Album Review: The Magnetic Fields, 'Love at the Bottom of the Sea'

Three stars

Love at the Bottom of the Sea, The Magnetic Fields' first album to be released since the end of the “no-synth trilogy” of the last three releases, is a confused, occasionally brilliant romp of an album. In a record that lasts little more than half an hour, Stephin Merritt's group throw together fifteen songs of varying quality in a maelstrom of manic creativity. This ramshackle approach produces an album which is undeniably enjoyable, albeit marred by irritating moments of contrived kookiness.

Must try harder

Perhaps the album's inconsistencies can be attributed to a hangover from the synth-less period which produced records as accomplished as Distortion. Indeed, the new album's opening track, 'Your Girlfriend's Face', seems overly keen to return the band to the electronic territory of their earlier work. The song sees Merritt's fine vocals overpowered by garish synthesizers, a problem which reoccurs later on 'The Machine in Your Hand'. Merritt, a songwriter usually renowned for his wit and charm, also lets down his redoubtable baritone delivery with some poor lyrics. On 'The Horrible Party', for example, he pleads with the listener to “Take me away from this horrible party and I will give you some money”. After considering the song's ridiculous oom-pah rhythm, they may be tempted to prolong his suffering.

Despite these flaws, the album nevertheless offers a number of examples of Merritt's mercurial talent. 'God Wants us to Wait' is a sharp satire on Christian chastity, while 'Andrew in Drag' evokes David Bowie while inverting sexual politics. The band's synths are deployed most skilfully in 'My Husband's Pied-A-Terre', with the track bursting unexpectedly into life after a beguiling opening. However, the album's outstanding moment is 'The Only Boy in Town', a delightfully poppy number which is good enough to bring The Beach Boys to mind. This surf-influenced track is perhaps the most compelling evidence that The Magnetic Fields are at their best when the synths take a back seat.

Django Django, Manchester Deaf Institute, 29th February

As the encore begins, we are probably the youngest people in the music hall. The cool kids must be doing MDMA out of each other's baseball caps somewhere else. Either way, Django Django have justified their slow-burning hype with a mesmeric live performance.

While the Edinburgh quartet's self-titled debut album is a reasonably endearing electro effort, the band transforms into something altogether more impressive when on stage. Powered by a technically adept rhythm section, the group's one-hour set turns inoffensive album tracks such as 'Firewater' into unstoppable, rabble-rousing juggernauts. The band's myriad array of synths, meanwhile, are utilised with much greater confidence than on the LP. Even vocalist and guitarist Steven Neff delivers his lyrics with a surprising passion, contributing to a sound akin to No Age refereeing a gang fight between Animal Collective and Devo.

Snappy dressers: Edinburgh's Django Django

Impressively turned out in matching T-shirts, the band open with 'Intro/Hail Bop', a track which deploys the synths probably played when nuclear reactors go into meltdown before laughing it all off with a wonderfully anthemic chorus. This swaggering approach continues throughout the set, with the audience whipped into a frenzy by the time recent single 'Default' appears. 'Firewater', meanwhile, keeps the capacity crowd in motion to a deft bassline. The metronomic, cowbell-happy drumming of David Maclean, the group's sometime producer, only adds to the momentum.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the performance, however, is the ease with which Django Django incorporate their more eccentric tendencies into the live show. Whether using halves of a coconut during 'Love's Dart' or embracing traditional Egyptian melodies on 'Skies Over Cairo', these moments seem neither convoluted nor pretentious, but entirely appropriate. It is this rare capacity to combine art-rock flair with dance-punk passion that makes the group's recent emergence so exciting. Go and see them next time they're in town. Take your dad.           

Giroud's Goals Fire Montpellier into Title Contention

If only the French had a snappy phrase for ‘newly rich’. Although the French league continues to receive scant recognition in the British press, Paris Saint Germain has perhaps been the continental club most frequently mentioned by our nation’s sportswriters in the past few months. Not a day passes without the Parisians being linked to yet another wantaway Premier League star, with the immense wealth of the club’s Qatari owners firing the imaginations of agents and journalists alike.

Paris Saint Germain's Javier Pastore

The wealth pumped into the capital city club by the Qatari Investment Authority has been translated into progress on the field, with PSG enjoying a three point cushion at the summit of Ligue Un. Expensive summer signings such as Javier Pastore and Kevin Gameiro have gelled quickly, alongside talented academy products such as Mamadou Sakho. January has brought further additions, with Carlo Ancelotti able to tempt former Chelsea defender Alex and Brazilian-born Italy international Thiago Motta to France, at a combined cost of around twenty million euros. Perhaps more importantly in terms of revenue, Ancelotti’s side have established a ten point advantage over fourth-placed rivals Olympique Lyonnais, meaning qualification to the Champions League seems all but certain.

