marfamac

Rook is the most consistently played record of the last couple of years round our way and the new stuff they played at the Luminaire the other month was just as magical.

which might make it some way towards being the greatest album ever. Peerless from start to finish. Pure genius. The live TEE from the recent tours is quite incredible - particularly the bit as it shifts into Metal On Metal, which gives me the shivers every time.

but this promo video is something else.
that Julian House is right talented.

was the greatest night of the year so far for me. Utterly jaw droppingly sky-divingly spectacular. Special mention to Soap + Skin too. The encore will indeed live in the memory for ever.

is not that size any more!
Hope they don't disappoint at ATP.

But Jesus, don't they look smug and self-satisfied in that photo.

but this was my second Blk Jks live experience and I can't totally say I get the fuss yet.
Squarepusher would have easily been the most intense live thing I have seen this year had it not been for Sonic Youth on Monday.

13 I believe.

... from wishing it would happen to the unbelievable news that it's going to be at ATP so one last time:
an album I've been playing consistently for nearly 30 years, an utter masterpiece, and I have not been this excited about a gig for a long long time. I hope there is SO much love in that room when they play this.

My favourire record of the year by a mile. The stretch of what they always call 'Side 2' at the gigs which goes from Yesterday's Papers through Come Home to Scratch The Surface is flawless.
Playing with Stereolab tonight too!!

about Folds.
I can't go to SB Empire though - it's a ghastly venue, especially for any act who play sitting down.

but though I would never wish mental health or alcohol issues on anyone, she had an amazing edge to her work that's now completely gone. Her set with the Dirty Blues band or whatever they're called at ATP was like watching a cruise ship band trying to be cool.

IMHO.
Exceptionally good.

Since I am 43, I can confidently say that this record has been a constant presence in my life since the week it was released.
It may in fact be the single most played album I have ever owned, and you know what - it never, ever palls. Pure genius.

if he took over Britain for a year.

ia a legend. Nobody sitting around me had the first idea who she was, every one of them was talking about her during the interval. Luckily they'd heard my huge holler for her at the end of her song and asked for more details about her.
Agree with this review - she was indeed the highlight of the night (closely followed by Guillemots, who I've never much cared for but who really attacked both their songs).

please.

will be awash with a lot of very pissed off people late on Friday night.

get the masses through the turnstiles every time

Really sums up the wild genius of this record. Possibly the most deranged thing I've heard for quite some time.

thanks for that tip.

please
please

Dressed up to look like a doll kind of thing if I remember correctly. Efterklang was a magical highlight on a very damp day.
And yes, back to Conway Hall please. Homefires is such a great beast there - and of impeccable taste too.

Wasn't sure how they'd carry it off live but it was very impressive.
It definitely takes a few listens to sink in but this is rapidly becoming a highlight record of this year for me.

The absolute highlight for me. Lucky to be really close to the front so didn't have to endure the vast canopy of umbrellas - just got slowly more drenched while engrossed in Efterklang's spirited show.

Grasshopper.

of this.
Was drawn by the name (it being such an awesome book and all).
I have to say that the sleeve notes of my version really put me off. I'm paraphrasing
"I hope to have made the best British folk record since Liege And Lief."
Nonsense.
It's okay and no more.

Got excited about them on the basis of some tracks from their first album, but thought they were a bit of a let down when I finally caught them live.

His show at the Luminaire this year was exceptional.
And, of course, Arab Strap are missed beyond belief. But I love what he's doing now so that makes it a wee bit better...

It was an emotional, magical evening.

It's stunning.
Surprisingly close odds for all of them, really. But I might have a wee flutter on the Unthanks just to show support.

... after that they can rest as long as they like.
Was a pity the Hammersmith show suffered from technical problems, though.

Milieu was played to death in my house. Looking forward to this new one a lot.

Has anyone seen Bjork's recent shows? Quite a big amount of people/staging to pat for there.

I had considered going to this because of her, but in the end nothing on the rest of the line-up made it enough to pay the fairly high ticket cost, let alone the travel and everything else. It's no secret that the tickets are far from sold out, and frankly why should acts reduce an already negotiated fee to compensate for that?

Simple economics: for something that was simply a quite attractive all-dayer show, this was too expensive and too much to compete with what you get for a full three-day festival experience.

I have friends who were going - they are totally in the dark about what the refund situation is. Surely the organisers can't seriously start blaming the bands for the screw up.

Kind of boring, no?

but it was positively extraordinary.
Honestly, truly gobsmacking.
This review captures it spot on.

No question. I was thrilled beyond words.

... I have not been this utterly excited by a forthcoming gig this year.
I hope it's everything Ron and Russell dreamed of. We are going to give them a send-off they will never forget.

and, I fear, destined to remain as niche and generally unloved as their labelmates Clinic.

Just like you might fancy on a balmy afternoon in England, dreaming of when the TV used to play the testcard.
Which, presumably, is the point of this record.
I rather like it.

Just Lil' Beethoven and Hello Young Lovers, which were presented as those video-supported shows when they came out.
Who knows what awaits tonight ...

gets my vote.

A review is one person’s subjective opinion. Personally, I’m not offended by this review at all – it pleases me that at this stage in their career, Sparks are getting this amount of attention.
Would I agree they have had more misses than hits? No - I’d say a good 30% of their output I can (and do) happily live without. However, when they are truly great, I think they are truly great. The premiere performance of Lil’ Beethoven at the RFH was one of the landmarks, for me, in a lifetime of going to gigs. Truly, utterly unexpected. The recent shows on their tour have been, on the whole, just incredibly exciting. And I’m eager with anticipation for tomorrow’s final blowout.
Mind you, I’m a bit of a wrinkly. I saw Sparks on TV when I was 9 and never looked back. While I was listening to Cabaret Voltaire and later punk and stuff like that in 1979, I still thought their Giorgio Moroder record was an instant classic. Yep, the quality suffered pretty badly in the ‘90s, but as someone else said here, what other band has actually produced some of its best – not to mention most inventive - work over 30 years into its existence?
I’d give this album an 8.

The highlight, for me, of last year's Electric Picnic. The atmopsphere in that tent was electric.
Now, move over Hot Chip ...

Lil' Beethoven has to have been one of the most audacious pop/rock/whatever records of the last 10 years. In a kind of "where the f*** did that come from" kinda way.
Their output is erratic and patcy, but they've been making a damned brilliant stab at music immortality with this 21 shows thing at Islington Academy. The Indiscreet and Plagiarism shows in particular were stunning.
I love Sparks.

I refreshed like a madman to get tickets for the first Roundhouse night, thinking it would be 'the comeback'.

good call!

That'll be an interesting thing to catch after seeing Gong in the QEH.

I came away with the distinct feeling that if S-Express reformed it would sound like this.
If it were not for Hegarty and the fact that they are on DFA this act would be judged much more strongly that it is.
The show was lacking in verve, and the atmosphere was as flat as Kim Ann's vocals.
I heard heaven was worse on the Thursday too.