The Cribs - In the Belly of the Brazen Bull

Liana Gow-Killingbeck reviews the latest offering from The Cribs:

I’d been waiting for quite a while to get my paws on some fresh material by the English trio (and brothers), The Cribs. I’m pretty sure I played their previous record, Ignore the Ignorant, a little bit too much in the past because even my CD player got sick of it and decided to spit it out, craving something new. So you can’t really blame my ears for being rather overzealous as I began to listen to the band’s 5th studio album, In the Belly of the Brazen Bull.

With the loss of guitar legend Johnny Marr, this album is perhaps a little less impressive than its precursor, but still extremely head-bop worthy nonetheless - with a brilliant ending to boot - and it radiates an expected garage and lo-fi rock vibe that will undoubtedly be well received by the band’s loyal cluster of indie followers. The opening track Glitters Like Gold is catchy and fun, and will suck listeners in like a tasty chocolate milkshake through one of those radical twisted straws.

To be honest though, my interest started to wane after the first few songs, as I felt like I couldn’t really grasp onto something distinguishable. That’s until I heard Back to the Bolthole, which, with its punky heaviness, is definitely the standout track on the album. Then, immediately juxtaposed with the record's softest song, I Should Have Helped, I found myself responding rather emotionally, but in a good, gloomy sort of way.

To finish, The Cribs fused the final four tracks together to create a suite that left me feeling uplifted and, well, pretty darn satisfied. Though some may consider this closing to be a smidge longwinded, I appreciated the way the songs had been interwoven as I could clearly differentiate the feelings of each of them individually, as well as holistically. I could follow the flow of the music easily; the sharp marching drum beats of Stalagmites, through the harmonic dreaminess of Like a Gift Giver and Butterflies, to the ringing finality of Arena Rock Encore with Full Cast. Oh, delight!

The brothers even apologise for the lengthy time it took them to release this beastly album, as they chant “Sorry that it’s taken years” repeatedly in the last song. Well, apology accepted boys, because I believe In the Belly of the Brazen Bull was totally worth the wait.

Review by Liana Gow-Killingbeck. Have a look at her excellent fashion blog here.

The Cribs and Johnny Marr part company

 
Having recorded a single, an EP and an album with Smiths legend Johnny Marr, as well as touring the world as a four-piece, The Cribs have announced that they are returning to their original line-up. In a statement released on their official website today, the Jarman brothers explain the reasons behind the decision:

We don't want it to be seen as a split, that just has so many negative connotations and really doesn't represent the way everyone is feeling right now.

The truth is that, as Johnny said, we did more than we ever set out to do together really - we were initially just playing together as friends, and decided it might be fun to do a trademark Cribs 'surprise one-off seven inch' or something of that ilk, but as we went along we just kept writing. First it was a single, then an EP, we just happened to really enjoy playing together and ended up writing a full album. We were/are all really proud of the work we did together and we did mean it in our assertions that Johnny was very much a full-time member of the band. There were definite intentions of continuing on together and making another record - we even went into the studio with Edwyn Collins again last spring and started recording some stuff, but it just wasn't really working. We were all pretty burnt at that point and that is why we decided that after 8 years and 4 records we should take some time off.

During that time we all intended on working on other projects and at some point late last year, we just casually got together out in Portland as a 3-piece and it was so much fun. Johnny had started working on a solo record in the time off, and it just seemed like the right time to go our separate ways.

No one is down about this in our camp. It's actually the start of a really exciting phase for everyone. Johnny has gone back to The Healers and is writing a new record, and we are really honestly loving being back together as just 3 brothers literally playing in the basement/garage again. Right now we are in Portland and demoing in Gary's basement and it feels so liberating. We have a bunch of new songs and are embracing the lo-fi again. It never was about fancy studios and LA and all that. We are back in our usual environment and feeling good about it. We've got everything we need.

Musical Memories, number 3 - On stage with The Cribs

The Cribs are an unbelievably good live band. However, while they are still a joy to watch four albums into their career, if you didn't see them during the days when they played teeny tiny venues then you really, really missed out. You know the kind of place: a pub backroom where the only reason you know where the stage starts is because it is ever so slightly raised. Well, this band from Leeds used to rip the roof off places like that. I saw them plenty of times in these days, but the one occasion that stands out was in London's Soho, just before the release of their second album.

Often, when bands play new songs it can be something of a trial, as these unknown tunes simply serve to get in the way of the hits. However, such amazing songwriters are the Jarman brothers and so infectious are their songs that, by the second chorus of these previously unheard gems, the Soho crowd were singing along as if they'd heard them a thousand times before, rather than for the first time through a dodgy sound system in a Soho side-street.

