Mogwai - Special Moves



'Special Moves', the first official live release by instrumental or dare we say it post-rock band Mogwai is also twinned with 'Burning', a live DVD, both of which were recorded during a three night residency at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg in 2009.

'Special Moves' starts off with the gloriously beautiful "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead", the lead track from 2008's 'The Hawk Is Howling', lushously moving with a bright piano underpinning overwhelming guitar distortion as the bass thunders along with the steady drum beat until the track completely sonically explodes. You start to get a feel for the live environment that Mogwai are playing in by track three, "Hunted By A Freak", a slow burning track from their stand-out album 'Mr Beast', that is heavily applauded by the fans there. "Mogwai Fear Satan" is perhaps the most spine chilling song to be found here, strangely as it is one of their older materials, it just showcases both just how long Mogwai have been together and also how emotively inspiring they can be. Starting with droning feedback it gradually builds up before exploding into a complete frenzy, with the drumming a real stand point. The best bit however, comes mid-way through the track, just when you think everything is coming to an end as everything cuts away and the delay of the guitar slowly careers off to a path that nears silence, it suddenly re-explodes, shocking the listener back into life with this complete ear destroying beauty. "Glasgow Megasnake" is perhaps the best way that any instrumental gig can be finished. After the meandering beauty of other tracks, it sees Mogwai at their most aggressive, firing into guitar riff after guitar riff, rarely slowing the pace and really showing their versatility.

The DVD 'Burning' is the perfect equivalent to the CD, containing many of the tracks found on the CD and more so, the highlight being the stand-out track from 'The Hawk Is Howling', "Batcat" which really does contain one of the most memorable guitar riffs from the last few years. Different from usual DVD accompaniments, it feels more movie like than usual music DVDs and is definitely worth looking at from a fan perspective.

For fans of Mogwai, big fans, this release will be a huge relief as we all have to wait a long time to get our Mogwai fills and this will at least tide us over for a portion of time. That is all this release is though, it will not win them any new fans despite how brilliant it sounds.

4 / 5

Mogwai Official Website

Mogwai - Special Moves



'Special Moves' the first official live release by instrumental or dare we say it post-rock band Mogwai is also twinned with 'Burning', a live DVD, both of which were recorded during a three night residency at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg in 2009.

'Special Moves' starts off with the gloriously beautiful "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead", the lead track from 2008's 'The Hawk Is Howling', lushously moving with a bright piano underpinning overwhelming guitar distortion as the bass thunders along with the steady drum beat until the track completely sonically explodes. You start to get a feel for the live environment that Mogwai are playing in by track three, "Hunted By A Freak", a slow burning track from their stand-out album 'Mr Beast', that is heavily applauded by the fans there. "Mogwai Fear Satan" is perhaps the most spine chilling song to be found here, strangely as it is one of their older materials, it just showcases both just how long Mogwai have been together and also how emotively inspiring they can be. Starting with droning feedback it gradually builds up before exploding into a complete frenzy, with the drumming a real stand point. The best bit however, comes mid-way through the track, just when you think everything is coming to an end as everything cuts away and the delay of the guitar slowly careers off to a path that nears silence, it suddenly re-explodes, shocking the listener back into life with this complete ear destroying beauty. "Glasgow Megasnake" is perhaps the best way that any instrumental gig can be finished. After the meandering beauty of other tracks, it sees Mogwai at their most aggressive, firing into guitar riff after guitar riff, rarely slowing the pace and really showing their versatility.

The DVD 'Burning' is the perfect equivalent to the CD, containing many of the tracks found on the CD and more so, the highlight being the stand-out track from 'The Hawk Is Howling', "Batcat" which really does contain one of the most memorable guitar riffs from the last few years. Different from usual DVD accompaniments, it feels more movie like than usual music DVDs and is definitely worth looking at from a fan perspective.

