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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

The Tamborines / Still Corners / Standard Fare
London, Buffalo Bar

Article written by Paul M - Nov 29, 2009

The indie celebs are out in force tonight with Alan Tyler of the Rockingbirds and Bobby Gillespie of the Scream taking turns to block the stairwell. They’ve presumably been drawn along by the appearance of the Sexual Objects, the new venture for former Fire Engines frontman Davy Henderson. Sadly being a South London dweller I only catch about 10 minutes of the headliners rock n boogie before the lure of the last train takes precedence but the bands that preceded them were good enough to make the effort still worth it.

Standard Fare

Openers Standard Fare have made an even longer trek than me, all the way from South Yorkshire, and you can’t say that co-lead vocalist Emma hasn’t dressed up for the occasion. Her skimpy dress proves a notable distraction for some of us fellas but I manage to focus long enough on the whole band’s performance to confirm the promise of their spiky alt-pop singles. The band reassure us that the magnificent but sinister Fifteen isn’t about any of them which is good news because its jangly pop hooks are way too joyous to be burdened by thoughts of any pervy undertones.

With their spiralling dreamy organ keys and floaty female vocals, the Still Corners would make the perfect soundtrack to a French 1940s film noir or the brooding backing to a black and white melodrama set in a cathedral with spooky low-key lighting and plenty of gargoyles. It’s testament to their performance that despite the chitter chatter from the back, it felt like you were listening to them on your CD player at home rather than in a crowded bar. Ambient, atmospheric and eminently enjoyable, these are the Cocteau Twins without the wibble.

Halfway through The Tamborines set, a friend turns to me and announces “most indie music would disappear if the Velvet Underground had never existed”. His accompanying sneer indicated his distaste but there’s little doubt that the short black-clad London based trio on the stage before me now are extremely familiar with the work of Mr Reed, and inevitably of course, the brothers Reid too. Fortunately I join the majority of the rest of the audience in swaying approvingly as they swamp us with their delicious fuzzy psychedelic sound, the distorted melodies coated but not lost in feedback. And for good measure, they have a member called Lulu Grave. How cool is that name?

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/standardfare
http://www.myspace.com/stillcorners