Reviews

Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here

2010-01-24T17:58:20Z

In the 15 years that Gil Scott-Heron has been out of action, we've seen controversial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, an economic meltdown and the (televised) election of the first black American president. You would, then, be forgiven for assuming that I'm New Here might be stuffed full with the sharp-tongued political criticism of classic Gil Scott-Heron tracks like 'H2Ogate Blues' or 'B Movie (Intro, Poem, Song)'. Instead he throws a curve-ball and delivers an incredibly personal account of his upbringing, with all of the oratory power that earned him his title "The Godfather of Rap".

*Gil Scott-Heron began his career in 1970*

On I'm New Here, Gil Scott-Heron steps away from his jazz influences and embraces the production techniques of modern day hip-hop and rap. Drum samples and synthesisers now accompany his spoken word pieces where bongos and jazz flute were used in his early work, yet his soulful and introspective vocals still shine through. Nowhere is this clearer than in the first single to be released from the album, 'Me and the Devil'. The stark rhythms alongside his melancholic vocals create the kind of soundscape that truly transports you to the downtown areas that Scott-Heron is so adept in describing.

In 'New York Is Killing Me' we hear a nod to the stripped back rhythms of his first album, Small Talk at 125th and Lenox. Layered handclaps slowly build into a sinister gospel chorus singing “Lord have mercy, have mercy on me/Bury my body back home in Jackson, Tennessee”. In his songs he repeatedly evokes images of a harsh and desolate urban environment, yet in his spoken word pieces he speaks of the deep-seated morals within his family that allowed him to succeed. He plays on the political ideas of social inequality and urban living seen in his early work, yet the emphasis is always on his upbringing by his grandmother.

This isn't just a comeback album from a troubled musician, it is probably the album that defines his already iconic career. He has moved beyond the sarcastic tone of his early political records and has pushed past the soulless jazz albums he created with Brian Jackson; now he connects with his audience by looking at his own upbringing and assessing how he succeeded against the odds. In the years Gil Scott-Heron has been away from the music world, his own genre has been distorted into a commercial for drugs, gun crime and misogyny. He has returned with an album that doesn't just reinvent him, but totally reinvents what modern urban and hip-hop music should be about. It isn't just genre defining, it is genre saving and will most definitely be considered as the crowning musical achievement of the decade.

Just to whet your appetite, here is the video of the first single, 'Me and The Devil'.

Released 8th February 2010, with 'Me and the Devil' following 22nd February, on XL Recordings

Words by Jonathan Wilson

Malcom Middleton at Bush Hall - 24/11/09

2010-01-20T16:13:22Z

*Malcolm Middleton entraps his audiences*

Bush Hall is a little venue on Shepherd's Bush High Street; an old Edwardian dance hall, it’s a hidden gem. Arriving just in time, I walked through the bar and pushed open the double doors to see a beautiful, ornate room, chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings, rich red draping everywhere. In a terribly civilized manner, I took to my seat in the packed venue. The anticipation was electric, everyone here to see one man: the fabled Malcolm Middleton.

He gingerly stepped onto stage to rapturous applause. Murmuring some incomprehensibly Scottish words into the mic, he settles down with his acoustic guitar and scrawled set list. He then began his self-damning and tortured tale, belting out the most honest of lyrics and strumming his guitar as if his life depended on it - to the audience’s absolute delight.

Looking around this room, one can really begin to understand how his fans feel about this man; from the bloke at the back who shouted “wwahhhheeyyy” at any opportune moment, to the kid with the biggest afro I’d ever seen dancing so hard he fell off his chair, every person in that room looked at Middleton like he was singing the story of their own lives.

