Some possibly overdue news: after ten years of musical restlessness, the entity that is Neils Children has been terminated. Core members John Linger and Brandon Jacobs have clearly realised that it's time (as ever) to move on, and will be playing a final half-set at Offset Festival this weekend (Sunday, 5pm, ECC Tent), featuring choice picks from their unusually diverse back catalogue. It might be said that the group's failure ever to crack the mainstream was due to their constant refusal to settle into any musical niche for more than a few months, but one result is that they leave behind them a legacy ranging from garage rock to snotty psychedelic punk, from grooving new wave to juddering noise.
However, it's not the end for the individuals who made up the group: together with Linger's brother Paul and Bonnie Carr (of Electricity In Our Homes) and ska DJ Eli Deutsch (of Nowhere To Run Club) they've formed a soul quintet named The Drop Five. They'll be taking over for the second half of the Offset show to unveil some new Style Councilesque songs, apparently influenced by 'European Cafe culture, Hammond Organ and positive and uplifting Soulful sounds'. Neils Children is finished, but it doesn't look like their constantly changing musical journey is over yet.
Showing posts with label Neils Children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neils Children. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 31
Monday, July 6
N/C -1
Shocking news: just over a month after Neils Children finally released their debut album X.Enc., bass player Keith Seymour has decided to leave the band. Seymour, who previously played for post-rock group Hope of the States, replaced former Neils Children bassist James Hair in 2005; his departure has forced the group to postpone their forthcoming shows at Dice Club and Southend's Railway Hotel, and the remaining members will be searching for a replacement as well as recording new material in the near future. Best of luck to them.
Monday, May 11
Today's releases.
A reminder for those who haven't to go out and buy the new albums from KASMS (Spayed) and Neils Children (X.Enc.), both of which are out today. Support independent retailers.
KASMs also play a free all-ages instore show at Rough Trade East this Wednesday to launch their album - arrive early to get a wristband.
KASMs also play a free all-ages instore show at Rough Trade East this Wednesday to launch their album - arrive early to get a wristband.
Friday, March 13
Neils Children LP date.
Quick note: Neils Children have firmly scheduled the release of their LP X.Enc. for 11th May. The album, their first full-length effort, is on the band's own Structurally Sound label. Read our enormously in-depth interview with John Linger for more.
Monday, March 2
CHANGE, RETURN… SUCCESS? Neils Children: the X.Enc. interview
2009 marks ten years since they formed in Harlow, but perennially progressive post-punks Neils Children are only now gearing up to properly release their debut album X.Enc. Last year they scrapped their Pop:Aural LP due to controversies between the band and their studio, and released two killer singles - 'Reflective/Surface' and 'I'm Ill' - and now they’re finally ready to unleash a full-length blast of their distinctive melancholy indie-punk onto an unsuspecting world. We spoke (exclusively, as luck would have it) to John Linger, guitarist and vocalist, to ask him about where Neils Children are and where they’re going next.
‘We have always been a band who have thrived on progression,’ states Linger. Those who have been following the Neils Children saga over the past decade, who have seen the progression from Mod-inspired freakbeat to snotty psychedelic punk to a more melodic post-punk sound in recent years, won’t argue with that – but there are always those who crave for the past. ‘Some of our fans have been a bit behind us in terms of how we develop our sound and criticised us for changing our sound, but they don’t understand that if we continued writing 'I Hate Models' type songs four to five years later, we would be criticised for that too. The album is tougher in places, with a much more direct sound.’
‘I Hate Models’, the band’s 2004 commercial peak, has been something of an albatross around Neils Children’s necks, and there’s still the occasional request at their live shows – ignored or mocked, of course, since they’ve gained a reputation as a band dead set against self-nostalgia. Surprising, then, to hear the reappearance in their set last year of a few songs which had long been missing, presumed dead – 2006’s cover of ‘Lucifer Sam’ by Pink Floyd and, most astonishingly, ‘Come Down’, the single that introduced the band to a wider public in 2003, aired at Offset Festival, 2008’s most public outing for the band. Linger explains: ‘I think the way some of the newer songs sound made us re-evaluate some of the older material. We know that the older material is very powerful, but to us as artists, lacks certain elements which we have developed since… I think the fact that we played those songs for years goes some length at helping people realise why we wanted to distance ourselves from them. They are great songs, but the newer songs are even better, and next to some of the tracks from the new album, the older tracks make a lot more sense to us.’
