piano and violin amongst other instruments, is amazingly accomplished and these teens really are too cool for school. They seemed impressively comfortable on stage and put me in mind of a less geeky Belle and Sebastian. They even have their own backing singer! And a good name. Which is immeasurably helpful given the raft of crap names teenagers give their bands. These kids don’t need me to tell them they will do well – they seem to know it already.

Engaged couple Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou, who go by the name Indigo Moss, also played the Market Stage. Their cute rockabilly music takes in bluegrass along the way and their set mesmerised the audience. They were an apt match for the festival’s bucolic setting and were timed perfectly to gently wake people up after Saturday’s excesses. They drew some of their own peers too – Danny (of Danny and the Champions of the World) and Magic Numbers members all sat spellbound by the set. I must single out Hannah-Lou’s voice especially for praise; she’s got a pretty special sound and I want to hear more of her!

It was then off to see Luke Smith in the new tent the Village Pub. Canterbury-based Luke Smith specialises in cabaret style, piano led observational songs rich in wry humour and bearing titles like “I Like Being Cosy”. Now some would say he is irritating. Not me; I love him! I was charmed by him at a previous Truck and made a special effort to see him this year, where his attempts to get the packed audience not to join in drew much laughter. He’s lovely. From one hirsute wonder to another, I made sure I had a good view of the nicest man in music, Romeo Stodart. Yes, he was the special guest who along with bandmate Angela Gannon performed on Sunday evening.

Romeo from The Magic Numbers
Romeo from The Magic Numbers – Photo: Gina Policelli

Romeo is an artist who totally gets the Truck ethos and who, having mingled – or in his own words – been ‘led astray’ – by the punters the previous night, happily bantered with the crowd. And yes, it was him who very politely suggested that a certain Mr Dando could have thrown himself into the sprit of things a little more. He gave a lovely set of pared down Magic Numbers tracks with Angela providing accompaniment and showing off her angelic voice, which could honestly make grown men cry it’s so pretty. Danny of Danny and the Champions of the World joined for a song and a bit of a mutual appreciation society was formed which proved utterly heart-warming.

I then made a fantastic new discovery in the form of the politicised and impassioned Frank Turner, formerly of Million Dead. Wow. His lyrics are something else. And he has the tunes to back them up too. Combining the star quality of Bruce Springsteen with the polemics of Billy Bragg, he gave a magnificent performance which at the point in the day when revellers could easily flag as they wait for the main acts, drew a big crowd and made me and many others prick their heads up with immediate interest. Turner has a voice that urges you to listen and honest and powerful things to say, and delivers his messages with a conviction and intelligence weighted with authority and panache.

Laura Marling headlined the market stage and after much debate I decided I would eschew Get.Cape.Wear.Cape.Fly for the Berkshire-based songstress. The tent was spilling over with people and expectations were high. After what seemed like an age she finally came on and my first impression was: wow, she’s teeny! Followed by extreme jealousy of one so young and talented (yeah, she’s 18, yada yada yada … Enough about her age now!).

She exhibited remarkable composure in the face of such adulation and the complete purity of her voice hit me anew upon hearing it live. Sounding immaculate, she proved the beauty of her vocals on record is no engineered fluke. She delivered a set comprised mostly of songs from her debut ‘Alas I Cannot Swim’, plus a new track (Rebecca) and an encore of Five Years’ Time, that Noah and the Whale track on which she supplied backing vocals.

The set was, in short, sublime. Unperturbed by the idiots talking for the beginning of her set, who totally ignored the subtle and growing intensity of “Shine”, she projected a calm aura which soon transmitted to the audience, which was amassed of hyper kids, older folkies, and mid twenties former hyper kids like your good reporter. Everyone was transfixed a controlled yet delicate performance from Marling and her band, who live, lent the songs a greater thrust and body than on the album. As the drums and piano kicked in on My Manic and I and Night Terror, carving out a powerful backdrop for her clean and resonant voice, she treated the audience to some memorable hairs on the back of your neck moments. I’m sure those who saw her headline will agree that it is not overstating the matter to predict that it will become much harder to see her in a few years from now. If she’s this good before she’s out of her teens (I know, you can’t avoid it), what will she be like in Five Years Time (sorry – couldn’t resist)?

In all, Truck 11 was another wonderful weekend with wonderful artists. Although there seemed some underestimation of the popularity of some bands and a subsequent mismatch between stage and artist (Laura Marling in the Market Stage?), this is a minor gripe. The sun shone benevolently upon the festivities and topped off a weekend of quality music which introduced new artists and also reminded us of how great some of the established acts are – in short, it did exactly what a music festival should do. An event which is all about community, passion for music and a relaxed attitude to life, long may the Trucking continue.

