2010 End Of Year Review - Top 10 Songs

Today's End Of Year account lists the Top 10 Songs of 2010. Yeah, yeah, we've definitely forgotten all of your favourites, and some of ours too, most likely. The ol' memory just ain't what it used to be. Still, these songs are all ace, so feast your ears on some of this gravy:

1. King of the Beach - WAVVES
At its best, Wavves' Californian punk-pop lands satisfactorily between The Beach Boys and The Jesus and Mary Chain. “You’re never gonna stop me,” yells Nathan Williams (above) over the irrepressible title track of the latest album.

2. Dance The Way I Feel - OU EST LE SWIMMING POOL

Feel-good indie-dance-pop magnificence (the 'feel-good' side of which is obviously kinda poignant now). Hunt down the Blue Eyed Boy Radio Edit too. It's even better.

3. 10 Mile Stereo - BEACH HOUSE
A truly stunning moment at the back end of Teen Dream, the glorious 10 Mile Stereo has a pulsing beat that builds towards rousing, sparkling shoegazey pop and ends with a crescendo that explodes like fireworks.

4. When I'm With You - BEST COAST
Cat-loving singer Bethany Cosentino has a lovely post grunge vocal that is effortless to the point of having a reluctance to it, like it’s a real drag sometimes for her to even summon up the words. Here though, it's all about the invinsibilty of young love. "When I'm with you, I have fun," she sings over guitars drenched in reverb.

5. Cloud Shadow On The Mountain - WOLF PARADE

Spencer Krug's tense spoken-word vocal, “I was asleep in a hammock/I was dreaming that I was a web/I was a dreamcatcher hanging on the window of a mini-van parked along the water's edge/I'd say that I was all alone,” is warbled like a paranoid David Byrne before all kinds of hell breaks loose on drums and guitar. It’s as magnificent as it is tightly-coiled.

6. To The Brink - I AM KLOOT
To The Brink is the best example of the tone of I Am Kloot's latest album. “I raise a glass, a smile or two/ Well, this stuff strips the light from your bones/And I would like to leave with you/But I stay alone,” says vocalist John Bramwell mournfully over strings, like a singer in the corner of an empty bar, bowtie hanging limply around his neck. It is a magnificent song and, in its hungover introspection, plays like the bleary-eyed uncle of Pulp’s Bar Italia.

7. I Can Talk - TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB
Perky Indie-dance-pop from the Bangor trio.

8. Power - KANYE WEST
It's a shame that Mr West comes across as such an acceptance-speech-ruining douche, because, when he lets his talent do the talking, he comes up with magic like this.

9. Echoes - KLAXONS
A slightly rougher and heavier relative of Golden Skans (which, if you hadn't realised, was borrowing from Madonna's Hung Up - which itself was covering ABBA), it shows why Klaxons have always referred to themselves as a pop band.

10. Hurricane - DAVID FORD
It's our old mate David Ford again, with this epic, sweeping song which mixes the political and the personal. "God bless America, God save the Queen/God kill my enemies and keep my hands clean."


HANGING OUTSIDE THE TOP TEN: 

BEST SONG-YOU-LIKE-BUT-PRETEND-YOU-DON'T OF 2010:
California Gurls - KATY PERRY FEATURING SNOOP DOGG
At BobbySix.com we don't really believe in guilty pleasures. A song we like is a song we like. And California Gurls is as fun a slice of infectious pop as we have heard this year. Come on indie snobs... it's pretty good hey?

 

BEST OVERPLAYED-BUT-STILL-PRETTY -AWESOME DANCE SONG:

Barbra Streisand - DUCK SAUCE

Try not to ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh along. We dare you.

The xx win Mercury Prize

London's xx picked up the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for their album xx last night. They held off strong competition from Laura Marling's beautiful I Speak Because I Can and records from the likes of Foals, Mumford & Sons, Dizzee Rascal and Wild Beasts.

In scooping the £20,000 award, singer/bassist Oliver Sim said the band was very grateful and that they'd, "Had the most incredible year."

Previous winners include Pulp, Primal Scream, Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys, Elbow and Franz Ferdinand.

