<<

Section:OBS RW PaGe:30 Edition Date:120617 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 15/6/2012 19:20 cYanmaGentaYellowblack Section:OBS RW PaGe:31 Edition Date:120617 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 15/6/2012 19:21 cYanmaGentaYellowblack

> > ‘Self-awareness is a dangerous thing’ Everything But the Girl !op interview, page 32 THE LIVE REVIEW Hermione Hoby on music Will this be a good year for the Roses? Think you’re too old to listen to pop? After 16 years away, the reunited Take a leaf out of Bernstein’s book… Stone Roses sparkle just enough to After a friend extolled its weirdness last week, I went and found a YouTube video dispel memories of their last, recently posted by Adam Bainbridge . Bainbridge records wistful, lo-fi dance disastrous, festival performance music under the name Kindness , but this isn’t a . It begins with him, long-haired and serious-faced, delivering a monologue about . Then the camera jumps out to reveal him seated at a keyboard next to a cute kid in a strip y top. An informal, 16 years, and the atmosphere is relaxed Sesame Street -style music lesson ensues. – at least until the music starts. LA The second part is all very sweet and Judee punks the Bronx wake everyone up with sincere, but there’s something about a joyous, full-throttle set. Singer Matt his opening words that seems off – a Rogersers Caughthran is soon crowd-surfi ng, little mannered, a bit old-fashioned then organising a mosh with him in and faintly familiar. To compound the the middle. Maximum eff ort at 1pm: it oddness, there’s the slight, sideways leaves everyone beaming. fl ickering of his gaze that suggests he’s The afternoon continues sparkily. reading off a cue card. Then he delivers Glimpsing the void: ( Festival-goers seem more passionate a line that jolted me out of puzzling. Pop Hultsfred, here. Some particular peppy pleasures music, he says, is “completely of, by and come mid-afternoon, such as Seattle for the kids. And by kids I mean anyone Teenage kicks: Kitty Pryde’s modern pop sound has bewildered some . hip-hop duo THEESatisfaction’s from eight years old to 25.” snappy wordplay and dance-moves, That mildly murmured edict hit vented their bewilderment online in So this is the Third Coming. Their fi rst and Swedish six-piece Den Svenska my 27-year -old ears like a Zimmer- O kay Cupid is fresh droves. “Uhhhh, what? Is this a joke that was at the much-mythologised tail-end Björnstammen (the Swedish Bear frame blow to the backs of the knees. everyone’s in on but me?” asked one. of the 80s , when indie and Population). Half-OK Go indie, half Twenty fi ve ? Kindness, you kill me with and funny enough to I can be guilty of dismissing things swaggered together, and the Stone Day-Glo Hot Chip techno, they bounce your cruelty! as “a bit adolescent”, but O kay Cupid is Roses’ debut became the - around onstage, foliage in their shorts, It made me want to ask a question remind me that fresh and funny enough to remind me trouser-wearer’s bible. Second Coming and get the crowd going wild. that, like those twin impulses of that teenage culture has its own validity, – their December 1994 follow-up – Elsewhere, old-fashioned delights adolescence itself, is both facetious and teenage culture has not just a validity aff orded through the came a t ’s high-water mark. abound. New Zealander Willy Moon sincere: am I too old for pop ? He kindly its own validity quasi-anthropological lens of adults’ Singer , guitarist John rocks up in a white suit like a cross obliged via email. After joking that I ironic distance. That said, I really wish Squire, Gary “” Mounfi eld between David Byrne and Jerry Lee was “certainly too old to be a music Bernstein w as around to interview her. and drummer Alan “” Wren had journalist – they generally peak in their Earnest discourse with “its makers, In 1967 he proclaimed pop music been away just long enough to be early teens”, he went on: “ But seriously, this new breed of young people with “part of a historic revolution – only now greeted like returning heroes. But And then comes ! e Stone Roses’ Ian pop matters most when you’re younger. long hair and fanciful clothing” follows. these young people have gotten control after a disastrous meltdown 18 months Brown: ‘ he even At that early stage, our appreciation Time turns these inquiries into a of a mass medium, the phonograph later, the Third was never meant to something fans have takes his anorak off ’. of pop, and of music in general, is quaint curio we can laugh at, disowning record”. But in 2012, “the young happen – at least, if you believed Squire Photograph by Emma uncluttered by history, signifi cance or our collective