It's ridiculously early on a Wednesday morning. The sky is murky, clouded by hazy breaking rays and shrouded in minute insects. But it's not any ole' Wednesday; it's the final Wednesday of June. Glastonbury has cometh. Last night I crossed off one of the most inspirational bands in my view who had been staring out at me with bloodshot eyes from my bands to see before I grow old, when the sheer elasticity of skinny jeans could snap my brittle bones: Portland's The Thermals. I caught up with frontman and frantically enthusiastic music aficionado Hutch Harris before the show and I'll get that interview, as well as a review up after the mud's caked off/ sunburn's tended too following this wild week...
Flight of the Conchords once said rappers have feelings too...
I wonder if Jay-Z feels the bereavement of not following on from last year's lukewarm headline slot?! Kanye West is rumoured to appear with tacky UK processed soulster Mr. Hudson. It's in his contract provided the heavens aren't open. Believe it when you see it... If the toys go out the pram, that one hideous song he cameos on would pummel Shawn Carter's mediocrity into the gaping mud slurry Worthy Farm will undoubtedly have become around Friday morning.
See you on t'other side...
A Crossing of Swords with Nouvelle Vague
In anticipation of the third all-out new wave cover record of Francophonic lounge champs Nouvelle Vague, our weaving electronic paths intertwined with founding member Olivier Libaux to discuss the contemporary significance of the cover version, urges to throw a bit of original songwriting into the copyright-cleansed mix and the odd guest spot…
Dots: You’ve just pieced together your 3rd record. how difficult is it to decide on which cover versions make each final cut?
Olivier Libaux: Putting together a Nouvelle Vague album is like selecting own songs to do the tracklist of a solo album. There’s a mix of favourites songs, songs you think are working very well, slow songs, fast songs, etc, etc. We generally have to pick 13 songs out of 40 for an album - which can happen to be disappointing and frustrating for us.
Dashes: How and when do the covers begin to take shape?
OL: We usually start a cover by only playing the song on my guitar. Obviously, the idea is to change the rythm of the song, compared with the original, and find a way of playing it - just with the guitar - which could drive our ideas of arrangements in an interesting direction. As soon as we feel the cover is happening, we start the recording and think about the girl who is going to perform the song.
Dots: Having received critical acclaim through the songs of others, do you ever feel the urge to write music of your own?
OL: We do write and record personal songs and music. For example, my next album will be my third, and before that I used to write all songs in my 1st band (all material is unfortunately only available in France and a few other countries). All Nouvelle Vague members are also solo artists, which is a good thing, because we all can take Nouvelle Vague freshly, with the pleasure and creativity it deserves. We are often asked if we would one day put some of our songs on a Nouvelle Vague album, and the answer is always no. Nouvelle Vague is dedicated to covering new wave music.
Dashes: When commissioning your work for TV ads, do you ponder the dilemma of “selling out” or do you regard it as a vital way to expand your horizons?
OL: We don’t really think that much about it. The thing is, Nouvelle Vague happened to become sort of popular in terms of “syncs” - meaning our versions being used in Ads, Movies, TV shows, etc. We were not really expecting that kind of thing back in 2003, but we are quite happy with it. Our english label is also good at dealing with these things, and good news is these syncs are interesting for original publishers/writers too.
Dots: Who would you class as your deepest influences?
OL: There are so many…it’s impossible to answer. Anyway, as anyone and everyone can guess, punk, post punk, new wave music has been a huge influence for us, among others.
Dashes: How deeply does the french heritage run within the work of Nouvelle Vague?
OL: It’s funny; everybody outside France considers Nouvelle Vague to be a “French” thing although we never felt like incorporating French influences (or heritage) into our project. Our name “Nouvelle Vague” was only picked because of its translation into “new wave” and “bossa nova”. We were not really thinking about Godard when we picked our name. Anyway, obviously we are french, we sing with a French accent, and I guess too that we have a way to do things which is quite…personal.
Dots: Were one of your own songs to be covered by one of your contemporaries, who would you select?
OL: I don’t really know. Divine Comedy or Belle and Sebastian, maybe?
Dashes: What sort of feedback, if any, do you receive from the original artists and songwriters you chose to interpret?
