Walk The Moon at iTunes Festival, Roundhouse, London
It was our first visit to both the iTunes festival and
London’s Roundhouse. As avid music fans (who would guess?!), we had both
entered the competition to win tickets to many of the days of the month-long festival
which takes place every September, and when we won a pair, we were surprised
and very excited.
Walk The Moon are a band from the USA, who are still
relatively unknown, in the UK at least.However, we discovered them a few months ago and were both immediately
hooked on their music, especially our favourites ‘Anna Sun’ and ‘Next In Line’.
Walk The Moon at iTunes Festival 2012
They were the support act of the night (although, in our
opinion, capable of a headline slot), and had a reasonable 45 minute set.It began with the song ‘The Liftaway’, which
has a guitar riff which reminds me of Elbow’s ‘One Day Like This’.Not that Walk The Moon are particularly similar
to them- they have a much more ‘indie sound’, with their super fast electric
guitars and upbeat, uplifting tunes, they are more reminiscent of Two Door
Cinema Club.
We were the only people we could see in the crowd who knew
the band, but we still sang and clapped along as Walk The Moon performed song
after song with an excited enthusiasm. The key moment was undoubtedly their
performance of single ‘Anna Sun’, which sounded just as good live as recorded,
but with an added energy that only comes with live music.
After seeing them live, we would definitely recommend Walk
The Moon, and hope to see them becoming very successful in the UK and beyond.
The day began early – we woke up when it was barely light outside,
in order to be in Oxford Street,
London by 9am to get our hands on
the entry wristbands (of which there were only 400!). We arrived with plenty of
time, and excitedly put them on, whilst drinking a much needed coffee after our
early start! The actual acoustic gig didn’t start until 6pm, but
we arrived at the queue outside HMV’s flagship store just after 5 o’clock, and
already a big line of excited Two Door fans (unofficially known as ‘Basement
People’) had formed, all armed with copies of the new album ‘Beacon’, ready to
be signed by Alex, Sam and Kevin themselves. We were allowed into the shop
about half an hour before it all started, and found that an area of the
building had been sectioned off especially for the event, with a small stage
set up against the wall. As always, the wait for a gig wasn’t particularly
enjoyable, but we were waiting amongst the shelves of CDs, so at least we had
some time to check out what was in stock!
Armed with merchandise!
While
we were waiting, with arms full of TDCC merchandise (two CDs – ‘Beacon’ and
also their debut ‘Tourist History’, a DIY T-shirt emblazoned with the band’s
logo and a rather battered copy of NME magazine), we were approached by a woman
who had spotted the magazine we were holding. She explained to us that she was
a reporter for the NME, and began to query us about what we like about Two Door
Cinema Club. When she asked who the biggest fan of the band was, Isabella
instantly pointed towards me (Felicity – I’m a big Two Door fan!). In response
to the journalist’s questions, I described what I felt when I first listened to
Tourist History (something along the lines of “it was like my ears were
exploding – but in the best possible way”... hardlyeloquent, but expressing
what you think about your favourite band is a lot more difficult than it
sounds!)
Before
long, the audience started clapping and cheering as Alex, Sam and Kevin
appeared from a stage door and took to the ‘stage’ – a small area at the back
of HMV which had been cordoned off. They began their acoustic set with ‘Sleep
Alone’, their most recent single to date, and the first single release from
‘Beacon’, which provided the audience with the perfect beat to clap along to
(see our “Top Songs of Summer 2012” post for more reference to this!) Although
it seemed that many of the audience didn’t know many of the words to Sleep
Alone, they soon had the chance to sing along when the band broke out into a
slower, folksy version of ‘Undercover Martyn’, which was followed by ‘Do You
Want It All’, two songs from Two Door’s debut album which proved very popular.
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB!
These
were followed by the catchy and optimistic “Something Good Can Work”, which
left a permanent smile on our faces for the rest of the evening, and
guitar-based new album track “Next Year”, which may have been unknown to many
of the audience, but was still enjoyed by everyone there. When lead singer Alex
Trimble (who you may have seen singing at the Olympics Opening Ceremony in London this year)
announced that they were to play one last song, everyone anticipated what would
come next. Upon recognising the opening guitar chords of “What You Know”, the
crowd descended into cheering, jumping and even screaming; this song provided the perfect end to the set.
