Glastonbury Festival: 25/6/10.

Glastonbury – the mother of all festivals, the epitome of all things hippie-ish. After dipping my toes into the reputable world of festivals last year, I was lucky enough to grab a ticket to this year’s ‘Glasto’, unaccountable acres of strange sights, endless stages, tents, and in this year’s case - armies of sunburnt music lovers.

To avoid the longest blog yet, here’s a summary of Friday 25/6/10 - the first of three.

Wobbly board extraordinaire Rolf Harris kicked off Friday’s festivities with a set that placed the mood for the rest of the weekend. Cries of ‘Tie Me Kangaroo Down’ rang out across the Pyramid Stage, with inflatable kangaroos and the like being thrown in the air at regular intervals. There’s nothing like a helping of classic sing-a-long cheese to please the crowds. With Femi Cuti then bringing something a little different to the festival and a reputable performance from the stunning Corrine Bailey Rae, we were then left with Willie Nelson, the only thing standing between the ever growing crowd and Snoop Dogg. And boy, did Nelson go on for hours...

But then after what seemed a lifetime, one of the personal highlights of the weekend began - Snoop Dogg at the Pyramid Stage. Opening as you can only expect from Snoop, with P.I.M.P, he well and truly owned the crowd, gaining upmost respect. Inviting Tinie Tempah on stage to perform a rendition of hit ‘Pass Out’ bettered the performance further, ending in Snoop and the crowd alike bellowing out his favourite line – ‘Smoke weed everyday!’ Obvious legalities aside, Snoop proved his reputation as one of the most prestigious rap artists of today.

Then came Canadian pop rockers Vampire Weekend, with their quirky guitar riffs and odd, distinctive vocals. Of course, A-Punk was the strongest track, gaining the most recognition from the audience, proving to be their ‘Wonderwall’. Dizzee Rascal was next to make an appearance. After belting out football hit ‘Shout’, mash-ups of Blur, Nirvana and hit ‘Stand Up Tall’ definitely shook off the cobwebs.

After various preparations and the odd sing-a-long to ‘Hey Jude’ and the like, then came a moment I’d pretty much been waiting for since the announcement of their replacement of 80’s rockers U2 – Damon Albarn’s visual creation – Gorillaz. Unfortunately, visual’s aside, they were somewhat disappointing as a whole, with Snoop Dogg's collabaration during introduction 'Plastic Beach' aside. Don’t get me wrong, being an avid fan of their latest album ‘Plastic Beach’, there were some belters in there with ‘Empire Ants’ and ‘Glitter Freeze’ being two of their strongest tracks aside from staple tunes such as ‘Dare’ and ‘Clint Eastwood’. However, it appeared the crowd were not too familiar with Gorillaz new style, and simply craved the classics, becoming restless when Arabic inspired ‘White Flag’ was offered up. Perhaps Albarn and Co would have been better received in 2011’s festivities, by which time the brilliant ‘Plastic Beach’ would have gained the acknowledgment it without doubt deserves. However, overall audience reaction aside, Gorillaz were nevertheless inspiring, with Albarn’s moody demeanour somewhat adding to his undoubtable charm.

Culture Vultures.

There are plenty of bands and artists to write about these days, stacks of praise worthy records released and the odd track that demands my attention. But it’s not as often that a local band ticks these boxes - perhaps I should have paid attention a while ago. But for those of you, like me, who made the mistake of not listening to the Culture Vultures before now, there is still plenty of time to catch up.

Oozing with influences from Radiohead, Blur and the general crème de menthe of the music world, Culture Vultures are a four piece ensemble from the Medway Towns who were brought to life in various corridors of University digs and pretty much any other space they could get their talons into. Having only formed just over three months ago, Jamie, Matt, Joe and Jack took it upon themselves to fly the nest, playing local event ‘Feel the Noise’ in Earl’s Bar, Maidstone on the 1st July, outshining other neighbouring bands and artists despite it being their first gig.

Kicking off with math pop pleaser ‘Animal’, the scene was set for the rest of the night. Despite a few tuning mishaps in-between tracks, the lads charmed the audience with Jamie admitting they were unable to afford a guitar tuner just yet. (Don’t worry guys; I’m sure we could all chip in!) With their personalities clearly being a strong part of the band, each momentary pause was soon forgotten as they stole the audience’s attention with Damon Albarn-esque vocals and a melancholy vibe that Elbow’s front man Guy Garvey would be in awe of.

With the highlight of the evening coming in the form of track ‘60’ towards the end of their set, it appears as though they flew the nest at just the right time, proving that local bands don’t have to be the next Blink 182 or Greenday to make themselves noticed. So, move over pop punk kids – in fact, don’t bother at all. Cultures Vultures refreshingly mature style is far more appealing.

