For editor Mary's coverage of SXSW 2013, go here.
For TGTF team coverage of Liverpool Sound City 2013, go here.
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This haunting cover of the Invisible‘s ‘The Wall’ (from their new album ‘Rispah’) comes courtesy of Anna Calvi. Spare at the start but gainful in power quickly, it’s a pleasure to be offering this up as a free download today.
Anna Calvi wanted to tackle covering TV on the Radio‘s “relentless and terrifying” song ‘Wolf Like Me’; watch her perform the song on a recent tour stop in Brussels below. Here’s what Anna had to say about how she felt about the track:
I love the desperation in this song – the original by TV on the Radio is relentless, and terrifying. I find the idea of losing control of oneself very provocative, and the way this idea is explored in ‘Wolf like Me’ (the protagonist is turning into a werewolf) is humorous but dangerously effective. In my version I wanted to imagine the change is almost happening in slow motion – that there is no fight anymore, but a dreamlike embrace of the inevitable. I wanted the song to feel like a hypnotic prayer. I chose to omit the last verse of the original, and instead allow the guitar to take over, at the point where all control is lost!
According to the blogosphere, Anna Calvi’s music is average. To be more specific, 6 out of 10 average. But when you learn that that six is the average of three and nine out of ten, depending on who you consult, things take a more interesting turn. The NME are believers, praising Calvi’s “sumptuous Gothic”; Drowned in Soundare somewhat more pessimisticly oblique, and I quote: “…whether the dominant sound of twenny-’leven will be something like the Florence-ization of tabloid-friendly alternative culture…” Eh? Answers on a postcard, please.
This sort of contrasting critique must be very confusing for the artists concerned. After all, they have been ploughing their own furrow for many years, gradually becoming more sure who they are and how they want to express themselves; a vibrant sun in an orbiting solar system of opinion. But, opinion counts, and the respectful yet assertive Leeds crowd tonight spares no opportunity to make theirs heard. Shouts of “We love you, Anna!” garnering a bashful smile; moments after the crescendo of ‘Suzanne and I’ (video here, the call of “Who’s this Suzanne then?”, receiving no factual response. It wasn’t audible, but the imagined, muttered postscript, “Lucky bitch!” hangs heavy in the air.
If a musician turns up with a minimalist setup, sans backing tracks, and has the guts to play their sumptuous album with the sparest of accompaniment, it’s brave. When they succeed in portraying their music in a new light, and make one miss the flummery of production not one jot, it’s a triumph, and so it is with Calvi tonight. Accompanied by a drummer and a percussionist (who doubles on that table-bound squeezebox thing that no-one knows the name of), this is essentially a naked performance, the emotion and musical prowess Calvi’s alone. On record her guitar playing is part of the musical firmament; tonight it is front and centre, the first evidence of which being the languorous intro of Rider To The Sea, with its blend of blues riffs, sweep-picking and Buckley-esque suspended chords. When she rattles off a rapid descending lick, straddling the fine yet imperative line between pentatonic and chromatic, the ease of execution takes the breath away. The fact that such superb technique is almost hidden, made subservient to the song, and only revealed in its service, is equally impressive.
Her slight frame attired in trademark red blouse, high-waisted trousers and red lipstick, Calvi is quite the madam, at once vulnerable yet aloof, domineering yet timidly appreciative. The material is certainly arch, but is that really a problem? The musical equivalent of prancing around a crumbling gothic pile in the Cotswolds, swishing a scarlet cloak and falling back into whichever dusty four-poster bed takes one’s fancy, all the better to weep in tribute to lost love – don’t we all aspire to such outbursts of demonstrative introspection? The spirit of Jeff Buckley hangs heavy over proceedings: he’s there in the breathy, vibratoed vocals; in the reverbed, throaty guitar, constantly teetering on the brink of overdrive.
Calvi clearly wears her heart on her sleeve, which always leaves a naked flank vulnerable to criticism, and sometimes downright ridicule. But she can’t be faulted for effort, nor indeed can the skilful execution be criticised. An embryonic example of potential? Certainly… but hugely impressive and enjoyable nonetheless.
Even if you don’t like Anna Calvi, there is no denying the brilliance of ‘Suzanne and I’. It’s bombastic, yet quietly so. And wow, the guitars and vocals are just paired perfectly. Calvi just epitomises classic beauty in her red outfits. Frankly, I have no idea how she’s ever going to get away with wearing anything besides red. But that’s beside the point. Watch the video below and prepare to be mesmerised.
‘Suzanne and I’ the single is available now on 7″ and digital formats. The single is backed with a reworking of the Shirelles’ ‘Baby It’s You’ and can be purchased directly from Domino here.
