Immaculate Machine at the Wilmington Arms @immaculatemach

Brooke Gallupe

I was pleased to hear Immaculate Machine would be back in the UK again, but felt a little nervous as the gig drew nearer. Since I’d last seen them, they’d changed from a breathless and at times manic bassless three-piece to a five-piece with a more conventional line-up and an apparently less crazy drummer.

The resulting album, High On Jackson Hill, contained a lot of good songs, but felt transitional somehow, as if the band was caught half-way between its old sound and a not-yet-formed new one that forsook the energy of old for something more reflective.

To make life even more tricky for the band, vocalist and keyboardist Kathryn Calder, one of the remaining original members, has had to absent herself from touring after the terrible news of her mum’s diagnosis with motor neurone disease; although Lynn Calder very sadly died earlier this year, Kathryn was not with the band this evening. Indeed, the touring line-up looked very different from the line-up advertised on the band’s web presences, two boys apparently replaced by two girls.

So, amid confusion that appeared to verge on turmoil, could the band deliver the goods live? It turned out they very much could: we got a storming set that revealed the strengths of the album, verging on ‘70s rock territory at times with  muscular renditions of many of the songs. Material from the old line-up was also thrown in, although almost entirely from the more restrained 2007 album Fables, with only one cut from earlier – a very enjoyable stab at No Such Thing As The Future.

Perhaps in this incarnation the music is more straightforward: without Luke Kozlowski on drums, the energy is perhaps more controlled, and without Kathryn the medlodies less versatile, but there’s no getting away from the basic facts: these are good tunes well played, and thoughtful lyrics well sung. Props in particular to the new guitarist whose name I can’t find out with any certainty online; whoever she was, she succeeded in replicating many of Kathryn’s keyboard lines on guitar (her style seemed to favour playing the lower strings, which made for a good contrast with lead singer/guitarist Brooke Gallupe’s style on the higher strings), and vocals as well.

Mystery guitarist and mystery keyboardist

The only sour points were the relatively sparse attendance, considering this is the band’s fourth foray into the UK at the very least, and they’ve got four (possibly five) albums available, and also the over-running of two  mediocre support acts which meant we were denied and encore by the venue’s curfew. Hopefully the band’s slot at this year’s In The City will garner them some more support from the industry in the UK. As an aside, I reviewed their Brixton Windmill show in 2006 in Artocker; I wonder if this might still be their only live review in the national music press here – probably not, but it could well have been their first.

Meanwhile, what else might the future hold for Immaculate Machine? The touring line-up seems to have gelled extremely well (are there any good bootlegs of this tour knocking around…?), and it would be nice to hear an album that harnesses some of its brutal energy. Quite where Kathryn would fit in should she return is hard to see; then again, her Myspace currently hosts some really lovely-sounding solo material, so an album from her would be extremely welcome as well. Whatever way it falls, there seems sure to be more good music to come from this band, and I look forward to seeing them again soon.

Mercury revved

Oops – I wrote this yesterday and then saved it as a draft instead of publishing it. Oh well. Read with irony…

I don’t normally care very much about the Mercury prize, but Elbow’s victory last year probably restored some credibility to it, and the speculation about the likely nominees, announced tomorrow, is interesting.

I would have no problem with Florence and the Machine receiving a nod – it’s an undeniably interesting and successful record. I can’t help but think her voice, while powerful, is unsubtle and many of the rich arrangements on the collection serve to prevent it sounding like an insistent honk. But still, Rabbit Heart is surely one of the most striking singles released all year, and the long player lives up to its promise.

Probably the record I’ve listened to more than any other in 2009 is Wall of Arms by The Maccabees, so I very much hope that gets acknowledged. Among other currently trendy artists, Jack Penate would not be an unworthy nominee either – both of those records are excellent albums that function as a whole from start to finish, and do interesting things with the sounds they use.

Elbow’s win has probably cooked the goose of their fellow epic and melancholy Mancs the Doves – I suppose a nomination might come their way, but they clearly can’t win.

Emmy the Great’s album would also be a welcome nominee. The Noisettes seem not to have gained the momentum I would have expected on the back of such a strong pop record – a nomination would be a well-deserved fillip for them. And Bat for Lashes seems an inevitability.

There has been some discussion of Madness’s Liberty of Norton Folgate earning them a nomination as this year’s “heritage artist”. I’ve only listened to it once, and while I’m sure it’s very good, and will grow on me, I’m sceptical of claims that it’s their greatest record ever. It perhaps risks over-shadowing the Pet Shop Boys’ Yes, which probably functions better as a pop record and should, if there’s any justice (which, of course, there isn’t – not generally, and seldom where the MErcury is concerned), be on the list.

