Shura

Source: Allmusic

One of the (many/thousands/bajillions) of reasons why Shura is so admirable, both in her music and work ethic, is that she does everything herself. Not only does she sing, but she produces, remixes and shoots her own music videos; in a world where it's only too easy to ring up the expert to get the job done quickly and easily, it's astounding that she still has the energy left to write the damn songs. The west London gal has gained critical acclaim very quickly, not just from the BBC's Sound of 2015, but from fellow Shepherd's Bush pals Jungle, as well as Chloe Moretz and Huw Stephens. The world is currently awaiting the release of her debut album, which, if her recent tracks are anything to go by, will most certainly not disappoint.

There's a fabulous mystery to Shura in that she's everywhere and yet nowhere all at once. The swirling, gorgeous build of songs like Touch gradually fills the space, but the very low-key production and whispering beauty of her voice mean that it remains just on the edge of your consciousness whilst you're listening to it, and seeps gradually in to your awareness. She pops up for the first few seconds of her video for Touch, and then not a trace of her can be found for the rest of it. Her songs are almost gloriously introverted, just the kind of music that proper headphones were invented for. This is added to by the fact that she produces all of her songs in her bedroom, it's where, she says, 'they start out as little ideas and forays into craziness'. It adds that irreplaceable personal touch to her music that adds to the meticulous care taken over everything, and what draws us in.

Source: Allmusic

Just Once is, quite honestly, one of the best songs about one night stands that doesn't involve the phrases 'all night long', 'baby right there' or 'timber'. It's strikingly similar to Daughter's Amsterdam in that it's quite tragic in its depiction of the need for human company to break the monotony of unbearable loneliness. The rising synth motif and the tentative question 'have you ever been lost' is quite plaintive in its reverberating subtlety, but as it fades out it you're left feeling unfulfilled, in need of so much more. Unfortunately, the only song available to buy from Shura is Indecision, and it's far bolder and surer (haha, so punny) of itself than the other tracks. It starts off with a echoey, clear drum, swiftly followed by a very clear synth line that's lightly and briefly decorated with a beautiful falling phrase that's soon swallowed up by the vocals. It's put together so masterfully, and the lyrics are such a good example of master-crafted banality interwoven with emotional insight, you can't help but bop along.

Not only does Shura do her own tracks beautifully, she adorns other people's absolutely wonderfully. Well, more than adorn. Complete, really. Her collaborations with Hiatus (a.k.a. Cyrus Shahad) are the most astounding example of how two artists can work together to utilise the best of what the other has, not just to name drop. The close harmonies on Cloud City are - I don't know, I've used up all of the positive superlatives in my vocabulary. All I'll say is you have to hear it to believe it.

The delicate certainty with which Shura operates is worthy of much more attention than she has received so far. Her songs are arresting in their simplicity, and all I can say is that I want so much more from her before this year is out. Watch this space

Rating: 9/10

Recommended tracks:

Touch

We Can Be Ghosts Now (actually Hiatus ft Shura)

Just Once

The 2 Bears - The Night Is Young

Source: Allmusic

2 Bears have commanded a certain amount of attention for an underground DJ duo from London. Their second album, The Night Is Young, builds on the boisterous and brawling precedent set by their debut, Be Strong, and is enough of a throwback to the Detroit house scene to make you slap smiley face stickers on everything in sight.

The two bears in question, Raf Rundell and Joe Goddard, are not the most obvious choices for DJ aficionados. They're not super slick, MTV-ready like the majority of the DJs that dominate the charts nowadays. In fact, they're as normal and grounded as you could hope for someone in the music industry ever to be. They embody the spirit of everyone who's ever drunkenly thought that they could be the next Calvin Harris if they thought to put their mind to it, except they really are the next Calvin Harris (but better). Despite their evident expertise (Goddard formed Hot Chip with Alexis Taylor, and Rundell is a producer), they don't take themselves too seriously, and are careful to intersperse the very clean beats with snippets of their boyish humour. The chorus of See You is honestly just an excuse for them to mimic someone who has quite a funny voice. Guys after my own heart. It's this very relatable quality that makes them instantly appealing and quite endearing. You can't help but like them, especially once Rundell has commanded you to buy their album because 'my children need wine'.

Source: Allmusic

The 2 Bears are the masters of the quality electro-pop tune. First came Warm & Easy, mashing up every amazing holiday you've ever had and squashing it all into one song, and Bear Hug, the anti-sleazy club song. The Night Is Young gave the world Not This Time, a perfect mixture of angry Taylor Swift break up song, a soul vocals and the slickest production you've ever heard. Coupled with one of the most flamboyantly fabulous music videos I think I've ever seen (who knew it was possible to look that sexy whilst cleaning the oven), not only is it a stand-out track on the album, but it makes for one of the most satisfying shower songs. Trust.