So, with that in mind, the band present X.Enc., due out in March. The title is taken from an experimental sound collage single from the late 1970s – ‘it’s supposed to be interpretive, so people can call it what they want to. We feel it had a mysterious nature to it, but there is also a correct meaning and pronunciation to it... answers on a postcard’. Linger describes it as ‘both a step forward and a look backwards’, and says that the convoluted abandonment of Pop:Aural (originally scheduled for May 2007 and finally officially terminated in March last year) had an important impact on the new project. ‘We realised how we wanted to present our music to people. The fact that we decided against releasing the album helped us look upon the way we had recorded the songs, and have a different approach to the way we recorded X.Enc. We wanted to make the album harder, but not lose the melodic quality to songs which we had developed.’
The track listing is different to that proposed for Pop:Aural, and includes some songs which have been in the live set for a year or more, and some which are yet to be heard. ‘The songs written after Pop:Aural had a much different sound, and we wanted to make a complete sounding album. We knew where we were heading by knowing what we didn’t like about the scrapped album, so it was a case of saving some tracks from that sinking ship, whilst using the album to mainly showcase the new material. It was a balancing act.’
The band seems to have got away with the act so far, managing to write new material, salvage old songs, and record the album in isolation over the course of the year. ‘We can proudly say that X.Enc. was recorded by us and us alone, except for 'Reflective/Surface’, which was recorded in Paris with a producer called Arnaud Bascunana. We recorded the remaining tracks in an industrial unit in Cheshunt, our home town. I mixed the album myself over the course of a week or so. We really benefited by recording in isolation. It added to the tougher sound of the record. It pissed down with rain most days we were recording, and you can hear the rain on the metal doors in some of the quieter bits.’
Just to emphasise this DIY stance, the band decided to release the album themselves as well. They’ve created the Structurally Sound label to put out not only X.Enc and last year’s 'I’m Ill' 7”, but also releases from other bands, possibly including something from Chichester’s Disconcerts, managed by John Linger. But why found your own label when there are hundreds out there already? ‘I guess it was due to the experiences we had with labels in the past,’ explains Linger. ‘We have worked with some great people, and some… not so great. We just wanted to take control of what we released and when we released it. Brandon starting Modern Pop Records [the label owned by Brandon Jacobs, Neils Children drummer, has released music by Strange Idols and Electricity In Our Homes] influenced us as well, and the whole DIY thing is very much a part of our ethos.’
So, with the whole project under the watchful eye of the Children themselves, this time nothing (hopefully) will go wrong, and the world will finally see a full-length Neils Children album. What next? ‘We will be playing shows around the country and also in Japan and Europe. We want to keep releasing new material as it comes, so we don’t become stale and so we keep people up to date with how we are developing our sound. There will be an X.Enc. album launch in London in March... it will be special.’ Details are under wraps, but pencil something in your diary for the 16th. For now Neils Children are keeping themselves busy with have concerts booked in Italy, France, Germany, Wales, and Sheffield. Those who cling to the band’s past might have to revise their views, because Neils Children are doing their best to forge themselves a future. Whether they’ll get the exposure that they’ve skirted so narrowly for so long remains to be seen.
‘We have always been a band who have thrived on progression,’ states Linger. Those who have been following the Neils Children saga over the past decade, who have seen the progression from Mod-inspired freakbeat to snotty psychedelic punk to a more melodic post-punk sound in recent years, won’t argue with that – but there are always those who crave for the past. ‘Some of our fans have been a bit behind us in terms of how we develop our sound and criticised us for changing our sound, but they don’t understand that if we continued writing 'I Hate Models' type songs four to five years later, we would be criticised for that too. The album is tougher in places, with a much more direct sound.’
‘I Hate Models’, the band’s 2004 commercial peak, has been something of an albatross around Neils Children’s necks, and there’s still the occasional request at their live shows – ignored or mocked, of course, since they’ve gained a reputation as a band dead set against self-nostalgia. Surprising, then, to hear the reappearance in their set last year of a few songs which had long been missing, presumed dead – 2006’s cover of ‘Lucifer Sam’ by Pink Floyd and, most astonishingly, ‘Come Down’, the single that introduced the band to a wider public in 2003, aired at Offset Festival, 2008’s most public outing for the band. Linger explains: ‘I think the way some of the newer songs sound made us re-evaluate some of the older material. We know that the older material is very powerful, but to us as artists, lacks certain elements which we have developed since… I think the fact that we played those songs for years goes some length at helping people realise why we wanted to distance ourselves from them. They are great songs, but the newer songs are even better, and next to some of the tracks from the new album, the older tracks make a lot more sense to us.’
