18/10/10:

This week sees the release of King's of Leon's fifth studio album 'Come Around Sundown', a 13 track album which includes single 'Radioactive', a track I reviewed a good month or so ago, (scroll down the page to have a look). With the single front being a tad quiet this week, I look at NME favourite's Chapel Club and their critically acclaimed single 'All the Eastern Girls', released on the 10th October but rising in popularity since.

So, without further ado...

Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown:

Having assembled a legion of loyal fans since emerging onto the music scene with their quirky Dixie-style rock’n’roll back in 2003, King’s of Leon have become the subject of an ongoing dispute following the release of 2008’s ‘Only by the Night’. The dispute being whether they’ve ‘sold out’ or not, swapping long hair and seedy venues for cropped cuts and stadiums. On the other hand, (like any band or artist aims to do), they could have simply evolved as a group, updating their style and attracting the volume of fans they undoubtedly deserve. Being a fan of King’s of Leon’s older stuff, the easiest thing would be to jump on the ‘sold out’ wagon. However, I’m also a fan of their newer offerings, appreciating their change in direction, (at least the majority of it). New album ‘Come around Sundown’ has therefore been very much anticipated and an album that as with ‘Only by the Night’, I embrace for what it is – a NEW album rather than a constant comparison to the likes of ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ and ‘Youth and Young Manhood’. And as a whole, it’s got a fair bit to offer.

Opening track ‘The End’ is a big ballad, acting as a showcase for Caleb’s distinctive vocals, which laced with smooth guitar riffs, leaves no doubt that it’s a Followill creation. A heartfelt chorus of ‘... this could be the end’ is one which won’t leave your head in haste, much like the first track released from the album, ‘Radioactive’. Which with references to their childhood, subtly pays homage to their upbringing, showing that despite the obvious rumours, they’re all pretty grounded. It’s not a bad song either as it goes!

Third track ‘Pyro’ is lyrically one of the superior tracks on the album, with echoing drums acting as the perfect backdrop to Caleb’s trademark howls; ‘I don’t wanna be your cornerstone, I don’t wanna be holding on’. ‘Mary’ is also an ear pleaser, conjuring up visions of a 1950’s American prom night; ‘Oh, and we’ll dance like boyfriends in sheer delight’.

‘The Face’ and ‘The Immortals’ however make for a somewhat bland offering. With disturbingly similar sounding lyrics, it took a good few listens to realise I hadn’t picked up a dodgy version of the album, and that they were actually two different songs.

We’re then taken ‘Back down South’, a barn dance ballad finishing with a healthy dose of cheers and laughter. Next up is ‘Beach Side’, one of if not the personal favourite of tracks on the album. Slightly quirky with a good beat to it, it plants itself firmly in your head with ‘...even though you know its soul’ giving ‘...your sex is on fire’ a run for its money as far as a catchy hook goes.

The remainder of the album is average, although difficult to dismiss entirely. Simple tracks such as ‘Mi Amigo’ and ‘Birthday’ lead with sweetly simple lyrics; whereas ‘No Money’ and ‘Pony Up’ are slightly grittier but will perhaps grow with each listen.

As a whole, as mentioned before, it’s an album with a fair bit to offer. It’s not ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’, but then nor is it ‘Only by the Night’. It’s a comfortable go-between which aims to please all fans who, (quite sadly), have been divided into two ever clear groups. And when you put it like that, there’s not much more they can do. Is there? That said, whichever side you’ve taken, King’s of Leon still remain towards the top of their game, and ‘Come around Sundown’ reflects the fact.

As much as I’d love to show you ‘Beachside’ or ‘The End’, YouTube have done a fairly good job of removing most videos, so you’ll just have to make do with ‘Radioactive’ instead! Enjoy.

Chapel Club - All the Eastern Girls:

Chapel Club are a group who have been tipped for big things by the likes of Zane Lowe, Steve Harris and perhaps most significantly, NME. Having been asked to play the NME Emerge Radar Tour with The Joy Formidable and support from Flats and Wilder and later announcing their support slot on Two Door Cinema Club's European tour, it's blindingly obvious that this is just the beginning for the Indie rockers.

'All the Eastern Girls' is a track that like previous releases from the band has gained momentum since it's release, with several radio stations and DJ's claiming it to be the 'hottest' track out at the moment. And it's easy to appreciate why.

