The Final Five!

5. Young Rebel Set – Curse Our Love

Been wondering if the folk scene in the UK could go anywhere after Noah & The Whale and Mumford’s pop perfection? The answer, a resounding yes in the form of Stockton-On-Tees’ Young Rebel Set.

YRS are a band clearly not content with simple tales of romance or the lager fuelled indie dross we are all subjected to. Their debut is straightforward and direct, qualities which are dearly over looked in songwriting (Jarvis Cocker slammed the alternative scene’s lack of immediacy so TT must be right). They draw influence from instantly recognisable sources allowing the album to sound like something you have had for long time.

Won’t Get Up Again and Borders are a nod to Springsteen circa-River when he poignantly merged gritty stories with ballads. Borders in particular stands out as a songwriting concept. It reveals the story of a friend who is serving time for knocking someone out on holiday and how he is suffering from the incarceration. All standard stuff we hear you say, well, what takes this up a notch is singer/songwriter Matty Chipcase’s plea to his friends girlfriend to stick with him and not succumb to the social sniping she has endured:

“So have a little more faith / Darling you know there aint no shame or disgrace / Have a little more faith / Have little faith”

Less we forget that Borders is a bonafide anthem as well folks. This rivals Mumford’s Cave or Winter Winds rapturous melodies but has a lyrical depth of a Jimmy McGovern script which propels the band into another league!

Standing out like a lost 12inch classic from the early 80s is If I Was. Vocally Chipcase is sitting somewhere between Billy Bragg and Kevin Rowlands offering another side to the band which is hard not to take to your heart. If you were to merely read the lyrics you could fall into the trap of thinking this is a simple  love song in which Chipcase pledges his desires through promises. However, whether you have listened to this track once or a 100 times like a besotted teenager like us, you will realise Chipcase knows no other songwriting technique than from the heart. He is a man so desperate to rip his love from his insides and put into song. It is this very reason which makes If I Was (and Curse Our Love in general) so timeless and utterly brilliant.

We leave you with a quote from Matty himself which sums the album and band up better than we ever could:

‘Quitting the group he was in, Matty set about writing songs on his own, “doing a Johnny Cash” with an acoustic guitar and putting into words the things that normally go unsaid – the heartbreak, love, dreams and fears that follow all of us through our lives – and turning them into songs that can outlive a generation. “If you don’t write a song from the heart how are you ever going to touch anyone else’s heart?” He says matter-of-factly. ‘

(quote taken from http://www.youngrebelset.co.uk/the-band/)

4. Mr Bligh – Is this England?

Without doubt the reggae album of the year and lyrically the only thing too come close to summing up the times we live in.

Anyone who knows anything about Mr Bligh will recognise some of these tunes from his former band days with the Darling Reds. However, following a move to Bristol and then back to his native London these tracks are fresher than ever before.

Bligh kicks things off with something he has always had in his locker, an infectious riff. Lit Wayside's guitars transport you from his indie past to his reggae present via a more up tempo Police In Helicopter. FU2 demonstrates a love of Prince Far I with its slower refrain and biting lyrical content whilst Little Friend is a rockier interpretation of one Bligh's heroes Matisyahu.

Is This England? encapsulates the mood of England more than any other realises in 2011 by some distance. The disdain of greed and the lost youth of urban Britain have been dominating news stations all year from largely conservative perspectives. Bligh cuts through the diatribe with sharp insights and abstains from clichés proving him to be a real force on the British Music Scene.

3. Frank Turner – England Keep My Bones

Turner's solo career has always been an enigma. Debut “Sleep Is For The Weak” was littered with songs any outsider could cling to, yet resulted in no real success. The single “Photosynthesis” from the follow up “Love Song & Ire” is a call to arms that should have indie discos jumping through the ceilings every Saturday night… Alas, BBC6, XFM and late night Radio One didn’t really pick up on Frank's genius until his 3rd album and only now is he a mainstay of their playlists.

Lead of single 'Peggy Sang The Blues' from EKMB is by no means his best work but the daytime Plays on XFM will win Frank a new set of fans. Why? Well, for starters, it’s a song about his Nan and how if he beat her at cards she would give him whiskey to put him off his stride. More importantly, it displays everything that is great about him. When Turner steps up to the mic he sounds like he is laying down his life. The ever-increasing passion in this crescendo chasing tune should have anyone saying, post-dubstep, “its time I re-evaluated my life”.

As with every Turner album, there is always one song which is head and shoulders above the rest. “I Still Believe” is that song here. It’s a simple rock-n-roll song about, well, rock-n-roll. If you’re in band and not striving to make songs like this, then you should do us all a favour and admit you’re boring and go play golf instead.