In case you missed them, we wrote previously on this year’s Mercury Prize shortlist and our writers weighed on who they thought should win and who should have received a nod from this year’s nomination committee.
Just prior to the shortlist being announced, it was strong, talented representatives of “the fairer sex” who topped the bookies’ top bets: Adele and PJ Harvey were neck and neck as the odds on favourite. These two lovely ladies continued to be strong favourites throughout the weeks leading up to the event in London hosted by Jools Holland this past Tuesday night. On the evening, Adele did not join her nominee compadres on the red carpet, nor did she perform on the Grosvenor Hotel stage due to illness. Ms. Adkins did, however, made everyone laugh with her humourous fake acceptance speech. Speaking of the faux acceptance speeches, after a rousing performance of ‘The Bay’, Joseph Mount of Metronomy said with a grin, “this is nice that the first album that you hear from us is about the place where I’m from. And I hope you visit Devon!” Bless. (To be fair, it’s nice that Devon will now be known for something other than their cows and Muse.)
6music reported that Guy Garvey of Elbow (the 2008 Mercury winner for ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’) was self-deprecating as usual, saying he wished their “little friends” Everything Everything would prove to be the winner. Speaking of the double-named band, they took the bold step of performing a non-single, album track from ‘Man Alive’, ‘Tin (the Manhole)’, when it was their turn to wow the dinner audience at the Grosvenor. But ultimately, it was PJ Harvey who came out on top, with her album ‘Let England Shake’ winning the top honours. With this win, she becomes the first act ever to win the Mercury Prize twice (she won exactly 10 years ago, in 2011 for her ‘Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea’). You can watch her live performance of ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’ from Tuesday night below. Congratulations Polly Jean!
Tomorrow night, Tuesday the 6th of September in London, the winner of the 2011 Mercury Prize will be crowned. I’ve asked each of our writers to choose which album they think should win this year’s honour, as well as which album they think was criminally absent from the 2011 shortlist. And without further adieu…
Mary Chang, Editor (hometown/current location: Washington, DC, USA)
Who should win: Everything Everything – ‘Man Alive’ (Geffen). To be honest, I was pretty underwowed by the nominees announced for this year. As much as I love Elbow, I don’t think ‘build a rocket, boys!’ was all that great. If Adele wins with ’21′, it’ll be a dark day in Mercury Prize history: in the past, the honour has usually been given to an ‘outsider’ artist that could use the promotion, and with how ever many million records Adele has already sold, it’s not like she needs more to line her pockets. In contrast, Everything Everything’s debut album released last summer was a breath of fresh air to the British music market: a cross between pop, rock and hip hop that they proved with their inimitable talent could be converted into an orchestral force to be reckoned with.
Who should have been nominated: Dutch Uncles – ‘Cadenza’ (Memphis Industries). If I’m going to go with an album that I believe is in the same league with ‘Man Alive’, then it’s got to be this debut from the Marple band. It just doesn’t sound anything like anyone else, except maybe Field Music. Duncan Wallis’s voice is so distinct and somehow it works perfectly against the math rock/pop dissonant instrumentation. Keep an eye on these guys.
John Fernandez (hometown: Guernsey, UK)
Who should win: Katy B – ‘On A Mission’ (Rinse/Columbia). It was a close tie between Londoner Katy B and Mancunians Elbow. But on sheer merit alone I believe Katy B has to win this award, she has produced one of the most inventive dubstep collaboration records in recent history. While avoiding the pigeonhole of mainstream dub-pop (Chase and Status) and stayed true to her roots. ‘On A Mission’ is full of charm, hooks and has a fantastic rhythm to it, no other album on the list in my opinion can match it, and while it may fall into the ‘too mainstream’ trap, I believe this could be the surprise winner.
Who should have been nominated: Hurts – ‘Happiness’ (RCA/Sony). Hurts do one thing, and that is divide opinion. Are they just a well dressed boyband or are they interesting synthpop? One this is certain though: ‘Happiness’ is a well produced monster of a record, so it astounds me that it isn’t on the Mercury Prize short list. The lyrics are as polished as their shoes on stage and you can’t fault them on inventiveness: they tour and record with an opera singer (OK, so Muse produced a symphony, so what?)
