Nasty Fest IX Review: That Was Exciting!

Well where to start with Nasty Fest IX, maybe the beginning? Yeah go on then. We decided to go a little later to save our energy for the mad bands at the end, plus my sister wanted to treat me to pizza, brilliant. Oh yeah this is a music blog bear with me. After much searching the Faversham was found and just in time for Slow Club.

Slow Club where alright I wasn’t blow away by them at all. They were a bit lacklustre in their performance, plus there was a lot of people around the edges talking, which didn’t help with the quite numbers. I would maybe listen to them at home or at a different gig. Slow club eased us in with some mellow twee-indie-pop and they really like The Mae-Shi so that’s a bonus, and later the girl joined them for a acoustic intro to Run To Your Grave, which was really nice and which pretty much descended into madness after she finished, but more on that later.

Lord Auch impressed me live as appose to their myspace tunes, which didn’t do them many favours. The drummer had a brilliant swing to the rhythm, and a dirty low-slung base that added to the rock’n’roll grove. They didn’t sound unlike 80s Matchbox B-Line Disaster if they made music in the 50s and didn’t rock out as much. The vocals where both terrible and perfect for their sound in that it drew together all the elements well.

Unfortunatly Cutting Pink With Knives had cancelled, which was a shame as I was looking forward to seeing them.

A Place To Bury Strangers where on next in the main room so we headed over for some really loud and fuzzy rock. They are a bit like My Bloody Valentine but without the ace tunes. But their set was pretty enjoyable overall. They either played in complete darkness or with the strobe on for ages. They made some serious noise that kind of hurt your ears at points.

Dinosaur Pile-Up from the little I saw of them where pretty good. I couldn’t get very close because the smaller room was so packed for them. I’m sure they were really good from the crowed they pulled. The sound at the back was incredibly bad, so I gave in and went to the bar to get a drink and head to the front for Cadence Weapon in the main room.

Cadence Weapon really got the party started, I was so impressed with them. DJ Wheezel was amazing and the best DJ I have seen live since Cut Chemist. I was enjoying him so much I even started a Wheezel chant that people joined in with. Cadence Weapon brought back the acid house style IDM influenced party hip-hop with great style. They where the only group on the bill like this and it was so refreshing. His word play was magnificent and the flow was one of the best I have heard in recent times. There was a lot of hipsters throwing hip-hop shapes which was well funny, hell the Faversham is full to the brim with hipsters with perfect hair and dresses, bless them and their trendy ways. Any way back to Cadence Weapon their latest single House Music was one of the highlights of the evening for me. I was so impressed I had to go and get the album from Cadence Weapon himself so expect a review of that soon, we bonded a little bit over Acid House and the old Jungle Brothers lyrics he used to close his set. I’LL HOUSE YOU, I’LL HOUE YOU, I’LL HOUSE YOU, YOUR IN MY HUT NOW! I’LL HOUSE YOU, I’LL HOUE YOU, I’LL HOUSE YOU, YOUR IN MY HUT NOW! I’LL HOUSE YOU, I’LL HOUE YOU, I’LL HOUSE YOU, YOUR IN MY HUT NOW! I’LL HOUSE YOU, I’LL HOUE YOU, I’LL HOUSE YOU, YOUR IN MY HUT NOW!

Soiled Mattress & The Springs, as I predicted where a bit like a jazz/rock group playing seaside music, this was confirmed by the actual real beach balls flying about for their set. I was still on a high from the Cadence Weapon set so had a little boogie to them. Some of the tunes had a good grove to them and where enjoyable, other parts of tunes didn’t quite do it for me mind.

No Age: now I was so excited about seeing them I was like a giddy school child. They had some sound issues with the microphone during the first song, but that was still awesome. They played the tracks perfectly from their albums, completely spot on. The mentioned that the first person to start crowd surfing would get a free No Age T-shirt, this started a lot of mayhem. There were people in the air and a mosh-pit ensued. I got right into this madness and each song after the pit started was perfect for it too. No Age’s set seemed short and sweet but I was so involved it could have been quite long. I would love to see them again as apparently they have been better in previous shows recently. I can’t wait to find out how true that is.

We all decided to wait around for The Mae-Shi and chill out after the No Age craziness. We would need our energy for ‘the most fun band in all the land’ as I like to call them.

