Above Them - Blueprint for a Better Time

The first time I saw Above Them was either in the upstairs of The Gower in Cardiff, or in Le Pub in Newport. I was certainly in the upstairs room of a pub somewhere in South Wales. They played a lot in the two years I was living in Cardiff so it's hard to pin down exactly where and when I saw them. My old housemate was friends with them and they'd often stay in our spare room after they played nearby. They were known almost equally for having great songs and being nice guys, and their shows were always a mixture of both. It would be ages until I met any of them sober.

Somehow it took me absolutely ages to actually buy any of their records. I remember trying to at Punk 'n' Bowl, but there was no one at the merch table. I eventually picked this up in Banquet one day but went on holiday the next day so still didn't get to hear it for another week and a half. By the time I played it I knew half of the songs from hearing them live so often, but it was great to hear them on record. They often get compared to Hundred Reasons, but somehow I hear that more live than here; you can pick up more of the gruff-punk influences, albeit with much less gruff. And if they've written a bad song, they certainly haven't pressed it onto vinyl. The eleven here are all great and I've put For Those Who've Paved the Way onto many mixtapes (and played it on my short-lived university radio show). This Complex Life and Keep Smiling are two of my favourites both live (for their sing-a-long moments) and on the album.

So all in all, Above Them's debut is great and they're an awesome band. To spoil the surprise for when I write about We Are a Danger to Ourselves, I think that's great too. Hopefully by the time I get round to putting a post up about that I'll have learnt some more adjectives.

Format: 12", insert
Tracks: 11
Cost: £9 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 22/06/10
Colour: White
Etching: none
mp3s: no

William Elliott Whitmore - Field Songs

This is the most recent Will Whitmore album and, unsurprisingly, he's made another incredible record. I got Banquet to order this one in for me after spotting that they had his last album in stock. The overlap between the records I used to buy in Spillers and the records I now buy in Banquet may not be huge, but it at least includes Will Whitmore, so I'm happy.

I won't rant too long about how much time I have for this guy, but I really can't get enough of his music. This album is eight more great songs (never one to put too many songs on a record - short but sweet) and once again Will's voice is what carries the record. The banjo and guitars (and kick-drum on Don't Need It) are all brilliant but it's the raspy, older-than-his-years vocals that keeps me putting these records on.

The songs are sparse, often bleak and dark, but also subtly uplifting (just have a listen to Not Feeling Any Pain) and I can't recommend it enough.


Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 8
Cost: £15 new
Bought: Banquet
When: 31/08/11
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: cd

OK Pilot - Nerves

I can't remember the first time I saw OK Pilot. I'm reasonably sure I saw them before moving to London, and a quick Google of "OK Pilot South Wales Massive" brings up threads about a whole bunch of gigs I might've been at. I knew they were from Exeter and good friends with a lot of bands we knew in Cardiff but that was about it. Anyway, I definitely remember seeing them in The Peel after I moved and I enjoyed them greatly (so much so I wonder if maybe I hadn't seen them before). Shortly afterwards I picked up their 10" Nerves in Banquet (not realising at the time that two of them work there. A similar thing happened when I bought an album by Dave House).

It's a great EP and I fully recommend it. There are a lot of great punk bands in the UK at the moment, but what makes OK Pilot stand out is that they're somehow way more brutal than the others. I can't quite put my finger on it; kind of gruff-punk at the speed of hardcore with plenty of balls. Something that comes across even more in their live shows. My favourites both live and on vinyl are Mouth Full of Salt and Words of Encouragement. In fact the whole of side 2 is faultless. I hope they put out a full-length at some point.

Format: 10", insert
Tracks: 8
Cost: £9 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 18/03/11
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: Download

Max Richter - Infra

Anyone who's read this blog even once will know what sort of music I generally listen to. The one thing almost all of my records have in common is a guitar of some sort; there's often vocals (rarely sung, sometimes shouted) and usually drums (ideally hard-hit and heavy). Most of my new discoveries come from what I find in the racks at Banquet Records, or what I see on-stage at All Tomorrow's Parties. This record, sitting somewhere between classical and electronica, may then look a little out of place amongst the rest of my vinyl (despite being on the same label as Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad), but it's so incredible I'm very glad it's here.

