PROMISED YOU A MIRACLE?

I've been listening to Miracle Fortress' Five Roses album and am left a bit disappointed. It had all the hallmarks of a great indie listen:
- a one-man (Graham Van Pelt) bedroom-production effort
- from Montreal (the 'new' New York/wherever)
- talked about all over the blogosphere
- the band name had the word 'Miracle' in it (see Miracle Legion, The Miracle Workers etc).

Good review/background from Stylus Magazine here but strangely does nothing for me. Maybe Lately is the one song that stands out - but for the wrong reason (now which 60s band does this sound like?!)

MAYBE LATELY
Miracle Legion
Five Roses [BUY]

THE BROKEN FAMILY BAND @ MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3

"You didn't ask about The Broken Family Band" "Get Out Of The Bedroom!!" An impromptu additional crowd response to the opening of You're Like A Woman from tonight's gig.

Things got off to a shaky start with a croaking Steven Adams announcing he had lost his voice. The band had been discussing whether it was only 'proper' bands who cancelled gigs. Anyway they went ahead despite this and with singer fuelled by Raspberry, Echinacea and Lemon tea laced with rum it was an excellent night.
BFB give this appearance of just turning up, looking as though they don't quite care what they are doing or where they are - but they then turn in a fantastically committed performance. OK the voice wasn't all there and this took away from songs like John Belushi but in others like It's All Over it gave extra bite. And as well as the music it's the banter and good-humoured vibe from the band that make the evening - some excellent digs at The Thrills who were playing "in the basement" whilst BFB were in the "lofty heights" of Academy 3.

Don't know how much the set was tweaked to work around the voice but a real mix of older songs plus stuff from the last two albums. Even a "super new song" Please Yourself that "won't get recorded for ages". Would have fitted in well on either of last two songs - seemed to be about late night (post-gig?) encounter with someone in a hotel bar with the refrain in the chorus of "why don't you go back to your hotel room/and please yourself".

For the final song of the set the band were joined by tour manager Justin to sing the chorus to Love Your Man, Love Your Woman. However they somehow turned the lack of their singer's voice to their advantage, making the whole thing feel like a celebration. There's not many bands that can do that. They got a great reception from a really mixed (and I mean really mixed) audience and seem genuinely appreciative of it all. They claim not to be touring "for ages". Shame.

Approximate set-list
In The City (with intro from another new song?)

At The Back Of The Chapel

Give And Take

Hey Captain

Twelve Eyes of Evil

Happy Days Are Here Again

Seven Sisters

The Booze And The Drugs

Please Yourself (may have been played a few songs later)

Living in Sin

Honest Man's Blues

John Belushi

Devil In The Details

You're Like A Woman

Dancing On The Fourth Floor

Love Your Man Love Your Woman

- encore -

It's All Over

Missed first support band but caught The Clientele. At first was a bit underwhelmed. Three piece playing mellow 60s-infused country-rock-pop with Dylanesque vocals. But after a few songs it started to make sense. Their latest album is getting good reviews - see here. They finished with a cover of Television's The Fire. Don't have anything by The Clientele to offer but do have Television...plus here's the closing song of the BFB set.

THE FIRE
Television
Adventure [BUY]

IT'S ALL OVER
The Broken Family Band

Balls [BUY]

US VERSUS THEM

This weekend in Manchester there is music biz shindig In The City with associated live showcases plus a whole raft of other gigs going on in every possible venue. Plus James Yorkston and Magic Arm at Contact on Saturday (tickets here); LCD Soundsystem at the Academy on Sunday (tickets here); and The Boredoms plus Michael Gira also at the University (tickets here).

Shame I'm in Amsterdam all weekend then.

And what live music does Amsterdam have to offer? As far as I can see Amy Winehouse, Just Jack and Suzanne Vega. Hmmmmmm. Sure I'll find something else to do.

And is it just me or do certain LCD Soundsystem songs sound a bit like Heaven 17 circa 1984? Time for a revival?

SOUND OF SILVER
LCD Soundsystem
Sound of Silver [BUY]

FIVE MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
Heaven 17
How Men Are [BUY]

WELCOME TO THE CRACKHOUSE

Yesterday's post on the Krankenhaus? EP made me dig out this old single by Consolidated. Industrial-dance-music combining hip hop beats and political sloganeering isn't normally my cup of tea but there was a point in the early 90s where I played this to death. Quick scan of the interweb and it seems Consolidated are still a going concern and putting on albums for free - see here. Still good with a slogan too: "Free Music! Stop America!". Indeed....

CRACKHOUSE (More Radio Mix)
Consolidated
Play More Music [BUY]

WELCOME TO THE KRANKENHAUS?

If you are not on the British Sea Power email list (and if not why not? Go here) you might have missed the opportunity to download Atom, the lead song from the Krankenhaus? EP, for free. The five song EP is available digitally this week in advance of the new album with 3 songs exclusive to the EP. A tour-only CD will be available later this month (upcoming gigs here).

PELICAN

British Sea Power

Krankenhaus? EP [buy]

STARS OF THE TRACK AND FIELD ORGANISATION

The inestimable Track and Field label has a quite UNBELIEVABLE offer on currently: a lucky dip bag of six albums from their back catalogue for only £12. Including postage.

My lucky dip included Kicker, Tompaulin, Mahogany, The Singing Adams, Homescience and The Essex Green. Buy yours here.

HELLO BABY

MINUS NINES

The Singing Adams

Problems [BUY] or [BUY]

TESSELATION, FORMERLY PLATEAU ONE

THE VIEW FROM THE PEOPLE WALL

Mahogany

Connectivity! [BUY] or [BUY]