Hove Festival 2008: DiS diary, day three
Day three of DiS's Norwegian fest of choice finds White Denim and Foals getting the party started but Beck failing to finish it with a flourish»
Articles
JSkins has written the following articles:
Emmy the Great, Diane Cluck, Young*Husband at London Cargo, Wed 11 Jun
The tail end of a fine evening sees Diane Cluck jovially field requests, the fluidity and grace absent earlier now well and truly apparent»
Hayman Watkins Trout & Lee - Hayman, Watkins, Trout & Lee
Although overlong, when this album hits its stride it’s far better than any collection of (ahem) dynamite East London bluegrass has any right to be»
Windsor For The Derby - How We Lost
Quietly pulsating and frequently intoxicating, Windsor For The Derby's eighth ebbs and surges in all the right directions»
The Dodos at London Amersham Arms, Tue 03 Jun
The Dodos deliver not quite a perfect show – the nuance and subtlety of their quieter moments on record not entirely present – but it’s a very fine one nonetheless»
DiScover: Wildbirds & Peacedrums
Sweden's Wildbirds & Peacedrums on their history, some confusion at being labelled an electronica outfit, and what, exactly, a ‘zither’ is»
Joan As Police Woman - To Survive
Joan As Police Woman's latest, while never quite surpassing the evocative beauty of the band’s debut, matches it with a keen flourish»
Denis Jones - Humdrum Virtue
This is an album by a young (24-year-old) musician with obvious talent, marred by a few key, grating errors. It takes itself too seriously, it’s one-dimensional and it certainly doesn’t get away with its title. But for all this»
Effi Briest at London Camden Barfly, Tue 22 Apr
NYC's Effi Briest peddle the kind of bizarre, gothic drone-folk (yep, drone-folk, folks) that enraptures many present, presumably baffling others»
Cut Copy at London King's Cross Scala, Wed 23 Apr
The winsome charm Cut Copy exemplify is laudable, and as the evening wears on the surrounding swirl becomes ever-more kaleidoscopic»
Islands - Arm's Way
Islands' Arm’s Way, their second album, is as fascinating as it is unsettling, as unexpected as it is rewarding»
Adem - Takes
Where Adem's first two solo albums established him as a singer-songwriter to be reckoned with, Takes - a collection of cover versions dressed as a third LP - never truly shakes the initial notion of a missed opportunity»
Joan As Police Woman at London Roundhouse, Thu 17 Apr
The atmosphere is hushed and reverent in this intimate studio offshoot of The Roundhouse this evening, as you imagine it would be given tonight's Joan As Police Woman show sold out within eight hours»
Jack Rose - Dr Ragtime & Pals / Self Titled
Formerly of drone-rockers Pelt, Jack Rose is kind enough to let listeners know almost exactly what they’re in for with this: from the artwork to the titles, it's clear the shattering of musical boundaries isn't a concern»
DiScover: Lykke Li
DiS scrambles through London's murk and drizzle to locate Swedish singer Lykke Li, currently the talk of A&R Town following her excellent 'Little Bit' single. We find out why she's such a talent to take notice of»
dEUS at London King's Cross Scala, Wed 16 Apr
dEUS take to the stage to exactly the kind of heartening reception reserved for long-absent heroes, and while this is not a perfect show the Belgians offer a timely reminder of their unbridled power»
Some Racing, Some Stopping
Headlights have created an effective celebration of some of the finest gentle guitar-slinging acts of the last decade. It is pretty, breezy and undemanding, boding extremely well for future material»
Wildbirds & Peacedrums at London The Betsey Trotwood, Tue 01 Apr
It’s difficult to communicate how much Wildbirds & Peacedrums impress without descending into twittering hyperbole, but gasps of astonishment honestly resonate throughout this cellar»
Kathryn Williams & Neill MacColl at London Queen Elizabeth Hall, Fri 28 Mar
Tonight finds Williams and MacColl halfway through their tour, warm repartee resonating through understated songcraft. Acoustic guitars and soft drums provide the set's foundation»
Dananananaykroyd at London Barden's Boudoir, Thu 13 Mar
A six-headed beast of a band replete with delirious smiles and gloriously infectious stage presence, Glasgow's Dananananaykroyd display the sort of gusto and verve DiS hasn’t seen in, well, forever»
by:Larm 2008: the DiS review
The ethos behind Norway’s by:Larm (that’s “bee-larm”) is admirable. Essentially a roving festival / conference designed to promote Scandinavian acts and assist improving links within the industry, it also highlights the fruitful nature of the local scene»
Islands at London Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen/Bar and Grill, Tue 26 Feb
The Bar and Grill is bustling – bustling! – and DiS is pumped – pumped! – to see Islands this evening. Having enjoyed debut album Return To The Sea immensely, DiS wonders how the band's songs translate live»
You Me The Switch, Vessels, Kontakte, Instruments at Buffalo Bar, Islington, Wed 13 Feb
Instruments trade in such a technically precise, youthfully exuberant form of rock music – seemingly unrestricted by genre-snobbery – that they surely must be counted as one of 2008’s great hopes»
The Eye The Ear And The Arm - Paths
Possibly named after what seems to be an obscure children’s book involving supernaturally gifted detectives, The Eye The Ear and The Arm's debut sadly doesn’t quite match Nancy Farmer (her what wrote it) in terms of originality»
Okkervil River at London King's Cross Scala, Tue 05 Feb
Opening with ‘The President’s Dead’ (the very same they closed with prior), Okkervil River's Will Sheff warmly informs the crowd how happy they are to be in town, cueing a fist-pumping roar of approval»
Black Kids at London Monto Water Rats, Wed 06 Feb
Trying to write about Black Kids without taking into account the hype (hype!) currently surrounding them is… well, it’s a bit of an elephant in the room scenario, so let’s be done with it nice and quick. Yes? Yes. Their 30-minute set is impressive; no means perfect, but a small victory»
Love Is All - ...Mixed Up
Mixed Up is indeed a whole lot of fun. Love Is All emerged from Sweden’s rich musical scene in 2006 with debut album Nine Times That Same Song, a delirious rush of inventive, noisy pop. Its reappearance some two years later in new threads is welcome then, as are its talented cast of performers»
Lupen Crook - Iscariot The Ladder
Lupen Crook's second offering Iscariot The Ladder weighs in at a lean 28 minutes, presumably eager to build upon the possibilities explored on his debut. Fans of said record certainly won’t be disappointed, as what's cooked up here is very much more of the same»
Cat Power at London Shepherds Bush Empire, Sun 27 Jan
If one thing is immediately apparent, it’s Chan Marshall’s innate, tremendous ability as a singer. Shimmying relentlessly across the stage, her face undulates, contorts in every inflection of delivery, making for a captivating performance»