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Red Stripe Recommends 31/03
Red Stripe gives the low down on this week's music scene...
RED STRIPE
WEEKLY BLOG
Red Stripe Tracks of the Week:
The Courteeners ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ (Polydor)
Possibly a sign that the average modern indie kid is growing up, ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ is about just that, the arc of adolescence falling into adulthood, while desperately retaining the glow of rock n’ roll. Even if the uncreative way that The Courteeners have delivered the song is shameful, its message is somehow warming and contemplative – high praise for an also-ran indie pop band. Go figure.
The Whitest Boy Alive ‘Golden Cage’ (Universal)
Late Blur meets the nu avant-garde electronic movement; this track, complete with one of the most genius videos ever, is a restrained keyhole glimpse into the bands album, ‘Dreams’, that barks an enigmatic Hot Chip jealousy with animated brightness. More one for the chilling portion of the weekend, the track has beams of light into every characteristic of an electro based musical-wonderland, finding a catchy, sombre melody to its straight-faced vocals which portray this “amusing and relaxing journey”.
Red Stripe Album of the Week:
REM ‘Accelerate’ (WEA)
REM are possibly the greatest band that have ever existed, or at least in the vein of alternative guitar music. Anybody hesitant about that fact is about to have their universe attacked by one of the most exciting releases of 2008, ‘Accelerate’, REM’s rollercoaster new record of the rock ‘n’ roll genii. From opener ‘Living Wells is the Best Revenge’ you’re back to the pre-eminent days of REM, the IRS and ending of the world through melodic aggression and championed lyricism. The poetry is, after a few albums’ break, backed up with snarling guitars and throttling, killer riffs which fill your head with dynamitic hostility, bouncing you around the cosmos with merriment. It’s dark and politically poetic in verse, closer to ‘Monster’ in that respect, but the entire LP is overflowing with the finest guitar lines and hooks you’ll get from three men in their middle-ages, ‘Supernatural Superserious’ and ‘Mr Richards’ indisputably offering so much more than the accord of new bands. Profound and enjoyable, this is the sound of a band who know how to make songs, making the best of their career.
Red Stripe Show of the Week:
Out Of The Frying Pan, April 1st at the Embassy Club in aid of Parkinson's Disease... featuring The Wallbirds, Hijak Oscar and The All New Adventures of Us
Out Of The Frying Pan will be taking over the swanky Embassy in Mayfair and opening the doors to rock ’n’ roll fans for a one night stand of dirty blues and poetry on April 1st. Tickets, on sale now through ticketweb.co.uk are priced at a wallet-friendly £7 or £8 on the door; with the club night going on to the wee smalls and half price drinks before 11pm, this could just be the cheapest posh night out you’ve ever had. Bands playing include:
The All New Adventures Of Us - A wonderfully enchanting 7 piece band who expel the also-ran indie pop trash to oblivion. A truly outstanding live performance which rivals the likes of Stars, Arcade Fire and Bright Eyes in achieving such poetic brutality and unfathomable beauty in sound, making them the voice of an articulate British youth.
Hijak Oscar - These guys hate the mainstream, these guys hate the indie scene and these guys hate averageness. Stars of the Channel 4 'Unsigned' series, Hijak Oscar are a grass-roots blues explosion on stage, comparable to The Zutons, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Tom Waits... this dynamitic stage show isn't really any of that though; it's Hijak Oscar and nothing less.
The Wallbirds - Having shared stages with Pigeon Detectives, Lightspeed Champion and Reverend and the Makers, the Wallbirds live show is fast becoming renowned for its sense of involvement, breaking down classic rock 'n' roll into its quintessence. Part Libertines, part Bob Dylan, these boys instantly draw any audience member in with a set so alive you're left optimistically flighty in its wake.
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