Future Rust, And Future Dust#7: Skying, Fostering and Foals
After missing last week, highly due to the Glastonbury come down. My mind is now actually functioning and capable of pulling a few sentences together; it’s a shame my body is craving for mud, a bit of grass, and of course an almighty warm Strongbow, but for now enjoy getting your taste buds filthy wet.
Peter Doherty is a also free man, you hear me FREE, well let’s pray those other charges don’t get in the way. Otherwise not so free.
Album of the week
Before The Horrors delivered Strange House, the world was believed them to be a bunch of drainpipe wearing scary big haired Goths with names like Rotter, Spider, Coffin, and Von Grimm. With a single called ‘Sheena Is A Parasite’ whose video was actually banned along debut album Strange House. Journalist thought Strange House was a one off, but years later, the pressure was still very much on The Horrors to overcome their ‘over-hyped debut album’.
The Horrors returned with the sharp Goth psychedelic rock album Primary Colours and the ever amazing leading single ‘Sea Within A Sea’ gained the band even more interest and a Mercury Music Prize nomination. Fast forward to 2011 and their back with album number three, with a range of different influences (or perhaps just their own record collection) gone is the scary broody Goth rock and in comes early 90′s Suede glamour. Spots of influence are mixed in with the ever daring desire to push The Horrors sound.
‘Changing The Rain’ mixes heavy bass with the correct amount of dreamy fun, creating a track that Primary Colours would have been proud of. The unsettled whining guitars and the synths are off the sexy sleazy radar.
‘You Said’ allows the synths to come in, kick some arse, then buggers off and leave it to the up its friends bass and guitar. Like ordering your side dish before the main heavier course arrives.
‘I Can See Through You’ already munching its way through the live sets, on record it is more easier to fall straight into the arms of its loud dreams caught in a mixture of psychedelic rainbows, this is the evolved sound Primary colours gave birth too.
‘Endless Blue’ has a right old vintage rock and roll feel to it, slightly lazy and stripped bare type of tempo, I actually forgot that I was even listening to a Horrors’ record then without any warning ‘Endless Blues’ gives way to a dash of heavy handed loud trashy guitar work and a very confident Faris breathing or should I say shouting down the microphone. ‘Endless Blues’ is the most rock The Horrors have gotten, more please.
‘Dive In’ sees The Horrors dive into a some sort of helpless vulnerability almost apocalyptic like swimming their way through a mid pond nightmare, as ‘Dive In’ went along, I felt myself getting more emotional attached, like I was living in this mad rush of panic drowning. One word: Emotional.
‘Still Life’ is already becoming Primary Colours ‘Sea Within A Sea’ it’s blissful, it’s romantic, it’s almost too good. I am sure you have heard this already? No need for me to go over ‘Still Life’ although live, the track is amazing. That is all.
‘Wild Eyes’ Who would have thought Faris had it in his heart to coo seduction words over ‘Wild Eyes’? Which can actually be mistaken as a romantic love film type song (Cat’s Eyes?) towards the end with the rather amazing trumpets and elements filled with brass. I did rather start to question, are they really this dark broody or are The Horrors are actually just little boys lost in the world of love? Who would have thought of that hey? ‘Wild Eyes’ has a very experimental emotive sound
‘Moving Further Away’ The track that was recorded while The Horrors decided to go the countryside, not much ‘inspiration’ was taken from Devon side of the country, perhaps ‘Moving Further Away’ was the hint at the time to head back up to the big bad city, which they did actually. ‘Moving Further Away’ is the only piece of music taken from that little trip away, it has all perfect creativity to spawn four seperate songs, but they contain it all within one big fat chuck of emotion that clocks in at just under 9 minutes. It is fair to say, this is a big nail on the head song. Also I must point out that you can hear seagulls mixing in with the synths, hello amazing. Do I dare say ‘Sea Within A Sea’ inspired again? OK maybe I will say it’s one of those kinda songs, big, dramatic and smacks you in the face faster than Amy Winehouse can utter the words ‘pipe’.
‘Monica Gems’ This is just a mess, a Horrors mess. A noise mess created by the guitars. Just a big pile of noise. A noisy mess. To all you even thinking what the F is this? The point of ‘Monica Gems’ was to be big and with lots of mad noise. So much is going on I have no idea what anything is, so wrong, yet it works so well.
‘Oceans Burning’ another mood song , that is capable of making you fall in love only for it to be swiped away towards the end by the filthy spooky off the radar hooked guitars. ‘Oceans Burning’ is a great jamming song to end Skying with.
Strictly Our Opinion: Skying was the first album produced purely by The Horrors in a home made studio in East London (where else?). Gone is the purity of producers and the comfort of an already built studio.Faris seems to sing more on Skying, more so than on Primary Colours and Strange House, and a lot more guitars have been added to create that big dramatic sound [4.5/5.0]
If you fancy a listen to The Horrors Skying, you can listen here; if you want to add anything/disagree what my review/tell me what I missed let us know.
