www.list.co.uk/music
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REVIEW lNl II V. icii ioNirL/t RBRBR YOSHI AND supsnsomc srrvrs
The Broken Jukebox, Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh, Wed 29 Apr 000
Another new night. another line up of new musical contenders and Edinburgh's Supersonic {Sims are clearly an eye and ear catching new talent. although not guite the finished article. With hold images of the singer plastered across the Video screen in tlie background. his set a kind of extended. one man IIIIX ol (Ialyiii Harris and [)i//ee llascal's hook up is interrupted by bashful apologies that he doesn't haye his backing dancers and singer With him, Work With what you've got, young man. Despite boasting a singer .II a Spider Man mask and a decent take on the Happy Mondays most funk ridden riioments. I ite's Yoshi are the least immediately engaging at‘t bill. That's guite the opposite of
on the
l dinbur'gh's RBHBR. finally. who knoiar
how to make an impression. Turned out With strings of fairy lights wrapped round their bodies, the aurally impressive Beta Band soundalikes are memorably accoiripanied by a ninja and a US fighter pilot on tambourine section duties in the background (David Pollocki
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THE MACCABEES Avalanche Records. Edinburgh. Fri 1 May 000
lhe new layout in independent record retailer Avalanche lends itself perfectly to an intirriate instore gig. With young fans spilling onto Cockburri Street well before the music starts. by the time lhe Maccabees sgueem therriselves onto the tiny stage the shop is literally at bursting point.
It‘s a sWift fiye song set to promote their magnificent second album, Wa// of Anus, which showcases a new depth and dark underbelly to this Brighton by way of l ondon five piece. And while the likes of 'loothpaste Kisses' ltr‘om debut Colour /I /II) have a certain scrappy indie charm, there's more depth to their new material such is 'l we You Better'. There's a punky urgency but also a shimmering grace. all drawn together by Orlando Weeks imp; ssioned vocals.
More fan interaction. especially in these cramped guarters would have been nice to really turn this into an ‘event', but wrth a show later the same night at Studio 2.1 it's understandat)le that they may have been saying themselves. It‘s Just a shame they didn't play ‘No Kind Wor‘ds' — their greatest song to date. illenry Nor'thmorei I www. the/hat:cabees.co. uk
now and there are lots ofs
INDIE
OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT Oran Mor, Glasgow. Sat 25 Apr 0..
Jerky English indie guartet Official Secrets Act's debut album Urir‘lerstariding ElectriCity is suggestive of a hand wrth intelligence and melodies to burn _, like The Futureheads or Bloc Party, or Ra/orlight With their brains in the right place rather than somewhere near their scroturns. Yet. the quartet looked surprisingly short of charm and confidence live. and fell Victim to the wrtherrng effect that semi—circle of doubt at the front of a crowd can have on relatively unknown hands.
And rt wasn't hard to see why people were standoff'ish. OSA's get up (ruffled shirts and coloured streaks daubed beneath their eyes, Adam and The Ants-style) hinted at a band who spend longer at the mirror than in the rehearsal room. and they faded rnto the background as things didn't go their way. Yet. they do have some fine tunes ~ ‘The Girl From the BBC' smartly channels all kinds of sprightly British new wave bands. and you could land a whale With the jumbo hooks on ‘80 Tomorrow'. OSA are good songwriters, but still some way off translating that rnto being a good band. (Malcolm Jack)
I WWW. myspace. con l/Off/CU/SOCTQISHC!
THIS ISSUE: BENNI HEMM HEMM
Benni Hemm Hemm is the brainchild of Icelandic musician/composer. contemporary of Sigur Ros and MUm and current Edinburgh resident Bennedikt I~l Hermannsson. His songs are backed with the blare of a large-scale DIY brass band on releases through Berlin's Morr Music label. With a third album just out on Iceland‘s Kimi Records label. and following a couple of solo shows, Hermannsson has convened a baroque chamber version of Benni Hemm Hemm for a European tour which is showcased in Edinburgh this issue. Tell me about the new band. The as? «tile»: t" band was n a youth sy'iiphon. than it) people on st ige Set r rr‘mr ; dov." r a f' f" 1w.» worrde rut E di'iburgh based lYIUSH ians. E 'i‘ H. St ntf are i I‘m“ \‘Viiliams. makes thrngs more rnti'riate ar
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lhat keeps things together in a torrxpieteiy antenna ,t,
How is the Icelandic music scene coping with the country’s financial collapse? I'ye hei'tt That Its: r» minimum, who first got f il‘IULI“ ) as a 'runk It {)t n ttit’t and is 'ir .r .-".i \I.’ off pop star, has returnr 3d to ‘IIES pink band and t. "ti”it ,.. H'tt'r '1 fine charts But the music scene in lt'eia'xl has New” had any "I me, That's the best thing about it It's! 'il“;)5t
What’s next for Benni Hemm Hemm? I'vrx
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recording a new album sometime my, yea' Exit l try'xi to nan . and keer) things open. (Neil Cooperi
I Benni Hem/ii Herrirri, The Bowery. [Ui’lel/Itfll, Sat . Wit/w.benrii/ierri/riherrirri.com
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HIP HOP
THEOPHILUS LONDON Sub Club. Glasgow, Thu 30 Mar 0...
Midway through Hinterland lestival's first evening. the indie kids of Glasgow scuttle from one bunch of guitar twangers to another, I earring against the building site fence next to the Sub Club. a pair of Br‘ooklyriites in retro shades, skinny Jeans and baseball caps look on With berriuseriient. There's no—one in their venue. Have they even come to the right place?
An hour later a modest crowd has arrived. Theophilus l ondon iMCi and Melo X (DJ) are provrrig to be one of the festival's least heralded highlights. and half the audience tuck into rriac'n'cheese and chicken fillets served up by NY DJichef Dante's Fried Chicken.
Presented here by Glasgow's luckyMe Collective. referred to by the NME as everything Kanye wants to be and more' and dressed as ElVlfS Costello on the front of hrs recent This Charm/rig Mixtape comp. the 22-year old London is several world's awa/ from your average Gang-banging rapper. London's excellent intelligent hip hop productions have th ekind of warm and friendly party WIWili offers something for everyone: even all those gurtar-lovm' indie kids. (Davrd Pollock) I www myspace. corri/lor idonwa ve
If. —28 dMa/ 2009 THE LIST 65