Review: Kendal Calling 2012

With awful queuing systems and minor public tantrums aside, upon arrival at Kendal Calling, campe was set up, cider was cracked open and we lazed in the sun before catching Trophy Wife on the Calling Out stage. The Oxford three-piece have impeccable taste in t-shirts and funky disco tunes to match. They played a short set packed with Foals-esque pop songs, such as Microlite and Canopy Shade, the early stage time meant that people were less willing to bump ‘n grind but Trophy Wife were fun, funky and an interesting opener to Kendal Calling for me!

We went for a wander after and once again, Kendal had proved itself to not just be about the music. I jumped on the ferris wheel with a pal, had a wander around the 100s of food and clothes stalls and headed off to Tim Peaks diner.The Tim Peaks diner was definitely a highlight of the weekend. The diner was a cosy wood cabin with Twin Peaks-esque décor, a snazzy jukebox, amazing Totes Amazeballs cereal, hilarious poets and special guest appearances throughout the festival.

Little Comets were a highlight of the Friday and of the entire festival. Having seen them a few years back I was expecting infectious pop songs, instruments strung across the stage and a lot of Little Comets fanboys and girls. And that is exactly what I got! Dancing wildly to Dancing Song and joining in with the mass sing-alongs was just brilliant. Later on I caught Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip in the sweaty, smoky Glow Dance tent. I was excited to witness them as I had somehow never got round to it and missed Scroobius Pip’s solo set on the Main Stage but I wasn’t that impressed. Several songs had to be started again, and again…and again but the hits got everyone moving.

Saturday was fancy dress day with the theme of Fairy Tales and Comic Books and I was Enid Coleslaw, naturally. I dragged all my friends to the Main Stage in the afternoon to catch reggae legend Little Roy under the premise that it was going to be the weirdest yet most entertaining event of the weekend. Little Roy and his backing singers danced through a set full of Nirvana covers and his reggae tracks and put the biggest smile on everyone’s face. And even when he forgot the words to Heart Shaped Box about 5 times everyone shouted the words back to help him out.

On Saturday evening, Islet played on the adorable Woodlands stage, a tiny stage tucked away in the trees that was decked out in fake flowers and moss, and were their usual wild and reckless selves. They also gave away free copies of their zine, The Isness at the end of the gig, how sweet is that?

 Dizzee Rascal was another highlight of the weekend with a predictable yet brilliant performance. Bonkers, Holiday, You Got the Dirtee Luv and dropping Smells Like Teen Spirit and N***sIn Paris mid set caused the crowd to go absolutely insane, I even got on someone’s shoulders, whilst lasers, fireworks and tickertape topped the ultimate party set off.
I spent the rest of Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday morning dancing on tables and sofas in the House Party Tent. DJs The Beat Club put on an excellent set of classic Motown, 70s disco and highlights from the Superbad soundtrack.

On Sunday, after a quick interview with We Are Scientists, some Tim Peaks cherry pie and Hip Hop Karaoke by the Kopparberg Kube (I rapped to Best I Ever Had by Drake), we caught We Are Scientists’ wonderful set. They played songs from all three albums and punctuated them with their hilarious mid-set banter. I’d wanted to catch them live for years and I wasn’t disappointed.
We ended Sunday night by watching the brilliant Vintage Trouble at the Calling Out Stage. I had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. The fourpiece from California played sexy, sulty soul songs that got everyone bumping ‘n grinding. knickers were even thrown onstage it was that sexy.
I missed out on Craig Charles’ legendary DJ set that always closes the festival as I was tucked up in my tent but my 4^th Kendal Calling experience was full of fun, great bands, amazing food, ferris wheels and fancy dress. I’m can’t wait to return to the fields and party in 2013!

Eden Young

January Round Up

As starts of years go, 2012 has started with a bang in the musical world.


 

January saw some major shifts in the ways people listen to music, with the proposals of US congressional bills SOPA and PIPA dedicated to eradicating internet pirates illegally uploading copyrighted material, which in fact threatened to damage blog and mixtape culture significantly. Luckily the act wasn't passed, but the removal of major file-sharing site Megaupload came as a shock to the system.


The internet also received (and continues to receive) significant backlash over the hyping of one Lana Del Rey. It's been well documented, the sudden rise of signature track Video Games leading to slanderous comments on Lizzie Grant's image, background and her less than thrilling Saturday Night Live performance. If anything, this shows how powerful the internet has become with influence over new artists, Lana Del Rey acting as an unwilling puppet to demonstrate the brutal nature of the modern hype machine. 

Elsewhere, legendary singer Etta James saddened many with her passing, Michael Stipe of REM kicked up a fuss about Youtube's removal of the tastefully homo-erotic Perfume Genius album promo, Michael Kiwanuka surprised many by scooping the BBC's sound of 2012 poll giving hope for boring lounge music everywhere and Disney got hipsters hot and bothered over a badly judged Joy Division t-shirt.