The Mae-Shi where on really good form and I’m pretty sure they remembered us from the York gig recently in which we went crazy for them. The crowd was a lot bigger as expected at Nasty Fest so they didn’t do as much in the audience. They still came in for some shouting and to throw the sheet over the top of everyone for Leech and Locus. They played a good load of old stuff, which was really good to hear. They seemed to be more rock and hardcore this time, I liked that. To chill out the crowd the Slow Club girl came on to play her cover version of Run to Your Grave acoustically, at least I’m pretty sure it was that girl. When she finished all hell broke loose as The Mae-Shi went into their version of the tune, which is kind of like their most well known and maybe their catchiest tune. My friend tapped me on the shoulder and said lets get on the stage, so we headed up there and others where encouraged to by the band. The stage filled with people and the band played the rest of the set with us up there singing along and having a laugh, it was brilliant. I just hope it didn’t spoil the enjoyment for others not willing to stage invade. As always The Mae-Shi where so sweet and friendly at the end of their set with high-fives and hand shakes. I love The Mae-Shi such a great live band, buy the albums see the shows you wont be disappointed.

Yeasayer where the last on the bill and it was so nice to have a band that weren’t crazy and you could just listen to and relax. Their African sounding psychedelic indie pop was so very nice. They didn’t blow me away but I enjoyed it ever so much. The tracks 2080 was stunning but the highlight by far was when Cadence Weapon joined the band for a free style on rising Sun, I think that’s what it was called, I haven’t got the album as yet. This was the end of the night for me, we decided to head home.

Overall Nasty Fest IX was brilliant I think you can guess which bands where the best for me. Cadence Weapon, No Age, The Mae-Shi really stood out big time. The Faversham is ok as a venue the sound was pretty good even with some technical hitches. It was full to the brim of posing hipsters mind, which usually brings the mood down a bit, but for the people at the front the passion wasn’t lost. I’m a little disappointed I couldn’t see all of the bands but at least I gave them so props on my preview the other day, at a festival you are never going to see everyone you want, all sorts get in the way of that. Great stuff, enjoyable night, even the cancellation of my train home and the freaking wait for a replacement bus couldn’t put much of a dampener on the night.


P.S. I have no idea what picture to use so why not have somthing cute, this is the internet after all.

P.P.S. DiS stuck up some photes of Nasty Fest IX go and chek them out here.

Nasty Fest IX Preview: Lets Get Excited!

This is happening at the weekend in Leeds and it is set to be pretty special. I don’t know many of the bands lower down on the bill so I thought I would investigate the worldwide interweb for clues the following is what I found starting from the very bottom of the bill, oh and all findings are pretty much based on first listens on myspace which is far from ideal:

Wonderswan:
They are a local band from Leeds; they make some kind of sludgy grunge rock, quite enjoyable.

hay! Panda:
Thank you to the nice anonymous commenter to this post for a link has now been found yay! hay! Panda are a dirty little punk disco outfit from Halifax. Ramshackle noisy and fun, they live somewhere between Gang of Four, Deerhoof and LCD Soundsystem.

Paul Marshall:
Acoustic based singer songwriter type from Leeds. All very nice and everything: some beautiful melodies on the guitar overall a nice warm up.

Lord Auch:
They seem to be the first southerners on the bill. Apparently they sound like no trampled path as indicated on their myspace, yet they sound like rock-a-billy and many other things. I might go for something to eat for this lot. I hope I’m proved wrong.

Spodni Pradlo:
A band from Bradford that play really refreshing mellow indie pop with a range of influences from Animal Collective to Charlie Brooker. Twee-Core and not afraid to show it. Good Stuff.

Cutting Pink With Knives:

I’m vaguely familiar with this band and have heard good things about them. I have been meaning to pick up their album populuxxe from Holy Roar for some time. They make a electro punk kind of noise pop hardcore which sounds pretty fun. The first refreshingly unhinged band.

Dinosaur Pile-Up:
Really quite catchy melodramatic pop songs verging on the indie/roc/grunge theme. I really like the tunes on the myspace, I’m looking forward to seeing what they do for their set.

Pulled Apart By Horses:
Dirty, scuzzy, powerful rock racket. They pretty much sound like what being pulled apart by horses would be like in rock form. I like that about them.

Napoleon IIIrd:
Make some experimental electro style pop music. I first came across this group on a compilation on Dance To The Radio records in of Forward, Russia fame. The tunes on myspace sound even more promising than they did on that compilation.