Klaxons at The Enmore Theatre, Sydney

KLAXONS
CANYONS
PARADES
The Enmore Theatre, 02/09/10

Sydney’s Parades looked like a bunch of high-school misfits who had been rounded up from the loneliest corners of the playground and ushered onto the stage against their will, but, behind their Breakfast Club aesthetic was an awesome, layered soundscape so huge that it’s hard to believe any venue smaller than The Enmore could cope with such epic noise. As is their wont, the quartet bolstered their numbers for their live show and with five boys and one girl offering four vocals and all manner of percussion and effects, their set was diverse and their songs experimental and enormous. This is a band with a really exciting future.

It’s a shame then, that they weren’t higher on the bill at the expense of DJ duo Canyons, who looked pretty bored on stage as they sipped their beers and went through the motions of their disappointingly soporific set.

When Klaxons (above) first came to Sydney in 2006 they barely knew one end of their instruments from the other but, despite the shambolic nature of their live show, the energy they gave off was unbelievable. Two albums and plenty of touring later they appeared at The Enmore as much more polished musicians, but their raw energy remained as intense as ever. Opening with Flashover and moving through As Above, So Below, The Same Space and Gravity’s Rainbow, their guitar-led dance tunes were hard, fast and really, really LOUD as they continued to alternate between oldies and newies. Pick of the bunch were the catchy Venusia, the ever brilliant pop of Golden Skans and latest single, Echoes.

The hour-long set flew by, and, as they wrapped things up with It’s Not Over Yet, Surfing The Void and Atlantis To Interzone, the band seemed genuinely taken aback by the fervent reception they received. “I’m not joking,” said keyboardist/vocalist, James Righton with a look of bewilderment. “You’re the fucking best audience ever.” True, the crowd were going absolutely mental from start to finish, but that’s largely to do with the fact that the Brits practically ripped the roof off from the get go. With a sound that takes accessible pop and bludgeons it repeatedly over the head with abrasive guitar-based dance, Klaxons have created something quite unique and visceral.

Klaxons - Surfing The Void

BobbySix.com is excitedly heading to Sydney's Enmore Theatre tonight to see Klaxons, meaning their brand new album has been getting plenty of spins in preparation.

Amongst all of the hearsay about whether or not their first attempt at a second album was rejected by their label, Surfing The Void has been a long time coming, which makes it all the more strange that, musically, it essentially follows directly on from their debut, Myths of the Near Future. Looking back, it seems a shame that their first record was hyped beyond belief - with all the new-rave nonsense that the band never wanted anything to do with anyway - because it overshadowed what was actually a very good pop record which has stood the test of time. So, while we all half-expected Klaxons to come back with a brand new sound - be it an evolution or otherwise - we should probably have expected them to continue with what they do best.

And so, rather than wheel reinvention, we have satisfactory continuity. Surfing The Void offers the same tried-and-trusted formula that Klaxons have built their reputation on. They mix hard, fast, and slightly mental guitar-led dance music with big pop choruses and harmonies and then throw in a few lyrics that don't really make sense but that sound awesome. All of which creates thrilling apocalyptic pop anthems.

Opener Echoes is an example of this. A slightly rougher and heavier relative of Golden Skans (which, if you hadn't realised, was borrowing from Madonna's Hung Up - which itself was covering ABBA), it shows why Klaxons have always referred to themselves as a pop band. For the remainder of the album, pop sensibilities continue to clash with indie, punk and rave edges. This literal mashing of genres makes for an exhilarating, madcap record that constantly threatens to fall apart in a clatter of noise and exuberance but always just about manages to hold it together.

There aren't the obvious singles that Myths of the Near Future boasted, but fans of that ambitious debut will be more than happy with what Klaxons, finally, came up with next.

Finally! Klaxons return with new material

Apocalyptic pop, new-rave, however you want to label it, I've always been a fan of Klaxons. When I called their album 'bloody brilliant' three years ago, I got into a disagreement with some fellow critics, who suggested I wouldn't still be listening to it in six months time. Turns out I was, and it went on to score highly in my end of decade review. However, even I was growing tired of the seemingly interminable wait for new material (during which time they had a new album thrown back at them by their record company). So it is exciting then, that a new track finally lands. Have a listen. Thoughts?

Trekstock 2009

When music and charity mix, it often amounts to little more than ego-massaging pomp; Bono and Eddie Vedder getting all dewy-eyed as they hold hands at centre-front of stage and set about saving the world by singing Neil Young covers while Madonna adopts her 37th African child. Thank goodness then for the delightful Trekstock, which just gets on with raising money without such self-congratulation.

