fatandconfused

So apologies for the delay in updates, out internet connection has been down so not been able to get online lately, loads more reviews to come in the next week or so. Remember you can subscribe to the blog on myspace here or add us as your friend.

I've started adding youtubevidoes simply to give you morer of an idea of the actual music in question, occasionally as with Electrelane the song won't be off the album reviewed but still its a good taster for you.

As always please feel free to send demos and promos, contact me via myspace for exact details,

thanks for reading


The Butterflies Of Love have just touched down at Heathrow, ready to begin their UK tour in support of their brilliant new album "Famous Problems" with the following dates:

Mar 28 The Bassment, Chelmsford
Mar 29 Buffalo Bar, London
Mar 30 The Cherry Tree, Steventon (nr Oxford)
Mar 31 The Rising Sun Arts Centre, Reading
Apr 3 The Grapes, Sheffield
Apr 4 The Packhorse, Leeds
Apr 5 The Cluny, Newcastle
Apr 6 The Social, Nottingham
Apr 7 The Louisiana, Bristol
Apr 8 The 100 Club, London


Electrelane – No Shouts, No Calls (Too Pure)

There are some people that are so effortlessly easy to like, the kind of people who you meet for the first time yet feel like you’ve known each other all your life, the kind of person you could tell all your secrets to and never have worry about offending them by just being yourself. Electrelane are much the same. You may have stumbled across their critically acclaimed debut “Rock It To The Moon” perhaps their least accessible album to date, filled to the top with farfisa lines and occasionally quite dark and sometimes disturbing instrumentals yet when they got it right the songs weren’t far off exceptional and hey since when did girls play post rock?? On the evidence available they should be encouraged to do it more often.

Whereas the newer material still has the basic components I wouldn’t call it post rock, if your looking for references I’d say The Organ, another highly underrated female band with songs so simple or at least bare, stripped down somehow organic and not far off being perfect, like how songs should be written if there was any type of manual for such an art. The rhythms are hypnotic and mesmerising, pianos twinkling like stars against the sometimes kraut-ish synths and the voices, simply angelic, so pure and unadulterated building into lovely showers of harmony over the perfectly formed songs. “I’ve got a photo from a long time ago/ put it in your pocket, hold it in your pocket/ I’ve got a ring that my grandmother gave to me/ wear it on your finger

wear it on your finger/ I’ve got a letter that’s full of our secrets/ the last one you sent to me the last one you sent to me”

I really don’t know how you can’t love Electrelane, No Shouts, No Calls really does find them at their best returning to the more song based roots of one of my favourite albums of all time The Power Out, “I think there may be rain tonight/ its up there in the clouds” be sure not to forget this come the end of the year, though I imagine it’ll be hard to find one better.

www.myspace.com/electrelane
www.myspace.com/toopure

The Evens – Get Even (Dischord)

I’ve never been a fan of hardcore but one band that did capture my attention, though only enough to get my hands on one album, was Fugazi, they seemed to mix their anger with definite pop sensibilities whilst still coming across as being rock hard and heavy enough to in turn make you angry. Here Fugazi front man Ian Mackaye teams up with Amy Farina for a simplistic drums and guitar set up, a “White Stripes” you might say if only in formation.

The results are astounding, surprisingly soft and poppy, the guitars undistorted and not even a hint of a scream, instead clever boy girl (man/woman?) duets lovely and complimentary in their arrangements. “if you ignore your heart/ things will fall apart”

we’re warned in the funky Cache Is Empty “you better see someone about that hole in your heart/ it needs repair” on You Fell Down, much like Keith John Adams, reviewed here recently, the simplicity, the catchiness and generally hook laden tunes are reminiscent of XTC’s genius songwriter Andy Partridge, perhaps at demo stage, yet a good song can be a good song even in its barest of forms. Songs that never think about which direction to follow yet always seem to almost instinctively make the correct decision. You may be surprised at what you find.

www.dischord.com
www.myspace.com/evensthe
www.myspace.com/dcdischord