Stranded Horse - Transmission.

I have always been of the opinion that a cover version of a song should be completely taken over by the artiste in question, remodelling it into something all of their own.

Jimi Hendrix's version of Bob Dylan's 'All Along The Watchtower' comes to mind as somewhat a prime example. Incidentally Dylan was so impressed with Hendrick's more geared up electrifying adaptation of his song, he was later to emulate it in his live shows.
A much more recent example of an extraordinary take of a song would have to be this one.
Who would have thought that one day we would hear a version of a 1980's post-punk song played on West African string instruments. The latest 7" offering from Yann Tambour aka Stranded Horse includes let's say a rather original version of Joy Division's 'Transmission'.
Available on Talitres Records it also includes a self penned track called 'A Faint Light'.Tambour is accompanied on both tracks by Boubacar Cissokho, Poulo K and Bakoutoubo Dambakhate from Senegal where this recording was made. News of a forthcoming album release will be available later in the year.

Dirty 3 Live At The Button Factory Dublin. 23-11-2012

Warren Ellis- Dirty 3 @ The Button Factory

When Australian hell raisers Dirty 3 get it together in a live setting, you can be quaranteed  the concert experience of a lifetime.

Their Dublin appearance on November 23rd last at the The Button Factory was no exception.

It was my second time this year seeing them play, the previous time was at The End Of The Road Festival in Dorset. I am of the opinion though that Dirty 3 usually give a more thrilling performance in the smaller, more intimate indoor venues. After all this is how they started out in their native Melbourne playing less than huge beer joints and small halls.

The Button Factory located in the heart of Temple Bar is by no means an overally small venue, but the layout leading to the bar area is somewhat a bit cramped. It is advisable to get there early to get close to the stage area at this particular place, otherwise trudging through a dense crowd at the bar area can be awkward.

Front man Warren Ellis was in jovial mood to say the least with his hilarious rambling between his thunderous amplified violin work.  Jim White's familiar drum trashing was as effecting as it has been since the beginning and Mick Turner's jangling lead guitar acts out like the backbone that holds this manic noise together.
'This is a song about.......' is how Ellis introduces a track, the ramblings can lead anywhere from stories about LSD trips to hilarious jibes about Bon Jovi or Coldplay or whatever enters this man's mind at the given moment. If ever there were a man born to grace a stage, this is him, he walks the walk and talks the talk. The set list tonight included  a few 'chestnuts' from older records going back to 'Ocean Songs' and 'Horse Stories' which delighted many. 'Everything Is Fucked' was particularly appreciated, maybe just that title hit a note with the current declining economic state. Dirty 3 were on fire this night, a testimony to what they can achieve as a live act and a band that I will never tire of.

Dirty 3 live at The Button Factory

Album Review Apple Rabbits- Kilburn State.

            

Earlier this year saw the release of  the second Apple Rabbits LP Kilburn State, a 12 track collection that plays out like the soundtrack to an imaginary dark suspense film with a surreal storyline.

Jay Fisher's music certainly doesn't fit easily into a particularly defined category, however that is precisely one of its finer qualities.Heavily experimental; this slow burner congers up several feelings with each listen and grows more and more intense as it draws you into its atmospheric web.

'I Could Not Care Less' is a solid stand out single from this extraordinary album...

            

Brimming with immense creativity Kilburn State is one of those records that will have you searching for the play button again after hearing it throughout. A record that could otherwise slip under the radar for its modesty, it deserves high praise for its sheer uniqueness. Certainly it is one of my favourite albums so far this year, a slow grower that reaches far and beyond.

It is available now for download through Kilburn State Records.

 

      

Apple Rabbits

This is a record you will want to have in your collection. Jay Fisher aka Apple Rabbits latest 12 track release is called King Of Anglia and is a wondrous affair indeed. You will find it on the independent Kilburn State label.  Fisher is a native of London and has been recording through many different projects since 1994, creating music that doesn't sit easily into particular genres due to its blatant expansiveness.

Having once supported John Martyn on tour during the 1990's, English folk music is certainly an influence in Fisher's work but there is a much more complex mix of sounds running through his songs. Experimental electronica runs deep on tracks like 'Wrong Again' and 'One rolls Over' reminiscent of  recent synthesising work by bands like Radiohead for instance. However the album overall never fully abandons its folk rock roots.

This is the opening track called 'Sing To Me', Americana UK magazine recently described this song as... 'like stumbling across a rare orchid in a meadow', quite an apt observation in my opinion.

'King Of Anglia' is as satisfying as it is complex, surreal as it is adventurous but overall it is altogether ambitious. For those of you who enjoy discovering new music that pushes the boundaries I cannot  recommend this album enough.