For fans of Mogwai, big fans, this release will be a huge relief as we all have to wait a long time to get our Mogwai fills and this will at least tide us over for a portion of time. That is all this release is though, it will not win them any new fans despite how brilliant it sounds.

4 / 5

Mogwai Official Website

Stornoway - Beachcombers Windowsill


An indie pop band from Oxford, no way, you have to be kidding, one of these is like a needle in a haystack right? Well, no, not really. After the independent success of Youthmovies, the more mainstream success of Foals and the global success of Radiohead, it would be daft to suggest anything other than Stowaway are a band that need to be watched from the outset.

This, their debut album, "Beachcomers Windowsill", is filled to the brim with melodic hooks that are not only poppy but folky and in places almost sea shanty-esque. The first single and first track on the album "Zorbing" is an upbeat affair with melodies that sit somewhere between The Coral, early Noah And The Whale and perhaps even Bombay Bicycle Club, with a simple melody underpinned by a beautiful use of vocal contrast, the lead vocals being carried by deep and warming backing vocals as the guitars and the further use of instruments such as trumpets get you tapping your feet and bouncing around, you just can't help yourself. "I Saw You Blink" their latest single to be released from this album continues with the positive lyrical themes of the record, with Briggs claiming that he missed his train because he was daydreaming about a girl that might just be the one. Lyrically, it often feels honest but tongue-in-cheek while musically, the style oozes a feel good summer of pop, something that we could expect from certain Beach Boys releases. It isn't all happiness though, "Boats And Trains" is the typical band commentary on the failure of long distance relationships and for once, it is actually nice to have diversity lyrically from an album. The album is at its best on the last track mind, "Long Distance Lullaby" starting with a bell chiming before Briggs recalls a story of being drunk and calling up his lover just to say that he misses them, while behind, the drums cut a steady shadow behind a bright and glossy guitar melody.

"Beachcomers Windowsill" is going to be my album of the year, it's only late June and I have already decided that nothing that arrives on my lap for the rest of the year will even remotely touch how great this album is, and just think, it's only their debut, so they can surely only get better?

5/5

Stornoway Myspace

Pete Roe - The Merry-Go-Round


How someone like Pete Roe can tour with the successful likes of Laura Marling, accompioning her as part of her live band aswell as being mentioned in the same breath as Mumford & Sons, and still, somehow find an ounce of time to write their own material is completely beyond me, but he has managed it with this, his second EP to date, "The Merry-Go-Round".

Firstly, of merit, is the artwork. Most are happy to settle for a square CD and a quickly made paper sleeve but not Roe, not at all. The CD case is so intricately designed, with such detail put in to its artwork, that the case alone would be a selling point for this EP. That aside, lets start talking about music, after all, that is what we all want to know about and I'm sure you all have the same thoughts as me. Roe has the tough task, having been name dropped aside his counter parts, of living up to the great expectations that fans of those artists have come to feel they deserve. Let me make it clear from the start, this isn't Mumford MK II or Marling MK II(perhaps the same thing currently), but more a different kettle of fish. Still acoustic but less, NME folk than his counterparts, Roe has a vocal tone much akin to The Decemberists' Colin Melroy and with a feel behind his music that is much more positive than a lot of distortion-less music doing the rounds currently. Opening track "Bellina" is a strong example of Roe's ability to be uplifting, the guitar melody sunny as the lyrics encourage you to put all your books away and take a trip on the ocean. "Oh Susannah" is a love song, with Roe pining for his perfect girl claiming that he will be hers between some beautiful vocal melodies. "Underneath The Apple Tree" is Roe possibly at his best, taking a stab at a Nick Drake Influence which works perfectly on the chorus as Roe sings, 'Where the path leads up their garden and the whole world is closing in, I am underneath the apple tree and I am waiting for something to begin'. The final track to the Ep is "The Merry-Go-Round", a slow contemplative way of ending the CD, taking away the sunshine of the previous three tracks and concentrating on Roes beautiful use of lyrics to create something that will give even the more cold hearted of music listeners a swift exchange of butterflies.