For those who’d like to catch the Culture Vultures in action, they’ll be playing on the 15th July at Breeze Bar in Maidstone and again during Riverside Live on the 31st in Chatham. Check out their MySpace for further info, tracks and some pretty cool drawings of the Vultures themselves.


http://www.myspace.com/culturevulturesband

Kele Okereke: Tenderoni.

Informing NME magazine that he’ll ‘Have time off when I’m an old man’, at the Tenderoni, (see what I did there?), age of 29, Bloc party’s front man Kele Okereke has decided to go solo. With ten track album ‘The Boxer’ due for release on June 21 and single Tenderoni already making waves in the dance scene, it won’t be long before we’re set to see whether or not his debut solo offerings will be a knockout or will simply fail to pack a punch.

After confessing his ongoing passion for dance music, it’s no surprise Kele has opted for electronic beats and synths in his new project. After five years working with band Bloc Party, it’s a brave move to make for such a prestigious front man and is pleasantly refreshing to see his individuality and personal passions manifest into the track before us.

Tenderoni first appears tedious and even arguably dull, despite the odd echo of Bloc Party’s dependable manner. However, given a chance, Kele’s whispering vocals lend the track its own atmosphere and feeling, showing that it pays off to sing with passion rather than monotonous tones. Kele even helpfully spells out the word Tenderoni throughout, something that can be easily overlooked as being tacky, (may I remind you of Fergie’s Glamorous?!), but strangely adds to the charm this track has to offer. Whatever your conclusion, it’s most definitely worth a listen.

And for those wondering where Bloc Party have got to whilst Kele shows off his new-found solo stardom, there’s no need to panic just yet. There has been no creative differences, no Gallagher brothers style bust ups – they’re simply taking a break. As the saying goes, whilst the cat’s away, the mice will play and it looks as though Kele has wisely opted to be the mice in this hiatus.

Jack Johnson: To the Sea.

It’s been just shy of a decade since Hawaiian born Jack Johnson found success with the release of his debut album, ‘Brushfire Fairytales’. Renowned for his easy going acoustic style, the majority of Johnson’s tracks are a staple part of any ‘chilled’ playlist’; whether it’s set for a lazy Sunday afternoon or a bank holiday BBQ. His latest offering ‘To the Sea’ is no exception, although this, (being the fifth), time around it appears as though he has taken a leaf out of fellow acoustic songster Newton Faulkner’s book, occasionally embracing percussion in favour of lack lustre lullabies.

With the odd harmonica, tambourine and crashing symbol, newcomers to Johnson are in for a treat – as are his loyal, steadfast fans. For those familiar with crowd pleasers ‘Better Together’ and ‘Banana Pancakes’, there is hardly any need to be anxious. With tracks such as ‘To the Sea’ and the sentimentally oozing ‘My Little Girl’, Johnson hasn’t yet lost grip of his guitar, (and our heart!), strings.

Its track number four, ‘At or With Me’, where Johnson becomes more than background music. Despite the somewhat disjointed song title, Johnson keeps it simple. It’s upbeat, cheerful and reminiscent of Paulo Nutini’s recent musings. The end result is something entirely refreshing, rather than being annoyingly different.

Not to forget upcoming title track ‘You and Your Heart’; a delicate mixture between the two personalities Johnson so boldly emits throughout the album. Catchy like his previous hits yet packing a slight punch, it is bound to become a crowd pleaser – at the very least a top contender for this summer’s breezy compilations.

Don’t get me wrong, Johnson remains a constant feature within my CD collection, however after five previous albums his voice tends to become insignificant during ‘To the Sea’, only being pushed, nurtured and made the most of in a third of the tracks put forward.

Despite this, overall it looks as though he’s done it again; a mellow, optimistic collection with the odd crowd pleaser, a handful of smooth melodies and a pinch of something special. And the best thing? He’s done it just in time for summer.

So, get out your sun lounger, crack open a cold beer and have a listen to single 'You and Your Heart':

Zola Jesus: Stridulum.

Replace Florence’s Welch’s flame red curls with sleek, jet black waves, her trademark Victorian ruffles with black smocks and skinny jeans and lo and behold; we’re presented with 21 year old Nika Danilova, responsible for Zola Jesus’ fixating vocals. An American singer/songwriter who has previously toured with the likes of Fever Ray, Danilova possesses a set of lungs Welch would be jealous of, swapping harps and glitter for the crashing drums and eerily consuming melodies that group Zola Jesus are blissfully capable of.

