The Grants @ The Old Blue Last 27/02/08

Verdict: **** and a half ;)

This gig at 'The Old Blue Last' was one of a number of shows Liverpool four-piece 'The Grants' are currently playing in London.

Following on from 'The Krak'; a band who put considerably more effort into jumping around the pub with their tops off than into the playing of their songs, 'The Grants' take to the stage fresh from hearing they are the main support on 'The Charlatans' forthcoming tour. Nevertheless, the band seem focused on the job in hand, laying down a statement of intent with compelling first track 'I am the one'; an ideal showcase of the talent within this band. Captivating vocals sing memorable lyrics over a backdrop of sublime guitars which sparkle like Smiths-era Jonny Marr, complimented by an impressive rhythm from drummer Ben Gonzalles. This is followed by a compelling mix of quicker and slower songs; from the energetically snappy 'Nothing To Lose', to the soothing 'I wonder', or dreamy 'Ghostlike', all evoke an atmospheric mood, and flow effortlessly from one to the next. This ultimately provides a varied and entertaining set, consisting of songs which have their own character and feel, whilst simultaneously reminding you of some of great bands from the 60's onwards.

Legendary record label boss Alan McGee reckons if you "Think Wah/Teardrops/Bunnymen then you get The Grants". Having never listened to any of those bands, I immediately checked them out. After seeing The Grants live though, I was disappointed by all three.

Reviewed by: Nat Roocroft

The Tunics @ 333 Mother Bar, 23/02/2008

Verdict: ****

Under the dim glow of chandeliers in the middle of the obscure Mother Bar, a small -but ever-growing- crowd is in desperate need of an adrenaline boost. Having just been subjected to the lulling voice and melodies of a young woman and her guitar, the atmosphere is somewhat lacking in vigour; up next are The Tunics to revive it.

The Croydon trio has been performing for over a year now with an album ready to be released in June, 'Somewhere in Somebody's Heart'. It's quite incredible how a band of their calibre doesn't attract a larger audience (they've even been nominated for the Indie Awards).

The band goes up, immediately building a climax with the intro of The Cost of Living and the people heed to the brisk tones. For the rest of the 7-track set enthusiasm is universal, stretching even to the stiff sound-check guy, though only expressed in faces and tapping feet; a rather odd fact since these are songs that get you moving (the Brits are obviously too self-conscious an audience). Song after song the Tunics don't cease to impress with their professionalism while playing, they're fun to watch and you can tell they're enjoying themselves too. The showmanship could be improved, though; more interaction with the crowd is needed, not just stating the titles as though ticking them off a list.

As far as the music goes, it exceeds recorded material in every aspect. Vocals are more purposeful, drums even more driving, guitar is well-defined and bass is much more noticeable and thus appreciable, as it is truly excellent. The amplified dynamism in the performance brings it closer to rock than indie, with particular highlights the additional bass and guitar solos which form the peak of the tracks (especially on A Winter's Tale and Paris France). This is what real bands sound like; sharp, intense and hyper while playing live, not passively repeating the studio versions of songs as many established bands do. Although a longer show would be appreciated, it ends quite abruptly leaving the crowd hanging on the last track's ending notes.

The Tunics aren't your ordinary indie band, the lyrics alone say a lot about the band's quality and from their live performance you sense talent and know that these guys take their music and what it offers very seriously. They deserve to be recognised in the wider public and shouldn't be missed in action seeing as they're playing several venues - check out their Myspace page for details.

Reviewed by: Kate Agathos

Clocks

Chris and Katya interview Clocks in ANOTHER draughty fire exit - this one in King's College London.

Clocks Interview (Right click and select 'Save Target As')

The Alps @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen

The Alps are the first ever band to strike a deal with 'Slice the Pie' - "a framework that facilitates fans to invest in bands"; experiencing them live enabled us to see for ourselves just how committed their fans are, and why. Hailing from Greenwich, they've been around for a few years now, gathering fans and building a reputation in the British indie scene, but only now are they releasing their debut album, 'Something I Might Regret' (out 10/03/2008), and touring the UK for the first time.

They open with their 2005 single 'World at War', but a harder, heavier, rocked-up version than their studio produced track - to prepare the crowd for a further 45 minutes of exhilaration. The audience might not be moving much during the performance, but many sing along happily (being committed fans, they know all the lyrics) and there's plenty of enthusiastic cheering at the end of each track. The Alps are clearly comfortable and in their element on stage, giving the crowd exactly what they want - at one point even moving a fan to scream "I LOVE YOU!!!".

Often, well-played live performances can sound far better than studio recordings. This is certainly true of the Alps' gig at the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, as each song sounds so much better than the last; the vocals and guitar sound stronger, the drums more tenacious and the bass more intense. 'Goodnight Vienna' is a particular favourite amongst the faithful followers and 'Without Warning' is also played to impress.

Backing vocals add a whole new dimension to each song, although they are perhaps a bit overused, actually hitting nerves after a while. None of the Alps' songs are especially exceptional, in fact - they are essentially variations on a theme. This is not a bad thing, though, seeing as the group are definitely going somewhere with the strong support they've generated through their music, and IC Radio will be backing them all the way.

Download "Something I Might Regret".

Reviewed by: Kate Agathos & Chris Birkett

Chris and Kate met up with The Alps at the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen to discuss corpses, pies and drafty fire exits.

The Alps Interview (Right click and select 'Save Target As')

Steve Oliver

Ex-Director of Music Zone, Steve Oliver, has got in touch with us recently about legal reforms in the music sector. Anthony works through the reforms with Steve and then discuss Steve's latest venture musicmagpie.co.uk.

