Camera Obscura, Brighton Komedia, 23rd October 2009
'Have I made a mistake', I thought, as I cycled passed The Brighton Centre. TOM JONES!!! I was off to Komedia while Tom Jones was singing classics by the sea. Watching an old Welsh man getting a face full of knickers must be fun. You know, it's not unusual to be loved by anyone. Even elderly ladies. Way back in 1964, the BBC declared that Tom Jones was 'too hot to handle'. They ban him from the airwaves. TOM JONES!!!
From the grins on the faces around me, I bet a few folk, of both genders, were tempted to throw their knickers at the lead singer of Camera Obscura, Tracyanne Campbell. Meanwhile, she was half wishing she was home with a cuppa and a movie. Announcing to the full to capacity venue that she hadn't wanted to come may not have been wise, despite the "I've changed my mind now" angle.
Camera Obscura's latest album's title 'My Maudlin Career' sums up their latest Komedia offering. It doesn't make it bad, but it made it far from exceptional. Apart from the percussionist, and, at times, the drummer, the band came across as gloomy, and rather unhappy with their jobs. The last time Camera Obscura came to Komedia it was a little more smiley.
They do have some rather brilliants tunes though.
The set list, that I stole, says this: 1. My Maudlin Career 2. Swans 3. Tears for Affairs 4. Teenager 5. Honey in the Sun 6. Forests and Sands 7. The Sweetest Thing 8. French Navy 9. 80's Fan 10. Let's Get Out of This Country 11. Country Mile 12. Lloyd I'm Ready to Be... 13. If Looks Could Kill
Fabpants Recommends: Here’s a couple of tracks played at the gig:
January is a confusing time. The aftermath of Christmas is upon us, it’s bloody cold, the nights are short and there’s more expectation than a winter mole can take. Hot tips for 2010 swarm like flies. The obvious choice is to sit back and accept such holy predictions, or to fry the mind making sense of it all. I decided on a third approach, to ignore and avoid the hype. That was until yesterday.
Yesterday, Grumpy Missives listened to every track on the NME Official Radar 2010 Mixtape, gave each track a mark out of five, and a short review. He challenged me to do the same. Without looking at his verdicts, I did. Yes, the aim was to compare and contrast. Would I fall in love with a single that he wiped from his hard drive for fear of contamination, or would the Radar offerings unite us in musical agreement.
The reviews are based purely on the tracks as they come on the mixtape.
EF: Having been fully onboard with the hype and a fan of EP 'Summertime!' (it was on my Christmas list), I have to say I'm surprised by this song. It's pretty pants. The words 'family' and 'heart' are elongated so much I felt like stabbing my ears with a skewer. Not for Me Thanks (2/5)
GM: Indie pop by numbers. Repetitive and dull. (2/5)
EF: This song is as original as supermarket own brand Baked Beans. It's not offensive, it's not special. It just is. It sounds like a late 70s band pretending they live in the 50s. Not for Me Thanks (2/5)
GM: Nice modern take on early punky rock & roll. Definitely want to hear the album. (4/5)
EF:Sometimes a simple line can carry a song. 'I'm Falling and I Can't Turn Back' almost makes it. I listened contently to this mellow spaced out tune and its little digressions, but it adds little. There are far better tracks of this ilk. Late 80s ambient house has left its mark. It's an early morning, tired legs can't stop dancing, don’t really care, just need a beat, little number. It’s not offensive. Thumbs Up (3/5)
GM: Reminded me somehow of Amongst the Pigeons but without any imagination or bravery. (2/5)
EF: This Replacements cover is rather tasty. The lyrics are brilliant, which Kindness can take no credit for, but there is directness and a sadness to the delivery that makes it quite entrancing and oddly uplifting. "Bring your own lampshade, somewhere there’s a party, Here it’s never endin’, can’t remember when it started ...If bein’ afraid is a crime, we hang side by side" Fucking Awesome (5/5)
GM: Relaxed disco. Not really my cup-o-tea but not bad. (3/5)
EF: This little hip-hop number is laidback in style, but talks hard. The many expressive sounds that interlace it make it a bit special. This track covers the lot, clothing, drugs, pimps, weapons and murder. It could do without the 'portion of chips' lyric. Ear Candy (4/5)
GM: Really not my thing. Is this grime? Seems a very boring style of rapping. (2/5)
EF: Hurts sound like they are trying to convince themselves it's a wonderful life, rather than believing in it. It just doesn't sound sincere. I had to stop this track early, it so annoyed me. Hideously Awful (1/5)
GM: Is this the new x-factor single? No not good enough for that. (1/5)
EF: I think a lot of people will love this track, and I can hear its merits. It has that female warble thing going on, not a lot, but it meets and greets. I love the pace and spike. I may be able to forgive the warble. Ear Candy (4/5)
GM: I think too many others do this better. Nice when the beat kicks in though. (3/5)
