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SoundsXP Presents

Friday 6th April 2012
All Day BBQ Festival

Bands tbc

The Windmill
Brixton

On Our iPod

Golden Grrrls - New Pop 7”

Chris Devotion & The Expectations - Amalgamation & Capital (album)

Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester (album)

Throwing Up - Mother Knows Best 7”

Howling Wolf - Complete Chess Masters 1951-60

The Ketamines - A Rotten Bond/1 Yr (from Oddbox Singles Club Pt 2)

Cardinal - Hymns (album)

Proper Ornaments - Taking the Gamble Out of Buying 12”

Darren Hayman - January Songs (album)

Various: Marshall Teller EP 12”

Latest Forum Posts

Gig Review

Best Coast
Rough Trade East Instore, London

Article written by Paul M - Aug 4, 2010

Best Coast

When the buzz about Best Coast first commenced a while back I was so sure I’d like them. From California, music’s sunshine state, their name alone somehow conjured up visions of summery pop splendour in this half wit’s napper. The online references to girl vocals and fuzzy guitars too seemed to suggest that they’d float my paddle steamer. Then I heard the singles and my interest waned slightly. Now having seen them live, I’m even less convinced that this three piece (2 girls, 1 boy) are worthy of the hype that saw them sell out Cargo in double quick time and made entry wristbands for this gig as difficult to track down as a bacon butty in Tel Aviv.

I’ll give them some slack. There were a few false starts. Nerves or amateurism? And frontwoman Bethany clearly had a sore throat from playing a few gigs on the trot and this affliction marred the early part of the gig. But the odd shambling intro and her vocals aren’t the issue though, it’s the limitations of everything else. Ali, the metronomic drummer (ex-Vivian Girls incidentally), is definitely from the Meg White school of stickmanship, doing less with her left mitt than Stephen Hawking cracking one off. And neither Bethany nor Bobb seem overly keen on doing more than just grinding out similar and very familiar scuzzy riffs, track after track. The sweet melodies I’d been promised were mainly absent and bar the effects on Bethany’s voice (a feature that's not exactly original) it’s all too restricted to maintain interest. Oh for some dreamy floating keys to add sunspots to the overcast grey fug. The applause was generally polite rather than warm and we’re labelled, albeit not with irritation, a “tough crowd”. Tough but fair I think you’ll find.

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/bestycoasty