Music PREVIEWS
ELECTRONIC FOLK KING CREOSOTE & JON HOPKINS Grand Ole Opry, Glasgow, Wed 7 Sep
The List must confess it has to stop taking cues from the John Motson school of football interviewing. ‘So, Kenny Anderson (pictured, right), aka King Creosote, Fence Records founder and self-made recording artist who’s been working away in relative obscurity for many years now, how does it feel to see your new album with Jon Hopkins, Diamond Mine, nominated for a Mercury Prize?’ ‘Quite amazing.’ Well duhh, The List. We’re never watching Match of the Day again. Far better to ask, what’s changed? ‘More press,’ he says,
having just finished rehearsals for a tour with Scots supergroup The Burns Unit. ‘It’s like releasing the album again, except you’ve already spoken to the usual suspects and now a whole new bunch of papers and radio stations want to talk to you. I don’t know why it’s happened now, though. A lot of people I speak to say “about time”, and I can only take that to mean Jon and I are both at the stage where it’s become harder to ignore us. Not that it was inevitable, I don’t want to sound like a total big-heid, but some people tell me they think KC Rules OK should have been nominated and others say Bombshell. It just so happens that this record has planted a big flag on Planet KC and we’re huddling around it.’
The success of the gorgeous Diamond Mine also means future plans have been put on hold, so in the notoriously prolific Anderson’s case that means an already completed and delivered album might sit on the shelf for a year. Hopkins is also keen to get on with his next solo record, although the fact the pair are contracted to Domino for another collaborative album might also get in the way. ‘We really just want this album to do as well as possible,’ says Anderson, ‘and something like this happening is a chance to cast the net as wide as we can, so we have to take it.’ (David Pollock)
ALT ROCK PJ HARVEY Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sun 4 Sep NEW FESTIVAL OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AND ESOTERIC MUSIC IS THE MUSIC LANGUAGE SWG3, Glasgow, Sat 3 & Sun 4 Sep
Since releasing her caustic debut, Dry, in 1992, PJ Harvey has been hailed as a powerfully emotive and dazzlingly uncompromising artist, equally capable of shaking your bones and getting stuck in your head. As ambitious as she is forward-thinking, Harvey has surfed two decades of musical waves amid polarised invasions of sickening pop music and regurgitated alt-rock, constantly shape-shifting and challenging herself in new and exciting ways to produce a slew of classic material from 1993’s Rip It Up to 2001 Mercury prizewinner, Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea.
Eighth album, Let England Shake, was released in February to near universal acclaim and continues the hard-working and ambitious traditions of her songwriting. Though not a concept album in a linear, narrative sense, it focuses on the myriad aspects and emotions of war and conflict and is the result of nearly three years of tireless research and development. Much less abrasive that some of her previous material, Let England Shake puts its focus on powerful imagery without skimping on affecting hooks and rich, spacious instrumentation. And if critical back-slapping wasn’t enough, the album has also won yet another Mercury Prize nomination, ranking her alongside Radiohead as most-nominated artist. Long live Polly Jean. (Ryan Drever) ■ See pjharvey.net for more info.
Music Is The Music Language, a two-day festival organised by DIY promoters Cry Parrot and Tracer Trails, is testament to the vibrancy of Scotland’s underground music scene.
‘Underground music is strongest and most exciting where and when the values
of diversity, cooperation, inclusiveness, generosity and fun are most vigorously defended,’ declare promoters Fielding Hope and Emily Roff. This is a party that plays host to indie, noise, folk, electronic and experimental music from Glasgow and beyond. From the archaic balladry of Alasdair Roberts to the Afro-noise of Cut Hands, via the eclectic post-punk of Muscles of Joy and Tattie Toes, and the avant-songsmithery of Richard Youngs (pictured, above), the festival offers real variety.
‘It’s the fact that these so-called genres are constantly cross-pollinating in Glasgow that allows amazing stuff to happen here. So, hopefully the festival celebrates that and encourages it too,’ say Hope and Roff.
Most of the action takes place at warehouse space SWG3, with stage times staggered so there are no clashes. There are also off-site events, including a stage curated by Edinburgh’s Braw Gigs, and an al fresco generator gig from Glasgow label Winning Sperm Party. As Roff and Hope testify, ‘having a good time is top priority.’ (Stewart Smith)
110 THE LIST 25 Aug–22 Sep 2011