EF: At nearly seven minutes, this track takes you on an epic journey. Unfortunately, as the glorious melodic disco drama unfolds - I see windswept hair - the vocals strain with 'hear me, I am so fucking earnest' power pop. Drop the vocals and I might like it. It seems that this is an improvement on the original, embrace the 80s number, where the vocals are continuous. Not for Me Thanks (2/5)
GM: I can't believe it’s not...Daft Punk. Nice enough but nothing special (might be a dodgy remix). (3/5)
EF: It's all about the atmosphere, creating a feeling, closing your eyes and drifting with the music. The song nearly achieves what it aims for, but could learn something from Giggs and Joy Orbison about digression and a dash of colour. It's a wee bit bland. Not for Me Thanks (2/5)
GM: It’s not bad music just not for me. Lose the drum machine and get some Grandaddy guitars. (2/5)
EF: Flirting with 'It's the Final Countdown', 'Afropop' and a wall of fuzz, this track scares me. The Afropop interlude is rather nice, but completely out of place in an example of masturbatory rock. Not for Me Thanks (2/5)
GM: Europe? Bon Jovi? I'm sure that this will fill a gap in many teenage boys’ lives. They get 2 points for the Babyshambles riff in the middle. (2/5)
EF: I love the giggling count down, 1,2, snigger, 4. This track is a little bit skiffle, a little bit 50s Rock n Roll, but not as good as I imagine this combination could be. It's a little contrived and lacking in sparkle. Not for Me Thanks (2/5)
GM: I'm a sucker for lo-fi and they have potential, but not with this track. (3/5)
MP3: Magnetic Man - The Cyberman (This version is not available to stream. Download the NME Mixtape before it expires.)
EF: This track could have been made at any time in the last 20 years, and adds nothing. Doing robotic movements to it and pretending to be a Cyberman made it quite entertaining. I'm not sure how many people will think to do that. That might just be me. Thumbs Up (3/5)
GM: Sounds nice at first but gets boring very quickly. (2/5)
MP3:Sharks - Brassneck (This version is not available to stream. Download the NME Mixtape before it expires.)
EF: I have already started writing a blog which refers to The Wedding Present, and this is a The Wedding Present cover. Brassneck is not a bad tune, but it marks the period when David Gedge's song writing became more populist and less to my taste. He'd pull it back many years later with Cinerama. 10/10 for covering The Wedding Present, but, well, it's just a cover, delivered with less gravitas that the original. Not for Me Thanks (2/5)
GM: It's nice to see the Wedding Present still making music. I like it. (4/5) (EF: GM did well to recognise The Wedding Present jangle and to reference them as a joke. I think he had no idea it was a cover.)
EF: It's a bit pop, it's a bit soul and it's a bit r&b. Unfortunately, this is an almost certain combination for instant disqualification. It's just not my taste. Not for Me Thanks (2/5)
GM: I'm really surprised that I like this. I certainly has something though. (4/5)
MP3:Chapel Club - All the Eastern Girls (This version is not available to stream. Download the NME Mixtape before it expires.)
EF: Late 80s indie by numbers. Why don't the jangle guitars build into something far better? This is a track that falls into one of my favoured genres, but that doesn't mean it's good. Wipe the tape and start over. Not for Me Thanks (2/5)
GM: I like his voice. Would like to hear some more to decide. (3/5)
EF: There are better Delphic tunes on their MySpace and I will have a butchers at the album. I have a ticket to see Delphic on 19th January, which I’m sure will be lively, if nothing else. This track and others leave me with reservations, but I do have a ticket. What can I say? This track is bouncing, but it lacks that certain bite. It has enough intensity to make me fling my arms about (it don’t take much), so get down to Audio to see me in action. Thumbs Up (3/5) (late edition: I have listened to the album three times and I would give my ticket away in an instance)
GM: Inoffensive electro-pop sounds a bit bland to me. (3/5)
Fabpants Recommends:
Investigating any of the bands that gained 4/5 or 5/5 and - of course - the rest. You can’t judge a band by one track alone, and you can’t trust anyone but yourself to decide on what music is right for you. Don’t believe the hype.
I've seen hundreds of bands in tiny venues. Some go on to headline festivals. A greater number never find their way out of the fleapits. Many are bloody brilliant. I love going to gigs. When I get it together, I sometimes rave about good gigs here.
This is the stuff and nonsense of my life. You are welcome to visit as little or often as you like. I have no RSS or site feed, so read my words here or read another's elsewhere. Live a good life. This is just a blog.
On emilyfabpants.blogspot.com you will find links that lead to MP3 audio files. These files are stored somewhere else on the Internet and are not part of this website. Emily Fabpants does not carry any responsibility for them. Emily Fabpants does not store or make available for download any audio and/or video files herself. Please buy the music if you like it or pay to see the artist at a live show. Most of all, enjoy.