The final track “Glory Hallejuah” is an ingot of comedy gold. The jovial chorus 'There Is No God' is expertly delivered and doesn’t fail to raise a wry smile every time. As always with Turner there’s often more to his songs than first meet the eye. This is not just an atheist’s bash at religion, it is desperate plee for mankind to embrace life as it comes. By some miracle, he has managed to cram Orwell's early novel 'Clergyman's Daughter' into 4minutes 35secs of folky rock-n-roll and remind everyone that life is short, so live it now!

“Redemption” sees Turner in a brutally introspective mood as he examines the nature of his song-writing ability. This is without doubt the bravest thing he has ever written. Musically it’s not pushing boundaries for him, but to dig into the colon of your soul like this, can only be admired.

Those who are new to Turner will be hooked for life after this helping. It is the ultimate ‘way in’ for anyone wondering 'who is frank tuner' (with Wembley Arena sold out, that’s probably a lot). Catchy folk tales, rock-n-roll belters and poignant lyrics, this album has it all for anyone steeped in a sense of English pride.

Tom Williams & The Boat – Too Slow

So, we've just had Frank Turner's pretty euphoric folk album at number 3, meaning more of the same for number 2? Not on your life. Welcome to the moody world of Tom Williams & The Boat.

Williams, a self-confessed Radiohead fanatic, adopts similar song-writing traits with his character-based songs, presenting to his listeners: society's outcasts, and social commentary from a twisted point of view. To get in the mood for this dose of genius, listen to Radiohead's “No Surprises” and “Optimist” and you will begin the journey down to Williams' underworld.

Rather than kick things of with a staple live 3-chord effort as so many do these days, Williams launches off with the brilliant character-based “24”. The opening line “It's just I can't imagine / A woman being true / They say I find it so insulting / Something’s wrong with you” is the lyrical equivalent of a Tarantino movie, beginning at the end point for the character. Before he descends into this bitter attitude, we see the amusing attempt at ambiguity when applying to an online dating website: “I used to have short back and sides / But now I have long hair with a fringe like everybody else”. Williams' character rejects the social contact a date might bring and favours his N64 instead. This begins the journey to the bitter hate we have already witnessed in the opening line.

The next track “Concrete” follows the same character, focusing on his defiant stand to become a social recluse. His lifeline to socialising emerges from his small-town-mentality father who “is this town through and through / Old school 50 something boring racist / And he's mates are too”. Via his dad's lack of mental ambition, we can see the chinks of light in our flawed anti-hero who is something akin to “This Is England”'s Shaun and “Submarine”'s Lloyd Tate.

“Wouldn't Women Be Sweet” deals with yet more enmity towards past girlfriends but here we have a sublime sense of humour Morrissey would be proud of. Sorry? What’s that? You think no one is funnier lyrically than Morrissey? Well I present you with Exhibit A: “Wouldn't women be sweet / If they could die a broken heart”. And Exhibit B: “I met you in bar in 2003 / We started going out immediately / I thought it would be fun / I thought it would be easy / didnt realise you were a maniac”.

To conclude, amid the emotional mess of the album are melodies so uplifting the lyrics pale into insignificance. Having seen the band live a number of times, TT can confirm audiences do exactly this. This sprightly little number will have you bopping and jigging along to your heart’s content, make no mistakes about it.

1.   The Crookes – Chasing After Ghosts

Well, well, well… we are finally there. The number one album of 2011 goes to The Crookes' “Chasing After Ghosts”. The young lads from Sheffield have delivered a master-class in pop music with their follow up to 2010's EP “Dreams Of Another Day”.

Often new bands come out of the traps with raw polemical albums like The Libertines 'Up The Bracket' and Arctic Monkeys 'Whatever People Say I Am...'. However, 'Chasing After Ghosts' is a debut of maturity and pop classicism way beyond its years and more akin to the expressive nature of The Cure's 'The Head On The Door' or The Smiths' 'Queen Is Dead'.

The Smiths in particular are key to The Crookes' sound. The opening four tracks are all tinged with Johnny Marr guitar-parts and Morrissey's lyrical delivery. “Godless Girl” launches the album into a catchy realm it rarely leaves via a punkier Billy Fury vibe. “Chorus Of Fools” combines everything that has been great about Sheffield music in recent years. It has the melodic 50s guitars of Richard Hawley and poignant observations of love and friendship Alex Turner can only reminisce about these days.

