Langhorne Slim at the Borderline

I figured seeing as I haven't written on here for ages, a good place to start up again would be with Langhorne Slim at the Borderline.

So, despite an ear-hurtingly loud and uninspiring support act, the crowd managed to remain hopeful and there was a definite air of anticipation in the dark, crowded and soon-to-be-sweaty Borderline on Tottenham Court Road. Jumping on stage in his signature hat and denim jacket, the rise of women's heartbeats in the room was audible. Launching straight into his set, taking a break every so often to flirt with the audience with his eccentric stories, he commanded a joyous, raucous energy from the word go. With his incredibly talented band of War Eagles storming through the songs alongside him, Langhorne Slim enchanted the audience and rapidly won their hearts. His beautifully twisted combination of bluegrass, rock & roll and folk couldn’t fail to please. A highlight of the evening was without doubt David Moore's particularly hardcore banjo strumming, along with a bit of headbanging and facial twitching too. He played with such force that he grimaced everytime his fingers hit the strings, his bandaged fingers a sign that he's happy to make sacrifices if he can make a sound this awesome. 'I Love You But Goodbye' was especially moving, as Langhorne went for a much pared-down and acoustic version; his soulful but rough-edged voice silencing the audience as they listened in awe. In fact, so successful was the night that he had to come back on stage twice, singing countless encores much to the delight of the punters. My only criticism of the night was his choice to leave 'Boots Boy' out of his set...other than that what a performance.

I'm actually headed back to the Borderline on Monday to see Blitzen Trapper supported by Duchess and the Duke so head back here next week for a review of that too...

William Elliott Whitmore

William Elliot Whitmore's music is at times apocalyptically stark and bleak, as he sings of wartorn countries, broken hearts and the restless, often lonely life of a musician on the road. However, it is not so bleak as to leave it without redemption, as Whitmore's rich, throaty, crackling voice portrays and emotes intense passion, soul and despair. His voice almost sounds as though he is gargling with gravel, and strike a beautiful, honest contrast with the horribly over-produced music that currently resides in the charts today.

His songs, mainly just accompanied by guitar and sometimes a banjo, are refreshingly simple. But what he fortunately lacks in this department, he easily makes up for in his lyrics, including politcal and social commentaries in songs such as 'Who Stole the Soul' where he laments the latest war his country has embarked upon;

'And they'll bring devastation

And call it diplomacy

But an occupation won't bring a nation to peace'

and tragic stories of the pain and cruelty we must all ultimately suffer in our human lifetimes. Whitmore is a rare talent, that should be treasured for the originality, intelligence and vitality of his music, not to mention the ancient-sounding, husky beauty of a voice that he possesses and puts to such wondrous use.

Cold and Dead - William Elliott Whitmore

Who Stole the Soul - William Elliott Whitmore

Look what I got!

This is what I got today. Friendly stuff huh?

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Covers

Kids - MGMT
Yesterday I came across a really lovely cover of Kids (originally by MGMT) by Ben Lee, formerly of Noise Addict. I don't normally get covers, on the whole I prefer the original. But this one, although not as catchy, vibrant and spectacular as the MGMT version, is quieter, more melodic and more elegant in every way. Gone are the screaming children, synth and bass. Come is the soft-spoken Ben Lee, acoustic-esque guitar picking and ever-so-subtle vocal layering. I often find myself craving some MGMT, but more often than not don't feel up to the raucous, hyperactivity of the originals and this is a brilliant alternative.

Kids (MGMT Cover) - Ben Lee

Harvest - Blitzen Trapper
The next one is not great quality as it's a live recording, but I love it purely because the band (Blitzen Trapper) just sound so happy and when I listen to it, it always makes me laugh, or at least smile. It seems to be an impromptu cover of Neil Young's Harvest, so impromptu in fact that as the song goes on, the lead singer cannot help but laugh, and it is this unhelpable laughter that makes it such a spontaneously wonderful song.

Hobo's Lullaby - Deer Tick
Hobo's Lullaby is one of those songs that pretty much everyone seems to know. My sister, for one, used to sing it on the school bus with her friends many years ago. It was originally written by Goebel Reeves, and has since been covered by all manner of singers, including Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie and Emmylou Harris. However, by far my favourite version is by Deer Tick. John Joseph McCauley III's grating, beautiful voice suits the song down to a tee. It is simple in the best of ways - the guitar accompaniment and quiet vocal harmonies in the background bring an almost melancholic, yet somewhat joyful and peaceful tone to the song.

Hobo's Lullaby (Goebel Reeves Cover) - Deer Tick

The Wolves - Ellie Goulding
Last but definitely not least, as the saying goes, is a bewitching and stunning cover of Bon Iver's The Wolves, by Ellie Goulding. Goulding seems to be a rising star at the moment, and whilst her own music is good, I prefer her covers (notably this one and the cover she did of Passion Pit's Sleepy Head). I would say that Bon Iver's original is impossible to better, but this cover comes scarily close. It is a track laid utterly bare, so that it is only Goulding's delicate, haunting vocals that one hears. However, it is this stark and unembellished quality that makes the song so fantastic. The layering and subsequent harmonies of her unadulterated, echoing voice give the song an incredible power and ability to both captivate and move the listener.