Back in these days The Cribs used to be advocates of the stage invasion. Keen to break down the barriers between band and audience, they would positively encourage people to come and cause a bit of anarchy as they closed their set. So, that's how, as The Wrong Way To Be belted out, I found myself jumping around onstage behind singer/bassist Gary as one of the best live bands in the world sent the uber cool Soho crowd nuts (see above picture). You could say I was, momentarily, in The Cribs. You'd be lying, of course, as in reality I was just a loser prancing around the stage and making a bit of an arse of himself, but it was still quite the feeling.

Now, see if you can find me in the below picture, taken at the same gig. It's like an indie version of Where's Wally? Clue, just look for the most ridiculously excited person in the room. Yep, there I am.

Words by Rob Townsend

2010 End Of Year Review - Top 10 Gigs

Kicking off four days' worth of posts relating to BobbySix.com's End Of Year Review is the Top 10 live gigs of 2010. Still to come over the next few days, top albums, top movies and top songs:

1. REGINA SPEKTOR, Sydney Opera House 
"Heartbreaking tender ballad Samson remains one of the best songs of the last ten years and commanded hushed awe from the audience but, on this occasion, the highlight was Apres Moi. For someone so softly spoken, Spektor has a massive vocal range and when she ended the song by belting out couplets in Russian, it was jaw-dropping.

Though, on record, her edges seem to have smoothed a little, live, she was as weird and leftfield as ever, using her vocal as an instrument and singing ditties about how “Someone next door’s fucking to one of my songs.”  In taking the step to this next level, Regina Spektor proved that it is possible to make intelligent, beautiful music that is accessible while still remaining daring and oddball." (Full review...)

2. JEFFREY LEWIS & THE JUNKYARD, Oxford Art Factory,Sydney 
"There were punky rock outs and gentler - really wordy - acoustic numbers that showcased his writing talents, as themes of self-doubt, lost love and depression were treated with sincerity and humour. He told fantastical stories about various ways he could commit suicide... while suggesting that Pitchfork would only give his death 3.6 out of 10." (full review...)

3. LAURA MARLING, The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney
"The use of cello, keys, drums, mandolin, guitar, bass and banjo offered a round sound, yet the set really dazzled when Marling stood alone with just her voice and acoustic guitar... This was a truly enchanting evening from one of the finest young talents around." (full review...)

4. DANIEL JOHNSTON, Monster Children Gallery, Sydney
"Life doesn't often make sense. Plug A rarely fits nicely into Slot B. People conflict and contrast, friction prevails. Sometimes though, very, very occasionally, everything comes together. And, as I stood on the steps, looking over Johnston's shoulder onto a crowd that were hanging on his every word. It was clear that these were my people, and this was my soundtrack. If only life were always like this." (full review...)

5. THE CRIBS, Manning Bar, Sydney
"Even four albums in, The Cribs' raw energy and vivacity hasn't abated, and to combine that with tunes to die for is to be in the presence of one of the most thrilling live bands around." (full review...)

6. KLAXONS, Enmore Theatre, Sydney

"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 (above) 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." (full review...)

7. ANGUS & JULIA STONE, Metro Theatre
"What better way to celebrate your record going gold, than by playing three sold-out shows over two days in your home city? Following Friday night's gig, the siblings played a matinee performance to an under-age audience on Saturday afternoon. Cue a Beatlemania-esque frenzy from the crowd as fourteen-year-old girls took time out from screaming every word of every song to yell requests for impregnation from Angus. If it was all a bit much for the shy, unassuming Mr Stone, then the evening was happily a more chilled-out affair." (full review...)

8. PARADES, Enmore Theatre, Sydney 
"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." (full review...)

9. CABINS AND BRIDEZILLA, Changing Lanes Festival, Sydney

"Cabins' performance drilled its way relentlessly through the audience's bodies. Their bone-shaking set - which included a cheeky cover of Edwin Collins' A Girl Like You - was loud with a capital L.O.U.D. and their catchy indie with alternating vocalists was the highlight of the day...

...Bridezilla (above)  performed a handful of promising new songs in their 30-minute set, the last of which really showed the band's desire to push themselves in new directions. This set-closer, Hey Girl, saw Millie Hall put down the saxophone and take centre stage, playing keys and sharing lead vocals with Holiday Sidewinder. Written by Hall, the poppy number was infectious enough to suggest it will soon be quite the crowd-pleaser, with Hall, Sidewinder and guitarist Pia May delivering some 60s girl-group singalong harmonies." (full review of festival...)

10. FLORENCE & THE MACHINE, Laneway Festival, Sydney
"Florence Welch ripped through the headline slot with gusto. By the time she ended with a winning trio of Dog Days Are Over, You've Got The Love and Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) - all of which showcased that lung-busting voice - she had the crowd going apeshit (full review of festival...)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Ineligible, to be honest (largely because representatives of BobbySix.com made up part of the performance), but still worthy of a shout is David Ford's Milk and Cookies gig in December. Also due a mention are Kate Nash and Lily Allen's performances in Sydney.

