Dots & Dashes

“Us breaking up has in fact had a really positive impact...

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:48:00 +0100

“Us breaking up has in fact had a really positive impact on the music, and I feel like I can give a lot more now.”

Dots & Dashes discuss the dichotomy between unity and the intimacy it entails, and the dislocation distance brings with Blue Hawaii.

“Everything looks perfect from far away…” Dots...

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:18:02 +0100

“Everything looks perfect from far away…”

Dots & Dashes review the live return of The Postal Service at O2 Academy Brixton.

‘The littoral British retreat that is Brighton may be...

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:22:00 +0100

‘The littoral British retreat that is Brighton may be better renowned for saccharine tat and chish and fips still swimming in gristle and grime than it may be for musics and the manic frenzy their festivals so often entail, although the city becomes a bloody hive of hype for the one weekend of the year. That is this, and this is the 2013 edition of The Great Escape. So let the buzz begin!’

Review: Thursday, 16th May / Friday, 17th May / Saturday, 18th May.
Gallery: Thursday, 16th May / Friday, 17th May / Saturday, 18th May.

‘With lyrics of snapped rachides and cameos from hip hop...

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:16:46 +0100

‘With lyrics of snapped rachides and cameos from hip hop heavyweights, you’d be forgiven for fearing a seismic shift in focus as they retract their toes from the avant-garde to embrace a rather more accessible aesthetic. Flashes of the wilfully outré remain, not least in Vonsild’s voice itself – a slippery falsetto that’s tricky to pin down and harder still to comprehend – but even from an external perspective, they’ve been gravely undervalued for all too long already.’

Dots & Dashes review Infinity Pool – the third full-length from the ‘glorious irregularities in an increasingly regular musical landscape’ that are When Saints Go Machine.

‘Now warming up for the release of their fifth full-length...

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:00:39 +0100

‘Now warming up for the release of their fifth full-length in seven years, San Francisco duo The Dodos haven’t exactly held us forever rapt over the course of their discography. Sophomore recording Visiter was a personal fave, although elsewhere they’ve faltered for want of a more tender term as Meric Long and Logan Kroeber have often fallen for the predictable, or worse still the plainly soporific. Though if a perfunctory peek into the inner workings of the forthcoming Carrier should be any genuine yardstick, then they’ve set their sights far higher than they have of late, and Confidence restores just that. A bristly opus of sorts that harnesses the emotivity of Local Natives and stitches that vulnerable underbelly into a rhythmic workout thunderous enough to send a ball of dense pigskin right out into touch, it’s a ruddy potent maelstrom of swirling guitars and swollen toms. A recording approaching perfection, as Long avows: “Who has it all, has nothing” one senses that so much could yet be theirs if Carrier carries on in a similarly vivifying vein of form.’

Carrier is anticipated August 27th via Polyvinyl Record Co.

‘No sooner have we looked to northwestern Spain and to...

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:38:00 +0100

‘No sooner have we looked to northwestern Spain and to next month’s Primavera Sound than we’re back in Barcelona – at least musically speaking – as we turn to next month’s Sónar. The one and indeed only International Festival of Advanced Music and New Media Art this year commemorates its 20th anniversary, and to celebrate it boasts a line up of utmost refinement pooled from the spheres of electronica and organica alike. As with our every Fest Bests feature, we were unable to include everyone we’re restively awaiting over in Cataluña and as such the likes of Major Lazer & Mykki Blanco & Liars & Bat For Lashes have, alas, fallen by the wayside although below be our presupposed highlights for the city-spanning, premium lager-swilling throwdown…’

Fest Bests: Sónar 2013.

‘As instructed in song format, Dan Snaith decelerates...

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:30:28 +0100

‘As instructed in song format, Dan Snaith decelerates James Holden’s Renata as he strips away at its unrelenting drive to allow for the Daphni rework below to thrive as an Afro-affected redux more than ready for the floor. Euphoria unceremoniously dumped in favour of enigma and mystique, ominous vocal drones shadow tempestuous rhythms which feel instantly exotic, though with that inviting as the skiffle shuffles to a standstill across seven, twenty-seven of prime revitalisation. We don’t readily give in to the remix, though this one’s radical, and rabid, and so readily accessible that it’s almost impossible to not submit to its wildly propulsive charm…’

The Inheritors is expected June 17th on Holden’s very own Border Community label.

‘For all the furore surrounding début shows these days,...