I was recommended Infra independently my a good friend and by my girlfriend at the time (although I have no idea how either of them first heard of it). They both knew what sort of music I was into but figured I'd enjoy it anyway, and they were both right. After the second recommendation I gave it a listen and was amazed. I really know nothing at all about classical music (and I imagine a lot of it is incredible if you give it enough time) so I have no idea how this stands up against some of the greats, but it's a truly awesome piece of music. Moving and overwhelming violins are sat next to modern electronic beeps and noises, and who knew the two would be such good friends. Roughly half of the album is the eight movements of Infra and the other half Journey, although not always playing in order. I've never sat down and listened just to the pieces from one or the other, as they work fantastically as they are. For me the highlights are Infra 3 and Infra 5, both songs that demand your full attention, but at the same time are hypnotic.

I had the pleasure of Max Richter perform Infra at Cadogan Hall a few months after hearing the record, which was a great experience. Alongside the music was an animated backdrop that was used in the original ballet, and also for the album cover. The only downside was that I'd just returned from holiday and was a bit jet-lagged. The seats were so comfy and the music was so lovely, that I did fall asleep a little (although I stress that I mean that to be a compliment to the music!) However, I've just booked tickets to see him again in the Barbican in October, for which I will be well-rested. There's a performance of Infra, along with Vivaldi Recomposed, which sounds intriguing. I may brush up on my Vivaldi beforehand.

Given my usual musical tastes, I can't really say what it is about this record that makes me love it so much, other than the music itself. I think I like it for the same reasons I like bands like Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed and The Dirty Three. Sometimes it's nice to broaden your horizons and try other types of music.

Format: 12"
Tracks: 13
Cost: £12.50 new
Bought: Fat Cat Records website
When: 13/01/11
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: Download

Chuck Ragan + Brian Fallon - Gospel Songs

This is a nice little record. I picked it up one day in Spillers along with a couple of other 7"s and the reissue of Young Team by Mogwai. I'd only gone in for the Mogwai cd but figured I'd browse the 7"s too (something I rarely did). It was the year after my Tuesday-record-from-Spillers year and I was definitely going in less, probably because I was still catching up with the wealth of new music I'd bought every Tuesday the year before (both musically and financially). Anyway, two songs: one from Chuck Ragan (of his own, and Hot Water Music fame) and one from Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem.

I'm a big fan of Chuck and at some point I will make the time to appropriately gush about how awesome I think Feast or Famine is. His song here is one of my favourites and by far the best song on Gold Country, his second album that came out shortly after this single. It's a fantastically upbeat song, dotted with handclaps, backing vocals and group "la la la la"s; all things I love. The description on sleeve about how the song came to life is lovely too. I like songs about how great music is.

I missed the boat a little with The Gaslight Anthem but people seem pretty keen on them and they do have some catchy tunes. The song Brian contributes here is possibly a little too far on the country side of the folk/punk/country genre for my liking. Sometimes I feel a little too British to really get on board with music about America in the 50's and 60's. It's not a bad song at all, but compared to Glory's uplifting feel it does come across a little dull. Maybe I should play this one side B then side A.

Format: 7", cd-sized insert
Tracks: 2
Cost: £4 new
Bought: Spillers
When: 08/08/09
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no

Shores - Coup de Grace

One evening last year in The Peel in Kingston, the thought of going to Fest went from being a crazy idea to being an actual plan. I'd been to a gig (I forget who) with a friend and mentioned how awesome the line-up looked. We looked on her iPhone and she agreed it was pretty incredible. We figured we could get cheap-ish flights, go for two weeks, see some sights before, go to Fest, check out some more sights and go home. Turns out Florida doesn't have a great deal of sights, so potential culture was changed for beaches and rollercoasters. Throw a weekend of punk into the mix and you've got a fun, albeit non-standard, holiday.