The Wolves (Bon Iver Cover) - Ellie Goulding

I know this is only four covers, and I know you'll probably all be ranting and raving about how there are so many other good ones out there, but these are just a few I like. And if you know of some that are worthy, send me them so I can have a listen too.

Best Albums of 2009

I just realised how unbelievably long it is since I last wrote on here and am disgusted by this. New Years resolution is most definitely to be more efficient and put more stuff up here. Anyway, thought I'd do a quick run down of my favourite albums of 2009. There may well be a couple I've missed, such as AA Bondy's 'When The Devil's Loose' and The Low Anthem's 'Oh My God Charlie Darwin' but that's because I only came upon albums such as these two too late on in the year, so I'll write about them some other time in 2010. Soon I promise. In the meantime here are the ten albums that did make the cut.

1. Deer Tick - Born On Flag Day


Deer Tick - Smith Hill


2. Langhorne Slim - Be Set Free


Langhorne Slim - Back to the Wild


3. Chris Garneau - El Radio


Chris Garneau - Fireflies


4. William Elliott Whitmore - Animals in the Dark


William Elliott Whitmore - Hell or High Water


5. Phosphorescent - To Willie


Phosphorescent - Reasons To Quit


6. Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More


There was a link to a Mumford & Sons song here, but the bastards that work in the music industry made me take it down.


7. Roadside Graves - My Son's Home


Roadside Graves - Ruby


8. Bombadil - Tarpits and Canyonlands


Bombadil - Reasons


9. Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies


Justin Townes Earle - Mama's Eyes


10. Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine


Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine/Arrow in the Gale

Mick Flannery

I wish I had discovered Mick Flannery a long time ago, so I could've written about him way back when, and have been listening to his music for ages already. As it is, his album White Lies is currently on permanent repeat on anything that plays music in my house. He sounds something like Tom Waits and Bob Dylan, but also like something wonderfully invigorating and beautiful. His voice is gravelly, soulful and deep, his lyrics moving and subtle. Every single song on the album is worth listening to, but Safety Rope and California are particularly striking. They stop you in your tracks and force you to sit down and just listen.
For a man of only twenty-five tender years, who started out as a stone mason, Flannery is ridiculously talented. His voice sounds as though its lived through many centuries and is as sultry and heartrending as can be. He writes all his songs and lyrics himself, and apparently refuses to talk about himself unless it's through his lyrics. Hopefully though, he's had a better time of it than his songs suggest. Although having said that, his voice is perfectly suited to singing about broken hearts and lost girls, with it's dark, mournful and melancholic tone. There are tracks though, where things seem to brighten up and the mood lifts. These songs are just as good, although don't quite reach the monumental, wisened heights of the others.
At the moment, Flannery is just touring around Ireland (as he's a born and bred Irishman, which only seems to add to how brilliant he is), but hopefully he'll be coming over to London very very soon. As absolutely amazing as it is listening to the hard copy of the album, something tells me that Flannery is one of those singer-songwriters who would be completely and utterly astounding to see live.
Safety Rope - Mick Flannery

Deer Tick at the Borderline...this isn't a concert, this isn't a show...this is a party.

Amidst a decidedly odd crowd of people on a wet Tuesday night at Tottenham Court Road's tiny, underground Borderline, Deer Tick's whisky-drenched, grating yet beautiful voices led the onlookers in a somewhat makeshift acoustic rendition of Dirty Dishes. Dennis Michael Ryan laid his eerie harmonies over his fellow bandmembers' haunting, old-before-their-time voices, as the drunken girl at the back enthusiastically began each coming line several seconds before the band themselves did.
This however, was just one brilliant moment in a night that featured for the first time, a live UK performance of Deer Tick's musical genius, with their rustic alt-rock-country songs that tell of sinful cities, pretty girls in pretty cars and angels too dumb to speak, all topped off with John Joseph McCauley III's duck joke.
The range Deer Tick have managed to achieve in their music is outstanding - the rockier, guitar-laden foot stompers are the perfect juxtaposition to the quieter more soulful ballads such as Ashamed. It is safe to say, the crowd loved being given the chance to hear both.
McCauley's slightly awkard yet comic commentary, between songs and swigs of whiskey, added charm and reality to a band that at first sight looks like a slightly ragtag bunch. However, this ragtag bunch produce a sound and a story to both crush and lift your spirits and make sure you have a damn good time in doing so.
Deer Tick fill a much needed gap in the music world, as they manage to combine country & western, rock'n'roll and the all important harmonica - all soaked in Jack Daniels of course - to create a sound, that when heard live, is more epic and exhilarating than about 95% of what else is out there at the moment.
As McCauley bit off his beer-bottle caps and tossed them casually to women in the audience, it was evident that there were those present who wished Deer Tick would come out into the world a little more often, so we could hear their eclectic, rock'n'roll sound more than once every few years, especially when led by McCauley's rare and incredibly special vocal talents. Hopefully they'll be over again in London soon, and hopefully each gig here will grow in stature and intensity, becoming more disorderly, chaotic and magnificent everytime.
Ashamed - Deer Tick

Smith Hill - Deer Tick