The Parisians’ quest for a first league title since the 1993-1994 season, however, may hinge on their home fixture with second-placed Montpellier, scheduled for February 19^th. Rene Girard’s team have been the league’s surprise package this season, and will head to the Parc des Princes as the division’s highest scorers. The southern outfit’s startling title challenge has been spearheaded by the forward play of Olivier Giroud, who already has fifteen league goals to his name. The powerful forward, who has attracted interested from Newcastle United and Arsenal of late, has also been rewarded for his fine form with a debut for Laurent Blanc’s new-look national team. While Giroud’s incisive finishing has taken many of the plaudits, Montpellier’s squad is built upon hard work rather than raw talent, with Cameroonian full-back Henri Bedimo exemplifying the team’s energetic style. Joris Marveaux, brother of Newcastle’s Sylvain, meanwhile, adds class and composure to the midfield.

Giroud has been talismanic for Montpellier

With the traditional powerhouses of Lyon and Marseille slugging it out for fourth place, the only other realistic title challenger is Lille, the reigning champions. Rudi Garcia’s men started this season slowly, possibly reeling from the departure of the influential Yohan Cabaye, but have been boosted by the fine form of Eden Hazard and Joe Cole. Former PSG goalkeeper Mickael Landreau, meanwhile, has continued his renaissance between the posts. The club’s decision to sell prolific striker Moussa Sow to Fenerbahce in the January, however, may prove costly at the end of the season.

With Les Dogues waiting in the wings, both PSG and Montpellier will be relishing the chance to register a knockout blow when they meet at the Parc de Princes, with the home side’s recent acquisitions consolidating their position as pre-match favourites. However, Girard’s unfancied, inexpensive squad will venture north without fear, in search of a historic win. Just don’t expect to hear about it in Britain if they pull it off.

Album Review: Atlas Sound, 'Parallax'

Atlas Sound, Parallax

By Thomas McMahon, abridged version published in The Mancunion 21/11/2011 

Four stars

Bradford Cox's third solo effort sees the Deerhunter frontman strike out into unusual territory, with pleasing results. The album artwork shows the Atlanta-based songsmith evoking a bygone age of crooners, posing in silhouette with a vintage microphone, and Parallax lives up to this surprising change of direction. Indeed, the album manages to retain the creative edge which earned Cox his reputation as an experimentalist while also functioning as a nuanced, intelligent pop record.

Perhaps the most startling aspect of Parallax is the impressive balance struck between Cox's frequently despairing lyrics, possibly influenced by his recent nervous breakdown while touring with Deerhunter, and uplifting melodies. 'Te Amo', for example, features the lyrics “when you're down, you're always down”, but is lightened by delicate percussion and piano loops. The title track, also issued as the lead single, offsets the refrain “your pain, is probably equal” with bright guitar work. Cox's vocals, while sometimes lacking in range, complement the music well, particularly on the outstanding 'Angel is Broken'.

The well-structured album only stumbles when Cox occasionally reverts to the tired piano-and-reverb formula which has enjoyed great popularity of late. Mid-album track 'Mona Lisa', an unashamedly simple jangle-pop number, seems a blessed relief after the rather stodgy 'Modern Aquatic Lovesongs'.

However, Parallax remains a focussed and inventive album in a year when such records seem an increasingly rare commodity. Against a raft of beach-rock clones, the Southern recluse has crafted a wonderfully beguiling and sensitive record. Moreover, Cox's burgeoning pop sensibilities mean this album works as an ideal introduction to a musician of considerable talent.

Real Estate Interview and Gig Review

By Thomas McMahon, originally published in The Mancunion 2/11/2011

The Mancunion's Thomas McMahon was on hand to meet Real Estate guitarist Matthew Mondaline as the New Jersey fivesome prepared for their gig at Salford's Islington Mill.

TM: What's it like returning to England for a second tour with the band?
MM: We like it, we're very excited to play Manchester tonight then London tomorrow.

TM: A lot of people are saying the new album is cleaner and more focussed, was that a conscious decision by the band?

MM: Yeah, we wanted everything to be higher quality, which involved quite a lot of hard work in the studio.

TM: So was it a stereotypical 'difficult second album'?

MM: Not quite, a lot of the songs were already written, plus we spent a long time between our first and second album.

TM: You've recently switched label from Woodsist to Domino, what inspired that move?
MM: Well, they offered us a really good record deal on a bigger label. Plus, they're based in London which should mean we can play over here more often.

Real Estate's apparently pre-anointed passage to the indie pantheon stumbled under the concrete ceiling of Salford's Islington Mill after an underwhelming live performance. An enthusiastic audience, possibly enticed by a string of reviews lauding sophomore album Days, was left unconvinced by a string of passable psych-pop strumalongs.

The set started promisingly, with opener 'Municipality' showing the band's technical proficiency and knack for crafting delicate melodies. Recent single, 'It's Real', also proved a highlight, with the rhythm section playing tightly and with admirable energy. However, the set soon became bogged down in repetitive surf-influenced riffs, with lead singer Martin Courtney's underpowered vocals often drowning in a swollen sea of feedback and reverb. The band's spirited cover of Felt's 'Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow', meanwhile, merely highlighted the Americans' poor lyrics in comparison to the Birmigham new wave outfit.

