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Still Flyin’/ Grave Architects/ Brontosaurus Chorus
London, Luminaire
Article written by
Ged M - Jan 25, 2009
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Still Flyin'
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Before Still Flyin' played, I'd heard the records and was agnostic. Afterwards - I’d seen the light! Seeing 11 of them on stage and dancing - some task on the modest Luminaire stage - makes everything about them fall into place. They're decent musicians but their performance is endearingly geeky (especially their enthusiastic and energetic Bez character), presenting them as fast fans of ska, disco, hip hop and party pop. Their joyful, unselfconscious sound reflects that, with echoes of Was Not Was, Architecture in Helsinki and the Two Tone label; the great Gary Olsen takes the role of Rico Rodriguez, singing when he's not blowing his horn, and if you've only ever seen him in his reflective, pop-classicist role with Ladybug Transistor, it's quite a revelation to see him in this looser format. Also recognisable is Alicia Vanden Heuvel from Aislers Set alongside a bunch of strange San Franciscan characters, some of whom look like they've been written for novels (possibly that's Ignatius J Reilly on trombone and vibes). It's inauguration night - if we didn't know, Sean Rawls' 'Obama' t-shirt would’ve reminded us - so Still Flyin' provide that celebratory party soundtrack that shifts the winter chill. Put them onto a summer festival stage and the impact will be immense. But whatever you do, if you have the chance, go see 'em.
Grave Architects, from the Midlands, are just the sort of quirky indie set up that Fortuna Pop! seems to favour. There’s a touch of Darren Hayman and MJ Hibbert, of Pavement and the performance artist, in their wordy, autobiographical, blackly humorous tales. The piece-de-resistance is their eight-minute ode to bicycles, complete with the long central cycling rap that illustrates their entertaining contrariness.
The seven-piece Brontosaurus Chorus could be anyone; blink, and there’s Comet Gain; blink again and it’s Belle & Sebastian up on stage; sneeze, and you’re seeing Urusei Yatsura. That’s not a criticism, more like one of the things that endear them to you, along with their versatility - adding violin, accordion and trumpet to the otherwise standard set up -and their nice sense of melody. Their slightly dishevelled ‘chameleon indiepop’ is strangely charming.
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