So, with that in mind, the band present X.Enc., due out in March. The title is taken from an experimental sound collage single from the late 1970s – ‘it’s supposed to be interpretive, so people can call it what they want to. We feel it had a mysterious nature to it, but there is also a correct meaning and pronunciation to it... answers on a postcard’. Linger describes it as ‘both a step forward and a look backwards’, and says that the convoluted abandonment of Pop:Aural (originally scheduled for May 2007 and finally officially terminated in March last year) had an important impact on the new project. ‘We realised how we wanted to present our music to people. The fact that we decided against releasing the album helped us look upon the way we had recorded the songs, and have a different approach to the way we recorded X.Enc. We wanted to make the album harder, but not lose the melodic quality to songs which we had developed.’
The track listing is different to that proposed for Pop:Aural, and includes some songs which have been in the live set for a year or more, and some which are yet to be heard. ‘The songs written after Pop:Aural had a much different sound, and we wanted to make a complete sounding album. We knew where we were heading by knowing what we didn’t like about the scrapped album, so it was a case of saving some tracks from that sinking ship, whilst using the album to mainly showcase the new material. It was a balancing act.’
The band seems to have got away with the act so far, managing to write new material, salvage old songs, and record the album in isolation over the course of the year. ‘We can proudly say that X.Enc. was recorded by us and us alone, except for 'Reflective/Surface’, which was recorded in Paris with a producer called Arnaud Bascunana. We recorded the remaining tracks in an industrial unit in Cheshunt, our home town. I mixed the album myself over the course of a week or so. We really benefited by recording in isolation. It added to the tougher sound of the record. It pissed down with rain most days we were recording, and you can hear the rain on the metal doors in some of the quieter bits.’
Just to emphasise this DIY stance, the band decided to release the album themselves as well. They’ve created the Structurally Sound label to put out not only X.Enc and last year’s 'I’m Ill' 7”, but also releases from other bands, possibly including something from Chichester’s Disconcerts, managed by John Linger. But why found your own label when there are hundreds out there already? ‘I guess it was due to the experiences we had with labels in the past,’ explains Linger. ‘We have worked with some great people, and some… not so great. We just wanted to take control of what we released and when we released it. Brandon starting Modern Pop Records [the label owned by Brandon Jacobs, Neils Children drummer, has released music by Strange Idols and Electricity In Our Homes] influenced us as well, and the whole DIY thing is very much a part of our ethos.’
So, with the whole project under the watchful eye of the Children themselves, this time nothing (hopefully) will go wrong, and the world will finally see a full-length Neils Children album. What next? ‘We will be playing shows around the country and also in Japan and Europe. We want to keep releasing new material as it comes, so we don’t become stale and so we keep people up to date with how we are developing our sound. There will be an X.Enc. album launch in London in March... it will be special.’ Details are under wraps, but pencil something in your diary for the 16th. For now Neils Children are keeping themselves busy with have concerts booked in Italy, France, Germany, Wales, and Sheffield. Those who cling to the band’s past might have to revise their views, because Neils Children are doing their best to forge themselves a future. Whether they’ll get the exposure that they’ve skirted so narrowly for so long remains to be seen.
Thursday, October 2
N/C 'I'm Ill' video
Here, in all its glory, is the new 'I'm Ill' video from Neils Children, directed by Stephen Campbell and featuring SKIPtheatre.
The single is out on 20th October on the band's Structurally Sound label.
The single is out on 20th October on the band's Structurally Sound label.
Thursday, September 4
OFFSET FESTIVAL. review, pt. 2;
EXP. CIRC. TENT, SUNDAY 31ST AUGUST
Two thirds of An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump returned to the stage early on Sunday afternoon to open the day again, this time in their guise of Eve Black/Eve White. As with their other group, the duo can’t be described as an exciting live act in the traditional sense, but their deep vocal stylings and haunting electronics sent a shiver down the spine and once again spread an instant atmosphere around the tent, not least with a superb cover of Otis Blackwell’s Fever.