OL: Feedback has always been good - or if it hasn’t been, we have never heard about it…! We’ve had good reactions from nearly every artist, fanclub, publisher etc. I think that many artists we have covered were initially surprised by Nouvelle Vague versions but then, a sort of relationship has developed between ourselves and certain artists. For example, I don’t think Martin Gore, Ian Mc Culloch, Barry Adamson or Terry Hall would have accepted to feature on NV3 if they were not appreciating the band.
Dots: Finally, how significant to today’s music world is the cover version?
OL: I could not tell. Cover versions have always existed. Just remember that in jazz, themes were being created by one artist, and then played over and over again by hundreds of different bands. Regardless, I see Nouvelle Vague as quite unique in the cover version domain, as I can’t find in my memory a single band dedicated to covering a single genre, let alone doing it the way we are doing it.
Nouvelle Vague- God Save the Queen (3)
Nouvelle Vague- Too Drunk to Fuck (Nouvelle Vague)
Nouvelle Vague- Ever Fallen in Love (Bande A Part)
Nouvelle Vague's third record proper, 3, is out now and is available here!
Dots: You’ve just pieced together your 3rd record. how difficult is it to decide on which cover versions make each final cut?
Olivier Libaux: Putting together a Nouvelle Vague album is like selecting own songs to do the tracklist of a solo album. There’s a mix of favourites songs, songs you think are working very well, slow songs, fast songs, etc, etc. We generally have to pick 13 songs out of 40 for an album - which can happen to be disappointing and frustrating for us.
Dashes: How and when do the covers begin to take shape?
OL: We usually start a cover by only playing the song on my guitar. Obviously, the idea is to change the rythm of the song, compared with the original, and find a way of playing it - just with the guitar - which could drive our ideas of arrangements in an interesting direction. As soon as we feel the cover is happening, we start the recording and think about the girl who is going to perform the song.
Dots: Having received critical acclaim through the songs of others, do you ever feel the urge to write music of your own?
OL: We do write and record personal songs and music. For example, my next album will be my third, and before that I used to write all songs in my 1st band (all material is unfortunately only available in France and a few other countries). All Nouvelle Vague members are also solo artists, which is a good thing, because we all can take Nouvelle Vague freshly, with the pleasure and creativity it deserves. We are often asked if we would one day put some of our songs on a Nouvelle Vague album, and the answer is always no. Nouvelle Vague is dedicated to covering new wave music.
Dashes: When commissioning your work for TV ads, do you ponder the dilemma of “selling out” or do you regard it as a vital way to expand your horizons?
OL: We don’t really think that much about it. The thing is, Nouvelle Vague happened to become sort of popular in terms of “syncs” - meaning our versions being used in Ads, Movies, TV shows, etc. We were not really expecting that kind of thing back in 2003, but we are quite happy with it. Our english label is also good at dealing with these things, and good news is these syncs are interesting for original publishers/writers too.
Dots: Who would you class as your deepest influences?
OL: There are so many…it’s impossible to answer. Anyway, as anyone and everyone can guess, punk, post punk, new wave music has been a huge influence for us, among others.
Dashes: How deeply does the french heritage run within the work of Nouvelle Vague?
OL: It’s funny; everybody outside France considers Nouvelle Vague to be a “French” thing although we never felt like incorporating French influences (or heritage) into our project. Our name “Nouvelle Vague” was only picked because of its translation into “new wave” and “bossa nova”. We were not really thinking about Godard when we picked our name. Anyway, obviously we are french, we sing with a French accent, and I guess too that we have a way to do things which is quite…personal.
Dots: Were one of your own songs to be covered by one of your contemporaries, who would you select?
OL: I don’t really know. Divine Comedy or Belle and Sebastian, maybe?
Dashes: What sort of feedback, if any, do you receive from the original artists and songwriters you chose to interpret?
OL: Feedback has always been good - or if it hasn’t been, we have never heard about it…! We’ve had good reactions from nearly every artist, fanclub, publisher etc. I think that many artists we have covered were initially surprised by Nouvelle Vague versions but then, a sort of relationship has developed between ourselves and certain artists. For example, I don’t think Martin Gore, Ian Mc Culloch, Barry Adamson or Terry Hall would have accepted to feature on NV3 if they were not appreciating the band.
