- Venue:
- ULU, Camden Town »
- Artists:
- Hope of the States »
Date: 10/10/2003
The sound sucks you into the venue with the pull of a puncture in a space shuttle; an intense rythmical swirl that sweetly suckers you in. When Hope of the States strike up their sombre march, the people follow.
Over the course of the next hour, the six-piece sway through songs that make a mockery of their post rock tag; these tracks are more structured, steeped in song and contain more succinct, beautfiul brevity than the majority of their so-called peers. Indeed, half the songs they play tonight are reliant more on the simple strum of guitar and flowing ivories than bloated effects and inpenetrable time changes. Occasionally, things falter; it seems a harsh criticism - especially so early on in their career - but the band have to find a true voice of their own, switching from a myriad of influences (notably Mercury Rev and Spiritualized) with reckless abandon, leading to a set that can sometimes jar. At one point, they did actually sound like a post-rock Levellers - small problems to iron out, but issues largely swept away by the elegaic poise of 'George Washington' and the sheer emotional power of 'Black Dollar Bills'.
It might not be quite as good as it always wants to, or really should be, but there is a sense of self-worth and magnitude that exudes from these men of furrowed brow that is single-handedly driving them onto bigger stages with bigger crowds who are increasingly more believing.
The general consensus around the ummm & arrr communuity is that Sony paid a helluva lot of money to acquire the services of these men, in the belief that this band really have something; perhaps the ability to translate the grandiose sounds and sights in their heads to something more tangible and widely accessible to the people at large; maybe even (whisper it) a new Radiohead. And regardless of your misgivings about the mirthless quintet from Oxfordshire, isn't that an ideal worth supporting? Perhaps it's time to offer HotS your black dollar bills.
Hope of the States
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Gareth - how could you?
The new Radiohead???? Gareth, how could you?
Jonny Greenwood has more invention in his spit than HoTS will EVER have.
HoTS are disgusting, their music is an errupting filthy tumour. I'm not at all surprised that SONY signed them.
But you know my feelings on them and I'm not really having a go son!
:P
Jonny Greenwood has more invention in his spit than HoTS will EVER have.
HoTS are disgusting, their music is an errupting filthy tumour. I'm not at all surprised that SONY signed them.
But you know my feelings on them and I'm not really having a go son!
:P
Gareth how could you?
You know my feelings on HoTS - they are a stinking tumour spewing forth ugliness. I'm not surprised SONY signed them. Hearing their music makes me despair that pompous melodrama can sell, but there you have it!
I agree that they should not under any circumstances, be dubbed as "post-rock". They are not. They are the SONY-sponsored version of soulless, disgusting pomp-rock.
Sorry Gareth, I'll haly my rant at this point. I'm not having a go at you or your review, honest. :P
I agree that they should not under any circumstances, be dubbed as "post-rock". They are not. They are the SONY-sponsored version of soulless, disgusting pomp-rock.
Sorry Gareth, I'll haly my rant at this point. I'm not having a go at you or your review, honest. :P
Re: Gareth how could you?
Mmm. I forgot that you weren't the biggest fan, Jigga, and initially, I wasn't massively impressed either, but the new single won me over, and I think that they're going to get increasingly better.
Just calling it like I sees it. If I saw a brilliant Starsailor gig... well, that wouldn't happen I guess, but you know worramean...
apologies for offending the world of the Redjetson. But I hear your new three track is brilliant. So I will bow in deference...
Just calling it like I sees it. If I saw a brilliant Starsailor gig... well, that wouldn't happen I guess, but you know worramean...
apologies for offending the world of the Redjetson. But I hear your new three track is brilliant. So I will bow in deference...
HoTS
Heheh!
I have my philosohical head on now (as opposed to bile-ridden aggressive head I had on before)... and you are quite right and your reporting style has water-tight integrity.
No offence meant to anyone, just offering my opinion. I'm sure HoTS don't give a shit what I think anyway....
Nice to blow off steam though.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.
I have my philosohical head on now (as opposed to bile-ridden aggressive head I had on before)... and you are quite right and your reporting style has water-tight integrity.
No offence meant to anyone, just offering my opinion. I'm sure HoTS don't give a shit what I think anyway....
Nice to blow off steam though.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.
Re: Gareth how could you?
i quite liked the first single, not sure about the newest but then again ive heard it only once. and the demo tracks ive heard showed promise, so ill be reserving judgement on these guys. not sure if you could actually label them post rock, although they seem to incorporate certain post rock-y elements
and yes, Redjetson's new three track cd is as you've heard
HoTS
I was at the ULU gig, and I thought they were truly excellent. Who gives a flying fuck whether its not post-rock enough, or the fact they are signed to sony?