Every once in awhile a release comes along that really moves me, "The Merry-Go-Round" is that release, I highly recommend it!

4 / 5

Pete Roe Myspace

Wintersleep - New Interiors

I found Wintersleep in the strangest of fashions, having seen their album in HMV, I immediately downloaded "Welcome To The Night Sky" on the strength of its artwork alone and upon hearing "Dead Letter & The Infinite Yes" and "Astronaut", I immediately set upon buying the album and it continuously grew on me becoming one of my more favoured albums, not just of recent times, but of all time. Now being a rather big fan of the Canadian band, it was always going to be a huge task for them and their follow up "New Interiors".

"New Interiors" is an entirely new beast to "Welcome To The Night Sky", while "Welcome To The Night Sky" seemed intent on grabbing you in with honest and relateable abstract lyrics that stuck with you long after the album had finished, "New Interiors" seems more inclined on catchy poppy hooks and repeated chorus vocals in an attempt to gain access to a more mainstream audience and to some extent it does actually work. "Encyclopedia" has a dirty grittiness that seems to nod its head towards Queen Of The Stone Age before it folds back sounding more like a mix of Interpol and REM with Samuel repeatedly singing 'You're alive, but what's it worth'. Other standout tracks include "Blood Collection", a slow, brooding and haunting tune and also "Black Camera" which is an upbeat and rousing number complete with 'ahhhhh' backing melodies, which always helps to improve a song in my book.

The problem that "New Interiors" has is that, despite "Welcome To The Night Sky" sounding alike REM, it still had a sense of urgency and it had a huge feel of uniqueness within it, which is something I admired. "New Interiors" has reigned this in somewhat for a more polished and commerical feel, to an extent it feels like they are marketing themselves for a mainstream American rock chart and while it is still on the whole a good album, it trails off unsuccessfully midway through and you find yourself listening to it and checking what song number you have got to and how many more songs there are to go. "New Interiors" though, will still become one of my more favoured albums of this year, such is the price of a horrifically bad time for good albums in the industry, so please buy this album so Wintersleep get another stab at it.

3 / 5

Wintersleep Myspace

Jaguar Love - Hologram Jams


I was pretty distraught when Blood Brothers decided to part, granted their latest record, 'Young Machetes' didn't quite reach the same heights that I enjoyed within the edgy brilliance of 'Crimes' but as a fan, I still felt that sonically, they still had sounds to explore. Jaguar Love, comprising of two members of Blood Brothers, vocalist Johnny Whitney and guitarist Cody Votolato, explore these sounds on their latest record, the second to be released by Jaguar Love and first for new label Fat Possom Records, 'Hologram Jams'.

Jaguar Love and this album are a strange being, Whitney's vocals haven't moved on since his former band and his screechy vocals often bring you back around to reminiscing about Blood Brothers, especially when his trademark screaming comes into the fold, you can't help but wish the deeper vocals of Jordan Billie were around to balance the whine of Whitney like they did previous. Vocals aside, the comparisons with Blood Brothers generally end as Jaguar Love musically approach you from a dance synth direction rather than an alt-punk one. Most notable is the use of drum programming rather than a drummer, often this can lead bands into dangerous places creating over complex loops to compensate for a lack of members but Jaguar Love are extremely reigned in when it comes to percussion and the drums are the driving force on this record, simply making it impossible to not tap your foot along to the album, regardless of whether you like it or not. Guitars are still there but the in your face style of Blood Brothers has been replaced with a subtle approach with guitars often just there to offer something extra to the sickly sweet sound of synthesisers. Lyrically is where I feel Jaguar Love really let me down though, while Whitney once inspired me with his lyrical ideals, I now feel sick to the stomach to hear him sing the line "Everything is rad, everything is awesome, drive a tank through your head that's awesome", a far cry from his Blood Brothers days and while it suits the tone of the music, lyrically it comes across as uninspired and childish.