Consisting of just six tracks, Stridulum is the perfect balance between love and hate, comprised of electronic tinged power ballads with lyrics that seem far too aged for Danilova’s youthful mind. However, with vocals to challenge the best of them, it’s no surprise she’s resting comfortably on another level.

Despite their dark and gloomy image, tracks such as I Can’t Stand offer comforting words – ‘I can’t stand to see you this way, it’s going to be alright’, exclaiming that ‘... it’s not easy to let things go’. It’s difficult to tell whether Zola Jesus are offering a helping hand or whether it’s a moment of self rationality, but either way it makes for good listening - hypnotizing in fact. Trust Me appears to follow the same route; ‘When you’re lost, you know I’ll be around’. These moments allow us to put the darker face of Zola Jesus aside, opting to be inspired and reassured instead.

Of course, their upcoming debut single must be mentioned; it is one of the strongest tracks on the EP after all, (in my opinion of course). Night is the epitome of Danilova’s vocal strength, creeping from an eerie and mysterious introduction into a full blown drum ridden crescendo. A tale of indulgent lust, Night has a mesmerizing effect, fading into an electronic ensemble of horror-like synths.

This is without a doubt a group you’ll not want to hear the last of. Surprisingly refreshing, perhaps it’s about time we gave way to the devil on our shoulder. After all, Welch and Co can’t take the top spot forever, right?

And for those bright enough to lend an ear, here is Night.

Klaxons: Flashover.

For a band who single handedly introduced me to a sea of glowsticks and trashy 'nu-rave' slogan tees, Klaxon's return has been a long time coming. Three years after their magical debut 'Myths of the Near Future', it looks like I wasn't the only person who decided to put the neon fashion faux pas to the back of the wardrobe. Klaxons have come back with something familiar enough to quench their loyal fans thirst, yet different enough to catch the attention of music revellers who have not yet had the pleasure of indulging in the Klaxon's reckless charm.


Although not set to be released a single, track 'Flashover' is hopefully a sign of things to come from their latest offering, 'Surfing the Void'. We're thrown straight into the track, much like previous hits, although in a somewhat 'Horror-esque' style that Faris and Co would find themselves in awe of. What could have been a cacophony of noise becomes somewhat mesmerizing with the aid of Jamie Reynold's distinctive vocals.

Towards the end of the track there is a moment which almost sounds as though Kate Nash and her quirky piano have made a guest appearance, but it strangely works. Fading out into nothingness in true Klaxon's style, 'Flashover' presents us with just over five minutes of energetic yet spell binding bedlam.

This may not signal the return of the 'nu-rave' era, (and thank God for that!), but it's far from a disappointment. Klaxons have succeeded with an altogether enchanting, yet more mature, track and it looks as though 'Surfing the Void' is set to continue the theme.

And here is the track itself, have a listen.

Moby: Gone to Sleep.

So, Moby is back with another dose of ambiance - 'Wait For Me', a sixteen track offering comprised of sleepy melodies and slow moving symphonies. This, with his title track are everything we've come to expect from Moby over the years, with most of his previous works settling down comfortably in 'Chilled Out' compilations and the like, year after year. Don't get me wrong, it's not one to miss, but there's another track which in my opinion is proving to be a lot more interesting.

The track in question is 'Gone to Sleep', a powerful duet with songstress Kelli Scar, who also works with Moby on aforementioned title track 'Wait for Me'. For someone famed for his individuality and preference to work on his own, Moby's dream-like style plays the perfect partner to Scar's voice and makes you question why he doesn't adopt collaborators more often. The fact that Scar is far from mainstream, (after all, she doesn't have a Wikipedia page), makes this combination altogether more exciting.

What interested me the most was the process in which the duet was born, with New York radio station, NPR, setting Moby the challenge of recording a song in 2 days. Not only did he surprise the station and fans alike by churning out the track in just eight hours, he also took it upon himself to record an acoustic version and still had time to play a personal gig to the station's staff. Now that's dedication.

With inspiration coming from a series of images shown to the artists by photographer Phil Toledano, both Moby and Scar found themselves mesmerized by an image of a man in a trench coat, with his head resembling a storm cloud. They then were faced with a choice of words, with Moby choosing 'Flight' and Scar 'Sunday'. Compiling the image and words, Moby began to play a riff, which in turn resulted in the foundations for 'Gone to Sleep'. The track may have taken turns along the way, and wasn't called 'Flight Sunday' or anything along the lines of, however, the result is something which in my opinion is strangely beautiful.

Have a listen and take time to pay attention to the video, filmed in NPR's studio.