Standing out like Danny Dyer in a period drama is “Bloodshot Days”. So long as there is life in TT, we will long for songs like this to be Number 1. It is dark in its content, describing a girl who takes to the street at night, but the pop sensibilities of this song are so captivating you will be hard pressed not to rip your diaphragm in two whilst wailing this into a full-length mirror.

“Chasing After Ghosts” has absolutely everything. It has those anthems which leaves teenage boys obsessing over every lyric, guitar part and fashion choice the band make until their first girlfriend tells them otherwise. Meanwhile, the slower paced tracks 'Youth' and 'Laundry Murder' will be on constant repeat for those who are beset by unrequited love.

Comets, Soup & Cats!

8. Little Comets


'In Search Of Elusive Little Comets' is the indie-pop album of the year without question. With the Mystery Jets taking a break for the year, the Geordie lads have filled the void perfectly. However, whilst the Mystery Jets concern themselves with stories of lost love, Little Comets have immersed themselves in the long line of great English bands by painting pictures of the glib, their nights out and the anti-heroes.

The album kicks off with the barnstorming 'Adultery' and the joyous Geordie romp 'Joanna'. Both tracks are sprightly in-your-face pop tunes with dark underlying themes. Is there anything better than when British bands combine melody with social comment?

Another great thing about Little Comets' debut is the undeniable grooves coursing through its veins. Their relentless guitar hooks will be filling indie dance floors the length and breadth of the UK for a long time to come on this showing. For too long now record labels (majors, it must be added) are signing any heartthrob in a leather jacket to be the ‘next big thing’. Here's hoping the North East lads are elevated to the level of a Pulp or Smiths in 2012.

Little Comets - Joanna by Mud Hut Digital

7. Baxter Dury – Happy Soup

 

Lyrically, this album is littered with promiscuous gems his old man would be proud of. Lead track ‘Isabel’ dives straight into this world proclaiming “I think my mate slept with you when you were in Portugal”. Combine this with a mature-sounding Jamie T guitar lick and it’s winner-winner-chicken-dinner time, folks.

'Trellic' is probably the most Blockheads-esque of all tracks on the album but the accompaniment of Madeline Hart on vocals gives the song its own sumptuous identity.

You would be forgiven for thinking that Graham Coxon co-wrote this album with Dury. It has all the hallmarks of his early Blur guitar parts; catchy enough to pull it into mainstream consciousness but quirky enough to know you’re not being sold a Menswear.

Without question, the stand-out track is ‘Claire’. It has a tender fragile feel which gives the listener the impression that Dury is making a desperate plea to someone he cares for deeply. It is one of those great songs which seem like just a catchy pop tune but scratch a bit deeper and you will find something to cling to for a life time.

Baxter Dury - Claire by pimscat

6. Cats Eyes – Cats Eyes

When Rachel Zeffira, a classically-trained soprano, announced she was teaming up with Southend-On-Sea’s finest export, Faris Badwan (The Horrors frontman), our eyebrows were raised higher than the Rock on his Wrestlemania return last year.

Normally TT would research how the encounter happened: where, when and why? However, so remarkable is this album… nothing has been googled. We encourage you to do the same and let your imagination run wild…

We like to think they met at a Wurlitzer and awkwardly went to put their quid in the machine at the same time. We assume Badwan, being the gentleman, allowed Rachel to go first. At his lofty 6ftplus height, he stood and watched with intent as she made her first selection: The Crystals’ “Da Do Ron Ron”. He shrieks “No fucking way!? I was going to put that on”. They then have a unifying night by the jukebox talking Phil Spector and Martin Scorsese, swap numbers and meet the following week to make this rather good album…

60s girl bands are at the core of this album's soul and nowhere more so than on the opener “Cats Eyes” which pays homage to The Shangri-Las classic “Walking In The Sand”. Quite how the psych-punk rocker Badwan came to such beauty astounds TT. Then tearing up the Phil Spector rule book is “Face In The Crowd”. The drumbeat gives it the feel of the Shirelles but Badwan’s gothic nature looms large, spiralling the track deep down into a dark place. Zeffira’s subtle vocals heighten this effect and thus makes Badwan’s character a dejected man protesting his faith in his infidelity until it hurts.

Just as you think you have the unlikely duo pinned for a Phil Spector tribute act, you’re hit with “I'm Not Stupid”. If there was a tune released in 2011 containing more heartache and crushing self-deprecation then we don’t want to hear it, as this is brutal. The lyrics 'I know I’m not the prettiest girl / I'm realistic / I know I know / I'm not stupid' makes us want to comfort Zeffira with endless clichés from Hollywood rom-coms.

