PINS Live At The Electric Ballroom

Manchester’s PINS were the first of two support acts for Drenge last night at Camden’s Electric Ballroom. Unfortunately for Drenge and Big Deal, they were too good to be followed.

Their opening song, ‘Lost Lost Lost’, set the tone by decreeing ‘I feel alright / I feel so young / There’s nothing else / I want to become’. Youth and outsider culture doesn’t make the headlines much these days but, with PINS delivering polemic of this quality, it won’t be long before a Daily Mail journalist implodes with fear.

The current single ‘Young Girls’ has a hint of The Clash about it but they make it seem far more effortless. Teenage girls are going to want to be this band and frankly, when the teenage boys stop drooling so will they.

Immediately following was ‘Oh Lord’, another new song and the standout of the set. The guitar riff treads a similar path to Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’, whilst the aggressive harmonies and subsequent swirling guitars create a wall of noise to rival The Horrors circa ‘Primary Colours’.

TT hasn’t seen a band which looks and plays with this much style and skill simultaneously like this for some time. Drummer Sophie Galpin can clearly hammer the skins as well as anyone but she has moments of show stealing flair which are a joy to behold. Meanwhile, when singer Faith Holgate puts down her guitar for ‘LUVU4LYF’ and ‘Girls Like Us’, she transforms into a mesmeric force of nature.

There have been comparisons have been made to Vivian Girls, Best Coast and the Dum Dum Girls in the past but, as PINS approach the release of their second album make no mistakes, there is only one PINS and they are about to blow the competition away.

The Go! Team - The Scene Between

For fans of The Go! Team, it has been a painful four years waiting for their new album ‘The Scene Between’. This album, the 4^th in The Go! Team’s history, like their debut ‘Thunder, Lightning, Strike’ was written, recorded and produced by founder member Ian Parton.

In the past they were renowned for great sampling, resounding horns and genre defying indie-dance music. This offing however, mainly features 60’s girl group numbers and bubble-gum pop with only minimal nods to their previous work.

Previous albums gave MC Ninja a platform to be the star she was born to be. On ‘The Scene Between’ though, Parton, seemingly wanted more innocence in vocal delivery and went to ‘Daniel Day Lewis levels of ‘method’ to get this by drafting complete unknowns.

Had ‘Blowtorch’ used the biting rasp of MC Ninja, then, it would be just another Go! Team standard but the vocal of Doreen Kirchner lends it cuteness worthy of Rilo Kiley or Camera Obscura.

Meanwhile, ‘Catch Me On The Rebound’ has Annabelle Cazes on singing duty. She brilliantly combines the classic style of The Chiffons with the ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ attitude of Louise Wener which allows Parton’s sugary production to flourish.

Former single and standout track ‘Scene Between’, sparkles on an already glistening album of pop music like the greatest memory you ever had. Farris Badwan and Rachel Zeffira’s pet project Cat’s Eyes will look on in envy at this!

It’s astonishing to think its eleven years since their debut album hit the shelves. That, along with the follow up ‘Proof Of Youth’ were genre busting expressions of car chases and playground hip hop. ‘The Scene Between’ witnesses head honcho Parton taking a step back into the world of conformity but do not mistake this as a step backwards. Its an album awash with great pop songs which beg to be adored.

Moon Duo - Shadow Of The Sun

Wooden Shjips’ guitarist Ripley Johnson, returned to his Moon Duo side project with long term cohort Sanae Yamada in March to release Moon Duo's 3^rd album ‘Shadow Of The Sun’. Here's what we made of it. 

  
Their previous album, ‘Circles’, was a master class in fuzzy guitars and compelling krautrock and on 'Shadow Of The Sun', not much has changed. What is new though, are the array of guitar solos which effortlessly bleed into this set of tracks. 

Despite the other-worldliness of the album, large chunks have a formula of krautrock hooks as a base before Johnson sprinkles his guitar magic over everything.  

The opening tracks ‘Wilding’ and ’Night Beat’ are fine exponents of this. Yannae’s organ playing on ‘Wilding’ is hypnotic and has a Thee Oh Sees style aggression. There are parallels with the Doors’ ‘LA Woman’ here, that is, until Johnson’s guitar solos come sauntering in to blow you away. Unlike Johnson’s previous efforts, these solos are far terser and bring Modern Loves at their best to mind. 
  
‘Night Beat’ should be viewed less as a song and more a test of humanity. If your feet or fingers are not tapping to this then your soul has long since departed sadly. This is arguably the best groove they have created with the Horrors-esque keys and the bugged out production. Once more, Johnson comes in mid-way with sun drenched guitars but, this time, they lean towards the escapist ilk of Noel Gallagher rather than his psyche standard.

   

However, this formula doesn't always serve them well. ‘Zero’, despite having a great Horrors like hook, this track ventures towards Sonic Youth but doesn't ever dish up their ferocity.

‘In A Cloud’ however, is a gear change that excels. Far slower than the anything else on the album, it meanders along without a care in the world. The rich guitars and dual vocals deliver a dreamlike state that’s so vivid, when it finishes, you will question whether it just happened. 

The final two tracks also change the pace of the album. ‘Animal’, by a distance is the albums’ most immediate.  On this occasion they channel The Horrors and Sonic Youth to perfection with desolate keys and a destructive baseline.

Bonus track ‘Cross The Way’ combines a great keyboard loop with the higher tempo and for the first time on the album, witnesses Johnson interject he’s guitar wizardry and maintain the new found momentum.

For the most part, ‘Shadow Of The Sun’ is business as usual for Moon Duo. Yet, when the pace is bolstered on the final two tracks, the album is opened up to new dimensions, dimensions which, TT hopes they continue to explore.

Ripley and Sanae are currently on tour and are not to be missed. Check the dates here: 

http://moonduo.org/shows 

Palma Violets Live At Chinnerys

TT has seen hundreds of bands since its inception, many, who, on record have created far grander tracks. However, we would give that all up for a band like Palma Violets because they are a band which hopes and dreams can be pinned to and in Southend last night, that’s exactly what a packed Chinnerys did.

It’s easy to see why the NME fervently champion this band. Every note is played with reckless abandon and each lyric is sung in an attempt to change the world. Whilst Chilli and Fryer bare a striking resemblance to the Libertines on stage, this is no tribute act. In the bloody carved words of Richey Edwards, Palma Violets are ‘4 Real’.

They are tighter than ever on stage which is reflected in the audiences impassioned and frenzied responses to every song. This is clearly a gig for which the younger members will cling affectionately to forever.

New single ‘English Tongue’ is treated like an old favourite and the old favourites, such as ‘Best Of Friends’, ‘Step Up For The Cool Cats’ and ‘Johnny Bagga Donuts’ are promoted to the status of classics.

Many music magazines and websites will say they lack originality or diversity. Tell them to fuck off. Nothing is purer than when rock n roll and punk music combine with this much passion. There are 40 dates left on their current tour, get to one, you will not regret it.