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The Retro Bar, Sackville St, Manchester 17/12/07
Another great WotGodForGot night!
Escalade
Wow, there’s been so many good things said about our headliner that it’s difficult to know where to start so here’s a bit of background information first:-
Escalade is the song writing project of multi-instrumentalist Greg Sullivan who is currently based in Tokyo. Although originally from New York, Greg took himself across the Pacific and settled for a while in Wellington, NZ and where the band’s first release and basis for the subsequent album was created while living in an artist’s loft. With several new songs written Greg enlisted the help of Wellington Inca Studios and work on the first album began in earnest and when he moved to Tokyo his songs slowly start to blossom and expand with the aid of various artists. A wide variety of instruments are used creating a colourful sonic palette and guitars are woven intricately into patterns that connect the dots between points of reference within each contrasting song.
The 7” vinyl ‘X & O’ (a-side partially mixed by Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco, b-side mixed by John McEntire of Tortoise, Gastr del Sol and Tortoise) and CD was release a couple of weeks ago by Leeds based indie label Cuckundoo Records in time for Greg’s short UK tour and has been on Tom Robinson’s Radio 6 playlist. These are some reviews:-
ManchesterMusic:: “this single may have emerged on the unusually provincial Cuckundoo Records but it is still a rather startling discovery. This is a slow motion version of shoegazing built around tangled ballads and meandering melodies. With a mixture of instruments the hazy twangs are cleverly spun with samples, in what is a pleasing and head shrinking exercise in originality.” MMMM
Whisperin & Hollerin::The global range is right there in the music. Tropical cool, reflective, lightly funky and a bit bossa nova jazz, "Xs and Os" keeps to the alt-indie side of articulate sociable music. Guitar bass drums and breathy voice sit right in the middle with an easy, snuggling tune while sampled and constructed sounds decorate and elaborate. 8/10
Subba-Cultcha:: Like Joy Division playing Hawaiian beach music on a downer - stark, haunting and entrancing…
Sketches for Albinos…
Signed to Imoto Records Sketches for Albinos (AKA Matthew Collings) could easily have been our headline band. He has a sound that has writers thumbing through Icelandic travel brochures and Sigur Ros reviews which is understandable because like Sigur Ros each Sketches song creates a glorious soundscape for the artist to draw the listener into.
'Red' represents Sketches first full length album, having previously released a self titled EP. The ten tracks on 'Red' are individually beautiful, combine them and what you get is something wonderfully brilliant. At times quiet, slow and methodical there is the occasional song that is louder, faster and more chaotic. Each track has its own distinct sound and each one tells a story.
Matt has been polishing the album for over a year, and it shows. Every track sounds lovingly crafted and it feels like it's at the highest level it could be. Released to exceptionally good reviews.
And by the way, he’s from Minnesota.
Spokes
Reminiscent of a certain Texan four piece, Spokes construct delicate little quiet/loud Icelandic inspired soundscapes in a tidy and workmanlike manner: sometimes melancholic, sometimes melodic…. and then they have vocals that gently wash over you like warm spring sunshine.
Spokes make their quiet/loud, Canada/Iceland inspired rock music in the countryside of the North East... mainly as a way of keeping warm. Despite their belief in songs they don't actually sing very much. On the occasion that they do, it's because they feel they have something worth saying.
They have a release titled “People Like People Like You” which is really, really good.
Also on are Drebin, once seen never forgotten.
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