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:00:34 +0100

‘For all the furore surrounding début shows these days, few would surely come close in terms of impatient anticipation to that of L.A. lark Banks when, rather than if it comes to be for having accrued a staggering 65,735 SoundCloud plays on this, her latest in only two days, you’d have a task on your hands arguing against her being among the hottest of musical properties these days. And indeed you’d be foolhardy to write off her latest, Warm Water, as anything other than a sultry beauty of utmost potency. A smouldering plea masterfully produced by a certain Orlando Higginbottom, the Californian keens: “I think I may love you/ If you give me some time/ Maybe you’ll love me too” and although not yet mutual, Warm Water rekindles the simmering intrigue as much as it requites the infatuation. For make no mistake: she’s bubbling over into the realms of the truly special with her every endeavour. We’ve a thing for her, and to paraphrase Mark E. Smith et al. 65,734 other SoundCloud listeners can’t be wrong.’

‘It’s all ears on Homme at the minute as the,...

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:31:00 +0100

‘It’s all ears on Homme at the minute as the, well, homme and his fellow rabble-rousers continue to unleash bits and pieces from Queens of the Stone Age’s forthcoming sixth full-length recording …Like Clockwork and having already bestowed My God Is The Sun, and both I Sat By The Ocean and If I Had A Tail upon ye we’ve now another from that infamous Studio Brussel session in the form of ruinous chugger Keep Your Eyes Peeled. An appositely disquieting listen, the clodhopping thud of a superbly guttural guitar forms the bed of nails upon which Josh’s semi-operatic vocal sadistically boogies, wondrously effeminate harmonies later swirling giddily about astonishingly low fidelity production values and thundering drums. Rargh, and whatnot…’

…Like Clockwork is anticipated June 3rd on Ma t ador Records.

‘We’ve been away for a bit. Call it what you will –...

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:01:47 +0100

‘We’ve been away for a bit. Call it what you will – compassionate leave, or whatever else – but it felt good to escape the internet, if only for a brief while. Don’t get me wrong – I find music to be the best method of utmost escapism, though there comes a point at which another extraneous tweet re: Random Access Memories accompanied by a panoramic iPhone shot taken from the apex of The Shard may just prick your rage, tip you over the edge and condemn you to the murky dregs of madness. I was getting there on Monday, although here to allow for all the irritation to ebb away pacifically is Tokyo teen Left Right Arms, whose infantile vocal ambiguity recalls Jónsi on a dewy morn as xylophonic vulnerability and plush acoustic strums cocoon such sublime unintelligibility on the gently epic Outer Space. Subtly cinematic and yet simultaneously introspective, it’s the emotive denouement to his newly fashioned Bear EP and it positively soars. Almost like a certain construction down around SE1…’

‘There’s an inimitable off-kilt pop dexterity to all...

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:29:34 +0100

‘There’s an inimitable off-kilt pop dexterity to all that Nikolaj Manuel Vonsild’s When Saints Go Machine contrive to fabric, and no longer is Iodine merely ‘a chemical element with symbol I and atomic number 53’ but instead also a massive splash from the Danes’ forthcoming third, Infinity Pool. It’s a record which, released in conjunction with EMI, may see the Scandinavian eccentrics enter into a more widespread cognisance and along with the Killer Mike-featuring Love And Respect, Iodine is an incontrovertible highlight that serves as a nebulous billow of avant-garde suavity pumped out of the experimental and into an all the more mainstream aesthetic – its chorus a deferential, if perhaps indirect homage to Kate Bush’s inexhaustible Running Up That Hill. And tirelessly excellent this one is, as well.’

Infinity Pool is released May 20th on EMI / !K7.

‘By this time next week, we’ll already have (albeit...

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:22:17 +0100

‘By this time next week, we’ll already have (albeit only ephemerally) relocated to Barcelona for day upon day of decadent overindulgence and musical extravagance, for this year’s edition of the quintessential left field festival, Primavera Sound, is now upon us. I can practically taste the Estrella Heineken fizzling away at the rear of my palette and, truth be known, the way this British springtime’s currently panning, out I’m almost relishing the prospect of inevitable sunburn. Almost… Storms are currently forecast for the week though that can’t be right, right..? Anyhow – as is so often our wont with these sorts of aestival shenanigans, below can be found a rundown of who we’re itching to get over and see most impatiently, as we tick through our Fest Bests in a purely alphabetical order. That said list neglects to comprise our beloved likes of Daniel Johnston, Parquet Courts, Allah-Las, Sean Nicholas Savage, etcetera ad infinitum attests to the strength of this edition’s ineffable billing, and there’s even an opportunity to witness whether or not The Knife can rectify the heinous wrongs of last week. Just don’t pin too much hope on that one, and instead affix all optimism to the following…’

Fest Bests: Primavera Sound 2013.

‘It’s their most politically engaged, and with that...