The next act, Maria and the Mirrors, had more in common than An Experiment... than the Eves, with their drums and bass guitar set-up, but also shared a distinctive hypnotising tribal wail with Effi Briest. As far as the two ladies literally mirroring each other on the drums and pumping out these soulful evocations went, they were a fascinating live act, with elements of New York punk-funk groups ESG and Liquid Liquid; but the fly in the ointment was their bassist, who lurked at the back of the stage between the two. The framing effect and the drums and costumes made the whole performance look a bit like a pagan sacrifice, and the imposing central figure exerted an extreme influence, jabbering horribly into the microphone and actually halting the drummers with his hand several times. The distorted bass gave the sound a thrilling edge in contrast to the drums and chanting, but the overall impression was simply one of ego. If that’s reined in, though, Maria and the Mirrors will prove a promising addition to the shriekbeat canon.
Occupying the next slot were O Children. The stage was an intriguing sight before they came on with its central microphone at least a foot higher than its partners on either side, but when the four-piece arrived they got straight down to a riveting set of no-nonsense post-punk. The immense presence of vocalist Tobias seemed to lend the whole band a sense of unity, and they tore through a brief set of songs ranging from creepily downbeat (Ace Breasts and Dead Disco Dancer) to creepily triumphant (Radio Waves). Their obsessive lyrics tie the disparate sounds together, and a set of melodies which are both substantial and instantly memorable make O Children an excellent package, and one which is sure to garner more attention. Listen now.
The Ruling Class swagger onto the stage and launch into their psychedelic Madchester sound as though they’re playing Brixton Academy. While the music they play is by no means original, it’s both unusual in modern indie rock, and possessed of an enticing vibrancy. Jonathan Sutcliffe on vocals bears a slight and highly appropriate resemblance to Ian Brown, and the riffs and harmonies on Flowers and Umbrella Folds scream Waterfall, but it’s difficult to criticise the energy the five-piece show, and far easier just to sit back and enjoy Tomas Kubowicz’s intricate guitar lines and Alfie Tammaro’s baggy backbeat. A couple of high-profile support slots in the near future should establish this band as firm ‘ones to watch’, and it seems likely that they’ll get the popular status that they so clearly crave. Whether their current material will hold up to radio scrutiny is a separate matter.
Having dropped vocalist Thomas Warmerdam only three weeks before their Offset performance, Electricity In Our Homes have become a jerky power trio with all three remaining members contributing vocals. These weren’t perhaps as strong as they could have been, and Warmerdam’s distinctive voice is still missed, but promising touches on a set of all-new material including an excellent cover of the Beach Boys’ Little Honda show a development already underway. This was after all their first gig as a three-piece, and in time the new format should offer more freedom to experiment for one of London’s most innovative bands.
As ever, The Violets gave a performance which is technically flawless and delivered with extreme competence: Alexis Mary is a perfect frontwoman, slinking across the stage to deliver everything from a croon to a shriek and even improvising to fill in for a missing melodica, and Joe Daniel’s guitar work gathers unsettling flickering and storms of noise in one masterful stroke, almost making the band’s rhythm section obsolete of his own accord (though they too are highly professional). There is something about them, though, which is slightly unsatisfying; I would say they lacked soul were it not for the emotional depths of their songs, but it' probably just that they’re too polished and competent, especially when following the DIY charms of Electricity In Our Homes. Their set is highly enjoyable and very energetic, but slips past quickly without leaving much lasting impact. That’s hardly a complaint however, and I would hate to give the impression that they aren’t a great live band. See and enjoy them; they play rarely enough.
They’re followed by a much-anticipated set by Neils Children, who have been working in seclusion on their LP X.Enc. for the past few months. Some album tracks surface, including the revived Communiqué and Sometimes It’s Hard To Let Go, and recent single Reflective/Surface gets an enthusiastic reception, but more surprising is the presence in the set of older songs such as Stand Up and the closing attack of ancient-but-great single Come Down. Could it be that John Linger, ever the progressive, is finally embracing his band’s past? An interesting diversion is provided by the SKIPTheatre company, who perform a piece of PiL-soundtracked physical theatre before Neils Children take the stage, as well as skipping with hoops and scattering black feathers during An Exchange in an echo of the collaboration on the band’s latest video for I’m Ill.