Trekstock began in 2006, when London-based good egg, Sophie Epstone, needed to raise some dosh to embark on a trek to Everest in support of Teenage Cancer Trust. To do so, she put on a small, fundraising gig. Since then, the events have grown in size and support for the cause has become widespread, with a number of celebrities happy to show get involved. Beth Ditto, Katy Perry (below), Mischa Barton, Kings of Leon, Agyness Deyn, Klaxons, The Mighty Boosh, Jarvis Cocker, Russell Brand, Albert Hammond Jnr, Kate Nash (below), The Horrors, Radio 1's Chris Moyles, Zane Lowe and Alan Carr all wear their Trekstock badges with pride. Trekstock has, thus far, raised thousands of pounds for Teenage Cancer Trust.
On May 13th, the charity returns for its fourth year of fundraising gigs with a launch night that sees Mark Ronson and some famous mates play at Proud in Camden, London. The supercool night will also mark the launch of a new range of Trekstock clothing and accessories, designed by Will Broome, Kate Moross, Laura Lees and Tatty Devine. If you can spare a few quid and want to get along to support a fantastic cause, then get your ticket to the gig from seetickets.com. As with previous events, it is sure to be an insanely cool night, as the young, talented and beautiful do their bit to help out the six teenagers a day that are diagnosed with cancer in the UK. If you are a facebooker (and who isn't nowadays?), then why not join the group?

2007: End of year review

I recently contributed to the Drum Media end of year poll in Australia. Here is an alternative version which takes into account the UK as well. Please feel free to add your own lists in the comments section: Top 10 Albums (released in the UK or Australia)
1. Myths of The Near Future - Klaxons
2. Panic Prevention - Jamie T
3. A Book Like This - Angus And Julia Stone (above)
4. Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
5. Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever - The Cribs
6. Because Of The Times - Kings Of Leon
7. Made Of Bricks - Kate Nash
8. Fur And Gold - Bat For Lashes
9. Songs For The Road – David Ford
10. Tonight At The Arizona - The Felice Brothers

Top 10 Tracks (released as part of any single/EP/album)
1. Be Safe – The Cribs
2. Golden Skans – Klaxons
3. Sheila - Jamie T
4. Ballad Of Lou The Welterweight – The Felice Brothers
5. Umbrella - Rihanna
6. Foundations – Kate Nash
7. D.A.N.C.E. – Justice
8. Brown Paper Bag – Bridezilla
9. What’s a Girl To Do? – Bat For Lashes
10. Commercial Breakdown – The Sunshine Underground


Best Gigs in Australia
1. Angus and Julia Stone – The Great Escape Festival
2. Bridezilla - Beach Road Hotel, Bondi (above)
3. Pet Shop Boys – V Festival
4. Lou Reed - The State Theatre
5. Muse – Big Day Out

Best Gigs in the UK
1. Carter USM – Brixton Academy (below)
2. Arcade Fire – The Latitude Festival
3. David Ford – Shepherds Bush Empire
4. Laura Imbruglia – Monkey Chews, Camden
5. Kings Of Leon – Brighton Centre
Top 5 Films
1. Superbad
2. The Science Of Sleep
3. Knocked Up
4. American Gangster
5. Hot Fuzz

Top 5 TV Shows
1. The Mighty Boosh
2. Peep Show
3. The Biggest Loser (Australia)
4. Extreme Makeover
5. America’s Next Top Model

Top 5 Websites
1. Youtube
2. Wikipedia
3. Boudist
4. Myspace
5. WWTDD

Top Podcasts
1. Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo’s Film Reviews – BBC Radio 5 Live
2. The Ricky Gervais Podcast

The Emperor's New Clothes Award
Facebook. Listen, I haven’t seen you for about 10 years and you didn’t talk to me at school anyway; why would I want to add you as a ‘friend’ now? And stop inviting me to be a vampire.


Best Media Moments
1. The Chaser’s War On Everything getting themselves arrested in the name of comedy (above).
2. Britney Spears’ terrifying ‘comeback’ at the MTV Awards. Yikes.
3. The Biggest Loser, Australian finale.