naivety in the same way people” have something even more in 2009. “I have no desire whatsoever been dreading: a Svensson/Rockfoto other people’s expectations. It’s just a we do our personal adolescent passions powerful: Mac Books, Tumblr accounts to desecrate the grave of seminal wincingly off -key rush of joyful acceptance.” and obsessions. Watching someone in and YouTube channels . pop group the Stone There’s a reason his video seems the 60s address the perils of pop music In making available virtually all Roses,” he said then. Now, things are note from Ian Brown weird. Those words are almost half is a similar feeling to fi nding an old recorded music , the internet has razed diff erent. But are they really? a century old : he is in fact quoting school binder doodled all over with taste hierarchies . As Ian Williams of the It’s the fi rst day of the Hultsfred Leonard Bernstein . In 1967, two years names of boys and bands and thinking: avant Battles has said, “there festival, deep in Swedish birch-and- Lewis, playing rockabilly twisted with by the north’s indie past – as does his stalks the stage, wielding his maracas always inconsistent anyway? Or the to hang up; the third time he succeeds. Am the Resurrection – is a genuine, after Dylan had sneered, “ Something oh my God, I was so young. are no guilty pleasures any more”, and elm country. The site is gorgeous, on woozy, processed beats. “Wa-ow!”, he haircut, the fi rst Stone Roses barnet of like someone divining for Es. The dressing-up of a memory? As the set It’s a metaphor for the whole set, and a eye-moistening, lump-in-the-throat is happening here/ But you don’t That’s something 19-year-old Kitty that means less ageism, too. Having a lake, with four stages tightly packed howls regularly, as his female drummer the day. crowd aren’t enthused yet; they’re continues, glimmers of hope appear. totem for what follows. moment. Brown gives the set list to the know what it is/ Do you, Mr Jones? ”, Pryde , the Florida teenager behind no hair to whip back and forth needn’t together. At noon, it’s been heard that plays, stops and smokes. LA’s Vintage At 9.40pm, only 10 minutes late, come mainly Swedish teenagers after all, B-side Standing Here (from 1989) Waterfall cascades; Brown hits every person who gave him the fl ag. Then the Bernstein presented a CBS special recent viral track Okay Cupid , has to impede balding men from enjoying the Roses’ crew have arrived – good Trouble also impress with their Sam themselves. But where’s not Haçienda casualties. Then comes gently warms the heart. Ten Storey single note perfectly. In a glorious whole band come stage-front, and hug. called Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution . look forward to. Coy and giggling, she 11-year-old Willow Smith ’s ebullience. news given what happened two nights Cooke-meets-Stax stylings, which are Reni? Pulses quicken when a drummer something Roses fans have been Love Song’s melody reminds you how This Is the One, Brown wanders Then they bow, but Reni does Online footage shows the smartly raps: “I don’t care how long it takes to To echo James Murphy of LCD ago. In ’s Heineken Music just sharp enough to not sound too retro. with dreadlocks appears, but it is Reni dreading: a wincingly off -key note from touching this music could be. Brown over to Squire, and makes him laugh so away from Brown, awkwardly, suited, grey-haired director of the New get you after me/ I wrote our names Soundsystem (already losing his edge Hall, Reni allegedly stormed off before But nostalgic sounds can get tired. indeed, wearing a ridiculous hat. As Brown in . It gets even takes his anorak off , and starts to with his dancing. As She Bangs the hammily. This is no resurrection quite York Philharmonic seated at a piano, a on my binder/ And everybody laughed back in the dark ages of 2002 ), the kids the encore; in a YouTube clip widely Despite a decent romp through the he pummels into life, it worse. In , Brown starts joke with the Swedes (“I said: ‘Tack Drums sparkles, you remember that yet. But the Stone Roses are alive. paragon of avuncular tolerance as he at me .” The track is syrupy in two will always be coming up from behind, circulated soon after, Brown called ’s Teenage Wasteland, the Gaslight becomes obvious how much his drums a verse while his bandmates are still on [thank you]!’ I can’t help it!”). And then friendships dating back decades soberly professes his love of pop . senses of the word: in its goofi ly but reaching middle age shouldn’t mean drummer “a cunt” . A spokesperson Anthem still sound like the Fisher-Price are his band’s blood and backbone. As the chorus. Squire’s legendary guitar comes Fools Gold . breathe in this band. You also “Many parents do try to escape sentimental lyrics (“ Babe I planned deafness to a great middle eight. At responded with: “They had already E Street Band. does his best with the Roses’ last open-air appearance also sounds clunky and heavy. “I don’t As soon as Mani fi nds the song’s remember how diffi cult it was to bring Online gallery this music, and even forbid it, on the our wedding already ”) and in its what point does pop music stop making played their full planned set, so no one the Guns N’Roses back catalogue, but proved at Reading 1996 – I was there, need to sell my soul,” Brown sings, fabulous, lolloping groove, they get them back. See more images from the grounds that it is noisy, unintelligible, sound, which recalls the slowed beats sense to a person? The moment they walked off .” new partner Myles Kennedy ’s voice Reni wasn’t, nor was Squire, it was with dead eyes. better. Squire even adds in a bar of Brown puts his anorak back on. Hultsfred festival by visiting or morally corruptive.” But: “I think this of cough-syrup-and-codeine-fuelled stop listening. I hope more of us can Still, everyone seems hopeful here for never matches Axl Rose’s yowl. Miles bloody awful – they need this boy badly. What is it we want from the Stone ’ Day Tripper. A fan gives Reni leads. Mani beams. The song observer.co.uk/new-review music has something terribly important “chopped and screwed ” hip -hop. remain, like venerable old Bernstein did, the Roses’ fi rst festival appearance in Kane’s songs also feel oddly burdened But the pain’s not over yet. Brown Roses? A recreation of a sound that was Brown a Swedish fl ag, which he tries the Amsterdam crowd didn’t get – I to tell us adults.” Twenty-fi rst century Mr Joneses total teenagers in our enthusiasms.

! e lowdown In its fi rst year, Best act Australian wild CD REVIEWS FESTIVAL No Direction Home fi nds men the Dirty # ree , whose WATCH bijou boutique-fest # e End surging, wordless music was POP RAP ROCK POP WORLD JAZZ of the Road expanding into as stormy as the weather just upped his pop credibility Cheryl Riz MC Slash feat Myles Kennedy Neneh Cherry & the ! ing Criolo Toots ! ielemans the East Midlands. Set in and as deep as the lake. MICroscope Apocalyptic Love " e Cherry " ing Nó na Orelha European Quartet No Direction Home, the fairy-tale woodland and in the credibility drive. Unlike Bieber, “die” in Die in Your Arms sounds like a CD OF THE WEEK #POLYDOR$ #TRU THOUGHTS$ #ROADRUNNER$ #SMALLTOWN SUPERSOUND$ #STERNS$ 90 Yrs Welbeck estate, meadows of the Welbeck Worst act # e weather. they’re proper adults, not an 18-year- forgotten Jackson 5 gem. In fact, the track #CHALLENGE$ Nottinghamshire estate, whose resident Justin Bieber old who, if Boyfriend is anything to go samples ’s We’ve Got osprey glides over the lake, Best new discovery A one- Believe by, is hopelessly jejune in his wooing: a Good Thing Going, and bonus track We’re witnessing Overlooked when Where Slash’s 2010 Long before Criolo , a 35-year-old " ielemans is it’s small, friendly, eclectic man Woodpigeon , whose !ISLAND" his curiously 70s vision of romantic Maria is another MJ-esque treat . the Guett aisation it came out early solo debut was a Buff alo Stance and São Paolo rapper, probably the best, and foodie. Sheffi eld bard tender guitar work came sophistication involves “chillin’ by the But the lachrymal tween fanbase of chart music: last year, this collaboration with Manchild , before became the toast of and at 90 certainly Richard Hawley , left, was interspersed with anecdotes fi re while we eatin’ fondue”. Despite still needs feeding, hence the godawful everything sounding accomplished debut an array of A-list Neneh Cherry was last year with the oldest, jazz the local headliner, and about oppressive legislation A decade ago, when the , Boyfriend is smoking. The mawkishness of Fall , with all its guff like David Guetta by Riz Ahmed is being vocal talent, only a star in her own this second album , harmonica player ththee rereadings, cinema in Quebec and a graveyard for JustinJu Bieber was eight high-pitched whistle noise that begins about angels who forgot to fl y. The made it. Or, indeed, rereleased with added remixes by Myles Kennedy , frontman of Alter right, she was a member of Rip whose title translates as Knot in in the world. He gave up showing screscreeningse (with popcorn!) heroes on ’s River Lea. andan anonymous , another it recalls Britney Spears’s lubricious record ends with the title track , an (who produced Call My Name here): his new label Tru " oughts. " ough Bridge , remains for the follow-up. Rig & Panic , the free-spirited jazz- the Ear, but which proves an easy, off his technique long ago and anandd wworkshops were broken JustinJu was having an Toxic and it’s a welcome shock to hear a anthemic tub-thumper to hammer both he and Guetta pump out better known as a fi lm actor – he As a consequence, there’s a more punk troupe whose sensibility she expansive listen. Drawing on a richer now concentrates on revealing up bbyy gourmet displays Best dressed It’s not importantim moment. 