Another astounding thing about any 2 Bears song is their ability to weave an apparently unrelated melody into a seemingly complete song; it's only after this section has passed that you realise the song couldn't ever really be complete without it. Without the ethereally dark section towards the end of My Queen, there wouldn't be that much to talk about. Not only does it add extra depth to the song, but the chance it allows for the vocals to move into a soulful, albeit slightly simplistic, tune, giving the lyrics a meaning that they would never have otherwise had.

There's something vaguely surprising about 2 Bears. It could be something to do with the scruffy appearance, or the unexpectedly, sweetly smooth voice that comes out of Rundell, but there's something about them that doesn't quite match up. Maybe it's just that nobody expected a house come-back to be this fucking good.

Rating: 9/10

Recommended Tracks:
Angel (Touch Me)
Get Out
Not This Time

Brick Lizard

Brick Lizard seem like yet another rock band trying to make it in the ever-changing music world, but there's something slightly different about them.They sound like when your little brother has just discovered rock and roll, and picks up a guitar for the first time. Although obviously their skills are far more advanced than that, they've managed to preserve an element of that essential raw passion for music that seeps through every pore of their tracks. For example, Jealous, a track from their new demo, is laden with references, musically and lyrically (the thinly veiled nod to the famous 'I drive my Chevy to the levy' from American Pie is a standout) that map their influences, giving a respectful round of applause to their roots, and then moving on, making something very new out of something as old as the hills. They play so effortlessly, and the sparse layering exudes a couldn't-really-care sort of attitude, which is enhanced by the unpolished, rough diamond vocals.

When talking about the song writing process, both Rowhan, the guitarist, and Uri, bassist and vocalist, are equally modest. "It's sort of 50-50", says Rowhan, looking for Uri's approval. The riff usually comes first, which is then perfected before Uri adds vocals and lyrics. "I've been in bands before," he says, "but I've never written lyrics for the kind of music we're playing now." No matter - the lyrics spurt out in a stream of consciousness manner, and are almost Turner-esque in their euphemistic provocativeness; in Broken Bricks, the line 'your back-door tricks for a minute on the lips won't conquer me' calls to mind the reluctant resistance of Crying Lightning.

On the subject of comparisons, the band recognises that they're hard to get away from as newcomers. When asked who they most aspire to be like, Queens of the Stone Age, Led Zeppelin and Arctic Monkeys are the first things out of their mouths. "I just wanna be Josh Homme, man", smiles Rowhan. "After a gig someone actually told me I reminded them of him. That was cool." Uri chips in, "we don't want to be a tribute band, though. It's nice for people to see our influences in our music, but we don't want to replicate them." That's what's so nice about Brick Lizard, though; they're clearly so passionate about the music they play and listen to that some of it can't help but bleed through into their own songs.

Both Rowhan and Uri have been playing music for a long time, that when I ask them what made them want to play music, they take a while to consider their answer. For Uri, it was being raised on a staple diet of The Beatles, and he references classic bassist/singer Paul McCartney as an inspiration. Rowhan, on the other hand, grew up with 'Mariah Carey shit', until exposed to Led Zeppelin by his dad, and he's never looked back. Both of them are equally into Led Zeppelin, and Uri even names his favourite bass line as Ramble On, and his best vinyl album as Houses of the Holy. The opening of Another Life oddly sounds as if Stairway to Heaven had been recorded in a Dalston studio, plus a QOTSA-inspired guitar line. The mish-mash of classical rock and grunge is oddly refreshing; one could argue that they've both been done to death, but the pure enthusiasm of the band brings something new, something interesting to the combination.

I asked them what the ultimate sign of making it would be; silence pervaded for a good few seconds. Then Rowhan pipes up, "50 million albums sold!" As they both laugh, Uri just says "well, you never know, reach for the stars."

Rating: 8.5/10

Recommended tracks:
Another Life
Broken Bricks
Jealous

Jungle - Jungle

Source: Allmusic

There's a certain simplicity that exists within Jungle's music which is, surprisingly, difficult to see; it's so full of so many different components, making the music swell and grow, that it very cleverly disguises the most integral part: the bass. The bass is constantly present. It may ebb and flow with the growth of the music, but ultimately, it's always there. It represents something so intrinsically dancey, so chilled, so smooth about Jungle that it's hard to resist the urge to get up and wave your limbs like a madman.