'Hologram Jams' isn't as I expected, Jaguar Love aren't what I expected, the poppy dance sound of a good alternative punk band stripped of their individuality and shoved into the modern music scene armed with everything needed to be deemed cool. We want Blood Brothers back.

2 / 5

Jaguar Love Myspace

Alt Track Interview

The best part about independent bands for myself, is watching them grow both in performance and also musically. From the moment I heard Alt Track I knew that they had something that could go somewhere. I caught up with Micky shortly after their first UK tour to ask him about the tour, their future European dates, their debut album and his thoughts on politics currently.

Please tell everyone reading who you are and how you came to be...

Hey, I'm Micky and I play in a band called Alt Track with my band mate, Pete. We write political dance music and have been gigging together for three years now. We met after our previous bands disbanded and after a few weeks of jamming and an impromptu gig, we made it come together in the end and here we are!

Pete and yourself seem to have a very different taste in music with you stating influence in more the folk/trip-hop and post-rock field, while Pete on the other hand seems to venture on the heavier side but with touches of hip-hop. How do you feel that eclectic combination of influences works for Alt Track and has it ever caused problems?

If you were to go back two years ago when we first started playing, we were writing pretty dull post-rock, ambient, instrumental, electronica kind of stuff because that's what I was into back then. Since then we've both shared bands and influences with one another and alot of Petes taste in dance music, hip-hop and punk has rubbed off on me. Now we've really started pushing into that heavier direction, but we still try and bring in the elements of melodic post-rock and trip-hop. Having an open mind to one anothers tastes and music in general is really a positive thing for us, while conflicts do still sometimes happen when we're tugging the music in a different direction, it does always seem to work.

What is the routine within the band in terms of songwriting. Is it all down to one of you or both of you?

We both write and on the album, I'd say it's totally fifty fifty as far as content goes. Some songs feature one persons ideas more heavily whilst others are a complete split down the middle.

One of the positive things about working electronically means that you don't need a full band to write and jam through new material, so when we write on our own we can pretty much record and demo a song and then bring it to the table. Most of the time Pete will progam something, some beats or a bass loop and then at practice we'll play it together. I might bring a piano melody into the picture, maybe a lyric or two and we'll spend a long time structuring it. Sometimes I wish we could play more with real instruments though, just to get a better feel for the songs and do more subtle things but programming seems to still work best for us.

You said about wishing there were live instruments more readily available, has there ever been a discussion in moving towards more of a band dynamic?

That's something we're always being asked actually! We've discussed it alot aswell. The short answer is no. We both feel we've got something unique in our creative dynamic as a duo. I know there is nobody I can write music like thiswith other than Pete, and onstage people say that our personalities come across clearly.

On the next album we are planning to feature more acoustic instruments though, and some guest vocalists and musicians but I don't think we'll ever be looking for official members, it's just too handy being able to fit us and all our gear into a Renault Clio!

Your EP, 'A Nation Is On Fire' very much owed to the likes of Muse and other grandiose bands whilst on 'Silence Is Approval', you seemed to develop all your influences to move into a genre of your own. How was that achieved, was it discussed and planned or did it naturally occur?

There was a definite point after we did the EP that we wanted to find our own sound. We both like the songs on the EP, some of them I love listening to still but it isn't what we're really about.

In terms of Silence Is Approval, it kind of just fell together. We were both writing and jamming new songs at gigs and were planning to record another EP but one day we kind of just sat down and realised we had enough new songs for an album. So we went into the studio, working with an amazing producer called Simon Mawsom, and he helped us work together alot better than we had been. We ended up writing most of the songs in a short space of time throughout the recording process, and while in hindsight it may have been rushed, it was still really natural.

Looking back, it was definitely the best time either of us have ever had recording and I guess because of the rush, we didn't really think about genres. It was only once we had finished it and listened back for the first time that we realised that we'd written something pretty different.