Highlight Of The Year
The glorious, long overdue ousting of Mr John Winston Howard.

Prediction For 2008
A new buzz band to appear on the scene approximately every 3 days, each with increasingly skinny jeans and ridiculous hair. Same as 2007 then.

Quote Of The Year “Rob Townsend is inane and out of touch.” An angry reader of The Argus writes in to tell it like it is.

A Personal Review of 2007
As with 2006, I was lucky enough to split my year between Australia and England and therefore witnessed the best of Britain in Sydney and vice versa. I saw great shows from English acts such as Jamie T, Plan B, Muse and Lily Allen in Sydney. In London I was delighted to spend some time with the beguiling Angus and Julia Stone as their star continued to ascend, and also caught a couple of Laura Imbruglia’s marvellous shows in London (above). I’m a big fan of Imbruglia, and I hope that 2008 brings her the recognition she deserves as an artist.

In Sydney, my favourite new band, Bridezilla, continued on their inevitable road to greatness. Seeing them grow from unsigned opening act to headliners and festival stars with an EP in the shops gave me great pride, especially as I have been championing them from the very first time I laid ears on them at Candy’s Apartment in 2006. Hopefully, they will take on the world next year. If the reception that fellow Aussie teens Operator Please received is any guide, England will welcome them with open arms if they get the opportunity to head that way.It was a year of festivals for me, as I took in Big Day Out, Laneway, V Festival, The Great Escape, The Essential Festival (in Sydney as opposed to Brighton), Cornbury (where I even took to the stage) and Latitude. Aside from the already listed highlights, there were great performances from Pixies, The Killers (who I saw two days in a row and, surprisingly, loved both times), NYPC (above), Ghostwood, Mercy Arms, Magic Numbers (twice), CSS, Jarvis Cocker (twice), Damien Rice (twice), Erin Marshall, The Young and Restless… the list goes on.

Elsewhere, I queued for 11 hours overnight to see Lou Reed, got a late, late call to review The Pretenders and was lucky enough to be in the front row of The Famous Spiegeltent for M. Ward in the beautiful Sydney summertime.Of the many interviews I was part of this year, my fascinating chat with Dolores O’Riordon (above) in a Sydney hotel is the one I am most proud of. Elsewhere, I swooned like a love-struck schoolboy when speaking down the phone from Melbourne to the exquisite Regina Spektor and laughed heartily with Caleb from Kings of Leon as he regaled me with tales of love and lust. I listened intently to the ambitious and terrifyingly intelligent Perry Farrell and, as always, enjoyed chatting to Klaxons.

I continued to pontificate in my own column in The Sports Argus every week, which continues to be compiled into a book, which will see the light of day this year after a self-imposed postponement.

Roll on 2008.

Klaxons interview

My latest interview with Klaxons appeared in various publications across Australia. Here is the version that was in Victoria's Inpress: ROB TOWNSEND TALKS TO AWARD-WINNING BRITS KLAXONS AS THEY PREPARE TO RETURN TO AUSTRALIA TO COMPLETE THEIR POSTPONED TOUR

“For the first year we were a complete sack of shit. We were a shambles. We were horrific.”

Klaxons guitarist, Simon Taylor-Davis, humbly reckons that when the band formed a couple of years ago, their musicianship left something to be desired. However, the fact that their debut album, Myths Of The Near Future, recently won the Nationwide Mercury Prize, the most respected award in the UK scene, suggests otherwise. “In England you can get big in a short space of time in terms of being a band that a lot of people are talking about. The hype is justified if you can destroy it, and I think we did,” he beams. “We decided really early on that we wanted to lock ourselves away and just create a really good record.”

They certainly achieved their objective, with the prestigious award once-and-for-all proving they amount to far more than merely being the latest NME flavour of the month. “It’s incredibly hard to know what is happening when you are in the middle of something,” Simon says when I ask him whether he feels like he is in a big, famous band now. “We don’t read any press because we’re never in England and we don’t see anything we do because we’re never in one place for long enough. So the only thing you can judge it by is live shows. Earlier this year we did our first ever UK headline tour and we played two shows at Shepherds Bush Empire, which is a huge venue in London. It was a gauge that people really do want to come and see us. So that was a really emotional tour.”