What a truly remarkable album this is. Whilst many punch more in weight where tunes are concerned this is two people coming together with a real passion for something they love. They have not let it be some nostalgic trip, they beat and bullied 60s girl group music in to the 21^st century. TT imagines Ronson will be locked in his bedroom for a year when he comes across this record.

Skint Fairies!

It's review time folks. Over the next few weeks we will be bringing you our Top 10 of the year. We would have finalised it earlier but Gruff Rhys had to be a douchebag and release an absolute gem 2weeks before the end of the year. Honestly!

10. Skint & Demoralised – This Sporting Life

The comeback of the year by far.

In 2008, Skint & Demoralised appeared to be going from strength to strength when Mercury came along and snapped them up. Alas, Mercury lost its bottle shortly after and ripped the rug out from underneath their feet. Rather than allow the bitterness to set in, Matt Abbott dusted himself down and set about delivering a glorious slice of Northern observational poetry and pop music.

Musically TSL is not a million miles away from the debut Love and Other Catastrophes. The Johnny Marr-esque guitars are in full force, especially on Did It All Go To Plan… TT predicts a John Lewis advert beckons for this one.

Abbott still has a great knack for featuring characters in songs and on Maria, Full Of Grace, this is done with harrowing splendour. The tale of Maria is one of a friend who has lost confidence and faith in herself but is oddly ensnared in a spritely Smiths framework which will have you tapping along and then feeling guilty afterwards, no doubt.

The Lonely Hearts Of England is easily one of the singles of the year: A raucous Pogues-meets–the-Crookes effort in which Abbot professes his defiance to anyone and everyone who feels differently to him.

Welcome back chaps!

9. Sugarplum Fairies – The Images We Get

The L.A. based Viennese duo are relatively unknown in the UK but with this slice of Dream Pop, so eloquent and beautiful, it won't be long before they are essential to indie collectors everywhere.

Opening track ‘Waves’ sets the tone for this dreamy gem. It hazily meanders its way from start to finish, giving a nod to The Pastels circa 'Truckload of Trouble' and a wink to The Boo Radleys on 'I Wish I Was Skinny'.

With the help of producer Todd Burke (Belle & Sebastian and Ben Harper) SF manage to capture their love of the Velvet Underground perfectly on the wistful ‘Plastic Sky’ and ‘Heart Hell’. The latter takes Lou Reed's introspective genius and splices it with the heartache of Ian Curtis. Anyone who can listen to this song and not stare off into the distance contemplating past failures would probably score alarmingly high on an 'Am I a Serial Killer' test.

In amongst the escapist heartbreak they do so well, is the stand out track ‘Jump the Game’ which has the same sinister, haunting quality of Johnny Cash's ‘I Hung My Head’.

In an era of record labels flogging bravado in leather jackets by the bucket load, SF brilliantly manage to threaten to launch into such a mode but always hold off. In doing this, they expose you to the twisted nature of their song-writing which leaves you feeling a little wired yet exhilarated simultaneously.

The ‘Images We Get’ is one of those rare albums which will always fit your mood: it will blow away the fog on a hangover, reduce you to tears when heartbroken, and always leave you dreaming of those great drunk days of your youth which are painfully hard to recapture.

Pulled Apart By Horses - V.E.N.O.M

As the festive period approaches nostalgia will take control of the airwaves and the live circuit. For those of you still hoping for the new, you shall wait no longer. Amidst the album tours and longing to hear MacColl and McGowan be prepared to feel invigorated by V.E.N.O.M the new single from the Leeds quartet.

V.E.N.O.M is a firecracker of tune. It explodes out of the traps with raw yet catchy riffs reminiscent of Hundred Reasons on 'If I Could' and 'Silver'. In amongst the guitar frenzy lies a hook worthy of The Rapture that will have indie/rock clubs sweating through their latest Topman purchase and spilling cheap vodka to their hearts content.

So with the amusing demise of EMI Traveller's Tunes urges you to get behind one of independents finest Transgressive, and back this bona fide rock belter and make V.E.N.O.M the launch pad for the Yorkshire lads.

Spectrals - Bad Penny

There have been a lot of bands springing up this up year with surf-rock tinged guitars, and whilst many are fun, few are as intimate as Spectrals on their new album, Bad Penny. The fact they hail from West Yorkshire gives the album a real sense of day dreaming, evoking a longed for escape which, in today’s political climate, is always welcome.