After
Two Door had put down their guitars and stood for a few press photos, they
sat down and prepared to sign albums for the ‘swarming hordes’ of fans that
awaited them (anyone who owns a copy of Tourist History should get that
reference ;] ). When it was our turn, we gave the band, who seemed to us like
such genuinely nice people, our merchandise to sign (TDCC proving that signing
a T-shirt is a lot more difficult than it looks); thanking them a little too
excessively and telling them what a great gig it was. It didn’t seem real that
one of our favourite bands, whose music we often play on loop, were sitting
right in front of us, signing the CD that we’ve listened to many a time, casually
speaking to us and complaining to each other about a broken permanent marker. I
guess “surreal” would be the closest word to describe that moment.
Sam, Kevin and Alex signing our copy of Beacon!
Felicity getting a T-shirt signed by Kevin!
Isabella speaking to Alex and getting a copy of Tourist History signed!
Still
in slight awe of what had just happened, we were walking out of the emptying
shock, when we spotted Pete Robertson, the drummer from The Vaccines, buying 4
copies of The Vaccines’ “Come Of Age”, also released on the same day. A brief
chat about the new album led to a great photo opportunity – and we soon
realised that this was the second member of The Vaccines that we’ve met (the
first being Arni the bassist at the Eden Sessions concert in Cornwall). We’ll
never forget our trip to Oxford
Street on Monday, 3rd September 2012,
that’s for sure.
We're hoping to do a regular post on our favourite albums, reviewing each of them track-by-track, and The Drums' debut album, 'The Drums' (2010) is the first we're featuring.
After
listening to the same old much-loved summery albums on a continual loop
(Friendly Fires, Vampire Weekend, etc.), we were glad to add this to our
collection of Songs To Listen To When The Weather’s Hot. Here’s our take on
this refreshing mix of indie, alternative and post-punk, courtesy of NY-based
band The Drums.
1. Best
Friend
The Drums
waste no time with introductions – kicking off their eponymous debutwith their hit ‘Best Friend’; one of their
best-known songs which depicts a hypothetical situation in which Jacob (The
Drums’ guitarist) dies and his best friend Jonny (lead singer of The Drums)
misses him, but eventually feels he has to move on. Confused? We are too.
Nonetheless, it’s a good song combining an upbeat melody with deeper, darker
lyrics; something which The Drums seem to do very well (this becomes clear as
the album progresses).
2. Me
And The Moon
This is a
great example of one of the Drums’ intriguing song titles- the track describes
a cold, failing relationship as ‘is it me and you or is it me and the
moon?’The song strangely contains a
section extremely similar to that of the single ‘Forever and Ever, Amen’ (track
6), but apart from that, it is a catchy tune in its own right, with the synthy instrumental
section sounding very post-punk.
3. Let’s Go Surfing
This was the
song which first introduced me (Felicity) to The Drums way back in 2010. Two
years and several hundred plays later, I still love the song as much as the
first time I heard it. Its feelgood chorus and distinctive whistle hook,
alongside carelessly optimistic lyrics (“he’s going to make it all better”, “I
wanna go surfing\ I don’t care about nothing”) and harmonised bridge, set this
tune aside as a timeless summer anthem which will remain on our playlist for
many summers to come.
4. Book Of Stories
This song is
definitely more of a grower rather than one which is immediately a favourite.
It isn’t one of our top tracks on this album, but fits in well with the overall
sound of ‘The Drums’.The lyrics are
very typical of the band, with the somewhat depressing chorus ‘I thought my
life would get easier, instead it’s getting harder’, contrasting with the
upbeat, catchy instrumental.
5. Skippin’
Town
Singer Jonny
Pierce makes the most of his vocal range on this track, jumping from high to
low and back again when singing the introductory “ooh ee oo ee oo-ooh”s which
are recycled at various other intervals in the song. This is a track which
definitely relies more on technicalities, such as vocals and instrumentals,
than on lyrics – meaning that it is likely to stick in your mind very quickly.
6. Forever And Ever Amen
This is one
of our favourite songs on the album- it’s just so happy and really stays in
your head after you’ve listened to it. The positively sentimental lyrics ‘It’s
forever, baby it’s forever’ make a change from the sadder, more downbeat lyrics
of most of the album and the song just wants to cheer you up from beginning to
end. If you’re only going to listen to one of the songs on this album, I
(Isabella) would choose this one!
7. Down
By The Water
It may be one
of the more melancholy songs on the album, but Down By The Water is by no means
a disappointment. The beat is a lot more apparent on this track, providing a
slow, steady, defined rhythm to accompany the tuba sound and Jonny Pierce’s
vocals. The result is a hauntingly romantic ballad which blurs the line between
lullaby and love song (the Cure reference there wasn’t intentional, despite
obvious similarities between the two bands which become clear on track 12 – The
Future). This is a song which could make you smile, or send shivers up your
spine, or possibly both.
