Sound Influx - Albums of 2011: Part 2 10 - 1

10. SBTRKT - SBTRKT



This debut by masked producer Aaron Jerome was dance music’s adrenaline shot in 2011. On it, is a variety of treats spanning many contrasting yet compelling ways of looking at music. There’s soulful crooning by Sampha on ‘Hold On’ and ‘Never Never’, warped forays into contemporary dubstep and Drum ‘N’ Bass influence on ‘Wildfire’ and ‘Sanctuary’ and even a straight up house banger ‘Pharaohs’. For a record that could easily have been a messy shambles, SBTRKT is lean, focused and incredibly precise in his production, and most importantly is engaging and often danceable from start to finish. By Toby McCarron

9. Friendly Fires - Pala

I don’t know about you but I’d say friendly fires where without a doubt the band that sound-tracked my summer. ‘Hawaiian Air’ in particular – which filled the air with some much needed summer spirit, we usually crave all year round. The album as a whole when released was nothing but refreshing and fun to say the least. Pala features vibrant dance tracks with Friendly Fires’ indie take on neon pop, particularly on songs like ‘Hurting’ and ‘Blue Cassette’. And to top it off lead singer Ed Macfarlane’s dancing over the festival session gave the band some extra gold stars from the crowds. But yes they may love a bit of cow bell; however Pala has been a huge stepping stone for the band as they re-emerged with a new colourful side. By Ailsa Morris

8. Fucked Up! - David Comes To Life



David Comes to Life manages the rare feat of being at once a ridiculously plotted rock opera about industrial sabotage and lost love in a northern mining town in the late 70’s and also one of the most shamelessly fists-aloft, life embracing albums ever made. It’s a testament to Fucked Up’s knowledge of working the hard graft that they could undertake a project so enormous in scale without losing an ounce of credibility. Not only did this result in the creation of a record 78(!) minutes in length but also an album of songs recorded by the band in the guise of numerous bands dwelling in the fictional town that the action is centred around. Throughout it’s 18 tracks, the album loses none of it’s velocity or power. The decision to drop The Other Shoe, a powerhouse that builds from a lone female voice to a crescendo of noise so overpoweringly wondrous that the listener is forced to simple relinquish their grip and embrace the totality of it, only fourth in the tracklisting shows the band had no fear about the unbridled energy that drips from every corner of the album. By Ned Powley

7. Slow Club - Paradise

Paradise is 11 perfectly crafted pop songs with pounding pianos, boy girl harmonies, dance inducing drum beats and the occasional saxophone solo. Sad lyrics about broken families, lovers that are hard to forget and the fact that "no-one really is a mystery" are accompanied by Rebecca’s dreamy voice to create something truly magical. Songs like "Two Cousins" and "Where I’m Waking" have the power to make you get up and dance. That not your thing? Well songs like "Earth, Air and Ash" could make you break down in tears. On paper "Paradise" sounds like there’s too much going on but it works so well and successfully pulls at the heartstrings whilst making you tap your feet. Slow Club proved everyone wrong with Paradise and shed themselves of their "twee" label. Paradise is Slow Club. By Eden Young

6. Yuck - Yuck

Mixing a typically indie sound with both grunge and pop, Yuck are a band like few others. Born out of the demise of Cajun Dance Party and adding a few members in, Yuck have formed a tight ship and created an album that’s slowly proved itself over time as one of the best crafted of the year. From the blissful heartbreak of Georgia to the painfully beautiful Rubber via the statement of intent that is Get Away, it’s an album that goes down well with a drink in the summer and at the same time doesn’t feel too out of place when it’s snowing due to the full sound of that guitar noise. Let’s hope that they stick around a little longer than their previous suggests and we might just have a genuine indie contender on our hands. By Braden Fletcher

5. Wu Lyf - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain



Shrouded in mystery, WU LYF ’s approach to being "more than just a band" has been copied many times. The difference being that WU LYF, and only a couple of others, have managed to back it up with exciting music. ‘Go Tell Fire to the Mountain’ may have been overshadowed by some of the bigger releases of the year, but it should never ever be overlooked, especially considering its brilliance throughout. The incendiary howl of opener "L Y F" and the gang rebellion of "We Bros" flow seamlessly to the adolescent revolution of "Dirt" and the sonic explosion of closer "Heavy Pop". ‘Go Tell Fire to the Mountain’ contains blistering melodies, an abundance of references to fire and crowns, and choruses that should be shouted from rooftops. This is an album that has made music exciting again. By Calum Stephen

4. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Back in 2006, Justin Vernon secluded himself in a cabin in Wisconsin, in an attempt to "hibernate". Three months in solitude had created ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’, beauty and anguish shown in every song. Five years later, ‘Bon Iver’ was released, and Justin Vernon seemed like a new man. From the opening 30 seconds of "Perth", it’s as if ‘Bon Iver’ would pick up where ‘For Emma…’ left off. But a military drum beat foreshadows what sounds like war, a frantic closing to the album’s opening track, one of many highlights. Vernon’s ability to write gorgeous vocal melodies is shown best in "Holocene" and "Michicant", both are breathtaking from start to finish. On the album’s closer "Beth/Rest" Vernon cites Bruce Hornsby as a major influence, the track containing ‘80s synthesizers and saxophones. ‘Bon Iver’ is a magnificent album, one that can be listened to countless times until Justin Vernon’s next release, which is an incredibly promising thought. By Calum Stephen

3. Battles - Gloss Drop

 After the departure of Tyondai Braxton from Battles, the first version of their second album had been scrapped as the newly trio went back to the drawing board and produced Gloss Drop, one of the most outside-of-the-box records this year. Featuring Kazu Makino, Gary Numan, Yamantaka Eye and Matias Aguayo, they’ve taken a similar approach to bands like Gorillaz who featured several prolific artists on Plastic Beach. Although without these collaborations, Konopka, Stanier and Williams each portray their musical idiosyncrasies with ease and that’s what makes Gloss Drop, as well as Battles, so loveable. Peppered with glitch, electronica and the obvious experimental instrumental elements, Gloss Drop manages to captivate throughout. Especially on ‘Futura’, showcasing an looping synth and Stanier’s beastly drumming skills that tide you over for just over 6 minutes without any sign of vocals and instead of the usual constant anxious waiting that often accompanies listening to an instrumental track, for the first time; you stop waiting and just enjoy the song. The experimental trio have proved that they’re so much more than ‘Atlas’, and for many people who were looking for the same of old, the album no doubt disappointed. By Aurora Mitchell

2. Wild Beasts - Smother

As Wild Beasts’ career has progressed, they’ve become even more grandiose and overly confusing to some. Although, to others, myself included, their crazily genius concepts and excessive naturalistic metaphors are endearing and make their music close to an art form. Smother embodies the concept of the word ‘smother’ and the two interpretations of which they decided to form the album around, the literal smothering, like that of a pillow and the kind of smothering you get from a feeling. The former inspired the artwork, designed by Matthew Cooper and Jason Evans, as it depicts different coloured feathers merging together and this theme has continued onto all of the singles taken from Smother. Thorpe’s crooning falsetto resonates throughout the album and surrounds itself like a warm bath around the smoothly flowing instrumental. Thorpe’s vocals are delivered precariously as if he’s over thinking the meaning, which reflects the lamented nature of the lyrics that feature on the album. Full of off-beat percussion, woozy synth loops and repeated guitar riffs, Smother is the perfect start point to get into Wild Beasts and a natural continuation from Two Dancers for already adoring fans. By Aurora Mitchell

1. Metronomy - The English Riviera

And so, our album of the year is the third album that shocked and delighted so many in 2011 from Devon resident/electronic visionary Joe Mount’s band Metronomy. Where second album Nights Out dealt in melodies in abundance and youthful energy, The English Riviera is sophisticated and grown up and a truly stunning listening experience created by Mount’s love of his upbringing on the Devon Coast. The best thing about the album is that there isn’t a single weak moment. There’s the trademark bouncy indie-pop Metronomy became known for on secret hit of the summer "The Look" and the exceptionally ludicrous yaucht-rock romp "The Bay". Yet there’s also the tender quirky love songs such the sultry "Loving Arm" and the boy/girl heart-warming tale of young love "Everything Goes My Way". Metronomy matured without losing their spirit, something many young bands right now can hope to aspire to, but good luck reaching this standard. By Toby Mccarron

Constellations Festival 2011 - Review

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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

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Oupa - Forget

Daniel Blumberg’s side project Oupa demonstrates a totally different sound to the scuzzy rock of Yuck, his main band; ‘Forget’ is a delicate and lonely record, with sadness pervading most of the tracks. A follow up to the ‘Weakend’ EP Blumberg shows off his emotionally charged vocals over a softer background. Opening track ‘Driving’ starts with a delicate acoustic guitar under pinning his reverb drenched voice as he moans “I drove too slow for you”. ‘Waiting For The Car’ and ‘Forget’ continue the melancholic, eerie feel, with Blumberg pleading “no, you can’t forget me now”.

