Amplified

This Town Needs Guns

Hailing from Oxford, United Kingdom a brand new band has delighted me with a refreshing new sound. Good timing because I was getting a little bored with my current playlist and found I was skipping tracks more frequently. Signed to Big Scary Monsters, this four piece bring us unconventional, dizzying riffs and complex beats that when put together makes a stunning combination assisted by Stuart Smith's cherub like vocals that has to be heard before you make your own assumptions. If that doesn't impress you then just take a look at their impressive CD artwork. Looks like they hold the full package.

MP3 Download: Baboon

Myspace / Website

Tilly and the Wall at Richards on Richards, Vancouver 04 07 08

Tilly and the Wall

Sequined dresses, tap dancing and neon lights were the combination for Independence Day celebrations on Friday night at Richards on Richards. The Omaha five piece took to the stage with as much glitz and glamour as a half naked, burlesque dancer in a giant champagne glass and provided a rainbow of colour to shine upon the crowd. I wasn’t too familiar with Tilly and the Wall shows so was open minded and quite impressed to see a lack of drummer and Jamie providing beats through her Fred Astaire tap dancing skills.

Tattoo covered vocalist Kianna hit us with angsty chants during single ‘Pot Kettle Black’ in a monochrome dress and neon stripped tights while stomping in her delicate diamante mary-janes. Guitarist Derek shuffled and hopped around the stage during ‘Cacophony’ while Neely rung out the tambourines and maracas like a Latino lovely which made me feel like I was a cowgirl riding in the desert during a Mexican shootout.

The predominately male, tight t-shirted crowd proved to be firm Tilly followers as they sung along to every word and gyrated their hips at the foot of the stage. I shyly stood at the back trying to decide what to make of it all. Although, thoroughly enjoying it from the start, boredom gradually crept over me as every song began to sound the same as the last. After what felt like an incredibly long show, Tilly and the Wall bid us farewell to rapturous applause and thanked us for being the best crowd ever (don’t all bands say that?) I left unimpressed but continued to stomp my feet down Richards singing Pot Kettle Black. Clearly they are as infectious as their tap shoes.

Tilly and the Wall Myspace / Photos

MP3: Pot Kettle Black

Support came from The Clips Myspace / Photos

The Stanley Park Singing Exhibition

photo via Myspace

After much unpacking and settling in to my new apartment, I have finally found the time to update Amplify This in the new location of Vancouver. A beautiful city that I am happy to call my new home for a little while. Still trying to discover the hot spots in town and find out where the cool kids hang, I have been resorting to local magazines and free papers for all the news that I need to know.

The main event in Vancouver that jumped out at me and one that I am most excited about is The Stanley Park Singing Exhibition presented by The New Pornographers. Being held on the 31st August and 1st September at Malkin Bowl with the stunning backdrop of Stanley Park, this two day concert will see the likes of Neko Case, Destroyer, Deerhoof and The New Pornographers themselves take to the stage and provide a summer weekend to remember. Make sure you get tickets for both days because you will need to make your friends jealous when you return to school after summer.

Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster and you can find more info at Myspace

The Futureheads @ Electric Ballroom

Last week saw yet another intimate show in London town. With the release of third album 'This Is Not The World,' The Futureheads played a one-off show at Electric Ballroom to inform us they are well and truly back. Performing tracks from their new album while squeezing in the classics, they put on a rapturous show to bouncing fans who had tears of joy falling down their cheek. Clearly not content with simply providing the music, The Futurehead boys added to the show with comical banter between songs. Filling us in with storys of mates being dumped by girls and life in Sunderland, they seemed just as at ease being the comedien as they were being the musician. With recent difficulties put aside, The Futureheads proved they have returned and louder then ever.

The Futureheads Site / Myspace
More Live photos at Amplify This Flickr

Support came from Australian teenyboppers Operator Please who showed us where the party's at.


Also, new kids from Goatee Beach, Thomas Tantrum ripped up their indie/pop tunes to kick start our night

Amplified!

Gramercy Arms

I think I have just found the band to soundtrack my summer! With former members of Guided By Voices, Joan As Policewoman and Luna it was enevitable that this was going to be a fairly awesome band. With everything you need from hand-claps, bah-bah-bah chants and up-beat strums it's hard not to put the Gramercy Arms on repeat.

Gramercy Arms Website / Myspace

photo by Dr Gonzo

The Cherry Cobb Cartel

With influences from At The Drive-In to Edith Piaf, this foursome from Yorkshire offer a stomping blend of chugging beats and guitars that pretty much break the pitch of any ear. Maybe the fact they are playing BBC Raw Talent Session on the 27th July will persuade you to have a further listen.

MP3: Download 'Schziophrenic' from The CCC Myspace

With A Buzz In Our Ears

photo by Sigur Rós

Sigur Rós

With the big move to Vancouver in two weeks time, posts are a little scattered of late so bear with me and I will get to work on all the photos and gig reviews that are building up.

A quick mention of some news that I am excited about and want to share with you all is the new Sigur Rós album. The Icelandic quartet return with their fifth LP "með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust" (Try saying that after a few ciders) or the easier English translation being "with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly" on June 23rd.
Apparently it is also the first album in the band's career to be made outside of Iceland taking them to studios in New York, London and Havana. I doubt there will be any salsa influences seeping through, but I am highly certain there will be a continuation of epic, soaring strings and dreamy vocals on their latest addition. My heart flutters at the thought of it.

The album will be available to pre-order from June 2nd and a live stream of the album will be available on june 9th for those who have pre-ordered. Sigur Ros will also be playing a handful of festivals around UK and Europe in the summer so stay on the look out.

To keep your ears sane until then, you can download the first track of the new album from the website.

Sigur Rós MP3 : Gobbledigook

Sigur Rós: Website / Myspace

Black Cab Sessions

Death Cab For Cutie

When the guys from Death Cab For Cutie recently dropped by Camden Electric Ballroom, I was one of the lucky ones to witness an amazing show. Every person in the audience were captivated by Ben and the boys performance. They even seemed overwhelmed to be there while spoiling us with tracks from new album 'Narrow Stairs' and classics that made us all first fall in love with them.

Wasting no time on their brief London trip, Ben and Nick were kidnapped by the guys at Black Cab Sessions to perform 'No Sunlight' in the back of a....wait for it....Black Cab. I won't bother with the 'Cab' puns. Just check out the video and more Black Cab acts at Black Cab Sessions (my personal favourite is Spoon's Britt Daniel's performance of I Summon You - heavenly!)