In spite of claiming the most esteemed accolade in British music, selling out tours and stealing the show at this year’s Reading Festival, the four friendly chaps that make up Klaxons are hardly household names in their native land. They may have gained plenty of kudos on the back of their Mercury Prize, but they can still walk through London without getting a second glance from most punters. One guesses that’s exactly the way they like it, and they have a level of unpretentiousness that success doesn’t seem likely to permeate. Equally, in spite of shifting heaps more albums since they won the award, they aren’t exactly living in the lap of luxury just yet. “We don’t have any friends anymore; we just hang around with each other. We still don’t go out. We’re still hermits. We still eat at the same shitty Turkish restaurants. Nothing’s really that different,” Simon shrugs. While their humility is endearing, in reality things are very different in Klaxonworld nowadays. They arrive on these shores fresh from a whirlwind tour of North America, where there were more than a few late nights and no end of celebrities turning up to their gigs and after-parties, including Bjork and The Strokes. Make no mistake, Klaxons are hot property.The mouth-watering news for Australian fans of the apocalyptic popsters is that they return to Melbourne brimming with confidence about their ability in the live arena. “I think for the first time we can go on record and say we can actually play,” Simon chuckles when our conversation returns to his self-deprecating belief that Klaxons used to be a bit rubbish. “We’re definitely a better live band now. You can’t help but accidentally learn to play when you’re performing every night for four or five months in a row. The songs are sounding better, everyone’s vocals are sounding better, the parts are better. The shows are still completely crazy though; they haven’t lost any of their energy.”

Of course, Klaxons should have been over here a couple of months back, but had to pull their Splendour appearance and side-shows after bassist/vocalist Jamie Reynolds fractured his ankle when he landed awkwardly after jumping from a stage in France. While unquestionably disappointing, the postponement has only heightened the band’s excitement about finally returning. “We were gutted we had to cancel our Splendour show but unfortunately there was nothing we could do,” keyboardist/vocalist James Righton tells me. “The gig was too soon after Jamie's operation for him to safely fly. We’re definitely gonna make it up to Australia though. We’re really looking forward to it.”Jamie’s enforced spell with his feet up allowed Klaxons to begin work on their follow-up record, which leads me to ask if they’re worried about the ‘difficult second album’ syndrome that so many bands suffer from, especially considering how lauded their debut has been. “We’re in a very fortunate situation because we made a difficult first album. We’d been together for less than a year and we were making it up as we went along,” Simon admits. “We weren’t in a position where we had fifty songs of which we could choose the best ten. We literally had eleven songs, and we wrote two of them in the studio when we were recording the album, so it was tough. The pressure was on. To know that people get it and like it is huge motivation, so now’s the fun time. We can experiment with stuff."

Expected to land early next year, their second long-player will see a natural continuation of that distinctive Klaxons sound, with pop sensibilities clashing with a harder edge. “The first album shone torches in a few places and ignited ideas. As far as sounds go, it will be full of contradictions: heavier, softer, faster, slower.”

For now though, the new album is put to the back of Klaxons’ minds. More pressing is their overdue return to these shores. “Melbourne was incredible last time. I never knew what a modern city it was” Simon exclaims. “It was an amazing experience and everyone was incredibly polite, but we were literally in Australia for two days, so we didn’t see anything. We’d been on a month-long tour of Europe before we arrived and we were exhausted. Then we were taken to the edge by Modular Records. We got off the plane and we were all dead, but they just wanted to go out and party,” he laughs. When Klaxons party, they do so to the point of excess, and they certainly brought that spirit to the stage when they headlined the Modular Christmas gig last year with an exhilarating and riotous performance. “The reaction was incredible,” Simon says of the rapturous reception they received. “It blew us away. It was bizarre being so far away from home and people knowing our songs. That never fails to surprise us.”

Klaxons Win The Mercury!

Klaxons picked up this year's Mercury Music Prize. Being a big fan, I'm over the moon that they've won. One of my interviews with the band is here, and you can read my album review here:NME Editor Conor McNicholas said: "One of the things Klaxons have tried to do is produce something that feels like it came from the future. It's an album that could only ever have been made in Britain, could only ever have been made at this moment in time and it's a multi-layered album."

Keyboardist James Righton added: "It was quite a shame that every question we got asked today was about whether Amy Winehouse was going to win the award. It took the focus away from the fact that the Mercury Music Prize is about music."