Dots: Finally, how significant to today’s music world is the cover version?
OL: I could not tell. Cover versions have always existed. Just remember that in jazz, themes were being created by one artist, and then played over and over again by hundreds of different bands. Regardless, I see Nouvelle Vague as quite unique in the cover version domain, as I can’t find in my memory a single band dedicated to covering a single genre, let alone doing it the way we are doing it.
Nouvelle Vague- God Save the Queen (3)
Nouvelle Vague- Too Drunk to Fuck (Nouvelle Vague)
Nouvelle Vague- Ever Fallen in Love (Bande A Part)
Nouvelle Vague's third record proper, 3, is out now and is available here!
The Future Is Upon Us....
Whilst Filthy Dukes may have headed up a Hoxton Bar & Kitchen show this week attended by Plugs and supported by dance poppers My Tiger My Timing, forget sweaty fist thumping to the simplistic electro drawl of Friendly Fires’ blueprint as there’s a smouldering iron ready and waiting to brand any venues cold-blooded enough to handle it. Following in the footsteps of Libs recyclers Cazals signing to boutique French/ Japanese label Kitsune, geek chic’s out and freedom fighting for the concept as well as Basque independence (see concept) is well and truly in as west Londoners Crystal Fighters look set to splatter their glitchy folk-tinged call to arms (or lucid legs) over every underground haunt, ramming incontestably dreamy vocals and ridiculously majestic hooks straight down every ear socket. Founding members Sebastian Pringle and Gilbert Vierich fly the flag for retro-infused futurism that flits between filthy breaks and impeccably polished brain jelly euphoria, whilst everything veers further into the surreal with dual frontwomen Mimi Borelli and Laure Stockley competing for the most endearing leading London lady as well as their inevitable appointment into the NME cool list later on in the year. Such is the genre-hopping moguls’ renown that following The Horrors’ recent Bristol show, in an overheard booze-fuelled Tesco chat revolving around how many bands could be named based around the Crystal prefix, the ‘Fighters marked a rite of passage into scenesterdom amongst a trio straight out of Topman’s summer range. Ironic, perhaps but they’ve got a point now that the Castles have crumbled…Astounding remixes aside, recent hard-hitting EP title track Xtatic Truth demonstrates the delicate intricacy with which the quintet confront the much-needed 21st-century dance music overhaul, whilst I Love London could get anyone worldwide hopping on the next plane to the capital to catch a glimpse of their Favela Chic-esque musical mastery. Dashing, daring and devilishly devastating, forget all you know and muck in with their mangled mayhem.
Kitsuné Maison's Compilation Volume 7 is out now!
Wow wow wow: Blur, Rough Trade East, 15th June
A haze of frenzied internet scrambles and disjointed voyages into the unknown have shrouded Blur’s reunion plans of the summer thus far and the first of several secret London shows proved to be no exception. As students at London’s prestigious Goldsmiths College, the mere concept of social networking via a futuristic phenomenon that would be named the World Wide Web seemed unrealistic enough. That the same four unlikely lads would be broadcasting clandestine clues as to secret shows across the capital decades later would surely have seemed impossible. Yet around 10:42, Graham Coxon’s Twitter page gave the game away, rallying the troops to Brixton Academy for eighteen minutes later. A mad dash over the river, through the market and into the unnervingly miniscule queue ensued and fifteen minutes later, wrists were endowed with shining green/ gold dust wristbands emblazoned with the band’s now iconic freeform font. All that was left to do was wait. And wait… and wait. Until eventually, bang on five phones and electronic inboxes alike were bombarded with conclusive info as to the wheres and then the whens; Rough Trade East, on stage at 7pm sharp, no arrivals before half six for fear of jeopardising the whole shebang.With tickets to the reformed quartet’s club shows in the run-in to colossal headlining festival slots and two sold out nights in the capital’s oxygenated heart of Hyde Park harder to come by than disposable barbeques in nigh on every London supermarket, a glimpse of hope came in a flash of green. Journeying across a drizzly, musty cityscape did nothing to dampen anticipation and impatience shot mercury out from bodily gauges. Bounding onstage a matter of minutes late, pandemonium and sheer disbelief sprung across the bemused mass of two-hundred odd devotees yet within minutes of She’s So High, any remaining emotions turn to beaming ear-to-ear grins from one claustrophobic wall to