Everything that Jungle is about centres around dance. All of their videos are showcases of incredibly talented dancers, which just makes you want to die of shame when thinking about your particularly awful dad moves that you unadvisedly whipped out last Saturday night. None of their videos actually feature any of the band members, forcing you to appreciate Jungle for their music and not for their image, which is commendable in an industry obsessed with 'the look'. Most notable among their videos is Platoon, featuring an unbelievably talented six year old girl who could put anyone to shame. This simplistic style of filming suits Platoon in particular, because it forces you to really feel each beat of the well-timed vocals, guitar, and twinkly tambourine-y things, not simply passively listen to it. The way the girl starts putting on her armbands and beanie when the music builds up again reminds you that something impressive is coming. The visuals, rather than detract from the quality of the music (as often happens with elaborate, movie-style music videos) add to it in a brilliantly crafted way.

Busy Earnin' is one of their songs that particularly stands out as being something slightly spectacular among all of their slightly spectacular tracks. It allows you a bit of respite with the siren noises at the beginning before plunging straight into a heavy beat and an energising melody line. The layering is perfect in this song; the right bits drop out and come back in at exactly the right time to add emphasis to the best bits, and add decoration to the bits that need it most. The second verse becomes much more diversified, adding never-ending interest in unexpected places. By keeping you on your toes, Jungle manage to stay one step ahead of their listeners all the time. They know they're in control, and the flair with which they play exhibits this perfectly.

Source: Flickr

Another one that grabs you by the ears, spins you round and drops you off at the other end of the planet is Time. There's just something so fascinating about it; how can something with such a comparatively sparse drum beat be so compelling? The truth is that the sparsity of the drum beat allows you to locate the rhythm a lot more easily, and leaves space for other instruments to create grooves over the top of it without letting the focus be taken off the main beat. It's a genius tactic, really, and it lends itself perfectly to the breakdown, where all that's left is clicking, unidentifiable synth sounds and the vocals. The contrast is just a little bit beautiful.

Jungle have slightly crept onto the scene with a highly acclaimed, self-titled debut album. Music journalists are often very keen to draw comparisons between contemporaries ("any female with a guitar is the new Laura Marling!!", "any band vaguely originating from the North who play rock are the new Arctic Monkeys!!!") but that sort of ego-grooming really isn't possible with Jungle. They're fantastic in their own right, and although they're obviously influenced by a huge mix of people, they've chewed them up and spit out something definitively original. It's something so admirable in this day and age that it's hard not to love them for it.

Rating: 8/10

Recommended Tracks:
Lucky I Got What I Want
Drops
The Heat

Latitude 2014

Source: Eventful stays

Music festivals are so intrinsically linked to our idea of a good summer that to actually experience one is like being part of the elite, the desperately cool, the so on-top-of-all-things-cultural-that-the-human-race-may-as-well-start-trying-to-be-you.

Latitude, one of the biggest and best festivals in England, is renowned for being a bit more of a family festival, with much more to it than the music. There's an all-day Comedy Tent, a Film and Music Tent (both of which are discos by night) and several dance stages where the more cultured people can enjoy a spot of Sadler's Wells whilst munching on a bit of Greek cuisine. There's something for everyone there, so if the music isn't quite to your taste, there are plenty of alternatives at all times.

Source: Drowned In Sound

One thing that particularly struck me about Latitude (aside from the incredible coloured sheep) was the intensely laid back atmosphere. 'Intensely laid back' seems like a bit of an oxymoron, but there was just such an absolute lack of pressure to do anything unwanted, or to absolutely have to be anywhere at any one time. This made for a truly personalised festival experience, tailored to your wishes and desires, and not at all focusing on one aspect of culture.

The relatively close-knit layout of the festival meant that it was very likely that you would bump into anyone and everyone within your field of acquaintance; this created a fabulous sense of communal enjoyment of the proceedings, that everyone could take part in and enthuse about together. This make-shift society of enthusiastic music lovers created what Kevin Parker of Tame Impala called "our own little utopia", where anything was allowed. This gives you the freedom to actually be able to let go, forget any sort of stress or worries that have been nagging at you, and simply go where the wind takes you. That's the very clichéd way of saying that fuckin' anything goes.

