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EXPOSURE
NORTHERN XPOSURE Feted by The Culture Show, name-checked by the urban music press, respected by an army of sometime tour-mates and artists they’ve played alongside (including Dizzee Rascal, Naughty By Nature, Estelle, The Roots and Amy Winehouse) and still based in the council estates of Calder (they call it ‘C- Block’), brother and sister duo Ibrahim and Eunice Olumide are Northern Xposure. They’re too much of a well-kept secret around these parts, though; Eunice tells us what we all should know.
How did you start making music together? I started singing at a young age in church and my brother – who’s older than me – was into making rap almost as a joke. Not many people in Scotland were into it, you know? He never thought it would go anywhere. So I basically copied him. So when did you both start taking it seriously? When I was about 18 I got a scholarship to study at the University of Pennsylvania, and I got some work presenting shows out there. That’s where I met Naughty By Nature; we got on really well, they found out I could rap and I ended up touring round universities with them and meeting The Roots. When I came back to Scotland, I think the fact people like this liked what we were doing re-energised my brother.
What is your music about? It’s there to help people’s lives, that’s the sole reason behind it. We don’t want to be famous, my brother doesn’t even like giving interviews – if we had the money we’d be cartoon characters, like Gorillaz. But to be honest, taking crack was an option for me growing up, because there’s nothing much for kids to do in our area. So if we can show young folk that there is something better you can do with your life, that’s enough for me. (David Pollock) ■ Northern Xposure play the Take One Action Film Festival at the Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Thu 17 Sep. The album The Last Piece of the Puzzle is out now.
REVIEW INDIE AMAZING BABY Captain’s Rest, Glasgow, Tue 1 Sep ●●●●● REVIEW SECRET SHOW GLASVEGAS We Love to Boogie, Glasgow, Tue 1 Sep ●●●●●
‘Fuck the neighbours!’ shouts someone within the crowd spilling out onto the street. ‘James, please – turn it up to 11!’ Maybe the quiet little acoustic gig Glasvegas’ James Allan had in mind when he arranged this Twitter-promoted secret show wasn’t so likely. The West End retro boutique We Love to Boogie – owned by Allan’s new friends Natalia Codona and Greg Milne – is full and the queue snakes a good 100m round onto Woodlands Road. When Allan and his brother Rab begin their acoustic set, order is abandoned and faces are pressed up against the glass. Despite initial annoyance from those outside at having to strain to hear the six-song set (although it’s a rare treat for those inside to hear just how raw and crystal clear Allan’s voice is when detached from squalling electric guitars) the familiarity of each track soon placates the crowd and has them singing along.
REVIEW ELECTRONICA ART FAG (SONG BY TOAD NIGHT) Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, Sun 30 Aug ●●●●●
There’s a communal feel at this night for local record label Song by Toad, in Edinburgh’s cosiest venue. Everyone seems to know everyone as the applause is fierce, and nobody feels right standing at the back. It does mean the impact of Art Fag’s
Neil Pennycook’s astonishing vocal blast is all the more resounding when you’re standing mere feet away. And the power is matched by raw emotion.
The man behind the highly lauded Meursault manages to throw his all into this simpler side project, even if his crouched stance seems an awkward, painful position from which to deliver a set of such magnitude. His gait, it turns out, is essential, as the various keyboards and electronics creating this immense atmosphere lack stands, and are placed on the ground, all the more nonchalant to the magic they are making.
‘Geraldine’, ‘Flowers and Football For a record label so small, Song by
Tops’ and ‘Daddy’s Gone’ were of course highlights, and a closing cover of ‘Be My Baby’ offered a final, special treat for those who had braved the pavement. (David Pollock) Toad boasts some mighty acts. And any night with ‘The Sound of Music’ thrown in during a DJ set can be classed as a good one. (Thomas Meek)
There’s been a lot of talk about Brooklyn boys Amazing Baby being the next MGMT – they graduated from the same school, supported them on their last tour and apparently sound the same. This gig might have been the chance to see the Next Big Thing.
Arthouse and Schnapps open, the latter attracting the loudest cheers and the biggest crowd. Looking part art-school, part old-school rockers, they invest bags of energy into their indie-rock sound.
Watching Amazing Baby live, the MGMT parallels immediately disappear – perhaps something the band have been striving for as they find their own niche. Their sound is rocky and hard – guitars, drums and head-thrashing – all of which leaves the crowd, who are there for some poppish dancing, looking slightly confused. For the most part, singer Will Roan’s voice just isn’t strong enough, and is drowned out by a cacophony of sound.
They do their best to inspire, but the strobe lights and smoke machine only seem to emphasise the emptiness of the room. Amazing Baby need to work harder to put those comparisons behind them. (Nicola Paul)
REVIEW ROCK TERRY REID AND THE FORTUNATE SONS Winchester Club, Glasgow, 29 Aug ●●●●● Rock’n’roll folklore states that he turned down overtures from Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, but tonight blues maestro Terry Reid joins forces with Glasgow outfit the Fortunate Sons. It seems, however, less of an amalgamation of musical wits than might have been expected. The first half belongs to The Fortunate Sons, with upbeat cuts of rock’n’roll like ‘This Train’ and the newbie ‘Walk on Fire’ injecting life into the hips on the dancefloor. When Terry Reid ambles onto the stage, the crowd – suits and all – pack round him, gleefully lingering in his presence. Despite some amusing and endearing technical difficulties with the guitar – ‘I ain’t playing till you turn it up’ – he strums and croons with his new backing band for a few songs before stripping down to just his guitar and voice. It’s a potent combination, with the likes of ‘River’ showing why he’s fondly called Iron Lungs. The meandering blues numbers, however, veer dangerously towards self-indulgence and lack the vital urgency of The Fortunate Sons’ mini-set. But who really cares when this man and his voice are quite so legendary? (Chris Cope)
66 THE LIST 10–24 Sep 2009