Where the words 'Indie/Alternative' usually conjure up an image of a handful of skinny jean clad lads, churning out fast paced guitar led tunes, Chapel Club are putting their own spin on it, deciding instead to slow things down a little. This approach is what gives the track that 'spark', with Lewis Bowman's vocals being one of it's most appealing factors. There may not be any A-Punk-esque 'Ay Ay Ay's but it still manages to plant itself firmly in your head - you'll find yourself singing along in no time.

And here it is, 'All the Eastern Girls'. Enjoy.

Doll & the Kicks @ The Kraken Wakes:

Indie pop rockers Doll & the Kicks are now in their fourth year and have been gaining momentum and critical acclaim since their self released debut album back in 2008. Having supported Morrisey on his world tour in 2009, they've since gone from strength to strength and are currently in the midst of a UK and then European tour. With one of the dates being a headline slot at Club NME at the Kraken Wakes in Portsmouth, I caught up with them beforehand for a chat.

To be published on www.rhythmcircus.co.uk, link coming soon.


Photograph by Emma Robinson.

Hey guys, everyone OK?

All: Yup, we’re all good.

Looking forward to the gig tonight?

All: Yeah, definitely!

What do you think of the venue?

Doll: It’s really nice, I can’t believe we’ve never been here before! It has a very homely feel even though it’s quite big.

Matt: I imagine it’s going to be a really intimate gig, especially if the room packs out.

Definitely! So for those who’ve not heard your music before, how would you describe your style?

Olivier: It’s very dancey, we try to include as many hooks as possible.

Matt: Female fronted pop-rock probably defines it! It’s edgy and not too generic.

You’ve been compared, especially yourself Doll, to bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s. Are you happy with that comparison?

Doll: Yeah, y’know, I don’t mind ever getting compared to other great artists. If you get compared to someone who’s rubbish then I think you’ve got a problem and something to complain about!

Matt: Also I think people can be quite lazy. Cos’ when Doll had blonde hair people would say Gwen Stefani, and now that her hairs black people say the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, even though the gig as a whole doesn’t change.

So, is that the kind of music you guys listen to outside of the band?

Olivier: We listen to all sorts really.

Doll: Today we’ve been mainly listening to Katy Perry’s new album and that’s not a lie!

Chris: We like ‘I Wanna See Your Peacock’!

Doll: Yeah, we like that one. And ‘Circle the Drain’!

I’ll have to have a listen to those I think! What artists are catching your attention at the moment, apart from Katy Perry of course!

Matt: Two Door Cinema Club? They’re album is pretty good.

Doll: Temper Trap as well. Also there was a band that played last night called ‘Kites’ and I thought they were really good.

Matt: They’re getting loads of hype in the industry at the moment as well.

Doll: You can see why though!

Olivier: I really like ‘Yuksek’s album at the moment, in fact I think it’s their only one. It’s more kinda electronic, they’re like Daft Punk actually, so they’re really good.

You guys each came from different bands, Olivier coming from a Ska band and Chris and Matt coming from metal bands; does this have an influence on your music as a band now?

Matt: Yeah, cos’ we all write together so everyone has their own impact on the music.

So when it comes to touring you’ve been to a fair few places, what’s been your personal favourite?

Olivier: I think the place we played last night is mine.

Doll: Yeah, Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, definitely!

And now for the expected Morrissey question! Most bands and artists would kill to support Morrissey on his tour, how did that come about?

Chris: We killed!

Matt: Yeah! Y’know, we killed a few people and now here we are!

He came to a few of your gigs didn’t he?

Doll: Yeah, he did. And just before we got asked to support him he brought down his booking agent and his manager and some of the people from his crew and support hands. And after that, obviously we knew that was a massive deal!

I expect you all had an amazing time; any embarrassing or funny stories for us?

Matt: I liked when we were in Sweden when whilst Morrissey was playing we were packing up our recording equipment and I was really drunk, holding an amp up high and it fell onto my foot. My toe and toe nail were basically in the process of falling off; it was bleeding and literally twice the size. Morrissey came over later that evening afterwards to see whether I was OK.

Chris: Yeah, you made him nearly faint didn’t you?

Matt: Yeah, he hated it, he had his hands like over his eyes!

Doll: It did look pretty horrible, still does look pretty horrible. But then it is attached to Matt!