By: Lindsey Davis

Reckless Sons + The Splendour review LIVE at Madam JoJo’s – Soho, London

Reckless Sons

Last night I went to the Reckless Sons and The Splendour show at Madam JoJo’s in Soho, London. Before the show, we were having drinks across the street from Madam JoJo’s, upstairs at The O Bar …

Reckless Sons

Last night I went to the Reckless Sons and The Splendour show at Madam JoJo’s in Soho, London.

Before the show, we were having drinks across the street from Madam JoJo’s, upstairs at The O Bar, and the newest addition to the New York City based band Reckless Sons, drummer Austin Schumacher, sat down with me for a quick chat. Before making their way to the UK they played a couple shows in Washington DC area that went down well and he was looking forward to playing the London show and their UK tour. They’ve just finished shooting a video for upcoming single, “Blood”, which was filmed in New York, and from his description, sounds like one to watch out for when it’s released.

As 9:30 approached, we made our way to Madam JoJo’s for the show. I was looking forward to seeing these two up and coming bands, one from New York and the other, The Splendour, from Brighton.

Continue reading “Reckless Sons + The Splendour review LIVE at Madam JoJo’s – Soho, London”

Teddy Thompson EXCLUSIVE interview

Teddy Thompson

Teddy Thompson has released his fourth studio album, ‘A Piece Of What You Need’ – which includes one my favorite songs released in 2008, “In My Arms” …

Teddy Thompson

Teddy Thompson has released his fourth studio album, ‘A Piece Of What You Need’ – which includes one my favorite songs released in 2008, “In My Arms”.

I’ve been intrigued by Teddy Thompson, not only because of his talent, but because of his ability to capture a rustic and classic sound that has subtly eased into the realm of mainstream music.

It’s also good to see true musicianship is still alive and well in the 21st century. Sometimes it’s difficult to see musical camaraderie amongst the commercialization of music. Teddy is the son of musicians Richard and Linda Thompson and over the years has collaborated – and harmonized – with both of his parents, Rufus and Martha Wainwright and many others. In my opinion, he is a great example of what true musicianship is.

Read the exclusive interview for Band Weblogs:

Jenny May: Where have you found to be the best place to write songs?

Teddy Thompson: I find that the place has little to do with it, it’s the state of mind. I don’t get a lot of writing done at home but that’s because I’m traveling a lot and when I am home it’s relaxation time. So, as long as I put my mind to it and sit down to work, I can be anywhere. It does end up being hotel rooms an awful lot.

Is there a show that you played that stands out as being a favorite?

I’ve had wonderful moments on stage but I’m always sort of waiting for the great performance to come. Where everything goes brilliantly and I have a transcendent experience. It hasn’t quite happened yet so I’m still waiting for my favorite show…

You’ve worked with many wonderful artists over the years. Are there times when they’ve inspired you when coming up with song/music ideas? If so, how did their inspiration effect your music?

Yes, it’s hard to say exactly how that works. I think it’s mostly subliminal for me. We naturally absorb what’s going on around us and later on it may influence your own writing.

With the artists that you’ve worked with, there seems to be a warm community of family and friends around you which reminds me of the Carter/Cash years – something that I don’t seen very often in music. How do you think camaraderie amongst musicians has changed throughout the years?

It’s great to have friends and family in the same business, I can’t imagine what it would be like to be the only musical person in your town and family as is the case for most musicians.. But as far as a musical community, there have certainly been lots of those – LA’s Laurel Canyon in the 70’s must have been pretty cool!

Is there a musical genre that you would one day like to venture into that you haven’t yet?

I’d like to make a traditional folk record someday.

Do you enjoy solitude?

Very much. I find it hard to spend an extended period of time with anyone.

Do you prefer romantic or political songs?

Romantic.

Who would you like to record with that you haven’t yet?

Nobody living. LOADS of dead people! Some sort of undead jam session would be really great.

Who is your favorite male/female duet and which song?

At the moment it’s Robert Plant and Alison Krauss doing that Everly Bros song.

You’ve had songs in movies – have you ever acted in any films?

NO, acting is like, totally hard.

Any projects planned outside of music?

I am working on decorating my new apartment.

What is your idea of the best way to chill out at the end of a long tour?

I always think that it would be good to take a real vacation on a beach somewhere and truly relax but inevitably, I just want to spend time at home after being away so long.

Who is your favorite country artist of all time?

Hank Williams.

For more information, music and tour dates, go to:

Teddy Thompson Myspace
Teddy Thompson Official Website

Teddy Thompson – A Piece of What You Need on amazon.com

A Piece of What You Need on amazon.co.uk

iTunes

I’m Not There (inspired by Bob Dylan) DVD/movie review

I'm Not There - Bob Dylan

I’m Not There, a daring and innovative film inspired by Bob Dylan and directed by Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, Far From Heaven), takes various stages of Bob Dylan’s life and career and reinterprets them to the soundtrack of his music …

I'm Not There - Bob Dylan

I’m Not There, a daring and innovative film inspired by Bob Dylan and directed by Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, Far From Heaven), takes various stages of Bob Dylan’s life and career and reinterprets them to the soundtrack of his music. Unlike Factory Girl, in which a character apparently based on Dylan forced his lawyers to threaten to sue the makers, this movie received his blessing. It’s easy to see why: Haynes shows a respect for his subject and the shape-shifting and multiple identities Dylan has undergone over the years, by re-enacting this tendency in film and employing a variety of actors to portray aspects of Dylan’s persona over time.