What else? Oh yes – Camera Obscura. I like their My Maudlin Career album, but can’t quite get past the problem that it’s not as good as its predecessor Let’s Get Out Of This Country record. Still, it would be lovely to see it get recognised.

There are some conspicuous selections that have been tipped but plainly do not deserve a nomination. I have quite a bit of time for the Glasvegas album, for instance… but the best record of the last twelve months? Of course not. Jarvis Cocker’s deeply mediocre Further Complications has no place on the list either. And the Manics’ Journal for Plague Lovers, while a lovely idea, failed to excite my ears in the end. Could Morrissey be on there? Years of Refusal is a decent record, but surely shouldn’t be on the list.

It would be jolly nice to see Thomas Tantrum’s debut album get nominated, come to think of it – it rewarded a lot of listens last year, despite being superficially simply shouty and noisy.

And finally… wel, it would gladden my heart beyond measure if MJ Hibbett’s Regardez, Ecoutez et Repetez were to strike a blow for Proper Indie and make the nominees. I will be astonished if it does, but it’s a lovely thought…

New podcast!

Here’s a new edition of John Kell Vs Satan, including music by the Gossip, Laura Cantrell, Jarvis Cocker, the Maccabees and many more. Hope you like it.

You can stream it here, or download it from here.

And remember: if you like what you here, consider supporting the artist with a purchase.

Edited to add: I’ve uploaded a second and hopefully rather higher-quality version of the file  (explanation in the comments), so have a second listen if you found it tricky going first time. Though the first track is still pretty ropey, owing to the source material…

This will be BRILLIANT!

For those based in London, there’s a “rehearsal” at The Lamb on July 7th, and official preview on July 21st – details here. See you there!

Top 100 albums of the decade

End of a decade – it’s perhaps going to get overlooked somewhat, but this is the last year of the 2000s (“noughties”?). And it’s been quite a decade in all sorts of ways. Personally, I had my 18th birthday in 2000, so it’s been a decade in which much has changed. Musically, while styles have come and gone, the way in which music is distributed, publicised and listened to has been – and for once I think this term is not hyperbolic – revolutionised.

So, at the end of this year, I’m going to compile a Top 100 albums of the decade. Not “the” Top 100, just “a” Top 100. My Top 100. The exercise has its limits, of course: I’m sure there will be 100 albums I would have liked even more had I heard them; and I’m sure there will be 100 albums any reader will consider more worthy of inclusion. But for what little it’s worth I’m going to try to balance my taste with a dash of objectivity and produce a list that might hopefully have a bit of credibility to it.

I mention this now to invite others to think about doing the same: it needs thought, and I’ve already started an Excel spreadsheet. But it would be nice to read others’ reflections, not least as I’m an abiding fan of albums as a way of presenting music, and by 2019 we may not have them at all.

Some rules I’ll be sticking to, but others needn’t: only one album per artist unless there’s a really really good case for including a second (if that artist has really produced two completely different, incomparable albums in totally different genres, fair enough – but otherwise, grow a pair and make a choice); no cheating by including albums release in one territory in 1999 and then elsewhere in 2000; er… that’s it, probably. Of course, it must be an album, released as an album (even if only self-released by the artist) and merit inclusion because it works as an album, not because it just has a few brilliant tracks on it or is by an important or favourite artist. I’ve whittled the list down considerably by that logic alone.

So, music geeks – you’ve got six months. Off you go!

Some album reviews

2009 is shaping up to be a year of many albums and few reviews. There certainly seems to be more around that I want to listen to than there was last year, including many records by old favourites. I’ve got a backlog of reviews to write, but I’ll try and clear some of that now rather than doing a round-up at the end of the year. Trouble is, a lot of records from returning artists come with high expectations attached, and mostly they’re not being met…

AC Newman – Get Guilty
Given that AC Newman’s extremely distinctive songs – built around convoluted, unobvious and technical, yet still somehow tuneful and poppy melodies – form the bedrock of all New Pornographers albums, his solo outings seem a bit redundant. This is particularly so here: the clattery instrumentation and slightly unpredictable mix of instruments is not unlike the sound on the New Pornographers’ last record, Challengers, which saw them retreat further into mid-paced chugging and away from the high-tempo style of earlier outings. Nonetheless I’ve found it rather enjoyable on both records: many of these songs smoulder without ever coming alive, which initially was frustrating, but after numerous listens seemed somehow right. I’d probably recommend the first two New Pornographers albums above this, but it’s still good.