another, mirrored on the faces of the chiselled jaw of the endlessly posing Alex James and sweat-drenched youthful demeanour of Albarn. Having tried their collective hands and limbs at everything from cheese farming to Chinese operas and politics, a digging out of the roots that cemented Blur as the quintessentially cheeky Brit upstarts was always on the cards. Tonight, Rough Trade is transformed into the best garage gig never to entail smashed windscreens as involuntary feedback rasps through the murky humidity of an Amazonian rainforest. The Albarn sneer seen in full throttle for the first time in almost a decade proved its worth, as he, microphone lead in tow, veered dangerously close to a menacingly manic mob. The Arabian twang of Out of Time translated sonically to otherworldly treasures whilst Girls & Boys, complete with Alex James scaling the pillars preventing the ceiling from collapsing down upon us, served up the sort of sublime slab of disco stardust Klaxons would have to travel further than the near future for. The understated Gospel stomp of Tender juxtaposed with the visceral, obnoxious wails of Song 2 did everything to ramify precisely why Albarn, Coxon, James and Rowntree perfectly fill that gaping hole in the British music industry, without the sheer arrogance and destruction of the Gallagher brothers, nor the milk and cookies approach of the likes of Coldplay and The Script. Invigorating, inspiring and utterly unmissable, the reunion never sounded so victorious.
Tea Time with Ian D'Sa and Aaron Solowoniuk
The ground floor-level gaping mouth to the dingy heart of the Camden Underworld is offered by The World’s End, a pub so apocalyptic the toilets are doused in a doomed red, flicked with specks of UV horror. Behind the dinner lady kitchen lies a staircase not out of place in a horror novel which in turn leads to the murky depths of the venue. The World’s End is purgatory where alcohol and dodgy wallpaper while away the time before we are dispatched downstairs. Billy Talent detract from the general gothic doom and gloom. Fresh from playing to 85000 in Germany at the Rock AM Ring festival at the weekend, tonight’s intimate fan show is pretty much the equivalent of Chris Martin playing an acoustic set in a Starbucks. Evidently still riding off such a colossal high, guitarist equipped with one of punk’s most extravagant hair does Ian D’sa and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk take a breather to talk charity work, Billy Talent III and the fad of Ramones t-shirts that’s swept the UK for years…Dots: Looking at the punk mentality, having not played here for quite some time Camden seems like the ideal place to stage a tiny club show for the fans- walking around today everyone could be part of a Billy Talent crowd…
Aaron: Whenever we’re here we just try and spend as much time in all the neighbourhoods but Camden’s awesome. Just driving in today brought back a shed load of memories but it’s been an age since we played the Underworld.
Ian: We’ve played here once before, maybe about five years ago in support of the first album so times have changed slightly…
Dashes: What I find bizarre is that with the genres that you’re often categorised into, the fans that buzz around the bands could maybe be labelled as borderline obsessive. There have been people sat outside today from about three in the afternoon. Why is it that you feel you attract such devoted followers?
Ian: I’m not all that sure myself. The show’s been sold out for a while now and it’s a miniscule venue compared to last time at Brixton Academy so I guess kids want to get up close and intimate when seeing the band live and this is the perfect venue for that.
Aaron: We played Luxembourg last week and I noticed a bunch of people lining up ridiculously early there too so I guess it’s just that they really enjoy seeing us play.
Dots: Generically, lumping yourself into a single musical style, how would you describe the sounds of previous albums and indeed next month’s third record?
Ian: Primarily “rock”. The first album was a load heavier than the second and the third, released here on the 22nd July, pretty much returns to our heavy rock roots as well as some of our American grunge roots. The punk influence is still there but we definitely wanted to come up with a more groove-orientated flow.
Dashes: I think something that’s always been key to the Billy Talent sound and maybe why you’ve stood out in a crowded genre for so many years is the melodic tendency within that always shines through, no matter how screechy the vocals are and how distorted the guitars are. Yet without sounding disrespectful, is it difficult to see other bands fluctuate up and down festival bills for instance whilst you linger in the shadows of mainstream rock?