The final performance of the evening, aside from a slightly dubiously-placed late set from electronic act Prinzhorn Dance School, were Ipso Facto, who proved the persistence of their current rise by filling the tent for the first time. The band have taken leaps and bounds since their early concerts, and their skill as musicians is now beyond question; Victoria Smith in particular has turned into a sharp and skilful drummer. Theirs isn’t exactly music to fight to, but they certainly created an eerily beautiful atmosphere in the packed tent with their sombre and serene psychedelia, before finishing with a triumphant new song in - controversially - a major key, which spread the smile from their faces throughout the audience. As happy, bob-haired aficionadoes spilled grinning out of the tent, it was obvious that Ipso Facto had taken another step on their ascendant road, and provided the perfect way to close the Experimental Circle Club tent for the weekend.
Monday, August 25
Neils Children 'X.Enc.' details..;
The first release details for Neils Children's full length debut album X.Enc. have been revealed, and the album's track listing is now visible at www.neilschildren.co.uk. The 11-track album includes forthcoming single 'I'm Ill'/'Terror at Home' as well as a selection of tracks demoed over the past two years, and will be available towards the end of the year. Watch this space and the Neils Children site for more details - the band can be seen among a terrific lineup at the Offset Festival on 30th-31st August.
Friday, August 8
Neils Children - 'I'm Ill'
The next single from Neils Children will be the fantastic 'I'm Ill', due for release in September on the new Structurally Sound label established by the band. The b-side is 'Terror at Home', and both tracks are set to appear on the forthcoming LP X.Enc, out in October or November provided all goes well. Fingers crossed.
Monday, June 2
Neils Children:: REFLECTIVE/SURFACE & EXPOSURE
Both sides of Neils Children's next single are now available to stream from their MySpace. 'Reflective/Surface' is an angular stop-and-start affair which disguises a dark lyrical face behind its upbeat Josef K-style guitars, with the band's psychedelic roots still apparent in its shimmering instrumental break. 'Exposure' is more downbeat, its background vocal harmonies and eerie sound effects showing a continuation of the band's movement into new territories. The AA-side single is now available on April77 records - download it from April77records.com this month with a code available on April77 clothing, or buy it from a record store near you. Neils Children play Dice Club this Saturday.
Friday, May 16
N/C RELEASE NEWS;;
Some good news concerning Neils Children reaches our ears for the first time in a while. After months of suspicious silence following the abandonment of the planned 'Pop:Aural' album, the band have confirmed that they are set to release new material over the summer and beyond.
The long-awaited singles 'Reflective/Surface'/'Exposure' (April77) and 'I'm Ill' (Waks, with newly-announced b-side 'Terror at Home') are set for release in June and July/August respectively, and, most excitingly, a new 12-track LP 'X.Enc' in September or October - possibly allowing a joint album-promotion tour with The Horrors in the autumn.
More details on release are to be announced nearer the time, but it's likely that the band's sound will have developed yet again by the time the album is released, with a darkly melodic direction promised. With N/C drummer Brandon Jacobs (whose side-project Goodnight & I Wish released debut EP 'Dreams... Wishes, and Fairy-tales' this week) promising that the new album will 'blow everything we've ever done out of the water', expectations are running high. It's up to Neils Children to fulfil them and, for the first time in their nine-year career, get a full-length album out.
The long-awaited singles 'Reflective/Surface'/'Exposure' (April77) and 'I'm Ill' (Waks, with newly-announced b-side 'Terror at Home') are set for release in June and July/August respectively, and, most excitingly, a new 12-track LP 'X.Enc' in September or October - possibly allowing a joint album-promotion tour with The Horrors in the autumn.
More details on release are to be announced nearer the time, but it's likely that the band's sound will have developed yet again by the time the album is released, with a darkly melodic direction promised. With N/C drummer Brandon Jacobs (whose side-project Goodnight & I Wish released debut EP 'Dreams... Wishes, and Fairy-tales' this week) promising that the new album will 'blow everything we've ever done out of the water', expectations are running high. It's up to Neils Children to fulfil them and, for the first time in their nine-year career, get a full-length album out.
