Air Traffic have announced a selection of dates for April.

The Bournemouth lads will play the below dates: tickets go on sale at 9am today (Tuesday 5th February)

Thursday 24th April - Exeter Lemon Grove
Friday 25th April - Brighton Concorde 2
Saturday 26th April - Sheffield Carling Academy
Monday 28th April - Edinburgh Liquid Rooms
Tuesday 29th April - Norwich Waterfront
Wednesday 30th April - London Shepherds Bush Empire

Sometimes a band that has a great album, they’re shockingly awful when you go and see them live (yes, Magic Numbers, I’m looking at you). However, Air Traffic tonight proved that you can have an exceptional album, and be amazing live.

Opening up were The Runners, initially a pretty average band, however as their set progressed a particularly dazzling ending couple of singles – catchy, poppy, and pretty intelligent stuff – but none too original. But ho hum.

Second up was Alberta Cross. Now, normally their music would be right up my street, but for a gig full of teenagers wanting to have the loud version of a band, to come on and say “We’re Alberta Cross, and we play acoustic guitars” is almost like advertising “time for a loo break for those that need it, else blow up a condom and bounce it round the crowd and boo where you see fit”, which is exactly what happened. Good stuff, but pretty samey, and not at all suited to the crowd.

Then, finally, the moment we’d all been waiting for: Air Traffic. Their debut album, Fractured Life, is full of rather good singles, varied, but still not too far out of the mainstream (and far better than Athlete (who some have compared them to) any day). Launching through their catalogue, they went at a breakneck speed, playing new stuff, old stuff, and everything everyone wants.

The highlight was, without a doubt, their last single “No More Running Away”, thrown in just before the end of their main set, seeing two drums beating out the enchanting chorus that had the whole room chanting “No more…. Running away…” it was quite hypnotic, and the exact reason I went to see them.

They all seemed pretty gobsmacked at the response we gave them – Chris, the lead singer, couldn’t stop thanking the audience, and seemed to imply it was the pinnacle of their past year, even uttering those famous words “you know, I think this is our best gig ever”.

Closing off the encore with “Shooting Star”, the lads from Bournemouth showed just what a long way they’ve come in the past year, and shown us that there’s plenty more of where their stunning debut album came from. Read the rest of this entry »

Air Traffic have announced two dates for early 2008.

The Bournemouth alt-rockers will be warming up for the 2008 festival season, and presumably a second album by playing the pair of dates. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Tuesday 13th November at 9am.

Tuesday 22nd January 2008 - London Koko
Thursday 24th January 2008 - Manchester University

Okay, okay, I’ve left it a bit late to be doing this weeks “Band of the Week” but… well, I’ve busy. Busy busy busy. Plus, with the bank holiday, I’m only two days late. Well, thats what I like to try and fool myself by saying.

I had big issues choosing which band was to be “Band of the Week” with both Travis and Manic Street Preachers having efforts out. However, as both of these are “past their prime” shall we say I decided to settle on Fountains of Wayne, who had their fourth studio album “Traffic and Weather” out on Monday here in the UK. Most well known for their huge hit “Stacy’s mom”, they’re a band on the up, offering a 14 song collection of power-pop packed with humour and innovative story telling.

Opener “Someone to Love” is one of the highlights of the album, chronicaling the tale of Seth and Beth, who are both lonely, and ultimately Beth kills Seth. Lines such as “And an hour in the shower is the best that you’ve got” just fit in perfectly, and make the songs one of the best on the album.

Ballad I-95 is a delicate ballad about the Interstate 95, a yearning song again, about loneliness. Its a theme of the album, and one that probably stems from the bands years on the road.

The song titles on their own are pretty humorous - “Michael And Heather At The Baggage Claim” “Planet Of Weed” and “Seatbacks And Traytables” being just three examples.

They play the Astoria in 12 days time on 21st May - give them a go. Much like Barenaked Ladies, they offer a show not to be missed.