The ex-Arab Strap member seemed unbelievably powerful in an environment so concerned with pomp and ceremony. Joking with the audience, he seemed amongst friends; indeed, most of the audience had grown up with him. He soon did away with his set list and took requests, cooly denying them if he didn’t feel like playing that particular song. There’s a strange pull in the dark rabble of Middleton, who insists that "if you won’t break my heart I’ll do it myself". Hailing himself as a destroyer of hope, he does, in fact, as a kind of obtuse superhero, do the opposite. He gives hope to his fans that no matter how bad it gets, you can always rely on Malcolm Middleton to be far more depressed than you.

Words by Zoe Edwards

Flight of the Conchords - I Told You I Was Freaky

2010-01-20T15:54:35Z

*Taking things a little too literally*

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much before listening to the recent release from Flight of the Conchords. Normally parody albums never work as well without the visuals. Admittedly I Told You I Was Freaky is nowhere near as good as actually watching the second season of the New Zealanders' eponymous TV show, but after declaring they may not return at all, this is quite a good send off for the duo. This album is made up of songs from the second series, consisting of 13 songs written especially for the HBO outing (the first album & series was made up of songs written over several years).

Jemaine and Bret kick off with ‘Hurt Feelings’, a rap informing the listener that, in fact, rappers have feelings too. Never again will I forget to compliment a gangsta’s profiteroles. This definitely made me change my opinion, deciding to go on from here with more of an open mind. The sixth track, ‘Rambling Through the Avenues of Time’, has plenty of classic lines that you may find yourself writing in your very own love song. (Okay, so maybe not, but comparing a love to “a Parisian river … what, dirty?” will probably get some attention.) Of course, the thing that sets the Conchords apart from other parody bands is their ability to write music that has been taken seriously and it isn’t until you listen carefully that you realise these songs aren’t to be taken to heart. A mention has to go to ‘Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor)’; perhaps Jemaine and Bret have been to Club Neon on several occasions? Just give it a listen and I’m sure you will understand.

They seem to have perfected the parody genre here, poking fun at known songs without directly lifting the music from these songs, showing again the effort gone into this album. This is best shown from songs 'Fashion is Danger', which directs its synth-playing finger at The Human League & Gary Numan, and 'You Don’t Have To Be a Prostitute’, a hilarious twist on 'Roxanne' by The Police, by declaring to Jemaine that maybe he should look through his many other talents before having to sell himself on the streets.

Overall, I Told You I Was Freaky is no substitute for the television series, but as this could be the last we hear from the duo, it may be a last chance to indulge in some ridiculous music parody.

Released 20 October 2009 on Sub Pop

Words by Alex Drake

Good Shoes - Under Control

2010-01-20T15:48:56Z

‘Under Control’ is a lovely little snippet of solid indie gold from the Morden quartet of genius, Good Shoes. This is the first track to be taken from their long awaited second album, No Hope, No Future, and is surely an indicator of spectacular things to come in 2010. It’s a punchy, dirty little number with "remix me" written all over it. I first came into contact with this band at Reading Festival 2007, having followed the mass of sweaty teens into a tiny tent, and was completely blown away; their new material is just as good, if not better than their fabled first release, Think Before You Speak. ‘Under Control’ is a triumphantly catchy offering, which will, if there’s any justice in the world, shove them a whole load of success in the new year.

Released 11th January 2010 on Brille Records. New album No Hope, No Future released 18th January 2010.

Words by Zoe Edwards

You Me At Six - The Consequence

2010-01-20T15:22:52Z

Fourteen year olds of Britain, get your wristbands ready; this is your new favourite band! Call it pop-punk, call it emo; ‘The Consequence’ is noisy, riffy, repetitive and has a massive chorus - which is no bad thing. Hailing largely from Surrey, You Me At Six are set for an unbelievable 2010. Having already supported Paramore’s stadium tour in 2009, they start their UK headline tour in March, moving on to conquer Australia and the US in the summer. Their latest album Hold Me Down is bursting full of even more angsty little gems, and following in the footsteps of Paramore and 30 Seconds to Mars, these boys look like the new force in the rock invasion of the charts. Joy.