Spectrals’ withdrawn approach to the hazy beach sound often lends itself to comparisons with the San Francisco band Girls’ 2009 debut ‘Album’ (no, really, it’s called Album) as they plod gloriously through their sunshine grooves. However, scratch the surface and all is not as happy as it may first appear as the entire album centers around Louis Jones’ ex and how she consumes his every thought and action. Behind every whimsical riff lies a lyric of confusion and unrequited love.

Standing head and shoulders above all is the track Big Baby. This is an out and out Phi Spector masterpiece. Sometimes an act comes along and mentions influences which leave you thinking “you don’t get it at all”. Well, not here. The spirit of the Shirelles and Ronettes will have a long and prosperous future due to the Spectrals’ flare to combine 60s girl groups with indie pop.

Lockjaw and Many Happy Returns show their Yorkshire heritage with a nod to Richard Hawley’s recent work on Coles Corner and Lady’s Bridge. TT believes that the Yorkshire connection is crucial to why Spectrals are great. They are the link between the Arctic Monkeys to the surf rock trends of today that many have been looking for.

Yes, escapist beach anthems are great but history has proven that British folk love their pop music with grit and heartache like the Monkeys served up on their debut. That is exactly what the Spectrals deliver.

 

Spectrals - Big Baby by Spectrals

Spectrals - Get A Grip by Spectrals

To Kill A King - My Crooked Saint

Communion Records continue to discover acts reinventing the folk wheel and To Kill A King are the perfect example. Championed by Laura Marling, the queen of folk herself, TKAK release the highly emotive EP, My Crooked Saint, on the 17th October.

On the opener Bloody Shirt, TKAK have taken The Cure at their downbeat best on Lullaby and twisted them with the bittersweet melodies of John Martyn. This approach feels so fresh it is going to make the big industrial noise of Editors and White Lies a thing of the past. 

If Bloody Shirt feels like a smooth gear-shift away from the big indie bands around, then We Used To Protest/Gamble is like getting a mushroom on Mariokart away from them. Ever wondered what it is about the Chapel Club that’s missing? Well, it’s this. Chapel Club are a good band - make no mistake, but To Kill A King don’t need a rabble-rousing chorus to convey their love and hurt. Straight from the off, they are tugging on the heartstrings and then subsequently building on the nagging feeling they place in your hearts.

Family is TKAK's epic number which builds and builds until a crescendo of beauty at the end. On the surface, this track is most likely to be the newcomer’s way in due to its great simplicity, but the lyrics are on a whole other level. The words on this track will have fans shouting "Yes! Yes! This is how it is for me!" as they convey the underlying (and rarely spoken) love/hate relationships people have with their families. The music press will never recognise this as a social commentary of the same ilk as Cigarettes & Alcohol or London Calling but Travellers Tunes is sure this will resonate with most people.

In an interview recently, Paddy Considine said he would definitely direct a film with Shane Meadows within the next 10 years. TT hopes they listen to My Crooked Saint when they do so. The amount of warmth and pain conjured up on this EP is enough for the gritmasters of film to sink their teeth into and create something equally as pure and compelling.



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Sissy & The Blisters @ Tooting Tram and Social

XFM’s John Kennedy hosts the free gig tonight and is clearly beaming from ear to ear in anticipation of Sissy & The Blisters headliner slot. It takes no time at all to see why as they rattle through their set, often sounding like an aggressive stripped-back Interpol with the pop sensibilities of Dennis The Fox’s ‘Piledriver’.

It is hard not to be immediately drawn to singer James Geard as he bounds back and forth from the organ to the microphone. His deep vocals suit the organ leg garage rock anthems perfectly, and none more so than on the new single Let Her Go. This is a joyously raucous number with fragile lyrics about not being able to move on, evoking memories of Doors' Love You Two Times but fuelled by the urgency of The Buzzcocks.

In a venue where there are far too many sofas on display, the crowd find space to dance like there is no tomorrow to previous single We Are The Others. Geard is clearly buoyed by this and opts to throw himself into the front of the crowd for a little dance of his own. Many new bands have singers with dreams of stage-diving and being the iconic wildman but very few are authentic. Geard thankfully falls into the latter category with his ‘kid on cherryade’ enthusiasm.

In an era where synth bands are ruling the indie airwaves, people are about to get one hell of a guitar and organ-based kick in the plums. This band ooze sex and danger, yet have the great quality of being humble as they chat away at the bar afterwards. With radio play from Zane Lowe, Huw Stephens, Lemacq and XFM already under their belt, it truly seems only a matter of time before the world knows about Sissy & The Blisters.