Dots: If you look at this year’s Reading bill for example, we’ve got a completely different slot to that which we’re used to, headlining the Lock Up tent so that’ll be fun. I feel we’ve always been consistent in where we play at festivals in England.
Aaron: I think it’s because we spend so much time meticulously piecing together our records, rather than simply pumping them out year after year. It’s a lost art form to spend three months on a song instead of spending three months on thirty songs so we really take our time and work on these songs until we’re completely satisfied. I guess that hinders you in the line ups but next year, Reading and Leeds, we’re always searching for the night time shows.
Dashes: The fan base this side of the pond seems to be both colossal and dedicated as well as maintaining a wide range of people you might not expect to grace the gothic innards of the Underworld. How important are these intimate gigs when compared with the British festival circuit, in which you’ve become more or less an annual staple?
Ian: These club shows are vital. We do them specifically for our fans and so where some of them can’t get to festivals, we try to make up for that by playing clubs that they can get to. The festivals are always amazing too to gain new fans and broaden the base and I think we’ve done that pretty efficiently over the past few years.
Aaron: We’re playing the Lock Up at Reading and Leeds this year as something of a thank you to our fans too though and when we saw the others playing on that stage with us, Anti-Flag and Alexisonfire, we’ve toured extensively with those bands. So when we found out that we could build this phenomenal stage around that, we jumped at the opportunity as it’ll be incredible not only for our fans but for us too.
Dots: Reading or Leeds?
Aaron and Ian: [in unison] Reading!
Dashes: You’ve become renowned for making the odd cameo appearance on stage with those bands and vice versa although not all that many collaborations have been committed to record. How much do you value such artistic gatherings?
Ian: It’s always fun finding yourself in a setting when you never quite know who’s going to be on stage at any one time. It’s the freedom and unity of the punk community.
Dots: Particularly compared with the competition demonstrated by nigh on every British indie band, keeping haircut tips to themselves… It’s refreshing to experience a community in which everyone’s pushing each other along supportively rather than down festival billings and NME ratings… However, regarding the image transmitted by punk today, the focus seems to be on how many Black Flag t-shirts you own rather than how many Black Flag records you’ve actually listened to…
Aaron: Definitely. And particularly referring to a younger generation of fans.
Ian: I think it’s a double-edged sword though when you see those t-shirts in Urban Outfitters amongst other stores; I think it’s a great shame that some of these inspirational punk bands have become a fashion statement and that’s the unfortunate part as people who’ve never listened to the records will go and buy the shirts. But on the other hand, people that are actually paying attention will see that shirt and go out and buy a record instead. Creating awareness for bands like that’s awesome and the same happened with The Ramones. Right until those dudes died, they were nowhere near breaking into the mainstream market. But now you see endless Ramones shirts and at least they’ve been given the recognition they deserved, taking to their throne in punk-rock history.
Dashes: Even though they’re being sold off in TopShop…
Aaron: Yeah, I don’t know how many kids who buy that stuff there buy The Ramones’ records…
Dots: I’m not convinced either… They should be demanded to name three albums at least before they’re deemed worthy of getting the t-shirt. Finally, particularly with Aaron being here, I wanted to ask about the charitable side to the band, not only in putting on delightfully intimate fan shows but also in support of MS and African development programmes. Every impact you’ve made on aiding others seems to have been in a tremendously positive light, without the clichés and self-benefit of Bono and other worldwide celebrities. Whilst it’s obviously vital for Aaron, do you see it as something vital for Billy Talent as a single entity and as a collective?
Ian: It’s in almost everything we do. Although we’re obviously not as important as a guy like Bono, I think if you have any power you should utilise it for positive things and that’s what we’ve done. We have the ability to influence a load of people, particularly our fans and so we do as much as we can to raise awareness for worthy causes. We went over to Kenya and filmed a documentary which is going to be shown in high schools across America so all those kids will see it and open up their minds to what’s really going on out there.
Dashes: Do you feel it would have been so easy to get involved had you not been touched so closely and personally?
Aaron: I think we would have been involved regardless. If we think something is a great cause and we get approached, it’s almost impossible to say no. All our tickets in Canada have a number printed on them so that kids having a hard time can ring it and actually talk to somebody. We know one of the operators and they told us that once we started that scheme, the number of calls went up and kids were starting to actually get stuff off their minds. But it’s really no skin off our backs.
