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PLAYING OUT LOUD!
ARTICLES
GIG OF THE MONTH
THE HANDSOME FAMILY, THE BROOK, SOUTHAMPTON, MONDAY, OCTOBER 29.
 Anyone
who hasn’t discovered The Handsome Family have a chance to do so this month when
the American alt country duo return to The Brook. And don’t let the word
‘country’ put you off – although The Handsome Family are definitely in that
category, it’s country music with a difference. Dark, skewed, humourous,
evocative songs, beautifully sung, The Handsome Family are in a league of their
own.
The Handsome Family is Brett and Rennie Sparks who live in Albuquerque, New
Mexico. Their seventh CD, “Last Days of Wonder “ released last year was one of
Mojo’s top ten American Albums for 2006 and called “an unqualified triumph” by
Uncut. Of their sixth CD, “Singing Bones” the UK’s Independent wrote, “Rarely,
even in the fatalistic world of country music, has the precarious mystery of
mortality been captured with such poetic grace as on Singing Bones.”
They have appeared in the movie, I’m Your Man (2005), a tribute to Leonard Cohen
as well as “Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus” (2004) with Jim White. In 2004,
a reader's poll in Mojo named The Handsome Family's third CD, “Through the
Trees” one of the ten essential Americana records. Going back to “Last Days of
Wonder” it’s a fascinating collection of love songs sung in airports, garbage
dumps, drive-thru windows and shark-infested waters. The CD celebrates the
little miraculous moments of beauty found in everyday life: a golf course
shining in the rain, hanging lights bouncing in the breeze, pigeons singing from
billboards, trees blooming in squares of dirt. The songs linger on those moments
when we’re pulled from the ordinary to feel awed by mystery, bewildered by
beauty, terrified by the vast unknowable around us (whether we wander through
shady groves or crowded parking lots).
Brett Sparks, who writes the music, draws from medieval melody, country-politan
string arrangements, tin-pan alley crooners, and dusty hillbilly records to
weave together the fabric of this record. Rennie Sparks, who writes the lyrics,
makes magical realism from polar adventure stories, pagan hunting songs and her
own time spent (like most people) riding up elevators, staring out hotel room
windows, and driving interstate highways. The entire album was recorded over a
year's time in the converted garage studio at the back of the Sparks'
Albuquerque house. Brett recorded it all on a Mac and a whole mess of wires,
microphones and little metal boxes. Alongside the usual guitar, bass and drums
you will hear mellotrons, ukulele, banjo, bowed wine glasses, and trombone.
Brett and Rennie have been married for 18 years and their music has developed
album by album. It’s several years since they last played The Brook and I have
had the pleasure of seeing them a few times since then, notably at the Larmer
Tree Festival launch a couple of years ago and at the festival itself. Don’t
miss a great act!
THE PUPPINI SISTERS - TURNER SIMS
CONCERT HALL, SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY, THURSDAY OCT 11.
 They
are not really sisters but The Puppini Sisters have made quite a stir since the
release of their debut album “Betcha Bottom Dollar” earlier this year.
The Puppini Sisters specialize in 1940s-style close harmony vocal music in the
style of The Andrews Sisters – in fact their name is a tribute to the wartime
trio. They are actually Italian girl Marcella Puppini, and English girls
Stephanie O’Brien and Kate Mullins. Marcella first studied fashion design at St
Martins School of Art and later joined Stephanie and Kate at Trinity College of
Music in London. The group was founded by Marcella after she was inspired by the
animated film “Belleville Rendezvous”. Their debut single was a cover of the
iconic Andrews Sistes “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”
On stage The Puppini Sisters dress in 1940s style to perform classics like “Mr
Sandman,” “In The Mood” and “Jeepers Creepers,” supported by a three-piece band
featuring Martin Kolarides on guitar, Henry Tyler on drums/percussion and
upright bassist Henrik Jensen. But what makes The Puppini Sisters truly
outstanding is their show-stopping interpretations of more contemporary songs
like Blondie’s “Heart Of Glass” and Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights.”
The Puppini Sisters also enjoy a celebrity following, purportedly numbering
Prince Charles, Prince William, Vivienne Westwood and Kate Moss amongst their
fans. The band are promoting their second album “The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo”
on their current tour. The album is in the same mode as their first one but also
includes some original compositions by the girls.
TIRIS, SALISBURY ARTS CENTRE, WEDNESDAY
OCTOBER 24.
 Listen
to the new recording of Tiris!! Produced by Kad Achouri and Mohamed Hafsi.
Recorded in Algiers and Paris. The album should be out in Europe for September
2007.
