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SoundsXP Presents

Friday 6th April 2012
All Day BBQ Festival

Sparrow and the Workshop
6 Day Riot
The Nuns
Singing Adams
Y Niwl
Colours
Dignan Porch
+more tbc

The Windmill
Brixton
Price tbc

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

Fanfarlo
Audio, Brighton

Article written by Max K - Feb 16, 2010

Fanfarlo

I’d known of Fanfarlo for a while before the chance to catch them live cropped up, and was well aware of their popularity on sites like SXP. I was fairly confident that this was unlikely to put pressure on any post-gig musings, at the same time, however, I did not want to be the one to burst any bubbles in the event that they were, well, not very good.

I’d bought the album some months ago and recalled thinking it was a pleasant sound, nothing particularly revolutionary or ground-breaking, so my general attitude was that I’d have a nice night out in the company of gentle, orchestral pop types, lubricated by a dozen beers or so.

So it was with a degree of surprise to experience the best all-round gig for ages in this part of the world – no shitty sound system, no rammed surroundings, no six foot wide pillars, no obstacles to the bar (normally students with zero gig etiquette). The music was crisp, the vocals (almost) clear, with harmonies between lead singer Simon Baltazar and violinist Cathy a treat not forthcoming on their studio work - a shame because it greatly complemented the overall sound, elevating the songs from honest workmanlike status to shimmering, ever-so-slightly-maudlin pop gems.

It’s too easy to list references, so I will. I heard a hybrid of Arcade Fire/Talking Heads/CYHSY, which, as a pal stated, was handy as neither of us has the necessary funds to pop over to Montreal or New York. I even suggested that the boppier ‘Ghosts’ was instantly memorable due to its beat being reminiscent of ‘A Town Called Malice’, but this could have been the effect of the beer…

Standout tracks included the aforementioned ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Fire Escape’, though most (all?) of the ‘Reservoir’ album was aired in an impeccably-delivered fashion, enjoyed and lapped up by a crowd brimming with the joie-de-vivre of the night before Valentine’s; in fact, cuddly couples appeared to be the norm, except in my middle-aged, gnarly bloke corner, that is…

All in all, a great night out. The band even boasts some comic facial hair in the shape of the bassist’s ‘lazy Hitler’ ‘tache, always an edgy, ironic look that’s difficult to perfect – maybe said bassist would be horrified to hear that, so I’d recommend getting a glimpse while you can at a venue near you!

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