Reading 2007 - Who to see...

I just saw the full line-up for Reading for the first time. If you’re going this year, then here are my musical tips for a top weekend:Must See:
Arcade Fire (don’t miss them whatever else you do)
Klaxons (ooh-ee-ooh-ee-ooh-ee-ooh-ee-ooh-arrrr)
Kings of Leon
CSS (best party ever)
Jamie T (above)
New Young Pony Club (below)
Bloc Party
Interpol
Tokyo Police Club
The Gossip
Albert Hammond Jr (surprisingly great frontman)
The ShinsShould See:
Kate Nash (is she worth all the fuss? I hope so)
Ash (awesome festival band)
The View (little cunts but with a few good tunes)
Cold War Kids
The Scare (Australian, and better than….)
….The Horrors
Silversun Pickups (Pumpkins/Pixies revisited)
The Sunshine Underground
Peter Bjorn and John (whistle along)Maybe See:
Alberta Cross (friends of Angus and Julia)
Pippettes (from Brighton. Pretty dresses)
Charlotte Hatherley (above)
The Young Knives (tweed post punk)
Operator Please (teenagers from Australia. And, no, they’re not in the same league as Bridezilla but might be worth a squizz anyways)

Don’t See:
Razorlight (urggggghhh)
Red Hot Chili Peppers (worst band in the world)

Klaxons and Jamie T nominated for a Mercury

I've just heard the nominees for this September's Mercury Music Prize and I'm very impressed. For those of you not in the know, the Mercury is the most well-respected award in the biz for the year's best album (previous winning albums came from Arctic Monkeys in 2006, Antony and The Johnsons in 2005, Franz Ferdinand in 2004 and Dizzy Rascal in 2003). Well, this year sees Arctic Monkeys and Dizzy nominated again, as well as the marvelous Amy Winehouse and NYPC. Most pleasingly though are the inclusion of the brilliant Klaxons album and the equally awesome Jamie T. I'd love Klaxons to win as I adore them, but, if you fancy a flutter, I reckon the clever money is on London rapscallion Jamie T or Winehouse for victory.

I'm so delighted that Klaxons are being recognised that I thought I'd revisit my review from a few months back.KLAXONS
Myths Of The Near Future

When I spoke to Klaxons a couple of months back, they claimed the New Rave tag that they had been lumbered with was nothing more than a media construct, and one listen to their debut long-player confirms this. While Klaxons are certainly offering something new, there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of rave within the 11 tracks on offer here.

Anyone who thinks the band are nothing more than style-over-content, fluoro-clad scenesters will be surprised to learn that, in spite of the false pigeonholing, Myths Of The Near Future is genuinely exciting and visionary, and manages to experimentally fuse dark pop with elements of punk and dance. The album is filled with space-age themes, but rather than having a pessimistic vision of an apocalyptic world in the vein of Muse, Klaxons face the future armed with an Acid House smile and a pocketful of pills, making this 35-mintues of dancey, mashed-up fun of the highest order.

Current radio favourite Golden Skans harks back to the best of 80s pop, while previous singles Atlantis to Interzone and Gravity’s Rainbow are high-speed, amphetamine-fuelled dance-punk car crashes. Meanwhile, hidden away at the back of the album is a cover of Grace’s classic It’s Not Over Yet, which is a delicious piece of gurning, synth-drenched karaoke.

With Myths Of The Near Future, Klaxons have defiantly transcended the hype and created a truly dazzling album.

Rave? Hardly. Apocalyptic pop? Possibly. Bloody brilliant? Absolutely.

(My latest interview with Klaxons will be a Drum Media cover story soon...)

Klaxons interview

DARLINGS OF THE ENGLISH MUSIC PRESS KLAXONS ARE HEADING THIS WAY, INSPIRING ROB TOWNSEND TO PULL ON SOME FLUORO AND FIND OUT WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT

“There is no scene.” With those four words, Klaxons’ vocalist and keyboardist James Righton completely tears down the bastions of the latest NME fad, New Rave. “The New Rave thing was actually started by [vocalist/bassist] Jamie as a joke. Our music isn’t rave at all; it’s more dark pop. We just do our own thing.”