Out Monday 11th July
The band that has that one really cool off the scale brilliant infectious pop song ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ that sent the music world into over drive last year. ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ became ‘Time To Pretend’, it was everywhere. It was impossible to escape, then, a year or so later their debut albums drops. But does it live up to the hype of ‘Pumped Up Kicks’.
Torches start with ‘Helena Beats’ which has a very funky get down intro, 20 seconds later ‘Helena Beats’ sounds like ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ with just a little different direction of guitars and synths ‘Call It What You Will’ has another awesome little intro, the rest, however, is a bit insulting and boring. Phase out the singing, that shall do it. ‘Color On The Walls (Don’t Stop)‘ has a little quirky bounce to it, you can’t help but hop along.
‘I Would Do Anything For You’ is yet another ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ rip off, with a catchy chorus and clapping from time to time.‘Hustling (Life On A Nickel)‘ has a much more electro feel compared to the rest of the albums, and is comfortably one of my personal favourites on Torches.
Strictly Our Opinion: Torches is far too polished to be classed as an indie album, you can tell a lot of money has been put into making this 2011 hot album, but at times Torches left me high and dry. I thought almost every single song on Torches was a ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ wannabe. We get it, it is a great song, but no need to use almost the same sound for every other single. I’m quite a little saddened actually, I honestly thought Foster The People debut album would live up to and better ‘Pumped Up Kicks’, when in actuality they can’t do any better than that one song, which is driving a knife through my skull [2.5/5.0]
Out now
Single of the week
Tribes are a firm favorite on Future Dust, And Future Rust, and the Camden heroes have another new single out ahead of debut album. “Sappho” has already been Zane Lowe’s ‘Hottest record in the world’ a few weeks back; I am not even able to listen to XFM nowadays without hearing a Tribes big up.
‘Sappho’ is a great catchy boy meets girl lyrical song; did you say another brit pop band? Is 2011 shaping up to be the LAD band genre again? Who cares? Guitar bands are shaping up lovelily this year. 2010 guitar was dead? What?
The video to ‘Sappho’ is one of a kind, gone is the cool U2 roof top gig based gig, replaced with a lot of money….I kid. Sort of. We get to see Tribes dressed as women, along side all the other hot trannies in a pub (houses do exist of this kind, but only at night time, you following?) While they get their instruments out, no. I mean they get their playing instruments out and perform underneath rolled out toilet roll, while hairy men with thongs and butch tattoo’s jump all over them. Is this a big F you to all these bands that actually use sexy women to sell their music? Good move Universal, men in tights does sell. [4.0/5.0]
Are you dying to ask Tribes a question or even a handful? Here at Strictly we can sort that out for you. Do ask away and we will put those to Tribes while they add the final touches to their debut album. Leave us a comment, somewhere.
The Drums released ‘Portamento’ via the power of Youtube last week, a track that could hint at what The Drums new album direction will sound like. The Drums recently admitted that only a few weeks back they almost broke up, please no. 
‘Portamento’ is quite a dark psychedelic song, gone is the happy 60′s girl group influences replaced with music that would sit oh so perfect in a horror film ‘he’s behind you’ or is that the theatre? Either way, its dark almost scary, with no Jonathan singing over the track. My wild guess: it is still in the creative process. Perhaps losing one member of the band (left mid tour last this year) hit The Drums hard? Who cares? Let’s hope the ankle baring Brooklyn hipsters The Drums write lots of bitchy playground type songs towards Adam. Bitter much? I know I would. ADAM SMELLS! Never too bitchy? [3.0/5.0]
Love Inks make quirky dreamy girly summer time influenced songs; ‘Too Wild’ is just this, perfect, strikingly beautifully, and stunning.
Close your eyes and allow the tickles to ran through your blood stream while thinking even this would make The XX perhaps open their mouth to glitter away a smile for their almost ungrateful mercury award facial expressions.If only the song was longer, I crave for ‘Too Wild’ to be longer, it leaves me hanging on longer than a tramp waiting to smoke your ‘dog ends’.
The music video for ‘Too Wild’ is awesome, if only animals could do human activities, like become fire fighters or have dinner parties. Although a cat saving your life is very unlucky, how would a tiny cat do a fireman lift? You would probably kill the thing. And is the whole point of setting your neighbours shed on fire is to see the hunky hot mega fit firemen, who actually turns out to be older than your dad with Friday night kebab bellies. Stunning much? [3.5/5.0]
Love Inks are heading out on their first European tour in September in support for debut album E.S.P released in June 2011, check then out. You know, if you wanna become gazed with quirky pop.