Shores were one of the first bands we saw at Fest. We decided to head up to Gainesville on the Thursday to check out one of the Pre-Fest shows and opted for the one in 1982 (a very cool bar filled with old Nintendos and cheap beer, although it turned out everywhere had cheap beer). I think Caves were the main draw, a band we've seen plenty of times, but were excited to see again in a foreign country. Anyway, the fourth band that night were Shores and I thought they were ace. They seemed different to the other bands we'd seen, but somehow still very much a punk band. On the surface the fact they're on No Idea seems odd, but at the same time totally right. A lot of the songs started as slow, brooding numbers but then would gradually explode into a crazed, organised mess of guitars and drums. I was impressed.

Often at gigs I want to buy a record but I'm never sure which album to go for, especially when its a band I know nothing about. Merch guys often play an under-appreciated role here in convincing me which record to go for. After Shores played I had a chat with the merch guy who offered me both of their LPs for $15, which at the time was still way cheaper than buying one record at home, and he had a sale. Of course being half way round the world and without a turntable it was a while before I got to listen to them. I played Coup de Grace before To Volstead and it became my favourite of the two (not that there's anything wrong with To Volstead, more on that record another time). The first track on side 2 Engage, Pall is possibly my highlight and a perfect example of a song that explodes and keeps going. The whole album feels sparse, but never like anything is missing. Even lyrically they barely form a full sentence. I often see the band compared to Low, and I can see where they're coming from. However (and with the exception of the last album), I sometimes feel like Low's songs don't really go anywhere; like they're just build-up for something that doesn't happen. That's not the case with Shores - on Coup de Grace you're rewarded every time. Roux and the seven-minute Canned Heat are also worthy of particular mention.

So yeah, more on Shores another time when I write about To Volstead, but I fully recommend checking them out.

Format: 12", half-a4 inner
Tracks: 8
Cost: £4.62 new
Bought: Fest
When: 27/10/11
Colour: Brown
Etching: Side A:"Home wrecker? Hanger? Shores? Hmmm..." Side B:"Burittos"
mp3s: download

Mariachi El Bronx + The Bronx - Bronx Live

I normally wait a bit between buying a record and posting about it on here; I like to give it some time until I've had a chance to really get into the songs. This record however is so lovely it deserves to be written about right away (I have owned it for nearly two months now, but for the majority of that time I was nowhere near my record player). Record Store Day does have the tendency to be a tad underwhelming at times, but there are some great records that come out of it and this is one of them. Four live songs by The Bronx and four by their mariachi counter-parts Mariachi El Bronx on a colour of vinyl that possibly deserves it's own paragraph.

There was a long time between me hearing about The Bronx and me actually hearing The Bronx. My friend's girlfriend at the time was into them, so I assumed they were an indie band since that's what she was mostly into. Of course this was completely wrong and I discovered my mistake after seeing the video for History's Stranglers. I then went on to buy their albums and see them play live a bunch of times. They're an incredible band, brilliant songs and energy by the bucket-load. Every time I've seen them they've been amazing, although the show last year at The Peel is worthy of a special mention as they played Strobe Life, possibly my favourite of their songs. They're playing again in November and I've got high hopes (I'm reasonably sure I won't be disappointed!). There are rumours of a 4xLP  boxset of their albums coming out alongside the new record, which will be great as the vinyl is pretty much impossible to find. Anyway, they four songs here are everything I've come to expect from their live shows, along with a Hanoi Rocks cover for good measure.

One of the great things about this record though is the A-side. I'd never really got Mariachi El Bronx before. I thought it was an interesting idea, but could only really enjoy it for about 10 minutes when I saw them at Reading one year. Since then I'd not really bothered with them. However, it turns out they're actually pretty awesome too. The first song here, 48 Roses, is a highlight, but Revolution Girls is great too. It's easy to write the idea off as a bit gimmicky (as I did), but they're really worth a listen. I'll certainly aim to pick up their albums at some point too.