Both of your releases have received great comments from the music media, myself included. How do you feel as an independent, unsigned band, you can build upon this for the next release?

We have had some lucky breaks in terms of media coverage so far, especially when you take into account how bad at self promotion we are! I think the most exciting comment that we ever received was by Steve Lamacq when he played us last year on prime time Radio 1, that was amazing.

In alot of ways I think our music is taking care of itself, that's what we know how to do, but the other side of music, sending out e-mails, press packs and letters all the time in hope of getting acclaim, that's the hardest thing for us.

Actually getting ourselves out there to badger the more important people in the industry is what we need to improve on for our next release, definitely.

Lyrically, you often move into political territory. Was that always the intention with your music, do you feel that people may be turned away from your music because of this and do you feel that having political views is important in modern music, if so, why?

We always say that lyrics are based upon observations. Right now, the world is in a mess, corrupt politicians, wars, propaganda, lies and injustice. That is something we have to speak out about and music has always been and hopefully will always be, a platform for change.

We're really lucky to have the opportunity to communicate with people in this way, I don't think people are turned away by it, some people may not want to hear the bleak truth but at the same time, we try to remain positive and show that there is a possibility for change, a good change.

I don't think it is crucial to always be ranting about politics in music though, if people want to write about love, drugs, money or war that is up to them. The only thing that I think is important in music, is honesty.

With the UK political battle currently being plastered everywhere, where do you place your music in terms of encouraging young people not only to vote but to vote sensibly?

People have got to come to their own conclusions on the weight of the voting system. I don't really know well enough where I stand to be encouraging other people. I've not met anyone who's got complete, certain, steadfast faith in the way we elect governments, and I don't think anyone's ever been sure.

I think we need some radical change though, and I think a hung parliament is going to be the way to go, even if it's just a foothold on a bigger thing. Keeping the BNP out of any more seats or success is a key part to our message though, no way should those racists be allowed to stand for election.

Back to music now, have you started on a new album yet and if so, any hints on what it will sound like?

We started thinking about a new album straight away, it's there somewhere in our sights but we don't want to rush it.

The first album was exciting, simple and raw to make and I think that comes across. We really want to refine our sound on the next one, input all the details we perhaps neglected on Silence Is Approval.

I don't have too much to say on the sound of the new one yet, I think it will just be bigger, more uplifting, more guitars, more pianos, I don't really know, you'll have to wait and see!

The last few months saw you embark on your first full UK tour, how did it go and also, what do you expect from the European dates you have coming up and what can gig-goers expect from you?

The UK tour was amazing, we played some of the best gigs we've played and met some great people.

It's going to be strange gigging in Europe, I remember a few years back thinking that touring the UK, or playing outside of Bradford was an unreachable, crazy idea, but here we are doing it, and the idea of actually being able to go and play our music on the continent was impossible! We're pretty excited, the anticipation is definitely outweighing the confusion right now.

One thing people have always commented on is how much energy we have on-stage. We try and explore the whole room, not just the stage, and really perform. Every gig counts to us, no matter what the situation, crowd size or sound system. So whether you see us in Bradford or in Belgium, we'll still be giving one hundred and ten percent.

Last question, everything you have done so far has been off your own back from self recording and releasing your album to organising your own tours. Do you think this helps or hinders you and do Alt Track have any aspirations of being signed?

It would be a lie, I think, if any band said they didn't want success in the mainstream. Yeah, it would be nice one day if we had somebody who could do the grinding day-to-day job of e-mailing, photocopying and calling people but right now, I think i'd only ever want to do it ourselves. The longer we remain independent, the longer our music and any success we achieve belongs to us and I hope we'll be able to look back on this time as the important years where we did the practical and mundane things off our own backs.

On the other side of the coin, it means being skint and being abit of a hermit at home when we're not on tour, but for us, it's well worth it. We wouldn't have it any other way!

You can check out Alt Track on their Myspace by clicking here.