‘THIS ALBUM HAS SANDWICHES, READING LIGHTS AND A FULLY STOCKED BAR'
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Opn mind
As indie bands go they’re as far from predictable as you could ever wish. Camilla Pia lingers on the eccentric joys of BRITISH SEA POWER.
rugx and Dohert}. I’i'an/x laxliioii. riltx in Ra/orlight. 'l‘hei‘e‘x ximpl} got to he more to Britain'x xo-called rock rcnaixxancc than conxtant t'cltath‘x HI. lit‘L‘tI L‘IlL‘ltc‘x‘.’ Well. )L‘x. it L'UIIIL‘\ ill the .xhape ol Britiin Sea l’oxxer \\ho. along \\ itli the likex ol' Bloc Part) and Patrick \Voll‘. are ahxoliitel) \\ illiiig to put their iicckx on the line tor the xakc ol doing .xomething genuincl} dil‘l‘crent. .i\nd xo \xe'\e got gigx in countr}xide harnx. miixeiim collahorationx. an unlathomahle laxcination \xith ('/cclioxlo\akian architecture and pci'l‘ornianccx \xhich ha\e xccn the Brighton-haxed l‘oiirxoinc di'exx in \\'\\'| ol‘l‘icerx‘ tinil‘oi‘mx and take to a xtage littered \\lIIl t‘oliagc and plaxtic hirdx. \\ hile poeti'} hoomx l'rom the xpcakerx. (‘learh the} are no oi‘diiiar) indie outlit. and a chin— \\ag \xith giiitarixt .\'ohlc ino xiirnamei on|_\ pi'o\idcx iix mm more e\idencc tor thix claim. to kickxtart pi'oceedingx \xc caxuall} enquire alter the hand'x health. onl} to rccci\e thix rather hi/ai‘rc i'exponxe. '\\'e'rc tine.
\Ve're drinking x\\CCl cider and di‘auiiig a lot ol‘
inxpiration l‘rom ihix ne\\ t)pe ol‘ l‘o\ ihc}'\e been breeding in Siberia. \Ve'xe alxo hecn rehearxing. hut ii‘x not ax e\citing ax the l'o\ex.‘
\Vildlil'e axide. there ix the xmall matter ot a magnificent ne\\ LI) ()ln'ri Xi'iiw/i to dixcuxx: an inl'ectioux. angular rit‘l’ing record tilled \xith hliixter} romance. sweeping xti'ingx and graceful pianox. and a Vaxt imPt'mement on ltltlfi dehui 'l'lit' [hi/inc ut Brink/i Sm l’oii't'r. ‘\\'e'i‘e actuall} proud ot' the llL‘\\ alhum. We're not that proud of man} thingx. hut ihix ix prett} littod.’ \ohle explainx. ‘lt‘x a ne\\ xleek. xtreamlined heaxt. The laxt one \\ ax like a charixmaiic old xteam engine. hurtling dim ii the track and xomehim xta_\ing
in one piece. 'l'hix one’x like liuroxtar. lt hax xanduichex and reading lightx and a lull) xtocked bar. It ix more about the interior ol' thingx. getting aua} trom the xea and heading inland.‘ he addx. 'lt \\tlx inxpired h} gii'lx and picx. the moon on the \xatci‘ and ina_\he Ili'mi'x h} l)a\id Bouie the iixual ruhhixh. 'l‘he xongx mention giiillotinex. honeywnnh and the anatom_\ ol' the human heart.'
Such intellectual i'el'erenccx. uniixtial lixe \enuex and peculiar coxtiiiiiex ma} lead the caxual reader to xiixpect art} -\\annahe pi'etcnxionx amidxt the BSI’ hunch. But all thix eccentricit} ix ximpl} natural to them. and it'x certainl} more enlightening than the iixiial hoo/c-l‘uelled hand hanter and toilet circuit tourx. .\'ohle agi'eex. ‘lt'x nice to get ana} l‘i‘om the rock routine once in a \thile a\\a_\ l‘i'om all the \enuex \\ here all the drexxing roomx ha\e nice muralx made out ot‘ xe\ orgaiix done h} paxxing (ireen l)a} enthiixiaxtx. B} the end ol the _\car \xe‘d like to do a xho\\ in the big l’oxtoina ca\e x} xtem in Sloxcnia )tttl can get in er a thouxand people in for concertx and there are blind xalamandei‘x there.~
Betore then. ho\\ e\ er. the hand are xet to pla} the comparathel} ordinai'} xiirroundingx ol‘ the Liquid Roomx. hut thc}'i'e looking toward to it all the xame. and are xurc to ha\e a text trickx up their xlee\ ex. '\\'e al\\a_\x like pla}ing in Scotland. .\loxt of our hand are from the north of lingland and. it" it doexn’t xound datt. \xe think ot~ ourxe|\ex ax much Scottixh ax linglixh. lt'x nice to get to placex \\ here thingx are juxt a little different 7 \ihether ii'x the picturex on the mone} oriuxt ha\ ing xaiice inxtead oi \ inegar on _\our chipx.’
Liquid Room, Edinburgh, Sat 9 Apr.
Graeme Stephen Sextet lhe Al)(‘t(l(}(3ll*l)()ltl guitarist has alread, attracted favourable attention in the liasei l ifiiald hit). and now leads his own bigger group. featuring fiddler Chris Stout. Henry's Ja/x Lie/lat; Edinburgh, Sat Z ) Apr. i./a/.»'i
Misty’s Big Adventure, Summer of Mars, Foxface and How to Swim Sl. Records latest export Misty's are a frantic hunch who sound somewhere l'Jetween the Muppets' house band and Supergrass. l’hey team up With a trio of acts who all have a similarly hedonistic streak. Stereo, G/asgow, Mon 4 Apt (Rock 8. Pepi
Laura MacDonald Octet The saxophonist revwes her successful Octet protect Willi a mix of original compositions and imaginative arrangements of standards. Henry's Jazx Cel/ar. Edinburgh. Fri 8 Apr. iJazzl
Ranarim and Fine Friday Young Swedish sextet v‘llilt expresswe. often explosive folk sound led by twm liai‘iiioriioii:~, vocals. See preview. Count/rig House, Edinburgh, Sat 9 Apr. tFo/k 8 Wor/d/
Rufus Wainwright More than Just a handsome (IQ/ll. Wainwright ipicturedi AS swiftly blossoming into one of the most accomplished songwriters around. See feature. Roya/ Concert Ha//, Glasgow. Sun 70 Apr. (Rock 8 Pop;
Julliette and the Licks If they cloned Iggy Pop but made him a woman it would most likely end in a bloody mess but Juliette Lewis and her band know how to harness that familiar Visceral energy that lgg holds so dear. See prewew. King Tut 's, G/asgow. Thu 74 Apr. (Rock 8 Pop)
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