Howling Bells – Radio Wars
This was a disappointment: producer Nigel Godrich has brought his usual sophisticated sound, but unfortunately the band couldn’t bring the songs. There are a few compelling moments – Golden Web, Cities Burning Down and Treasure Hunt particularly stick in the mind – but if anything this record just highlights how good the debut was. Juanita Stein’s beguiling voice remains a sweetener of course, but the songs on the debut album simply stick in the mind better. Pity.

Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Difficult to know what to say about this, other than “another very good Neko Case album”. Perhaps that it seems a bit more open and optimistic than the dark and at times oppressive Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. Case has also developed the art of the short song that doesn’t outstay its welcome, and similarly the short album. It’s not much more than half an hour, but it’s captivating.

Super Furry Animals – Dark Days/Light Years
Still not totally sure about this. Released online first, it has an almost stop-gap feel to it, and seems much less measured than 2007’s Hey Venus; rather, the band seems to have gone into the studio, had fun and released the results. But with such a brilliant band, the results are inevitably going to be worth listening to: there are some great pop songs on here, but some others that seem like indulgent wibbling. I’m still trying to work out which is which. On further reflection, I reckon that SFA’s natural instinct is to produce long, rambling records, which are OK (this, Love Kraft), but when they focus and produce something more concise, the results are even better (Phantom Power, Hey Venus!).

The Decemberists – The Hazards Of Love
Goodness me. This is a bit of a trial – a lengthy concept album telling the story of some convoluted olde worlde love dynasty. Maybe. There’s a load of good tunes on here, and it’s a bit heavier than the Decemberists are known for. But ultimately it’s a suite of lengthy songs that would have been much more digestible in a straightforward form. As it is, the record weaves its way between they various storylines and musical motifs, in a way that’s no doubt well thought-out, but very demanding. I think I’ve only listened to it from start to finish about twice, but I enjoy dipping into it.

Pet Shop Boys – Yes
I question whether I should even bother writing about records when the Metro says it all. It described this album as being “like a greatest hits, but with new songs”. Exactly right: it sounds like, and is, a classic Pet Shop Boys album. Purely synthesised music often leaves me a bit cold, and even here I struggle a bit to retain my interest throughout – but that’s just me. I’m not sure that Xenomania have added much other than a dollop of traditional Pet Shop Boys sound – happily they’ve used the squelchy synth sounds they seem to favour quite sparingly. I’ve only got into the Pet Shop Boys a little recently, and I’m glad they’ve steered away from the rather chronic acoustic guitar-drive stuff of the 90s and more recently; much as I hesitate to applaud a band for playing to everyone’s expectations, the result here has been a triumph.

Doves – Kingdom of Rust
Hard to review. Another very good Doves album, rich, lush and epically melancholy, which as usual is more than the sum of its parts – the songs are so carefully crafted and sequenced that removing one from the context of the album always diminishes it. Being such an “albums band” looks an ever-more dicey prospect these days, but Doves remain a powerhouse both in the studio and the live arena as far as I’m concerned. Lovely stuff.

Noisettes – Wild Young Hearts
I’ve been impressed with this band ever since I encountered them (alongside Jack Penate, of whom more later) supporting Amy Winehouse a couple of years back. Superficially they looked like a garage rock trio, but there has always seemed to be a bit more going on than that. They have blossomed on this, their second album, which is an unabashed pop record. Don’t be fooled by the catchy but unrepresentative ad-driven hit Don’t Upset the Rhythm – the rest of the album is quite different, and frankly rather better than that single suggests. The title track alone is a two-minute epic, setting out the album’s theme of summers lost and fleeting love. Elsewhere they channel Amy Winehouse and This Charming Man to great effect. If there’s a snag, it’s that it’s maybe a bit too obviously poppy, and doesn’t repay too many listens. But a lot of great pop records fit into that category; this is just another, and is no less impressive for it.

Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
This is a lovely record. Really really nice. Like its predecessor, Let’s Get Out of This Country, it has a lush, open sound to it, with gorgeous trilling strings, buckets of reverb, some delightful twangy guitar and the usual adornments of indie in the finest tradition – glockenspiels, tambourines, girl harmonies etc. Also like its predecessor, it is made up of often introspective, lovelorn songs in which Traceyanne Campbell contemplates her unhappy romantic adventures. The thing is… it’s not its predecessor; it’s just a new version of the same record. It’s a bit moot how much this matters. Maybe the songs here tip from the affectingly lovelorn into the repetitive and self-pitying… but not by much. They’re lovely songs… but they don’t quite have the impact of Lloyd, I’m Ready to be Heartbroken, Country Mile and Razzle Dazzle Rose. Still, it’s a gorgeous record to listen to, even if it does seem to signal that Camera Obscura’s journey to develop their sound lasted three albums and has now stopped. The harshest thing you can say about this album is it makes it obvious just how superb the one before it was. I still can’t decide whether that’s a fault with this record or not.

Alessi’s Ark – Notes from the Treehouse
There’s a lot that’s dislikeable about this perfectly good record. I’m resentful of these gifted teenagers who come along and produce beautifully crafted records, just for being gifted teenagers. But I’m also not convinced, frankly: Alessi Laurent-Marke has written a load of slightly twee but likeable and sweet songs, presented here with an indie-country twang, that frankly is too smooth to have arisen by happy accident. This is a well-produced record, and I feel a bit manipulated for liking it. And although Alessi has a lovely breathy voice, I’m not convinced her songs bear many repeated listens either. A nice but superficial summery record.

The Maccabees – Wall of Arms
Unlike some of the records above, the Maccabees’ sophomore effort has a lot of listens in it – it has established itself on my MP3 player as the thing I listen to when I can’t decide what else to listen to. Comparisons to Arcade Fire without all the strings would be obvious, but not without merit. It’s played pretty hard and straight by a superficially conventional guitar-band line-up of sounds, but for all that, it has a real sense if driving purpose. I was actually surprised to learn, after listening to it for the first time, that it was produced by Markus Dravs, the man who presided over the disappointment of Arcade Fire’s curiously muted and muffled-sounding Neon Bible. I’ve also been grappling with the curious cover to this record: I think I’ve concluded it’s a good cover, but not for this album, which seems to me to demand artwork more abstract and dense if it’s to fit the music. Overall, though, it’s an impressive outing from a band I’d previously lumped in with all those boring white male guitar bands whose names I get mixed up. Their Glastonbury set strongly suggested it’s a big step on from their debut, whose material sounded pretty uninteresting by comparison.

Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications
There’s no getting around it: this is a disappointing record. Not just because Steve Albini’s approach to production seems to entail letting the band play basically live and forsaking any effort to make it sound interesting, but more fundamentally because the songs aren’t up to snuff. Thematically, Angela seems a re-tread of Sylvia from This Is Hardcore; many of the others are utterly forgettable. No amount of puns – of which there’s an unusual number here – can make up for the dullness of much of the material. Only on I Never Said I Was Deep does Jarvis approach his usual wit; but mostly he seems to lack something to sing about these days, beyond a certain middle-aged ennui. His live performance still counters this, and with Cocker leaping around on-stage and the volume at maximum, these songs make a certain brutal sense. But if he’s just looking for an excuse to present his dance moves, I’d rather have had a Jarvis Cocker Dancercise DVD than this album.

Junior Boys – Begone Dull Care
There’s a song on this eight-track electronica record that has pedal steel guitar on it (the fourth cut, Dull to Pause). I should love it for that alone. But my feelings towards this album are a bit more complicated. Its predecessor, So This Is Goodbye, has turned out to be one of my favourite records of all: it’s a bewitching set of warm and melancholy electronica, and quite lovely. Getting such feeling out of synthesisers is a rare trick, and it’s not one that the follow-up ever particularly attempts, save perhaps for on Sneak a Picture. The vibe is still mellow here: there are no stomping floor fillers here, but there’s certainly a harder edge to many of the songs, not least the pronounced groove of Hazel. If Hot Chip’s next album is indeed made up of end-of-the-night tunes, it might well end up sounding like this. But I wonder if hot Chip might manage to get the warmth and the danceability in happier balance here; I’m not quite sure what this album sets out to do, still less whether it succeeds or not. But the long tracks have plenty of time to stretch out and unfold… maybe too much. It’s nice, but it washes over me a bit. Somehow, it’s not as acute as its predecessor or as demanding of your feet as a full-blooded dance record.