Source: eFestivals

All this, and I haven't even gotten to the music yet. It was the most perfectly selected array of bands that could ever have been displayed at any festival ever in any universe ever. It catered for everyone's tastes, whether you're into indie rock, soft pop or a little bit of folkie goodness, they had it all. Despite Two Door Cinema Club pulling out at the last moment, the organisers could not have found a better replacement. Lily Allen was simply incredible, mixing her usual wit and sarcasm with pure talent that captivated the audience and created such an incredible buzz around her. Other highlights included Crystal Fighters (for the sheer energy of Plage, if anything), Haim (need I say more), The Black Keys (because they are perfect and no one can argue otherwise) and Gengahr, whose chilled out set gave the impression that they really weren't too fussed about being at Latitude, but whose quality of music and enthusiastic performance proved this to be utterly false.

The main thing that came out of the weekend was how open and accepting Latitude is as a festival. You can stay up all night dancing to some fantastic DJ sets, or you can go to bed immediately after the headliner for the evening. You have the option of seeing both Dara O'Briain or Rudimental in one evening. You can even eat whatever the fuck takes your fancy; the point is, it doesn't matter who prefers what, because everything is catered for, and everything is available. This idea of exclusivity disappears as soon as you walk in the gates.

The Black Keys - Turn Blue

Source: Wikimedia

The Black Keys, the one and only dynamic due of awesomeness, are back. Their latest album Turn Blue landed today, with the run up being a couple of singles and a whole lot of hype. The pair played on Jools Holland, David Letterman and Zane Lowe a few days before the release of Turn Blue, and NME have been fangirling over it for at least a month, leaving the rest of the human race, fed only on tidbits, to wait with baited breath for more. There's no doubt that it's incredibly different to anything they've ever done before, but the brilliant thing about The Black Keys is that they retain the essence of Black Keys-ness, no matter what they do with their music. If you trace their albums from the heavy blues rock of The Big Come Up all the way to the catchy riffs of 2011's El Camino, they've undeniably made giant steps; however, there's definitely a connecting thread through all of their music: the defiance to not do things the way they're expected to. It's something that's so intrinsically attractive about their music, and it's what's gained them several million fans worldwide.

Every music journalist who got their hands on a press copy of the CD has been raving about how "daring" Weight of Love, the first track on the album, is. Sure, it's daring only in that it's the longest song they've ever done (clocking in at 6.50) but apart from that, it feels like an utterly natural start to the album. Time passes without you noticing, because everything is just so well timed so as to create a seamless transition from one section into another. At it's core, though, the epic guitar solos and blues allusions are full of anguish and pain. Considering that the album was written when guitarist and vocalist Dan Auerbach was going through an apparently quite messy and public divorce, this isn't very surprising. There's so much behind that fuzzy guitar solo at the beginning that us as mere listeners can't even begin to access until you see the passion with which they perform live. That's when a whole other dimension is added on to their music, and my suspicion is that they will most certainly not disappoint with respect to Turn Blue.

Source: Wikipedia

Where El Camino was daring in its dive into the world of commercially viable and universally accessible music, Turn Blue is daring in its exploration of those individual and fleeting touches that instantly make a song miles better. Take Bullet In the Brain. The deep "waaaah" (for want of a better description) of the post-chorus section is transporting, and the hint of synthesiser during the second verse is just genius. Just for that, it's one of my favourite songs on the album, because these touches exhibit the musical awareness of The Black Keys and Danger Mouse (the producer who's worked with them since their album Attack & Release) both as listeners and artists, that allows them to make the songs intensely interesting, not just good sing-along material. The same is true for 10 Lovers, which gets the balance between introducing new elements and maintaining the old Black Keys feel just right. It's also a skill that Auerbach can make heartbreak (and lyrics like "when I hear them use your name/I get all choked up inside") seem like the sexiest and most manly emotion on earth.

I would very much like to talk about It's Up To You Now. Very very much. There's not much to say except this: it's a fucking tune and why are more people not enthusing about it. This is where Patrick Carney's skills as a drummer are exhibited, not through technical brilliance, but in instinctively knowing what kind of beat will make people want to dance. The shift from the heavily driven first section into the insistent second section and then back again is unexpected and beautiful. This song has achieved what every song wishes it could achieve: when it finishes, the listener is left gasping for more and wishing it was longer. That, my friends, is the mark of what those in the know call a tuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuune.

I had a very strange experience going from the piano-led In Our Prime to Gotta Get Away. Bearing in mind that In Our Prime is one of the few Keys songs that places such a big emphasis on the piano (and is thus by implication the most soulful and meaningful of the lot, naturally yah) it's quite a shock to suddenly go from that to Gotta Get Away, which I thought was a Rolling Stones song coming up on shuffle on my iPod. Auerbach seems to be channeling his inner Jagger (don't pretend you don't have one) with this one, especially with the opening guitar solo, a sound so typical of a lot of the songs on Exile On Main Street. It's a good old 60s influenced toe-tapper (excuse the word, I instantly feel 40 years older for having used it) that aims to please. More please.