If you would like a taste of the music of Algeria, there’s an interesting
concert at Salisbury Arts Centre later this month when Tiris are the visitors.
Named after a deeply culturally symbolic region of Western Sahara , this music
and dance group is made up of 8 Saharawi refugee artists. All based in large
camps in SW Algeria, they have been forced to live there for over 3 decades
since Morocco invaded and illegally annexed their homeland in 1975. Their songs
tell of the long forgotten and invisible struggle to regain Western Sahara and
highlight their collective aspirations for independence and freedom.
Formed out of a series of talent competitions in the refugee camps, this
relatively new group combines old and new talent, tradition and innovation in a
powerful and raw way. Tiris features the legendary Shueta, known locally as the
Arethra Franklin of the Sahara, who has been singing for the cause since 1985.
She is joined by the young rising star Mufeed, a 22 year old phenomenon with a
stunning voice and a sizzling performance style. Both come from families of
artists.
Accompanying the two main vocalists are the traditional tidinit played by Hamada
Jatari (a four stringed instrument traditionally played by men) and the t’bal.
Modern instruments played are the electric guitar by Mohamed Ahmed Zein, and
keyboard and accordion by Beba Cheikh . There is a chorus of three
singer-dancers (Embarka, Selma and Boubba) who perform stunning dance sequences
with and without the traditional t’bal. Many of the dances represent highly
stylized gestures of everyday life activities. 72-year-old foot puppeteer Belka
is the ninth member, as vocalist & dancer.
By the time Tiris play at Salisbury their new album produced by Kad Achouri and
Mohamed Hafsi should be available. It was recorded in Algiers and Paris.
JUSTIN CURRIE, WEDGEWOOD ROOMS,
PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24.
 Is
it really over 17 years Del Amitri charted with “Nothing Ever Happens?” Well,
amazingly it is, and if you are wondering what happened to the band they seem to
have just drifted apart after being dropped by their record company in 2002.
But talented Scottish frontman Justin Currie has gone on to forge a solo career
following spells fronting the soul and jazz covers band Button Up and more
recently joining singer-songwriter Eddi Reader and Colin McIntyre (aka Mull
Historical Society) to perform in Scotland as part of the project “With Strings
Attached.” Prior to this Justin also teamed up with Kevin and Jim McDromott of
Simple Minds to record “A Terrible Beauty,” a semi-comedy 60s pastiche album
which they released anonymously under the name “The Uncle Devil Show.”
Justin has also continued to perfomr as a solo artist in the UK. Last year he
was a guest on Tom McRae’s Hotel Café Tour. The previous year he had written and
recorded the album “Rebound” which is scheduled for release this month having
apparently been retitled “What Is Love For.” Several tracks from the album have
already been previewed on the Del Amitri official website and MySpace page.
Indeed Justin’s MySpace page wryly reports that Justin has been playing “eleven
thunderously dreary dirges to pained looking crowds in dingy Glasgow basements!”
KATE RUSBY, THE ANVIL, BASINGSTOKE,
SUNDAY OCTOBER 14.
 Former
member of The Poozies and Equation, Kate Rusby. plays a concert at Basingstoke
on her current tour to promote her new album “Awkward Annie.” The album includes
a track which recently reached a mass audience as the theme tune for the BBC
series “Jam and Jerusalem” – Kate’s version of The Kinks’ “Village Green
Preservation Society.”
Kate Rusby was born into a family of musicians. After learning to play the
guitar, the fiddle and the piano, as well as to sing, she played in many local
folk festivals as a child and adolescent, before joining The Poozies. Her
breakthrough album came in 1995 when she and another Equation member Kathryn
Roberts made "Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts". In 1997, with the help of her
family, Kate recorded and released her first solo album, “ Hourglass.”Hourglass.
The Scottish fiddler John McCusker, formerly of The Battlefield Band, still
produces Kate’s recordings. John and Kate were married in 2001, but are now
divorced. In 2004 Kate had another television link-up when she contributed a
previously unreleased song, 'Wandering Soul', to the soundtrack of the BBC
documentary series “Billy Connolly’s World Tour of New Zealand.
In 2006 Kate enjoyed a spell in the UK singles chart with “All Over Again,” a
duet with Ronan Keating which reached No 6. She also made a large vocal
contribution to the successful debut solo album of Idlewild’s lead singer Roddy
Woomble.
During her career Kate has received four BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards: in 2000 she
won Folk Singer of The Year and Best Album. In 2002 she was awarded Best
Original Song for “”Who Will Sing Me Lullabies” and last year she was nominated
for Best Original Song and Best Album, as well as winning Best Live Act.