Each of the actors is given their own narrative loosely based on actual events and interviews from Dylan’s past: Marcus Carl Franklin plays a young black version of Dylan who calls himself ‘Woody’ and thus represents the beginning of the artist’s career, when he styled himself on folk singer Woody Guthrie; Ben Whishaw plays the ‘poet’ Dylan styled after Arthur Rimbaud; Heath Ledger plays Robbie Clark, a Hollywood actor estranged from his wife Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and children, representing Dylan the star refracted through his personal life; Christian Bale plays Dylan as a young, politicised folk singer and later becomes ‘Pastor John’ (Dylan the born again Christian); Cate Blanchett plays Jude Quinn, or Dylan at the height of his fame in the 60s, when his original fan base rejected him as a sell-out for going electric; and Richard Gere plays the older Dylan as a Billy the Kid figure in a surreal and haunting Wild West town. All stories are filmed in a style unique to each character and are informed by cinematic history: from cinéma vérité to Fellini, Goddard and westerns.

Narratives are spliced throughout, taking you from Woody to Billy in an unpredictable but oddly fitting manner. There are many beautiful set pieces which could easily be extended and beautifully directed music videos – notably those in the Billy the Kid story, which features some stunning moments set around the bandstand, where Billy stands up to his nemesis Pat Garrett in a rustic, circus style setting. Revisiting the movie upon its DVD release I was struck anew by what seems to be perfect casting – particularly that of Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Much has been said about Blanchett’s performance, which really captures Dylan as he was in the 60s (see D.A Pennebaker’s documentary Don’t Look Back). Choosing a woman with Blanchett’s luminous beauty was a risky strategy but it pays off. Her performance illustrates just how alien Dylan appeared to people in the 60s: androgynous, full of riddles. Her every move, gesture and even the timbre of her voice is uncannily and inherently Dylan – culminating in a memorable confrontation between Jude and a journalist in the back of a car.

Heath Ledger’s performance is shot through with pathos given his recent death; already ensconced in the more emotive parts of the film, his scenes were even more moving given the circumstances and it was difficult not to feel choked seeing him so young and fresh on the screen. He and Charlotte Gainsbourg offer us a more personal, intimate story than the rest, portraying the start and finish of a relationship very movingly. Their naturalistic performances give the impression of a couple’s life together in what constitutes only a segment of the film’s wider whole, and they deserve praise for their success in realising this in so short a space of time.

The rest of the cast also acquit themselves well: as usual Christian Bale performs with intensity and integrity and Marcus Carl Franklin is impressive as a man-child searching for an identity. Even Richard Gere was less smug than usual. Ben Whishaw delivered some powerful monologues but the character of Arthur was less tangible than the others and only seemed there to provide some way of knitting together the disparate stories.

In all, this movie does well to emulate the slippery nature of Dylan’s own self-mythologizing and delivers a series of unforgettable stories strung together by his music.

And the DVD extras? They include a passionate and intelligent commentary from Todd Haynes that gives an account of how much research and dedication went into the movie. Given the restraints on location (the movie was shot entirely in Montreal which had to stand in for London, Greenwich Village and the wild west) and time, the sense of commitment from everyone involved is clear from Haynes’ words.

There’s also a set of informative interviews with Haynes and a lovely video tribute to Heath Ledger. A mini documentary on the making of the soundtrack is also worth a look. It features an interview with Sonic Youth’s Lee Ronaldo, who produced much of the album. Considering the film itself features a mesmerising reworking of “Going to Acapulco” from My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and Calexico, a discussion with the guy who had the fearsome task of reinterpreting a selection of Dylan’s songs for contemporary artists simply had to be on the cards. However, it was a shame that there weren’t more interviews with other artists involved in the soundtrack, such as Eddie Vedder or Richie Havens (who is also in the movie). It would have been nice to hear their thoughts on the project. On that note, I’d have liked to have seen some cast interviews as well.

I won’t split hairs. There’s a written contribution from Greil Marcus for goodness sake! And it’s the movie that’s the thing. I’m Not There stands up to and becomes even more enjoyable on repeat viewings, and supplemented with the background information currently available in the Extras, is something I would advise Dylan and movie fans alike to invest in. Although you come away with no greater knowledge of the legend himself, your appreciation of Dylan’s work is all the greater for stimulating creative and original endeavours such as this.

I’m Not There (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition) on amazon.com

I’m Not There [2007] on amazon.co.uk

Bob Dylan Official Website

By: Lindsey Davis