Slow Club:
Sweet Jesus this lot are twee a girl boy duo on vocals and acoustic guitar, that make a sweet sweet sweet twee indie folk sweet pop sweetness that I will either find so annoying it hurts or just sunny fun and beautiful. I’m hoping for the latter of course.

Soiled Mattress & The Springs:
Deranged New Yorkers with many ace friends on their myspace page including No Age and BARR they are also touring with Abe Vigoda, No Age and Liars so this looks very promising indeed. They sound like a jazzy quirky instrumental seaside organ band in the best possible way. This might well be an ace way to follow the twee to extreme Slow Club in a fun way.

A Place To Bury Strangers:
I have heard their name but not their music. The myspace starts with some ace digital drum beats and fuzzy and cool guitar noise riffs. All the way from Brooklyn to bring the noise this could be brilliant. A digital hardcore psychedelic scuzz rock band.

Cadence Weapon:
Are a IDM/Hip-Hop/House group on Big Dada records. They are gona get the party going really well they are even rocking Fabric out the night before and I freaking love that place so much. Hi energy electro beats and a great flow is going to get us jumping. The album looks like it needs to be bought.

No Age:

Well if you have read this blog before you will know I love No Age with a passion. I am so excited that I am going to actually see them live. The records for me are a perfect lo-fi art punk-shoegaze hybrid that I haven’t been so excited about in a long time. This is going to be outstanding.

The Mae-Shi:
Again if you read this blog often, which I doubt you do unless you’re my mum. You will know that The Mae-Shi are officially the most fun band in the world ever, more brilliant Smell action all in a row at Nasty Fest IX. I can’t wait to be apart of their performance again its such a joy.

Yeasayer:
Now the headliners of the night and the culmination of this evenings proceedings from the bands. I think after The Mae-Shi, Yeasyayer will be a nice mellow and joyful show. I’m not very familiar with their stuff but the album has been highly prised and the single song I have heard 2080 is really nice. So high hopes from this lot, even if The Mae-Shi are going to be my highlight along with No Age.

So that’s all the bands it looks to be a great day and it doesn’t stop there either the DJ’s then start to kick off DiS DJ’s surely can’t play bad tunes? Bad Sneakers, Sex Beat and Art Goes Pop will bring the party to a close in style I’m sure. So bring it on Nasty Fest IX here we come.

Abe Vigoda

This is yet another band from LA’s The Smell. Abe Vigoda’s third album Skeleton will be dropping next month on No Age’s Post Present Medium label, and you got to be interested in what No Age love. I can’t stop playing the song Dead City/ Waste Wilderness which was given away free on ace site rcrdlbl. The tune is a jumbled, fuzzed out, energetic indie pop song that takes inspiration from African music in places and Skate punk in others. Brilliant stuff again from The Smell, the album Skeleton could well be worth a punt, if it has more of this on it.

Abe Vigoda - Dead City/ Waste Wilderness

Nasty Fest IX @ Faversham, Leeds, 17th May 2008

I realy want to go to this. Cutting Pinck With Knives, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Napoleon IIIrd, Cadence Weapon, No Age, The Mae-Shi and Yeasayer are just the bands I know of and would love to see. Find out more about it here.

No Age – Nouns

I have had this for a while now, but just got my official copy, which is well worth the purchase as not only is the music pretty much perfect but the artwork and over fifty page booklet you get with it full of photos and lyrics from the band is beautiful. I wasn’t as convinced that Nouns was as good as Weirdo Rippers on first listen, but it turns out I was very wrong indeed. This album is most probably album of the year so far and I really don’t want to knock Atlas Sound from the top spot, as they touch me in ways I haven’t experienced for a while in music.

No Age bring short and snappy punk style shoegaze to the next level on Nouns. Every song is awesome and full to the brim with ideas. It’s a phat record full of fuzz, loops and sound. Eraser even manages to sound like the golden touch by Razorlight and still sound amazing, all be it a twisted version. Teen Creeps is another favourite of mine the little solo part on here makes me want to jump for joy. The song Things I Did When I Was Dead is a mellow looped delight and a really nice break from the guitar noise numbers. It’s also joyful and melancholy all at once. Keechie brings side one of the record home, well it sounds like it does even if I don’t have to flip my CD over to side B to hear it. No Age manage to sound really old and really new all at once it’s a great feet. Sleeper Hold has some killer riffs and is one of the many anthems on Nouns. I bet No Age live are pure gold and incredibly noisy and loud. This is yet another band hailing from LA’s The Smell that has blown me away this week. There are more groups to come from there yet too, but more on that at a later date. Sub Pop have got one hell of a band on their hands with No Age, they have a wicked sound that fits into the roster perfectly and even sits well against people like Nirvana of old. They are full of noise and melody just like the aforementioned grunge heroes. This is the new wave of amazing artists that is making music in 2008 so exciting. Buy their stuff, see their shows love one another.