Olivier: Also, during the tour there was this kind of exchange of notes happening. I’m not even sure who started it, I think he might of. Like he sent us a note and then we’d respond to it throughout the whole tour.

Chris: Yeah, they’d be like cryptic messages!

Matt: There was one time where he’d mentioned something and we couldn’t work out what it was and it turned out that it was a lyric from ‘He’s a Dancer’ backwards or something. There was another time where he put up loads of signs on the way to the venue that we had to figure out to get there, we didn’t have a clue where we were going!

That’s brilliant considering he is portrayed as being, for want of a better word, quite depressing!

Olivier: Not at all, he is definitely a joker!

Matt: Yeah, he has a great sense of humour.

So how about before you come on stage, do you have any odd rituals at all?

Matt: We all kick Olivier in the crotch!

Doll: No, I mean we don’t really have a ritual. I know loads of bands do things to get themselves psyched up for it but we don’t really have anything like that. We just have some booze really!

Do you have a favourite track to perform live?

Olivier: I think we’ve probably all got our own favourites.

Doll: Skeletons is mine!

Chris: Yeah, I like playing stuff from our double A side, ‘Skeletons’ and ‘For the First Time’ just cos’ they still seem fairly new to me so I really enjoy it. Not that I don’t enjoy the other ones, but I just prefer them.

Matt: Even now we only play a couple of tracks off of our ten track album, so whenever we get to an album track that’s cool as well.

One thing I admire about you guys is the fact that you’re self releasing your albums and keeping it ‘Indie’ so to speak. I take it that’s not been the easiest of tasks?

Doll: Yup! Hence why we released our first album in 2008 and haven’t released one since!

Olivier: That doesn’t mean we’re not writing though!

So what kind of advice would you give to bands that are trying to follow in your footsteps?

Matt: Just get lucky!

Chris: Yeah, it is difficult!

Doll: I suppose the best thing to do is just focus on your songwriting. I think if you do that everything else will come in time really.

And finally, what are your plans for the future?

Chris: We’re going to be working on more new tracks; we’ve got some more studio time booked in February and then another tour coming up.

Sounds good! Well, best of luck for tonight. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us.

All: Thanks, no worries!

And here's what I thought of the gig:

Front woman Doll oozed with attitude from the off, assuming her position at the front of the stage, crouched over ready and waiting for opening track ‘Fire’ to start. And boy did she make an impression. Springing to life, Doll went on to storm through an eclectic mix of edgy tracks, with ‘Roll up the Red Carpet’ being the first to show Doll, drummer Chris, bassist Olivier and guitarist Matt at their full potential, luring the audience ever closer in an already intimate setting. Emotive ‘If You Care’ showcased Doll’s impregnable vocals as well as proving their versatility as a band, whilst ‘You Turn Up’ saw even the most stubborn of spectators moving their feet. Ending with fast-paced ‘Dancer’, the band were in full swing, with Doll cementing the reasoning behind Morrisey’s recent acclaim, describing her as ‘... the best British singer of recent years’.

Throwing themselves off of stage as quickly as they’d come on, the venue was soon filled with cries of ‘More! More! More!’ with one of the fans even jumping on stage to hype up the audience for their return. And once again, they delivered with an encore of feisty album track ‘Believer’.

One of the liveliest bands I’ve had the pleasure of seeing, it’s a real mystery as to why Doll & the Kicks aren’t as ‘big’ as they clearly deserve to be. A mystifying watch as much of a listen, you’d be a fool to not sit up and pay attention. Forget the likes of Marina, Eliza and dare I say it, Florence – it’s time to finally move over and make some room for Doll and her ‘Kicks’.

11/10/10:

Coming soon:

Magnetic Man's debut album & the return of The Ting Tings with their single 'Hands'.

The Magic Numbers @ The Wedgewood Rooms:

The weekend just gone I was lucky enough to catch up with The Magic Numbers before their sold out gig at The Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth, with Danny and the Champions of the World supporting. I had a chat with Angela about their new album 'Runaway' and their ongoing tour.

Published for Rhythm Circus: http://rhythmcircus.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=618%3Athe-magic-numbers&catid=47%3Amusic-articles&Itemid=126

Picture courtesy of Last.Fm

Hi Angela, how are you?

I’m good thanks!

Good, so have you had a chance to look around Portsmouth yet?

Well, we got here this morning, literally parked the bus outside and got everything out and into the venue and then went and had some breakfast in a little cafe called Carol’s? Then bought some shower gel which is always handy!