Saturday, April 19
Horrors&N/C album news;;
Faris Badwan's made it known that The Horrors are planning to record their second LP in June. Having left Loog Records, the label on which they released Strange House, in favour of XL, the band will finish writing new songs before going into the studio, and hope to release not only the album but also one single before the end of the year. This could mean a later release date than the previously-announced September, but the band appear confident that the album will be worth the wait.
It's rumoured that Neils Children are also in the process of picking up the pieces of the unreleased Pop:Aural and recording a new album in a warehouse, without any kind of outside help. They claim to be heading in a more melodic direction, and with new single 'I'm Ill' currently advertised as 'coming soon', there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for fans of the group. More information, of course, when we get it.
It's rumoured that Neils Children are also in the process of picking up the pieces of the unreleased Pop:Aural and recording a new album in a warehouse, without any kind of outside help. They claim to be heading in a more melodic direction, and with new single 'I'm Ill' currently advertised as 'coming soon', there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for fans of the group. More information, of course, when we get it.
Friday, March 7
Neils Children future plans;;
Undaunted by the collapse of planned LP Pop:Aural, Neils Children have announced plans for another album. Their progressed sound, with more synthesisers and a melodic darkness, will apparently get its full-length debut this year (although we wouldn't put money on it), and Brandon Jacobs claims that it will 'blow anything we've ever done out of the water'.
Let's hope so.
Let's hope so.
Thursday, February 21
NEiLS CHiLDREN NEWS UPDATE//
Neils Children are moving on... John Linger has confirmed that the plans for the release of LP Pop:Aural have now been abandoned, after almost a year's delay since the original planned release date. The album was apparently scrapped after a dispute with Shoreditch's Fortress Studios, where recording was taken place. This isn't the first time that Neils Children have scrapped album plans, and we're sure their sound will carry on developing. For now, fans will have to be content with forthcoming singles 'I'm Ill' (Waks Records) and 'Reflective/Surface' (April77), and with the Neils Children club night The Only Fun In Town, which takes place in Cheshunt on Saturday with the first performance from the three-piece Project:KOMAKINO.
Sunday, January 27
New N/C song montage//
Neils Children have posted an aural montage of some of their new songs onto their website. The 40-second clip features extracts from 'Reflective/Surface' and 'I'm Ill', as well as short snippets from a few other unknown songs. You can hear it here.
Monday, January 14
REViEW// Neils Children &c.; DICE CLUB
13th January 2008;; Despite the several new club nights that crop up every month to play the more interesting side of music, The Dice Club remains one of London's best for a wide range of music from the last fifty years, and also for its live lineups. This time it was Neils Children, playing their first major London show since October, who topped the bill with support from Silhouette (alias Helena Gee of Zoo Music), and up-and-coming four-piece I Am The Arm.
Silhouette opened, a solitary figure who took the stage forty minutes late. This was her first show with electric instead of acoustic guitar, but her folky singer-songwriter stylings were still a strange choice of support considering the other two acts. Her contemplative music doesn't lend itself that well to the live environment, especially when that environment is still less than half-full two hours after doors, and her lack of a backing band (something she's in the process of recruiting) didn't help as far as creating atmosphere went. But these stacked odds (appropriate for the Dice Club?) didn't impede too much with a set which peaked with a very nice cover of The Gun Club's 'Sexbeat'.
The next act on were Silhouette's polar opposites in everything except dress sense. I Am The Arm are fascinating to watch. Half of the band - vocalist/synth-masher Cyan and a one-man drumstorm called Twitchy the Ratbag - are all shrieks, Ian Curtis gyrations, and flailing; the remainder (bassist Kane and backing vox/synthesizer Aimee) are calm and collected. This tension, increased during a Barrett's-Floyd-in-1966 beginning, created a set which was electric in both senses, and got a fair bit of shoulder-banging going on down at the front. In fact my only minor gripe was the complete lack of any communication to the audience outside of the songs, but otherwise the Arm were brilliant - we predict a bright future.
Still, we can't imagine that many people were at Dice specifically to see either of the support acts. Neils Children's performance was an unusual - almost informal - one by their standards. For a start, they were out of their usual uniform, playing in civvies. Then there was the fact that the eternally-silent Keith Seymour was singing backing vox, and the backing tracks that have accompanied songs including 'Window Shopping' for recent performances weren't used.
