fun. - Walking The Dog single review

fun.

Walking The Dog - 6.5/10

Label: Hassle

Released: 22 November 2010

New York three-piece fun. are currently supporting Paramore on their UK tour, and if 'Walking the Dog' is anything to go by, then we could be hearing more of them in the near future. The song is at times infuriating but undeniably catchy, and laden with so many hooks it should reside in an abattoir. There's no denying that 'Walking the Dog' is a well-crafted pop song by a band and a songwriter who know their way around a hit, although it is a little too cute for its own good.

The clipped guitars channel the essence of Vampire Weekend, although the song doesn't really stray far enough off the beaten track to truly stand out in amongst the indie-pop crowd. The performances on the single are impressive across the board, with a cheeky drum intro and a suitably fuzzy disco-bassline complementing the tone of the song perfectly. Nate Ruess' voice impresses throughout with vocal harmonies bursting out at every opportunity although, on the pre-chorus especially, he resembles a certain Mika, which is either a good or a (very) bad thing depending on your taste.

In essence, this is an extremely competent release from fun., althoug,h with their obvious talents of songwriting and musical ability evident throughout the three-minutes-40 track, it would have been nice to see Ruess and co trying to add a little darkness to the bright beacon of pop that 'Walking the Dog' turns out to be.

Pujol - Third Man single review

Pujol

Third Man - 9/10

Tracks: 1. Too Safe 2. Black Rabbit

Released: Thursday 18 November 2010

Alive at the Same Time is a blistering slice of garage-rock from Nashville native Daniel Pujol. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the single is that Pujol manages to craft some truly great pop hooks while retaining a DIY edge; it's no surprise to see him listing influences such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, as the songs seem to combine the hook-laden nature of the former with the attitude and 'guitar-god' swagger of the latter.

The EP kicks off with the ferocious 'Too Safe', with Pujol bawling, "I stabbed my wallet through my hand until I could feel it", acting as a riposte to convention and reservation. The song is effectively broken in to two halves, with the first being a more traditional verse/chorus with a breakdown, before Pujol unleashes a great solo outro along to crashing cymbals; if you're not hyperventilating by the end of it, then there's something very, very wrong with you.

The second track 'Black Rabbit' is a joyous stomp with Allman Brothers-esque guitar licks tossed alongside a chorus that's infectiously catchy, and the cry of "lapin" (French for rabbit) to get things going can only be a good thing; highly recommended.

Les Savy Fav: live review

Where: Komedia, Brighton

When: Monday 15 November

9/10

There aren't really many words that can do adequate justice to a Les Savy Fav gig; singer Tim Harrington remarked on the jubilant Komedia crowd reeking of "stinky, feculent life", and by god it was good to be alive.

Support act Sky Larkin got the crowd warmed up with a solid set; despite some kit problems for the otherwise-impressive drummer Nestor Matthews, Katie Harkin’s soaring vocals and ballsy guitar work (matched by Douglas Adams’ intense basslines) found an appreciative audience.

When LSF hit the stage, nobody knows what to expect, and tonight was no different; Harrington (with wig and shades in tow) delivered an ironic opening speech on self-help, geeing up the eager fans.

While the New York rockers have an impressive back-catalogue spanning two decades, seasoned fans have said that the only real way to experience the band is live - and when Harrington leaps in to the crowd in opening track The Equestrian and grabs you in a sweaty embrace, it's hard to disagree.

In any other band, Seth Jabour's dynamic guitar playing would surely steal the crowds' hearts, but Harrington is LSF's 'ace in the hole'.

Harrington is a law unto himself; the bearded wonder is a screaming, serenading, tour de force of pure energy that provides a counterpoint to the band's intense, professional performance.

At one point the singer demanded that the crowd issue the "vegan socialist" barman with £1 coins to aid his financial plight, and engaged in a hilariously unsuccessful plea to a burly on-stage bouncer to smile for him to delighted chants of "Smile!" from an eager crowd; this was the work of a man who was simply born to perform, and despite some technical hiccups with his mic, he didn't disappoint.