Immaculate Machine – High on Jackson Hill
Canada’s Immaculate Machine started life as a bassless three-piece with a super line in energetic, clattery but literate and well-written songs. With their third album, 2007’s Fables, they seemed to tighten their sound, cut down the bluster and produce pop songs so well honed they almost seemed to lose a bit of their spark at times (good album, don’t get me wrong, just not my favourite). The process has continued here: this is a much more restrained and melancholic set, albeit still led by Brooke Gallupe, with Kathryn Calder in close support. Kathryn’s voice remains a particular strength of the group – I could listen to her sing anything. But drummer Luke Kozlowski has left, and the band have transformed into a more gentle five-piece outfit. Much as I’ve enjoyed the album, I’m more interested in hearing this line-up’s next record, in a way, as High on Jackson Hill seems to be a collection of very nice  songs, and the new line-up hasn’t made much of an impact on them (that I can detect, anyway). Kathryn, interestingly, has set up a solo Myspace page, with some lovely demos on it; a solo record from her would also be extremely welcome – quite understandably she has, I gather, been focusing more on her mother’s battle with motor neurone disease than music recently, but I look forward to whatever her next musical venture turns out to be.

Heartbreakers encores

I got nudged into thinking about unrequited love in popular song again lately, and have finally remembered to post what I realised ages ago: Disco 2000 fits my criteria for a top song on that particular subject exactly. I’m amazed I didn’t think of it before. In fact, Jarvis Cocker’s lyrics often venture into that territory; even when he writes about love or lust requited, it always seems to be unsatisfying. Underwear is another superb example. Most recently, Fuckingsong on his – appropriately, perhaps – disappointing new album also hits the mark.

It’s been six months now since my last post on the subject – so, here’s the challenge again. What other songs meet these criteria? There must be more suggestions…

Firstly, the scenario is about a specific third person, and often gives specific details of events: they are really love triangle songs, sung from the perspective of the person who has come off worst. And thirdly, they have a directness and specificness: they do not adorn themselves with metaphor, allusion or innuendo; rather, they say what happened, and tell it straight.

Tricky, isn’t it? It’s a good formula though – provided you want to write lots of songs only I want to listen to.

I may just edit this post with more suggestions as they occur. Tears for Affairs by Camera Obscura just popped into my head.

This Is How It Feels by the Inspiral Carpets is a love-triangle song, but although it’s about cheating, it’s the cheater who ends up feeling dreadful, while the victim seemingly carries on in ignorance.

Are We In Trouble Now by Mark Knopfler is about a love that maybe should have remained unrequited, but doesn’t; Just About Glad by Elvis Costello is the same scenario, but with the outcome going the other way by a hair’s breadth.

Here’s another one I can’t believe I missed, or rather two: notorious “teen” hit It’s My Party by Lesley Gore, and its sequel, Judy’s Turn To Cry, in which the protagonist wins Johnny back, and which features a chorus somewhat superior to the original.

MJ Hibbett and the Validators – Regardez, Ecoutez et Repetez

As I was sitting in the Pineapple prior to Half Man Half Biscuit last October, I realised there’s a generation gap between me and Mark Hibbett. Not in the general sense: if a generation is 30 years, then the gap is anything beyond 15 years either side, and much as I enjoy reminding Mark how much younger I am than him… I’m not that much younger. It’s a musical generation gap: Mark remembers indie in the 1980s, before Britpop. He knows people who once had a pint in Sheffield with Jarvis Cocker, when he was just some lanky guy managing dodgy bands in Sheffield when his own band wasn’t doing anything. It probably seems the most natural thing in the world to Mark.

This is a significant thing: there’s all manner of jangly 80s indie bands of which I’m barely aware. Only the Smiths have really stood the test of time. To people now in their twenties (sorry Mark), the impact of Suede’s first album in the dog days of Kingmaker and Mega City Four can’t really be comprehended – at least, when I finally heard it post-Britpop, it seemed like old hat to me.

So, context is everything. An important item of context for MJ Hibbett’s fourth album with the Validators – Regardez, Ecoutez et Repetez (from now on: RER) – is that producer (and drummer) Tim Pattison is also of the pre-Britpop era; indeed, he’s a massive fan of the Fall and Half Man Half Biscuit, and is ex of Prolapse. With all of this in mind, it’s maybe not surprising that RER sounds decidedly 80s much of the time. There is probably more distorted guitar than on any Validators record to date: a dense sound that’s a beefier version of what you’d find on many an 80s indie record.