All of these things were slightly surprising, but one thing that we were expecting (or rather hoping for) was new material, and we weren't disappointed. A new song (whose name we didn't catch) was first on the setlist, and another - announced as future single 'Exposure' - came towards the end. We're happy to say that these new songs were more than good enough to justify the expulsion of 'Communique' and 'The Night Is Over' from the setlist. Although the N/C performance was a short one, it was more energetic and tighter than their civvies let on, and must have got most of the crowd counting down the days to Pop:Aural.
Silhouette opened, a solitary figure who took the stage forty minutes late. This was her first show with electric instead of acoustic guitar, but her folky singer-songwriter stylings were still a strange choice of support considering the other two acts. Her contemplative music doesn't lend itself that well to the live environment, especially when that environment is still less than half-full two hours after doors, and her lack of a backing band (something she's in the process of recruiting) didn't help as far as creating atmosphere went. But these stacked odds (appropriate for the Dice Club?) didn't impede too much with a set which peaked with a very nice cover of The Gun Club's 'Sexbeat'.
The next act on were Silhouette's polar opposites in everything except dress sense. I Am The Arm are fascinating to watch. Half of the band - vocalist/synth-masher Cyan and a one-man drumstorm called Twitchy the Ratbag - are all shrieks, Ian Curtis gyrations, and flailing; the remainder (bassist Kane and backing vox/synthesizer Aimee) are calm and collected. This tension, increased during a Barrett's-Floyd-in-1966 beginning, created a set which was electric in both senses, and got a fair bit of shoulder-banging going on down at the front. In fact my only minor gripe was the complete lack of any communication to the audience outside of the songs, but otherwise the Arm were brilliant - we predict a bright future.
Still, we can't imagine that many people were at Dice specifically to see either of the support acts. Neils Children's performance was an unusual - almost informal - one by their standards. For a start, they were out of their usual uniform, playing in civvies. Then there was the fact that the eternally-silent Keith Seymour was singing backing vox, and the backing tracks that have accompanied songs including 'Window Shopping' for recent performances weren't used.
All of these things were slightly surprising, but one thing that we were expecting (or rather hoping for) was new material, and we weren't disappointed. A new song (whose name we didn't catch) was first on the setlist, and another - announced as future single 'Exposure' - came towards the end. We're happy to say that these new songs were more than good enough to justify the expulsion of 'Communique' and 'The Night Is Over' from the setlist. Although the N/C performance was a short one, it was more energetic and tighter than their civvies let on, and must have got most of the crowd counting down the days to Pop:Aural.
Tuesday, January 8
If you like NEiLS CHILDREN;;;
The first in a series///
if you like;;;
NEiLS CHiLDREN
then try;;;
TELEVISION PERSONALITIES // ...And Don't The Kids Just Love It (1981)
NEiLS CHiLDREN
then try;;;
TELEVISION PERSONALITIES // ...And Don't The Kids Just Love It (1981)
This album was the Television Personalities' full-length debut, and if you're a fan of Neils Children and you don't own it yet, you should go about tracking it down as soon as possible - apart from it being a brilliant album in its own right, it belongs firmly in the N/C 'influences' box.
The TVPs belonged to the same indie pop splinter of post-punk as bands like Josef K, The Fire Engines, and The Monochrome Set; all big influences on Neils Children's sound. Not only that, but the TV Personalities sit right in the middle of the line connecting the whimsical sounds of the 1960s - Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, and especially The Kinks - to the psychedelic elements of Neils Children's music (especially on tracks like 'Enough of Trying' or 'Run Before We Can Walk').
There are Mod tendencies in TVP tracks like 'Geoffrey Ingram' and 'Parties In Chelsea' which match up well with the influence that N/C take from The Jam and others. Those who like the Goodnight & I Wish style of psychedelic doodle will love 'I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives'. And lyrically, Dan Treacy has more than enough tales of doomed love to satisfy any fan of the Children. In short, if you need something to fill up the last few months until Pop:Aural, you can't go far wrong with this collection of tracks.
The TVPs belonged to the same indie pop splinter of post-punk as bands like Josef K, The Fire Engines, and The Monochrome Set; all big influences on Neils Children's sound. Not only that, but the TV Personalities sit right in the middle of the line connecting the whimsical sounds of the 1960s - Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, and especially The Kinks - to the psychedelic elements of Neils Children's music (especially on tracks like 'Enough of Trying' or 'Run Before We Can Walk').