8. It Will All End In Tears
Don’t be put
off by the supposedly bleak title of this song- in true The Drums fashion, the
track is not all you expect it to be at first glance. It is hard to call a ballad, as, despite it
being about a dysfunctional relationship, the upbeat guitars and enthusiastic
backing vocals make this track yet another of the band which easily gets stuck
in your head.
9. We
Tried
Another more
sombre, heartfelt track from The Drums, showcasing once again that sad songs
don’t have to be downbeat; We Tried continues to keep up the tempo, regardless
of the fact that this is a break-up song. Here, Pierce describes his feelings
of loneliness after the breakdown of a relationship – which he attempted to
rekindle (“We tried\and we died”).
10. I Need Fun In My Life
The song
certainly wins the award for best song title. It begins with lead vocalist
Jonny Pierce singing ‘oh oh, oh oh’, along to the opening guitar instrumental-
something he does in a lot of songs, but always seems to work.The playful, nonsensical lyrics ‘I need life
in my fun fun fun’ are very easy to find yourself singing along with, and even
if you’re not quite sure what they mean, they go well with this upbeat and
toe-tapping album track.
11. I’ll
Never Drop My Sword
Upon reading
this song’s name, you might not know what to expect. Although this track
certainly suits the style of the album and band, the lyrics are difficult to
interpret and a lot of repetition is used – this isn’t particularly a stand-out
track. The lyric “do you think that Jesus loves me?” is the band’s first
reference to the theme of religion, which is a lot more prominent in The Drums’
sophomore album, Portamento.
12. The Future
I (Isabella)
often think The Drums sound like The Cure, and this track is the one which I
would say reminds me most of the gothic post-punk band.This is not a bad comparison at all- we both
love The Cure, and it’s great to hear a band which has this sound to their music,
as it is often hard to find at the moment.This track smoothly finishes off one of our favourite debut albums, and
it is clear, from The Drums even better second album, Portamento (released in
2011) that they definitely do have a future.
Here are some of the best new songs we've been listening to all summer...
1) Skirts
– THE OTHER TRIBE
You’d be forgiven for thinking that this
was Friendly Fires – Bristol-based The Other Tribe’s latest release sings of
long, hot summer nights and is guaranteed to make you want to head down to your
nearest beach. Even if it is 10°
outside. And chucking it down with rain.
2) Anna
Sun – WALK THE MOON
One of the sunniest, most up-tempo songs of
this summer, from one of the hottest new bands, complete with a first verse
that seriously BUILDS. Don’t believe us? Listen for yourselves!
3) The
Broadwalk – LIZZIE AND THE YES MEN
The perfect blend of indie and pop,
courtesy of Lizzie Holdforth and co. Like the female-vocalised equivalent of
The Drums’ “Let’s Go Surfing”, it will get stuck in your head a little too
easily, and could potentially stay there for a whole day.
4) Weathervanes
and Chemicals – TEAM ME
As heard on XFm’s Music Response show, here
is the debut UK release from this Norwegian six-piece band. Expect good things
– and it’s probably best to ignore iTunes’ classification of them as “Pop”
(they don’t always get it right, do they?) Team Me’s album “To The Treetops!”
is out now, we recommend you check it out.
5) Sleep
Alone – TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB
Continuing their infectiously enthusiastic
rhythms and trademark rapid guitar riffs, Two Door show once again that they
are worthy of their status as One Of The Best Bands Ever*. They’ve even managed
to include a drum beat which sounds like a clapping crowd at the start of the record, applause
that Two Door well and truly deserve.**
*One Of The Best Bands Ever status as
awarded by Felicity of On The Jukebox, as of August 25th 2012.
**I’m not biased, honestly.
6) Octopus
– BLOC PARTY
When news of a new Bloc Party single with
original line-up intact) broke out, it quickly spread across social networking
and media websites like wildfire. The sound is energetic, upbeat and has
“indie” written all over it. That Foals-esque guitar intro will soon have this
song moved up onto your “Most Played Songs” list in no time, you mark our
words.
7) This
Song Is Called Ragged – JONATHAN BOULET
Is that a marimba we hear? We certainly
haven’t heard a sound quite so summery in a while. This song will conjure up
images of golden sands and clear, turquoisey oceans. Best enjoyed under a palm
tree, while sipping a cool, tropical fruit smoothie and soaking up the
Caribbean sunshine. Or alternatively, at home, while drinking a mug of tea and
wearing 50 layers of clothing to block out the cold. The choice is yours.
8) Little
Talks – OF MONSTERS AND MEN
First there was Gotye. Then there was FUN.