'The Consequence' available for free download here. New album Hold Me Down released 11th January 2010 on Virgin Records.

Words by Zoe Edwards

Owen Pallett - Heartland

2010-01-15T12:02:59Z

It is a wonderful and a rare thing to watch the creation of an album, from start to finish, with all the changes, rewrites and cast-off songs that entails, as fans of Owen Pallett (no longer using the moniker Final Fantasy) have done with his latest release Heartland.

*Owen Pallett gets friendly with Patrick*

It has been a long time in the making - his last album, He Poos Clouds, was released mid-2006 - but Owen filled that time with two EPs, countless collaborations and orchestral and string arrangement work (for the likes of Pet Shop Boys, The Mountain Goats and Beirut). He also toured Europe and North America, trying out his new material, which allowed his fans to hear the development of his album.

'Flare Gun', for example, has been part of his live act since at least the start of 2007 and a different recording was released last year. It is fascinating to see how the lyrics have been completely overhauled in the last three years, as the much-discussed Spectrum concept for Heartland took root, whilst the music has remained fairly unchanged.

For those that don't know the concept behind the album, Heartland exists in Spectrum, the same world detailed in Owen's EP Spectrum, 14th Century. The album traces stories surrounding a character named Lewis and his relationship with the god of Spectrum - Owen. This leads to some delightfully self-referential lyrics, one of the best being "the night is split by the whistle of my amber whip, and the fire from my fingers" in 'Lewis Takes Action' (the first single from the album, available as a free download).

Over the course of the last few years, the majority of the songs featured on Heartland have had some sort of airing, but this doesn't mean that the album feels dry or tired to those who know these songs (which will not be most listeners anyway). Instead it is exciting to see the culmination of Owen's work, to see what has happened to the seeds of songs sown years ago, to see how they have grown up and sprouted orchestral arrangements, to see their flourish into fully-flowered pieces.

*Owen is touring Europe early this year*

'The Great Elsewhere' is a brilliant example of this, and easily one of the best songs on the album. It often seemed a little shaky in live renditions, being based on a rather rhythmically complex synth line, which is then met by a very straight drumbeat that sounded, at times, in conflict with the song. However, on Heartland it suddenly comes to life - the rhythms fit, they make sense; there is a voracious energy as the fast heavy drumming drives the song along; the electronic glitches that accompany the start of the song are integral and irreplaceable. It becomes the jaw-dropping song it always threatened to be.

And so, after the years of waiting, after the delays and the passing release dates, was it worth it? Simply put, yes, it was worth every second.

Released 12th January 2010 on Domino Records

Words by Robbie Hayward

Read/listen to the Rare interview with Owen Pallett here and download 'Lewis Takes Action' for free here.

Delphic at The Relentless Garage - 07/01/10

2010-01-10T23:35:51Z

*Delphic may look wet, but they certainly impressed live*

"Electronic music with soul", that’s how the Manchester based band, who’ve come third in the BBC’s Sound of 2010 music poll, would describe their own music. With their debut album Acolyte coming out on the 11th January, Delphic are setting out to tour the nation. And they’re not doing this alone: they have taken Mirrors along for the ride.

When the four piece enter the stage in their smart suits and take up position behind their synthesizers and laptops, the comparison with Kraftwerk seems imminent. But although they do show a certain level of German precision in their electronic craftsmanship, that is as far as the comparison carries. Mirrors’ music can be best described as a form of electronic pop noir, strongly reminiscent of the early ‘80s, when bands like Depeche Mode and New Order started exploring the use of synthesizers. With catchy and danceable singles such as ‘Into the Heart’ and ‘Fear of Drowning’ they seem to be well on their way to conquering of the 2010 music world themselves.

Delphic have already gotten a head start at that with their aforementioned third place in the BBC’s Sound of 2010 poll, a position held last year by Florence + the Machine (now there’s something to live up to). Not that they seem in any way intimidated by this little fact, quite the opposite actually. It seems that the quartet, who are actually a trio but use a live drummer to spice things up just that extra bit, are ready to prove everyone’s expectations right.