The synth chords on ‘Physical’ compliment the continued torment which sounds as if he is desperately trying to make someone real and ‘Windows’ echoes the Yuck track ‘Suicide Policeman’ about trying to save someone. The album continually displays a longing to help and change things but ultimately it being a pointless effort.

Stand out track ‘New Home’ takes on a more classic song structure compared to the more languid previous songs. The drums push it forward as Blumberg moans “I’ve been waiting for so long now” before a distorted synth solo which again lends itself to Yuck’s sound, whereas ‘Those Are The Senses’ is a ten minute epic which gradually builds.  Opening with a slow guitar solo it is then caressed by vocals before ending with thirty seconds of distortion, a contrasting finish.

Occasionally the album drifts a bit but it is a small fault. It’ll be interesting to see if Yuck begin to sound more like Oupa considering its Blumberg’s more recent writing but only time will tell.  For now though ‘Forget’ is a stripped down proof of Blumberg’s song-writing talent.

7/10

By Jessy Parker

Wireless Festival Sunday - Review

Wireless festival returned in 2011 with a bang, Friday saw the Black Eyed Peas headlining in a day dominated by current chart conquerors and pop hopefulls such as the painfully polished Bruno Mars and the acceptable face of mainstream British rap music Tinie Tempah. While Saturday marked the token dance day with a wide range of acts from the ever-energetic Janelle Monae, recently critically acclaimed Battles playing material from new album 'Gloss Drop', and masters of middle-aged rave The Chemical Brothers fresh off of a triumphant visual extravaganza at Glastonbury.

While both of these days have their certain charms, the Sunday of wireless this year is undoubtedly the main focus for fans of all things vaguely alternative. Not forgetting to mention the much anticipated headline set from recently reformed Pulp, but more on that later. The day kicks off in style as the Pepsi Max tent fills up to watch London dream pop duo Summer Camp. Singer Elizabeth Sankey bellows out songs with infectious charm from their debut EP 'Young' and new material from their forthcoming fan-funded album. Set highlight and fan favourite 'Ghost Train' goes down particularly sweetly, Sankey's soft chants of "you you you you you" accompanied by a backdrop of slide show pictures of the duos youth give a warm fuzzy feeling of nostalgia. Set closer 'I Want You' is also executed brilliantly, as a repeating synth plays under Sankey crying out in true 80s style about bordering on obsessive love "If i could I'd kiss your lips so tight your entire face would bruise, write your name in blood on every wall it would make the evening news" instantly disproves any labels of the duo being cutesy.



Following on the Pepsi Max stage are Yuck, who today firmly establish themselves as one of the best new bands around. Yuck today have a new found confidence (as opposed to earlier more awkward gigs) and waste no time blaring out their scuzzy pop to the masses. Opener 'Get Away' is now all too familiar, but gains a new string to it's bow live as their younger fan base lose the plot over the infectious chorus. Similarly crowd pleasing are 'Holing Out' and 'The Wall' as they blast out of the speakers and have the words chanted back almost religiously, not bad for such a new band. Although the grungy energetic songs get the biggest crowd reactions, there's no question that Yuck are at their most poignant when singer Daniel Blumberg really bares his soul, 'Suicide Policeman' is excellent and still just as deep as it was when it first surfaced on their blog in 2010. While Yuck are unlikely to ever gain widespread chart success, their popularity is growing significantly if subtly, and this is surely no bad thing.

Making the transitions from tents to big outdoor stages this year are Metronomy who perform a mix of old and new favourites. It's encouraging to see new songs such as the 'The Look' and 'Corinne' going down as well old hits 'A Thing For Me' and 'Heatbreaker' although it's hard not to be on board when a band play with as much fun as Metronomy. Next on are The Horrors, who release their much anticipated third album 'Skying' in July. Unlike Metronomy, the transition from tent to main stage is not quite so seamless and a lot of the sheer noise that encapsulates The Horrors' sound is completely lost into the air. 'Sea within a sea' one of the best songs of the last decade, falls completely flat and sounds too blurred and hazy. New material 'Moving further away' and 'Still life' are more synth based dance affairs and are standouts amongst an otherwise disappointing set, although it is unclear whether this is due to The Horrors or simply the sound system.