It seems to come as no surprise to the rest of LSF when Harrington launches himself into the crowd and spends entire songs there.

While Harrington stripped and fought his way through delighted and bemused onlookers, the band simply got on with what they do best - tearing the paint off the walls with one of the best rhythm sections around, and guitarists who intuitively complement each other.

LSF raced through tracks from throughout their career including the likes of Patty Lee, High And Unhinged, and even breaking out Who Rocks The Party in the encore. While there was an emphasis on material from new album 'Root For Ruin', there was enough for fans young and old to sink their teeth into.

The highlight of the night was undoubtedly The Sweat Descends, with a performance of the fan-favourite that utterly encapsulated the band; the song was halted midway through the first verse by a stage invasion of joyous dancers that almost destroyed the drum kit, although Harrington kept things going with a plea to join him in singing a cappella.

Just when all looked lost, the kit was fixed, and the band stormed through the song with an intensity that belied their years, confirming that there are few, if indeed any, bands that can currently match LSF's ferocious energy and talent.

Harrington was, inevitably, the last man left standing onstage. He thanked the fans, exclaiming: "I could just stand here all day", before hurling the microphone down and exiting to a chorus of cheers.

He could have stayed there all night and no-one in attendance would have had a problem with it - apart from perhaps a sour-faced bouncer, that is.

Le Rev: 'Lucky You' single review

Le Rev

Lucky You

7/10

Lucky You is a genuinely intriguing track from Le Rev, the LA duo composed of CC Sheffield and Nico Chiotellis. It hints at a band with genuine promise, but one can't escape the feeling that there's a fantastic song lurking somewhere within this one that never quite escapes.

The first 15 seconds of the track are a statement of pure intent, with a spine-tingling guitar line from Chiotellis that's perfectly complimented by and off-beat drum intro. This is followed by the alluring voice of CC Sheffield and excellent guitar-work underpinning the verse, which all points to a band that are both confident and talented.

It's a shame that when everything about the middle-eight practically begs for the song to explode into life, they revert back to the first verse, which feels a little on the safe side; it disappoints, but only in the sense that the obvious potential isn't fully realised.

Sheffield sings on the track: "There's more to me than you'll ever see", and on the basis of this track, there's enough here to recommend Le Rev - but just a little more could have turned this from a good song into a great one.

Also included is a remix of the track; usually remixes seem like a mere afterthought, but the eRNEST&AMz remix of Lucky You is genuinely fantastic, and highly recommended in its own right.

Nani: from outcast to ever-present

In November of last year, Luis Nani’s Old Trafford career looked set to end with a whimper; inconsistent performances frustrated fans that were all-too-aware of the deep talent lurking somewhere inside the young Portuguese, and his outspoken rant against Sir Alex Ferguson’s coaching methods looked to be as good as signing his own death warrant: ""When he thinks something is wrong, everything is screwed." Other players have been slung out for much, much less.

However, a heart-to-heart with the manager in January led Nani to believe that he still had a role to play for United; for perhaps the exact same reasons that Nani’s career seemed to be stagnating (his prodigious, yet inconsistent ability), Ferguson was prepared to give the winger another chance to prove himself. The youngster is now repaying Ferguson’s faith – and how.

While the talking point of the weekend will undoubtedly be Nani’s cheeky tap-in to put United 2-0 up against Tottenham, to focus solely on that one event would be to ignore the match-winning performance that the winger supplied; a sumptuous assist for Nemanja Vidic’s header, tricky dribbling, and a shot that rattled the crossbar from 25 yards confirmed that this is a player who is enjoying his football.

Nani’s questionable goal effectively ended the match as a contest, but Tottenham had given up the ghost long before. The only thing more “farcical” than ‘the event’, as it should now be named, was Harry Redknapp’s decision to play a five-man midfield with no ball-winner (save for Jermaine Jenas; figure that one out) and no forward target man until an hour had passed by.