GEORGIE FAME, CONCORDE CLUB, EASTLEIGH,
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 31.
 GEORGIE
FAME, CONCORDE CLUB, EASTLEIGH, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 31
Jazz and R&B veteran Georgie Fame makes his annual appearance at the Concorde
this month, still producing great music after nearly 50 years as a professional
musician.
Georgie’s career began when he signed up with famous rock promoter Larry Parnes
when aged sixteen. Parnes had a policy of renaming his proteges – Georgie
changed his name from Clive Powell. Parnes already had a stable of renamed
artists – Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, and many more. In fact, Georgie was already
playing keyboards for Billy Fury in a backing band called The Blue Flames which
later became his own band. The band became a great live draw during the 1960s
blues boom with their Mose Allison and Ray Charles influenced brand of rhythm
and blues.
As a solo artist Georgie had three No 1 hits during the 1960s – “Yeh Yeh,” “Get
Away” and “The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde.” During the 1970s Georgie teamed up
with former Animals keyboarder Alan Price, producing the hit “Rosetta” and
several albums. Georgie had already recorded a dozen or so albums himself
beginning with the classic “Rhythm and Blues at The Flamingo” in 1964.
From the late 1980s until the 1997 album “The Healing Game,” Georgie was a core
member of Van Morrison’s band as well as his musical producer, playing keyboards
and singing harmony vocals on tracks like "In the Days before Rock 'n' Roll",
whilst still recording and touring as an artist in his own right. Georgie was
also a founder member of Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, and had previously worked
with a host of big names in jazz and rock – Count Basie, Gene Vincent, Eddie
Cochran, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters and The Verve.
Now, in a new millennium, Georgie is as popular as ever. He has clocked up over
twenty albums and in his sixties is as enthusiastic as ever as a performer. He
is also a reviewer’s dream, always introducing each song and giving details of
its’ history. Long may “The King of Cool” reign!
RAY LA MONTAGNE, SOUTHAMPTON GUILDHALL,
MONDAY OCTOBER 29.
 RAY
LA MONTAGNE, SOUTHAMPTON GUILDHALL, MONDAY OCTOBER 29
Folk singer-songwriter Ray La Montagne has built up a huge reputation all over
the world since recording the album “Trouble” in 2004. The album has sold well
over 400,000 copies internationally and the title track reached No 5 in the UK
singles chart.
Ray was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, USA in 1974, and currently lives in
Wilton Maine. It’s been well documented that Ray, who had been writing and
performing songs since the late 1990s, heard a Stephen Stills song “Treetop
Flyer” on the radio one morning and was inspired to quit his job and become a
full-time singer songwriter. He was then working 65 hours a week at a shoe
factory in Lewiston.
In fact, Ray’s father was a musician who was constantly on tour; his mother left
him and moved Ray and his siblings to Morgan, Utah. At this time Ray had no real
interest in music because of what he had been told about his father. He was more
interested in sitting in the forest reading fantasy novels, and did not do well
at school.
After leaving his job, Ray began touring, although he initially maintained a
sideline as a carpenter. In the summer of 1999 Ray amassed 10 songs for a demo
recording which he sent to various local music venues. This led to a business
executive introducing Ray to Chrysalis Music Publishing who recorded Ray’s first
album and sold it to RCA.
“Trouble” was later recorded in two weeks in 2004; although it did not do too
well initially, the use of the title track and “All The Wild Horses” on a TV
soundtrack led to its eventual success. The album was followed by “Till The Sun
Turns Black” in 2006 which peaked at No 28 in the USA.
The raspy-voice Ray has described himself as “a very private person” and does
not like giving interviews or interacting with his audience during live shows.
Indeed he has been known to perform live shows in the dark in order to separate
himself from his audience, but I don’t think they will allow this at Southampton
Guildhall!
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THE HANDSOME FAMILY
THE BROOK, SOUTHAMPTON
MONDAY, OCT 29
THE PUPPINI SISTERS
TURNER SIMS CONCERT HALL, SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY, THURSDAY OCT 11
TIRIS
SALISBURY ARTS CENTRE
WEDNES OCT 24
JUSTIN CURRIE WEDGEWOOD ROOMS, PORTSMOUTH,
WEDNES OCT 24
KATE RUSBY
THE ANVIL, BASINGSTOKE SUNDAY OCT 14
GEORGIE FAME CONCORDE CLUB, EASTLEIGH,
WEDNES OCT 31
RAY LA MONTAGNE SOUTHAMPTON GUILDHALL,
MONDAY OCT 29 |
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