CSS – Hits Me Like A Rock Featuring Bobby Gillespie
Hands up who else thought CSS died back in 2006 nu-rave era? Then they came back in 2008, and then I thought they died again, after having an intense world never ending tour.
CSS are back with their little Brazilian colourful reggae splashes of party fun. ‘Hits Me Like A Rock’ is worse than catchy nasty rush, once you have heard it, god forbid. I have heard this turning over in my head for a while now. Would it be a waste of NHS time to head to the doctors and say CSS have hatched a song a my head, that won’t leave? CSI you say?
Also it was lovely to get Primal Scream front man Bobby Gillespie sort of doing a weird kind of rap midway through ‘Hits Me Like A Rock’ [3.5/5]
Oh look its another Horror sibling playing bass in yet another rather cool band, will the connections ever end? S.C.U.M are like the Dalston birth babies of The Horrors, but with a female drummer who are just about to take finally take their band to the next level with their much waited for debut album Again Into Eyes set to be released in September, having recovered from The Kills mini tour S.C.U.M are about to take on their own tour this month.
‘Amber Hands’ is a much more heavily mastered than the demos we heard last year, better I would say. More ear friendly for the cringers out there. It’s an almost dramatic dreamy gloomy rock song (I am trying to avoid the G word nowadays). ‘Amber Hands’ music video works quite well for the mysterious S.C.U.M who usually perform intense stage shows hidden behind smoke and veils, trying to avoid visual contact at times. Director Mathew Stone (the guy behind These New Puritans ‘Attack Music’ music video) managed to bring the stage presence into the world behind the camera. [3.0/5.0]
A BAND TO WATCH OUT FOR
The History Of Apple Pie – You’re So Cool
Hot new band rising from the darling East London streets bringing their lo-fi sugar coated pop with a grunge gun sound forward. Already gaining a Yuck type reception, debut single ‘You’re So Cool’ could actually be mistaken for a Yuck record. Its lovely, its cool. Maybe far too cool?
It’s a world of candy daydreams.
Future Dust, And Future Rust caught live this week:
This was a week of weak gigs, and the gigs I managed to hop along were either dry or having really bad sound issues and men swearing. I can’t be dealing with those; none of them are worthy of a mention.
Wireless Festival- Sunday 3rd July 2011
Right, here it goes. I don’t like the sun; the sun was out in high spirits on Sunday. So I decided to lay low in a dingy pub in East London until I was free to run, meaning this I missed a great deal of bands at Wireless on Sunday from Summer Camp, Yuck, The Pretty Reckless (let’s face it purely so I could see Taylor in the flesh again and get my reward for giving her my lighter that one time, I demand a reward) and of course The Horrors, who where forced onto the Main Stage in the sun. Glad I missed that, Horrors are band that do not fit well in the daylight, after Glastonbury I am off seeing bands on main stages before dark.
Anyway, I did as planned go see the too cool for Oxford drop outs Foals who had an ever increasing audience sweating our tiny jeans off. 
Foals have the finest live energy that deserves to be praised. They are sharp, focused and have the songs to make you fall weak at the knees to. If I remember correctly Foals went straight for the jugular and belted into “Blue Blood’ which is a cross between heaven and hell. ‘Cassius’, of course a crowd pleasure, went down like a tower of bricks, amazing. ‘Spanish Sahara’ of course was the set highlight, and always will be. Foals know it, as do the crowd, live it is unbelievable, too good, emotional, spinning wildly out of control. Foals dived into both Antidotes and Total Life Forever during the set. Foals left the stage just after the ever amazing song ‘Two Steps, Twice’
Strictly Our Opinion: Foals are a band who simply never fail to deliver, providing nothing but a great off the hook show. The minute they were said to be playing Wireless I laid my hands on tickets without a single thought. Foals only have a small handful of dates in the UK this year, and of course I was never going to miss this one, if only their deejay sets where this good. [4.5/5.0]
Just phenomenal
If you are wondering, did I go see Pulp? I never. They claimed this was ‘one off’ comeback, my arse. Pulp are playing almost every major festivals going, correct me if I am wrong but at least have some self respect and make your gigs extra special. I would rather Pulp have done a Libertines, played literally one off gigs and be done with it. Oh that’s right Pulp have become this years festival whores (Muse who?) Pimp those common people out Jarvis, make your crowd think they are getting something special. What was that? Another one off gig? I rest my case
What a Pulp review? Check out Strictly Dave’s review instead.
Each and every record mentioned above is worth a trip to your local record store/itunes for, If you don’t go, I may just haunt you, I can do this. I am special. Honestly you won’t regret it (the buying I mean, not me haunting you.)
Tags: CSS, Foals, Foster The People, FRAFD, Love Inks, Pulp, S.C.U.M, Simone F, The Drums, The History Of Apple Pie, The Horrors, Tribes