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:14:53 +0100

‘It’s their most politically engaged, and with that engaging rhetoric for quite some while and although Bobby may here be guilty of explicit sloganeering, he carries it off with both panache and aplomb. And were the revolution to indeed be televised during 2013, with this its anthem I’d duly oblige to his every demand…’

Dots & Dashes review Primal Scream’s frequently enlightening More Light.

“All good music starts from nothing! It starts from...

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:40:29 +0100

“All good music starts from nothing! It starts from silence! Let’s be here; let’s be together. So shush!”

Dots & Dashes review Blue Hawaii’s UK début at the 10th anniversary celebrations of Club Motherfucker.

‘If these particular L.A. youths have previously sounded...

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:26:08 +0100

‘If these particular L.A. youths have previously sounded that bit too pusillanimous, then the pair now seem doughty by comparison.’

Dots & Dashes review the sophomore from Californian synth-pop sweethearts, Kisses.

“In the case of In a Time Lapse, whereas before I wanted...

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:02:38 +0100

“In the case of In a Time Lapse, whereas before I wanted to improvise around ideas in a studio so that I could catch the moment of creation directly on recording, this time I wanted to compose most of the music before and then go very much into the details of arrangement – every second – once inside the studio. I’m very satisfied with the results, because I think I got to explore all the layers that I wanted to – the orchestral parts; the solos; the synthesis of electronics, and that experimental aspect – so it comprises all the ingredients that I wanted it to. I took the right time and concentration to record and produce it, so I’m pleased with it.”

Dots & Dashes discuss space and time over crackle and spit with contemporary classical maestro, Ludovico Einaudi.

‘For She & Him are something of a guilty pleasure....

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:17:42 +0100

‘For She & Him are something of a guilty pleasure. They perhaps shouldn’t be, such are their indie credentials, but that’s exactly what they are. There’s no two ways about it; no cause for discussion: they’re parodical as they are overwhelmingly pleasant, and the rather unimaginatively titled Volume 3 is no exception to the rule.’

Dots & Dashes review the third from the inimitable tweestrels.

‘Having previously Gone Feral, minimal techno mastermind...

Thu, 09 May 2013 16:31:44 +0100

‘Having previously Gone Feral, minimal techno mastermind James Holden here reels in the primordiality in favour of a highly effectual synthetic thrust entitled Renata. Lifted from forthcoming sophomore The Inheritors, it’s the sort of giddying Friday dark fare that threatens to run away with itself with ever increasing frequency, jarring arpeggi scrambling over splashes of jazzy cymbal and gleaming flashes of extempore freeform. If only we could now expedite time similarly so that we might hear the LP in its entirety…’

The Inheritors is expected June 17th on Holden’s very own Border Community label.

‘It’s what we’re all up to more or less all of...

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:56:12 +0100

‘It’s what we’re all up to more or less all of the time whether incidental or concerted, though rarely do we stumble upon something anywhere near as majestic as this from former Emeralds ambientalist Mark McGuire. A sneak peep into a forthcoming LP entitled Along the Way, In Search of the Miraculous marries Asiatic twinkles with insistent nudges of guitar in what is one of the most harmonious sonic matrimonies since Air’s Alone In Kyoto. And although alive to the intricate simplicities of his previous, it’s the incorporation of albeit unintelligible lyrics for which this one will forever be remembered as they billow about softened, solar susurrus like scintillating golden dust in an outer atmosphere. “All that we know is only learned/ All that they know, was only learned/ All that we’ve been told was decided long ago/ So all I know for sure, is there must be something more…”’

‘Alas, we’re still awaiting enlightenment as to what...

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:03:05 +0100

‘Alas, we’re still awaiting enlightenment as to what collaborations between Josh Homme’s ineffably badass desert-rock bruisers Queens of the Stone Age and the likes of Elton John and Jake Shears might sound like, although by ‘eck did Brussels get it lucky this week as the distortion junkies swung by radio station StuBru to air a couple newbies from forthcoming sixth studio full-length …Like Clockwork, along with a customary acoustic take on No One Knows. Up first, we’ve I Sat By The Ocean – a languid, roily work redolent of both Coffee and TV and Little Sister, and indeed it’s not too dissimilar to much of the hi-fi stomp to have been trampled into Era Vulgaris start through finish.

Although it’s the moody, bluesy If I Had A Tail which flickers with greatest promise, as Homme’s deadpan snarl glints in squiggly riffs which skid right off the fretboard. ”Get your hands dirty; roll up them sleeves/ Brainwashed, or true believers/ Buy flash cars; diamond rings / Expensive holes to bury things” he seethes, a cactaceous barb in his ass by the sounds of it and with society in a significantly more perilous state of disrepair than it was some seven years ago when QOTSA were last heard from, we’re in need of harsh smiting oh great smiter!’

…Like Clockwork is out June 3rd on Matador Records.