I wasn't too big a fan of the singles either, but live they really seem to have a good wealth of tunes and talent, George Washington being a fine example.
And no, they ain't the new Radiohead. Sam's a really nice guy as well..
best of luck to 'em.
I wasn't too big a fan of the singles either, but live they really seem to have a good wealth of tunes and talent, George Washington being a fine example.
And no, they ain't the new Radiohead. Sam's a really nice guy as well..
best of luck to 'em.
Re: HoTS
I saw them at the ICA so nur-nur.
You have missed the point.
The point has nothing to do with how "post-rock" they are or who they are signed to.
The point is thet HoTS write unimaginitive, dull, pompous, ballad rock shite.
As a consequence, they are signed to Sony.
Cheers.
You have missed the point.
The point has nothing to do with how "post-rock" they are or who they are signed to.
The point is thet HoTS write unimaginitive, dull, pompous, ballad rock shite.
As a consequence, they are signed to Sony.
Cheers.
Re: HoTS
fair enough, thats your opinion. i'd disagree with the pompous comment, and ballad rock? hmm.
i just hate people slagging bands for the label they are on. if you had a choice between financial security and slogging your arse round the country on 10p, you'd choose the former.
hmm.
i just hate people slagging bands for the label they are on. if you had a choice between financial security and slogging your arse round the country on 10p, you'd choose the former.
hmm.
Re: HoTS
They don't have a good enough singer for the kind of music they play. He sings like he looks.
Being signed to Sony only means that they have to sell records and get loads of airplay. The Coral do because they do nice songs, however shite they may be.
As beautiful as some of HoTS's music is, can you really imagine them being anything other than a cult indie-band? Are they really one of those bands who's songs you'll sing when you get up in the morning, or who's members you'll look up at posters of and wish you could be them?
Being signed to Sony only means that they have to sell records and get loads of airplay. The Coral do because they do nice songs, however shite they may be.
As beautiful as some of HoTS's music is, can you really imagine them being anything other than a cult indie-band? Are they really one of those bands who's songs you'll sing when you get up in the morning, or who's members you'll look up at posters of and wish you could be them?
Re: HoTS
i thought the ICA gig was a blip for them myself, but i was standing at the back. but i expect you'd think what you do of them regardless of which performance you saw so...
i think HOTS are really quite an imaginative band. their employment of a violin for one thing gives them a wider sound palette and they use it to great effect; it doesn't just follow along with the guitars, there's a lot of complexity in there. each song has a definite identity unlike a lot of post-rock i hear, they're not so much post-rock than taking influences from it and applying it to shorter tighter structures (applying genres causes lots of arguments anyway so let's leave that point there).
it's impassioned music with so many differences from song to song that i can't see how someone could find it dull. but then my ex described it as 'whiney music' and a friend dismissed one of the slower songs as 'a copy of the pixies' so as always i can't see what goes on in other people's twisted brains.
and as for shite, well again, your twisted brain!
but they do rock, and some of it is balladic ('ballads with bells on', i can see the headlines now), so i think we have some common ground there. let's meet on it and have boat drinks.
and mr Future san, funnily enough i once said the same as you about the singer's voice, but after the Reading and ICA performances i take it back. when he's on form it's a really gutsy thing. it's like he's smoked a stack of woodbines, gargled with clay and is now crooning blind-drunk from the doorway of a shack. which is a good thing. it's a throaty passionate thing and it's really grown on me. i still think it might be the one thing that divides audiences, but then i hear a bit of billy corgan in it at times and it's far far better than that and look how popular the smashing pumpkins got.
but back to Me... sadly not me. but you, Me, your little label joke at the end. oooo you. i bet they signed to sony because they said "hey, we're crap, let's sign to sony!". far as i know they chose the label that gave them the best deal with the most creative control. and they've had that; from what i gather it's all very self-driven and regulated. just with a bunch of cash to help things along.
oh yeah, and elbow are the new doves but were the new radiohead which was remy zero before them and muse before them and the headswim before them and the longpigs before them. and loads more too but i can't remember them all now. some of them may have actually sounded remotely like radiohead, SO WE MUST BURN THEM.
am i done? prrrrfffff. ok.
i think HOTS are really quite an imaginative band. their employment of a violin for one thing gives them a wider sound palette and they use it to great effect; it doesn't just follow along with the guitars, there's a lot of complexity in there. each song has a definite identity unlike a lot of post-rock i hear, they're not so much post-rock than taking influences from it and applying it to shorter tighter structures (applying genres causes lots of arguments anyway so let's leave that point there).