Braden Fletcher (Northern Monkey, Southern Student, UK)
Who should win: Ghostpoet – ‘Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam’ (Brownswood). To say that Ghostpoet is a dark horse in the Mercury prize isn’t so much an understatement as it was when the nominations were announced. As if waiting for his name to come up on the list, the MC has been relentlessly promoting and touring his debut effort in the last 2 months. He has good reason to as ‘Peanut Butter Blues…’ is one of the most competent albums of its genre to appear in Britain since the rise of the Streets. Ghostpoet barely adheres to the same rulebook as Skinner but the similarities are there. Both tell it how they see it without reserve and both are some of the most relevant artists around today. Give a listen through the Midlands man’s record and you’ll understand why Mike Skinner is counted upon his high profile fanbase. ‘Survive It’ is a grand piece of abstract rap that makes Tinie Tempah look like a school boy whilst ‘Us Against Whatever’ encapsulates James Blake-esque beats with a stunning set of lyrics. Ghostpoet for me, is the obvious choice for people who don’t like to choose and a solid enough record to actually be noticed.
Who should have been nominated: Maybeshewill – ‘I Was Here For a Moment, Then I Was Gone’ (Function). Post-rock is such a hugely under valued genre of late. With the only real recognition going towards Texas group Explosions in the Sky, the talent of Maybeshewill is going hugely unnoticed. The Leicester band’s first two efforts feature some of the most relevant monologues in recent history amidst a well constructed soundscape and this, their third record maintains the high bar the group set themselves. Managing to be all of powerful, loud, moving and well refined at almost all times, ‘I Was Here For a Moment…’ is exactly the kind of mastery that should have warranted a Mercury Prize, if for no more than the entire genre being continuously overlooked.
Luke Morton, (hometown: Lincoln, UK; current location: London, UK)
Who should win: Everything Everything – ‘Man Alive’ (Geffen). One of my favourite albums of 2010 and they can deliver the goods live as well. The electro-indie synthwork and the soaring vocals are what give Everything Everything the edge over so many other bands in their field who simply fade into the ether. ‘Man Alive’ is jam-packed with danceable tunes, whether it’s the infectious ‘Photoshop Handsome’ or the majestic singalong of ‘MY KZ UR BF’, ‘Man Alive’ has so much to offer – surprisingly versatile yet accessible for a debut album.
Who should have been nominated: The King Blues – ‘Punk & Poetry’ (Transmission). Probably my favourite British album of 2011 so far, the King Blues’ third LP is their finest work to date and should have received some recognition from Mercury. Their politically-charged, emotive, passionate LP ‘Punk & Poetry’ brings many elements to the table – primarily through Itch’s lyrics. ‘The Future’s Not What It Used to Be’ and ‘Set the World on Fire’ are fantastic examples of the frustration the band (and a lot of the general public) feel about the country. Whereas album closer ‘Everything Happens For A Reason’ showcases the band’s sombre/sensitive side as Itch regales the listener with the story of meeting his partner and having his first child. There’s so much to take away from this album and it’s a real shame that despite the punk movement still going strong in the UK, no attention has been paid to it again in the awards dedicated to British music.
Martin Sharman (current location: Gateshead, UK)
Who should win: Anna Calvi – ‘Anna Calvi’ (Domino). Variously fêted and slated, Calvi’s debut may initially be overlooked as faux-Harvey, and with PJ on the list again this year seems an unlikely choice to win. However, good though ‘Let England Shake’ is, at this stage in her career Harvey needs the Mercury less than they need her, having the freedom to explore her talents with ever more directional work. Calvi is surely the heiress-in-waiting, her debut treading the fine line between artifice and splendour delicately well, and giving Harvey a run for her money in the drama stakes. Even without the Mercury’s fondness for debut albums, Calvi is surely the one to beat.
Who should have been nominated: Edwyn Collins – ‘Losing Sleep’ (Heavenly Records). Collins’ backstory of recovery from a debilitating brain haemorrhage that left him unable to play his collection of beloved vintage guitars isn’t enough to win him a Mercury nomination. But this superb collection of guitar-pop gems certainly should have been. This is as touching, joyous and assertive as anything on the list this year, Collins’ compelling, slightly slurred vocal a candid reflection on his condition and subsequent readjustment. And this wouldn’t have simply been Collins’ award: the list of collaborators reads like a roll-call of the great and the good in British guitar music. A true pop survivor and deserving of a nod this year.
There Goes The Fear is where we tell you about the latest tours, gigs, and music we love and think you should too.
We love music that has its heart on its sleeve, tells a story, swims around our head all day or makes us dance like idiots.
The blog is edited by Mary Chang, who is based in Washington DC. She is joined by writers in the UK and America. It was started up by Phil Singer in Bristol, UK.
All MP3s are posted with the permission of the artists or their representatives and are for sampling only. Like the music? Buy it. If you want a track removed, email us and we'll sort it ASAP.