It feels odd to be talking about an MJ Hibbett record in terms of the sound first, rather than the songs. But the songs are pretty much a constant these days. They are, as ever, acute, true, sometimes touching, often funny, and above all, VALID. Song titles like We’re Old and We’re Tired (and we want to go home) and Being Happy Doesn’t Make You Stupid give you the gist.

I said of this record’s predecessor, We Validate! that it was, “less an album, more a manual for life,” and much the same goes here. We Validate! featured the Validators playing with an impressive and coherent group sound for the first time, perhaps because it was recorded in less of a piecemeal fashion than the first two records. So I was slightly surprised to hear Mark suggest that the second album, This Is Not A Library (TINAL) remained his favourite (prior to this one), in preference to We Validate! I have a bit of a theory about this, actually. TINAL’s signature track, Easily Impressed, seems to me to be the first of Mark’s “here’s a good idea for how to live life” songs, which are his best. It has been followed by many more. The album overall was a mix of these and some of the more introspective or observational songs heard on his debut, Say It With Words. Perhaps it’s this, and the drawn-out recording sessions in Leicester, that lead Mark to prefer This Is Not A Library over We Valdate!; but for my money, We Validate! saw the blossoming of the post-Easily Impressed Hibbett, being a suite of the more reflective songs, and was all the more satisfying for it.

Another  contrast between latterday Hibbett and earlier records is that Mark seems in much more confident voice on record these days: this must be a product of being in a recording studio, as the largely home-recorded All Around My House and A Million Ukeleles seemed to feature rather more quiet vocals, more like the performances on Say It With Words.

Mark’s confident vocals, plus the coherence of the sound brought by Producer Tim, carry this set of songs extremely well. My favourite moments include the unconventional arrangement of Do More, Eat Less (also a particularly brilliant lyric, with Mark using weight loss as a metaphor for taking responsibility for one’s fate, of which, oddly, Margaret Thatcher would probably approve) and the classic pop arrangement of My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once, which comes out sounding like Breakaway. The sonorous yet jangly guitar of Leicester’s Trying To Tell Me Something, as well as Emma’s floaty vocals sound particularly early ’90s, even verging on – dare I say? – shoegazing… I do wonder if the everything-including-the-kitchen-sink backing doesn’t occasionally compete with the songs a bit – All the Good Men in particular seemed to work even better in Totally Acoustic mode to me.

It’s shaping up to be a busy year for Mark: even now he is writing his one-man rock opera (sic) for this year’s Edinburgh Festival, and I’m looking forward to that immensely. I hope it doesn’t overshadow Regardez, Ecoutez et Repetez, however, as it is BLOODY GRATE and you should buy it.

Sweet release, slight return

Right, here’s a revised version of the list of albums I’ve yet to obtain in 2009, but intend to (more reviews likely when I have a few more to review…). And a request: bearing the below in mind, what else should I be investigating? There seems to be quite a few female-fronted outfits / oddly-names solo projects going on at the moment: which are worth further attention?

• Bonnie Prince Billy – out now (“Beware”)
• Super Furry Animals – out now (“Dark Days/Light Years”)
• The Decemberists – March 23rd  (“The Hazards Of Love”)
• Noisettes – 30th Mar (“Wild Young Hearts”)
• Doves  – 6th Apr (“Kingdom of Rust”)
• Bat for Lashes – 6th Apr (“Two Suns”)
• Broken Family Band – 20th April (“Please and Thank You”)
• Immaculate Machine – 21st Apr[North American release date], (”High on Jackson Hill”)
• Camera Obscura  – 21st April (“My Maudlin Career”)
• Dear Reader – May 4th (“Replace Why With Funny”)
• MJ Hibbett and the Validators – 11th May (“Regardez, Ecoutez et Repetez”)
• Junior Boys  – 11th May (“Begone Dull Care”) [24th Mar Canadian release]

Totally on the Case

This week started with two wildly contrasting but superb gigs.

First: Neko Case at the Bush Hall. Was it every bit as superb as you’d expect? Most certainly. Is the new album likely to be utterly wonderful? Without doubt. Is she playing the UK again in August for those who unwisely missed out this time round? Happily, yes.

Secondly, Totally Acoustic featuring Tim Eveleigh, Bob Fischer and of course MJ Hibbett. Were all the acts fantastic? Unquestionably. Did Mr Fischer bring a Roobarb’s contingent? I really should have guessed it would happen. Is it amusing to be introduced to fully-grown men by their online handles such as FegMANIA, Mr Magister and Bobby FischFace? You betcha. Was drink taken? I’m shocked to report I rather suspect it was.