Heading into the evening, and another one of the big tips for 2011's best new band take the stage, The Naked & Famous. Opener 'All Of This' is fast, abrasive and full of quirks and immediately grabs attention, which followed by the anthemic 'Punching In a Dream' quickly wins over the crowd. The Naked & Famous are a lot more powerful live than on record where they are more withdrawn and timid, singer Alisa Xayalith  belts out songs  like 'Spank' and Frayed' with the fury of a thousand suns alongside heavy strangling guitars and pounding drums. The already euphoric crowd, then explode as the band power into signature hit 'Young Blood', a former number one single in their native New Zealand and for good reason. Alisa shrieking "YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH" at the crowd who reciprocate all too gladly, is surely one of the best moments of the festival.
After The Naked & Famous, The Pretty Reckless feature on the Pepsi max stage, peddling their middle of the road, trying to be rebellious idea of rock music rather unsuccessfully. Not that it matters, as teenage girls and boys alike go completely ape shit for lead singer and American tween icon Taylor Momsen. Oh well at least they're better than the woeful Neon Trees and their one song.

As evening draws in, and as Grace Jones ends her set, The buzz for Pulp is evergrowing. Fans young and old flock to the main stage to await one of the most anticipated UK headline slots of the year. The set began with Pulp lyrics being projected onto the back of the stage, before the band come onto stage and are met by a flurry of cheers and whooping. Jarvis Cocker sporting his usual geography teacher influenced attire begins the nostalgic trip back to the 90s with the rather appropriate 'Remember The First Time' to which the crowd go absolutely nuts, women jump up and down frantically while their husbands dance like dads at a wedding. Pulp's core fanbase may have aged, but their dedication remains ever-present. Pulp then proceed to play somewhat of a greatest hits set, very much pleasing their adoring fans with timeless anthems including singalong favourite 'Disco 2000', ode to the grotty 'Mile End' and the playful 'Underwear'. It's an absolute joy to see Jarvis bounding about the stage, and even reacting with the crowd during the brilliantly sexy ' I Spy' plus his class on stage banter, with quips ranging from the celebration of Tom Cruise's birthday to how important it is to get behind the student protests over Tuition fees. The set finishes with 'Common People' as you'd expect, uniting the whole crowd in a singalong, followed by a rather peculiar remark from Jarvis about returning in 15 years time. Although judging by the crowd's reaction today, the memories of this performance will stick around at least 15 years if not for a lifetime.

By Toby McCarron

Yuck & Let's Wrestle @ Scala - Live Review

It's a warm summer night and avid punters quickly fill out the relatively small Scala, fans of all ages have come together to witness one of the most exciting new British bands in their element. Preceeding Yuck, are DIY-slack punks Let's Wrestle who have rushed to play straight after an instore at Rough Trade East promoting their sophomore effort "Nursing Home" They waste no time hammering out their distinctively British anthemic brand of angsty guitar music. They employ ludicrous lyricisms with scuzzy force, particulary with 'In Dreams Part II' and 'There's a Rock Star In My Room' in which Lead singer Wesley Gonzales barks his absurd fantasies of finding rockstars in his room into the mic with such conviction that the crowd seem to be hanging on his every word, despite the barrage of sound behind him. Let's Wrestle ooze fun, and have really bright ideas along with a sense of humour which is very refreshing considering how seriously a lot of bands at their stature take themselves,

In similar fashion to Let's Wrestle, Yuck begin by making their presence well and truly known with opener 'Holing Out' The grunge sensibilites that the band were originally likened with are thrust upon the crowd with a white-wash of guitar noise, while Daniel Blumberg yelps "Everybody says i cant get through to you" a rather ironic statement as the crowd's reaction is positively electric towards their set. 'Get Away' and 'The Wall' produces a similary euphoric reaction from the crowd, a lot of whom chant the words straight back to the stage in mesmerised unison. Yuck also show a more deep and poignant side, with early blog hit 'Suicide Policeman' and fan favourite 'Shook Down' in which Daniel Blumberg shows his softer side "You could by my destiny" shows a much more accomplished lyrical side to Yuck than just a supposed 90s grunge revival.  They end with the epic 7 minute slow burner 'Rubber', which is a stark contrast to the rest of the set but keeps the diehard fans happy, and Daniel kneels down and adjusts his pedals to create an immersive bombardment of feedback and scuzz. Yuck certainly seem like a much more comfortable band now, their earlier live performances were very rigid and souless whereas here they are charismatic and captivating, and are really looking like great prospects for being one of the best British bands about.

Toby McCarron