it's impassioned music with so many differences from song to song that i can't see how someone could find it dull. but then my ex described it as 'whiney music' and a friend dismissed one of the slower songs as 'a copy of the pixies' so as always i can't see what goes on in other people's twisted brains.
and as for shite, well again, your twisted brain!
but they do rock, and some of it is balladic ('ballads with bells on', i can see the headlines now), so i think we have some common ground there. let's meet on it and have boat drinks.
and mr Future san, funnily enough i once said the same as you about the singer's voice, but after the Reading and ICA performances i take it back. when he's on form it's a really gutsy thing. it's like he's smoked a stack of woodbines, gargled with clay and is now crooning blind-drunk from the doorway of a shack. which is a good thing. it's a throaty passionate thing and it's really grown on me. i still think it might be the one thing that divides audiences, but then i hear a bit of billy corgan in it at times and it's far far better than that and look how popular the smashing pumpkins got.
but back to Me... sadly not me. but you, Me, your little label joke at the end. oooo you. i bet they signed to sony because they said "hey, we're crap, let's sign to sony!". far as i know they chose the label that gave them the best deal with the most creative control. and they've had that; from what i gather it's all very self-driven and regulated. just with a bunch of cash to help things along.
oh yeah, and elbow are the new doves but were the new radiohead which was remy zero before them and muse before them and the headswim before them and the longpigs before them. and loads more too but i can't remember them all now. some of them may have actually sounded remotely like radiohead, SO WE MUST BURN THEM.
am i done? prrrrfffff. ok.
Re: HoTS
addendum:
they aint pompous either! ;)
and i do hope they attain satisfactory popularity to keep their little show going. it'll be interesting to see what their future singles are (ripping out a single piece from the whole and sandwiching it between chris' moyles' irksome burbling and some aguilera hits does sound like a bad recipe), but bands with what you might term 'more challenging' music do sell plenty enough. i'm not being artsy fartsy here, i just think some of their stuff would jar on a radio1 playlist.
I GO BED
they aint pompous either! ;)
and i do hope they attain satisfactory popularity to keep their little show going. it'll be interesting to see what their future singles are (ripping out a single piece from the whole and sandwiching it between chris' moyles' irksome burbling and some aguilera hits does sound like a bad recipe), but bands with what you might term 'more challenging' music do sell plenty enough. i'm not being artsy fartsy here, i just think some of their stuff would jar on a radio1 playlist.
I GO BED
Re: HoTS
"elbow are the new doves but were the new radiohead which was remy zero before them and muse before them and the headswim before them and the longpigs before them."
you wot??
you wot??
Re: HoTS
not my decision, i was just pointing out that all those bands have been touted at one time (usually in their infancy) as 'the new radiohead' or radiohead copyists. it happens to any band that's slightly rocky, vaguely interesting and has a male singer. i swear, if the stone roses formed today someone would make a connection somehow.
"look, over there, a squirrel!"
"no no, i think you'll find that's the new radiohead."
"look, over there, a squirrel!"
"no no, i think you'll find that's the new radiohead."
Re: HoTS
relaxed muscle are the new radiohead!
Re: HoTS
"No offence meant to anyone, just offering my opinion. I'm sure HoTS don't give a shit what I think anyway.... "
No they don't and they have read your comments, you'll be pleased to know.
They just laughed at you, like everyone else does, you sad jealous waster!
No they don't and they have read your comments, you'll be pleased to know.
They just laughed at you, like everyone else does, you sad jealous waster!
Re: HoTS
Reveal your true identity "Beam".
I stand by my opinions of HoTS.
Yes I'm sad - sad that I payed money to see the drivel they play at the ICA.
Yes I am jealous - of all the people who weren't at the ICA that night.
And I am a waster - I wasted my time and money in seeing them.
I'm sure that HoTS are very nice people, I just do not enjoy their music. Beam, if you have a problem with that, unlucky.
Thanks.
I stand by my opinions of HoTS.
Yes I'm sad - sad that I payed money to see the drivel they play at the ICA.
Yes I am jealous - of all the people who weren't at the ICA that night.
And I am a waster - I wasted my time and money in seeing them.
I'm sure that HoTS are very nice people, I just do not enjoy their music. Beam, if you have a problem with that, unlucky.
Thanks.
Re: HoTS
what, you reckon he's a member of the band? i'm pretty sure they don't need to come along and defend themselves... they've got netslaves like me to do that for them ;)
Re: HoTS
I wonder who Beam is - they seem to have taken a mighty offence to all this on behalf of HoTS. They even use personal insult!
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