IC Radio sincerely apologise for the technical difficulties experienced when recording this interview. Unfortunately most of the interview was lost, in light of this IC Radio send our apologies to Steve and recommend our listeners to check out musicmagpie.co.uk for a pretty impressive selection of cheap CDs.

Mark Wingfield

Guitar Virtuoso, Mark Wingfield, stopped by IC recently for a masterclass and concert. Kate was lucky enough to get five minutes with the man to discuss life, the universe and everything. Check it out below.

Mark Wingfield Interview (Right-click and select 'Save Target As')

Levy at Islington Bar Academy

For a five-piece group from New York that had only just replenished several band members to return so promptly with such a solid album, "Glorious", is quite a feat. The undersold gathering at the Islington Bar Academy, London may feel a bit like make or break time for a band that has consistently garnered more acclaim here for their alternative rock style and borderline depressing lyrics than in their homeland.

Levy are the third of three acts to play, but apparently the previous two have done little to thaw the January chill from the frigid crowd, which is staring, completely expressionless, at the empty stage. Lights go dark, and one by one the strangely nonchalant band members appear on stage - their clothes and facial expressions just as we saw them an hour ago at a local pub. Front man James - who, incidentally, hasn't even bothered to remove his coat and hat - was clearly not lying when he told us he doesn't get nervous - and it shows!

Drums blast away (accompanied by some impressive keyboards) opening their best-known single 'So Hard', instantly recognised by a few keen fans. It isn't long before the freshly galvanised gathering finally breaks into a sweat. The technical crew's incompetence unfortunately means the vocals are almost inaudible for the first few tracks, but nobody seems overly phased. Indeed, the first impression we get is how much better these guys sound live than on their studio-produced album.

Most of the tracks are new to us, but they're all delivered with such energy and enthusiasm it is difficult to suppress the temptation to sing and dance along anyway. Even the somewhat cheesy 'Holy Water' is played to inspire: the guitar and drums intro is excellent; the keyboards, bass and vocals blend together beautifully. Each band member obviously strives to ensure their sound compliments the others perfectly - especially impressive during the improvised bits that were never part of the script - lifting the band to the level of well-established musicians. Levy have been compared to Coldplay, but experiencing them play live highlights the differences. The tonality of James' voice changes through every song, the climaxes between the guitar and drums are moving and, on the whole, the mood gives a sense of sincerity that other (nameless) bands lack.

Each of the band members has his chance to shine. The bassist is strong and consistent and good fun to watch - constantly moving to the rhythm of his sound. The keyboardist is steady, concentrated and absorbed in his playing, which can be said to almost form the backbone of most tracks. Oddly enough, James is probably the least expressive, compared to his mates. The only hint to his emotion is his facial expressions - but what he delivers sounds great. Finally, both guitar and drums amaze - giving life to each song. It's unfortunate that they're less noticeable on the CD, because they sound incredible - every note they play appears to echo off their body. The award for most electrifying goes to the guitarist, though, and during his extended solo on the closing track, 'On the Dancefloor', he goes insane, ending the evening on a definite high.

Once the last song finishes, there is much well-deserved cheering, but no 'encore', which is a shame. The band graciously bows and leaves.

It is no wonder that their fans are mainly those who have seen them play live. The show makes a pleasant change from the admittedly less interesting studio music. If you enjoy their material, do not miss out on an opportunity to see them live!

Review written by Chris Birkett & Kate Agathos

Levy Interview (Right-click and select 'Save Target As')

SohoDolls & IAMX KCLSU, 26/11/07

Review written by Nathan Alexander Roberts

It was a night of extremes, intended as a promo for new record label on the block RAWRIP, featuring their two flagship signings, London's own SohoDolls and Chris Corner's alternate persona IAMX, and held in the student-friendly intimacy of King's College Union.

First on the stage were the Sohodolls, looking for all the world like they'd just ram-raided a Topshop, dressed in matching tophats and waistcoats. The fresh-faced newcomers (who actually formed in 2003) got straight to it, with a sound hovering uncomfortably close to that of electro-favourites New Young Pony Club, right down to the kooky-yet-foxy lead singer Maya von Doll (apparently her real name!). It was an air of familiarity that most hung over the 'Dolls, peddling as they do dancefloor-friendly electro-tinged indie, and the unimpressed feeling of treading well worn ground soon replaced any urge to dance. To be fair, they did their thing well enough, with tracks 'I'm Not Cool', 'Bang Bang Bang' and the heavily Glam-inspired 'Stripper' (complete with Burlesque dancer) standing out from the rest, plus anyone using an actual double-bass on stage deserves bonus points.

If the Sohodolls look was something out of a Noel Fielding/Mighty Boosh dream, then IAMX (whose line-up has coincidentally at one point consisted of both Noel Fielding and Julian Barrett) came on like a Camden nightmare, with Ex-Sneaker Pimps frontman Chris Corner looking like the bastard lovechild of 'Mechanical Animals'-era Marilyn Manson and Gary Numan, all sequins and black eyeliner. It was obvious that the band were wearing their influences literally on their sleeves, and it didn't take a genius to guess what kind of electro-goth rock racket they were going to make. At times Chris' plaintive whining brought to mind a Muse without the rocking tracks, but there wasn't much about IAMX's generic, mildly-emo stylings that stuck in the mind, bar some amusingly non-sensical lyrical antics in encore track 'Missile'. In all honesty I failed to see what the fuss was about, and got the distinct feeling that the night was case of style over substance.

Pictures of the gig are viewable on Facebook

Full resolution pictures available on request

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