With all the talk of Wayne Rooney’s future dominating headlines, a few of the other players have, surprisingly, got on with the task of trying to win some football matches. Fans wary of seeing the young Portuguese disappear back into his shell after world-class performances against Arsenal and Bayern Munich have not been disappointed, and the winger has stood up to be counted on. No longer are his contributions a mere glimpse of what he could achieve; four goals and eight assists in the league this season confirm his new-found consistency, and follow on from an impressive finish to last season.

The key to Nani’s form seems to be the faith that Ferguson has shown in him to play a pivotal role in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo team. In his outburst a year ago, Nani commented that despite the strength of a performance, the lack of a guaranteed start next time around “shatters your confidence.”

With one Portuguese winger winning the Ballon d’Or at United whilst the other kicked his heels on the touchline, there was the feeling that Nani was simply ‘Ronaldo-lite’; a less effective imitation of the finished article. The comparisons were rightly unfair, as anyone save for a certain diminutive Argentinean would fall short of the impossibly high standards set by ‘CR7’, but Nani is fast becoming his own man, imploring: “I am Nani and not Cristiano Ronaldo.” Competition from the dependable Antonio Valencia for the right-sided position has undoubtedly improved his consistency, and the timing of the Ecuadorian’s unfortunate injury has coincided with Nani’s most impressive run on form to date.

The winger has shown that his confidence comes from playing, and the bigger the better: “I want to be one of the best. I'm not scared to play in the big games; they are the most beautiful in football.” Nani has always had an abundance of natural ability, but it seems as though he has finally learned how, and when to use it, to the disappointment of defenders and goalkeepers everywhere.

In the wake of steep debt and an uncertain future, the shadow of Ronaldo’s success may still loom over Old Trafford, but Nani is intent on stepping out from underneath it, and becoming the only Portuguese wing-wonder that United fans chant for.

Darwin Deez live

Deez dazzles Digital

4/5

Digital, Brighton

Friday 22 October 2010

“I’ve been working on who I am for 15 years; maybe I need another 15 before the next record.”

And with that, Darwin Deez kept the audience guessing at Digital on Friday night, delighting the packed venue with, as his MySpace page suggests, “indie rock with a side of calisthenics”.

Support band Naive New Beaters did a stellar job of gearing up the audience, no doubt helped by the appearance of Darwin Smith himself in their closing song, complete with indoor sparkler.

When Darwin and his band hit the stage proper, they gave a performance of pure energy and never let up; highlights included the soaring ‘Up in the Clouds’, ‘Constellations’, and the band’s biggest hit to date ‘Radar Detector’, which had the audience roaring along in unison.

In light of some criticism that the last UK tour was a little light in content, the band excelled here with a tight rhythm section, a creative, dynamic lead guitarist in the shape of Zach Cole Smythe, and Darwin Smith’s mesmeric melodies and complex chord patterns.

Bassist Andrew Hoepfner said that he was thrilled with the set, suggesting that it “...might have been the best set since I rejoined the band in August”.

Smith said that he can cope with the rigours of playing, dancing and partying while touring because: “I have a high metabolism so I bounce back easily”, and it certainly showed in the fantastic dance-offs in between songs; if you’ve ever wanted to see a four-man dance routine to a medley of Orinoco Flow and Rage Against the Machine, then this was the gig for you. Naive New Beaters also got in on the dancing fun, giving the gig an intimate feel.

When asked about the diverse nature of the show, Smith told us that: “I get bored easily and need to be creative”, leading to him experimenting onstage. For example, Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ was mixing into ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’ before the band segued into the penultimate number ‘The Coma Song’, leaving the audience dazzled by Deez’s variations.

There was even space for an impressive rap from guitarist Smythe, who explained that: “I only started rapping with Darwin two days ago, so it was fun for me”.

The dynamic nature of the performance perhaps raised more questions than answers as to Smith’s future, but whatever Darwin wants to do next, this show confirmed that he’s confidently a few rhythmic steps ahead of the current indie clatter.

Darwin heads back to Brighton in March at Concorde 2, and it’d be a Deez-aster to miss him.