In terms of album releases January hasn't been too shabby either. Here are some choice picks we at Sound Influx have been particularly enjoying:

The Maccabees - Given to the Wild 
"This should be the album that catapults The Maccabees to greater things, whether it’s higher chart placements or bigger festival crowds, it will guarantee one thing; more fans of this beautiful music."
Check out Calum Stephen's full 9/10 review here




Islet - Illuminated People 
"But for all its failures, Illuminated People remains a ferociously sturdy and confident debut, because it isn’t really a debut at all, it’s the logical next step in Islet’s story. And that’s the album in a nutshell, a ball of frenetic contradictions and clashing ideas. This isn’t the first message to the world, this is them having a shot at mass communication and telling people to get ready, because no-one knows where they’ll go next, not even themselves."
See Ned Powley's full 8/10 review here


Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
 "Already developing into a major artist on the strength of her first two singles alone, Born To Die will push her further into the spotlight. The only question is whether she’ll thrive or squint her eyes and hope for a moment of darkness."
Read Aurora Mitchell's 8/10 review here



Howler - America Give Up
"Howler have crafted a very promising record, which will no doubt strike a chord with many due it's undeniable sense of fun and Jordan's witty and wholly likeable lyrics and personality. Howler have dealt with the threat of hype impeccably and the Rough Trade signed band are certainly worth investigating."
 Read Toby McCarron's full review here


Roll on February!


By Toby McCarron

Islet - Illuminated People

In October 2010 I saw Islet play in a tiny art venue in Dalston. It was totally rammed and the whole event carried that vague whiff of being an event, of being something special that would serve as a real bragging-rights gig. Then Islet fucked off and let us forget about them. But this hibernation wasn’t an artistic statement, it was an opportunity to cast of all the words and ideas pinned to Islet the first time around. Sure, the touching points of no wave, prog, krautrock and psychedelia remain, but Islet’s fearlessness has led to new sounds seeping into the maelstrom; What We Done Wrong begins with lush folky strings before pulling the rug out and going all in with garage rock stomp and an ending that (almost, almost) transcends into something resembling a post-hardcore track.

So really, nothing’s changed at all. With Islet the appeal always lay in their unexpected nature, the sense that listening to any of their recorded output was going to be an experience rather than a casual dalliance. So what do they do to change that? They play it straight. The schizo nature of earlier EPs Celebrate This Place and Wimmy just wouldn’t work when pulled out to full length and the Sturm und Drang would have worn off quickly. The problem is, Islet aren’t a singular band, in fact, they’re at their best when they sound like 5 bands playing over the top of each other and by outsourcing to a sound more accessible and approachable means the whole thing doesn’t (for the most part) feel like a band who could freak out and change styles at the drop of a hat.

But for all its failures, Illuminated People remains a ferociously sturdy and confident debut, because it isn’t really a debut at all, it’s the logical next step in Islet’s story. And that’s the album in a nutshell, a ball of frenetic contradictions and clashing ideas. This isn’t the first message to the world, this is them having a shot at mass communication and telling people to get ready, because no-one knows where they’ll go next, not even themselves.

8/10

By Ned Powley

Islet - This Fortune

Well then Islet, you took your sweet time didn’t you? Over a year since they released their still-great second EP ‘Wimmy’, they return in the manner most befitting them. No, not a sneaky red herring to lure us into believing that with time had come maturity, or at the very least some Ritalin, but instead Islet have sharpened their corners and streamlined their sound into something bigger and brasher and more glorious than anything to ever grace your ears. The percussion, so key to the allure of earlier material, still remains and whilst it now resides further back in the all-encompassing melee it still provides the propulsion that makes listening to Islet such a thrill. Couple that with walls of stomach churning groans and vocals that bounce and undulate, at once woozy and terrifying. From a band whose trade is throwing everything at the wall and not giving a shit if it sticks comes something that is lean and streamlined but still resolutely monstrous. 


http://isletislet.com/discography/this-fortune-12/ This Fortune is available as a free download on Islet's website now!

By Ned Powley

Constellations Festival - Preview

Although Constellations Festival has only been running for two years, it has brought some of the most sought after acts to Leeds University with one of 2011's most hyped bands The Vaccines and popular glitch electronic artist Gold Panda being just two of many exciting bands to feature on last year's line up. This year the festival is back with some of the most interesting acts around including Wild Beasts and The Antlers who've both released critically acclaimed albums this year, the latter being The Fly's album of 2011! 


Alongside the festival, there's a 64 page tabloid newspaper being sold online that not only shows you the line up for Constellations Festival but also has some exquisite designs. The festival commissioned fifteen exceptional studios and illustrators to create a poster based on the theme 'Constellations'. The result is a complex and professional tabloid newspaper that can be previewed and bought over at Constellations Festival Store. 

Above: an excerpt from the newspaper. 

Not only is the artistic side of Constellations Festival showcased in the above newspaper but within the university at The Terrace Bar, which is becoming a new home to the screen printing and poster exhibition that proved popular in 2010. As well as artwork, they have teamed up with WARP Films to create a special program of moving image work that's going to be shown in their new 'pop up' cinema. Read more about The Terrace Bar over at The Terrace Bar

Back to the music side of things, here are 5 bands that you really can't afford to miss at Constellations Festival:

1. Wild Beasts

2. Braids

3. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

4. Islet

5. The Big Pink

Look at photography from 2010's Constellations Festival here: Constellations Festival Flickr

Where to buy tickets for Constellations Festival:

Crash Records

Jumbo Records

Seetickets

Contact

Facebook

Twitter