They already managed to get some attention last year when their singles ‘Counterpoint’ and ‘This Momentary’ found their way to the arty and always-worth-listening-to Kitsuné Maison Compilation albums, something electro-pop duo La Roux managed to do a year earlier (hey! another comparison to a Sound of 2009 finalist, how much more promising could this become?). So this seems to be time for Delphic to cash in, and that is exactly what they did tonight.

*Delphic play everything live*

The aforementioned singles, complimented by tracks such as ‘Doubt’ and an epic, over ten minute, version of title track ‘Acolyte’, are to blame for their live success. Delphic are not afraid to write songs that are at least twice the length of a standard pop song, and when they perform their music live, they manage to add even more euphoria to their already very lively and energetic tracks.

Their live performance is certainly impressive. Unlike most bands whose songs are mostly based on electronics, and thus heavily really on samples readily available on their laptops, Delphic manage to really make their music live on stage. This is partly due to the complimentary qualities of the guitar and bass that strongly feature in the performance, but they also manage to almost remix their tracks live on stage.

Delphic are one of the most highly tipped bands for the new decade and are very eager to prove to all that the hype is absolutely true. And for once, I think I have to agree.

Words by Linda Wijlaars

Vinyl Floor - Do You Still Dream?

2010-01-10T23:14:00Z

*Band photos are always unique*

This is the debut album of a Danish 4-piece rock band who describe their sound as deriving from the "melodic and energetic 70s and ... the edgy progressive rock of the 90s". On this album this basically translates into average soft rock songs, which are slow and pondering, and then boring emo songs, which make you feel depressed for all the wrong reasons. All the songs are sung in English but the lead singer has a strange pronunciation. Rather than his voice being endearing or interesting like fellow Nordic musicians Björk or Lykke Li, his inability to pronounce 'r's makes him sound like Kim Jong-Il from Team America. Equally his vocal range is pretty poor, which would not in itself be a problem if the band hadn’t written songs like ‘Murder & Circumstances’ with notes he can’t reach.

The ability of the other members of the band is hardly inspiring either. When most of the members band play at least three instruments the phrase 'jack of all trades and master of none' comes to mind. Steve Albini said "if the drummer's awesome even a crappy band is ok", however unfortunately Daniel Pedersen doesn’t raise them above the detritus. Listening to Daniel Pedersen’s repetitive, dull beats are reminiscent of listening to a ticking clock, waiting for a late train to arrive. This also highlights one of the major problems of Vinyl Floor, their songs are all quite long, with most songs over 4 minutes and two being more than 7 minutes, this means that the whole album clocks in at a depressing full hour. I applaud anyone who can manage to listen to the whole thing in one sitting; it was hard enough doing it in three.

Another big issue is the whole unoriginality of the music, one thing that has always made Nordic music interesting is its unique take on different styles of music with bands such as The Knife, more recently JJ or even Abba, however Vinyl Floor are just regurgitating American music. If they had tried something original and it had still been awful it would have been at least interesting. But, to end on a positive note, the artwork is quite nice…

Released 19th September 2009 on Karmanian Records

Words by Adam Saunders

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

2010-01-10T23:03:54Z

Yeasayer’s new single maintains their psychedelic bent, which be seen in their bizarre but engrossing video. However, this song comes across as much more conventional and pop focused than most of the songs on their debut album. The distinctive drums with the world music influence, which often get them lumped with together with groups like Vampire Weekend, remain. However, on this track the harmonies, so much part of their original sound, have mostly gone and it's Chris Keating taking the lead vocals. In fact it’s not until over half way through the song when they break into falsetto that there are any harmonies. Perhaps this is to try to break out the out of the kind of typecasting inherent in the music industry, which led to Zane Lowe moronically describing them as one of the few barbershop groups you can like. Ignoring this though, the track is highly infectious due to its more stripped back and simplified sound. This has led to some touting them as a band that are going to 'make it big' this year, though they have claimed that they’re not that interested in mainstream success. Ignoring the hype, this is still a great song and could be one of the tracks of the year. Hopefully their new album will retain some of the complexities of their previous record.