While every member of the band played with genuine skill, Real Estate nevertheless proved themselves to be a group which is easy to admire but hard to love. Throughout the set, the five-piece showed neither the earnest conviction of fellow New Jerseyans such as Titus Andronicus and Vivian Girls nor the pop sensibilities of superior beach bums such as Surfer Blood. As heads slowly nodded but feet remained fixed to the floor, this malaise was reflected in the crowd.

RATING: 3 Stars

Yorkshire Post interview with Anthony McGrath

By Thomas McMahon
Originally Published in The Yorkshire Post on Tuesday 9 August 2011 13:52

Yorkshire’s Anthony McGrath maintains that his side will still be striving for victory in Wednesday’s CB40 Trophy clash with Middlesex, despite the fact they cannot qualify from Group A.

While the Headingley outfit’s poor form in the 40-over tournament has contributed to a forgettable season, the former England player is calling for morale-boosting victories in one-day games to aid his side’s survival prospects in the County Championship.

McGrath, who scored a century against Hampshire in Yorkshire’s last match, believes that Yorkshire’s attempts to mount a challenge for the cup have been scuppered by injuries to key players.

“We’ve had to chop and change quite a bit,” said the 35-year-old ahead of the match at Lord’s.

“A club of our size should be competing for silverware at the end of the season.

“We’re just aiming to win all our remaining 40-over matches, that’s all we can do.”

The start time for Yorkshire’s CB40 match with Middlesex on Wednesday has been brought forward due to the unrest in London.

The fixture was due to start at Lord’s at 3.40pm but will now begin at 12pm following three nights of rioting on the streets of the capital.

Yorkshire were due to train this afternoon before travelling down to north London tonight, but they have instead headed straight to their hotel in the capital.

Senior batsman McGrath told the Yorkshire Post: “I’m a little bit concerned.

“Obviously we all saw it unfolding on the news last night and we’re going to be a little closer to it now. Hopefully they can get things under control, but it looks pretty bad from the scenes I’ve seen and things I’ve heard on the radio.

“Hopefully the police and government can get it sorted as soon as possible.

“Things like this can escalate quickly so hopefully it can be sorted sooner rather than later.”

All tonight’s London football matches including tomorrow’s international friendly between England and Holland have been postponed.

Should the authorities decree it unsafe for Middlesex versus Yorkshire to go ahead, McGrath said: “That’s out of our hands, we’ll just go on the advice the people give us.

“We’ve cancelled training today to go down earlier, and as players we’re just open to the advice the club or the people in charge give us.”

Yorkshire Post article on Riots and sport

Originally Published on Wednesday 10 August 2011 14:47

While England’s proposed friendly with the Netherlands has been called off after rioting in London, history proves that sporting events themselves have the capacity to spark significant civil unrest.

With Andrew Strauss’s England side vowing to continue their Test series against India in the hope of boosting the nation’s morale, it might be easy to see cricket as a refreshing throwback to a more genteel era.

However, those viewing cricket as a pastoral antidote to contemporary chaos would do well to remember the final Test of the 1970-71 Ashes series.

John Snow, easily the most menacing fast bowler of Ray Illingworth’s touring party, felled Australian tail ender Terry Jenner with a vicious bouncer and madness erupted at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

With bottles raining down from the stands and Australian spectators attempting to grab the fielding Snow, Illingworth decided to lead his team from the field. The match was eventually resumed, with 14 arrests made in the aftermath.

While the Australian public are well known for their passion for sport, the reaction in Buenos Aires to River Plate’s recent relegation from the Argentinian Primera Division puts the SCG disturbance firmly in the shade.

Following the 1-1 home draw against Belgrano which condemned Argentina’s most successful club to the first relegation in its history, riots began in the Estadio Monumental and quickly spread across the capital. More than 70 people were hospitalised and numerous cars burnt out in the disorder.

Despite this, the most startling reaction to a football match in Latin America came in 1969 when the armed forces of El Salvador and Honduras clashed in the aftermath of a World Cup Qualifying Play-off.

After fighting between fans in earlier group games, El Salvador snatched a dramatic extra-time winner in Mexico City, which incensed their nearby rivals.

The conflict itself only lasted four days, but claimed the lives of around 3,000 people, as well displacing some 300,000 Salvadoran citizens.

Although the reasons behind the war stemmed from long-standing territorial disputes between the two nations, the manner in which it was triggered remains startling.

In North America, meanwhile, fans of the Vancouver Canucks have rioted on two separate occasions after defeats in ice hockey’s Stanley Cup. While the Canucks enjoy the best regular-season record in the NHL, they have yet to win the Stanley Cup after 40 years of trying and their fans’ frustations boiled over in 1994 and earlier this year.

The recent riots, which followed a shock 4-0 series defeat at the hands of the Boston Bruins, were particularly fierce, with cars flipped and 101 arrests made.

Though the recent raft of cancelled and rescheduled fixtures proves that civil disorder can disrupt sports, these extraordinary cases show that the emotions surrounding sport itself can spark pandemonium all of its own.