Dots: I think it’s particularly inspirational that you can keep up with these three and seem so completely determined to prevent MS from hindAarong your lifestyle. Do you find occasionally that the disability makes touring and other commitments harder than they would otherwise be?
Aaron: I get a lot of rest and base every day around the hour and fifteen minutes that I have to play. So I sleep and then I eat and then I rest. Even if you’re a super-healthy person, touring can really beat you up if you don’t take care of yourself so I’ve just opened my eyes to being as healthy as I possibly can be. And I’m still not as healthy as I can be but I’m having fun. Music’s keeping me healthy! Staying healthy at Download this weekend might be a task- it’s so much fun. Loads of long hair and crazed outfits but a lot of debauchery. There’s nothing like it in England. For heavy music, there’s nothing like it. It’s awesome.
With Download now out the way and the dark side of the underground British scene conquered, the cross hairs and lasers are all on the charts.
The stupendous follow-up to Billy Talent II, Billy Talent III is let loose on these shores on 13th July and can be caught here.
Billy Talent- A Devil in a Midnight Mass
Billy Talent- Rusted From the Rain
Billy Talent- This is how it goes
Photo courtesy of Greendaii's Photostream
Bags of Talent at the Underworld
Two nights ago, Billy Talent restored 85,000 Germans’ faith in punk-rock, headlining Rock AM Ring alongside Limp Bizkit. Tonight they play to somewhere closer to 85 and the streets have been lined with black hoodies and cheap spirits since three. Something special lurks below...
Within seconds of the Canadians’ intimate fan show at Camden’s decrepit Underworld hellish pandemonium ensues; the stage is barraged on both flanks by paralytic strobes, the ceiling’s dripping and the few hundred rammed like buses during a tube strike throw themselves headlong into the fray, as a forest of forearms flash in the lightning-like clashes. Drawing heavily from Billy Talent II, frontman Ben Kowalewicz’s obscene shrieks and immature musings over spitting genitalia do nothing to dampen the concrete core of melody that churns out underground hit after rallying cry. A Devil In A Midnight Mass sounds gargantuan enough to dislodge the air con units that become utterly essential within minutes, The Navy Song is the most swashbuckling sea shanty a distortion pedal ever churned out and Red Flag is the sort of call to arms every county with a single BNP vote to their reputation ought take heed of. The new breed of Talent showcased on the inspirationally-titled Billy Talent III hits every reason the foursome became cult figureheads of modern punk out of the park, smashing windows in the parking lot, bizarrely reminiscent of early Rolling Stones. A rampant This Is How It Goes unleashes the blade that tore its way through a crowded scene six years ago and with tours UK shows galore over the course of the rest of the year, if they weren’t already tattooed across the hearts of every devotee in attendance tonight they sure as hell will be by now.
Billy Talent III is released in the UK on 13th July.
Within seconds of the Canadians’ intimate fan show at Camden’s decrepit Underworld hellish pandemonium ensues; the stage is barraged on both flanks by paralytic strobes, the ceiling’s dripping and the few hundred rammed like buses during a tube strike throw themselves headlong into the fray, as a forest of forearms flash in the lightning-like clashes. Drawing heavily from Billy Talent II, frontman Ben Kowalewicz’s obscene shrieks and immature musings over spitting genitalia do nothing to dampen the concrete core of melody that churns out underground hit after rallying cry. A Devil In A Midnight Mass sounds gargantuan enough to dislodge the air con units that become utterly essential within minutes, The Navy Song is the most swashbuckling sea shanty a distortion pedal ever churned out and Red Flag is the sort of call to arms every county with a single BNP vote to their reputation ought take heed of. The new breed of Talent showcased on the inspirationally-titled Billy Talent III hits every reason the foursome became cult figureheads of modern punk out of the park, smashing windows in the parking lot, bizarrely reminiscent of early Rolling Stones. A rampant This Is How It Goes unleashes the blade that tore its way through a crowded scene six years ago and with tours UK shows galore over the course of the rest of the year, if they weren’t already tattooed across the hearts of every devotee in attendance tonight they sure as hell will be by now.
Billy Talent III is released in the UK on 13th July.
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