Sydney-based artists that are well worth a look the next time they are playing in your neighbourhood are The Laurels, who - with their shoegazey post-grunge wall of noise - are Australia's most underrated band. Elsewhere, The Preachers put in an outstanding performance at Oxford Art Factory - they are fast becoming one of BobbySix.com's favourite bands. Similarly, Cameras played a stunning show at the same venue. Meanwhile, Melbourne's Howl at the Moon played a winning set at King's Cross' World Bar.

One of the most unique and exciting artists in Sydney remains Kirin J Callinan . His boundary-pushing afternoon show at a warehouse in the iconic Hibernian House (above, photo courtesy of Emma Daniels) was the perfect example of how he brings something genuinely different and interesting to the table. Yeah, so it actually took place at the back end of 2009, but we didn't get a chance to mention in last year's review and, anyway, who's counting?

There are probably loads of other really awesome shows that we have overlooked, or that have been lost in a drunken blur, but these are the ones that have jumped to mind. Have we forgotten anything? let us know...

Kate Nash - My Best Friend Is You

Having rush-released her debut, Made Of Bricks, in order to capitalise on the success of hit single, Foundations, perky English songstress Kate Nash now returns with a more polished effort. Produced by former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler (who also produced Duffy), much of My Best Friend Is You has a brassy, sixties girl-group sound. You’ll Never Listen To Me is a poptastic introduction, as is next track, Kiss That Girl. Later, single Do Wah Doo sees Nash telling of her disdain towards a love-rival over jaunty piano, horns and handclaps.

At times though, Nash veers closer to her indie roots. Starting gently and building towards a spoken-word ending over strings, the epic Don’t You Wanna Share The Guilt gives more than a passing nod to Be Safe by her boyfriend’s band, The Cribs. “I don’t know how more people haven’t got mental health problems,” she begins, before her cockney vernacular becomes more frenzied.

Meanwhile, Pickpocket is a bit Regina Spektor, the fairly pointless I Just Love You More, is screamy and shouty in a Pixies way and the aggressive, sparse Mansion Song is almost rapped. “Strip, strip, strip and shag/Fuck, get fucked,” Nash snarls in her scathing attack on groupie culture. Its delivery is a bit cringe-worthy in a friend-insisting-on-reading-you-their-poetry kind of way, but it’s nonetheless bold and interesting.

This coming together of radio-friendly pop and edgier indie makes for a somewhat schizophrenic outcome, but regardless of whether that leaves something for everybody or not enough for anybody, Nash’s personality remains strong throughout and there are some brave intentions within her storytelling.

The Cribs at Manning Bar, Sydney

THE CRIBS
BRIDEZILLA
Manning Bar, 19/02/10

Considering Bridezilla have been winning fans around the city over the past four years, it's somewhat surprising that this was their debut performance at Manning Bar. Less surprising was that their atmosphere-drenched show was enthralling. Most notable was frontwoman Holiday Carmen-Sparks' increasingly impressive vocal range. Balancing out their intense sound with plenty of smiles throughout, the Sydney quintet are clearly enjoying themselves at the moment, and well they might, as they remain one of the most captivating acts in Australia today.

The Cribs' dynamic has always been appealing; three brothers across drums, bass and guitar, with duelling lead vocals. So adding another guitarist would seem crazy, except when he happens to be a certain Johnny Marr. Regardless, it was going to be interesting to see whether it would be the same visceral, raucous Cribs experience.

Bursting into We Were Aborted, guitarist Ryan Jarman stooped over his mic, stomped his feet and spat lyrics as loud as he could in his strong Wakefield accent as veins popped out of his neck. With that, it was instantly clear that, while the addition of a member of indie royalty added to their depth of sound, it took nothing away from the Jarman brothers' insane live energy. The crowd, who had waited four years to see them, went nuts as Hey Scenesters and Cheat On Me provoked early singalongs. Indeed, there were few songs that weren't singalongs, as this set featured more infectious choruses than your average pop act could come up with in a lifetime, all delivered with shouty punk rock sensibilities. Every “whoa-oh” was hollered back at the band with increasing gusto, and, as Ryan questioned where all the crowd-surfers were, waves of bodies began to flow towards the stage.

The epic Be Safe offered an alternative to the punchy songs that surrounded it, featuring a video of Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo's spoken word prose as the band belted out another massive chorus, “I know a place we can go where you'll fall in love so hard that you'll wish you were dead.”

Ending with Men's Needs, City of Bugs and a spot of stage-diving, the quartet left the sweat-drenched crowd breathless. Even four albums in, The Cribs' raw energy and vivacity hasn't abated, and to combine that with tunes to die for is to be in the presence of one of the most thrilling live bands around.