At the end of this, I really don't know what to say. Turn Blue is an album that wears the band's experiences on its sleeve, and is consequently dripping with heart ache and deep, irreparable pain. Through this, they've kept in line with their general tendency to top whatever the previous album was by about a million. Despite the album's individuality, I can't help but hear Iggy Pop's Turn Blue whenever I see the title, no matter how hard I try. The struggles of the musically cultured *sigh*. Still, the contents itself couldn't be anything but Black Keys. Thank the lord.

Rating: 9/10

Recommended Tracks:
10 Lovers
It's Up To You Now
Weight of Love

Wild Beasts - Live at the O2 Academy Brixton

Given the hugely positive reception for Wild Beasts' fourth album, Present Tense, the bar was set high for the level of last Tuesday's performance. Present Tense made it onto NME's list of the best albums of 2014 so far, and it's been highly praised by all who've heard it. It's just praise indeed, but it takes a while to warm up to Present Tense, just because it's such a big step away from 2011's Smother. Anyone who claims to be a Wild Beasts aficionado (and there aren't many, but those who do are truly dedicated) will tell you that the shift isn't obvious, but more of a subtle move away from the insistent and yet artistic vulgarity of songs like Plaything. It's intelligent without being inaccessible; there are songs about sex that are less about fulfilling an animal desire and more about fulfilling an emotional deficit. In short, Wild Beasts have grown up. They'd probably resent that description quite a lot.

Psychedelic light show

With East India Youth supporting, and with the O2 Academy Brixton as the host for the festivities, it looks set to be an evening of intelligent music and heavy bass. For a one-man band, East India Youth's William Doyle is surprisingly captivating and bad-dance-moves inducing. Everything is achieved with his MacBook and a synth, all wired-up to amplify the noise by a billion. His sufficiently awkward refusal to make eye contact or interact with the audience made his absorbed and passionate performance even more interesting. A "hello" would've been nice, though.

When Wild Beasts come on, it's clear that all their hard graft to achieve some sort of notoriety has paid off; the screams are incessant throughout their set. They kick off with the beautiful Mecca, from their new album, which starts off in a languidly passionate way, giving them plenty of scope for the rest of the evening.

Some bands, when they've just released a new album, prefer to play that album from start to finish, maybe giving the audience a cover, or the staple old song that gets wheeled out at every gig they do. Not so with Wild Beasts. They gave a nod to their past by putting songs like the wonderfully vibrant Devil's Crayon, from their first album, next to Daughters, a slightly disturbingly gorgeous song from their fourth. Far from being a bit strange, the contrast only demonstrates how far the band has comes from the Limbo, Panto days.

What makes Wild Beasts stand out from many other bands is that they in fact have two lead singers: Hayden Thorpe and Tom Fleming. Both men have distinctly different voices; Thorpe favours a higher range, tending more to use a falsetto, whereas Fleming's voice is gorgeously rich and smooth. It's the vocal equivalent of a chocolate fondue. In their live performances, it's fascinating to see how shared vocals work in practice. With songs like All The King's Men, Thorpe leaves Fleming to do his thing, but in Reach A Bit Further, the two voices mix and complement each other perfectly. On the album, it's wonderful. Live, it's phenomenally phantasmagorical. Alliteration intended.

Wild Beasts

The band members themselves clearly adore what they do. Their performance is full of enthusiastic headbanging, arm-moving, piano-bashing, and, in Thorpe's case, a new method of wide-legged dancing whilst playing the bass. These guys ain't nothing if not inventive.

Wanderlust, the leading track from the new album, isn't revealed until the encore, but it gets everyone screaming "don't confuse me with someone who gives a fuck" with visible glee. The night ends on the epic End Come Too Soon, sending the crowd into hysterics when everything dies down in the middle. It provides the perfect farewell to what really couldn't have been a better performance.

All that show did was prove to me how undeserving Wild Beasts are of being called "pop". It's far too small a bracket for the wide-ranging styles and lyrics that they encompass across their four albums. Their songs are too good to be overexposed with too much airplay. Their albums deserve to be picked up and discovered quietly, and then listened to with awe and wonder. Reader, I call upon ye to love Wild Beasts, and aid me in my quest to love them quietly. I find that too much screaming and shouting only drowns out the music.