Read No Age them selves talk you through the album track by track here on DiS.

LCD Soundsystem – Big Ideas (Extended Version)

This is the first new stuff since the awesome Sound Of Silver last year. Big Ideas was made for a film soundtrack, that film is 21. But I don’t care to much for that really. LCD Soundsystem have gone for a baseline not dissimilar from early releases such as Yeah and Beat Connection. The drums are tight with the traditional DFA handclaps and disco feel. The guitar is maybe the biggest surprise, its pretty in your face and sharp like Pylon or Wire. It’s a very good tune indeed and a nice addition to the back catalogue. This may well be unfounded but I have herd rumours of four mixes of this appearing one by the amazing No Age, I will keep you posted.

LCD Soundsystem – Big Ideas (Extended Version)

No Age - Nouns

I've had a sneeky listen to this album and on first hearing I don't think its as good as Weirdo Rippers. Teen Kreeps, Sleeper Hold, Here Should Be My Home and Brain Burner are the stand outs for me so far. There isn't as many open passages of layerd noise that I loved so much on Weirdo Rippers. I can even hear either stripped of fuzz electric guitar or almost accoustic guitar in places as well. I think this album will keep growing on me, as it still has the energy, spirit and fuzzed out lo-fi grungy songs. All in all its short, sweet and sweaty. No Age rule!

HEALTH

BRING THE NOISE! This is pure primal tribal energy, its like the sound of the world being torn apart and remade with new tribes. It rips through your senses with un-holey drumming and chants. The noise is incredible and must be played LOUD! First stand out gem is the third tune, Triceratops, which has a nice hook in their somewhere. Like No Age this band come from the same LA scene of young noise groups, they have some similarities but HEALTH aren’t as burnt out, they are pure tribal rock god power noise. Imagine some massive monkeys running at you, its pretty scary and soaked in adrenalin a sweat. Crimewave is another beast of a tune; see also an amazing Crystal Castles mix of that, I will bring it up later no doubt. Zoothorns, has some nice guitar feedback synthy sounds to scare the shit out of you in a manic beat driven frenzy and howls of some forgotten animals. //M\\, actually makes my teeth shake from the pounding drums. Glitter Pills, comes closes to sounding like some primal electro disco noise crossover with saw like buzzing synth and old skool electro pattern drums like something Affrika Bambata might have rapped on. Perfect Skin, is a big dirty freak of a tune, and maybe the closes we get to a ballad HEALTH style, with fragile lyrics and what sounds like the first guitar lick of the album. Lost Time, is the closer and I haven’t wasted my time one little bit. Each track is short and sweet, yet just like their scene-sakes, No Age, super addictive. I can only imagine what this is like live, brutal and mesmerizing. I love young and noisy bands right now.

No Age - Weirdo Rippers

This music is raw and exciting in the most joyful exuberant fuzzed out primal way. There are washed out feedback drenched lovingly crafted sound-scapes of noise and loops. Thrashed and burned out guitar licks. Wholly organic sounding electronics and pure punk surf guitar pop, all in the mixer. This two piece craft some serious gems here. With every listen I get drawn into another song, they are short and snappy yet epic all at once, you don’t really get chance to tire from the barrage of noise in each tune, as they build and build then some times drop a god almighty hook or fade away. Leaving you satisfied either way. My stand out tracks, although these change with each listen are; My Life’s Alright Without You, with its pop hook fuzz rock and snappy lyrics. The brilliant melancholic droned out Everybody’s Down, drags you in with a drone and one repeated guitar hook before kicking off with some nice vocal melodies and finally some nice rock action. Neck Escaper, is maybe the most obvious and immediate track on this collection of tunes, its just wonderful I find my self singing the guitar lines some times. The piece works as a whole even though it’s a collection of tracks released else where on EP’s on vinyl only. I’m really looking forward to a full-length album from this young LA twosome. Bring The Noise!