Released 4th January 2010 on Mute Records

Words by Adam Saunders

Dead Kids - German Heart

2010-01-10T22:54:55Z

Having heard the earlier singles by Dead Kids, ‘German Heart’ sounds a bit tame. Yes, there is the whole belting out the lyrics thing like you’re trying to communicate with someone while on a bus full of school children who’ve just noticed the year’s first snow flakes, but other than that, this would almost classify as a generic pop song. However, with all the energy and testosterone piled up in their earlier work, this could be exactly what the London-based band needs. With ‘German Heart’ Dead Kids show that they can do more than just write killer dancefloor tracks (if one could ‘just’ do that anyway). It could also be that I’m just getting a bit too old for all this indietronica/new rave/whatever-they-call-it-these-days, and need a breather every once in a while.

Released 23th November 2009 on ARTJAM

Words by Linda Wijlaars

Lonelady - Immaterial

2010-01-10T22:40:59Z

As 2009 was supposed to be the year female singer-songwriters were to take over the entire British music scene (and yes, Florence and the like did try), it seems a good idea to end the year on the same note by reviewing the single of one of the up and coming artists of next year. Lonelady, better known to friends and family (well, at least family I suppose) as Julie Campbell, is to release her debut album Nerve Up in February, with ‘Immaterial’ being the single used to familiarise us with the new sound she adds to the vast amount of lush sounding, guitar playing girls.

"New sound"? Better replace that with "old sound revived". While the song itself sounds like it could just as easily have been released twenty years earlier, it’s the voice that really takes you back: isn’t that Alanis Morissette singing? With a voice that sounds so familiar already and her songwriting so reminiscent of years long gone by, Lonelady appears to be at risk of drowning in the pool of talent for the new year before she’s even had a chance to swim.

Released 9th November 2009 on Warp Records (available as a free download from lonelady.co.uk)

Words by Linda Wijlaars

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone at The Lexington - 18/12/09

2010-01-10T16:49:53Z

*Owen Ashworth sweats through another recent gig*

Occasionally something small and insignificant will make you smile, something unexpected and coincidental, and this cold December night that something was scattered pearls. Waiting for Owen Ashworth, better known as Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, to take the stage, we noticed these shining spheres rolling down the cracks in the wooden floorboards of The Lexington. An hour later, up on the stage Ashworth launched into the song 'Scattered Pearls' from his superb 2006 album Etiquette, singing about a broken pearl necklace at a disco. If I was a superstitious or a sentimental person, I would have taken it as a sign. I'm not, and instead I just smiled.

Lifeless lo-fi strummers Veronica Falls opened for Ashworth, playing through a short set with no more one or two enjoyable songs ('Found Love in a Graveyard' perhaps being their highlight), before Ashworth himself took the spotlight, his second support act, His Clancyness, having been delayed somewhere in the middle of somewhere else.

Ashworth's performance worked very well in an intimate gig venue like The Lexington, with his engaging informal style and his back-and-forth with the audience. In fact, intimacy seems to define his live setup too, which consists of a crowded table of electronic goodies - keyboards, drum machines, loopers and so on - reigned over by Ashworth's microphone.

*This is basically his view from the stage*

He opened by playing through a number of tracks from his most recent album, the excellent Vs. Children, before opening the set up to suggestions from the audience. Few artists have the wealth of good material Ashworth does to do this for almost an entire set, but he manages with ease, playing such hits as 'White Corolla', 'New Year's Kiss' and (at the request of a certain Rare reviewer) 'Toby Take a Bow', a delightfully simple track with lyrics inspired by The Smiths. Perhaps the only disappointment was when he refused to play his cover of the Parenthetical Girls' 'Love Connection' after no one in the audience was willing to sing it instead of him.