Now, Of Monsters and Men have become the latest alternative band to break into
the mainstream, scoring themselves a UK Top 40 hit, and gaining both a decent
amount of airplay and several millions of YouTube views. Good choice, listeners. One
more thing – Of Monsters and Men follow us on Twitter. #justsaying.
9) Elephant
– TAME IMPALA
If you stuck Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s
“Spread Your Love”, The Black Keys’ “Howlin’ For You” and Muse’s “Uprising”
into a blender, mixing them up together like a musical milkshake, we can
imagine the end product would sound something like this.
10) Teenage
Icon – THE VACCINES
The Vaccines’ Justin Young may not be a
teenage icon. Nor is he Frankie Avalon (a 1950’s pop star, apparently). But one
thing’s certain for sure; The Vaccines are back with a fresh sound and that
unique rock ‘n’ roll charm – what did you expect?! We can’t wait for their new
album Come Of Age – roll on 3rd September.
11) Lifening (Burst To Life Mix) – SNOW PATROL
This is sound proof that remixes don’t just
kill songs. Here, Snow Patrol’s sentimental album track “Lifening” is given a
new vibrance that distinguishes it from the original, while retaining all the
meaning, Gary Lightbody’s top-class vocals and general Snow Patrol goodness. We
liked it so much, we named this blog after some of its lyrics.
12) Never Fade Away – SPECTOR
As the days begin to shorten, leaves on the
trees turn brown and sunbathers disappear from parks and beaches, we see the
summer gradually come to an end. This little ballad from Spector (review of
their BT London live set coming soon) provides us with a reminder that Summer
2012 will not be forgotten. Too cheesy? Oh well, we tried. Isabella and Felicity, OTJ x
Noah and The Whale, The Vaccines and Palma Violets
11/07/2012
The gig was a concert like no other – each Eden Session is a
sort of one-day festival which takes place outdoors, amongst the plants from
around the world which make the Eden Project the place that it is.
We joined the queue early, eager for a good place near the
front, and found ourselves in a valley at the bottom of a hill, where the stage
was set up.After some warming Cornish
pasties to help us get through the cold and the rain, the gate was soon opened
and we happily took our places in the second row.
Palma Violets
The first band were newcomers Palma Violets, who none of the
crowd knew, but, by the end of their set, had everyone smiling and
cheering.They were certainly very different
to the folky headliners, Noah and The Whale, as in contrast their set was full
of roaring electric guitars and singing interspersed with enthusiastic shouts,
but their set made a big impression.
The Vaccines performing Norgaard
The second act, The Vaccines,were our favourite of the
night. They were the perfect band to ‘rock out to’ in such a gig in the open
air and rain; the whole crowd screamed along with the memorable and catchy
songs, which have made The Vaccines one of the most popular bands of the past
year. Their performance was what you’d expect from a good indie rock band: a set full of guitars, and the recognisable
vocals of lead singer, Justin, who performed with an energy which had the whole
crowd entertained.A few key moments
were when they played some material from their new album, including the singles
“No Hope” and “Teenage Icon”, which the crowd enthusiastically sang along with;
there definitely IS hope for the Vaccines to become even more successful than
they have been after the release of their debut album.
Freddie from The Vaccines
The Vaccines 'rock out'!
Headliners Noah and The Whale played the final set of the
evening beneath the night sky: creating an atmospheric hour in which they
performed their heart-warming, optimistic songs. The greatest moment had to be
when they began to play the first few notes of their most well-known song 5
Years Time, and the crowd all cheered and clapped despite the fact that not one
line had yet been sung.The audience’s excitement
continued upon hearing the opening bars of Noah’s eccentric track “Love Of An
Orchestra”, before soon joining in with the song’s catchy hook, “if you’re
gonna run, run from hope”.Another
memorable moment was when the rain stopped and the sky coincidentally cleared
in time for their performance of “Blue Skies”.
Noah And The Whale
Lead singer Charlie
A final guitar chord
The evening didn’t finish with Noah and The Whale’s last
song, The First Days of Spring, as just as we were leaving, we saw that Arni,
the bassist from the Vaccines was still hanging around. A short conversation
and a photograph later, and our Eden Sessions experience was complete.We both agree we would definitely recommend
the annual event.
Hello! We are Isabella and Felicity, two music fans collectively known as On The Jukebox.
Us at Snow Patrol's Fallen Empires tour in February.
We're aiming to create a blog celebrating the best of indie and alternative music - both new and old - including gig reviews and photos, our thoughts on new album releases, music recommendations and other music-related shenanigans - !
Look out for reviews of our best gigs of Summer 2012 - coming soon. Watch this space!