2002 Justin Bieber song and wonder if we’re home the Bieber mythos of following Euro- house club bangers devoid of starred in Trishna and ill Manors – cohesive “band” feeling, and evokes on her fi rst album since palette than the hip-hop that made the hidden beauties of tunes that ccourtesyourt of Welbeck’s Bestival . In a sea of Gore-Tex, was the year formerfor boyband member allowed to describe it as “sexy”. your dreams, never saying never and personality. " at is also a problem Ahmed radiates promise as an MC. Slash ’s soloing sounds as fl uid 1996 . Recorded with Scandinavian Criolo a local hero, it shifts between capture his interest , including a SchoolScho of Artisan Food . there was one fat Spider- J Timberlake put out the sizzling Like Britney is one of the record’s several all those other aspirational bromides facing Britain’s sweetheart, the No question his lyrics are smart as ever, most notably during the trio the " ing , it is an eight-track Afro-funk on Bogotá , heavy samba few of his own. Wherever his ideas Man and a pregnant nun. I Love You, thereby giving grown- superstar reference points and with them as earnest as they are vague. With a impossibly beautiful Cheryl Cole. Her – spiked with sardonic humour coda of Anastasia . Unfortunately, set comprising mostly covers, on Mariô , roots on Samba take him he follows them, and ! e crowd Fresh-faced ups licen ce to like him. Justin Bieber, Bieber seems to be staking a place in pop gospel choir followed by, I kid you not, performance at the jubilee on All in the Ghetto ; nuanced and the songs themselves seem to from rapper MF Doom’s Accordion Sambei and MOR ballad on the the rest of his superb European loclocal hipsters, thrilled at Overheard “# at’s a dead quondam, pudding-bowled moppet history. There’s the Timberlake nod of a key change, it’s totally egregious in was as unconvincing as a lot of these refreshingly honest when he tackles be an afterthought, witless lyrics to her late father Don Cherry’s totemic Não Existe Amor em SP Quartet miraculously keep up thethe prospect of festival pike the osprey’s dropped.” responsible for untold pre-teen screams “hey Senorita” on Take You , a Prince sentiment as well as sound. But, after tracks, particularly post-break -up Islamophobia on Sour Times – but (“Whole world’s going crazy” – Golden Heart . " e standout, (" ere’s no love in Sao Paolo). with him. Rather like listening to creepcre fi nally reaching north the world over, might have just done homage (“We all party like it’s 3012 enough fi ne material to make those posturings such as and they can sound studied, valuing again?) jostling with ponderous though, is Suicide’s Dream Baby " ere’s a poetic edge to the writing Sonny Rollins, it’s a fascinating trip, Nottinghamshire.Not Families, ! e response “It feels like the same with Believe, specifi cally its tonight”) plus a shout-out to Beyoncé’s of us who are not nine-year-old-girls Sexy Den a Mutha . She seems less intricacy over fl ow. Once Ahmed balladry and 80s glam metal by Dream, which, much like Cherry’s (greed vibrates/vanity excites), so long as you hang on and don’t aamplymp weather-proofed. stumbling into the mythical Timberlake-aping single, Boyfriend . beginnings with the words: “You can feel unabashed about our Beliebing , he of a cypher when balladeering, as eases into his MC alter-ego, the day numbers . Best avoided if you’re not version of the Stooges’ Dirt , while the songs refl ect the chaos get lost. " e pack includes a CD SSheheffi eld day-trippers. town of Spectre in the movie Employing stars such as Nicki be my Destiny’s Child”. The blissfully has, I think, earned the right to vaunt. on the quietly persuasive title track. job had better watch out. a Guns N’ Roses completist. is turned into a masterclass in of the favelas where Criolo grew up. containing 11 tracks and a concert VVeteraneter End of the Roadies Big Fish.” ! eLineOfBestFit Minaj and Drake is a judicious move descending melisma of a fi ve-syllabled Hermione Hoby Hermione Hoby Killian Fox Phil Mongredien controlled chaos. Paul Mardles Outstanding. Neil Spencer DVD with a further six. Dave Gelly takitaktakinging a double dip this year. Kitty Empire

30 THE NEW REVIEW | 17.06.12 | The Observer | 17.06.12 | THE NEW REVIEW 31