Random! So are you guys looking forward to tonight’s gig?

Yeah, definitely! It should be good.

It’s a great venue, surprisingly intimate I think.

Yeah! We’ve played there once before with Ed Harcourt 6 years ago. It was fun!

Sounds good! So obviously you’ve played at this summer’s festivals, what do you prefer – festivals or smaller gigs?

Erm, it’s kind of a bit of both really. Cos’ like festivals are a sea of people, so you kinda have to cater your set to please everyone and you also get a really short set so you have to go for the big hitters straight off, whereas your own gigs you can bring it up and down as you please.

So before your gigs, is there any particular artist or band you guys like to listen to?

We usually just listen to our support bands cos’ we always end up getting our friends on tour so that’s always a laugh.

Are there any relatively new artists you’re into at the moment?

Yeah, I like Laura Marling. I think Romeo and Michelle are probably more into their folk than I am. I’m kinda more heavy I think. I’m a massive Nick Cave fan. So is Shaun as well. But yeah, we really like Laura Marling. It’s kinda nice seeing the whole folk thing come back. It’s good! Especially because it seems to be getting so big, it’s not just ‘pop’ anymore.

Do you think that’s going to give way to a new legion of younger fans?

I would hope so. I mean, it’s not that far off. Five years ago what we were doing used to be a very folky thing, it was different. But now everyone is trying to be folky which is kinda nice.

Have you got any memorable moments from the tour so far?

Well the other night in Leeds, Danny from Danny and the Champions of the World, our support band, found a tombola and came up with the idea of doing our whole set out of the tombola. So we did! We renamed it ‘songbola’ which was pretty funny! So we had someone from the audience come up on stage and spin it for each song. It had all of the songs we’ve ever done in it so it was quite nerve wracking. There was stuff that we’d not played for years and stuff we’ve not played at all before, but it got everyone in the crowd involved which is always good.

With you being two sets of siblings, are there any Oasis style bust ups on the tour bus or do you all get on well?

Well, like in most families me and Shaun argue a lot, but it’s more bickering than anything, like ‘shut up you dick!’ and that kinda thing. But with Michelle and Romeo it always gets a lot more heated and can’t carry on for a long time. But yeah, that’s probably the extent of it!

So, moving on to the album, ‘Runaway’ - It’s been quite a while since the last album, and being a fan of your older stuff as well, it’s nice to see the progression. It seems as though you’ve matured somewhat?

Yes! That’s exactly what we feel about the album, so that’s good!

And do you have any particular favourite track from the 12 on the album?

I love ‘Restless River’. It’s definitely my favourite. I love the way it just all came together. Romeo did a little riff on the guitar and was just messing around really. Then came the drumbeat and it just all built from that so I really do just love that song. I love ‘Why Did You Call’ as well.

That’s one of my favourites. I thought it had a slight 80’s vibe to it which was cool. It’s one of those eras I wish I’d have been around for!

Yes! Definitely! I was born during the 80’s so couldn’t quite fulfil it!

Another reason it’s one of my favourite tracks is because it’s one of the two tracks on the album where yourself and Michelle take the lead vocals, as opposed to accompanying Romeo’s lead. Is that something you’d like to do more of?

Well it’s kinda nice between me and Michelle because it’s almost a duet between us two instead of me and Romeo or Michelle and Romeo. It’s really nice because it’s the only song we can do without Romeo and we both love playing the song. It’s our turn!

How do you feel the overall reception of the album has been?

I think it’s been good! For me personally, I think it’s been good. Some people don’t. I mean, you read the odd review here and there and they’re just lazy y’know? But then other people have really listened to the album. You can tell because they get where we’re coming from and think how we thought when we were writing and recording the album, which is great!

Apart from the current touring you’re doing, what are your plans for the future as a band? Anything exciting set to happen in the New Year?

We’re off to India in December which is nice! Not too sure what’s going to be happening after Christmas but I know we’re pretty solid until then. New Year’s we’ll probably go over to America and play a few gigs there. I love touring in America but its hard work!

I guess there’s always the myth of America being hard to crack.

Yeah, you’ve got to spend a lot of time there! It’s something we haven’t really done yet. Probably the longest we’ve been there is about six weeks on the road but you need longer than that, it’s just crazy. I really hope we get to do it!

We hope so as well! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us!

Not at all!