Regardless of whether the New Rave scene is a cynical media construct or not, Klaxons are absolutely massive in England right now. Seriously, the trio from London’s New Cross are on everyone’s lips. The day-glo wearing group’s unique brand of apocalyptic pop/dance/punk has made them overnight cover stars, and there is no denying that there is some kind of dance movement following in their slipstream. “It’s weird, we’ve definitely created something,” the singer confirms. “But we didn’t really know anything about the bands that we have been grouped in with when we started out. We were just on our own in a small, cold rehearsal room.” He pauses for a moment’s thought, before continuing. “I mean, I don’t think we sound anything like Hot Chip or Shit Disco and, rather than a scene, it is more a spirit that we all share. There is a real DIY approach to our gigs, and we all try to make them into events. It’s not about us; it’s about the audience. People turn up with glow sticks and homemade t-shirts.”

Klaxons have only been around for a year, but their meteoric rise hasn’t changed the instantly likeable Londoners at all. “We are getting very arrogant,” jokes Righton chirpily. “Our egos are exploding. We intend to end up in rehab after the first album and all fall out with each other, and then become friends again in time for the second record.” Joking aside though, it is clear that the three friends who make up Klaxons have their feet firmly on the ground. “It hasn’t affected us,” he confirms. “We still hang out with the same group of friends.” In spite of their down-to-earth attitude, they are nonetheless entirely focused on achieving success. “For our first few gigs we were just going insane on stage. There wasn’t much music, and it mostly just ended up with us dancing around like idiots. But we were ambitious from day one. It’s an attitude that a lot of indie bands frown upon, but from the start we always wanted to be a big pop band.”

Myspace has been an important factor in the success of the group, and has helped to ensure that their growth has been organic. “It’s an amazing way of keeping in touch with our fans. We don’t randomly add people, so it’s a good way to gauge whether people like us.” When asked whether they have given the responsibility of running their myspace page to someone else now they are famous, Righton responds defiantly. “We still run it ourselves. The record company wanted our password,” he scoffs. “But we wouldn’t give it to them. That’d be like giving them the password to my hotmail account, and saying: ‘Hey, have the keys to my car as well.’”

The band’s recent 6-track EP release, Xan Valleys, beats its listener round the face with a mind-bending mash-up of pilled-up post-punk psychedelic pop that jumps between being trippy, distorted, melodic, insane and exhilarating. It perfectly sums up the band’s live craziness. “It’s easy to translate our live sound onto record,” Righton quips. “Just make it really fast and really heavy.” While he brushes off the challenge of transforming the Klaxons experience onto CD, he does admit that creating their unique sound is an entirely different process to that of a ‘normal’ band. “We don’t jam. We come in with different parts and mess around with them, and then we work on melodies and lyrics. It can be an arduous process, and we chuck away so much stuff. It’s a democracy, which means that sometimes we hate each other.”

In support of Xan Valleys, and of the release of a full length album early next year, Klaxons are spending the remainder of this year and most of next on the road, which means they’ve had to put their personal lives on hold for the foreseeable future. “We’ve got a hectic schedule,” Righton says with an audible sense of trepidation in his voice. “We’re touring all over the world. It is fun, and the best job in the world, but it’s insane because you just can’t settle. You can’t have a girlfriend or anything, but we are so lucky to be in this position.” The way that he stresses the words “so lucky” suggests that this is a band that is going to make the very most of touring the globe. “We are worried about our mental state though,” he adds as an afterthought. Ah yes, it’s not much of a secret that Klaxons like to party pretty hard, which leads one to wonder whether there are days when the hangovers and the comedowns are so painfully huge that the band simply cannot face another hard night of performing. “Obviously sometimes you just feel too tired, but as soon as you get on stage it all changes. You get such a buzz off the crowd.”

Luckily for us, Klaxons’ bid for world domination sees them heading to Australia next week to play at the Modular Christmas party. It will be their first ever visit to this country. “None of us did the gap year thing, so we are really excited,” the vocalist says enthusiastically.

When quizzed about their knowledge of the music scene over here, Klaxons plead ignorance. “We haven’t got the faintest idea about the scene. All we know is that Wolfmother are quite big.” Upon hearing that there are plenty of fluoro-clad scenesters eagerly awaiting their arrival, James is audibly excited “We can’t wait,” he buzzes. “Expect everything and anything from us. We won’t disappoint.”


Interview by Rob Townsend.