Sticking around for another support band after the main act looked set to be a disappointing waste of time, so we left after Ashworth finished, satisfied and buoyed by his brilliant performance.

Words by Robbie Hayward

Patrick Wolf at the London Palladium - 15/11/09

2010-01-10T16:26:34Z

Much (too much) has been made of Patrick Wolf's problems over the last few years. If you know about them, forget them. If you don't, don't even bother to find out. His spectacular performance at the London Palladium quelled every critic, put every rumour to rest and established, if it ever needed establishing, that Patrick Wolf is an irreplaceable, untouchable star.

*Micachu and the Shapes supported*

Writing on his performance at Latitude Festival in July 2009, I said "the man was made for the stage". That was an understatement. At the Palladium, it felt like the stage was made for the man, that it had only ever existed prepare for Patrick Wolf, and would only continue to exist to remember him. There are few artists out there with anything approaching the presence and dominance he has on stage.

Opening for Patrick Wolf were the much-blogged Micachu and the Shapes, who played a fantastic set, overturning the poor impression they created with their scattered, noisy set at Field Day in August and showing off the creativity of Micachu's songwriting. Armed with bottles, keyboards and guitar riffs verging on the dissonant, they played an enjoyable set that was a sort of antidote to what was to come: where Patrick is overblown, they are understated; where Patrick flouts, prowls and commands, they stand shy and still; where Patrick expands to fill the stage, they shrink into themselves. Their music spoke for itself, and it provided an excellent prelude to a fantastic night.

The safety curtain, down for the interval, resonated with the sound of 'Overture', which pulsed out over the crowd, bouncing off the palpable excitement perched on the edge of every seat, before being raised to reveal a crowded stage, a full strings section, backing singers, a band and Patrick Wolf dressed in black. The atmosphere was, to drag another cliché howling from the vaults, electric, and that electricity was repaid. Patrick played a long set (at least twenty songs from all four of his albums) of which every second was entertaining, every second was brilliant.

*It was an emotional performance for Patrick Wolf*

Certain moments, of course, stick out - he played the rarely-aired 'Paris', to "make up" for not playing it in the past; he had a few costume changes, running through a metamorphosis from his sombre black opening into a shining white as he span sparkling on a revolving stage and the curtain fell once more after his encore; and he had his slower, more moving moments, such as when he performed 'Thickets', or the tragic 'The Sun Is Often Out' during the encore. Demonstrating his stature in the music world, he was able to call on a number of guests, including the unfathomably tall Gwendoline Christie for 'Oblivion' and the incredible 'Theseus', the bizarre electro-noise of Alec Empire and Florence Welch (yes, of the Machine fame) for 'The Bachelor'.

There was, however, one moment on which the whole performance hinged, one magical moment in a truly spectacular show. The first was when Wolf launched into 'Hard Times' from his latest album The Bachelor, and a wave of affirmation swept across the Palladium. The audience rose spontaneously from their seats and began to dance and sing along and as he sang 'show me some revolution/time for some resolution' there was a real sense that he could click his fingers and the entire theatre would either break down crying or storm Westminster. As they say, you just had to be there.

Words by Robbie Hayward

Hot Club de Paris at The Lexington - 23/11/09

2009-12-07T23:39:14Z

With a new EP in the pipeline for February, Hot Club de Paris decided it was that time of year again when they just have to come down to London. Though the three piece are regular guests in this part of the country, they can count on a large enough fan base to fill up the Lexington this evening.