There are Mod tendencies in TVP tracks like 'Geoffrey Ingram' and 'Parties In Chelsea' which match up well with the influence that N/C take from The Jam and others. Those who like the Goodnight & I Wish style of psychedelic doodle will love 'I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives'. And lyrically, Dan Treacy has more than enough tales of doomed love to satisfy any fan of the Children. In short, if you need something to fill up the last few months until Pop:Aural, you can't go far wrong with this collection of tracks.
///more soon;;watchthiSspace.
Friday, December 7
Apologies//TNPS single//yet more Horrors news
We're sorry for a bit of a drought here over this busy week. Now we're back to normal and will be bringing you all the news that's worth reading.
To that end, These New Puritans have announced that they are releasing the Beat Pyramid version of 'Elvis' as a single in January to promote the album. The video, which can be seen here, shows a very nice aesthetic (even if it does seem a little familiar at times... 'Sheena', anyone?) and also proves that re-recording your early material need not be a mistake. Far from it. While on the subject of singles, the 'Reflective/Surface' release from Neils Children has been put back provisionally until late April of next year. We're thinking September 2011 for the final release.
Also this week, the Horrors gave an electric performance at Electrowerkz, London, on Wednesday with support from Electricity In Our Homes and Ipso Facto. As well as an all-new live version of 'A Train Roars' (we were right), they included in their set some fantastic new songs including 'Vision Blurred', 'New Ice Age', 'Stand Forward', and 'Three Decades'.
If you missed this amazing concert, you can still hear the new material before the release of the new album, due around March, by going to see the band play their NME Awards show at the Astoria in London on 16th February. Support for this is, perhaps, even better than the Electrowerkz show, with These New Puritans (promoting their debut album, due out in January) and Ulterior making noises before the horror begins. Tickets are fast running out - be there.
A review of the Electrowerkz gig will be in Issue #002 of the New Thing fanzine, out in the New Year. Keep your eyes peeled.
To that end, These New Puritans have announced that they are releasing the Beat Pyramid version of 'Elvis' as a single in January to promote the album. The video, which can be seen here, shows a very nice aesthetic (even if it does seem a little familiar at times... 'Sheena', anyone?) and also proves that re-recording your early material need not be a mistake. Far from it. While on the subject of singles, the 'Reflective/Surface' release from Neils Children has been put back provisionally until late April of next year. We're thinking September 2011 for the final release.
Also this week, the Horrors gave an electric performance at Electrowerkz, London, on Wednesday with support from Electricity In Our Homes and Ipso Facto. As well as an all-new live version of 'A Train Roars' (we were right), they included in their set some fantastic new songs including 'Vision Blurred', 'New Ice Age', 'Stand Forward', and 'Three Decades'.
If you missed this amazing concert, you can still hear the new material before the release of the new album, due around March, by going to see the band play their NME Awards show at the Astoria in London on 16th February. Support for this is, perhaps, even better than the Electrowerkz show, with These New Puritans (promoting their debut album, due out in January) and Ulterior making noises before the horror begins. Tickets are fast running out - be there.
A review of the Electrowerkz gig will be in Issue #002 of the New Thing fanzine, out in the New Year. Keep your eyes peeled.
Saturday, November 10
NEiLS CHiLDREN single//further news
Neils Children have announced that their new single, 'Reflective/Surface'/'Exposure', will be recorded at the end of their current Klaxons tour and will be available at the end of February only to people in Europe (not including the UK) who buy clothes from April '77.
Hopefully we'll be able to get hold of one to review for you. Fingers crossed.
Hopefully we'll be able to get hold of one to review for you. Fingers crossed.
Wednesday, October 31
New Neils Children single//
Neils Children have announced the release of a new single. Although they've introduced both 'I'm Ill' and 'What Am I Supposed To Do?' as future singles in recent concerts, the new release is called 'Reflective/Surface' (with a b-side called 'Exposure'). It'll be out in late February (assuming no delays) on the April '77 label.
Will 'Reflective/Surface' be on the LP? Will 'I'm Ill' or 'What Am I Supposed To Do?' be released first or at all? Will the single be released on time for once? Release dates? Watch this space.
We're very excited.
Will 'Reflective/Surface' be on the LP? Will 'I'm Ill' or 'What Am I Supposed To Do?' be released first or at all? Will the single be released on time for once? Release dates? Watch this space.
We're very excited.
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