But yes, music aside, that vinyl! Wow. Banquet got a bunch of these in sometime after RSD (were they US only releases?) and put them on the website. I knew they wouldn't stay around long so I swiftly put my order in and it arrived a few days later. I'd seen a picture of the vinyl, but it's even nicer in person. The best I can describe it as is "half red and white splatter, half blue and white splatter with a clear background". There's a lot going on there. It shot easily into the top ten of best coloured vinyl I own (a list I haven't actually made, but could if I sat down and thought about it enough).


Format: 12", insert
Tracks: 8
Cost: £13.30 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 21/06/12
Colour: Red, blue and white splatter on clear
Etching: None
mp3s: download

The Cooper Temple Clause - See Through This and Leave

I remember buying this thinking "what an awesome idea". On paper a 7" boxset sounds fantastic - a nice variation on the LP - but in reality it means I have to get up eleven times rather than just once to turn the records over. Not that I'm complaining (well, just a little) because I do like this boxset a lot. See Through This and Leave is a cracking album and one I've been enjoying for more than 10 years now.

I'm reasonably sure the first time I heard of The Cooper Temple Clause was because they were supporting Muse on a tour. A lot of people at school were into Muse and went. I wasn't a Muse fan and so ignored The Cooper Temple Clause too. Somehow I ended up hearing them and realising they were actually pretty cool. I think I saw the video for Let's Kill Music (a song I still often put on mixtapes) or heard Panzer Attack on a free Kerrang! cd. I picked up the cd with a bonus disc of early songs for a bargain £9 in my local MVC not long after it came out. About a year later I was in Nottingham having visited Lancaster University the day before (university visits were always about record shopping in new cities for me) and found this boxset version for an even more bargainous £7 (everything in Selectadisc was cheap). I had already decided it was enough of a classic to warrant two copies, so picked it up.

The music is still exciting today. They were undoubtedly an indie band but had way more balls than most of the others at the time. The songs were heavy, messy and noisey (all things I enjoy) and there was a lot going on. Even listening to it now you notice hints of instruments that weren't there before. Did You Miss Me? makes for a fantastic start and has a brilliant level of arrogance to it (that certainly wouldn't have worked so well on anything but a debut album). The album had more than it's share of singles, but the two closers are truly the gems of the record; The Lake is a brooding beast and Murder Song explodes twice into the perfect, powerful outro the record deserves.

The band had a fair innings. Their second album was a sleeper-hit with me - it took a few years before I really got it and now I consider myself a big fan of it too. My friend Matt and I went to see them at university, one of the very few things we did with the "Rock Society", who we'd signed up with after cynically scorning everything at Freshers Fair but feeling we really should try. Neither of us could get on board with university societies, but the very occasional organised trips to gigs were a bonus. I bought a few singles from the third album but was even less into that at the time. Matt bought it and I enjoyed hearing it, although many years on and I'm yet to buy it. The band eventually called it a day a short while later. If they were to do what Hundred Reasons and Hell is for Heroes have done and reformed to play their debut album ten years later in full, I for one would be very excited. Man, 2002 was a strong year for music.

The box is numbered (#1387 for me) which is a nice touch. I'd have put the cd sleeve notes on the six 7" sleeves rather than the plain white sleeves they are in. To be honest, even the cd sleeve thrown in with the box would have been better than nothing at all. I once saw a Michael Jackson album on six 7" square picture discs where they made the picture of the cover when arranged in order; that was pretty cool. Still, what this boxset lacks in features like that, it makes for in being a truly excellent album.

Format: 6x7" boxset, numbered
Tracks: 11
Cost: £7 new
Bought: Selectadisc Nottingham
When: 20/02/03
Colour: Black
Etching: None
mp3s: No