*Flashguns played with a sense of urgency*

But before the Liverpudlians can enter the stage, it’s up to the support acts to make sure everyone is in a good enough mood to deal with the Northerners. Unfortunately, yours truly had to miss out on the apparently excellent songwriting qualities of Sparky Deathcap due to an absence of any sense of direction combined with an incapability to ask for directions. The next act lining up tonight is Flashguns, a three piece about to record their debut album. A certain kind of urgency is implied in their indie, guitar based songs that most typical indie bands seem to lack these days: they don’t love to make music, they just have to. This feeling is only magnified by the stage performance of lead singer Sam Johnston, whose charm is just what this band needs. You could say they might be a bit over-pretentious in proclaiming their song ‘St. George’ England’s new national anthem, but you’ve just got to admire their spirits.

Then it’s on to the main act of the night, comprising the afore mentioned Hot Club de Paris. After being slightly put off during the first song by a man bearing a striking resemblance to Sting (guitarist Matthew Smith: “It’s like I’m playing for one of my heroes!”), the gig can really take off. Hot Club de Paris’ music can be best described as energetic math rock: it’s a mix between the energy of bands as Dananananaykroyd and Johnny Foreigner combined with complicated rhythms and guitar riffs. Add a bit of Ramones-style counting off before the song starts to that and you’ve got all the ingredients for a night of Hot Club.

*Hot Club de Paris played admirably*

The musical part at least. As the gig evolves, it turns out to be part music, part comedy road show. This is partly due to some apparent technical difficulties in tuning the guitars necessitating some stage banter to fill the time, but mostly it’s just because the three men feel right at home on stage and seem to want to share this feeling with the rest of the crowd. They never get lost though in long stories on how their songs came to be (singer/bassist Paul Rafferty: “This song is about being poor. You’re not poor, are you Sting?”), but find the balance needed to create the perfect atmosphere.

All in all Hot Club de Paris provide a very entertaining night. They are not one the most innovating bands out there, but they do know how to put on a good show and keep the crowds interested, which you have to give them credit for.

Words by Linda Wijlaars

Canadian Blast feat. Spiral Beach and Hey Rosetta! at The Queen of Hoxton – 25/11/09

2009-11-25T14:53:56Z

*Hey Rosetta! played a great support set*

Rare FM’s fetish for all things Canadian continues with a trip to The Queen Of Hoxton. More used to playing sold out festivals and huge venues, the young and immensely talented Spiral Beach and Polaris shortlisted Hey Rosetta! openly admit that it’s odd to be playing such a small room. But the show must go on, and it sure does.

After a dismal, lacklustre and wholly uninspiring set from an unnamed shambles of a London band, Hey Rosetta! take to the stage to show us exactly how it should be done. Their strings section, slow builds and anthemic vocals make it all too easy to compare Hey Rosetta! to the likes of The Arcade Fire or The Young Republic, but their sound has a different edge. We’re not saying it's better or worse, just different. A good bit of folk sensibility and a hint of rock alongside a very generous splash of virtuoso performances make Hey Rosetta’s! set truly electric.

*Spiral Beach converted many to the Canadian way*

Next to take the stage are twee-core surf-rockers Spiral Beach. Looking like a bunch of school kids from a garage-band they soon burst into a whole set of dancetastic electro glitch-pop tunes. Soon enough we realise this is no garage-band. The total synchronisation of music and movement really shows off the chemistry of these old school friends. The on-stage antics of vocalists Maddy Wilde and Airick Woodhead even got the overworked city boys of Hoxton popping shapes by the bar.

Performing songs from recently released album The Only Really Thing (Canada only), Spiral Beach load us up with surf guitar, twinkly keys and a good old blast of hyperactivity. The most impressive thing is that their energetic performance manages to look frantic while they maintain total togetherness and control in their music. We certainly won’t be underestimating these young’uns again!

Keep an eye out for the latest Rare FM session with Hey Rosetta! later on in the week. You can take a peek at Spiral Beach's Myspace here and Hey Rosetta's! here. If you like what you see, Hey Rosetta! will be performing at The Borderline on Friday 27th November.

Words and Pictures by Jonathan Wilson