www.list.co.uk/music
FOLK
DUNCAN CHISHOLM Farrar
(Copperfish Records) 0....
Duncan Chisholm is a busy man, what with Wolfstone. his duo with Ivan Drever. and his involvement in a number of other people's bands to keep him fully occupied. Every now and again, though, he fulfills his promise to do another solo album, and they are invariably worth the — usually long — wait. His third solo project. Farrar, is no exception. and proves a worthy successor to Redpoint and The Door of Saints. There is not a weak moment or superfluous note on the album. He demonstrates his mastery of the slow air on several tunes. including Gordon Duncan's lovely ‘Lorient Mornings' and some plaintive traditional tunes. His immaculate phrasing and beautifully judged rhythmic sense is equally impressive on the faster sets, including Fred Morrison's lilting ‘Farewell to Uist'. Angus Grant's ‘250 to Vigo' and his own ‘The 303'. Several friends lend exemplary support. including Phil Cunningham, Chris Drever and former Wolfstone bandmate Ross Hamilton. (Kenny Mathieson)
SKA
BIG HAND How About It? (Zorbic Media) 000
They‘ve been a familiar gigging presence around Edinburgh for some years. so it‘s no surprise to find this is ska quartet Big Hand's debut album. Quite a few of the 14 songs here will be familiar to anyone who has followed the band's
live career, although the same fans might find these recorded versions don't live up to the onstage experience. With the sharp-suited and hatted look of boys who've clearly been to Vegas (the club) and watched Swingers once or twice. the Hand blend Madness-style ska party tunes with an edge of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy suaveness. Niche appeal explodes into full-blown crossover potential on key tracks such as ‘Let It Out'. although the production doesn't quite make full use of the group's energy. (David Pollock)
LIVENESS
VARIOUS RECON-naissance: The Live Sessions Vol 1 (RECON-naissance) .0.
There‘s an accomplished and impressive spread of talent on this lush live showcase from the Glasgow club night of the same name. from the sultry Gallic lounge of Irregular Slinky and the jazz-funk of Das Contras to ‘wegian rap starlet Soom T's bombastic band-backed hip hop and country blues covers from The Fortunate Sons. Throw in a stomping Latin-ragga workout from SambaYaBamba and The Ping Pong Banana Show‘s low-slung indie- rock and all that's missing is the regrettably embargoed X-Vectors to run the night‘s rare gamut of styles. There’s little in the way of on- stage patter but the accomplished performances and heavy audience burr make this an authentic and tantalising introduction to Glasgow's grassroots live scene.
(Mark Edmundson)
INDIE TRAVELOGUE BEN
HAYMAN
Great British Holiday EPs
(Belka Records) 0..
Many indie buffs might recall a certain 90s outfit.
Hefner, although most would be pushed to come up with the name of the band's frontman. Darren Hayman. Featuring the odd ukulele. Casio keyboard. et al. this compilation comprises four sold-out EPs (‘Caravan Songs'. ‘Ukulele Songs . . ‘Eastbourne Lights' and ‘Minehead'). recorded 2005-2007 at various UK holiday destinations. With the exception of the non-EP. bonus-track cover versions (once the speciality of Lindsey Buckingham. Connie Francis and Chas & Dave). Hayman paints a portrait of quintessential Englishness. And apart from some Io-fi dirges. songs such as ‘Future Song‘, ‘Rain All Summertime (also on accompanying DVD- video) and '1976'. have all the hallmarks of what was fascinating about Ray Davies and Luke Haines.
(Martin C Strong)
RETRO GUITAR-ROCK THE HAZE Spirits Are Rising (Mr G RecordS) 000
Emerging from the depths of Dumbarton, The Haze put the ‘rawk' back into rock. Produced by Chris ‘Black Sabbath, Thin Liz7y' Tsangarides. this electrifying quintet (singer James Cairns. guitarists John Paul Hunter and Mark Miller, bassist Ross Duffy and drummer Robert Mitchell) draw a line through 608/708/808 legends such as The Doors. Steppenwolf and recent t0uring chums The Cult.
The Haze live out all your ‘eavy rock'n‘roll dreams — regardless of you date of birth — through power—tripping
@ ._ j ReCOFd RevieWS Music _
REVIEW COUNTRY ROCK
CONOR OBERST AND THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
(Wichita) ooooo
It’s been just over a year since he put out Cassadaga with Bright Eyes and Conor Oberst is at it again, conjuring up songs that sound like instant modern classics. This album (staggerineg the 18th of his career) finds the highly prolific troubadour returning to the more stripped-down sound of his early material. In fact, on certain tracks you can even hear the tape hiss and the crickets chirp from the Mystic Valley Band’s outdoor recording sessions on the porch of their villa in southern Mexico.
Most compelling, though, are the clever lyrics on display, which this time come cloaked in woozy twangs, plonked pianos, gritty rock n roll and stark acoustic numbers making these offerings some of the most intelligent and soulful Oberst has ever penned. From beautifully warm opener ‘Cape Cafiaveral’ to the bluesy ‘Moab’ and ‘Get-Well-Cards’ and ‘I Don’t Want to Die (in the Hospital)’ and the fast and furious stomp of ‘NYC-Gone, Gone’, the band (which includes members of Bright Eyes and Rilo Kiley) take us through beguiling tales of romantic encounters, blackly comic musings on mortality, astral planes and cosmonauts.
After a couple of solo efforts in the mid-90$, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band marks this much-loved Omaha singer-songwriter’s first attempt at a self-titled album in 13 years, while Mike Mogis takes a break. He recently admitted to The List that he was terrified to be making music without the longtime Bright Eyes collaborator, but he needn’t have worried - you’ll be hooked on this remarkable piece of work from first listen. (Camilla Pia)
"u", :1?
‘-azurerimiuiiinn;ziiitmnumnrnrné’fip
swing treatment. and bring a fresh and unashamedly populist slant to a well~worn style. His virtuoso technique and sure sense of swing is augmented by Clark's assured and intelligent guitar soloing, and all three are entirely at home in the idiom. (Kenny Mathieson) .
those visits. Kliphuis first linked up with guitarist Nigel Clark and bassist Roy Percy at Glasgow's Cafe Cossachok, and subsequent touring has honed the palpable sense of group collaboration in their music.
The violinist‘s particular take on the ever-popular Hot Club style is to mix it up with an overt classical influence. not orin in his playing style. but also his choice of music. His arrangements of pieces by Handel, Tchaikovsky. Grieg. Smetana. Bach. Pachelbel and Paganini translate sweetly to a
tracks such as ‘Ghostdancer'. ‘Save Our SOuls', ‘Guns and Bullets'. ‘Kingdom Blues' and a boisterous rendition of The Who's ‘Seeker'.
(Martin C Strong)
JAZZ
TIM KLIPHUIS Counterpoint Swing (Lowland Records) .0.
Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis has been a regular visitor to Scotland in recent times (he's back again at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival). and the trio on this new CD is very much a product of
:31 Jul—7 Aug 2008 THE LIST 35